It was five minutes to eleven o’clock in the morning.

At least that’s what the digital clock showed when the driver of the white limousine glanced at it before refocusing on the long road ahead of him.

In the back of the limo sat a mature woman in a white business suit and a well-groomed young man in semi-formal attire. With super-flawless, silky-smooth skin, big boobs, a tiny waist and childbearing hips she was built like a goddess. He was tall, easily six foot one, built like a boxer. Not a heavyweight, or a lightweight, but somewhere in between. And he was handsome, with slicked-back green hair and emerald eyes, and sat with his briefcase on the seat beside him.

Wearing jeans and a jacket, he could have passed for a Canterlot University frat boy. In a suit and tie, he would have looked like he worked in the business district of Manehattan. At the moment, he was wearing black slacks, a mulberry vest (five hundred thousand dollars in gambling chips jammed into them), a white collared shirt, black leather shoes and white gloves.

The woman held the limo’s built-in phone to her ear.

“I’m considering staying a bit longer this time, Luna,” she said. “Take care of things in my absence.”

“Yes, sister,”

The woman in white hung up and dialed another number.

“Reservations, please... Yes, I’m calling to confirm the two rooms for Celestia Soleil and Spike Drake,” she said as she looked at the young man seated across from her.

Spike Drake, age 22, all expenses paid vacation to Las Pegasus; Equestria’s playground for the rich and famous. A city of bright lights and bustling activity, reputed for being a wild vacation spot, complete with loud noises, large crowds and fun times. Home of nineteen of the world’s twenty biggest hotels, hosting over thirty million visitors a year, generating five billion dollars in gaming revenue, and utilizing no less than sixteen miles of neon tubing.

But unbeknownst to him, is the fact that there is a prize in this holiday, not expected, but certainly bargained for.

Celestia smiled as she remembered the very first time she brought Spike to Las Pegasus. He was still a little kid, bouncing in her lap.

She told him to look out the window at the skyline ahead and she said, “See that city out there, Spike? See that big town, one day we’re gonna own that town. You and me. What do you think of that?”

That had been over fifteen years ago. Now, Spike was sitting opposite of her, flipping through a brochure for the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort. A luxury casino hotel filled with games and carnival rides; their destination.

It had 3,044 rooms, two casinos, two theaters, four gyms, five arcades, a full spa, six saunas, pillow top beds, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, four swimming pools (two outside, two inside) with extreme slides, fine dining, warm cookies at turndown, a musical chocolate fountain, a wing for shopping, and areas for riflery and archery. But its signature attraction was Ponet Fantastique, a stage show that featured acrobatic and trained exotic animal acts.

Spike had been looking forward to his summer vacation, especially since he spent the better part of his last semester working at a gambling den in the Badlands. But he always made time to study and never let his grades fall.

When the week of final exams came, he went to bed early while all the other students stayed up studying. Then when they finally did get to sleep, most of the information fell out of their heads.

But not Spike.

He didn’t study the night before. Instead, he got a good night of sleep, woke up extra early and studied in the morning. That way, everything was still fresh in his mind by the time he went to class to take his finals... and it worked.

He took his tests and he passed.

Ever since he was a child, Spike was a fast learner. He caught on quick, and he knew how to win. He was willing to do whatever it took to succeed, he knew how to think four moves ahead... and he never quit.

Outwork, outthink, outwit, outplay, outscheme, outmaneuver, and outlast.

Make no friends. Trust nobody. Make damn sure you’re the smartest guy in the room whenever the subject of money comes up.

And never say die.

Spike knew more about casinos and casino security than anyone... besides the men who invented them, of course. He knew that a certain hierarchy existed: dealers were watched over by pit bosses, who were controlled by shift managers, who in turn answered to the floor manager, who kowtowed to the casino manager (the CM), who in turn bowed directly to corporate headquarters. In Las Pegasus, that translated to some faceless monster with a hundred million shareholders and almost as many lawyers. He knew that they had cameras, watchers, vaults, locks and timers on those vaults, and enough armed personnel to occupy Mareis, Prance.

He had seen many men, and women, succumb to an illness worse than any virus could ever produce; an inoperative and deadly life-shattering affliction known as “The Fever.” He stood by and watched people, old and young, smarter and a lot dumber than him cash check after check after check, hour after hour, and just throw their money away.

And it didn’t just stop at money. Some of them lost everything: their spouses, their homes, their children, even their pets.

But not him.

Not Spike.

Oh, he enjoyed a good gamble as much as the next person, but only if the odds were in his favor. And nothing disgusted him more than slot machines. Often described as one-armed bandits, they mocked and teased like no other device on Earth. Quick, addictive, and somehow satisfying, those devices ate money faster than a Manehattan rental agent. It was inhuman the way they let the player win a little and then take it all back. It sucked them in, they got hooked, and they never won it back.

But not him.

Not Spike.

Like most twenty-somethings, he didn’t know where he was going; but he also knew where he didn’t want to end up. At the moment, he didn’t want to think about his future. He just wanted to enjoy one last summer vacation before the real world hit him in the face.

Spike was broken from his thoughts by Celestia’s voice.

“Spike, what’s the matter?” she asked. “Aren’t you excited?”

“Sure,” he answered sarcastically. “I’m fresh out of college. I have no job, no money, no girlfriend... Things are really looking up.”

“First of all, you don’t need a job; because second, you’re as rich as I am; so three, you can do anything you want!” Celestia replied. “Except mope, you’re not allowed to mope. Stop moping! We’re spending the summer in Las Pegasus!”

“You know, your addiction isn’t healthy,” he commented. “You do know that, right?”

“I’m sorry, Spike,” she said. “But I can’t help it if the Resort keeps calling me back.”

As much as Spike hated to admit it, it was nice that the Flimflam Brothers invited them out for the summer.

Spike glanced at the brochure for the resort again, over pictures of the hotel’s atrium, aquarium and topless poolside lounge, and skimmed the not-so-brief history of the establishment to the second-to-last paragraph:

“With Gladmane no longer running the resort, Flim and Flam quickly stepped in to take over. And the first thing they did was tear down the solid gold statue of Gladmane that stood in the center of the hotel lobby. Then they melted it down, recast and remolded it into a likeness of themselves.”

With Flim’s showmanship and Flam’s business sense, they made the resort even bigger and more popular than it ever was under Gladmane’s control.

Unfortunately, the wealthy socialite Impossibly Rich and her son, Filthy Rich, showed up and took over the hotel right across the street from the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort... and cut in on their business!

Filthy Rich was first in his class at Pranceton, and he owned almost half of Las Pegasus. He was a fine businessman, but a bit of a bully. Fortunately, his bark was worse than his bite. Unfortunately, the Brothers had experienced both.

Spike then glanced at a picture of the Flimflam Resort’s star dealer: Twilight Sparkle, otherwise known as the Princess of Friendship.

“What makes her so special?” he thought.

According to the brochure, the rumor surrounding her was that “her very presence gave her the ability to soothe the customers’ tension and bring good luck throughout the entire casino.”

It was the main reason she’d been hired on as a dealer.

Celestia’s voice broke Spike from his thoughts again.

“Why do you want to work in a casino, anyway?” she asked.

“Because last week I graduated from wasting four years of my life learning how to deal cards, and I’m sick of cold-decking Canterlot Beat cover boys,” Spike replied. “I’m sorry, Mom,” he added. “I know I should be happy, but I guess I always thought by this point in my life I’d have somebody special to share my success with.”

“You’ve got me,” she told him.

“Thanks, Mom. But that’s not really what I’m talking about,”

“Oh, I see,” Celestia said with a smile. “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it, Spike. You’re still young, you’ll meet someone. One morning, you’re going to wake up with a wife and kids, and you’ll be like, ‘Where did they come from? They weren’t here the last time I looked.’ It’s like the old saying, ‘most things in life, good and bad, happen when you least expect them.’”

“That’s where you’re wrong! I believe we create our own opportunities. We have to make things happen. It’s not like something’s just going to fall out of the sky, land right at your feet, and change your life forever. I’m going to make things happen for me,”

“Well, at least we can agree on one thing,” Celestia said. “This summer, everything’s going to change.”

Spike glanced out the window and when he did, he saw the iconic neon “Welcome to Fabulous Las Pegasus” sign in the distance. It was off because it was daytime, but Spike had seen it, and the city, many times after dark. And both were always spectacular.

They were almost there.

Celestia leaned forward in her seat and placed a hand on Spike’s knee.

“Try to enjoy yourself, okay?” she asked.

Spike tried to smile as he looked back at his adoptive mother.

Before Celestia took him in, Spike was always very careful to protect what little was his. He had a hard enough time enjoying himself when he was spending someone else’s money.

But now he didn’t. He had amassed a small fortune of his own, which he kept in neat stacks in a suitcase under his bed, each two inches thick bundled together by strips of colored tape, all of it legal. He was rich, he was handsome, and he was successful. He could have anything he wanted.

He could take in the sites, relax in luxury accommodations, and enjoy the upcoming concert gala by Countess Coloratura.

He sighed and said, “Okay, Mom. I will.”

A young man and two women stood outside the Las Pegasus International Airport, waiting on a bus. They were a diverse trio, but they all were 25-years-old and at least three years out of college. The first was a kind-faced girl with long hair, pale skin and blue eyes, dressed in a white tank top, green skirt and white sneakers. The guy was tall and lean, clothed in blue, and had dark windswept hair and green eyes. The other girl, in a white T-shirt, blue hoodie, tight track pants and running shoes, recognized them as Fluttershy and Soarin; the former her best friend since childhood, the latter a fellow graduate of the Equestrian Air Force Academy.

As she looked at Fluttershy she couldn’t help but think, “Why Las Pegasus?” Fluttershy had never been there herself, the other girl knew this. And what little she did know was from those cheap novels she read and stuff she saw on TV. But when she looked at Soarin, she knew that he’d had the same idea she did. They both had some time off after graduation before they would be given their first real assignments, so they figured why not spend the summer in Las Pegasus.

Soarin might have changed a lot since high school, but the Academy drill sergeant sure didn’t beat the wise guy out of him. Not a chance of that.

She was holding her cell phone to her ear and talking to her older brother as she looked Soarin over.

“Okay, the Las Pegasus Poker Tournament is in twelve weeks and three days, and I am so going to be dealing for it,” she said.

“You’re gonna dominate, Sis!” her brother told her.

“Thanks. And until then, I get paid to hang out at a hotel and mix drinks for the tourists. I think I can handle that. How are things with you down at the Hay Burger?”

“So lame!” he replied.

“Are they making you wear that ugly uniform?”

“Yeah,”

“Oh, you should be here, you dork!”

“No promises, but I’ll see if I can come out for the Tournament,”

“All right, bro,” she said. “Until then, have fun flipping burgers! Oh, and please take care of Tank while I’m gone.”

“You got it, Dash,”

“What the Tartarus is that?!” she asked.

She looked down the road and saw a vehicle coming her way.

“Hold on, you have to see this!” Dash chuckled into her phone. “The lamest tour bus just pulled up.”

The brakes hissed as the multicolored shuttle bus slowed to a halt and the door opened to reveal its driver: a tall, slender man with brilliant green eyes, wavy, dark brown hair, and dressed in a tacky yellow Hawaiian shirt and brown shorts.

“All aboard for the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort!” he announced.

“Oh, my gosh!” Dash exclaimed. “I think that’s my bus!”

Fluttershy and Soarin loaded their luggage into the compartments beneath the bus windows and quickly boarded. Rainbow Dash followed suit. Despite its paintjob, the bus was almost new, and it was luxurious. The twelve passenger seats were wide and soft; they reclined and had padded footrests.

“What’s up, people?” the driver asked them. “I’m Cheese Sandwich. I drive the shuttle for the hotel, so anytime you need a ride, you just look for me. You just look for El Queso Grande! So, you guys here to ride the Wild Blue Yonder?”

“You know it!” Soarin replied.

“Is it as epic as they say?” Dash asked.

“Best in the country,” Cheese Sandwich answered. “The hotel’s totally booked most days. Hope you’re looking to get worked.”

Soarin and Rainbow Dash groaned a bit. They were looking forward to gambling and riding the best rollercoaster ever, not working their butts off. But that’s what they had signed up for when they applied for summer jobs at the Flimflam Brothers Resort.

As Cheese Sandwich looked at the three kids in the rearview mirror, he couldn’t help but think about how much money they were going to lose during their stay. The average visitor to Las Pegasus lost no less than three hundred dollars during a single weekend. They were mostly middle-aged men, visiting for three nights; spending another $300 on food, rooms and entertainment, in addition to the $300 flight home.

Weekend flights to Las Pegasus were the funniest thing. On the way out, everyone was smiling and laughing, thinking about the great time they were going to have and how much they were going to win. The flight home was the exact opposite. Everyone went home a loser. But Cheese Sandwich had a feeling that things were going to be different for these three.

The sofa was only half as warm as Starlight Glimmer had known it to be, but it was warm enough to ease her chill. She lay face down, exhausted, totally spent.

She was very tired.

Not dying. Just tired. Weak. Hung over. And she knew it.

The images in her mind showed things swirling all around her. A Jeep caught in a whirlpool, slowly sinking. Her viewpoint was that of a young woman who’d had way too much to drink, and staring helplessly at the pool as the car disappeared beneath the water.

There was also a blond guy swinging from a tree. That was before he took control of the vehicle. Slowly, the guy inside the car saw figures around the pool’s edge, waving, staring. Their faces tilted every direction in laughter.

Then the images faded into darkness, because now words seemed more important than pictures. Starlight twisted and turned as the voice of Sunburst (her best friend since they were kids) coaxed her from her slumber.

“Starlight?” he said. “Starlight!”

She groaned in reply.

“It’s amazing,” he told her. “I leave for not even one evening and you manage to totally trash the place.”

He walked over to the window, threw open the blinds, and she hissed as she pulled a blanket over her head to block out the light.

“It was just a little party,” she continued to groan. “It’ll all be cleaned up by the time they get here.”

“I think you better see this,” he said as he picked up the remote control.

“See what?” she asked.

Sunburst turned on the TV and the morning news appeared on the screen.

“The Las Pegasus Strip was turned upside-down last night at what has been described as an end-of-the-school-year party gone wild.”

“Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” Starlight protested. “Is there any chance your Mom and my Dad won’t find out about this?” she asked Sunburst.

“What do you think?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Just then, the hotel room phone started ringing.

“No -- don’t answer it! Please!” she begged.

“You’re going to have to face him sooner or later,” Sunburst said. “You might as well get it over with.”

He pushed a button on the phone’s console, and it violently shook almost immediately.

“What in Tartarus is going on there?!” came an angry voice over the speaker.

“Nothing, Dad,” Starlight lied, “I just had a few friends over, no big deal.”

“Well, all of the news reports are saying that over a hundred teenagers were running wild and disturbing the guests!” Firelight continued to shout.

“Dad, you know how the camera adds ten pounds?” Starlight asked. “Well, it also adds ten people for everyone who was actually there.”

Firelight must have been watching TV somewhere (wherever he was), and watching the exact same channel that Sunburst and Starlight were watching, because footage of a vehicle disappearing beneath water appeared on the screen—the same images from Starlight’s dream.

“Is that one of the pools?” Firelight asked.

“Is that my Jeep?” Starlight asked herself.

It was then that Starlight finally, and completely, realized that it wasn’t just a dream. The events of last night really did happen.

And it was going to cost her dearly.

“That! Is! It!” Firelight yelled. “When I get there, you and I are going to have a serious talk! AND YOU CAN KISS YOUR SUMMER VACATION GOOD-BYE!!!!”

“I’d say your party girl days are officially over,” Sunburst commented after Firelight hung up.

“Puh-lease!” Starlight replied. “I’ll clean up the penthouse, and by the time they get here, everything will be just fine. And besides, Dad never stays mad at me for very long, so this is a moot discussion.”

Both youths’ eyes shot open in shock when they looked at the TV again.

“The Las Pegasus Police Department was here last night?” Sunburst asked.

“They were?” Starlight replied. “Ooh, he’s cute.”

Sunburst finally clicked the TV off.

“Hey!” Starlight exclaimed. “I was watching that!”

“Who’s going to clean the rest of the hotel?” Sunburst asked. “Replace all the broken furniture? Have you even seen the hot tub?”

“Uh, that’s what the rest of the hotel staff is for,” Starlight answered.

“It can’t be done!”

“If I can single-handedly organize the city’s Poker Tournament, I can clean up a little mess,”

“Single-handedly my foot, you stood around and smiled all day while I ran the registration booth!”

“Sunburst, you know you’re better with numbers than I am. Anyway, I’m already on it,”

Starlight reached into her pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and made several phone calls.

“See? All taken care of,” she told him after she was done. “Do you know how to get a Jeep out of a pool?”

“That’s your problem,” he said as he headed for the door.

“You’re still going to help me, right?”

“I have to make the rounds while the others train the new staff. You know, the people who actually work for their money,”

“What? You’re leaving me? That’s so selfish!”

“It’s my job,”

“Fine, go then!”

“You have about six hours. Good. Luck,”

The bus ride from Las Pegasus International Airport went down the Strip, past all the mammoth hotels and megaresorts, including a six-hundred-fifty-million-dollar trip into fantasy, a massive black glass pyramid that would have made Somnambula feel right at home (at night it was the most powerful spotlight in the world), the emerald-green Maretro-Goldwhinnyn-Mareyer (MGM) Grand, its main building stretching the width of four football fields; a sex-charged rock club, a bright red volcano that spat lava into the sky after dark, and Manehattan if it had been reimagined by Dalton Whinny, with buxom cocktail waitresses instead of college kids in Wilhelm Wombat and Elmer Eagle costumes—the results of Las Pegasus being in an almost constant state of boom for the past four decades.

A white limousine pulled in front of Cheese Sandwich’s shuttle bus as both vehicles peeled away from traffic.

“This is it, compadres -- The Flimflam Brothers’ Casino and Resort,” Cheese said as the bus screeched to a halt.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Soarin stared in awe at the huge, 31-story casino hotel. With its colossal water fountain, extravagant double doors and revolving doors, and flashy neon signs, the exterior alone was impressive.

The trio spilled out of the bus and retrieved their suitcases from the luggage hold while a handsome young man dressed in a crisp white collared shirt, tucked in, under a sharp mulberry vest, black slacks and a tie, and carrying a briefcase, exited the limo, accompanied by a woman in a white business suit.

Cheese Sandwich honked the horn and a blond college kid in torn jeans and an open vest sprung up from the fountain.

It was Fluttershy’s younger brother, Zephyr Breeze. Her parents had told her that she would be seeing him in Las Pegasus. She just didn’t expect it to be like this—climbing out of a public fountain, half-clothed, and smelling like a bar rag.

“Zeph, wake up!” Cheese Sandwich shouted out the window to him.

“What time is it?” Zephyr Breeze asked with a yawn, his shoulders drooped with fatigue as he pulled himself out of the water.

“Almost noon,” Soarin said.

“Oh, man, I slept iiiin!” Zephyr yawned again.

His eyes shot open at the sight of his older sister and her best friend.

“Big sis! Rainbow Dash! What’s up?”

“Rough night, Zeph?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Oh yeah,” he replied.

The hotel lobby’s main doors (a pair of tall, golden double doors) were flanked by a pair of doormen like two proud sentinels. Spike peered through the windows and saw a multitude of people, everyone from a janitor mopping the floor to a young woman behind the front desk.

Suddenly, a blue limousine eased past Cheese Sandwich’s shuttle bus, slowed and slid to a stop in the passenger pickup lane in front of Celestia’s limo. Spike had to shield his eyes as the bright sunlight flashed off its sleek blue curves.

“Le gasp!” the doormen exclaimed.

Spike watched as the blue limo’s rear passenger door swung open. A couple in lavish foreign clothing uncoiled onto the sidewalk and walked toward them, followed by a man in a brown cloak and turban.

“Welcome, Your Majesties!” the doormen greeted them as they hauled on the handles of the double doors.

“Who are they?” Spike asked.

“They are the delegates from Saddle Arabia,” Celestia told him, “Haakim and Amira, and their advisor Hoo’Far.”

“Good luck, dudes,” Cheese told his former passengers as the bus door closed and he drove away.

The interior of the resort was modern and stylish, decorated in the fashion of a tropical jungle; with palm trees, rainforest flora, rumbling brooks, and even the odd waterfall. The air seemed misty, unlike the dry desert air outside, and the entire place smelled authentic. A giant gold statue of the owners dominated the center of the lobby; a 53 foot by eight foot aquarium stretched behind the registration desk, and out front, by the coat check room, stood a beautiful blonde; the resort’s head of security.

Applejack was her name—according to the shiny, golden nametag on her left breast—and she was Spike’s fantasy. A gorgeous woman with soft lips, beautiful green eyes that rivaled his own, and a smoking hot body underneath a black pants suit (which he was sure her bosses made her wear). The way her legs filled out those tight pants, the curve of her ass, she looked more like a V.I.P. than an enforcer.

“So this is the gal who brought down Gladmane,” Spike thought.

He smiled at the blonde who averted her eyes before smiling back.

“For a fancy hotel, it’s not very clean,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“We haven’t gotten to the outside yet!” a maid whose nametag read ‘Suri Polomare’ grumbled.

The group looked out the massive post-modern window at the back of the building and surveyed the remains of an equally massive party. Streamers and toilet paper hung from the trees and lampposts surrounding the now drained swimming pools, cardboard pizza boxes, paper plates and plastic cups littered the entire patio area, and several tables and chairs were overturned.

“Whoa!” was all Dash could manage.

“Oh, my gosh,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Is that a Jeep in that pool?” Spike asked.

“Yeah, that’s from the party last night,” Zephyr said. “It was so sick!”

“I like this place already!” Soarin exclaimed.

“Check you guys in a minute,” Zephyr told them as he walked off to the men’s room.

“Should we be checking in with someone?” Fluttershy asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah,” Dash replied. “I’ve got to find out where to dump my bags so I can hit the casino.”

A couple with two children and four singles (two men and two women) were standing at the front desk and yelling at the concierge—a prim, beautiful woman just short of thirty.

She was dressed in a white cotton blouse and tight black pants with matching Stiletto heels. She wore a pair of tiny reading glasses and her hair was done up in a high curl. Her face was a pale oval out of which peered luminous moderate azure eyes. Her nose was pert, her lips full, and her breasts swelled provocatively against the buttons of her blouse.

“We were up all night with that racket!” one of the guests complained.

“I demand to speak to a manager!” shouted another as he slammed his fist onto the counter.

“Right away, sir,” the concierge said as she picked up a walkie-talkie and spoke into it. “We have a Code Red at the front desk. I repeat, Code Red.”

The upset guests stormed off as Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike and Celestia approached the counter.

“Welcome to the Flimflam Brothers’ Casino and Resort,” the concierge greeted them. “We are gambling.”

“‘We are gambling’?” Rainbow Dash echoed.

“Yes, we are. It’s company policy; I have to say it,” she replied.

“We’re the new summer staff. I’m Fluttershy,”

“I’m Rainbow Dash. And that’s Soarin,”

“We’re all checking in,” Celestia put in. “Not all together, though.”

“And whomsoever art thou?” Spike asked the concierge.

“I’m Rarity. So, what do you think so far?”

“It’s a little different than I thought it would be,” Fluttershy said hesitantly.

“Try, it blows!” Dash exclaimed. “It’s all fake!”

“Oh, you must have seen last year’s brochure,” Rarity said. “Last fall, the Mayor of Las Pegasus decided to rebrand the city as a family vacation destination and make all the casino-hotels more ‘family friendly,’” she explained, complete with air quotes. “He also had a variety of new resorts with theme-park style rides built, and voilà: every true gambler’s worst nightmare!”

She handed Spike an up-to-date brochure for the resort, and it was very different from the one he had read in the limo. It was brightly colored, and covered in words that included (but were not limited to) “Adventure!”, “Challenge!”, “Fantasy!”, “Mystery!”, “Rides!”, “Shows!”, “Splash!”, “Thrills!” and “Wonders!”

“I guess that means no topless pool lounge,” Spike thought.

“Man, we got super-lucky seeing the Princess of Friendship before hitting the casino,” a young man behind him said as he passed through the lobby.

“Maybe we’ll hit the jackpot,” the guy’s girlfriend replied.

“Dare I ask?” Spike directed at the concierge.

“They’re talking about Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity replied. “She’s incredibly popular. Even Applewood starlets are overlooked when she’s around--Zephyr Breeze! What did I tell you about taking sink showers in the lobby bathroom?”

The group turned and saw that Zephyr had returned from his trip to the men’s room. And his hair was dripping wet.

“Uh... don’t?” he answered after he shook his hair dry.

“Right! So, what are you doing here?” Rarity asked.

“I’m the new bellhop,” he replied.

“Back up! You’re working here?” Rainbow Dash asked in complete shock.

“What happened to hair therapy school?” Fluttershy added.

“I needed a change of scenery,” Zeph said as he kicked back on one of the lobby sofas, “and the fastest-growing city in the world seemed like a good pick.”

“And the last place on earth where a bum with no skills can make a decent living,” Rainbow Dash commented.

They made an interesting point, Spike thought. The phenomenon of Las Pegasus was very unique. The town’s growth, financial influx, architectural fluidity... Where else in the world would a cocktail waitress afford a mortgage on a house and a lease on a car? Where else could a college dropout who parked cars for a living earn enough to send his kids to private school?

“My kind of town,” Zeph said. “That was a sick party last night.”

“Who threw the shindig, anyway?” Spike inquired.

“One of the investor’s daughters, Starlight Glimmer,” Rarity answered.

“If her old man finds out, she’s dead meat,” Zephyr said.

Just then, a man holding a cell phone to his ear approached the front desk.

He looked to be in his late forties, dark-skinned, and his teeth were horrible; it was impossible to tell if he was smiling or snarling (maybe both). His clothes were almost as bad as his teeth. He wore a brown suit coat, a white opera glove on his left hand, a brown leather glove on his right hand, slacks (the left leg of which was tan while the right leg was green), and leather shoes (a brown one on his left and a white one on his right foot respectively).

“Right... Yes... Golf carts need repainting, chairs repaired, and the pools need to be cleaned. Absolutely no problem,” he said into the phone. “IF I HAD ALL ETERNITY!!!!” he added after he hung up.

“Ahem!” Rarity cleared her throat. “Sir, you know Mr. and Mrs. Paradise.”

The man in the multicolored suit ran his mismatched gloved hands through his very dark gray hair, smoothing it out, and turned to the group of angry guests.

“What a charming family,” he said, a fake smile plastered across his face. “I understand the party last night was a little loud. How about I take twenty percent off your total bill?”

“Make it thirty!” the father, Mister Paradise, demanded.

“Done, and just to further prove how much we value your patronage,” the manager continued to lie through his crooked teeth, “how about I throw in free passes to the amusement park for the whole family?”

“Hear that kids?” Mr. Paradise told his twin sons excitedly.

“We hate amusement parks!” one of them shouted.

“We demand souvenirs!” added the other.

And they stomped away, followed by their parents.

The man in the mismatched suit turned his attention to Spike, Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Soarin and Fluttershy.

“Welcome!” he said with a little more sincerity. “Just checking in, I see. Excellent! I’m John de Prancie, the day manager at the hotel, but you can call me Discord. If there is anything I can do to make your stay even a little bit more comfortable, you just let me know.”

“Sir, they’re not guests,” Rarity interjected. “At least they are not.” She pointed to everyone except Spike and Celestia. “They’re the new staff.”

“What’s up?” Zephyr Breeze asked.

“Then why are you standing in the lobby?” Discord shouted. “Why are they standing in the lobby?” he asked Rarity. “And you, off the couch!” he shouted at Zephyr Breeze. “I just cleaned that myself!”

“It’s cool, dude,” Zeph said. “It’s cool.”

“We just got here. I’m Fluttershy--”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. No time for introductions!” Discord said. “Follow me. You too!” he told Rarity. “I need every hand I can get!”

“Yes, sir!” Rarity replied. “Coco, take over for me.”

A pretty young woman with a blue two-toned bob haircut, wearing a pleated lavender skirt, an off-white blouse with a lavender collar, and a scarlet tie (who had been silently standing by Rarity the entire time) nodded and stepped up to the front desk’s computer.

“Reservations under Drake and Soleil,” Spike told her.

“Ah, yes, here you are,” she said softly. “Two Resort Tower Kings with Unobstructed Views Overlooking the Strip... Should I put the balance on the same credit card?”

“Uh, no,” Spike said. “I will be paying in cash.”

“Very well,” Coco replied. “And may I arrange for some refreshments to be sent up to your suite, Mr. Drake?”

“Absolutely,” Spike answered. “Champagne, caviar, lobster, a shoe shine, an in-room massage, and my own private maid please.”

“Excellent,” Coco said. “Here are your room keys, your spa card, some complimentary casino chips, and Bulk Biceps will see to your luggage.”

She motioned to an enormous guy with a blond crew cut and arms thicker than his legs standing just behind her. He tipped his bellboy hat to Spike and Celestia, picked up all their suitcases (except for Spike’s briefcase) in both arms and pranced (yes pranced, like a giddy schoolboy) to the staff elevator.

Spike and Celestia stood dumbfounded for a moment at the display.

“Now, in order to get to your rooms, you’ll have to take the gold elevators,” Miss Pommel told them. “To get to them, you’re going to have to go through the casino, and veer to the left. Then take a right at the first palm tree. You’ll see the blackjack tables. Not baccarat, not craps, blackjack. Take another right and wind around left. If you get to the indoor pools, you’ve gone too far.”

“Gold elevators, through the casino, left, right at the first palm, past the blackjack tables, right again, and then left, pool, too far, got it!” Spike replied.

Coco smiled and said, “Enjoy your stay.”

Spike’s stomach growled and he looked across the lobby for a place to eat. His eyes picked out two suitable targets.

The first was the Sweet Snacks Café, which was a Rockin’ ‘50’s-themed diner that served burgers and milkshakes (complete with a soda fountain and waitresses in carhop uniforms). The other was an oriental restaurant that had an aquarium filled with many exotic fish, dubbed “X Sushi.”

Spike, for one, couldn’t stand the thought of eating raw fish. Especially since the mercury that was used to kill any potential parasites in them was more than enough to make his stomach turn. But he knew that his mother was always up to try something new and exciting, and sushi fit the bill.

Celestia could tell exactly what Spike was thinking so, in order to avoid an argument, she reached into her pocket and said, “We’ll flip a coin. Heads you win and we’ll go to the diner. Tails you lose and we eat sushi.”

Spike had played “Heads or Tails” many times before. So much, in fact, that it was how he had managed to score several free taxi rides over the years. Normally he would wager his ride be free of charge against him washing the cab driver’s vehicle... by hand.

It was a form of sortition that inherently had only two possible (and equally likely) outcomes. There were only two ways the coin could land—heads or tails. And heads came up just as often as tails. So, half the time one party would win, and half the time the other party would win. The odds and chances were a solid 50/50, and a game of chance didn’t come much fairer than that.

Unless, of course, the tosser used a two-headed coin.

Coin tossing was a simple practice of throwing a coin into the air and checking which side was showing when it landed, in order to choose between two alternatives, and sometimes used to resolve a dispute between two groups.

In this case, it was where to eat: the café or the sushi bar.

The diner or the restaurant.

A well-done burger or uncooked seafood.

“Come on, Spike,” Celestia said playfully. “Take a chance.”

She gave Spike the coin she planned to use and he looked at both sides of it to make sure that his mother wouldn’t cheat (even though she never did), and he handed it back to her.

“Okay,” he said.

Celestia flipped the coin into the air and it landed in her open palm.

“Tails it is,” she said.

Spike sighed for a brief moment, but smiled, accepting his defeat with some grace, and escorted his mother to X Sushi.

“First casino I’ve seen with a sushi bar in it,” he commented.

“Table for two, please,” Celestia told the hostess.

“Right this way,” she replied and she led them to a table near the center of the room. “Make yourselves comfortable, and Sunset will be with you in a moment to take your order.”

Spike and Celestia took their seats and looked at their menus. Spike skimmed over various Nigiri and Sashimi platters. They had everything from Sake (Salmon) and Maguro (Tuna) to Ebi (Shrimp), Saba (Mackerel) to Unagi (Smoked Eel), and Ika (Squid) to Tako (Octopus). They also offered traditional sushi rolls from avocado to cucumber and asparagus, as well as the Califoalnia and the Fillydelphia. There was even a Las Pegasus roll!

Celestia glanced over at Spike, smiled, and decided to tease her son a little about the conversation they had in the limo earlier.

“I’ve got a feeling today could be your lucky day,” she told him as she put her menu down. “I’m telling you, you could turn around right now and meet the girl of your dreams!”

Spike didn’t believe her, especially since he had already “met” her when he saw her standing by the coat room on the way in. Then he turned his head and saw a cute redhead with stunning golden streaks standing next to him.

She was dressed in a sleeveless blue-and-white tunic with a matching skirt and sash, a white apron that held her notepad, and a pair of wooden sandals. Her skin was the color of honey with the remnant of a great summer tan, her eyes were a vivid blue, and her legs were long and shapely.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer. I’ll be your waitress,” she introduced herself. “The fish is fresh. But be careful, so are the geisha girls.” She giggled. “So, what’ll it be handsome?”

Spike’s mouth hung open.

“Hamana-hamana-hamana...” he muttered. He quickly composed himself and said, “Well, I’ve never eaten here before. What do you recommend?”

“Oh, gosh, I could hardly say,” Sunset replied. “We have good Teriyaki...”

“I’ll try it,” Spike said quickly.

“And I will have the Califoalnia roll,” said Celestia.

Sunset wrote down their orders and smiled, “I’ll be right back.”

She disappeared into the kitchen as Spike sipped his water. Applejack was beautiful, but Sunset was just as stunning; maybe even more so. Spike glared at his mother and said, “Not a word!” and Celestia just smiled again.

Sunset came back with Spike’s Teriyaki and Celestia’s Califoalnia roll. Spike’s dish consisted of cooked beef, carrots, broccoli and squash. Spike took a bite and his eyebrows shot up.

“Oh, my Faust!” he breathed.

“What?” Celestia asked.

“It’s like I’ve never eaten squash before,” he replied.

“You have,” she said.

“Not like this,”

It was fresh, just like Sunset had said, but to Spike it was amazing. The vegetables had been cooked in such a way that they were warm, but they retained their shape and still had a bit of crunch to them. To Spike, there was nothing worse than vegetables that had been overcooked to the point that they were mush.

He preferred his squash sautéed in butter or a little oil, but he had never come close to matching this, and he was soon shoveling into his mouth.

“Now THAT’S how you cook a squash!” he thought.

And the sauce it was marinating in was actual Teriyaki sauce, made in-house, not something one bought at the store. The taste of ginger was strong. It was incredible, and Spike ate every bite.

Celestia paid for both of their meals and told Spike that she was headed for a meeting with the resort’s owners. That meant Spike was free to wander around and see what the hotel had to offer.

As he clutched his briefcase, he thought about going on one of the rollercoasters, hanging by one of the indoor pools or taking in a show. Then suddenly, a big, brown owl swooped into the restaurant and landed on the bar, right next to Sunset Shimmer.

It was difficult for Spike to tell exactly what kind of owl it was, for it had the dark eyes of a barn owl, but the plumicorns (those tufts of feathers that look like big eyebrows) of a great horned owl.

“Oh, hello, Owlowiscious, perfect timing as usual,” Sunset said. “Be a dear and bring this handsome gentleman to see your mistress, will you?”

The owl hooted in reply, which Spike found quite annoying, and it flew back out the way it came in.

“Take me where?” Spike wondered.

“You’d better hurry if you don’t want to lose him,” she advised.

“Thank you,” Spike told her.

With a last glance at Sunset, Spike took off after the owl.

“Such a handsome guy,” she sighed. “Why does he look so familiar?”

It was two in the afternoon when Spike stepped over the threshold of the casino floor.

It was densely packed, equal parts tourists wandering in from off the Strip and weekend warriors from Manehattan (some in suits and ties). Its atmosphere was luxurious and the décor was colorful. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from the cavernous ceiling. Gaming tables, widely spaced, were scattered around the huge room, slot machines fanned out on all sides. Poker games were in progress at three, a spirited game of Pedro at the fourth, a quiet game of whist at one isolated in the corner; and near the center of the room stood a Roulette table with a solid platinum Roulette wheel and half a dozen players watching the croupier as he dexterously set the ball clinking onto the spinning wheel’s cone.

Crowds three people deep were gathered around each of the tables; most of the men played cards, laughing hard at many points during their games, while many others just talked with one another, sipping drinks at the bar, with scantily clad women hanging on their elbows.

It was unreal.

“Look at these people,” Spike thought, “blinded by glitter and the almighty dollar.”

As he moved through the crowd, Spike’s experienced eye picked out the over-sized bouncers, real plug-uglies with narrow eyes that Spike knew were quite dexterous with sheath knives, rabbit punches, and groin kicks. The buxom showgirls that brushed past him undoubtedly had concealed carries tucked into their garters or worn as belt ornaments in beaded leather holsters. Spike didn’t blame any of them for this added precaution; he knew from personal experience just how valuable those small but lethal surprises could be in a pinch. As Owlowiscious led him across the casino floor, Spike absently patted the derringer resting in his fob pocket, thankful that no one had found him secretly packing.

“Did you see the Princess walk by?” one of the patrons asked. “Maybe we’ll win big now!”

“She touched my hand!” another exclaimed. “She really touched me! Now, I’ll win the jackpot for sure!”

“I want her to touch me, too!”

“Twilight, s’up?”

“Hi, Twilight!”

“It’s Twilight!”

“Hey, Twilight!”

“Hi, there!”

Owlowiscious led Spike to a group that had gathered around a woman with long sapphire hair, wearing a low cut violet vest, matching miniskirt and heels.

“Is she the one everyone’s been talking about?” Spike thought.

She had been walking toward the Blackjack tables when a coin rolled across the floor and stopped at her feet. She picked it up and spoke to a man sitting at one of the slot machines.

“Excuse me, did you drop this?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I did. Thanks a lot,”

She inserted the coin into the machine for him. He pulled the handle, got a match, and coins spilled out of the machine.

“Unbelievable,” Spike whispered.

“Everyone loves it when Twilight shows up,” one woman said.

“Loves it,” another added.

Spike continued to follow Twilight until she took her position behind the horseshoe-shaped table. Two people, a prim, beautiful woman dressed in red, with high, platinum blonde hair and green eyes; and a tall, strongly built man, with green eyes, wearing an amber suit coat, a bolo tie and a white ten-gallon hat, were already seated at it.

These two were big spenders, Spike could tell.

If they were betting twenty-five dollars a hand at Blackjack—or a roll of the dice, a pull on the slots, a spin of the Roulette wheel—(and they were) they got a special room rate and a smile from the desk clerks. Seventy-five bucks a hand, they might get a free room. A hundred and fifty or higher—that was room, food, and beverages. But if they were High Rollers—betting five, ten, twenty thousand a stay—they were going to get the full treatment: a ride from the airport, a bucket of Champagne waiting for them next to the Jacuzzi, and a host to always offer them something—a free room, a free flight, tickets to shows, fights and private parties—and make sure everything ran smoothly.

The man in the bolo tie and cowboy hat played smoothly; making small talk with the dealer, barely looking at his cards, and making some of the strangest plays Spike had ever seen. He kept hitting like a madman, for the most part, taking as many cards as he could—even busting with four cards after hitting on a seventeen. He never celebrated when he won, and never complained when he lost. In fact, he didn’t seem that interested in the game at all.

Spike watched him and the lady in red for a few more minutes before he approached, taking note of the sign that said that the table’s minimum bet was ten dollars and the maximum was five thousand.

The dealer looked at Spike and asked, “Try your luck, friend?”

Spike shrugged and said, “Why not?”

“After all, all work and no play makes Spike a dull boy,” he added in thought.

The cowboy turned to Spike and smiled at him.

“You’re new around here, aren’t ya?” he asked.

“Yes,” Spike answered.

“My name’s Bushel. Come on, sit down,”

“The Princess of Friendship, I presume?” Spike addressed the dealer as he took the stool next to Bushel and placed his briefcase beneath it.

“Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle,” she replied. “How’s your stay been?”

“Just checked in,” he said. “I’m Spike, by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Good luck,”

“Thank you,”

Blackjack, also known as 21 (the number which defined the object of the game), was the most widely played banking game in the world—a card game where the players played against the dealer rather than each other.

It was also the only card game where a smart player had a mathematical advantage over the house, which always had an edge at the table.

But that was the nature of the game—and it was no different than any other business. One didn’t open a theater and let people in for free. They were charged for admission, the entertainment. That’s what Las Pegasus did. And the house’s edge was like the price of the ticket. Whenever people sat down to play a game, or pull a lever, the casino was providing them with an entertainment service. They paid for that service by losing more than winning. But the house didn’t always have an edge (except with the cheaters and the card counters); card counters did not alter the natural outcome of the game, nor did proficient counters employ devices to help them beat the house. But Spike Drake was different. He knew how to get his entertainment for free—and then some.

Spike knew how Blackjack was played. The dealer dealt each player two cards, they added them together and tried to get closest to twenty-one without going over. If a player wanted another card, they pointed to the table (or said “Hit me”); and if they wanted to stand, they waved their hand (or said “I’ll stay”).

The object of the game was to beat the dealer one of three ways: get 21 points on the first two cards, reach a final score higher than the dealer without going over 21, or let the dealer draw additional cards until their hand exceeded 21. And if the player hit twenty-one on their first two cards, the casino paid them one and a half times their bet.

The rules were fairly simple, as card games went; but the strategy was tricky, and Spike was by no means an expert. The players went first, the dealer second. The dealer’s play depended on the casino, but usually they would hit until their cards added up to seventeen—or until they busted. If a player got pairs of the same card, they could split them and have two bets going on separate hands, and (depending on the casino) they could double their bet—double down—on the first two cards, taking a single card (a Face Card) in the hopes of beating the dealer for more money. That gave people a chance to increase their odds, but it also doubled the risk. The only proper time to split pairs was when the dealer’s hand would be weaker than each of the players’ two new hands.

Picture Cards, also known as Face Cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks), were worth ten points, while Aces were worth either one or eleven (depending on the rules of the house), and all the other cards (2-10) were worth their pip value.

“Run ‘em, Twilight,” Bushel said. “Make ‘em nice and friendly, ‘cause ain’t no bread in the house.”

“Place your bets,” Twilight told them.

The lady in red placed a single green chip, worth $25, on the betting circle; Bushel wagered two black chips, each worth $100; and Spike bet one of the complimentary chips that Miss Pommel had given him at the front desk; a yellow chip worth $1,000.

Twilight’s hands moved gracefully as she dealt each of them two cards face down, then two for herself. Then she flipped over one of her cards, revealing the Queen of Clubs.

Contrary to what many novices believed, the goal of blackjack was not to get the best hand possible; it was to beat the dealer’s hand. The key was to understand that the dealer’s advantage was based entirely on the fact that they drew after the players. The dealers were constrained by the house rules, which meant they were usually forced to hit until they either reached seventeen or busted. Therefore, the players’ strategy was to try to calculate what the dealer’s most likely hand was going to be, and then draw until their own hands were higher. If the dealer was most likely to bust (and they did about 28 percent of the time), the players simply needed to stand on any two cards over eleven.

The players’ calculations were based on what the dealer was showing. If the dealer had a strong card—like a ten or an ace (which Twilight did)—then the odds were high the dealer had a good hand and wouldn’t need to take a third card from the deck. That meant the players had to keep hitting until they had a strong hand for themselves. If the dealer showed a weak card—like a five or a six—they would most likely take that third card, and the players could usually stick with their first two cards. Therefore, the odds of busting were high, and it made sense to stand.

The lady in red looked at her cards. She had the Ten of Diamonds and the Five of Clubs. She paused, trying to decide whether to stand or take the next card.

“Now, Silver Waves, you’ve got fifteen and the dealer’s showing ten,” Bushel said to her.

“Do I hit, Bushel, or do I stand?” she asked.

“If you wannna win, you’ve gotta hit,”

Spike was actually surprised that the cowboy was so quick to offer advice... and that the lady was so quick to ask for it. Then again, they were both playing against the house and (in a way) had a common foe in Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight didn’t seem to mind.

“Hit me,” she told Twilight.

Twilight gave her another card: the King of Clubs. That put her at 25.

“Player busts,” Twilight said.

“Damn!” Silver Waves cursed.

Bushel looked at his cards: the Three of Spades and the Nine of Spades. He smiled at Twilight and said, “Hit me.”

She dealt him another card—the Nine of Clubs.

“Twenty-one,” Twilight said.

Spike looked at his cards and said, “Hit me.”

The Three of Clubs.

“Hit me,”

The Two of Hearts.

“One more,”

“Boy, you’ve got brass!” Bushel stated. “Do you know what the odds are on a five-card Charlie? Tartarus, you’re just throwing your money away!”

“If the object of the game is to get a total of 21, I will definitely need another card,” Spike replied. He looked at Twilight again and said, “Hit me.”

Twilight dealt him one more card—the Nine of Hearts—that, plus the previous two, put Spike at fourteen. Then he revealed the first two cards Twilight had dealt him: the Two of Clubs and the Five of Hearts.

“Twenty-one,” Twilight said.

Even with the final Nine, the two Twos, the Three and the Five prevented Spike from going bust.

“How’d you--?” Bushel began. “Well, shut my mouth!”

Twilight flipped over her second card, revealing the Nine of Diamonds.

“Dealer has nineteen. Good start,” she told them as she collected their cards and shuffled them back into the deck.

“Say, you’re not one of them card counters, are ya?” Bushel asked.

Twilight fumbled with the deck as she shuffled, but quickly recovered. She thought Bushel had directed the question at her, but she saw that he had been talking to Spike.

“The number of the cards and their values remain quite constant,” he told Bushel. “What would be the purpose of counting them?”

Bushel and Silver Waves nodded before Spike said, “Deal ‘em up.”

Twilight finished shuffling as they placed their bets. Silver Waves put down four greens chips ($100), Bushel wagered two black chips ($200) as he had before, and Spike bet two yellow chips ($2,000).

Twilight dealt them each two cards, and then two for herself. Then she flipped over one of hers, and it showed the Queen of Spades.

Silver Waves had the Ten of Hearts and the Two of Diamonds. She needed Nine to make 21.

“Hit me,” she said.

Twilight dealt her the King of Clubs, putting her over at 22.

Bushel had the Six of Clubs and the Seven of Spades—Thirteen.

“Hit me,” he said.

Twilight dealt him the Six of Hearts. That put him at nineteen and he stayed.

Spike glanced at Silver Waves and asked, “Weren’t you over at the Roulette table before?”

“I was,” she replied. “I like Roulette. Do you like Roulette?”

“Roulette’s for lonely widows and Frenchmen,” Spike said. “I also believe that slots attract an undesirable element.”

He looked at his cards, the Eight of Clubs and the Eight of Spades. He said, “Hit me”, and got the Five of Spades—Twenty-One.

Twilight flipped over her other card: the Jack of Spades. That put her at twenty. Everyone made the same bets again. Then Twilight dealt the cards and flipped over one of hers, showing the Ten of Spades.

Silver Waves glanced at her cards. She had the Queen of Diamonds and the Six of Spades (Sixteen), now she needed a Five to make 21.

“Hit me,” she said.

The Six of Diamonds—that put her at 22.

“Shoot!” she exclaimed.

Bushel looked at his cards, the King of Spades and the Five of Diamonds, and said, “Hit me.”

The Six of Clubs.

“Twenty-one,” Twilight said.

Spike got the Ten of Hearts and the Five of Clubs. He hit twice, getting the Two of Diamonds and the Four of Spades—Twenty-one. Twilight turned over her second card, revealing the Ten of Diamonds—twenty again.

As Twilight changed decks, Spike reached into his vest. He pulled out four stacks of orange chips, each worth ten thousand dollars—well beyond the table limit—placed them on the table, and pushed them into the betting circle.

“I was thinking of betting fifty chips this time. Is that all right?” he asked.

Bushel and Silver Waves went dead silent while everyone else within 15 feet of the table gasped and crowded around them.

“Fifty?” someone asked. “That’s half a million!”

“Big bet for a big man!” said another.

“What do you think that sign’s there for, to hold down the table?”

“How can he just--?” Silver Waves thought.

“I like your spirit,” Bushel told Spike, “but don’t you think you’ve won enough already?”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak and the pit boss, a tall, thin, auburn-haired beauty named Sassy Saddles, approached the table.

“Sure you don’t want to save a few bucks for the buffet?” Sassy asked.

“I want to see how well I do against three hands,” Spike replied.

“Whoa, dude! You’ve already established that you’re a risk-taker,” Bushel said, “but I didn’t think you’d live on the edge!”

“Oh?” Spike replied.

Sassy nodded to Twilight.

“Let him play,” she said.

“Another rich kid doing something stupid,” she thought. “This’ll be sweet.”

Silver Waves and Bushel decided to sit this one out. Spike looked at his cards (being careful not to show them to anyone) and said, “I’ll stay.”

Twilight flipped over the second cards for her three hands.

Her first pair was the Nine of Clubs and the Ten of Diamonds.

Her second pair was the Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Spades.

And the third pair was the King of Clubs and the King of Diamonds.

A nineteen and two twenties.

Spike smirked as he showed the King of Hearts and the Ace of Spades.

“Blackjack,” he said.

He won against all three of her hands.

“Boy, you are on fire!” Bushel exclaimed.

“He’s good,” one of the patrons said. “He is good.”

“Are you a professional?” Silver Waves asked.

Spike told them that he wasn’t, but they were beginning to suspect, at least from the way he played, that he was a serious gambler.

Up in the security office, Applejack and two of the enforcers, Caramel and Lucky Clover, were watching Spike on the monitor through a fisheye camera hanging from the ceiling in the casino pit.

“Can you believe this guy?” Caramel asked. “He’s taking the house to the cleaners.”

“More like he’s killing it,” Lucky Clover added. “Most of these people play like morons.”

“He workin’ a system?” Applejack asked.

“Nothin’ I ever seen,” Caramel replied. “He just rakes it in.”

“A high roller?” Lucky Clover asked. “Somebody we’ve seen before?”

“He’s nobody,” Caramel said.

“How much you want to bet now?” Twilight asked.

Spike organized and restacked the pile of orange chips in front of him. He reached for 120 of them—1.2 million—and shoved them toward Twilight.

“That’s it, Spike, show them who’s boss,” Bushel said. “It’s people who come here and blow the family nest egg that built this town. Not this pretty boy.”

Twilight had the Queen of Spades and the Ten of Hearts.

Spike got the Jack of Spades and the Ace of Diamonds.

“Blackjack again,” he said. “I think I’ll cash out before you run out.”

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet all of a sudden.”

“Not really,” Spike replied. “In fact, it was just starting to get interesting.”

Even half the money Spike had just won was more than enough to make any man’s hands tremble, but it wasn’t something that would impress the people who really knew him.

They would be much more interested in the briefcase beneath his stool.

Spike paused. Then he took his seat again after a moment of thought.

“How would you feel about letting me play one more game?” he asked.

Silver Waves gasped and said, “No! Don’t do it!”

“What an idiot!” Twilight thought.

“How much you want to bet?” she asked.

Spike placed his briefcase on the table, unlocked the catches, and opened the lid to reveal it stuffed with polished coins.

“I was thinking ten million... In silver,” he said with a smile.

“S-seriously?” Twilight asked. “That’s crazy!”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet all of a sudden,” Spike echoed. “Then again, after losing to me that many times in a row, I don’t blame you.”

“You stupid, arrogant rich son of some heiress!” Twilight cursed in thought. “How dare you underestimate me! Damn you, acting like this is nothing! Not that it matters. I’m going to win anyway!”

After Twilight shuffled the deck, Spike cut it with one hand. Silver Waves couldn’t help but whistle at Spike’s skill and Bushel said, “Pretty smooth.”

“What the Tartarus is he doing?” Silver Waves thought. “And yet, he’s so calm... How can he be so calm?”

Twilight was wondering the same thing.

“How the Tartarus is he so calm? He doesn’t think he can actually beat me, does he? No! There’s no way! It’s impossible! He doesn’t know what cards I’m going to draw! There’s no way he can best me! I’m going to deal myself 20, then I’m going to win, and he’ll end up with no way to win it back!”

Twilight dealt the cards and flipped over one of her own: the Ten of Spades.

Spike looked at his cards, the Three of Hearts and the Nine of Diamonds, and placed them, face down, on the table.

He looked at Twilight and smiled again.

“Why I ought to--” she thought furiously.

“Hit me,” Spike told her.

“That’s it!” Twilight thought. “You are dead!!”

And she dealt him another card: the King of Diamonds.

That, plus the Nine and the Three, put Spike over at 22.

Twilight flipped over her second card, the Queen of Spades; that put her at 20. She smiled.

Spike flipped his own cards over, revealing the Three of Hearts and the Eight of Diamonds. Those two, plus the King, put him at...

“Twenty-one,” he said. “Lucky me.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped as Spike swept up his winnings. He stuffed the yellow and orange chips into his briefcase with the silver. Then he tossed Twilight a single red poker chip (worth only $5) as a tip as he walked away, and she crushed it between her fingers in anger.

“Well, I’ve already found one of the cheaters in this building,” he whispered to himself as he walked.

“I’ll be sure to let the owners know,”

Spike spun around and came face to face with the pretty blonde that was standing next to the coat checkroom when he walked into the lobby; the resort’s head of security—Applejack.

“Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’ve been keeping my eye on Twilight ever since she started work. I always knew she was countin’ cards, I just couldn’t prove it... until now. Come on.”

As Spike followed Applejack, they passed a handsome dandy seated at one of the Poker tables with a lady on each arm.

One had dark skin, a white and gray Mohawk, and wore a short, strapless, zebra-print dress and black heels. The other was pale and dressed in loose shorts, a simple T-shirt, an open purple jacket and cute shoes with high pink socks.

The dandy smiled as he placed his cards on the table.

Two Pair: Twos and Fours.

The dealer showed his own hand: Four Aces.

“I can’t seem to win!” the dandy exclaimed.

“Fancy, you’ve got to know when to bluff, and when you have played enough,” the woman in the zebra dress said.

“I’m too upset to play!” Fancy Pants said exasperatedly. “No, you’re right, Zecora. I should take it easy,” he added. “Winning is a matter of time and losing is part of the fun, in its own way.”

Fancy’s other escort wasn’t paying any attention. She was looking around the casino, daydreaming.

“I know my true love is out there,” she thought. “Somewhere.”

Her eyes stopped on a young man following the head of security to the bar.

“Ooh la la! Mon petite hunk!” she whispered with a gasp.

She reached into her purse, pulled out her trusty hand mirror, looked at her reflection, and then popped a peppermint into her mouth.

“If looks could kill, you would not be feeling so well,” she said to herself. “Beware my little chocolate croissant! I am going to gobble you up!”

Spike followed Applejack to the huge mahogany bar, which ran an equally long mirror with shelves of bottled liquor, imported wines, and an assortment of fine whiskeys. Spike caught sight of the bartender, who was cleaning a shot glass. He glanced up to meet Spike’s gaze as Spike found himself a stool and sat down.

“Set this one up, Joe,” Applejack said, “on me.”

“Sure thing, AJ,” the bartender replied. “What’s your poison?”

“Scotch on the rocks,” Spike answered. “And I mean ice,” he added. “Thanks,” he said to Applejack.

“My pleasure,” she replied. “I’ll be honest I haven’t seen a beating like that since somebody stuck a banana down my brother’s pants and turned a monkey loose. I’d stay and have a drink with ya, but I’ve got to help clean the pool. Staff’s spread thin mopping up last night’s party, and they need me.”

Spike nodded as Applejack left and he saw another beautiful woman standing a few feet away and waving at him.

She had an unbelievable body. Her flawless white skin glowed. She had high cheekbones under large brown eyes, and her light gray, almost pink, hair fell down past her shoulders. Her hips were wide and her derrière firmly voluptuous. And a quick glance at her generous, upthrust breasts that the wrinkled shirt she wore failed to hide, told Spike that this woman was very well-endowed. Her breasts were large but firm, so firm that they bobbled only a little as she moved.

“Bonjour, mon amour,” she said.

“Moi?” he asked.

“Oui,” she replied. “Vous.”

Spike turned away to avoid her gaze, exhaled into his hand to check his breath, then faced her again.

“I apologize, that was a bit forward,” she said as she held her left hand out to him. “My name is de Lis. Fleur de Lis.”

“Spike Drake,” he replied.

His eyes dropped to her hand as he shook it, and he noted that she wasn’t wearing a ring.

“Enchanté et ravi to meet you,” she said. “Oh, I feel such a fool, forgive me, but I must say it. You are handsome. Is this your first time in Las Pegasus?”

“Is it that obvious?” he replied.

“Well, you are going to absolutely adore it,” she told him. “It is a wonderful, decadent city. We must get together sometime—all night parties, dancing, and, if you’re into it... midnight skinny dipping. Well, I must get back to my game. Au revoir!”

Spike’s heart pounded in his chest.

“At last, I have found you, my totally awesome beau!” Fleur said as she returned to Fancy Pants and Zecora.

She had felt like butter in his hand.

Spike turned around again to find his Scotch sitting on the bar, waiting for him. He downed it all and grinned from ear to ear.

“Sick parties... awesome rides... beautiful women -- I love this place!”

“I hate this place!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

While Spike was having a great time wandering around the resort, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Soarin and Zephyr Breeze had been scrubbing the drained pools off the outside patio.

They were joined by Applejack and one of the waitresses from the Sweet Snacks Café. A sweet, raspberry-haired girl named Pinkie Pie.

“This bites!” Zephyr exclaimed.

“That’s resort life for you,” Pinkie said.

“What do you mean?” Dash asked.

“Well, usually we get the afternoons off. Then some kid has a diaper malfunction in the pool, and bam! We’re on scrubbing duty,” Pinkie explained.

“Eeyup,” Applejack added. “We all pitch in where we have to, whether it includes mopping up vomit or hosing down the sidewalks.”

“Okay, people, listen up,” Discord said as he walked along the pool’s edge. “Do I need to remind you what will happen if the investors return and see this? I will be fired, which means all of you will be too! Comprendez-vous?”

They all nodded in understanding.

“Okay, here’s a list of things I need done by this afternoon,” he told them as he handed a piece of paper to Rarity. “Tick-Tock, on the clock, the remains of that party aren’t going to clean themselves up!”

Suri Polomare, who was standing on a second-story balcony overlooking the pool, shouted down to them, “Anyone know how to get ketchup out of carpeting?”

Discord hung his head and mumbled, “I hate my life.”

As he walked off, the gang found themselves disliking Discord more and more. They didn’t care for him or his attitude towards them. He was just like the manager in every hotel-based sitcom they’d ever had: sweet with the customers (albeit begrudgingly), and a petty tyrant with the help.

But he had to be.

It was his job to make the guests’ stay as pleasant as possible. He sought out the big players, the high rollers, and gave them free stuff to keep them at the resort. He brought them to the casino—and he made sure that they kept coming back. Whatever it took, he kept them happy.

Once Discord was gone, Fluttershy asked, “So, where are you all working? I’m bussing drinks on the casino floor.”

“A Bunny Girl -- nice,” said Rarity. “Decent tip potential, except you have to wear those embarrassing outfits.”

“You are looking at the Midnight Lounge’s newest bartender and operator of the Wild Blue Yonder,” Soarin said proudly.

“What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “That’s my job!”

“Is your name Soarin?” he asked her.

“No,” she replied curtly.

“Then it’s not your job,” he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a letter of confirmation. “I got this in the mail two weeks ago.”

Rainbow Dash yanked the letter from Soarin’s hand and she skimmed it.

“Okay, there has to be a mistake!” she said. “They said it was practically guaranteed!”

Rarity took her reading glasses out of her blouse’s breast pocket and examined the letter herself.

“It’s legitimate,” she stated. “They do this all the time -- move staff around wherever they need to. It’s something you’ll have to get used to.”

“That is so unfair!” Dash exclaimed. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“Let me check,” Rarity replied as she pulled her walkie-talkie out of her own back pocket. “Coco, darling, could you be a dear and check an employee posting for me under Rainbow Dash?”

“Hold on,” Miss Pommel replied. “Rainbow Dash... That’s housekeeping.”

“A maid?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “No! Oh, no! I don’t even clean my own room!”

“Maybe it won’t be that bad,” Fluttershy said.

“Cheer up,” Soarin told her. “I might even give you free drinks.”

“Have you forgotten who I am?” Dash asked.

“No, you’re the new maid!” he replied.

“I am a three-time International Blackjack Champion,” she boasted. “I’m ranked number 56 in the world!”

“Yeah, 56 in the girls’ category!”

Fluttershy gasped as Applejack’s jaw dropped. Rarity said, “Oh, no, he didn’t!” and Pinkie added, “Oh, he did.”

“Well, I won’t be playing with girls at the city’s Poker Tournament this year!” Dash stated. “So if you’re man enough to enter, I’ll be happy to show you just how much butt I can kick!”

“Bring it on, Crash!”

“I will! And don’t call me ‘Crash,’ Clipper!”

“That’s enough, both of you!” Rarity shouted, stepping between them. “We still have to clean the hot tub filters and put together new deck chairs. You can kill each other after, not before.”

“What happened to the old ones?” Fluttershy asked.

“They had a huge bonfire in the parking lot last night and ran out of wood to burn,” Rarity explained.

“Those were some good hotdogs,” Zephyr said.

“Damn it!” Soarin shouted. “Why couldn’t we have arrived yesterday? I love a good weenie roast!”

“Ugh!” Dash exclaimed. “You are so annoying!”

After they finished scrubbing the pools and hot tub (filters included), they got to work on building the new chairs. As the guys worked on one, Zephyr Breeze leaned over to Soarin and whispered, “Hey, you think Rainbow Dash is into me?”

They both looked over at her, and she glared back at them.

“She is definitely not into you, man,” Soarin replied. “This is not the look of a woman who is ‘into you.’”

“Maybe you’re right,” Zephyr said.

Celestia sat on a couch, on the 31st floor of the resort, in the owners’ office. It was a blue room raucous with old photographs and even older carny posters.

They had told her to make herself at home, which she did. They offered her coffee and a smoke after introductions, but she politely refused both. She did, however, take a piece of cake. Celestia never turned down sweets.

The Flimflam Brothers, the owners, stood tall, and everything they did from the way they moved to how they spoke seemed to charm and confuse people, dazzle and disorient. Their vests were blue with white stripes, their hair red, their eyes the color of pistachios, their skin olive, and they both smiled big and wide.

“How are you enjoying our resort?” Flim asked.

“Everything is splendid as usual,” Celestia replied.

“Glad to hear it,” said Flam.

“We hope you continue to enjoy yourself,” Flim added.

“I always do,” Celestia said.

“And don’t worry,” Flim reassured her. “Our staff and we will take care of Spike and make sure he has everything he needs.”

“Everything within reason, that is,” added Flam.

There was a knock at the door and Flim called out, “Come in!”

It was Spike, flanked by Applejack and Rarity.

After they had finished washing the resort’s golf carts, the gang found Spike checking out the putting green close by. Then they offered to show him to his room... after a stop at the bosses’ office.

“Spike, this is Flim and Flam, the owners of the resort,” Celestia introduced their hosts.

“Nice to meet you,” Spike said cordially.

“We see you’ve already become acquainted with some of our employees,” Flim observed.

“Oh, yes,” Spike replied, smiling.

“We were just explaining to Spike that the summer season runs from the first of June to the end of August,” Rarity told the Brothers.

“I’m also here to report that I can confirm that our star dealer has been cheating at cards,” Applejack added. “And you have this guy to thank.”

“We know,” Flim replied.

He motioned to a wall of security monitors behind his desk, next to the colossal window overlooking the city. Footage of Spike and Twilight at the Blackjack table appeared on the largest screen.

“That was quite the display,” Flam added. “No one has ever been able to beat Twilight Sparkle at Blackjack. No one except us, of course.”

“She doesn’t let anyone win that she doesn’t want to,” Flim went on. “You’re not on any list, and we don’t have your picture in our card counter file.”

Spike exhaled unsurprised.

“I don’t count cards,” he stated. “Card counting is time-consuming, and it takes nearly 18 hours to show a profit. And those who do count cards end up losing more than those who don’t. It takes discipline, dedication, and good math skills. I calculate odds. I view the table and remember past hands and combinations and use that to determine my wager. When the odds are too high I simply sit out a hand. I just use my head to take advantage of an opportunity. I also can’t stand people who refuse to let others win.”

“I can vouch for that,” Celestia confirmed. “And from your description of her, Miss Sparkle seems to fall into that category.”

The Brothers were fairly sure that was as innocent, and honest, of an answer as they were going to get, so they didn’t press it any further.

Flam did, however, say, “Miss Sparkle can be ruthless at times, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is our most valuable employee. In her eyes, you’ve got two strikes against you: you’re handsome and you’ve been educated beyond Miss Soleil’s School for Gifted Youths.”

Spike didn’t like what he was hearing. He wasn’t easily intimidated, and he hated being bullied by thugs. But he kept his mouth shut.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Applejack,” said Flim. “We will continue to monitor Twilight’s dealings. If this happens again, we will take drastic action.”

“And Spike,” Flam added, “if Miss Sparkle gives you any trouble, tell us and we will get her to back off. But be careful,” he warned. “From now on, we’re keeping our eye on you too.”

Spike nodded.

“If there is nothing else, sirs, we will show Mr. Drake, Miss Soleil, and the new staff to their rooms,” Rarity offered.

“Thank you,” Celestia said as she, Spike, Rarity, and Applejack left.

After the doors closed behind them, the Brothers’ returned their attention to the wall of monitors and zoomed in on the footage of Spike. As Spike cut the deck one-handed on the last game, one of the cards slipped down his sleeve before he handed them back to Twilight. Then, when his hand was still covering his cards (when he placed them back on the table), he subtly swapped one of them out for the one that was up his sleeve.

“The hand is quicker than the eye,” the Brothers quoted.

Normally they would have a cheater taken to the meat plant. By the next morning they would be served with eggs and toast in diners across the city. But Spike intrigued them. They figured he would be more valuable to them alive. And they started wondering how they could use him to their advantage...

“Impressive security system,” Spike commented as he, his mother, Rarity and Applejack crammed into the elevator with Fluttershy, Soarin, Rainbow Dash and Zephyr Breeze... and their luggage.

“Best there is,” Applejack said. “And I should know; I helped build it. Nothing happens in this place without me, and Flim and Flam, knowing about it. We catch everything.”

Spike looked up and noticed the camera right there in the elevator, watching them as they spoke. He had spotted several of them in the restaurants, the hotel hallways, everywhere but the restrooms. There were people who spent all day and night staring at TV monitors linked to every single one of those cameras, trying to see faces that they recognized, and Applejack was the one in charge of them.

“So, you all live in the hotel?” Spike asked.

“That’s right,” Applejack replied.

Spike figured the staff had their own living quarters, but he didn’t think that they would actually be on the premises. Most vacation spots, at least the ones he’d visited, had staff houses in a second location. But then he thought it was probably more convenient for the bosses and the employees that they stayed close by in case they were needed. That made more sense.

He noticed back in the owners’ office that they had the floor plans for the third floor, the staff quarters, sprawled on one of their tables. Ten in the west wing, ten in the center, and ten more in the east wing. Half of them singles, half of them doubles, all had magnificent views. Spike had wondered what it would be like to actually live in a hotel.

The elevator slowed to a smooth stop and the doors opened to the staff floor, which started with an open sitting area with a hallway at both ends (leading to the east and west wings). Spike and the girls exited the elevator (Celestia had gotten off on the twenty-seventh floor) and they saw one of the chairs and one of the sofas occupied by three young women in brightly colored outfits.

One of the two on the couch had luminous orange hair with brilliant yellow streaks, which was done up in a very high poof. She wore a purple and gold ensemble that consisted of a low-cut top, pale fingerless gloves, matching stockings, platform boots with a belt (both gold and decorated with numerous spikes), and tight shorts.

The second woman had twin purple pigtails with streaks of aquamarine mixed into them, and was wearing a sleeveless jacket, a crop top, dark jeans with matching boots, and a purple belt with a star-shaped buckle. And the third had a long arctic blue ponytail with Persian blue stripes. She was sitting on the couch with the first woman, and she was wearing a purple halter top, a loose necktie, a blue belt, and pink shoes with a matching miniskirt.

They were all tall, buxom, and as beautiful as sirens.

“Sonata, what’s happening?” Zephyr said as he fist-bumped the girl with the blue ponytail.

“What’s up?” she replied.

“So you’re the guy who just rolled into town and bested the star dealer at Blackjack?” the one with the orange poof asked Spike.

“I see news travels fast around here. I’m Spike,”

“Nice to meet you,” she replied.

“This is Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk,” Rarity introduced the trio. “They’re returning staff.”

“Which means we’re like goddesses around here, and should be treated as such,” Adagio (the one with the orange poof) said.

“Don’t listen to her,” Aria told them. “She’s just full of hot air.”

Their voices were low and attractive, with a touch of authority.

“The firing rate currently stands at forty-two percent,” Adagio said. “So one of you is not going to last the week.”

“My money’s on him,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing at Soarin.

“Dare I ask why?” he replied.

“I don’t know. You just have that going-to-get-fired look about you,”

“Says the woman who’s clearly jealous that I got the most awesome job here,” Soarin countered.

“All right, boys’ rooms are in the east wing, girls’ are in the west,” Rarity told them. “Zephyr Breeze, you’re in 301. Soarin, you’re in 303. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, mi casa es su casa.”

They both gave Rarity perplexed looks.

“You’re rooming with me,” she added as Applejack and Spike returned to the elevator and rode it up to his floor.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed Rarity down the hall, which was comfortably wide. The wallpaper was silk, and electric lights ten feet apart from each other, and about seven feet off the ground, were masked behind cloudy, cream-hued glass that was fashioned to look like gas lamps.

Rarity unlocked her room and ushered her new roommates in. It was a two-bedroom suite (one of which was already taken by Rarity). There were several comfortable, inexpensive chairs and a couch, a coffee table and a TV. It wasn’t anything special, but it had a sweeping view of the city and a luxurious living room space, and they hadn’t expected much.

Rainbow Dash told Fluttershy that she would take the couch. Fluttershy thanked her and hauled her bags into the other bedroom. Then Dash checked her cell phone and saw that she got a text message from her brother Rainbow Blaze.

“How’s it going so far?” it said. “Get a chance to ride the Wild Blue Yonder yet?”

“Not yet,” she texted him back. “So far, it sucks.”

Dash sat on the couch, took a breath, and remembered why she was there.

“I’m not here for the job or the room,” she told herself. “I’m here for the gambling and the rides.”

Up on the 26th floor, Spike twisted his key in the lock of the mahogany double doors to his suite and swung them wide.

“This is it,” Applejack told him, “home sweet home for the summer.”

The doors opened to living room with leather couches and armchairs, an antique coffee table, plush cream carpeting, and a large hearth with a fire already burning. It was adorned by magnificent paintings and other artworks, and the balcony window ran nearly the length of the room. And beyond it the Sun was poised directly between two mountains, casting golden light across their peaks.

Spike could barely believe that he was standing in a suite. It was bigger than any hotel room he had ever seen. It seemed too big for just one guest; too big for even a king.

“This is where I’ll be staying?” he asked.

“Eeyup,” AJ replied.

He walked through the living room to the bedroom, where his luggage was. There was a large dresser to the left, a small closet just to the right of the doorway, and a bookcase stood just beyond the king sized bed. But Spike was quickly taken by the object that hung on the wall across from the bed.

“That’s a 92-inch flat-panel HD plasma screen,” he said. “I didn’t think they really existed!”

Spike placed his briefcase (still full of silver coins and casino chips) on the dresser. Then he picked up another object and a black duffel bag from the pile of luggage by his bed and placed them on either side of the briefcase.

He placed both hands on the duffel bag, feeling the stacks of bills inside: a little over one million dollars, all in hundreds, all of it his own money.

“And through there,” Applejack pointed to a door beyond the bed, “is the bathroom.”

Spike entered it, then closed the door behind him and let out a gasp at what she was seeing. The bathroom was grand; it seemed almost as big as the living room. The wall tiles were the most pristine white that he had ever seen. It had a large marble counter with the sink taking up at least a quarter of its length, in the middle. It had both a marble Jacuzzi big enough for ten, maybe eleven people, and a shower for four or five (not a combo shower-bath) and, of course, a toilet. All the fixtures and taps looked golden, though they weren’t made of actual gold.

“This is great,” he said.

“Oh! How elegant!” someone cried out suddenly.

Spike had started loosening his tie when he exited the bathroom to find Applejack standing by the window. Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had joined her, and they were staring at the second object Spike had placed on the dresser before he checked out the bathroom. It was a clear, crystal egg as big as Spike’s head, studded with diamonds, rubies and gold.

“It’s simply exquisite,” Rarity gushed. “A real treasure.”

“That’s a Fabergé egg. They were made expressly for the Czars of Russia,” Spike explained to the group. “It’s priceless. I know several people who are eager to get their hands on it.”

The girls were more taken by the objects that were inside the egg: a gold necklace with a heart-shaped ruby at its center, and a single playing card with a sapphire blue number seven on one side and a golden Sun on the other.

“That’s got to be at least 20 karats!” Rarity said, admiring the necklace. “Precision cut, flawless clarity, no inclusions, pristine facets, great color...”

“It was my Mother’s,” Spike told her.

“It’s beautiful, darling,” said Rarity. “I’ve never seen anything so stunning.”

“And that’s a Gate, isn’t it?” Rainbow Dash inquired about the card.

Spiken nodded.

“That is so awesome! I’ve never seen a Gate in real life before. I knew you were cool, but I had no idea you were a Gate Holder,” Dash added.

“What are you talking about?” Fluttershy asked.

“You mean you don’t know?” asked Rarity.

“Duh, that’s why she asked!” Dash replied.

“The Gates are a group of thirteen cards issued by a really famous organization known as the International Casino Dealers’ Guild,” Rarity explained. “These special cards were distributed throughout Equestria and the surrounding regions, and the people who possess them are known as Gate Holders.

“Well, that makes sense,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s common for extremely skilled dealers to challenge each other in Grand Gate Battles and earn the others’ Gates as a prize,” Rarity went on. “And whoever collects all thirteen Gates will be named the Guild’s top dealer, complete with all the fame and fortune that comes with it! Their name will be known across the entire world!”

“I can’t believe you have such a rare card,” Dash told Spike.

“I’m really not all that special,” he replied modestly. “I only got the card as a gift.”

“What?” Rarity asked. “You mean someone just gave it to you?”

“Yeah, some guy asked me to take his place in a game a long time ago,” Spike recalled.

Spike thought back to when he was still in college. The game was a single match of Closed Poker and his opponent lost after trading in his cards. The guy had nothing – the Six of Clubs, the Eight and Ten of Diamonds, the Queen of Hearts, and the Three of Spades – and Spike won with a full house: three Kings (Hearts, Spades and Clubs) and two Aces (Spades and Clubs).

The gentleman who had asked Spike to play for him stepped out of the crowd and said, “That was an incredible game. Please, take this. You’re far more worthy of holding it than I am.”

Spike could barely remember the gentleman’s face, but he promised that he would honor the man’s wish.

“I didn’t even really do anything,” Spike said softly. “I just got lucky.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Fluttershy replied. “Clearly you have what it takes to become the top dealer.”

Spike thought about it for a moment.

“I guess,” he said. “But it might just be a dream.”

Suddenly, they heard screaming coming all the way from the staff quarters. A scream from over 20 stories below, someone must have been in trouble—serious trouble. Spike and Applejack ran down the stairwell while Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took the elevator.

Applejack exited the stairwell with Spike right behind her. They ran to AJ’s room and saw Sunset Shimmer standing in front of the door, a mixed look of terror, anger and disgust on her face. She was no longer wearing her sushi waitress uniform. She had changed into an orange halter top, blue jeans, black boots and a black leather jacket.

“Toilet backed up again?” Applejack asked after she caught her breath.

“Uh-huh,” Sunset confirmed. “Can you call maintenance?”

“Oh, I can call ‘em,” AJ replied. “They won’t come, but I can call ‘em.”

“Did you try telling Discord?” Spike inquired.

“It didn’t do any good,” Sunset answered.

“Word of advice, don’t get buddy-buddy with Discord, or the Flimflam Brothers,” Adagio advised him. “They’re all creeps and they’ll try to make you do all kinds of weird stuff.”

“They can be a pain, but they’re old-time showbiz,” Applejack added. “They’ve seen it all, most of it twice.”

“So you know how to win at Blackjack,” Aria said. “What else can you do?”

“Well, I play Poker and I shoot dice... I know the rules, anyway,” Spike replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, when we’re not working, you can find us gambling just about anywhere,” Sonata explained. “A lot of us are pretty rich, so the stakes can get pretty high.”

“And after seeing how you played against Twilight today, I’m sure you’ll get challenged sooner or later, so watch your back,” Aria warned.

“Challenged, huh?” Spike chuckled warmly. “And I thought my summer vacation was going to be boring.”

“So, do you have any other hobbies?” Sonata asked.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Fluttershy added.

“Tell us everything!” Rarity said.

“I enjoy ballroom dancing, training horses, and running with wolves,” he replied, “as far as girlfriends go, not at present.”

“Did you make all that cash you bet against Twilight by playing casino games?” Applejack inquired.

“No, I actually got it from working as a model,” he answered Applejack.

From the way Spike dressed, Rainbow Dash guessed, “Scotch ads?”

“No, actually, it was a bunch of commercials for cologne and body wash,”

“I knew it!” Sunset exclaimed. “I knew I recognized you from somewhere! You’re the spokesman for Dragon Spice!”

She reached into her jacket, pulled out a magazine, and turned it to a spot she had marked.

On one page was a picture of herself in a black bikini and posing with a bottle of nail polish called “Shimmering Sunset”, and on the other page was Spike, shirtless, riding a white horse bareback (on a beach, no less) and holding a bottle of the body wash she had mentioned.

“Could you please do a bit for us?” Fluttershy asked.

Spike smiled, cleared his throat, put on a charming face, planted one of his feet onto one of the couches, and posed like a swashbuckler.

“Do you feel that?” he asked in a rugged, manly voice. “That’s the feeling of every woman wanting you and every man wanting to be you. If you switch to Dragon Spice, you can be the man that men want to be, and women want to be with. Look at me, I’m on a horse! Dragon Spice also available in Alpha Dragon and Dragon Wolf.”

The girls stared at Spike awestruck, seeing him in a whole new light. Not only was he handsome, he had parlayed that into serious money.

“If you worked here, I think you’d rake in some serious cash,” said Sunset. “Who knows, this place might even be your future.”

“Maybe,” Spike replied.

“You don’t seem to have a high opinion of gambling,” Applejack observed, “but you gamble anyway. What’s the draw?”

“The very risk, I guess,” Spike said, taking his foot off the couch. “The nature of gambling is terrifying. You remember the thrill that comes from the fear of risking it all. That’s what fascinates me. But I always seem to win.”

“And what if you lose?”

The group turned and saw Twilight Sparkle standing in front of the bank of elevators.

“I do not lose, Miss Sparkle,” Spike said. “I always set out to do what I plan to do, and what I want is mine. I get what I want, and I get what I like.”

“Not every time, I’m sure,”

“I do,”

“There will come a time when you can’t,”

“I’m not worried,”

“Then tell me something,” Twilight said. “Who walks around with ten million dollars in silver coins?! You don’t just stake something like that on a single casual game of Blackjack! You just don’t! You don’t!!”

“But isn’t that what makes it fun?” Spike replied.

Spike’s words stunned Twilight so completely that she stared at him, unable to speak, and the white of his eyes went killer red.

“People love to gamble,” he said. “And Blackjack is so simple to the point that it seems almost fair. It’s really the only game that people believe they have a chance of winning. Now let me ask something: five rounds, seven hands, and you dealt yourself 20 all but twice, even when the stakes weren’t high... Did you really think that I wouldn’t notice? I don’t count cards, and my memory isn’t photographic like some people, but I saw you deal no less than a dozen faces; kings, queens, jacks, and a lot of tens... Way too frequently for a single-decked shoe. Sure, you threw in a few random cards, but camouflage is a poor tactic.”

Twilight kept staring at Spike. She hadn’t thought that he would be paying such close attention to the cards. Her strategy was crude, and her method flawed.

The red began to fade and the white slowly returned to Spike’s eyes as he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a Nine of Diamonds.

The card she had originally dealt for him on that last hand.

“You play your games, Twilight Sparkle, and I will play mine,” he told her as he handed the card back to her. “And if I don’t know the rules, all the better, for it will be much easier to ignore them. Like you, I play to win, and I will win!”

They locked eyes for five seconds before being interrupted by Discord’s loud voice over the intercom system.

“All new staff are to report to training immediately!” he shouted.

“Wait! We have to train today?” Fluttershy asked.

“This blows!” Dash exclaimed.

“Get used to it,” Aria told them. “Management owns your butt, my butt, all of our butts.”

“No one owns this butt except me!” Dash shouted as she pointed to her own rear end.

“This isn’t exactly how I thought it would be,” Fluttershy said.

“Me neither,” Soarin added.

“If I don’t see your faces in 20 seconds, I will fire the whole lot of you!” Discord yelled. “This is not a threat, it’s a promise, and I don’t tolerate slackers! Move it, people! Move it! Fifteen... fourteen... thirteen... twelve... eleven... ten... nine... eight...”

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. Join us next time when the new employees report for duty at the Flimflam Brothers’ resort, and are faced with their first big challenge after being warned that Discord likes to celebrate the first day of summer by firing at least one junior staffer. Who will be the unlucky one sent packing? Meanwhile, Starlight Glimmer she gets some unpleasant news of her own...

For those of you just now joining us and/or have forgotten what happened in the previous two chapters: Spike Drake is on vacation with his adoptive mother, Celestia Soleil, at the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort in Las Pegasus.

He explored the hotel, enjoyed the casino, and met several of the key members of staff, including the resort’s top dealer, Twilight Sparkle, whom he outcheated in a game of Blackjack.

Later, in Spike’s suite, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were quick to point out that Spike owned a “Gate”, one of thirteen rare cards that are wagered in battles with other “Gate Holders” to determine the strongest dealer in the world.

Now, you’re all caught up. You’re welcome.

The entire crew of Flimflam Brothers’ Resort’s employees never saw each other, and they never would. There were almost 200 in all, from full-timers to college students working for peanuts, and Discord could never get them all to assemble for one big meeting, so he briefed them in small teams. He assigned them their tasks, and those tasks varied from week to week, sometimes day to day. They were expected to act as a team and work together as a team.

In the staff locker room, Fluttershy stepped out wearing her cocktail waitress uniform, which consisted of a white strapless corset teddy, black pantyhose, a white collar, a white bowtie, white cuffs, white high heels, white bunny ears, and a fluffy white cottontail.

“Oh, my gosh. That is so bad,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I really have to wear this?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s an authentic bunny girl outfit inspired by the tuxedo-wearing rabbit mascot of the Playboy Clubs that operated between 1960 and 1988,” Discord explained as he handed Rainbow Dash a skimpy Applewood French maid outfit.

“Okay, this is so lame!” Dash exclaimed. “I’d rather wear the bunny suit!”

“Well, research has proven time and again that guests prefer their housekeepers to look neat and respectable,” Discord replied. “It makes them feel like you won’t actually try to steal their possessions.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed like he had insulted her... because (in a way) he had.

“Just put it on,” Fluttershy told her.

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Discord added. “It took me years of working here to be able to dress like this.”

Even before prostitution had been legalized in Las Pegasus, the Flimflam Brothers knew people liked a little bit of sex appeal to go with the games and the shrimp cocktails. There were always a dozen Bunny Girls working the casino when it was going full-blast. There was at least one Bunny Girl on each team, and everyone from the enforcers to the dealers and the bellboys were expected to keep a big-brotherly eye out in case anyone bothered them.

Rainbow Dash disappeared behind the curtain of one of the changing stalls as Soarin and Zephyr Breeze stepped out of two more, wearing their uniforms. Soarin’s consisted of a very light blue collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a dark blue vest with matching slacks, and black Italian loafers. Zephyr’s was a pale aquamarine polo shirt, faded blue pants and beat up brown loafers that looked more like moccasins.

“This is really itchy,” Zephyr said as he scratched himself.

He quickly forgot about his itchiness when he saw his sister’s outfit.

“Who wants to play Pin the Tail on the Playboy Bunny?” he teased.

“Make all the jokes you want,” Fluttershy countered. “At least I don’t look like a deadbeat down to his last dollar who just walked in off the street.”

“She’s right, man,” Soarin confessed. “You do.”

Shortly after, Rainbow Dash stepped out wearing her maid uniform, complete with black stockings, a short, black, frilly skirt; a white apron, a very low-cut top... and black combat boots.

“Ohh! Yikes!” Zeph laughed as he got ready to take a picture with his phone. “Now, that is bad!”

“Do it and you lose it,” Dash growled. “This is so humiliating!”

“Yes, ‘life is unfair. Daddy doesn’t love me.’ Blah, blah, blah,” Discord mock-whined. “Here are your nametags. You are required to wear these at all times while on duty.”

The four of them took their respective nametags (which had magnets on the back instead of the traditional safety pins) and fastened them to their chests.

“All eyes on me,” Discord stated as he walked briskly down the line. “You may have heard a rumor that I have a tradition of firing one new employee on their first day. That rumor is completely false.”

They smiled in joy and relief.

“Oftentimes it’s more than one,” he added.

Their smiles quickly faded.

“Your performance in training today will be rated by your supervisors as well as the guests, so I suggest that you give them your full attention,” he advised. “Any questions?”

Soarin raised his hand.

“Okay then,” Discord said, ignoring it. “I’ll see you after training.”

“I hope I don’t mess up,” Fluttershy said.

“Relax,” Dash told her. “How hard can serving drinks be?”

“I hope she’ll be all right,” she added to herself in thought.

As they headed out, another employee stopped and spoke to Zephyr Breeze.

“Hey, aren’t you the dude who drove the Jeep into the pool last night? That was awesome.”

“I have no idea what that guy’s talking about, Sis,” Zephyr told Fluttershy.

Fluttershy underwent a strict and vigorous training. She struggled with balancing drinks on her serving tray as well as trying to get through the swinging doors from the kitchen to the dining rooms without spilling anything. But that wasn’t the worst of it. As a Bunny Girl, she had to be able to identify 143 different brands of liquor as well as how to garnish 20 variations of cocktails. She was also required to master three key maneuvers:

First the “Bunny Stance”, which was a posture that was mandatory in front of the patrons. She had to stand with her legs together, back arched and hips tucked under. Then, when she was resting, she had to do what was called the “Bunny Perch”, which was sitting on the back of a chair, sofa, or railing without sitting too close to the patrons. And finally, the most famous maneuver of all: the “Bunny Dip”, where she had to gracefully lean backwards while bending at the knees with her left knee lifted and tucked behind her right leg. This pose allowed her to serve the drinks while keeping her low-cut costume in place.

Mingling with the customers was forbidden, and they were not allowed to touch the Bunnies, which Fluttershy didn’t mind. But several times she dropped dishes and had to catch them with not just both hands, but the top of her head, her mouth, and one foot. She was very lucky she had a good sense of balance.

Soarin didn’t fare much better. Not only did he have to learn how to make everything from a Red-eye to a Vodka martini with a Pernod float, he also had to throw out a 400-pound drunk and a 100-pound ballerina who had been speeding for three days.

“Get your act together!” one of the servers yelled.

“Vodka and Rose’s, please!”

“Hey, come on, man, I got four people waiting for me! I’m not going back there with three drinks!”

“Absolut on the rocks, Gilbey’s and a tonic, a Velvet Hammer, a Molson and a Cuba Libre!”

“This isn’t what I ordered!”

“Where’s my Scotch on the rocks?”

“A Bloody Mary, an Angel Tit, a white wine, Pink Squirrel, a Friar Tuck, and a Ding-a-Ling!”

Flailing behind the bar, Soarin knelt behind the cash register, and when he did, the drawer shot out, whacking him in the head.

Zephyr Breeze literally threw suitcases onto his luggage cart and was so easily distracted by the sight of female guests walking through the lobby, on their way to and from the pools, that he crashed said cart into an open elevator. Rarity and Bulk Biceps were not impressed.

As for Rainbow Dash, she had to vacuum the suites, make beds and sanitize the bathrooms. And even though scrubbing toilets was the worst part of being a maid, she actually had a bit of fun making faces at people behind their backs while she washed the windows.

At the front desk, Rarity saw a black limousine pull up to the front door to the hotel. Firelight, Starlight Glimmer’s father, exited the vehicle; escorted by Sunburst’s mother, Stellar Flare, with the “Great and Powerful” Trixie, Starlight’s other best friend, bringing up the rear. Discord was standing on the curb, waiting to greet them.

“I want to apologize for things getting out of hand last night,” he began.

“Relax!” Firelight told him. “It’s not you I’m looking for.”

Discord looked up to the sky and whispered, “Thank you.”

Sunburst finished making the rounds and returned to the 25th floor just in time to find Starlight finishing cleaning up the penthouse shortly before Stellar Flare walked in. Stellar was a beautiful woman, just a few inches shorter than her son, thin and attractive, with scarlet hair, smooth tan skin, green eyes, and beautiful hips and thighs.

“Hi, honey,” she greeted Sunburst with a warm hug and a kiss on both cheeks. “How is my favorite son? Are you hungry? I could call room service.”

Trixie came in and flopped onto the sofa... and its throw pillows.

“Hey, I just fluffed those!” Starlight snapped at her.

“Nice video!” Trixie countered, showing a clip on her smart phone of Starlight crowd surfing... naked.

“Where did you get that?” Starlight gasped.

“Sweetie Belle sent it to me,” Trixie replied. “She pulled it off some guy’s MyStable page.”

“Has Dad seen it?”

“Duh,” Trixie answered. “And I thought I was in trouble when I accidently set the stage on fire.”

“Where is Dad?”

“Getting Discord fired, probably,”

“He’s not going to have Discord fired, Trixie,” Sunburst said.

“He should. The guy’s a total troll. I’m surprised he can even dress himself in the morning,”

“So, Dad’s not mad at me anymore, is he?” Starlight asked.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Stellar Flare replied uneasily.

“‘Enraged’ doesn’t even begin to describe his state,” Trixie said.

“What do you know?” Starlight asked her.

“Enough to stay out of the news,” Trixie responded, “which is a lot more than you do, apparently!”

It was then that Firelight marched through the door and past his daughter. He didn’t even look at her, he was so furious.

“I will be in my office,” he stated.

Then he slammed the door behind him.

“So, Dad’s just going to talk to me a bit and then let it go... right?” Starlight asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know, honey,” Stellar Flare replied, still uneasy. “When he saw that guy drive your new car into the pool--”

“Starlight, get in here now!” Firelight shouted.

Starlight held her head high as she entered her father’s office and closed the door behind herself.

“She is in so much trouble,” Sunburst said to Trixie.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Trixie replied.

They both looked at the door to Firelight’s office, then at each other. Then they sprinted to the door and put their ears to it.

Inside, Starlight stepped further into the dimly lit room. As she approached her father, she felt like she was in the opening scene of The Godfather. He was seated behind his desk; the newspaper lay across it, open to the business section, as usual. She gulped as she watched him turn the pages, checking his stock portfolio.

Firelight was tall and fit, with light grayish aquamarine hair and a high forehead—a good opposite to Sunburst’s mother. He was more grounded in the past and the present, whereas she was looking toward the future. He was very affectionate toward his daughter, rarely ever angry, his brown eyes were kind, and he almost never raised his voice. But now, as Starlight stood across from him, she knew that her father was really upset with her. Truth be told, Firelight hated Las Pegasus. The only reason he was in town at all was to help its preservation societies, which were slowly losing their foothold.

“You wanted to see me, Sir?” she asked.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how to handle that party you threw,” Firelight said. “You know, I wasn’t always a millionaire historian with money invested in stocks and a casino-hotel...”

“Oh no,” Sunburst whispered to Trixie. “It’s worse than we thought. He’s giving her the ‘apprentice in a book store’ speech.”

“I started as an apprentice in a book store,” Firelight went on. “I worked my way through college, saved everything I earned, and built my fortune with my bare hands!” He never looked up from the newspaper. “Well, now I realize that I failed at something very important along the way. My own daughter doesn’t know the value of a dollar. You want me to start treating you like an adult? Very well—you can work for your spending money from now on. And I mean real work, for a paycheck. Which means your spa privileges, your credit cards, and your room here in this penthouse are all off-limits until you can prove to me you have a solid work ethic! You are moving into the staff quarters tonight and that. Is. Final!”

Starlight couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I can’t just leave!” she protested. “I need time to pack!”

Firelight pointed to the door, an order for her to get out, and Starlight didn’t argue with her father any further. The “conversation” was over.

When she left the office, she saw Sunburst standing by the door leading to the hall... with seven carryon suitcases.

“You packed my stuff?!” she cried. “You knew about this? Why did you let me run around, cleaning everything up?!”

“I don’t want to live in a pigsty,” Sunburst replied.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Sunburst opened it to reveal Discord and Zephyr Breeze standing out in the hallway.

“Hey, I’m here to move some bags,” Zephyr told Starlight.

“And I am here to give you this,” Discord added, handing her a nametag.

He slapped it into her open palm, and then he made her wrap her fingers around it... tightly.

“You traitor!” Starlight growled at Sunburst. “Fine!” she whined. “I can handle this! How hard can it be?”

“See you at 7:00 A.M.,” Discord said as he walked back down the hall.

“A.M.?” Starlight asked. “As in ‘the morning’?”

“Yep, that’s when you clock in for breakfast service in the Sweet Snacks Café,” Discord replied as he hit the elevator call button. “Oh, and come in a bit earlier,” he added. “You’ll need to get fitted for your uniforms.”

“Wait. I have to wear those ugly uniforms, too? Aargh! This is so humiliating!”

Starlight and Zephyr Breeze took the next elevator down. The ride was awkward, quiet, and uneventful. But when they reached the staff floor, Zephyr tried to start a conversation with her.

“These are the staff quarters,” he began. “You realize that?”

“Uh-huh,” Starlight replied shortly.

“And you’re going to be living here now?” he asked.

“Apparently,” she said.

“So, does that mean that you’re working here too?”

“Not for long,”

“So, I’m not your staff, am I?”

“No,”

“Well, in that case, you want to give me a hand? Because all of your stuff is really heavy,”

She picked up her two smallest suitcases, leaving him to wheel the rest on his cart, and he led her to Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s room. He told her that he would talk with Discord about getting her moved to another one, so the four of them wouldn’t be packed together like canned sardines.

“This is the worst day of my life,” Starlight said.

“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’ll learn to love it,” Zeph said with a smile. “Wicked party last night, by the way, totally worth whatever punishment you got.”

And he left her to unpack.

He walked back to the sitting room in front of the elevator bank, and he saw Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sprawled out on two of the couches and Soarin ringing out his socks, which were totally soaked through with alcohol.

“That was seriously the hardest day of my life!” Dash exclaimed.

“None of you could have done as badly as I did,” Fluttershy replied. “By the way, Soarin,” She dipped her thumb and forefinger into the top of her uniform, pulled out a small wad of cash from between her breasts, and handed it to him. “You’re supposed to get ten percent from the waitresses.”

“I don’t deserve it,” he said.

“Hey, schmuck,” Dash told him as she took the wad from Fluttershy and stuffed it into Soarin’s shirt pocket. “You get money from girls every day?”

“Isn’t this when we’re supposed to have fun and do whatever we want?” Zephyr asked them. “You know, our break time?”

“Too tired,” Soarin said.

“Way too tired,” Dash added.

“I’m exhausted,” Fluttershy breathed.

“Come on!” Zephyr exclaimed. “We made it all this way today! We have to get one quick gamble in! Who knows when we’ll have an hour off again?”

“Okay,” Dash said. “I’m in. You in?” she asked Soarin.

“Sorry, I got to head down to the Midnight Lounge before the Dazzlings go onstage,” he replied.

“Fluttershy?” Dash asked.

“No, you go on ahead,” she said. “I’m going to do a load of laundry.”

“Okay,” Dash replied.

“Meet you back here in five,” Zephyr told her.

They quickly changed and were about to enter the elevator when its doors opened and they saw Discord standing in it.

“Oh, good, you’re still here,” he said. “I need you two to hall-sit tonight.”

“To what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Hall-sit,” Discord repeated.

“What’s that?” Zephyr asked.

“Come with me and I’ll explain it,” Discord said with a smile.

So, they followed him into the elevator.

Later, down in the Midnight Lounge, Spike was enjoying his third double bourbon at the bar while he watched and listened to the Dazzlings sing against an underwater-themed backdrop.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh… You didn’t know that you fell… Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh… Now that you’re under our spell...”

From the high-backed, velvet-upholstered booths (each one designed to give a maximum of privacy to the people seated at them) that lined the walls of the room, to the red carpet and the beer dripping from the spigots of all three polished taps, it was beautiful. Several people were seated at tables, having wine and cocktails; gin fizzes and margaritas, and the occasional rum and tonic.

After his little staring contest with Twilight Sparkle, Spike returned to his suite, where he changed into his swim trunks. He checked out the topless pool lounge (thankful that it was still there), where he learned that the showgirls hit the pools early. After a quick swim, he returned to his suite, showered, and enjoyed the lobster and caviar dinner and bottle of Champagne that had been sent up.

Now Spike, back in his half-suit ensemble, was telling Soarin (who was working behind the bar) how he had won a car from a slot machine. He didn’t even want to play the damn thing; he was trying to prove to a group of patrons in the casino just how rigged slots were... and it backfired spectacularly.

He inserted a single quarter into the machine and pulled the lever. The display stopped on one car, then another, and another. The machine’s lights flashed, it started playing music, and the crowd cheered.

He had won a yellow-and-black 2010 Camaro SS for twenty-five cents!

Spike was having some difficulty relaying said story. He was so fixated on the Dazzlings’ performance that he found himself tapping his hand on the bar.

Adagio stood front and center while her sisters flanked her right and left; they may have appeared as equals, but it was abundantly clear that she was the first among them.

They finished their second song and sent one of the showgirls to bring Spike backstage. He found them, and Suri Polomare (who was reading a tabloid magazine), behind the curtain.

“Looks like your friend is going home tonight,” Adagio told him.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked.

“The one who’s keen on dancing -- Fluttershy,” Aria replied. “Coco came by earlier, looking for her.”

“Rumor is that she had the lowest evaluation,” Sonata added. “I hate to say it, but I think she’s toast.”

“Aw, that’s a shame,” Suri said sarcastically as she started to leave.

“Nice!” Adagio snapped at her. “Real nice!”

“What? Better her than me,” Suri replied.

Spike glared daggers into Suri’s back as she left.

“Thanks, Adagio,” he said.

Then he went off to find Fluttershy.

It took a while, but he eventually found her sitting on the floor of the staff laundry room, her back against the door of one of the washing machines, crying.

“Fluttershy?” he began awkwardly. “You okay?”

“No,” she replied as she fought her tears.

“What’s wrong?” he attempted.

“What am I even doing here?!” she wailed. “I don’t belong and I can’t seem to do anything right! I only came out here to learn how to dance, but I don’t even have enough money for lessons!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he said. “So, you want to learn how to dance?”

“Uh-huh,” she replied, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

“Come on. I’ll teach you,”

And he helped her to her feet.

“This is stupid!” Zephyr Breeze exclaimed. “We’re babysitting a hallway!”

“No, we’re babysitting the kids in 441 while their parents pig out at the buffet and listen to the Dazzlings,” Dash corrected him.

They were sitting on a bench across the hall from the room of Mr. and Mrs. Paradise (the guests who had complained to Rarity earlier that day about Starlight’s party), while their twin sons were inside playing video games. Something that Dash wished she could be doing at that moment instead.

Suddenly, the shouting and video game noises stopped.

“Okay, it just got really quiet,” Rainbow Dash said.

She pulled out her master key (all the maids had them), slid it into the lock and creaked open the door, only to be greeted with a pudding cup to the face. She slammed the door shut and plopped down on the bench again.

She reached into her sweatshirt pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and called her brother Blaze.

“Yo, Hay Burger!” he answered.

“Hey, bro, it’s me,” she said.

“Oh, hey Sis, what’s up?”

“I’m starting to think that this was a huge mistake,”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“I got a job in housekeeping,” she said evenly.

“You’re a chambermaid?” Rainbow Blaze tried his best to hold back his laughter. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “Did you at least get a chance to ride the Wild Blue Yonder yet?”

“Nope,” she stated. “I went down to check it out; the whole amusement park’s been closed until further notice!”

Zephyr Breeze started to nod off and Rainbow Dash was so focused on talking to her brother that neither of them noticed as the Paradises’ kids came out of their room on a sugar high and started running up and down the hallway.

“What about you? They got you mopping the floors yet?” Dash asked.

“No, we’re just chilling,” Blaze answered. “Cloud Break got a job at the Weather Factory, so Cinnamon Swirl’s the new manager.”

“No way!”

“Yeah, it’s awesome! She threw out the dorky costumes and we get to pick our own hours! Gotta go, we’re having a staff party after closing tonight, but listen! Call me back a week from today. If you still don’t like the job, I will come down there, to Las Pegasus, and I will bring you home myself. Okay?”

“Thanks, bro,” Dash said. “Later.”

“Later!”

She hung up, closed her eyes for a moment, and then slumped forward.

“What’s up with you?” Zeph asked.

“My big bro’s lame job just got awesome, and my awesome job blows! That’s what’s up!”

The Paradise kids ran past them again, screaming, and Zephyr asked, “Uh, should we be doing anything?”

“I say let them tire themselves out,” Dash replied.

“Cool,” he said.

They gave the soon-to-crash twins one faint, final glance, and their minds turned to better things.

Spike told Fluttershy to go into the ballroom before he walked over to the front counter... and Coco Pommel. As he walked his thoughts kept going back to that maid, Suri Polomare.

His vacation was going to be very unpleasant if she was going to be working there all summer. She had been nothing but a bitch. Normally, Spike hated that word (except in the literal sense--describing a female dog), but after what he witnessed in the Midnight Lounge earlier, he started to think that the Dazzlings hated Suri even more than he did. And if the Dazzlings didn’t like her, then it must have been because of something seriously bad about her.

Spike cleared his throat, which caused Coco’s head to bolt up from her sketch book.

“May I help you, Mister Drake?” she asked.

“Yes. Is there a way you could get rid of one of your maids?”

“I don’t understand,”

Spike swatted at a fly that was buzzing around his head.

“Are you familiar with Suri Polomare?” he asked.

Coco seemed to go stiff at the mention of the name, which gave Spike the feeling that there was some kind of history between the two women.

“I know her,” Coco said uneasily.

“Do you know that she talks down to your coworkers?” he asked.

“Yes,” she shyly admitted.

“Do you like her?”

“No, I don’t,”

“Do you wish she didn’t work here?”

“Yes,”

“Well, all that could end if you helped me get her fired,”

“I can’t do that,” she said. “It would be wrong.”

“Then don’t think of it as ‘firing’,” he replied. “Think of it as a simple ‘reorganization of the corporate structure.’ Better yet, think of it as ‘downsizing’.”

“I can’t just get her fired because I don’t like her,”

“What about Fluttershy?” Spike asked.

“What about Fluttershy?” Coco echoed.

“You saw how red her eyes were before I came over here,” he said. “She was so excited to be working here.”

“I thought she would make the load more bearable,” Coco replied.

“She still can. Just because she’s a cute and a little shy doesn’t mean that she can’t learn. Help me keep her on and I will help her so she can reach her full potential,”

“Please, leave me out of this,” she said. “I don’t want to get involved.”

“I am trying to save her from being sent home!” he told her. “Isn’t there anything I can do to prevent that?”

“Well, there is one thing,” Coco said hesitantly.

“What? Name it! Anything!” he said.

“Well, you could... take me out for coffee sometime,” she mumbled.

“What did you say?”

“Spike, I really like you and was wondering if maybe you’d like to go on a date with me!” Coco blurted.

“Whoa. Did not see that coming,” he thought.

“But doesn’t the company policy say that coworkers can’t date?” he asked.

“You’re not an employee,” she told him.

“Not yet,” he replied. “But I plan to be.”

“Well, I might be able to make sure that Suri would be let go instead of Fluttershy,” Coco said, “if you went out with me. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and it doesn’t have to be more than once.”

“She’s blackmailing me?” Spike thought. “I’m impressed.”

Spike glanced up to the ceiling behind Coco, and the camera that was staring back, watching him.

He knew from his talk with Applejack in the elevator that she (and the Flimflam Brothers) would be watching him from above—the Eyes in the Sky—and after his little game with Twilight he knew he would have to be more careful.

Spike had heard the stories: back rooms, intimidation tactics, sometimes even violence. Spike was extremely lucky. They let him stay without incident. Neither of them had made a scene, they didn’t make a big fuss about it. They just gave him a single warning.

“From now on, we’re keeping our eye on you, too.”

They didn’t have him arrested, but they could have. In Las Pegasus, the absolute least security would have done was kicked him out of the casino. But at the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort, the “law” was a bit different: they let their customers play, but the dealers could screw around with the decks, shuffle at will, change betting limits—in short, make it impossible for people to win.

It was not what the players won that made casino owners nervous, it was the simple fact that they could win. Over time, nobody beat the house—that was the cardinal rule of Las Pegasus.

You screwed with the cardinal rule and you screwed with Las Pegasus itself. And sooner or later, Las Pegasus would find a way to screw you back.

They were just trying to protect their money, Spike understood that, and because he walked around with so much, they wanted to keep him there for as long as they could... so that they could “win” some of his and keep it for their own.

Smart.

On the exterior, Las Pegasus changed. But no matter how many makeovers the town got, deep down it was still the same—the flashy, modernized shell concealing a dark core. At its heart, it was all about greed. And by the early nineties, greed had reached new heights, and smart kids—the math majors and the engineers—wanted a piece of the action. People built casinos because they wanted to take other people’s money, and people came because they wanted to take the casino’s money. The rest was just window dressing. And the casinos made sure the system was rigged in their favor.

As the fly buzzed around by his hair, Spike got an idea. If he could maneuver the little beast to land on the front of the camera, on the lense, and stay for a spell, Applejack and the Brothers would temporarily be unable to see what was going on, and Coco might be able to do what she needed to so that Suri would be the one sent away and not Fluttershy.

It was a gamble, but Spike was willing to take it.

“All right, you’ve got a deal,” he told Coco.

And he aggressively swung his open palm at the fly, forcing it to hover over the counter and onto the camera’s lense. Coco immediately got to work, pulling up the employee files on her computer.

Suri Polomare, twenty-three, helped Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie wait tables in the theme restaurants when things were slow. She gossiped with the other chambermaids, and worse, to some of the guests. And not only was she a gossip, she was lazy and the other senior members of staff resented her.

She would sit in the linen closets, reading gossip magazines, but whenever Discord went on one of his unscheduled prowls (and woe to the employees he caught resting their feet) he found her actively working, her gossip rags hidden under the sheets on a high shelf or tucked safely into her uniform pocket.

Nothing Spike didn’t already know (or hadn’t guessed).

Then he saw the evaluations: Fluttershy had a zero out of ten on hers while Suri scored an eight. Spike said a little prayer before Coco attacked the keyboard. A little fancy typing and she managed to swap the results so that Fluttershy had the 8/10 and Suri got the zero. Spike thanked Coco for her service, and continued on to the ballroom.

The ballroom was massive; large enough it could hold up to 300 people. The dance floor was polished hardwood, and aside from two people (excluding Spike and Fluttershy), it was empty.

The first was a tall, thin blonde lady in a black leotard, pink tights and matching legwarmers, who spoke with a heavy accent so that “w” sounded almost like “v”. She was talking to a young woman with wild cyan hair that was frosted cobalt at the tips, impossibly pale skin, dressed in blue sneakers, a purple crop top with matching shorts, a long white coat and rose-tinted sunglasses.

The tall blonde saw Spike enter, and Spike gasped and fell in formation.

“Who is that?” Fluttershy asked.

“You’re joking, right?” Spike replied. “That’s Hoofer Steps, the greatest ballet mistress of all time! The most talented and famous choreographer in the world, the universe, and beyond! She is beautiful. She is elegant. She is strong. She is powerful!”

“First position, second, third, fourth, and rest in fifth!” she commanded.

Spike put his heels together, toes pointed outward; then he pointed his feet in opposite directions, with his heels spaced roughly a foot apart. After that, he placed his right foot in front of his left so that the heel of his right foot was near the arch. And finally, he moved his right foot twelve inches in front of his left foot and formed two parallel lines with them, the heel of his right foot in contact with the big toe of his left and the heel of his left in contact with the last toe of his right.

The positions of the feet in ballet were the fundamental part of the dance.

Hoofer Steps clapped her hands.

“It is good to see that my greatest student has not forgotten what I taught him,” she said.

“Thank you, Miss Steps,” Spike said with a bow.

The other woman joined them and she handed Spike a business card.

Vinyl “DJ-Pon3” Scratch, Professional Disc Jockey.

“Let’s see what you can do,” Spike told Fluttershy. “Start stretching. Lesson number one: if you warm up properly, you’re not going to get hurt. And if you warm down properly, you’re not going to get hurt.”

“Very good,” said Hoofer Steps as he and Fluttershy stretched.

“And now for some music,” Spike said. “Vinyl, you got any jazz?”

The pro DJ nodded as she returned to her turntables and selected a record from her collection. The music began to play and the smooth, mellow sounds inspired Spike to bend back like a noodle.

“I admit, I do things a little differently than my mentor,” he said as he touched his toes. “Want to give it a try?”

Fluttershy nodded and she bent back and forth with him.

“Now, try flying,” he said. “Float through the air like a little butterfly.”

Fluttershy started flapping her arms like they were wings and she swooped around on the dance floor before she jumped through the air and did a flawless grand jeté.

“Brava!” Hoofer Steps said.

Suddenly, the music changed from jazzy brass to a fast-paced fiddle.

“What kind of music is that?” Fluttershy asked.

“You’ve never heard Celtic music?” Spike replied.

Fluttershy shook her head as Spike started doing a mixed soft shoe/tap dancing routine, then an Irish step dance.

“This is called a jig,” he told her. “It’s cool because you can do it in a really small space, even on a tabletop.”

After that, he did a graceful pirouette, then a little break dancing, and finished by lying on his side on the floor.

“I wish I could move like that,” Fluttershy said.

“With a little practice, and my help, you will,” he replied.

As they stretched again, Hoofer Steps spoke to Spike.

“You know, I am leaving in a few days, which means the dance instructor position will be open,” she told her former pupil. “If you want, I could put in a good word for you with the Brothers before I go.”

“You would do that for me?” he asked.

“Always,” she said. “You were the best I’ve ever had,” she added huskily.

Spike thanked his former teacher and followed Fluttershy out of the ballroom, smiling.

Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Rarity, Coco, Zephyr Breeze, the Dazzlings, Twilight and Suri Polomare were all lounging around the sitting room in front of the elevators when Spike and Fluttershy returned to the staff floor.

“Can we go out again tomorrow before work?” Fluttershy asked Spike.

“Look at you. You’re a natural,” he said. “Definitely—Five a.m.”

“Heads up, ya’ll,” Applejack said.

They turned and saw Discord exit one of the elevators. He marched toward them, dressed in a full army uniform, complete with boots, a helmet with four stars, aviator sunglasses and blowing bubbles out of a corncob pipe.

“Listen up, maggots,” he began. “As you may have guessed, I have the unfortunate duty of sending one of you home today. And yes, I know I said the word ‘duty’.”

“Is he really gonna fire someone now?” Dash asked.

“Eeyup,” Applejack said with a nod.

“That is cold,” Zephyr added.

“The employee with the lowest evaluation today was...”

“Please don’t be me!” Fluttershy whispered. “Please don’t be me!”

“Suri Polomare,” Discord stated.

“What?!” she shouted.

She stomped past Discord and punched the elevator call button.

“Smell ya later, loser!” Aria said as the elevator’s doors opened.

“Aw, that’s such a shame,” Spike commented. “I hate to see that happen to such a nice girl.”

“Whatever!” Suri shouted. “I’ll send for my stuff later. Enjoy the lack of respect and even less free time!”

The elevator doors closed and Discord faced the rest of his employees.

“As of right now, you are all on six weeks’ probation,” he warned them. “If you’re late to work by one minute, that’s a strike. If you get anything less than a seven out of ten on a guest evaluation, that’s a strike. If you steal a half-eaten brownie that looks like it’s more than half instead of less than half, that’s a strike! Three strikes and you’re out. Do I make myself clear?”

They all nodded.

“The summer season starts tomorrow, people,” he added. “Punch-in is at 7:00 A.M. sharp. Don’t be late. And do not test me.”

He turned and marched back to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed behind him, Rainbow Dash let out a yawn.

“Well, I’ve had enough of being bossed around for one day,” she said. “I’m going to bed.”

“Yay, I didn’t get fired!” Fluttershy cried.

Rainbow Dash unlocked the door to hers, Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s room and saw a young woman in a ripped jacket, black jeans, and a purple beanie kicked back on the couch (Dash’s bed).

“Who are you?”

“Your new roommate -- Starlight Glimmer,”

“That’s a lot of stuff,” Dash observed the seven suitcases. “You lugged it all here with you?”

“I only had to come from the twenty-fifth floor,” she replied.

“Wait. You’re the Starlight Glimmer whose huge party we spent all day cleaning up! We didn’t get any breaks today because of you!”

“That’s your job, isn’t it?”

There was a moment of silence before Dash asked, “How long did you say you’re staying here?”

“Not very long,” she answered. “My Dad went overboard about my party and is ‘trying to teach me a lesson’. I’m totally cut off. He’s actually making me work in the theme restaurants.”

“Wow. He’s hardcore,” Dash replied.

“So, is it cool if I stay here?” Starlight asked.

“Sure,” Dash smiled. “Knowing you’re being punished for trashing the place makes me feel better about having to clean it.”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie popped her head in through the open door.

“Hey, girls, official welcome for new employees! Come on!”

They returned to the sitting area, where the Dazzlings had set up over a dozen Champagne flutes on the table. They each opened a bottle and poured everyone a glass. Rainbow Dash brightened.

“Is that French ginger ale I spy?”

“Champagne it is,” Rarity confirmed, “although, Miss Dash, if you’re expecting Moet et Chandon, you’re in for a disappointment. This isn’t Cold Duck, but it’s not the high-priced spread, either.”

“We always mark the beginning of summer this way for good luck,” Sunset explained. “It seems to work.”

They each took a glass and Rainbow Dash raised hers.

“I have a toast!” she declared. “Maybe our jobs kind of stink -- and our boss is a total troll -- but the casino is awesome and the city is beautiful. And this summer is seriously gonna be fun. Viva Las Pegasus!”

“Viva Las Pegasus!” they chorused as they clinked glasses and drank.

Five A.M.

In the ballroom, two figures, ballet dancers, glided across the dance floor—Fluttershy in a fluffy white skirt and stockings, Spike in a black unitard and ballet slippers. She held her hands in an arch over her head like Spike had taught her, as he flipped her into the air. He brought her back down, they came together and their arms came down around each other.

“Thanks for helping me with the tour jeté, Spike,” Fluttershy said after they were done. “Sorry it took me so long to get it.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he replied. “That last attempt was beautiful, for a girl who used to be such a rookie.”

“I guess I am still a newb, huh?”

“Just a little,”

Fluttershy let out a yawn as Spike escorted her back to her room. It was early, but she was glad that he had agreed to help her with ballet. She was even gladder when he told her that he had outfits for them to practice in. She didn’t think that Spike would be wild about the idea, but he had surprised her and she gained a new respect for him, as well as a fascination.

They were so happy that they didn’t even notice several members of the senior staff (Rarity, Sunset Shimmer and the Dazzlings) hanging by one of the indoor pools as they walked by them. They really thought the worst was over, but they would soon discover that the aforementioned ladies had a surprise for them.

“Come on, girls,” Adagio told them. “It’s almost six; time to haze some fresh butts.”

“Right, the grand tradition of staff initiation,” Sunset replied.

They had been waiting all week for this.

Every year, the returning staff got one day to haze the new staff, and that meant being able to force them to do the worst conceivable things, from eating nasty food to cleaning up horrible messes.

“So, how many are we going to let through this year?” Sunset asked.

“For a chance to deal for the high rollers?” Aria asked. “I vote none.”

“I second,” Sonata added.

“We were new once, too,” Rarity reminded them. “And our seniors let us through.”

“Maybe,” Aria said. “But more of them means fewer chances to deal for the rest of us.”

“I don’t care either way,” Adagio admitted. “I just want to give them a hard time.”

“We still get to mess with them, right?” Sonata asked.

“Oh, by all means, humiliate away,” Rarity said.

Multiple alarm clocks blared throughout the staff quarters at 6:00 A.M.

Rainbow Dash screamed and rolled off the couch, hitting the floor with a loud thud; while Fluttershy bolted upright in bed, and Starlight groaned and pulled her blanket over her head to block out the noise.

Minutes later, they assembled in the sitting room off the elevator bank.

“Listen up, newbs!” Aria began. “You are about to embark on a journey that every new employee at the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort must face—staff initiation.”

“Until six o’clock tonight, you are ours,” Adagio added. “If you run, we’ll find you. If you resist, you’ll just make it worse. You will do anything any of us tells you to do today. We say jump, you say...”

“How high?” Fluttershy answered.

“If one of us tells you to bark,” Adagio went on, “you say...”

“Woof!” Pinkie replied.

“Good girl,” Sonata said, and she threw Pinkie a dog biscuit, which Pinkie caught in her mouth and ate.

“Not bad,” Pinkie said after she’d swallowed. “Not bad at all.”

“And what if we don’t do what you say?” Rainbow Dash challenged them. “You gonna fire us?”

“No,” Adagio replied.

“Give us a strike?” Dash asked.

“No,” Adagio repeated.

“Then that’s all I need to hear,” Dash replied. “I’m going back to bed.”

“But if you make it through, we’ll let you deal in the High Rollers’ Lounge,” Sunset added.

Fluttershy and Starlight both gasped.

“Did you just say the High Rollers’ Lounge?” Dash asked.

Spike recalled having seen the doors leading to the high-stakes room. It was in a raised section of the main casino, at least a dozen tables, most with minimum bets of one hundred and maximums of five thousand, separated from the main tables by a flight of steps and a velvet rope.

“Only those who pass initiation get to deal for the high rollers,” Aria said. “It won’t be easy, and it will be gross! If you want to back out, now is your first and only chance.”

“I’m in!” Fluttershy shrieked.

“I’ve got an older brother, bring it on!” Dash added excitedly.

“I’m up for a little torture,” Soarin said.

“Pass,” Spike stated.

He was the only one who said no while everyone else said yes... even Zephyr Breeze.

“Initiation starts now and runs until the end of the day,” Adagio said as she, Aria, Sonata, Sunset and Rarity disappeared into their rooms to get ready for work. “Consider yourselves warned.”

“I wonder what they’re going to do us,” Fluttershy said.

“I heard last year was pretty rough,” Zephyr told her. “Saw some guys running naked down the Strip.”

“Well, I’m not doing it,” Spike said.

“Did you not hear them?” Dash asked. “The High Rollers’ Lounge!”

“Yeah, and I am not going to degrade myself for something I don’t care about,” he replied as he entered the elevator. “If I do end up dealing cards for a bunch of stuck-up snobs, I’m going to earn it on my own terms, not theirs!”

Spike returned to his suite while the rest of them got dressed and went their separate ways.

The Resort’s head chef, Gustave le Grand, was a tall man with gray hair, golden eyes, a snooty accent, and a detestable personality. He was also quite thin for someone who spent their time in the kitchen. Other than that, he conformed to the arrogant hotel kitchen personage stereotype. Right down to the long, thin, pencil-line moustache of an old silent movie villain.

He kept the kitchen sparkling clean; every surface coaxed to a high gloss. And not only was it big, it was intimidating. There was a breadboard as big as a table, an array of stainless steel pots and pans hung from floor to ceiling, and three stoves, the smallest of which had a dozen burners, two ovens, a Dutch oven, a heated well on top in which one could simmer sauces and bake beans, a broiler, and a warmer—plus all the dials and temperature gauges to go with it.

He turned on one of the burners, red flames popped up, and he turned them down to a faint blue glow. He melted butter in a frying pan before he went to one of the refrigerators and got the eggs and cheese.

One of the deals the Brothers made with their employees was which shifts they wanted to work (mornings, afternoons, and nights). Some would work the morning and afternoon shifts so that they didn’t have to work at night, others took the afternoons off and served breakfast and dinner instead of lunch, and those who weren’t early risers could sleep in and work the afternoon and night shifts.

That morning, Fluttershy had volunteered to help Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer serve breakfast before bussing drinks as a Bunny Girl in the casino that afternoon. She walked through the big, wide, portholed, swinging double doors that opened on to the Sweet Snacks Café, and Sunset deliberately spilled a plate of scrambled eggs on the front of Fluttershy’s waitress uniform.

“Okay, after you clean yourself up, you’ll be helping Pinkie serve Table One through Table Four,” Sunset told her. “They’re the Flimflam Brothers’ table, Celestia’s table, the Saddle Arabians’ table, and Fancy Pants’ table... in that order.”

“But it’s only my second day!” Fluttershy gasped. “And I’ve been egged!”

“I know,” Sunset replied. “Don’t screw up.”

Soarin and Zephyr Breeze sat at a table near the center of the Café, Soarin glancing at the menu while Zephyr flirted with Pinkie Pie.

“So, have you made up your mind?” she asked them.

“Yes, I have. You are the prettiest waitress here,” Zephyr told her. “And that’s a nice perfume. What is it?”

“It’s French fries and cheeseburgers,” she quipped.

“That’s hot. I wouldn’t mind taking that to go,”

Spike and Celestia entered the Café and saw Applejack, wearing a red one piece swimsuit with the word “lifeguard” written across the chest in white letters, matching red shorts and black flip-flops; seated alone at the table that had been reserved for them with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, another plate of hash browns, another with biscuits and gravy, another with a stack of four pancakes drowning in maple syrup, and a large bowl of grapes with sliced pears and apples.

“Hey,” Spike acknowledged her.

“Hey,” Applejack echoed.

“Oh, is somebody eating with you?” Celestia asked.

“No, just me,” Applejack answered.

“Sorry, it just seems like an obscene amount of food for one person,” Celestia said.

“It’s my metabolism,” Applejack replied.

“Mind if we join you?” Spike asked.

“It’s a free country,” Applejack said before she shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

As Spike and Celestia took their seats (Celestia next to Applejack and Spike across from Celestia), Applejack apologized for sitting at their table and explained that she was hoping to be done before they came down to eat. Celestia didn’t mind, and neither did Spike.

Pinkie Pie roller-skated over, notepad and pencil in hand.

“Good morning, Pinkie,” Spike said. “And I apologize for everything Zephyr Breeze has said to you so far.”

“No, he’s been sweet,” she replied. “So, can I get you something to drink?”

“Pineapple daiquiri, please,” Celestia said.

“Great choice,” Pinkie replied. “You should try that,” she told Spike.

“As much as I’d love to, I can’t,” he said to her. “I’m allergic to pineapple. My head swells up like a bounce house.”

That was all Spike shared about his “simple allergy”, but he and his mother knew that it was much more than that. It was severe. And not only was it severe, it was life-threatening.

Spike learned he was allergic to pineapple when he was eight-years-old and Celestia wanted a pineapple upside down cake for her birthday. Spike had a slice and (even though it was delicious) red, itchy rashes formed on his face and skin, and he went into anaphylaxis. Thankfully, Celestia was able to get Spike to the hospital before he stopped breathing.

Now, if Spike ate a bit of pineapple he would break out in hives. If he so much as licked a piece of pineapple, his tongue would swell up and he would be unable to speak.

“Well, in that case, we have tea--” Pinkie began.

“I don’t drink tea,” Spike replied.

“What do you drink?” Pinkie asked.

“Not tea,” Spike stated.

Pinkie skated away, her hips swaying nicely beneath the short skirt of her baby blue uniform. She returned with Celestia’s pineapple daiquiri and a glass of milk for Spike.

“There you go,” she said as she placed it in front of him.

Then she asked if they were ready to order.

“A cheese omelet with pancakes,” Celestia told her.

“A ham and cheese omelet, sausage links, waffles, pancakes, and a slice of apple pie,” Spike said.

“Apple pie for breakfast?” Applejack asked.

“Why, you wonder,” Spike stated the obvious, “because nobody would have said anything if I’d ordered the Danish, which is literally nothing but flat pie.”

“And waffles and pancakes?” Pinkie asked. “Can’t make up your mind?”

“No, I want to compare which is better so that I know what to get in the future. It’s not just a matter of taste. It’s the whole eating experience. On the one hand: waffles. There’s the fun of filling each little hole with an ‘equal amount’ of syrup like some failed attempt at socialism because they will never be exactly the same no matter how many times you try; and cut it the right way and you can practice Sudoku, thinking about the numbers while focusing on the grid.”

The three women stared at Spike as he spoke, like he was a sculptor gently carving a masterpiece (but with words instead of stone).

“On the other hand, pancakes are beautiful golden mini-sunshines covered in shimmering sweetness,” he continued, almost poetically. “But all the pancakes in the world would mean nothing without friends to share them with.”

Pinkie smiled as she said, “I had no idea you were so... deep.”

“Breakfast is a very serious thing,” he told her.

“I will get those in for you,” she said, and she roller-skated away.

“Damn, she’s hot in that uniform!” Spike thought as he watched her again. “Then again, so is Applejack. Like Storm Weatherly in Baewatch.”

“Wait, I didn’t even order!” Zephyr called after her. He turned to Spike and said, “What the Tartarus, dude?”

“What?” Spike replied indifferently.

“I had something going and you come in and stomp on me?”

“Can I help it if I have to talk to people?” Spike replied.

“You don’t even try!”

“Well, I didn’t earn the title of Flirtmaster General for nothing,”

Pinkie Pie returned to Soarin and Zephyr’s table after she gave Spike and Celestia’s orders to Chef le Grand.

“Those pies do look good,” Soarin admitted, still reading the menu.

“They taste even better!” Pinkie said. “And they’re made fresh daily.”

“Are they made by our own Chef le Grand?” he asked.

“Yes,” Pinkie replied. “Have you tried any of his desserts?”

“No, actually, I haven’t had the chance,” Soarin admitted.

“Well then, you’re in for a treat! I highly recommend the blueberry,”

“Then I’ll have a slice of that, please,” Soarin said.

“Coming right up,” Pinkie said as she wrote it on her notepad.

“Hey, Pinkie,” Zephyr interjected, “I’m thinking about getting some pie myself. What’s your favorite?”

“Feel free to lie to him,” Spike told her. “He loves that in women.”

“Oh, and what do you like in a woman?” Pinkie asked as she leaned over, offering Spike a generous view of her cleavage.

“Well, any woman who brings me pie is pretty much at the top of my list,”

“Well, I’ll get that pie then,”

And she winked and disappeared again.

Fluttershy helped serve coffee, never once taking her eyes off Spike. This caused several nasty spills, but none of the guests seemed to notice or mind. She just couldn’t get over how unbearably cute Spike was. No one had ever taken the time to work so closely with her, even if it was just dancing.

“He’s such a sweet guy,” she thought.

In the kitchen, Gustave grated a bowl of cheese from the block, added it to Spike’s omelet, and flipped it. Then he decorated Celestia’s pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. When Spike’s omelet had puffed slightly, he slid it off onto one of the plates and covered it.

Spike asked Applejack about her bathing suit and she told him it was part of her job. On the days she wasn’t working security she had lifeguard duty, at both the indoor and outdoor pools, especially on the larger outside one where the waterslides ended.

“Lucky drowning victims,” he thought with a smile.

As they talked, Pinkie Pie balanced plates on her arms and hands as she skated around the restaurant while Fluttershy helped her.

“Here you go,” they said. “Enjoy.”

“That was fast,” Soarin thought.

“Oh. Oh, my. Oh!” Celestia moaned between bites.

“Mom, you’re doing it again,” Spike said.

Spike hated to admit this to anyone, but he didn’t always enjoy eating with his mother. The main reason was that, when she ate, she seemed to derive more than just culinary pleasure from the experience. For Celestia, food (good food) was orgasmically delicious. So much, in fact, that it sometimes overwhelmed her, and the sounds she let out bordered on blissful rapture.

“Can I help it if I have to verbally express myself through food?” she replied. “This is wonderful. Absolutely divine, my compliments to the chef!”

Spike stabbed one of his sausage links with his fork when someone asked, “May I join you?”

Spike looked up and saw Fleur standing by their table.

“I hate dining alone,” she added.

“No, please, sit,” Celestia offered.

“Oh, merci,” Fleur said. “Omelet, waffles, and pancakes?” She observed Spike’s food. “Hungry little man, aren’t you? May I have a bite of your... sausage?” she added huskily.

The link was still on the fork. Spike hadn’t even taken a bite out of it yet when Fleur started to run her tongue up and down the length of the meat before gently kissing the tip.

“Quel est le problème, ma chérie?” she asked him.

“Tu m’embarrasses,” he replied.

Shortly after, Firelight, Stellar Flare and Sunburst entered the Café and sat at a table for four. Sunset Shimmer and Starlight walked (and Pinkie roller-staked) over to greet them.

“Good morning, Mr. Glimmer. Mrs. Flare, Sunburst,” Sunset said warmly. “Where are the Flimflam Brothers?”

“In a conference call with Impossibly Rich,” Firelight answered. He looked up from the newspaper he was reading and gave Sunset a smile. “Ah, Miss Shimmer, Miss Pie, I see you’ve met your newest coworker,” he added, looking at his daughter.

“Yes, sir,” Sunset and Pinkie replied.

“If she gives you any trouble, here’s my private number,” Firelight said as he gave Sunset his business card. “And Miss Glimmer,” he addressed Starlight, “if I get so much as a text message from your manager, you can kiss your trip to the Crystal Empire goodbye.”

Starlight pulled her notepad and pen out of her apron and frigidly asked, “What can I get you?”

Sunburst went first.

“A Western omelet, a Belgian waffle, and a cup of coffee, please,” he said.

“And for you?” she asked Stellar Flare.

“I will have an egg-white omelet with coffee,” she replied. “And make it snappy! We’re leaving for Vanhoover today.”

Vanhoover—Starlight knew what that meant. Every time Stellar Flare wanted to go to Vanhoover it was to take Sunburst shopping with her. Starlight didn’t even ask her father what he wanted.

He just told her, “Coffee and keep it coming.”

“I should feel bad for you,” Sunset told Starlight as they and Pinkie returned to the kitchen, “but I don’t.”

“Dad’s just trying to make a point,” Starlight replied coolly. “He’s not even really mad. He just wants me to learn some responsibility. Now, if you’re not too busy minding other people’s business, Mrs. Flare wants an egg-white omelet with coffee, now.”

Gustave nodded and poured more beaten eggs into the pan.

“And while he’s cooking,” Sunset added, “you can clean the grease pans in the back. Then, when you’re done, serve your father his breakfast. It is going to be so much fun having you work for me.”

Sunset returned to the dining area, but not before speaking to Pinkie Pie.

“Keep at least one eye on her, especially when I can’t!” she said, pointing to Starlight.

Pinkie made a comically serious face.

“You can count on me, mon Capitaine!” she replied with a salute.

“If I somehow end up owning this place, I’m going to have you both fired!” Starlight said under her breath.

And she got to work, scraping the hard-to-get spots in the pots with a knife.

Sunset walked over to Spike and Celestia’s table just as Fluttershy was replacing Spike’s milk.

“Now, get down on one knee and ask Spike to marry you,” Sunset told her.

“What?!” she gasped.

“You don’t have to do that,” Spike said.

Fluttershy froze, rooted to the spot where she was standing. A part of her didn’t think she could do it while another part of her was reminding her that if she didn’t she would never see the High Rollers’ Lounge. But if she did, not only would she get a little respect, she would also be able to rub it in Sunset’s face.

“No,” Fluttershy stated. “I’ll do it!” She straightened the skirt of her uniform, dropped to one knee, and said, “Will you marry me?”

Celestia raised a hand to her mouth to cover up a chuckle and Spike kicked her leg under the table.

“Ask me again in about five to ten years,” he replied with a kind smile.

Then Fluttershy ran back to the kitchen.

“That was the most embarrassing moment of my life!” she thought.

“Well, I am going to wander a bit,” Spike told Celestia rather abruptly. “Why don’t you have another daiquiri on me?”

He paid for his meal (adding a generous tip for the girls) and headed off to the shopping wing, feeling rotten for kicking his mother.

After his swim the other day, Spike noticed that the color of his swimsuit was starting to fade, so he decided to look for a new one. He was trying on a pair of purple board shorts with green flames patterned across the legs, admiring himself in a mirror, when the Dazzlings (clad in bikinis and sunglasses) walked in.

Aria grabbed Spike by one arm while Sonata grabbed the other, like he was a perp being escorted by a couple of cops. Adagio paid for the shorts, and they hauled him to the parking lot behind the resort.

“Hey, what gives?” he demanded.

Once they were outside, Aria and Sonata threw him against the hood of a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera while Adagio threw him a sponge and a towel. Spike assumed that the car belonged to them (or at least one of them). Then he saw two similar Lamborghinis, a purple Aventador LP 700-4 and a bluish-white Murciélago LP640, parked on either side of it.

He was also quick to notice the buckets of soapy water by the driver side front wheels, as well as three pool chaises under big umbrellas and a cooler that had been set up a few yards away. They wanted him to wash their cars—by hand—and they were going to watch him do it. Plunging the sponge into the soapy water of the first bucket, Spike got to work on Adagio’s trunk.

The Dazzlings reclined on the chaises, adjusted their bikinis for maximum comfort, and started sipping fruity drinks while they enjoyed the view of Spike scrubbing Adagio’s doors.

Shaking his head as he finished cleaning the hubcaps, getting all the dirt out from between the angled chrome, Spike squeezed the water out of the sponge and dried Adagio’s wheels off with the towel. Adagio took a long drag through the straw of her drink, her eyes following Spike’s butt as he moved across her hood.

As he looked down at his wet, rippling pectorals, Spike decided to have a little fun with the Dazzlings. He rung the sponge out over his head and he let the water drip into his hair and down his chest.

The suds slid off his body as he started to climb onto the hood of Aria’s car, the purple Aventador. The three women never took their eyes off him. He winked at Aria, blew a kiss at Sonata, quickly getting them all hot and bothered. Adagio was practically drooling by the time Spike began soaping up Sonata’s Murciélago, and he started to get a little too into it. Sonata had left her key in the ignition and Spike turned it so that the engine was still off but the radio played music, and he started moving to it.

The Dazzlings watched Spike’s half-naked body as he took full advantage of every opportunity to splash himself with more water. His strong, muscled back, well-built legs and tight, firm buttocks filled their imaginations.

They didn’t even notice Applejack standing behind them.

“Hey, lover boy, put a shirt on!” she hollered. “Nobody’s paying you to flash your muscles!”

And she tossed him a plain white T-shirt, which he caught.

“You missed a spot on my hood!” Adagio shouted, shaken out of her trance by AJ’s interference. “Come on! It isn’t going to clean itself!”

“This is so not over,” Spike groaned through a smile.

“Damn, that was hot!” Applejack thought as she walked away, fighting off a blush.

While Spike was washing the Dazzlings’ Lamborghinis, Zephyr Breeze was at the front desk, bribing Twilight and Rarity.

“So, you don’t have to do any of the degrading things on this list and we get thirty percent off at your mom’s flower shop?” Rarity asked.

“Plus, she will make you her famous cucumber sandwiches and earl gray tea,” Zephyr added.

“Deal,” Twilight said. “Just... keep it quiet. If the other girls find out we cut you some slack, we’re toast.”

“Trust me -- I’ll keep it on the down low,” Zephyr replied.

He ducked into the men’s room when he saw Adagio coming their way.

“How’s it going?” Rarity asked.

“Your car is being washed and waxed as we speak,” Adagio said. “Where’s Zephyr Breeze?”

“Oh, he is not going to want to continue living after today,” Rarity replied.

“Nice,” Adagio said.

“So, what else do you have planned?” Twilight asked.

“We just came up with the perfect idea for Zeph: the suit,”

Adagio opened a closet door behind the front desk, pulled a large pink pony costume out from it, and slammed it onto the counter.

“Ugh! That thing reeks!” Rarity exclaimed.

“You know someone puked in there last week?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think anyone’s cleaned it out.”

“Exactly,” Adagio stated. “This is where we separate the men from the boys. I better go check on Spike.”

Zephyr had stood just inside the door to the men’s room, listening closely, and he heard every word that was said.

“No, no, I’m not wearing that!” he told them.

“We don’t have a choice,” Twilight replied. “We have to make you wear it.”

“Do it and I’ll tell Spike about your small but powerful crush on him,” he pointed a finger at her.

Twilight stuffed the costume back into the closet and forced the door shut.

“I suddenly can’t find the suit,” she said.

“That’s my girl!” Zeph grinned.

Upstairs, Rainbow Dash found a note pinned to the door of Room 804.

“Enjoy. -- The Dazzlings”

Dash unlocked the door with her master key and it slowly creaked open. When she turned on the light, she screamed.

The most she expected was half a dozen rolls of toilet paper scattered all over the floor and dirty clothes piled everywhere.

What she saw was toilet paper on the floor and in the bed, banana peels, apple cores and watermelon rinds in every corner, bags of potato chips and half-empty takeout containers strewn about everywhere else, and the TV screen was shattered. Not cracked, but shattered!

She almost threw up. And (as if that weren’t enough) there was a pig, three chickens, a raccoon, a snake and a full size grizzly bear in the room.

Dash quickly slammed the door shut and panted in fear.

“Even my brother’s not that messy!” she thought.

She didn’t even know how to get started.

That was when she got a text... from Adagio.

“How’s Room 804, Crash,” it said, “messy enough for you?”

Rainbow Dash scowled, pulled on a pair of yellow rubber gloves, donned a gas mask, and wielded a plunger in one hand and a can of air freshener in the other.

“I’m going in!” she stated.

By the time Spike had all three Lamborghinis (and Rarity’s snow white Chrystaller 200 SRT-8) washed, rinsed and towel dried, it was ten minutes past noon, but he decided to skip lunch and work right through the next thing the Dazzlings had in mind for him. And that was reorganizing the closets in their suites and the wardrobes in their dressing rooms.

“Wow. I don’t know how you find anything in here,” he told them. “Oh, before I go nuts, if there are any specific personal items, you may want to relocate them prior to...”

“Oh! Of course,” Sonata said.

She dug through one of the piles and took out a handful of unmentionables, including a pair of dental floss underwear. Spike rolled his eyes and started sorting. Each individual Dazzling had 16 purses, but he didn’t stop until after he counted 38 black shoes.

“Why do you have 19 pairs in the same color?” he asked.

“You stupid—” Aria said. “Those are strap-backs, Stilettos, Cobbie Cuddlers, espadrilles, flats, pumps, patent leathers, Spectators...”

“Wow. I might as well be listening to Rarity,” he thought.

“You wouldn’t understand, Spike,” Sonata told him absentmindedly. “It’s called style.”

He stopped listening to them talk and went back to work. By the time he was finished, he had taken off the T-shirt Applejack had “given” him and toweled himself off with it.

“And everything is in rainbow order,” he said proudly.

He stretched the ache out of his arms and legs, and left them with a smile.

“Nothing we do is stopping him!” Aria exclaimed.

“You’ve got to hand it to him,” Adagio said. “He’s pretty hardcore.”

Sonata quickly agreed.

“We have to think of something he will never, ever do!” Aria told them.

“I’ve got an idea,” Sonata put in.

“And I’m desperate enough to hear it!” Aria replied.

Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Soarin, and Fluttershy returned to the staff lounge on the third floor at five o’clock that evening.

“I’ve got grease in my hair,” Starlight sobbed. “And Sunset’s just waiting for me to screw up! I’m not going to make it through the summer!”

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie told her. “I’ve got your back. If you stick with me, you’ll be okay.”

As Starlight looked at Pinkie, she couldn’t help but notice the sincerity in her voice and on her face.

“Thanks,” she said.

Pinkie smiled as Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Zephyr Breeze joined them.

“What is that smell?” Zephyr asked.

“They covered my hair with expired mayonnaise,” Starlight said.

“That’s nothing!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she plopped onto the couch. “After I finally got all the animals out of the room, I had to clean seaweed and jello out of the bathtub! Seaweed and jello! And there were shrimp in the air conditioner! That... was brutal.”

“Come on!” Soarin replied. “It could not have been that bad.”

Dash showed him pictures she had taken with her phone and he shrieked.

Fluttershy gasped, Applejack gagged, and Starlight asked, “Did they even bother to flush?”

“No,” Dash replied. “When I lifted the lid, I saw something wink at me.”

“Oh! Seriously?! That is so gross!!” Pinkie shouted. “Heinous and grody to the max!!! I mean, that is capital A-to-the-B-to-the-C-to-the-twiddle-dee-double-D-I-S-GUSTING!!!!”

“I had puke pickup duty,” Soarin told them. “I also had to clean out the hot tub filters... again. And I thought the crud in there was nasty.”

“What have they done to you?” Fluttershy asked her brother.

“You don’t want to know,” Zephyr said. “Twilight and Rarity are mean!”

“But... you’re not even dirty,” Dash observed.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal Spike, still clad in only his purple board shorts. He walked stiffly toward them and planted himself on the couch next to Rainbow Dash. He looked like he had been traumatized.

It wasn’t until after Dash gently poked his arm that he finally spoke.

“They made me give them full body massages!” he shouted. “I had to rub them up and down, from head to toe!”

Sonata’s idea (which her sisters were desperate enough to hear) was to make Spike massage them with oil. All three of the Dazzlings lay out on massage tables they had set up in the center of the ballroom (which they locked from all sides to prevent interruptions), completely naked. Their skin shined in the bright lights above their bodies.

Spike had never been part of a foursome, and as he gazed upon them he started to imagine what it would be like. The very concept of trying to please three women at the same time was challenge enough to wrap his mind around. And the more he thought about it, the more arousing it became.

He cracked his knuckles and started on Sonata. His hands slowly worked down her frame, beginning at a tight ache in her neck, to her shoulders; and she sighed happily at the relief his hands brought her.

“Oh yes...” she said.

He poured some of the massage oil onto her back and down her hips. Then he grazed her rear before he went to work on her legs. After he was done with her feet, she rolled over, onto her back. Then he started kneading her breasts.

“When I get a regular massage, they don’t rub my tatas like this,” she said.

Spike didn’t reply; he just kept rubbing her down.

Sonata couldn’t remember when she had received such treatment. This was the first time that she was the center of attention, instead of Adagio or Aria. She felt completely adored... and she loved it.

“That’s all really good, it feels great, but I really need more work done on my ass,” she said as she rolled over again. “I have a lot of tension in my glutes and my thighs. Don’t be afraid to really dig in there.”

Spike began to rub her buttocks, squeezing lightly yet thoroughly.

“Mmmm... Oh, yes, that’s nice,” she moaned. “Don’t stop.”

Sonata swung her legs open and Spike pulled his hands back and stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out whether she had done it on purpose or not.

“My inner thighs are really tense,” she breathed. “M-massage my pussy.”

She looked almost embarrassed to say it.

“She actually does seem to be carrying a lot of stress between her legs,” he thought as he carefully circled his hands around a bit. “This will take some work to relieve.”

“O-oh yes... That feels sooo good...” she continued to moan as he rubbed her. “Mmmnh...”

Then Spike’s thumb slipped into her anus.

“Oh!” she squeaked. “Mmmm...”

“Wow! A lot of tension here!” he thought as his thumb popped out.

“Y-yes, that needs to be worked on bad...” Sonata said, as if she had been reading his thoughts.

Spike rubbed her pussy again and her juices dripped onto the table. Sonata’s eyes rolled up and her mouth hung open as Spike’s fingers slipped into her.

“Oh Spikey!” she squealed. “Y-yes... Mmmnh...”

More spilled out as he continued to finger her.

“Unh! Unnh! Your touch feels so good, Spikey!” she exclaimed.

Her body started to tremble and Spike could feel her begin to tighten around his fingers.

“Really need to loosen this up,” he thought as he slipped in and out of her more quickly.

“Y-yes, that’s it... M-more! Please!” Sonata begged as drool started to run down the corner of her mouth and she stared off in bliss. “Just a bit... Mnh, I-I can’t take much more, Spike!”

Her legs shook but Spike didn’t let up. He felt her tighten even more.

“S-SPIKKEEE!” she cried out.

Spike pulled his fingers out of Sonata as she quivered and splashed onto the massage table.

“O-oh y-yeah...” she slurred. “Y-You’re done with me already?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll come back to you,” he whispered huskily.

He worked on Aria next. He started with her back, like he had with Sonata, but she didn’t enjoy it as much as her sister had.

“Is that all you got?” she asked. “Come on, dude.”

She didn’t roll onto her back, and Spike started groping her rear.

“She’s got a nice ass,” he thought, “very firm as well.”

“That’s better,” she told him.

He slowly raised a hand. Then he spanked her.

“Unh, I like that,” Aria bit her lip as she let out a moan.

Then he slipped his fingers into her pussy.

“Mmrrfph! Y-yes! T-that feels sooo...” Suddenly, Spike drove a finger into her anus. “Mmlah!”

He pulled his finger out and slipped it back into her pussy.

“O-oh... y-your touch is amazing...” she let out as Spike continued to pleasure her. “Mmmmm! I-I can’t take much more. It’s too good... U-unh!”

Spike felt Aria constrict around his fingers as he continued to drive them in and out of her. She squealed and she trembled.

“Oh yes!” she howled as she squirted all over Spike’s hand.

Finally, he massaged Adagio. Spike repeated the same sequence as before. He squeezed her buns (allowing himself a brief moment to toy with her), drawing them apart so he spied her tiny, clenched hole.

“Can you go any harder?” Adagio scolded him.

It was clear that she, like Aria, didn’t like Spike’s soft touches.

“All right,” he said.

He spanked her before pulling her by her legs, towards him, palmed the fullness of her backside, kneading the flesh like it was dough... and shoved his thumb into her tight asshole.

Adagio made a quick, high pitched sound that surprised even her. Her mouth opened in an attempt to speak, but it seemed to take effort. Spike had definitely discovered something.

“You think I’m afraid of you?” she asked. “You couldn’t handle that ass.”

She spread her legs wider and Spike took it as an acceptance of his exploration.

“Show me what you can really do,” she dared him.

And he rapidly alternated between spanking and fingering her.

“That’s more like it,” she said. “Oh!”

After a few more minutes, he started placing tiny kisses on both of her cheeks, which turned into long, slow licks up her smooth skin, then he started biting her ass.

“Oh, yes!” she moaned.

Spike eventually dropped his board shorts and stood in front of Adagio’s face. Every time he brought himself close to her mouth, he would pull away.

She started panting like a bitch in heat; he was going to make her beg for it.

“Bark little bitch!” Spike commanded. “Come on, bark for me!”

“Arf! Arf!” Adagio cried.

When she started whining like a puppy, Spike walked around the table again and mounted her backside. Unwilling to release her, Spike was forced to curl against Adagio and hold her down as she bucked and twisted beneath him. She was babbling incoherently now, a mixture of begging, cries of arousal, and professions of love.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!” she cried.

Not wanting to be left out, Aria and Sonata joined them. Spike’s right hand fondled one of Aria’s breasts as his left hand trailed between Sonata’s legs. He groaned as Adagio freed herself, swapped positions, and engulfed the head of his shaft.

“He tastes so good!” she thought as she swirled her tongue over it.

While Adagio continued to suck him off, Spike took one nipple from both Aria and Sonata into his mouth and suckled them feverishly. Adagio took as much of Spike into her mouth as she could before he hit the back of her throat, and she still had half of him out of her. She bobbed her head up and down on what was in her mouth and Aria and Sonata stroked what couldn’t fit. Adagio slid her free hand down her belly and she began to finger herself.

The four of them were in total rapture. Feeling a combined climax fast approaching, Adagio took Spike’s entire length into her mouth. She knew that they needed just one more push to reach the feeling they all so craved. She swallowed, making her throat convulse around Spike’s cock.

The feeling of being in Adagio’s throat had Spike on the brink. Then he felt her quiver. The vibrations from his moan on Aria and Sonata’s nipples sent them over the edge and they came onto his fingers. Adagio pulled back and opened her mouth just as the first spurt came and landed in her waiting maw. She caught most of it in her mouth, but the rest splashed onto her breasts. She savored the taste and feeling of his nectar for a minute before making a show of swallowing it.

“You didn’t leave any for us!” Sonata pouted in disappointment.

Aria smiled deviously as she looked down at Adagio.

“I see some left,” she said as she crawled over to her sister and began to suck and lick her breasts.

Adagio moaned even louder when Sonata joined in. The sight of the three girls pleasuring each other got Spike hard again. He crawled behind Sonata, stuck out his tongue and began to lick between her legs while he used a hand to tease Aria, and they both moaned onto Adagio’s nipples.

It wasn’t long before Sonata cried out, and she came hard into Spike’s mouth while Aria came onto his hand, once again coating it in her juices. Adagio smiled wickedly as she forced Spike onto his back. She lined her wet pussy up with his shaft, her own juices dripped onto him, lubricating him. Then she plunged down hard, crying out in a mix of pain and pleasure. The feeling of him buried inside her did hurt, but also brought her great joy. Spike clenched his teeth to keep himself from crying out. He could smell that Adagio was untouched by any other man, but he had encountered little resistance when he entered her.

Adagio began to ferociously bounce on his shaft as Aria placed herself over his mouth, and Spike shoved his tongue into her folds. He felt even more pressure on his body as Sonata squeezed herself between her sisters and started making out with Adagio.

The ballroom became filled with sounds of ecstasy as Spike bucked his hips up and shot into Adagio. Her fluids poured out and onto his pelvis while Aria’s flowed into his mouth and Spike greedily drank them, and Sonata screamed as she spilled over Spike’s abs. One by one, the Dazzlings began to come back to their senses. They stood on wobbly legs.

“Mmmnh! You were amazing!” Sonata told Spike. “I feel so much more relaxed now.”

“I think we might need regular therapy,” Adagio said. “If you’re interested.”

“We’ll see,” Spike replied. “You’ll have to keep being good girls.”

“Oh, we’ll be good,” Adagio said.

“Very good,” Aria added.

“Very, very good!” Sonata finished.

“Excellent,” Spike thought.

“We’ll figure out some future sessions for you later,” he told them.

Adagio winked at Spike as she, Aria and Sonata collected their clothes and he watched them go. He eventually headed off to the staff quarters, fantasizing about them in every position from reverse cowgirl to doggy style.

Spike didn’t tell Soarin, Zephyr Breeze, or the other girls any of the details of the “massages”, and even if he had they wouldn’t have had the energy to listen. The only other thing he did share was the fact that he had worked through lunch. He had eaten an enormous breakfast, but that was hours ago, and now he was starving. And they told him that they were going to throw in the towel.

“You guys are quitting now?” Spike asked. “After everything we’ve been put through?”

“Yeah,” Soarin said.

“Yeah,” Fluttershy repeated.

“Yeah, I’m done,” Rainbow Dash stated.

“We have a chance to be treated like gods at legendary tables -- tables that have been played on by only a select few people ever. Quiet, sophisticated games in an uncrowded room, and we get to deal in it! Are you really going to let a few tramps get between you and the best bets in the country? Because I’m not!”

“Me neither!” Dash exclaimed.

“I’m in!” Soarin added.

“What the Tartarus,” Starlight said. “Anyone who loves winning that much deserves to see the High Rollers’ Lounge. Plus, it will totally tick them off when we pass initiation!”

Just then, Sunset and Rarity exited one of the elevators while the Dazzlings exited another. Sonata wheeled a food cart in, filled with covered dishes.

“Congratulations,” Sunset said. “I am pleased to report that you have all passed staff initiation. Hope you’re hungry.”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Rainbow Dash whispered to Soarin.

Sunset and Sonata served while Adagio and Aria handed out silverware.

“Soarin and Starlight, you get the Lobster Tails for two,” Rarity began.

“A BLT on white for Zephyr Breeze,” Adagio continued.

“Fettucini Alfredo with chicken for Rainbow Dash,” Aria went on.

“For Fluttershy, a personal pineapple pizza,” said Sonata.

“You didn’t have to,” Fluttershy told her.

“Oh, it was nothing,” Sunset replied. “And for Mister Dragon Spice, a Manehattan strip, rare, with truffle butter. Enjoy.” She leaned in close to Spike and added in a whisper, “There’s an extra special ingredient just for you.”

“Well, I’m hungry,” Zephyr Breeze said, licking his chops. “Let’s dig in.”

Suddenly, Spike clamped a hand around one of Zephyr’s wrists in a vice-like grip, forcing Zeph to drop his sandwich.

“Wait!” Spike said quietly.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It was only 5:43 P.M.

“There’s still seventeen minutes left until the official end of initiation!” he added, still quiet. “That’s more than enough time for one last test.”

They all eyed their food warily.

“Is everything okay?” Sunset asked them.

Fluttershy was the first to get what Spike was saying.

“I’m not eating!” she stated.

“Me neither,” Rainbow Dash quickly added.

“If they don’t eat, I don’t eat,” Zephyr said.

“I’m not hungry,” Soarin lied, even though his stomach growled.

“I’m on a diet!” Starlight fibbed.

“I only eat steak that’s well done,” Spike concluded.

And they all pushed their plates away.

“At least try it,” Sonata told them, feeling a little hurt. “We went through a lot of trouble for you guys.”

“Have a bite,” Adagio added.

Spike didn’t remember exactly what happened next, but he knew this much: tempers were about to run hot, and he was not convinced that the initiation was over. And if it was, he wanted to be sure.

Looking at the food was giving him an idea.

If one is deathly allergic to something, it is best to not put that thing in their mouth, but Spike decided to take drastic action: he grabbed Fluttershy’s personal pineapple pizza and tore a big bite out of it. As soon as he swallowed it, he immediately broke out into hives and his tongue and head started to swell up. When Applejack saw this, her mouth fell open in terror.

She reached out and seized him in a vast embrace, and carried him bridal-style to the stairwell. Everything after was a blur to Spike, but he remembered Applejack sweeping him up into her arms and looking at him with her big green eyes, saying, “Don’t you die on me!”

When Spike awoke, he was lying in a hospital bed surrounded by multiple women and a man in a white coat. He knew he wasn’t dead, because he could vaguely recall the pain of his stomach being pumped. The same thing he felt the last time he ingested pineapple. Applejack, Sunset, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Adagio, Aria and Sonata were all standing by his bed, watching him, hoping he would wake up. Celestia soon joined them.

“Spike, are you all right?” she asked.

“Tell her what happened, Doc,” Applejack said.

“Your son had a major allergic reaction to the pineapple he ate,”

“I can’t believe you did that!” Applejack exclaimed.

“It was the only thing I could think of,” Spike replied.

“You could have died!”

“Worth it,” he stated.

“Well, we’re glad you’re all right,” said Sunset. “And since it is well past six, you have all officially passed initiation.”

“Thank you,” Spike replied. “Now, please, let me rest.”

The doctor shooed everyone out.

“Sunset, a moment,” Spike said.

She nodded and stayed behind.

“I’m sorry for deliberately triggering my allergy just to see if you were lying or not,” he apologized.

“I guess I owe you for that,” she said.

“I have a thought on how you might repay me,” he replied.

He beckoned her closer and she leaned over him. He asked her to hold out her hand and he gave her a small, cylindrical device with a needle inside.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“It’s a medicine autoinjector,” he said. “If this ever happens again, I want you to be the one to give it to me.”

Sunset was shocked.

“You’re asking me to--?”

“Be the one to save me from dying, yes,” he said.

She promised.

“Also, let the others deal in the High Rollers’ Lounge, and keep the Dazzlings away from me,”

“Spike, Rarity and I helped them get their job at the resort,” Sunset replied. “They consider me their best friend.”

“Well, congratulations, you beat out no less than one nation of horny teenage boys and a lifetime of Taco Tuesdays,” Spike retorted.

Sunset sighed. “No promises on that one, but I will try.”

“Thank you,” he said.

And then he fell asleep.

There were only a handful of players spread across the fifteen tables of the High Rollers’ Lounge the following night. They were all well-dressed, middle-aged men. There were leather couches and armchairs spread throughout the room. The air was filled with the faint, almost nonexistent, scents of alcohol and cigar smoke, and they melded with the smog from expensive perfume.

Soarin bartended while Sunset, Zephyr Breeze and Fluttershy served drinks and the Dazzlings dealt cards.

“Don’t worry about Spike,” Celestia told Sunset. “I just checked up on him. He’s doing all right.”

“Thank you,” Sunset replied.

“Well, I’m glad that initation’s over,” Fluttershy said.

“And it wasn’t even that bad,” Zephyr added.

“Oh, come on!” Dash exclaimed. “Twilight and Rarity went easy on you! Where are they, anyway?”

“Oh, they’re paying for letting Zephyr off,” Sonata said.

Just then, Twilight and Rarity entered the High Rollers’ Lounge. They had been forced to wear giant unicorn suits—Twilight in purple, Rarity in white.

Meanwhile, up in the Brothers’ office, Flam was having a difficult time letting Hoofer Steps go. She had turned in a letter of resignation, given them her two-weeks’ notice, and now she was about to leave them. But she couldn’t leave until they had found a worthy replacement.

“I can’t find anybody,” Flam said.

“Well, then just pick someone,” Flim replied.

“No, brother of mine, we can’t ‘just pick someone’,” Flam said. “We need someone real, someone pure.”

“Someone so good, they don’t care they’re good,” said Hoofer Steps, “someone who dances for the love of dancing and nothing else.”

“Exactly,” Flam replied. “Do you know anyone like that?”

“Well, what about Spike Drake?” she asked.

“Spike?” the Brothers replied.

“He’s perfect,” she told them. “He was my best student, and he can keep dancing fresh for the next generation.”

The Brothers leaned forward in interest.

Next time, Spike bonds with the girls and faces off against the infamous “King Killer” in a not-so-friendly game of Poker.

Spike awoke in his suite from the best sleep of his life. It took him a full minute just to open his eyes.

He reached over to the nightstand next to his bed and picked up the framed picture of his birthmother. Her name was Barbara, and she was as beautiful as she was kind. Growing up, Spike never understood why anyone would want to hurt her. She was killed when Spike was only four-years-old and he was placed in the custody of Dragon Lord Torch, his godfather, until Celestia adopted him.

He had attended Celestia’s School for Gifted Youths, but he didn’t come from money and his classmates never let him forget it. He only attended there by the grace of Celestia’s charity, which contributed to the chip on his shoulder.

Now, at the tables he felt himself healing from the wounds of the troubled time before Torch took him off the streets. In the ballroom, on the dance floor, he felt at peace, and those years began to feel like a distant nightmare.

Suddenly, he heard Pinkie Pie knocking on the double doors to the hall.

“Hey, sleepyhead!” she called. “Get up and come grab breakfast with us!”

Spike wearily opened his eyes as he pulled his head from his pillows. He went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face before starting his morning ritual of combing his hair while listening to a song on the radio.

Spike joined Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer and Soarin for breakfast in the Sweet Snacks Café.

“I’ll have the chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, and extra butter,” Pinkie told Sugar Belle.

“Ham and cheese omelet, side of bacon,” Soarin said.

“Scrambled eggs with wheat toast,” said Sunset.

“I’ll have a double-vanilla latte to go, darling,” said Rarity.

“Just a hot chocolate to go,” Spike said.

“Do you want whipped cream on that?” Sugar Belle asked.

“Always,” he replied.

Sugar Belle wrote down their orders and skated off to the kitchen. Spike bid them all a good day and he and Rarity went to the register to pay. Sugar Belle brought them their to-go cups just as Zephyr Breeze walked in.

“Hey, what’s up, Godzilla?” he asked Spike.

“Whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable enough to call me names like that... shouldn’t,” he replied as he left.

“Nice outfit, Front Desk,” Zeph directed at Rarity. “You’re certainly dressed to make seventy percent of what a man in your position would make.”

“You should know,” she quickly countered. “You’re seventy percent of a man... if that.”

“Well, that backfired magnificently,” he said.

“Especially since Flim and Flam are equal opportunity employers,” Rarity added as she walked away.

She relieved Coco at the front desk and Discord dumped more work on her almost immediately.

“Have you made up the bill for Room 1212, Rarity?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t,” she replied.

“Well, they’re in a hurry,” he told her. “They said they didn’t get their wakeup call. Why didn’t they get their wakeup call?”

“Because I forgot to give it!” she snapped. “I am so sorry that I am not perfect! I’m sorry it’s not all done by magic...”

Spike was teaching Fluttershy swing dancing when a mousy woman, who worked as the Brothers’ secretary, entered the ballroom.

Her name was Moon Dancer. She stood five-six, had red hair, wore glasses, and had a model’s body hidden beneath a black suit coat and matching skirt. She came from a grounded family, had a healthy, preppy upbringing, was a triple major (science, history and economics), and would fit wonderfully at his mother’s table next Hearth’s Warming. But Spike had already set his sights on Applejack.

The sides of her mouth turned up into a smile as she spotted Spike across the ballroom. He noticed her enter and approached her.

“Welcome to my most humble, dishonorable establishment,” he said. “My worthless, useless services are at your disposal.”

“Well, thank you,” she replied.

Spike returned to Fluttershy in a twirl.

“And to finish, the splits,” he told her.

He and Fluttershy both did the splits and he could hear her joints cracking as she went down.

“Now, rise,” he said.

She grunted as she pulled herself off the floor.

“That’s it for today. Until tomorrow, why don’t you try to channel some anger into your dancing?” Spike suggested.

“But I’m not angry,” Fluttershy replied. “I don’t get angry.”

“It’s one thing to know the steps, but to express raw emotion while doing them is something else entirely,” he told her. “I do it all the time.”

Suddenly, Discord poked his head into the ballroom.

“Fluttershy, emergency lunch shift in the Café, now!” he shouted.

“Lunch shift on your afternoon off, angry now?” Spike asked Fluttershy.

“Not at all,” she said through her teeth.

After his dance lesson with Fluttershy, Spike joined Rainbow Dash on a brisk jog up and down the Strip, which eventually turned into a full-blown run.

“That was good,” she said as she took out her earbuds when they returned to the hotel. “Too bad you couldn’t keep up with me.”

“It wasn’t that I couldn’t keep up; I was just enjoying the view,”

“You couldn’t keep up. You didn’t even know I stopped for gelato,”

Spike smiled as he took a swig from his water bottle. Applejack came over from the front desk, carrying a big brown envelope under her arm.

“This just came for you,” she told Spike.

He asked her to open it for him. She did, and pulled out the latest issue of Mistress Marvelous, his favorite comic.

“Thanks, Applejack,” he said.

“You’re welcome, Sugah. Hey, do you want to grab lunch this afternoon?” she asked.

“I’d love to, but I volunteered to help Pinkie in the Café then,” Spike said as he took the comic in his free hand and headed for the elevator, “maybe next time.”

“But-but-but-I-I-I--” Applejack attempted.

Rainbow Dash stood beside Applejack and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Applejack Smith, you have just been branded with the mark of friendship,” she said. “Not a bad idea though, using food as an excuse to get close to him.”

Dash followed Spike and they almost ran into Zephyr Breeze, who was pulling his luggage cart through the lobby, when he saw a woman in a bandana and a dress the same color as Spike’s eyes walk by.

“Hey, did you see that girl that just got on the elevator?” Zeph asked Spike.

“No, I didn’t,” Spike replied.

“You don’t have to pretend you don’t see other women,” Dash told him, “at least when I’m around.”

“Okay, red dreadlocks, grayish-violet eyes, big, bushy eyebrows, probably shaves nothing?” Spike inquired.

Zephyr Breeze nodded energetically.

“What, you didn’t get her bra size?” Dash asked.

“Stupid question,” Spike replied. “She’s a hippie; they don’t wear bras, they burn them.”

“It’s no stupider than your little white magic gloves,” she retorted.

“Dash, the gloves are not magic. I am magic when I’m wearing the gloves,”

“Regardless, you wear them every time you play cards,” she said. “Why do you do that?”

“Because the one time I didn’t, I lost,” he answered.

“She’s an angel,” Zephyr said.

“Well, I don’t know who she is,” Spike told him, “but I think she’s staying here at the hotel.”

Zephyr Breeze kept watching the elevator bank, hoping to see the woman with the red dreadlocks again. He was so focused on them that he didn’t even notice Rainbow Dash drop her headphones. She bent over to pick them up and when she did, her bike shorts split and Spike saw everything! Spike was so hypnotized by the gaping hole between her legs that he didn’t watch where he was going and he walked right into one of the potted palm trees.

“I’m okay!” he shouted to no one in particular. “I’m okay!”

“Why can’t I be the girl that splits her pants and makes guys walk into things?” Applejack thought.

The elevator doors opened and Spike came face to face with the Dazzlings. Aria was leaning against the wall, Sonata was holding a box of tacos, and Adagio was carrying a basket of laundry.

“Hello there, Spike,” Adagio said huskily.

“Hi, Spike!” Sonata added chipperly.

Aria didn’t say anything, although she did manage a smile.

“Ladies,” he replied.

He stepped into the elevator with them and they rode it all the way to the 26th floor—Spike’s floor.

“Oh, look, Spike, you made me drop my panties,” Adagio flirted as he stepped out of the elevator. “Can you hand those back to me, please?”

Forgetting that he was holding his bottle of water in one hand and the comic book in the other, Spike attempted to do so, but eventually managed to slide his foot through one of the holes. It wasn’t difficult since the pair that Adagio dropped was barely even a thong. He lifted his foot to her and she took back her panties.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

As the elevator doors closed, Adagio puckered her lips at Spike. After they closed, Spike went into his suite, took off his running shoes and proceeded to throw them into the fireplace. He went into his bedroom and found a black T-shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, a pair of black Chuck All-Star shoes, and a black Perfecto 613 leather jacket sitting on his bed.

After he changed into them, he went into the bathroom, greased his hair with a generous amount of pomade and combed it into a pompadour. Then he headed back down to the Café.

In the casino, Celestia and Fancy Pants were playing Blackjack against Twilight, who seemed to be in a rather glum mood.

Ever since Spike bested her the other day, Twilight’s aura seemed darker and the customers were always weary whenever she was around. Her mood lightened more and more with each win against the tourists, but inside, she was still cursing Spike for outcheating her.

Normally, the screams of the riders of the Wild Blue Yonder would make her head throb as they whizzed around the upper part of the casino. But since the roller coaster had been shut down (at least temporarily), everything had been moderately calm. At that moment, she was showing the Jack of Hearts.

Celestia hit on eleven—the Six of Diamonds, the Five of Hearts—and got the Two of Spades, for thirteen, and decided to stay. Twilight’s second card was the Six of Clubs. She drew a third card: the Four of Diamonds.

“Dealer shows 20. You lose,” she told Celestia.

Fancy Pants turned his attention to the Sweet Snacks Café and saw Spike (dressed as a greaser) and Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, and Sugar Belle (in their carhop uniforms and roller skates, standing on either side of him) all swinging, jiving, swaying, and thrusting their hips to “Rock This Town!” on the jukebox. He smiled at them, wishing he could join in the fun.

“What a difference,” he thought. “Well, I suppose it’s a matter of taste.”

After the lunch rush was over, Spike congratulated the girls on their routine.

“That was exactly what I was talking about!” he told Fluttershy.

“Wow! Channeling your anger into your dancing really does make it better,” she said. “Who knew?”

“Me!” Pinkie replied.

“I did,” Sugar Belle said.

“Ditto that,” Starlight added.

“Well done!” Moon Dancer told them. “Spike, Applejack wants to see you.”

Pinkie, Starlight and Fluttershy all followed Spike to the front desk, where Applejack was talking to Rarity.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to have lunch with you,” he apologized.

“Well, what are you doing later tonight?” Applejack asked. “Maybe you’d like to play a little Poker with us?”

“‘Us’?” he replied.

“Yeah, a few of us try to get together at least once a week,” Pinkie said. “What do you say?”

“Sure,”

“And Fluttershy, you and Starlight are more than welcome to join too,” Rarity put in.

“Thanks, but I think I’m just gonna soak in the tub and then turn in early,” Starlight said.

“And I don’t know how to play,” Fluttershy added.

“Don’t worry, we’ll teach you,” Applejack told her.

“I’d like to come, if that’s all right,” Moon Dancer put in.

“The more the merrier,” said Pinkie. “Seven o’clock, the board room overlooking the dolphin pool.”

“See you then,” Spike replied.

And they all went separate ways.

If Moon Dancer had glanced back over her shoulder, she might have seen the tall woman in a black pants suit, with dark cerulean hair and narrow harlequin eyes, watching her from the balcony overlooking the casino.

“Now I’ve got you,” she hissed.

Spike stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, admiring the wads of cash attached to his body.

Twenty-five thousand dollars in hundreds, strapped to each thigh. Another fifty thousand in a Velcro bag taped to his chest. Fifty thousand more stuffed into the pockets of his suit jacket. And another hundred thousand nestled against the small of his back—Two hundred and fifty thousand altogether. And he stuffed the pockets of his pants with orange chips.

It was a staggering amount, but it all belonged to him.

He dressed in his usual vest and slacks ensemble, and as he pulled on his white gloves, he glanced down at his concealead carry (a little single shot derringer that was on the end of a chain he usually draped across his vest) and decided to leave it. He hadn’t seen any “No Weapons Allowed” signs on the entrance doors the day he checked in, and he already knew that several of the staff had concealed carrys and hidden blades, but he wouldn’t need his. Not tonight.

Spike put on his jacket, exited his suite, and hit the elevator call button. When the doors opened, he saw Zephyr Breeze standing in it, sans luggage cart.

“Were you coming to see me?” Spike asked.

“Come on, you think I have nothing better to do than to hang out with you?” Zephyr replied.

“Basically, yeah,” Spike answered.

“Well, you’re wrong. I’m riding up and down the elevators in hopes of running into my dream girl again,” he said.

“You know Discord’s gonna kick you out when he eventually finds out you’re not working, right?” Spike inquired.

“No, he’s not. I explained my situation to him. Turns out he’s a real romantic,” Zeph said as Spike got on the elevator. “I don’t know, there’s something special about this girl, she could be the one.”

“Well, best of luck to you,” Spike told him.

The board room Pinkie had mentioned was located halfway down a hall in the most recently renovated part of the hotel.

There were no weekends per se for the Resort; most of the employees got a day and a half every nine, which meant they were never the same days. There were sign-up sheets in the staff locker room, so Spike and the girls tried to get the same downtime, and that’s why they were together on a Wednesday night in early June.

Just as he reached the door, it opened from the inside. Spike recognized Applejack (who pulled the door open), as well as Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Moon Dancer (who was wearing a peach colored dress and holding a stuffed bear in her arms. She looked more like she was ready for bed than a game of cards).

The next thing Spike noticed was that the window shades were pulled, the yellow fluorescent ceiling lights bathed the walls in stragely shaped shadows, and seven chairs were arranged around a round table in the center of the room.

The women had finished sharing a dinner that could nourish only the very young: beer, hard cider, burgers, potato chips, and coleslaw.

Rarity stood up from the table as Spike entered.

“Welcome to Draw Poker, Mister Drake,” she said. “We’re all thrilled you could make it.”

Spike thanked her. He took off his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He sat down and rolled up his sleeves so that he would not be able to hide any cards up them.

They sat around the table so that (going clockwise, starting at six o’clock) it went Rarity (who wouldn’t play, but act as dealer), Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Spike and Applejack. Moon Dancer stood off to the side, saying she was just going to watch.

“We’ll begin with Five-Card Draw,” Rarity said as she shuffled a deck of cards. “Everyone remember Five-Fard Draw?”

They all nodded.

Also known as the Cantrell draw, it was the simplest variant of poker (as well as the basis for video poker) and often the first learned by new players. Although, it was not as popular as Seven-Card Stud or Texas Hold ‘Em and was commonly played in home games and rarely (if ever) in a casino or tournament.

“Jacks or better, nothing wild, everybody ante,” Rarity said.

They all tossed one black chip ($100) each into the center of the table as Rarity dealt each of them five cards, one at a time, all face down, and placed the remaining deck aside. Spike and the girls picked up their cards, being careful to keep them concealed from each other, and Pinkie, being the player first to Rarity’s left, opened the betting round by wagering another $100.

Fluttershy looked at her cards—the King of Hearts, the King of Clubs, the Two of Spades, the Three of Hearts, and the Four of Spades—and said, “I’m in.”

“In,” Sunset added.

“In,” said Dash.

“I will see your one hundred, and raise you two,” Spike said to Pinkie.

“Call,” Applejack said, betting two hundred more.

That concluded the first round of betting. Then they started dumping cards from their hands. Pinkie discarded three cards, Fluttershy discarded two, Sunset discarded three, Rainbow Dash took one, Spike took two, and Applejack one. The second round began with Pinkie, who folded, and Fluttershy and Sunset checked. Rainbow Dash bet $100, then Spike raised her $500, causing Applejack to fold, and Fluttershy called Spike’s raise.

Then they started showing hands: Fluttershy and Sunset both had Two Pair (Kings and Twos, and Kings and Threes, respectively), Dash had Three of a Kind (Sixes), and Spike had a Full House.

“Queens, full of nines,” he said as he showed them his cards.

Rarity gathered their cards, shuffled, and dealt again. They played five more games, and Spike won the last one with a Straight against both Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s Two Pairs—Tens and Aces, and Jacks and Twos.

“Are you kidding?” Dash exclaimed.

“What else would you expect from the guy that whipped Twilight?” AJ asked her. “He’s a juggernaut!”

“I didn’t even bring my A-game,” he smiled as he collected his winnings.

“What the Tartarus is going on here!?!”

They all turned and saw Twilight standing in the doorway. She must have just come off her shift, Spike thought, because she was still in her dealer’s uniform.

“You said ‘Tartarus’, throw a hundred in the pot!” he commanded.

“What?” she asked.

“Twi, we all had to,” Dash told her.

“You started without me?” Twilight asked Rarity. “And you are in my seat!” she told Spike.

Spike craned his neck and bent several ways to look at his chair from all sides, but he never got up from it.

“Sorry, I must have missed the brass plaque with your name on it,” he retorted with a smile.

“Deal me in,” Twilight said to Rarity as she approached the table.

“Darling, we already have six--” Rarity began.

“I’ll tap out,” Fluttershy said, and offered her seat to Twilight.

Pinkie said, “You can be on my team, Fluttershy.”

She scooted closer to Pinkie as Twilight pulled up a chair and took a seat between Fluttershy and Sunset.

As Rarity dealt the cards, Spike couldn’t help but gaze at Twilight. She had that prep school aura about her; studious, awkward, but also superior, as if she was used to being the smartest one in the room. A mathematical genius, and liked to prove it by playing cards. Now, she was acting like all that was being threatened. The next game began and Pinkie, Twilight, Sunset and Rainbow Dash all checked.

“Five hundred,” Spike said.

“What’s the first lesson in Poker?” Twilight quizzed her coworkers.

“Leave emotion at the door,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“That’s right,” Twilight replied. “Today’s lesson: How to draw out the bluff. That much money this early in the game, I’d say he’s holding nothing better than a pair of face cards.”

“I fold,” Applejack sighed.

“Two cards,” Spike said to Rarity after Pinkie folded.

Twilight took three cards and Sunset decided to up the ante.

“I will see your $500,” she told Spike, “and I will raise you another $500 of my own.”

“That is a very handsome bet, Sunset,” Twilight said. “But be careful. You don’t want to push him too high too fast. You want to keep him on his leash.”

“Call,” Rainbow Dash added.

“I see your five hundred,” Spike told Sunset, “and raise you two thousand.”

How they betted was their business. The challenge in Poker was to make everyone else think you were betting for a reason. The others were free to do what they liked, but Twilight was staying in. She thought Spike was trying to buy his way out of a bluff.

“A Flush,” she said.

“Four Sixes,” Sunset replied.

Rainbow Dash showed a full house.

“What have you got?” she asked Spike.

“Read ‘em and weep: four lovely ladies,” he replied.

Four Queens and an Ace—he won again.

As Rarity shuffled, Twilight reached into her vest and pulled out several golden chips, each worth one million dollars.

“Table stakes,” Rarity said. “I’m sorry, darling.”

“No,” Spike told her. “Give her a chance to win her money back.”

Spike fished around the inside of his shirt with both hands, and the girls wondered what he was doing. Then they heard the distinct rip of Velcro, and Spike’s hands reappeared.

The girls’ hearts thumped as they saw the rolls of bills at least four inches thick, all hundreds. As much as twenty grand was taped inside his shirt. Then he pulled the orange chips out from his pants pockets.

“Check,” Pinkie said after Rarity dealt.

“Check,” Twilight repeated.

Sunset and Rainbow Dash also checked.

“I’m in for fifty grand,” Spike betted.

“I’m out,” Applejack said.

“Me too,” Pinkie added.

“I see your fifty thousand... and I raise you five million,” Twilight said.

“Out,” Sunset told Rarity.

“Okay, Rainbow Dash, your bet,” Rarity said.

“I fold,” she replied.

“Spike, are you in or out?” Rarity asked.

“I’m in,” he answered.

Twilight stayed in as well.

“How many cards do you want, darling?” Rarity asked Spike.

“One,”

Twilight took two and asked, “What do you bet?”

“I bet two million,” he said.

“Okay. I see your two, and I raise you twenty more,” Twilight replied.

Pinkie’s jaw dropped as Applejack’s gaze shifted to Spike.

“I see your 20, raise you 25,” he told her.

Sunset tugged at the collar of her shirt while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s eyes kept going back and forth between Spike and Twilight.

“See your 25, and I raise you 100,”

“I think she’s got ya, partner,” Applejack whispered to Spike.

“She’s bluffing,” Spike whispered back.

Applejack didn’t bother to ask Spike how he knew, but he knew. The girls all had their Poker tells: Applejack bit her bottom lip, Fluttershy played with her hair, Sunset cleared her throat, Rainbow Dash tugged on her ear, Pinkie blinked twice in a row, and Twilight’s eyes twitched.

Every. Single. Time. They bluffed.

“How about it, Drake?” Twilight asked impatiently. “You in?”

Her eye twitched.

Spike’s gaze shifted to Applejack, who met him with a smile.

“Take her down!” she told him.

Spike promptly shoved the last of his pile into the center of the table and said, “Call! Showdown! What do you have?”

“I really should have kept my other hand,” Twilight thought. “Oh, well.”

She showed her hand: the Three of Spades, the Three of Diamonds, the Three of Hearts, the Eight of Spades, and the Eight of Hearts.

“Full house,” she said.

Spike grinned as he revealed his own hand: a King, a Queen, a Jack, a Ten, and an Ace—All Hearts—A Royal Flush.

“I hate you!” she thought.

“Well, tallying up what you bet, I’d say that you owe me no less than... one hundred fifty-two million and fifty thousand dollars,” Spike said to Twilight. “I would appreciate it now, if you don’t mind. You will be kind enough to pay up, won’t you?”

“I... can’t,” Twilight said.

“What was that?” Spike asked quietly.

“I... I don’t have it right now,” she said. “Please, could you wait a few days? I swear I only need a few days.”

Spike rose from the table and moved to the door. He paused against the frame and wondered why Twilight would be walking around with chips worth a million dollar apiece if she didn’t even have the money to back up her bets.

“I had fun, so fine by me,” he said finally. “Have a nice evening.”

And Moon Dancer followed him out.

Later that night, Spike and Moon Dancer walked down the sidewalk, through the garden behind the resort.

A full moon had risen in the sky and it shone a beautiful glow down upon them. They didn’t say much until halfway back to the hotel, when she turned to look at him.

“That was a pretty cool stunt you pulled back there,” she said.

“What, that circus act?” he replied. “Shuffle tracking and cuts give you a nice advantage, but they can’t be used too often. I only pull that stuff when the stakes are really high, more consistent—and a lot more lucrative.”

Spike watched her brush her red hair out of her eyes. She was both intrigued and disturbed.

“You know as well as I do that there are two major problems with card counting: one, your percentage over the house is too damn low. Even the most complex systems have an overall edge of two percent, if that. To make any money at all, you need an enormous stake, and that’s too easy a technique to spot. To take advantage of the highs and lows, you have to drastically raise and lower your bet, and moving that kind of money draws too much attention. Which leads to problem number two, it’s too easy for the casinos to figure out what you’re doing—and stop you from doing it. They catch you by watching your bet.”

Moon Dancer looked impressed.

“The whole idea of card counting makes me nauseous,” he continued. “The casinos like people to think that they can be beat—it gets them to the tables. But they don’t want people to know that they can be beat because then they would have to admit to all the things they have to do to keep the games in their favor.”

“Well, I’ve developed a system that takes care of all those problems,” she said. “I am going to hit Las Pegasus—hard—and I want you to help me.”

Now it was Spike’s turn to feel uneasy. Even if there was nothing illegal about making Blackjack beatable—it still seemed wrong. But it also thrilled him—deep down, in that part of his personality he tried to keep buried.

“The Flimflam Brothers have been scamming people for years,” she went on. “Their games are set up to give the house a hefty advantage. Anyone stupid enough to sit down and play is paying for all this neon and all those ‘free’ drinks. If anybody’s cheating, it’s the people that own the casinos. They set up the rules so that they almost always win. But if you’re smart, you can put the odds in your favor. Mowed Green proved that over seventy-five years ago, and many have been following his example for decades.”

Spike knew the story of Mowed “Bugsy” Green. He was a gangster who had an idea to build a city out of a desert stopover for GIs on their way to the West Coast... and the city he invented was Las Pegasus. He was a great man. A man of vision and guts... and there wasn’t even a plaque or a signpost or a single statue of him in the whole city. He got the back of his head blown off because he wanted too much of the take from his operations in Las Pegasus.

Gambling was the single biggest industry in Equestria, bigger than Carneighie Steel, bigger than automobiles, and the guys running it took great care to keep it running smoothly. Las Pegasus had gone through no less than five distinct periods since gambling was legalized in 1933. First there was the Mobster Era. Inspired by their success in illegal gambling parlors, infamous figures such as “Bugs” Green moved into town. Funded in part by two hundred and fifty million dollars, he built the first major casinos.

In the sixties, a moderately insane tycoon took over where the mobsters left off: adding an element of corporate legitimacy to the town through his business and political connections, while funding another building boom. Then, in the seventies, an architectural monarch gave birth to the first of the huge resorts with the construction of the first Maretro-Goldwhinnyn-Mareyer Grand in 1973. At a hundred and twenty million dollars, with twenty-one hundred rooms, the casino was the draw of the true Las Pegasus-styled entertainment complex and precursor of things to come.

Now, they were flirting with the idea of “family entertainment”, with gaudy amusement-park-styled attractions and décor. Las Pegasus had already decimated the competition and emerged from the recession in part by reinventing itself as the world’s foremost adult amusement park, luring millions of conventioneers with a lax attitude toward the sex industry, and a new focus on the consumption-oriented middle class.

The city built by gangsters became Equestria’s premier vacation and corporate conference destination; an over-the-top world of excess and imagination.

“You don’t seem the Las Pegasus type,” Spike commented.

Moon Dancer blinked.

“What, you don’t think I’d look good in a rubber tube top?”

“No, I just never would have thought a straitlaced, hard-nosed business girl would be running around a city full of overeducated anarchists,” he replied.

“I found the thrill of gambling almost as addictive as consulting,” she said. “The idea of going up against huge corporations, finding ways to beat them in their own arena—it was a real high.”

Her eyes were bright as she spoke, but Spike shot her a look that conveyed he wasn’t convinced.

“Seriously, I found the atmosphere stimulating and I liked being able to play a different role—especially while I was going through Celestia’s School for Gifted Youths,” she said.

Spike didn’t get a chance to respond because he saw a tall lady, dressed in black, with narrow harlequin eyes and dark cerulean hair standing a few yards ahead of them, blocking the path.

She was flanked by two thin, young men dressed in black suits. Two more identical men approached Spike and Moon Dancer from behind. They all looked pale and malnourished. They were all grimy, with dirt ingrained into their skin. Spike recognized the pair in front of him as Thorax, his roommate from college, and his older brother, Pharynx.

“May I help you?” Spike asked.

“Nothing you can do,” the lady in black replied. “I have business with her!”

She pointed at Moon Dancer and one of the two men behind Spike tried to grab her. Spike grabbed him by the wrist, catapulted him over his shoulder, and slammed him into the pavement.

“Thorax, Pharynx, Cornicle, get her stuffed bear!” the lady in black shouted.

Spike backwards kicked the other guy that was behind him (the one called Cornicle), and then Thorax and Pharynx came at him together, shoulder-to-shoulder. Spike roundhouse kicked Pharynx and then, using an open palm, struck Thorax in the chest, sending him skidding back.

The fortune under Spike’s clothes (the heavy money belt around his waist and the bulging plastic bags strapped to each of his thighs) did nothing to help. One of the bags around his thighs was slipping down his leg, and the belt twisted around to his back.

“Why did I pack on so much?” Spike thought.

But the fight was over almost as quickly as it had started.

“Come on! Let’s beat it!” the lady in black told her minions.

The five scattered and ran and Spike asked Moon Dancer if she was okay.

She stared at him for the longest time. Then Spike caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight standing a few yards away.

They had seen all that had happened.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Dash exclaimed.

Zephyr Breeze dragged himself from the elevator the following morning.

He spent the whole night riding it, up and down, but he never saw the woman with the red dreadlocks.

“Any luck?” Bulk Biceps asked him.

“No,” Zephyr groaned. “Maybe I should give up.”

“No! You said this girl could be your destiny! There’s nothing more important than finding true love!” Bulk said.

Moon Dancer brought her teddy bear down to breakfast and to lunch, and she carried it with her wherever she went. After what happened last night, she didn’t feel safe leaving it in her suite upstairs.

“Let’s hit the tables,” Spike said.

“After we attack the buffet,” Pinkie said, “can’t play on an empty stomach.”

As they went through the line, Spike spoke to Moon Dancer about what happened the previous night.

“Do you have any idea why that strange woman was after your bear?”

“I don’t,” she replied.

“You’re not keeping anything from me, are you?” Spike inquired.

“I promise, if I knew, I would tell you,”

They ate their lunches and they saw neither hide nor hair of the lady in black, or any of her henchmen. The rest of the morning went by peacefully, until they hit the casino. Everyone from Flim and Flam to Fancy Pants and his escorts were there. And that’s when the lady in black reappeared, with Thorax and Pharynx by her side.

“You’ll have to forgive me for last night,” she said.

“What do you want?” Twilight asked them. “The dealer’s area is off-limits to non-personnel.”

“I admit that when I saw her, I couldn’t control myself,” she confessed. “I’d really prefer not to cause a scene, but given the location, we could settle this.”

“You’re looking to play a game?” Twilight asked her.

“Now you’re picking up what I’m putting down. My name is Chrysalis Queen,” she introduced herself. “I’ve earned the reputation as ‘The King Killer.’ I show no mercy, not even to young children.”

“My, my, this seems like quite a predicament here,” one of Fancy Pants’ escorts said. “You really should give Moon Dancer a hand,” she told Twilight.

“I can’t believe it,” Chrysalis thought. “It’s Fleur de Lis!”

“Flimflam Resort must truly be prestigious to have Applewood actresses wandering around,” she said aloud.

“Miss de Lis is right, Twilight,” Rarity added. “You remember the house’s motto?”

“‘The customer is always right,’” Twilight gritted through her teeth.

“But I won’t be playing against you,” Chrysalis told her. “I will be playing against him!” She pointed at Spike. “And just to show you that I’m not completely heartless, why don’t you name the stakes?”

“All right,” Spike replied. “If I lose, I will invite you to my suite, where I will strip down butt naked, and you can do whatever you want to me.”

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Three conditions, huh?” Chrysalis asked. “If that’s how you roll, then you must want something pretty good in return should you win.”

Spike smiled and said, “If I win, you have to strip down, after you tell us why you’re after Moon Dancer’s bear, and I get a job here at the resort!”

“Now, wait a minute!” Twilight shouted. “You can’t--!”

“We accept these terms!” Flim stated.

“Call a film crew!” Flam shouted at Moon Dancer. “Let’s record this...”

“And Spike,” said Rarity, “I’ve prepared a ceremonial outfit for you for such a grand occasion—Time for a costume change!”

“Doesn’t anybody care what I think!?!” Twilight screamed.

“NO!!” the whole resort shouted in reply.

Fifteen minutes later, several of the resort’s staff and guests assembled around a poker table in the center of the casino and Spike returned wearing a black suit and bowtie.

“He’s handsome,” Applejack said.

“So handsome,” Sunset repeated.

“Is that a tuxedo?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not just any tuxedo, a groom’s tuxedo,” Rarity said.

“Why’s he wearing that?” asked Dash.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” Rarity replied.

“This should be fun,” Pinkie commented.

“Even if Spike loses, we’ll have some epic footage to use in a commercial,” Flim said.

“Yes, but he’s going to have to win if we want to see Chrysalis naked,” Flam reminded his brother.

Spike approached the table and sat directly across from Chrysalis.

“Sorry I’m late... darling,” he told her.

Chrysalis erupted with laughter.

“I can’t believe this,” she said. “Life is one Tartarus of a sick, twisted joke!”

“Hmm?” Spike asked.

“A few years ago, just seconds before our wedding, my husband left me at the altar,” Chrysalis explained. “Ever since then, I’ve had terrible luck with men and been forced to live the life of a lonely bachelorette.”

“That’s sad,” Fluttershy said.

“Telling us this probably isn’t helping your prospects in that area,” Spike commented.

“You’ve pissed me off for the last time!” Chrysalis shouted. “I’ll tear your clothes off and make sure that you’ll never be able to get married! You are nothing! You’re nothing but a toy to me!”

“Well, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I will be your dealer,” Rarity said. “The game is a simple, single match of closed poker. You may exchange cards only once. Let’s get started.”

“I’ll show you exactly how I earned my reputation as ‘The King Killer,’” Chrysalis hissed. “Let’s do this!”

Rarity dealt Spike and Chrysalis each five cards and Chrysalis displayed her hand: the Eight of Clubs, the Ten of Hearts, the Jack of Hearts, the Queen of Hearts, and the King of Hearts.

“I’ll be trading in my cards,” she said.

She kept the King of Hearts and traded in the rest of her hand.

If Chrysalis had tossed the Eight of Clubs and gotten the Nine of Hearts, she would have a Straight Flush. Or, if she got the Ace of Hearts, she would have a Royal Straight Flush. But instead, she kept only one card.

“Wow,” Dash breathed. “That’s risky.”

“I’m gunning for four delectable Kings,” Chrysalis said. “They’ll come to me. All the men will come to me! They belong to me!! They obey my every word and whim!!! They are my slaves and I am their only mistress!!!!”

While it may have been true that Chrysalis was horrible with men, her luck in gambling more than made up for it.

Spike kept his hand concealed and traded in two of his cards. Then Chrysalis showed her new hand: all four Kings and the Nine of Hearts.

“Spike,” said Rarity, “let’s see what you have.”

Spike smiled and revealed his new hand.

“Four aces,”

Chrysalis’s smile slowly faded.

“I guess even four Kings weren’t enough to save you,” he told her.

“And the winner is Spike!” Rarity declared.

“Behold, the power of our newest employee!” the Flimflam Brothers exclaimed.

The crowd cheered for Spike as Thorax and Pharynx consoled Chrysalis.

“Our Mother is a fanatic for collecting stuffed animals,” Thorax explained. “It’s how she’s coped with losing her fiancé all these years. It’s the only thing that helps.”

“That bear is precious to me,” Chrysalis sobbed. “It’s an out-of-print collector’s item imported all the way from Belgium. I just wanted to hold it... and forget.”

“Kind of impossible since the tag says ‘Made in China,’” Spike replied.

“What? There’s no way!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “How could I have been fooled so easily?”

Spike walked around the table to Chrysalis and wrapped his arms around her so that they were chest to chest, heart to heart.

“There, there, it’s all right,” he said soothingly. “You don’t need to be alone anymore.”

“Now you’re just rubbing it right in her face,” Twilight said.

Chrysalis hugged Spike back and said, “I can’t thank you enough.”

“No way!” the girls all exclaimed.

“Way,” Soarin said.

“Is this really happening?” Rarity asked in disbelief.

“Awesome!” Dash exclaimed.

“Seriously?” Twilight asked her.

“And don’t worry about our agreement,” Spike told Chrysalis. “I’ll contact you later, when I plan to collect. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay.”

“Thank you again,” she said happily.

And she walked off with Thorax and Pharynx right behind her.

“Spike,” said a voice. “Over here.”

It was the Flimflam Brothers; Flam was holding the elevator doors open. He joined them and they took him to their office up on the 31st floor. They ushered him inside, closed the doors behind him, and told him to sit down.

“That was extraordinary what you did,” Flim began.

“Thanks,” Spike replied nervously.

“You really could have lost today,” said Flam.

“But you impressed us,” Flim went on. “And that’s why we want to offer you a job as our resort’s new dance instructor.”

Spike opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words.

“Why?” he finally managed.

“Because you’re smart,” Flim said.

“You seem to have a good work ethic,” added Flam.

“You’re good with numbers,” Flim went on.

“And you’ve got the look,” Flam finished.

“‘The look’?” Spike asked.

“Polished, theatrical, and, with a little work, you could sit at a table of A-list celebrities and businessmen, betting twice as much as any of them and never appear out of place,” Flim explained.

The Brothers reached forward to shake Spike’s hand and a strange feeling came over Spike as he looked into the two pairs of pistachio eyes staring back at him. Obviously, they had been cooking this up for some time. They had been sizing him up for their team. The game against Chrysalis was a test of sorts—not to mention invigorating as Tartarus—and he had passed.

Spike shook hands with the Brothers and they welcomed him aboard.

“You’re in the casino resort business now, Mr. Drake,” Flim said, “not the hotel business, at least not the way we run it.”

“But not so far removed fom it, either,” added Flam. “We want you to work hard, but we don’t want you to work yourself to death. Just remember a few things: the guests have to be happy, because if they aren’t happy this place dries up and blows away; always know where your wallet is, and always show up.”

“And if anyone gives you a hard time, send them directly to us,” Flim stated. “Fail to do any of that and you’ll be out the revolving door so fast your head will spin along with it.”

Spike nodded.

“You’ll report to Discord tomorrow morning at 7:00 A.M. sharp,” Flim said.

“You’re dismissed,” said Flam.

Spike left their office and saw Moon Dancer standing by the elevator. And she was no longer holding her stuffed bear.

“What are you my shadow now?” he asked her.

“What can I say? I feel safer when I’m around you,” she replied. “I was just wondering if you had thought anymore about my offer.”

“I have,” he said. “I’m in.”

“Are you absolutely sure you want to get into this? I ask because I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for someone who may not be able to repay you,”

Spike was silent for a brief moment.

“This city is our, big, juicy oyster, and we are going to bleed it dry,”

Moon Dancer smiled at Spike and said, “Wonderful.”

They entered the elevator (Zephyr Breeze was leaning against the wall) and rode the elevator down to the lobby. When they got out, the woman with the red dreadlocks got on and Zephyr Breeze straightened up and dusted himself off.

“Hi, how’s it goin’?” he asked. “I’m Zephyr Breeze.”

“Tree Hugger,” she replied.

“Listen, this might sound a little crazy, but I saw you get on the elevator yesterday, and I thought we had a connection, so I’ve been riding it in the hopes of running into you again,”

“You’ve been riding the elevator for a day just to meet me?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry if I--”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence because she threw herself into his arms and started kissing him.

When the elevator doors opened again, she gave him a wink as she walked out. He could barely stand on his feet.

“Zephyr, are you all right?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he said.

“Was that her?” Bulk inquired.

“Oh yeah,” he replied. “And I think we’re going steady, too.”

Later that night, Celestia found Spike tossing pennies into the water fountain out front.

“Spike! Flim and Flam just told me what happened,” she began. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“I just didn’t feel like celebrating,” he said as he skipped another coin across the water.

“Are you kidding?” she asked. “You get to spend the rest of your summer working in a casino resort. You got your wish!” She sighed and said, “Sit down.”

They both sat on the ledge of the water fountain.

“Spike... Remember when I first brought you here to Las Pegasus?”

“Yeah, it was shortly after you adopted me,” he fondly recalled. “We shared the bed in the suite, you wrapped me up in the blanket you quilted for me, and rolled me back and forth across the bed until I laughed so hard I cried.”

“Well, those days... they’re almost over,” she said. “I mean, how many more chances will we get to do something together as mother and son? I’m working more and more, and you’re growing up so fast that I hardly recognize you.”

Celestia seemed on the brink of tears as she spoke.

“Mom, you’re the headmistress of the most prestigious private school in the country,” he replied. “You’re important. I understand why you’ve been so busy.”

“I know. But that’s no excuse for me not spending time with my baby. That’s why I wanted you to come with me on this trip: for one more wonderful time together. What do you say?”

Spike smiled at her and said, “Okay.” They shared a hug. “Are you really all right with this?”

“Why? Did you want me to argue? Try to talk you out of it? If this is what you want, if it’s teaching people how to dance, I will support you. You’re old enough that you can make your own decisions, you don’t need my permission,”

“Thanks, Mom,”

And they hugged again.

Next time, the Resort hosts the Pillars of Equestria Tour (a of collection artifacts that belonged to Equestria’s greatest heroes) and Rainbow Dash challenges Spike to a game of pairs.

The next morning, Spike and the girls reported to Discord in the staff locker room and he gave them their evaluations.

“Are you all zombies?! Did I accidently hire extras from The Trotting Dead?!” he yelled. “Pinkie Pie, six; Fluttershy, seven; Applejack, nine; Twilight, one; Rarity, three; Starlight, two; Sunset, eight; Spike, ten out of ten, very nice; and Rainbow Dash, five.”

“YEAAAAAAH!” Spike cried. “I beat you!” he told Dash.

“No fair!” she shouted. “There was a rock band on my floor! They had a pig roast in the room!”

“Ten out of ten! Oh, yeah! I am the King of the Staff Evaluations!”

“I have to say, it’s encouraging to see how seriously you’re taking guest feedback,” Discord told him.

“I’m not,” Spike replied. “I just like to kick her butt.”

“I have two other things to say, so let me be clear,” Discord went on. “This is not summer camp and I am not your counselor. And Twilight, what the Tartarus happened last night?”

“What?” she asked.

“On three separate occasions, you lost five grand to a bunch of whiz kids from Canterlot, but you kept dealing anyway,” he said. “You know what’s worse than a loser? Someone who won’t admit that she played the game wrong! I don’t care what happened, but I never want to see it happen again. All right, that’s enough. You’re already late! Come on! Out, out, out!”

“You know, Dash,” Spike said as they exited the staff locker room, “you act tough, but when the chips are down--”

“That’s it!” she shouted. “I challenge you to a game of pairs! Right now! Unless you’re scared of getting your butt kicked by a girl...”

“Two words: Bring! It!”

“You know you’ll get a strike,”

“Ha! I laugh in the face of strikes!”

“Then let’s do this!”

“Fine by me!”

“Oh, it is so on!”

Starlight Glimmer reported to the Café. Her father was having breakfast with Sunburst and Stellar Flare and Starlight immediately started kissing up to her dad.

“Do you think I’m ready to come back to the penthouse now?” she asked.

“I’m still not convinced,” Firelight replied.

“So, I take it you saw the evaluation I got?”

“Mm-hmm,”

“Even after I drove my customer to the hospital and stayed with her while she waited for the burn specialist?” she asked.

“I was too focused on the comment, ‘This is the worst service I have ever had!’” he said. “She had written that before you spilled the soup on her. I’m not letting you back into the penthouse until I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an Amateur Antiquers’ Convention to arrange.”

“Why?”

“To bring in more tourists,” he answered. “Why? You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“No, I do not,” Starlight said. “That is not going to bring in extra guests -- at least, not cute ones.”

“Why don’t you let Starlight try to come up with something a bit more... fresh?” Stellar Flare suggested to Firelight. “I’ve got your back, honey,” she added to Starlight in a whisper.

“Fine,” Firelight answered. “You have until noon to think of something.”

“You won’t be sorry,” Starlight said.

In cards, Pairs (also known as Concentration), wasn’t hard to play.

Several of the V.I.P. guests had gathered in the High Rollers’ Lounge to watch Spike and Rainbow Dash play. They were going to use two decks of playing cards, and because they were, they had to match both number and suit. There were going to be twice as many cards than usual, but for each card there was only one that matched. And if there was only one matching pair, the odds of picking them by pure chance was 1 to 104, which meant their only hope was to memorize which cards had already been flipped. And if they got a match, they kept going.

Spike wanted to bet something like $20 million, but he knew Rainbow Dash didn’t have that kind of money so he let her bet whatever she had. She reached into her maid’s apron and pulled out a roll of twenties—only three hundred dollars—and if she lost, it would come out of her paycheck and she would help do dishes in the kitchen for the next week.

“Ladies first,” Spike offered.

Dash flipped over the Four of Hearts and the Four of Diamonds. They shared the same number, but under the aforementioned rules it didn’t count as a match. Spike didn’t find a match on his first try either.

After finding a King of Diamonds, an Ace of Spades, and a Two of Hearts, Spike found the first pair: Four of Diamonds. Then he flipped the Seven of Diamonds and the King of Clubs—not a match.

Rainbow Dash remembered seeing the King of Clubs earlier, and found the other one. She then matched up the Two of Spades, the Queen of Clubs and the Six of Diamonds. After ten minutes of playing, Spike had 18 pairs to Dash’s 22.

“Maybe it’s just my imagination,” Haakim commented, “but it seems neither of them has messed up once.”

“What do you mean?” Amira asked.

“After they flipped over a card, they’ve been able to find its partner every single time,” he explained.

Spike then matched up the Five of Hearts.

“See?” Haakim told his wife.

“How can they remember every card that’s been flipped?” Amira asked.

It was a very close game. In terms of memory, Spike and Dash were almost equal. At this point, it was a contest of luck: who would be the first to flip a card they’d already seen. Spike had 36 pairs and Dash had 40, only 28 cards left. It was still too close to call. But things were about to get intense—the fewer cards left, the easier it would be to match them. Dash got five more matches in a row, putting her up to a ten card lead over Spike.

“Your turn,” she said after she missed. “Go ahead, take your best shot!”

Spike flipped over the remaining 18 cards, putting him at 54—over half the deck—and he won.

“Looks like Lady Luck was on your side,” Dash said as she held out her hand. “Good game, Spike.”

They smiled as they shook hands.

“Don’t take off your blindfolds,” Starlight instructed the girls and the Flimflam Brothers, who were standing on the curb outside the front door of the hotel with scarves across their eyes.

Starlight moved down the line to make sure none of them were peeking.

“What you are about to see are some of the most valuable pieces of history on the face of this planet,” she told them.

“Are these blindfolds really necessary?” asked Applejack.

“Of course, they’re necessary,” Starlight replied.

“Couldn’t you have just asked us to close our eyes?” Rarity complained.

“How could I be sure that you wouldn’t peek?”

“You know I wouldn’t,” Sunset gave her word.

“I feel like Somnambula!” Pinkie said with a giggle.

“I’m starting to see spots,” Fluttershy added.

“Okay. You may now remove your blindfolds,” Starlight told them.

“Well, it’s about time,” Rarity huffed as she undid her scarf. “My mascara was starting to smear.”

One by one, they removed their blindfolds to discover an immense truck and trailer filled with incredibly rare—and extremely valuable—artifacts. The words “The Pillars of Equestria Tour” were painted on both sides of the trailer.

“Guess who just poached these from Impossibly Rich,” Starlight told them.

“A better event and we’re sticking it to our biggest rival!” Flam exclaimed.

“We are really impressed,” Flim added.

“Thank you, sirs,” Starlight said.

Just then, an unmarked government vehicle pulled up to the hotel. The driver’s door opened and a young man in a sharp black suit and tie stepped out.

“Shining? Shining Armor!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Surprised to see me, Twily?” he asked with a smile.

Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor had started out doing freelance surveillance work for the Equestria Bureau of Investigation’s mob squad. Now, he was a high ranking agent in the Equestria Secret Service.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“The people in charge of the Pillars of Equestria Tour asked me to help escort the artifacts across the country,” he explained. “I was already on my way to the branch office here in town, so I thought I would stop by. I mean, I couldn’t come to Las Pegasus and not see my favorite sister! Hey, how would you like to unload the artifacts?” he asked.

“Really?” Twilight asked. “We get to touch them?”

“I don’t see why not,” Shining said. “Just take good care of them. After all, they’re irreplaceable.”

“Yes. Yes! We’ll be super careful!” Twilight promised.

“Great,” Shining said as he looked at his pager. “I’ve got to get back to the office—got a hot tip that someone plans to hit a bank in the city. I love you.”

He returned to his car as Applejack opened the back of the trailer to reveal numerous items protected by glass cases.

“Somnambula’s blindfold... Commander Hurricane’s armor... Flash Magnus’s shield... Mage Meadowbrook’s mask... Princess Platinum’s crown...” Rarity said as she walked past each one. “It’s so beautiful!”

The girls oohed and ahhed over the items, even Applejack, who found herself staring at a shovel that stood on a thick marble column.

It appeared to be an everyday shovel, but even without closer inspection, she knew who it once belonged to.

“Rockhoof,” she whispered. “Legend says that this shovel diverted a river of lava and saved an entire village,” she informed them.

They all gasped as a large glass display case rose up through an opening in the floor of the trailer. A small portion of the trailer’s back wall spun around to reveal another marble pillar. The glass case slid along the floor and was hoisted by mechanical hands to the top of the pillar. The motor hummed for a minute more as the metal arms retreated back into the metal floor and the wall spun back into place. The girls looked into the heavy glass case and saw a worn, black leather tome on a red velvet pillow.

“No way!” Twilight murmured appreciatively.

Rarity’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“It’s just an old book,” she said.

“‘Just an old book?’” Twilight asked. “That’s Starswirl the Bearded’s journal! He’s my idol!”

Starswirl the Bearded, the legendary wizard, whose books and tomes were over a thousand years old—each worth over five million dollars.

Twilight fell to her hands and knees in reverence.

“I am not worthy!”

Since Starlight posted the artifact show online, reservations had tripled.

“We’re booked solid until Friday,” Coco said.

“I am so back in the penthouse!” Starlight thought.

“High five, girl!” Stellar Flare said.

“I have to hand it to you, Pumpkin -- you pulled it off,” Firelight admitted.

The artifacts had been set up in the ballroom, which did hinder Spike’s dance classes, but he didn’t mind... mostly because he was nowhere to be found.

“Have you seen Spike and Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie asked Rarity. “They are going to flip when they see these.”

“No,” she replied as she rubbed her shoulder (she had pulled a muscle helping carry the artifacts in from the trailer). “But I do know they both missed their morning shift.”

“They’re skipping work together?” Pinkie asked. She gasped. “They’re totally hooking up!”

“Calm down,” Rarity said. “All we know is that they are both M.I.A.”

“And probably off smooching somewhere,” Pinkie added.

Twilight stood in front of the case holding Starswirl the Bearded’s journal. Firelight joined her.

“As a scholar, myself, I would like to study it,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle,” Firelight replied. “But the journal is too fragile. It can’t be exposed to open air or dust of any kind.”

“Applejack, watch the show for me?” Starlight asked. “You’re the best.”

When night fell, Rarity said good night and went straight to her room. She planned to lie awake all night, plotting a way to steal Princess Platinum’s crown. Unfortunately for her, she fell asleep almost immediately. One by one, the girls bid good night as well.

Later, the ballroom door opened and a figure clad in a violet bathrobe shuffled quietly across the floor to one of the glass cases. Carefully, she took a bobby pin from her hair, inserted it into the case, and picked the lock.

“Gently,” she told herself in a whisper.

With a gleeful cry, the thief snatched the artifact out of its case and hurried out of the ballroom.

“AH-OO-GA! AH-OO-GA!”

The burglar alarm blared its warning into every room of the hotel. It was three in the morning, but the whole building was instantly ablaze with light.

Pinkie Pie, still asleep herself, shouted, “You’ll get your coffee! Quit buzzing me!”

“AH-OO-GA! AH-OO-GA!” the siren continued to blare.

“Turn that thing off!” Starlight shouted, covering her ears with her pillow to block out the noise.

Flim and Flam knew what that alarm meant, and it wasn’t good. Clad in their bedroom slippers and bathrobes, they followed the warning signal to the ballroom. The door to it was wide open!

Shards of glass lay strewn over the floor from a shattered display case. And worst of all... the most valuable piece in the whole collection was gone!

“There’s been a robbery!” they both shouted.

A half hour later, Shining Armor stood in the ballroom taking notes.

Several officers from the Las Pegasus Police Department were rolling out yellow caution tape and keeping the guests out of the ballroom, while others were laying out evidence numbers, taking crime scene photos, and questioning the staff.

Spike and several of the girls stood shaken (from the alarm) and bleary-eyed. Pinkie shuffled around the ballroom, passing out mugs of thick black coffee (as well as a cup of cocoa for Spike) and spoons to stir them with. The coffee began to revive everyone and little by little their memories returned.

“That alarm ruined my beauty sleep,” Rarity, clothed in a pink silk robe and pink satin slippers, pouted.

“Can we hurry this up?” Sunset asked as she wrapped her bright red bathrobe around her body more tightly. “I’m getting a draft up my nightie.”

“Starlight, would you care to explain what happened to the book that was on display here?” Firelight asked.

“Starswirl’s journal is gone?!” she exclaimed.

She ran past half a dozen uniformed officers and saw that the glass lid was open and the book was not there.

“It was here when I left,” Starlight said. “I left Applejack in charge, so it’s not my fault.”

“This was your job!” Applejack shouted. “I left them because I had to pee.”

“Well, at least the artifacts are insured,” Rarity said. “You did buy insurance when you booked the show, right?” she asked Starlight.

“No one told me I had to do that!” she sobbed.

“If you can all stop blaming each other for one minute,” Spike interjected, “I think I have a pretty good idea where the journal is.”

“You do?!” everyone asked.

“Notice anyone missing?” Spike asked. “Follow me,” he said casually.

He led them up to a room on the third floor. He told Rainbow Dash to use her master key to unlock the door, and when it wouldn’t open, Shining Armor kicked it in.

“There you are!”

Minutes later, Twilight Sparkle stood in the Flimflam Brothers’ office. The Brothers and Shining Armor shared expressions of heavy disappointment.

“Twilight, why did you steal the journal?” Shining asked.

“I really wanted to read it,” she replied.

“Was it worth it?” Discord asked.

“I read the writings of one of the greatest heroes ever known,” she said. “Today was the best day of my life.”

“Step outside, please,” Flim said.

She closed the door behind herself.

Discord and the Brothers watched Shining Armor as he pace the floor. They were all very disconcerted, especially Starlight, who believed that Twilight had ruined her chance of getting out of her job and back into her penthouse.

“Well, what is everyone thinking?” Shining Armor began.

“Well, are we upset about what Miss Sparkle did?” Flim asked. “Yes.”

“Have we thought about ways of punishing her for the theft besides sending her to jail?” Flam added. “Yes.”

“Did one of us go online and look up poisons that can’t be detected in an autopsy?” Starlight put in.

They all stared at her.

“Who wouldn’t?” she quickly tacked on.

“We could just force feed her Chef le Grand’s meatloaf,” Pinkie suggested. “Or Sugar Belle’s worst batch of bran muffins.”

“But despite what happened, she is still one of our most valuable employees,” Discord said. “Logically, that fact has not changed.”

“What do you think?” Shining Armor directed at Spike.

Spike blinked, surprised that Twilight’s own brother wanted to know where he stood.

“Why are you asking me?”

“You’re the one who solved this mystery,” Shining said. “I think you should have a say in this.”

The Brothers agreed with him, and so did Discord and the girls.

“Well, I’m not thrilled about what happened, either,” Spike told them. “So here’s what I’m thinking: you obviously don’t want to throw her out, and she obviously won’t quit... So, why don’t I knock her down a few pegs?”

The Brothers, Discord, and Shining Armor all looked intrigued.

“Bring Twilight back in,” Spike said to Discord.

Discord did so.

“I challenge you to a game of Blackjack,” Spike said.

“The stakes?” Twilight asked.

“Twenty million dollars against your title as the Princess of Friendship,” Spike stated. “If you win, I pay you the money and you don’t go to jail. But if you lose, then you will be relegated to the lowest level of the resort’s hierarchy. The janitors will have more authority than you. Well what do you say, Sparkle?”

Twilight thought he was insane, but she said, “I accept your terms.”

“It’s an honor to play against you, O Soon-To-Be-Former Princess of Friendship,” he sardonically replied.

It was an hour before dawn when Spike, Shining Armor, Discord, the Flimflam Brothers, the girls, and several of the guests gathered in the main casino.

Spike ordered a drink as he adjusted his white gloves.

“Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred,” he said to Soarin.

Twilight broke open six new decks of playing cards and inserted them all into the dealing shoe.

She dealt Spike his first two cards—the Eight of Spades and the Eight of Diamonds—sixteen, and she showed the Five of Diamonds. He split the eights, and got the Jack of Hearts on the first one and the Ten of Diamonds on the second, and stayed. Twilight’s second card was the King of Clubs, for fifteen, and she busted with the Nine of Diamonds.

The second hand came out and he won with the Jack of Spades and the Ace of Spades—Blackjack—against her Queen of Hearts and Jack of Clubs.

“I’ve seen this before,” Fancy Pants whispered to Fleur. “Twilight’s aggressively controlling the game now.”

Twilight hit twice on thirteen—the Six of Clubs and the Seven of Spades—and got the Three of Hearts and the Three of Clubs for nineteen. Spike hit on fifteen—the Ten of Spades and the Five of Spades—and got the Five of Hearts for a twenty. She hit on eight—the Six of Spades and a Two of Diamonds—and got the Ten of Hearts, for eighteen. Spike got the Ten of Diamonds and the Nine of Clubs—Nineteen.

“I’ve got this game in the bag,” she thought. “Because of all the six decks that make up this shoe, I already know where half of them are.”

Aside from the pattern on the back, at a glance, the cards Twilight played with were indistinguishable from any other deck. But hers were a special kind she had specially made for her own personal use. There was one more thing that set them apart from the others: above a certain temperature, the pattern stood out. And for about two minutes, until the cards cooled down, the pattern was visible. It was a teeny change that vanished so no one would catch on. And after she cut the deck, she remembered what card was where. So there was no way she could ever lose... except against another card counter. That was the whole reason Twilight played cards: to raise the level of difficulty and protect against lucky plays. As long as she knew each card, she was guaranteed to win, whether it was Poker or Old Maid.

The cards came out and Spike drew a solid twenty against Twilight’s eight. He stood, won, and adjusted his count, analyzing the depth of the shoe, calculating his index and his bet without even blinking.

“By the way, Sparkle, I was wondering how high the total market value of this resort must be,” Spike said. “A hundred billion... no, maybe closer to a trillion... But this game is only worth $20 million. It hardly seems worth it.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked.

The white of Spike’s eyes started to darken.

“A word of advice: if you’re going to agree to put your very reputation on the line, you should insure that you’re sufficiently prepared,”

“What the Tartarus is he talking about? Is he threatening me? My reputation?” she thought. She gasped. “No! There’s no way he’s... He’s seen through my trick! If I were to be exposed for using trick decks, then... that scandal would run this place into the ground!”

Twilight started to think that Spike was a private investigator. If so, she was in bigger trouble than she thought; those guys worked for many casinos and they shared information on suspected cheaters and counters with pit bosses up and down the Strip.

Spike smiled at her.

“And almost everyone in this room has been helping you cheat,” he said. “Isn’t that right?”

Twilight gasped again.

As Spike looked around the room, he recognized the divisions of labor of a card counting team—and each team had three types of players: Spotters, Gorillas, and Big Players.

Everyone who joined a card counting team started off as a Spotter. The Spotters’ job was to find good tables with hot decks, then call in either a Gorilla or a Big Player. On most Blackjack teams, Spotters did that by back counting. They either stood around the casino, looking over players’ shoulders, counting the cards as they came out of the deck. Or they sat right at the tables, playing the minimum bet as they counted. They lost a bit, maybe got lucky—but they never varied their bets. When the count was good, the Spotter signaled a call-in. Then the Gorilla or the Big Player would sidle over, and the real game began.

Gorilla play was the next step after Spotting. Gorillas were just big, brain-dead betters—more like actors than anything else. They got called into a hot deck, stumbled over like drunken rich kids, and started throwing down big money. The Gorillas didn’t think for themselves—they let the Spotters tell them when the deck was about to go bad. But depending on how high the count was when they were signaled in their percentage advantage could be staggering. They didn’t count, they just bet and bet and waited for the Spotter to signal them that the run of good cards was over. Then they got up and wandered off in search of the next call-in.

Big Players did it all: they acted, counted, and betted at the same time, tracking the shuffle and cutting to aces. It was the toughest role but also the most important. They carried the money, got themselves known by the casino personnel, got called in by Spotters, but then they took over the play. They could do things the Gorillas couldn’t, like raising the bet as the deck got better—but they had to do it with style so that the casino didn’t nail them.

But at that moment, Spike wasn’t dealing with any Gorillas, just one Big Player (Twilight) and Faust knew how many Spotters.

“Judging by the way most of you reacted just now I wouldn’t accuse all of you, but... maybe around ten,” Spike went on, “to assure your position as the resort’s top dealer, maybe 20 or so.”

His anger was rising.

“Just how much does he know?” Twilight thought. “Did he spot the disappearing patterns? No, it’s all just a bluff! It has to be! No! No, no!”

Spike played perfectly for the rest of the six-deck shoe, including three blackjacks in a row—a Jack of Diamonds with an Ace of Clubs, a Queen and an Ace of Spades, and a Jack of Clubs with an Ace of Hearts.

“If you had been a little more careful, I would have lost,” he told her. “The patterns on the back are all the exact same, aren’t they? If you had used different decks that showed different patterns, I would have been unable to win... too bad.”

Twilight swallowed—her throat dry.

“He-he memorized them all?” she thought. “In that short amount of time, he memorized all of my patterns? If that’s true, then he must’ve been aware of them since the beginning! He just pretended not to notice and kept playing! How did this happen? How did I lose? Who-who the Tartarus is this guy?”

“Thanks. This game was really fun,” Spike said, rising from his stool. “Let’s move on to another one. What shall we play? Poker? Or how about baccarat?”

“N-No, I-I’m good,”

Spike glared down at her. Then he took it a sadistic step further.

“Ooh? Are you really in a position to decline me?” he snarled. “Oh, the shame you must feel after such a staggering defeat in this treacherous game that you worked so hard to rig with such confidence. Will you ever be able to redeem yourself? Let’s play! All you have to do is nod your head!! Now!!! COME ON!!!! COME ON!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!”

Twilight fell to the floor and rubbed tears from her eyes.

“I-I can’t do it!” she bawled. “It’s just impossible! Forgive me! Please...”

The red from Spike’s eyes quickly faded and he recoiled at her sobs.

“Huh?”

“Forgive me, please...” she wept.

Applejack squeezed his shoulder.

“Spike, stop!” she said. “Can’t you see she’s pleading?”

“I--I...I’m sorry. I don’t know what--!”

Spike turned and fled to the elevator bank and everyone from the guests to the employees all shared frightened looks, everything from concerned to scared, to worried and afraid.

Spike splashed cold water on his face as dawn broke over Las Pegasus.

He had returned to his suite and tried to wash his hands clean. But no matter how many times he did, he felt that he would never be able to shake off what just happened. He looked in the mirror and saw one man and two women standing in the doorway behind him. He turned around to face them.

“Sunset, Applejack, Shining Armor, I--”

“What in Faust’s name did you think you were doing?” Applejack asked.

“I... don’t know,” he said softly.

“Spike, you didn’t just fly off the handle back there,” Sunset told him. “It was like you were a whole other person.”

Spike didn’t answer.

Shining Armor stepped forward and placed a hand on Spike’s shoulder.

“How did you know that Twily was rigging the game?” he asked.

“Shining, it’s obvious that she’s been manipulating people to keep herself at the top of the heap. All I had to do was figure out whom,”

“But how did you do that?” Applejack asked.

“Let me tell you something about card counters: they don’t alter any of the rules of the game, nor do they mess with the nature of the game,” Spike said. “But, for the moment, let’s just assume that there are no less than 20 people in league with Twilight. Unless they manipulated which way the shoe was going to go, it wouldn’t really be cheating. Even if Twilight hadn’t fixed the cards with a pattern, it wouldn’t have been too hard for her to calculate any winning hands ahead of time. Therefore, I could only deduce that she was playing on a hand-by-hand basis. But if that’s the case, then how did she decide when to hit or stand? I was watching her behavior very closely right up until the end, but I never saw her make any kind of signal. For a moment, I thought about an audio cue. But I didn’t hear her prompt anyone, either. So, that left only one possibility: someone was signaling in her place. That meant it had to have been someone specific, someone who would draw everybody’s attention. I kept watching the crowd, and that’s when it hit me. I figured all eyes would be on me because I was one of the players. But no, that’s where I went wrong. Their eyes weren’t on me, or Twilight; they were locked on the person who was standing right behind me.”

“So, you figured me out too?” asked Sunset.

“The rest was easy. I just had to discern your signals from what you did. The glass my martini came in was extra shiny... and reflective,” he said. “I should tell Soarin to keep up the good work.”

“That’s incredible,” Applejack breathed. “Would you explain one more thing? How were you able to draw the cards you needed to win? The odds were clearly stacked against you.”

“Oh, that was just pure luck of the draw,” he said simply.

“You’re kidding,” Shining Armor said. “You’re telling me that you risked twenty million dollars just to uncover Twilight’s cheating? And you bet it on a hunch? If you hadn’t said anything about her con, you could have saddled her with a little debt to you at the worst. But you were guaranteed to win. So you went out of your way to expose her because you relish taking risks?”

“Oh, please, even I don’t take risks just for risk’s sake,” Spike admitted. “I can’t stand contests where I’m guaranteed to lose, because that’s not true gambling... But having too much of an advantage is boring.”

“You really are something else,” Applejack said finally.

She and Sunset started to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Spike asked them.

“We’re leaving this place,” Sunset said. “We’re drowning in debt. We both owe the Brothers five million dollars, and when we tried to pay it off by gambling, it only got worse. It’s scarier than drowning because you never really die, and I’m exhausted. If I was even half as good as you, things might’ve been different.”

She turned around again and took Spike’s hand in hers.

“Spike, I’m really sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

Spike smiled at her.

“I never really did thank you, did I?”

He dipped his free into his pocket and pulled out several stacks of hundred dollar bills.

“Here,”

“No! Spike, I helped Twilight cheat! I can’t take this!” Sunset protested.

“Please, consider this a token of my gratitude,” he told her. “Use it to pay off your debt to Flim and Flam. I got to expose a cheater to the world today and have fun doing it, so thank you.”

There was no malice in his words. No resentment, no pity; only honesty.

That’s when Shining Armor, Sunset and Applejack finally realized that Spike was not normal. What he was, what he had, was some small bit of authentic probability manipulation power wrapped up in a charismatic body.

Spike was a statistics manipulator; a human good luck magnet—a living lucky charm.

And Twilight Sparkle’s luck seemed to be running out...

Next time: After a guest tries to pick up Rarity, Spike vows to strike a savage blow by beating the player at his own games (plural)! Meanwhile, Starlight, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash “borrow” dresses from a guest’s room, and Applejack misinterprets a comment from Spike, thinking they’re going on a date.

Spike sat across from Applejack and Sunset Shimmer as they sipped cocoa in the Sweet Snacks Café the following morning. Sunset’s mind strayed to the money he had given her, which lay on the table in front of them.

“I guess I owe you even more, huh?” she asked.

“Why?” Spike replied.

“Well, first trusting me with your allergy shot and now this,” she said, looking at the stack of cash. “I can’t pay you back right now, but I promise I will.”

“That was a gift,” he told her. “Don’t give it another thought.”

Sunset and Applejack smiled at Spike as several people walked into the Café, saw him, and then walked right back out. Ever since Spike had made Twilight cry, the guests (and even several of the other employees) were giving him a wide berth. Spike knew that he would have to find a way to make it up to them. Whatever it was, it would have to be something big, and he would have to do it fast... before the Resort started losing customers.

As for Twilight, she had been relegated to the lowest level of the casino’s hierarchy after her loss to Spike. After falling so far, it was going to be impossible for her to climb back up. That day, she had been forced to dress as a showgirl and prance around like a circus pony. She walked by the Café wearing a skimpy outfit, complete with a feathered headdress and matching tail feathers.

“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Spike apologized to her.

“Shut up!” she shouted. “This happened because of you!”

“No, this happened because you’re a cheatin’ snake,” Applejack replied.

Twilight stormed into one of the elevators and punched the button for the 31st floor. She was going to give the Flimflam Brothers a piece of her mind!

Flim and Flam were looking out their giant window, overlooking the Strip, when Twilight marched into their office. Spike and Applejack had followed her up.

“I see,” said Flim. “So, you’re saying that since you’re just a dealer, you should only be doing the work of a dealer?”

“Is that what you’re telling us, Miss Sparkle?” Flam asked.

“Yes, that’s correct, Sirs,” Twilight replied.

“Well, that’s perfect then!” Flim said.

“Is it?” Twilight asked.

“Really?” Spike and Applejack added.

“Come in!” Flim shouted to the door behind them.

The doors opened and the Resort’s new favorite/top Bunny Girl entered.

“Fluttershy?” Spike and Twilight asked.

“Fluttershy has a lot of potential, but she’s still rough around the edges,” Flim began. “We want you to take her under your wing, polish her up, and make her shine like a diamond!”

“You want me to train new recruits?” Twilight asked.

“That’s right,” Flam replied.

Twilight seemed hesitant about the idea.

“What’s the matter?” Flam asked. “Didn’t you say that you would rather stick to dealers’ work? Training new dealers fits that description, does it not?”

“Well, I guess you’re not wrong,” Twilight replied.

Flim grabbed a rolled up poster that had been sitting on his desk.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, “Cherry Blossom is having her grand debut at the MGM arena next month and I see our star cellist opposite her in the ring.”

He unrolled the poster to reveal a picture of Octavia Melody, one of the Resort’s musicians, dressed in a suggestive purple bikini in an advertisement for several sporting events, including Foxy Boxing.

“‘Mud, Oil, AND Jello Wrestling’?” Spike read the captions out loud.

“It’s what’s in now,” Flim explained.

“Octavia doesn’t strike me as the fighting type,” Spike commented.

“You haven’t seen her get into a catfight with Vinyl,” Applejack told him.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to train a new recruit,” Spike said to the Brothers.

“Very well,” Flim replied. “We’ll leave Fluttershy in your care.”

“You’re all dismissed,” Flam added.

Spike and Applejack left with Fluttershy as Twilight stood dumbfounded at what just happened.

“Why is this happening to me?” she thought. “Why to me? How did I fall so far? How did it come to this? What did I do? Why me? Why?”

Spike escorted Fluttershy to the High Rollers’ Lounge, which was empty, so she could show him her card skills.

“I am so excited to be out of the Café right now, you have no idea,” she said.

Spike did have an idea. In fact, he knew exactly what she was implying.

She was thinking about the Paradises’ out of control kids.

The junior staff had been plagued by them since the day they started work.

Yesterday alone they had made a baking soda and vinegar volcano in X Sushi, which covered the entire restaurant in bits of crab meat and other raw fish; made Starlight Glimmer drop her serving tray in the Café, pantsed Discord in the center of the lobby, crashed the Flimflam Brothers’ personal golf cart into a row of slot machines in the casino, which caused said machines to topple over like dominoes; used Zephyr Breeze as a piñata, ran a luggage cart full of suitcases into one of the outdoor swimming pools, and rigged the computer at the front desk to short circuit and blow up. And when Fluttershy went to their parents to suggest that they “keep a closer eye on them,” they just brushed her off saying, “They’re just boys being boys.” But it didn’t stop there. Chef le Grand personally came out of the kitchen after the waitresses relayed one too many complaints.

“Is everything to your satisfaction?” he asked.

“I don’t like the fries!” one of the boys stated.

“They’re awful!” added the other.

“Why are they ‘awful’?” Chef asked.

“They’re the wrong shape!” they complained.

“They get everything cooked the way they like it at home,” Mrs. Paradise told the Chef.

“Oh, do they now?” Chef retorted.

“Yes, and it’s better than this garbage!” one of them commented.

“These eggs look like you laid them!” the other added.

“They’re rather highly strung,” Mr. Paradise said.

“Yes, they should be,” Chef replied.

“They’re the wrong shape!” they complained again.

“Well, what shape do you usually have?” Chef inquired. “Wilhelm Wombat shape, unidentified flying object shape, smart-mouth shape, poke-in-the-eye shape?”

It escalated until the twins finally threw their food to the floor and called Chef le Grand stupid! It took the combined strength of Starlight, Pinkie and Sugar Belle to haul the Chef back through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, Chef,” Starlight told him. “Those brats will rue the day they came to Las Pegasus!”

“Is it wrong to say that you hate someone if they’re only eight years old?” Fluttershy asked Spike as he closed the doors behind them.

“Well, Applejack caught them peeing in all four of the swimming pools yesterday, so I’m going to say no,” he replied.

“Have you even met the parents? They actually think that we like babysitting their little monsters all day!”

“I hear ya. But we’re here now, so how about we run a quick exercise and you can show me what you’ve got?”

Fluttershy shuffled and reshuffled a deck of cards while Spike watched her. She started with a simple overhand shuffle, one of the easiest to accomplish after a little practice, gradually transferring the deck from one hand to the other. Then she smiled as she did a riffle before fanning the cards out on the table in front of her and flipped them over in one swift motion.

“Wow. I don’t think I have anything else I can teach you,” he told her.

“No!” Fluttershy yelped. “I still have a lot I need to work on!”

“Well, you passed on your shuffling skills,” Spike replied. “Now, I’ll show you how to work the Roulette.”

Spike and Fluttershy joined Sunset, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash at the bar in the casino. Spike ordered a Coke and rum while Fluttershy picked up her serving tray and prepared to bus drinks around the room.

Spike downed his drink and walked across the casino straight to the table with the platinum Roulette wheel. There was only a sprinkling of gamblers at it, playing small. Fancy Pants was one of them, and he smiled as Spike took his place behind the wheel.

An elderly balding man with dead eyes asked, “What’s the maximum here?”

“Five thousand,” Spike replied with a smile. “Let’s get started. I wish you all the best of luck.”

He picked up the wheel’s matching platinum ball as he noticed a young man with sandy-colored hair and wearing a sharkskin gray suit and glasses standing across the table. He held a stack of black casino chips in his right hand and a ring box in his left hand.

“What’s up with him?” Dash asked.

“Poor guy,” Sunset said, “looks like he’s too scared to propose to his girlfriend, so I guess he’s thinking about betting the engagement ring.”

“Betting the ring?” Fluttershy asked.

“Would you like to place a bet, sir?” Spike asked. “It’s your turn.”

“Oh, um, I can’t seem to make up my mind,” he stuttered. “It’s actually really important.”

“Oh, I see,” Spike smiled again. “Well, aren’t you the lucky one. It’s all riding on you, then.”

“Did he just talk to the ball?” Dash asked.

“Yup,” Sunset confirmed.

“Eeyup,” Applejack said.

“Eeyup!” Pinkie repeated.

“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy added.

Spike blew on the Roulette ball and whispered to it, “Make our friend’s wish come true,” then he let it go.

There was a buzz of conversation around the table and several more people drifted up and stood watching. Spike felt their curious eyes upon him, but he only looked across the table into the eyes of the pit boss—Sassy Saddles. They were as friendly as they were intrepid. He smiled at her as the Roulette wheel whirred and the little ball set off on its journey.

“Excuse me, sir,” Spike said to the indecisive young man. “I don’t mean to be rude, but if you’re having trouble choosing a number, might I suggest that when looking at the table, you picture your loved one. If you trust your feelings, then I’m sure they’ll lead you to victory.”

The young man nodded and placed his stack of chips on Red 23.

Spike hardly looked at the wheel as it slowed down and the little platinum ball rattled into its slot.

“And the winner is Red 23!” he announced.

A pretty young woman with brown eyes and a brunette Pixie cut approached the Roulette table.

“What about 23?” she asked. “My birthday’s on the twenty-third. Sorry I made you wait so long.”

The young man wrapped his arms around her, kissed her on the cheek, and asked, “Comet, will you marry me?”

“Can we afford that?” she replied.

Spike raked in a few losing counters and casino chips and tossed some money down the table to the winners, before pushing 20 stacks of black chips (each worth $100), ten high, towards the young couple.

“I guess we can,” she said. “I do!”

“Yes, thank you!” he cried.

Fancy Pants, and everyone else around the table, clapped and Spike said, “Congratulations, you two.”

“It’s all thanks to you,” the young man replied. “Thank you for the advice.”

“Come again,” Spike told them.

Applejack, Sunset, Pinkie and Fluttershy smiled while Rainbow Dash stared, almost dumbfounded.

“What just happened?” Dash asked.

“Spike breathing on the ball must have inspired it to grant that guy’s wish,” Sunset said. “I guess he really is a living good luck charm.”

“Nice one, Spike,” Applejack added.

While this was happening, a suave, flirtatious young singer with brown hair, skin the color of light gold, and dressed in black slacks and a black vest with gold accents, checked in at the front desk with three lovely ladies in tow. One of them was a blue-eyed blonde dressed in green, one was a brunette with violet eyes and clad in red, and the third girl wore blue and had pale blue eyes and hair.

“Ah, summer in Las Pegasus. There’s nothing like it in the world,” the singer said. “Wouldn’t you agree, my beloved Dear Darling?” he asked the blonde.

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re so amazing!” she exclaimed.

“I knew you’d say that, sweetheart,” he replied. “It’s basic science and logic. There’s a purpose to everything and nothing in this world is coincidence, just as it was no coincidence that my path crossed with my lovely fan girls... It was fated!”

“You’re the best, Feather Bangs!” the three women cried.

“Now then, there’s no time to lose,” he said. “Can you feel Destiny calling us, babe?”

They entered the casino and approached a group of men in suits surrounding one of the Craps tables.

“Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven!” they chanted.

“Not very stylish to have such an unbecoming scowl on your face while you play,” Feather Bangs said as he grabbed the wrist of man who was about to throw. “Cast the dice like you’d cast a bottled love note out to sea. Like this.”

Feather Bangs let the man’s wrist go and sure enough, he rolled seven.

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re so amazing!” his fan girls cried.

“What can I say? The numbers on my side,”

Then he approached a woman sitting at a slot machine.

“Today is not my day,” she said.

“May I offer the lovely lady a little luck?” he asked.

She giggled as he inserted a coin into the machine and she hit the jackpot.

“I’m sensing a low Engel coefficient, so eat, drink and be merry!” he stated.

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re way too kind!” his groupies sighed.

Sunset, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash approached the platinum Roulette wheel.

“Check out Mr. Smooth,” Spike whispered to them as Feather Bangs stepped up to one of the billiard tables.

He picked up a cue stick and sent three balls into different pockets on the same shot.

“Find the coefficient of friction and factor in momentum, trace the angle of incident against the perpendicular plane,” he told them. “My equations are perfect, like me.”

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re so cool!”

“Time to stop showing off and get to work,” he thought. “Where are you?”

He heard a loud crash of glass and saw that Fluttershy had dropped her serving tray.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said as he bent down to help her. “I can clean this up, please don’t worry about it!”

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re so thoughtful!” his groupies cried.

“It’s fine,” he told Fluttershy. “I aim to please.” He winced as he cut a finger on one of the shards of broken glass. “Don’t you worry a single precious hair on your head; the wounds of love cut deep, but I would gladly suffer pain a thousand times greater if it meant keeping you out of harm’s way.”

“There! Good as new!” Fluttershy said.

Feather Bangs looked down at his hand and saw that she had wrapped the end of his middle finger with a Band-Aid. She apologized again and he thanked her for the bandage. That’s when he saw Rarity out of the corner of his eye, dealing at one of the Blackjack tables.

“There she is!” he thought with a smile.

“Ahem,” Feather Bangs cleared his throat as he strut up to the table. “Is this seat taken?”

“It is now,” Rarity replied. “Welcome, sir.”

“My name is Feather Bangs,” he introduced himself with a swish of his hair. “My two great loves are numbers and women.”

“Feather Bangs, you’re fantastic!” said Swoon Song.

“Your boyfriend is a pretty lucky guy,” he said to Rarity. “It’s not every day I meet a woman with such a warm and inviting personality. Now, give me a card and let’s go.”

Rarity smiled.

“Every girl I meet falls in love with me. It’s inevitable!” he went on. “You feel the same, don’t you?”

“I’m flattered, but--”

“It breaks my heart, but I have no choice,” He took her hands in his. “I could feel the hands of Fate pulling us together!”

“Ugh, he did not just say that!” Spike said. “He’s so cheesy I need crackers just to listen to him!”

“And why does everything he’s saying sound so familiar?” Sunset asked.

“‘Cause he’s using lines straight from that old movie ‘Rainbow Gate’,” Dash said. “What a doofus!”

“As my sister Maud’s boyfriend, Mud Briar, would say, ‘Technically, it wasn’t a movie, it was a TV show,’” Pinkie added.

“Okay, he can’t get away with using unoriginal lines to hit on Rarity,” Spike said. “That’s beyond wrong!

“It’s like trying to pass off a knockoff outfit as a designer,” Sunset told him. “Rarity hates it when people do that.”

“He is so going down!” Spike swore.

“Hey, we all down for movie night in the theater tonight?” Pinkie asked. “Cheese Sandwich has the whole collection of ‘One Thousand and One Movies You Must See Before You Die.’”

“Really?” Dash asked. “That’s awesome.”

“Does he take requests?” Spike inquired.

Pinkie nodded.

“In that case, I’ll definitely be there,” he said.

Later in the day, Fluttershy and Starlight Glimmer joined Rainbow Dash in Room 520 while she was cleaning it.

Starlight was going through the closet, which was full of the most beautiful gowns and dresses she had ever seen.

“Okay, whoever this woman is, she has seriously good taste,” she said. “We should borrow some to wear to the movies tonight! Let’s try some on!”

We can’t do that!” Fluttershy exclaimed.

“Why not?” Dash asked. “She’ll never know.”

“And there might be cute guys there,” Starlight added.

“What if she notices they’re gone?” Fluttershy asked.

“She has 27 dresses,” Starlight counted them.

“We’ll have them back before she even notices,” Rainbow Dash added as she pulled a yellow dress over her head. “Uh, guys, I think I’m stuck.”

“Ooh, this one would look so pretty on you!” Starlight said to Fluttershy as she held up a strapless green number.

“Oh, don’t tempt me!” Fluttershy said. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Guys, I’m serious, okay? I am stuck in here!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Applejack (in her lifeguard uniform) knocked on the door to the room. She was on her way down to the outside pools when one of the people that had been on the elevator with her passed gas. She stepped out with another one of the guests, and when she breathed in the fresh air, she heard the sounds of female laughter coming from one of the suites.

Female laughter that sounded a little too familiar.

“Shh, shh! Someone’s at the door!” Fluttershy whispered.

“Get it off! Get it off me!” Dash told them.

The door to the suite opened.

“Can I help you?” Dash answered.

“What’s going on?” Applejack asked. “I heard a ruckus.”

“A ruckus?” Dash repeated. “I don’t know anything about a ruckus.”

Applejack heard the sounds of girls giggling behind Rainbow Dash.

“Is someone else in there?” she asked.

“No, it’s the TV,” Dash said, which wasn’t entirely false. “The guests must’ve left it on.”

“Tourists,” Applejack said with a roll of her eyes.

She started to walk back toward the elevator, and then turned around again. She pointed to her eyes using the backward V-Sign. Then she pointed those fingers at Rainbow Dash. The universal sign for, “I’m watching you.”

She did it three more times before she walked away again.

“Okay, I really have to go,” Fluttershy told them after Applejack had left.

“You’re sure about the dress?” Starlight asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “You two are so bad!”

Spike stretched out on a chaise by the larger outdoor swimming pool, his biceps bulging as his hands were behind his head, his eyes shielded by wraparound sunglasses, as he waited for his mother to join him.

He saw Sunset sunning herself on a chaise next to Applejack’s lifeguard tower. She was wearing a sarong over the bottoms of her black bikini. Luckily for Celestia (who stepped out of the women’s changing room), they were also wearing dark sunglasses because she was wearing nothing at all. Celestia quickly ducked back into the dressing room and stepped back out again, wearing a skimpy, virgin white, barely-there, pretzel bikini.

Spike glanced across the pool at the postcard-perfect picture before him, and a tall beauty whose bronze skin complimented her sun-kissed hair. Then he glanced back at his mother, who reclined on the chaise next to his.

With curves in all the right places, Celestia was very much like a goddess. Spike’s eyes focused on her beautiful, perfect breasts; long, luscious legs; and amazing ass. He could clearly see the outline of her nipples beneath her swimsuit and his mind soared with thoughts about what else lay beneath.

Then he asked himself how he could be thinking about her like that. Sure, they weren’t related by blood, but she had raised him as her own after his mother died and he loved her for that.

“Spike,” Celestia’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “I can’t help noticing you’re taking more of an interest in the fairer gender lately. There’s something I would like to say about that. There comes a time in every young man’s life when he enters a garden of beautiful flowers. And he wants to enter that garden with the knowledge to let the flowers bloom...”

“Mom, if this is about sex, you can save yourself the embarrassment. I already know,” he told her.

“You do?”

“The Sex Ed course at your school is very thorough,” he replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see a young lady who needs help putting on suntan lotion.”

He stood up and walked the few feet to Sunset just as she untied her sarong and turned over to lie on her stomach. She rested her chin on her hands as Spike sat down beside her.

“Need a hand?” he offered.

Sunset nodded with a smile as Spike picked up the bottle of tanning oil and started rubbing some over her shoulders.

“So, guess what Cheese Sandwich is screening tonight at the theater,” he said as his hands worked their way down her back, “the first three episodes of ‘Rainbow Gate.’”

“You asked him to show it?” Sunset asked.

“More like bribed,” Spike replied. “I promised I’d wash his bus next week.”

“You know, you’ve been kind of obsessed with getting back at Feather Bangs since he hit on Rarity,” Sunset commented as she took off her sunglasses. “What do you care who she dates?” She gasped. “You like her! And you’re jealous of Feather Bangs!”

“I am not!” Spike protested.

“You want to kiss her! Admit it!”

“I’d rather kiss Twilight!”

“You’re washing a bus for her?” Applejack asked.

“No, I am doing this for the betterment of mankind and because women shouldn’t have to put up with cheesiness from guys, especially in the form of stolen lines!”

“Yeah, you definitely like her,” Sunset commented.

“Excusez-moi,” a new voice interrupted.

Spike’s head whipped around and he saw Fleur standing next to him, holding a white towel in one hand and a bottle of sunscreen in the other. Her French bikini barely covered her sensual figure.

“Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, Monsieur Drake,” she said as she took the chaise next to Sunset’s.

“Feel free to call me Spike,” he told her.

“Well, thank you for waiting, Spike,” she replied.

Fleur lay on her stomach after she handed Spike her SPF 100. She really didn’t want to get burned. Spike didn’t blame her.

She lifted her hands to her back, untied the knot in her top, and the strings dropped to her sides. Then she released the knot at her neck as well, and pulled her bikini top out from under her. She dropped it on the ground right at Spike’s feet and rested her chin on her hands.

Spike couldn’t believe it when Fleur reached down to the knots in the waistband of her bottoms and tugged them before dropping them at his feet too. She let out an airy sigh as Spike’s fingers touched her soft, smooth skin. He started at her shoulders, and then slowly worked his way down.

“So, will I see you at the theater tonight?” he asked her as he rubbed more lotion onto her back.

“Actually, I thought that you would join me in my suite,” she replied. “I could cook dinner, maybe share a bottle of wine?”

“That sounds like a roadmap whose destination is the boudoir,” he said as he moved his hands over her thighs so that they just barely brushed her posterior.

“But if a night out is what you want, then I would love to accompany you,” Fleur said. “I hope you’re taking notes,” she told Sunset. “Learn a little something about how to treat your man.”

Sunset went red in the cheeks, Applejack’s whole face went red as steam started to come out of her ears, and Fluttershy (who had been bussing drinks by the pool) saw the whole thing. She dipped her hand down the front of her uniform, pulled out her cell phone, and speed-dialed Starlight.

“I changed my mind,” she said. “I need that green dress for tonight!”

Just when Spike thought his situation couldn’t get any hotter, Chrysalis showed up. She towered over him in a royal blue sling bikini as he squeezed more sunscreen onto his hands.

“Would you mind rubbing some oil into my back?” she asked sweetly. “I won’t bite... unless you want me to,” she added in a whisper.

Her swimsuit slipped from her figure before she laid out her towel and lay down upon it, resting her head on her arms.

Spike positioned himself on top of Chrysalis so that he was straddling her thighs and she purred as he rubbed her bronze shoulders and caught a glimpse of the sides of her breasts on either side of her body, pressed under her weight. Chrysalis felt Spike getting hard and she clenched around his erection like it was a hotdog, sandwiching him between her buns.

Suddenly, Chrysalis unclenched as she, Spike, Fleur, Celestia, Sunset, Applejack and Fluttershy heard music coming from the other side of the pool. They saw Feather Bangs, fully clothed, following Rarity. He was trying to charm her by playing guitar and singing “She Loves Me.”

He followed her around the pool, singing and playing all the way, until they walked up the steps to the high dive, and Rarity pushed Feather Bangs off the diving board and into the pool.

“Well, there’s something you don’t see every day,” Spike told Applejack after she’d helped Feather Bangs out of the pool. “You’re coming to the theater tonight, right?”

“Uh, y-yeah, yeah,” she replied.

“Great, see you then,”

And then he left.

Applejack turned to Sunset and asked, “Um, did he just ask me on a date?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” she replied.

“I think he just asked me on a date!” Applejack said.

Sunset wrapped her sarong around her waist as she got up and thought, “Oh, man, this could be a weird night.”

Only about 20 people (including Spike, Fleur, Applejack, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Starlight) were at the theater that evening. Even Feather Bangs showed up... with Rarity on his arm.

Cheese Sandwich was selling tickets at the box office while Soarin and Zephyr Breeze worked the concession stand and a young woman with moderate azure eyes, pale olive skin, strong cerulean hair with arctic blue highlights, and tiny glasses ushered people into the theater. According to the usher’s nametag, her name was Juniper Montage.

Spike had chosen to go casual, in dark navy Wranglers and a black T-shirt, as did Fleur (except her shirt was pink and her jeans were tight enough that they cupped her heart-shaped derrière). Applejack and Sunset were also dressed in jeans and T-shirts (red and orange respectively), Pinkie was decked out in a hot pink tank top and miniskirt (no surprise there), Rainbow Dash wore a yellow dress with spaghetti straps, Fluttershy wore a strapless green ensemble, and Starlight was wearing a pale, low-cut heliotrope number that was extra short in the skirt.

“Hey, did anyone see what’s playing?” Spike asked.

“Oh, yeah, tonight’s showing is the first three episodes of the short-lived, early-2011 series ‘Rainbow Gate’!” Cheese Sandwich announced.

Feather Bangs’ eyes went wide for a moment.

Then he said, “Hey, Rarity, we can’t really talk at a movie. So, why don’t we go get some frozen yogurt or something?”

“What? You can’t just walk away from ‘Rainbow Gate’,” Spike said. “You are really going to love it,” he told Rarity. “Enjoy.”

He returned to Fleur, who was looking at Starlight.

“Is something wrong, Cherie?” he asked her.

“I have that dress,” she said. “I thought it was a one-off.”

“I know. Don’t you hate it when that happens?” Starlight chuckled. “Hey, why don’t you guys go in, save us some seats, and we’ll get the refreshments after we, uh... powder our noses?”

“It looks really crowded,” Feather Bangs replied. “We probably won’t even get in.”

“No, I really want to see this,” Rarity said. “Please? It looks really good.”

She batted her eyelashes at him and made a cute little face that he couldn’t say no to, while Starlight pushed Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy into the ladies’ room and locked the door behind them.

“Girls, the guest we borrowed our dresses from, is Fleur,” Starlight told them, “Spike’s Fleur!”

“I told you! I knew this was a bad idea!” Fluttershy said. “We can’t go in there now!”

“Well, I want to see Feather Bangs’ face when he gets busted,” said Dash. “Spike told me how he plans to do it, and I love it! And besides, what’s the worst they can do, fire us?”

“Hmm, good point,” Starlight replied. “Let’s go.”

They exited the restroom and got in line for the concession stand. Fluttershy ordered a small box of popcorn with butter but no salt, Starlight asked for salt with no butter, and Twilight took her kernels plain (no salt or butter), complaining that they always made her fingers greasy.

Applejack followed Spike and Fleur to the center of the theater and they sat in the middle of the row, Applejack on his right, Fleur on his left. Then Sunset sat right of Applejack. They sat in the row behind Feather Bangs and Rarity.

Juniper Montage had personally shown them to their seats. Sunset and Applejack noticed her smile at Spike, and longingly gaze at him, until he took his seat. They both glared at Juniper and then smiled as her face went red with embarrassment and she went back to the lobby. Spike sat behind Feather Bangs while Rarity sat to Feather Bangs’ right. Twilight and Starlight entered soon after, Twilight glancing around for Spike (trying not to be too obvious, but was). They took their seats in the row behind him, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat in the row behind Twilight and Starlight.

Normally, Spike would have pulled the armrests down, but now, as he sat between two beautiful women, he decided to let his arms rest at his sides, in case someone (namely Fleur) wanted to cuddle.

The theater went dark as the screen widened and the first episode began.

The male lead on the screen spoke.

“Your boyfriend is a pretty lucky guy. It’s not every day I meet a woman with such a warm and inviting personality.”

“Didn’t you say that to me this morning?” Rarity asked Feather Bangs.

“No,” Feather Bangs chuckled nervously. “I don’t--I don’t think so.”

Halfway through the episode, Spike offered some of his popcorn to Applejack.

“Aww, thanks, you’re sweet,” she said as she reached into the box.

She glanced down at the coating of luscious topping.

“Salt and butter?” she asked.

“Naturally,” he replied. “What good is life – and popcorn – if you don’t enjoy it?”

Applejack smiled as she devoured two handfuls and then licked her fingers.

Twenty minutes later, the second episode began and the man on the screen looked at his love interest with kind eyes.

“The wounds of love cut deep, but I would gladly suffer pain a thousand times greater if it meant keeping you out of harm’s way.”

“Now, that’s a great line,” Spike whispered. “Wait, haven’t I heard that somewhere before?”

“Usher!” Feather Bangs shouted. “There is someone talking behind me!”

Everyone in the theater shushed him.

“What are you, leaky tires?” Spike asked them.

That quickly shut them up.

As the minutes passed, Applejack leaned closer and closer to Spike. She leaned in so close that her breast grazed his bicep. He smelled good to her, like body wash, fresh from the shower. She recognized it from a sample that came in one of Sunset’s magazines—it was the body wash Spike was spokesmen for: Dragon Wolf. It was like a combination of exotic spices and a campfire that had been just put out; two of her favorite scents.

“Oh, sorry, do you need more space?” Spike asked her.

“No, I-I just, uh...”

“Oh, I was gonna get up anyway,” he said.

When he did, Applejack leaned toward Sunset and whispered, “This wasn’t a date, was it?”

“No,” Sunset whispered back.

While the ladies’ room was a place for chatting, primping, and various “woman mysteries”, the men’s restroom was dedicated to speed and efficiency. When using a public bathroom, men observed general unspoken rules that dictated behavior and sped up the process of using the facilities. And the biggest rule of all, the one that should never, ever, be broken, was keeping any and all interaction to a minimum. And that meant absolutely no talking!

But while Spike was washing his hands, he couldn’t help but ask Feather Bangs if he was enjoying the show.

“You’re getting some kind of sick enjoyment out of this, aren’t you?” Feather Bangs asked him.

“You have no idea,” Spike replied with a smile.

“Wait, how did you know that ‘Rainbow Gate’ was playing tonight?” Feather Bangs asked. He gasped. “You didn’t! You bribed the guy out front to run it! I am so going to get you back for this!”

“I’m so scared!” Spike chuckled sarcastically as he exited the restroom.

He, Feather Bangs and Rarity returned to the theater as the third episode began. After five minutes, Fleur put her hand on Spike’s thigh. Then she started tracing it with her finger and sighed into his ear.

“What does he even see in her?” Twilight whispered to Starlight.

“Maybe she’s a good conversationalist,” Starlight whispered back.

Neither one of them even remotely believed that.

Spike was having a hard time (pun unintended) trying to focus on the screen so that he would be ready to bust Feather Bangs at just the right moment.

“Well, this was fun,” Feather Bangs said abruptly. “Can we go now?”

“Wait, my favorite part’s coming up!” Spike said as he planted his hands on Feather Bangs’ shoulders, forcing him to stay in his seat.

“I could feel the hands of Fate pulling us together!”

“You stole all those lines!” Rarity shouted at Feather Bangs.

Spike released Feather Bangs as Rarity ran out of the theater and they both went after her. She ordered a large box of nachos with extra cheese from the concession stand, and Soarin obliged.

“Rarity, I know what you’re thinking, but this is all a misunderstanding,” Feather Bangs said.

“Oh?” she replied. “Well, here’s what I think of your cheesy lines!”

And she slammed the nachos onto his head.

Spike and Fleur were immediately at Rarity’s side with handkerchiefs.

“I’m so sorry!” Twilight said. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Thanks,” Spike gritted through his teeth. “But we’ve got it.”

“Come on, Rarity,” said Fleur. “Let’s go. Oh, and if those dresses are mine,” she added to Fluttershy, Starlight and Rainbow Dash, “the three of you will be more than fired!”

Spike and Fleur took Rarity to the Sweet Snacks Café and ordered her an emergency ice cream sundae with extra sprinkles and whipped cream.

“We have to get these dresses in Fleur’s closet before she gets back to her room!” Starlight exclaimed.

And she, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash took off for the elevator bank.

“Um, where did everybody else go?” Pinkie asked.

“Who cares?” Sunset replied. “They were giving me a headache.”

“Guess we’re on our own for the rest of the evening,” Applejack said.

Starlight, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash changed clothes while they washed and dried Fleur’s dresses and returned them to her closet. When Fleur returned to her suite later that night, she found the three dresses hanging in her closet exactly as she had left them.

The next morning, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Starlight and Rarity were all relaxing by the larger outdoor pool while Spike was swimming laps. He pulled himself out of the water and toweled off just as Feather Bangs and his three groupies walked out from the hotel.

“Did you have a nice swim?” Feather Bangs asked rather calmly.

“Did you have a hard time washing the cheese out of your hair?” Spike countered in reply. “What do you want?”

“I said I would get you back for last night,” Feather Bangs replied, “and well, you have something I want... a certain card?”

He reached into his vest pocket and produced a playing card with a sapphire number three on one side and the Sun on the other.

“My friend here is so lonely,” he said.

Spike couldn’t believe it.

“A Gate,” he breathed. “You’re a Gate Holder?”

“That’s right,” Feather Bangs growled in reply. “And I challenge you to a Gate Battle!”

Several guests and employees clamored as they crowded around them. Many of them had heard about Gate Battles, but none of them had ever seen one with their own eyes, especially since they were so rare.

“But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you didn’t want to fight me,” Feather Bangs added. “Taking up arms to defend the woman you love so dearly, why it brings a tear to my eye. Fate is such a cruel mistress!”

Spike guessed Feather Bangs was talking about Rarity, but he didn’t care.

“I accept your challenge!” Spike shouted.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking.

“What’s happening?” Spike exclaimed.

A giant Roulette wheel rose from the pool. It was so large that a yellow bowling ball served as the Roulette ball. Pinkie Pie reached into her hair, pulled out a microphone, and spoke into it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Flimflam Brothers Resort is proud to present a once in a lifetime showdown ultimate Roulette Gate Battle!” she announced. “Every dealer wishes to be a Gate Holder. Those who have Gates not only fight for themselves, but for the dreams of dealers far and wide! Anyone who can’t handle that burden doesn’t deserve to be a Gate Holder! Seizing the title of strongest dealer is a victory for hope itself!”

Feather Bangs glanced at Spike’s board shorts.

“Raising the stakes?” he asked. “I’ll join you!”

And he tore his clothes off, revealing a black Speedo underneath.

“Oh, Feather Bangs, you’re so sexy!” Dear Darling, Fond Feather and Swoon Song cried out. “That six-pack is to die for!”

“So, what do you think?” Feather Bangs directed at Rarity. “Do you find my body intoxicating?”

“I’m certainly overwhelmed,” she admitted.

“The audience sure is eating this up,” Fancy Pants observed. “Well, I suppose a Gate Battle is a fine excuse to loosen up a little.”

“The rules are simple,” Pinkie told Spike and Feather Bangs. “One of you will throw the ball and the other will bet. It comes down to a straight bet between red and black. If the person betting bets correctly, they win. If they bet wrong, the winner is the person who threw. Got all that?”

“Yes,” Spike stated.

“Oh, I’ve got it,” said Feather Bangs.

“And Fluttershy, you will be the dealer,” Pinkie added.

“Wait, I’m not ready!” she protested.

“Fluttershy, you’ll be fine,” Spike told her. “All you have to do is choose who will bet and who will throw the ball.”

“After you,” Feather Bangs said. “Whatever you want is just fine by me.”

Spike was taken aback by this.

“Really?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Feather Bangs replied. “Either way, it’s still a 50/50 chance, so the odds will be even. So, what do you desire? Well, besides Rarity.”

Spike thought for a moment and said, “I’ll bet.”

“Then I will gladly throw the ball. I’ve never played Roulette under these conditions. A few practice throws would help. Do you mind?”

“Go ahead,” Spike said.

“How naïve,” Feather Bangs thought as he picked up the ball.

Feather Bangs was no ordinary gambler; he was a Gate Holder. On top of that, he was good with numbers. He could make the ball fall into any pocket of his choosing, even if it was on a giant Roulette.

The size of the wheel was irrelevant, only the speed of its rotation and the timing with which Feather Bangs threw the ball were important.

“Rotation speed, 2.5 yards per second; ball weight, fourteen pounds; internal slope of the Roulette, 32 degrees...” he calculated in his mind. “Oh, I almost forgot to include the cut on my finger into the equation.”

One final calculation: (1+i) 4 = (√2) 4*ei π-4

“Now it’s perfect,” he whispered. “Black two!” he called out.

He threw the ball down the alley and it shot up the tube leading to the top of the Roulette wheel. Accelerated by the tube, the ball passed through the ramp in seconds and into the wheel... and it landed on black two.

“Red fourteen!” he shouted on his second practice throw.

It landed in red fourteen. After that he called out “Black 29” and once again it went into the corresponding pocket.

“Perfecto,” he said. “I’m ready whenever you are,” he told Spike.

“It’s going to take a lot more than some big talk and a few fancy throws to make me back down!” Spike countered.

Feather Bangs picked up the ball and got ready to throw.

“The players are in position,” Fluttershy announced. “Let’s begin!”

And the Roulette wheel spun.

“Accounting for wind resistance,” Feather Bangs thought. “I’ll release this 14-pound ball with an initial velocity of 32 at a 45-degree angle!”

“All right, Spike, time to place your bet,” Fluttershy said.

“Which one?” he thought. “Red? Or black?”

Feather Bangs released the ball and it shot up the tube. As it went, the ball’s velocity increased by 20 percent.

“Victory is in my grasp!” Feather Bangs thought as he looked over at Spike. “Every variable is accounted for. And in any outcome, you’re destined to lose!”

“I choose Red One!” Spike declared.

The ball bounced around the wheel and it stopped on...

“Red one,” Applejack said. “Right on the dot.”

“He did it!” Starlight shouted.

“Oh, my gosh! That was super-awesome-amazing!” Pinkie cried.

“Yeah, Spike!” Rainbow Dash hollered.

“Woo-hoo!” Fluttershy screamed.

“What the Tartarus!?!” Feather Bangs yelled. “Impossible! Every calculation was accurate!”

He looked down at his hand and saw that the bandage Fluttershy had wrapped his cut with was gone. It had come off when he threw the ball.

His calculations had been thrown off by a fluke.

It felt like a sucker punch to the face.

“You have got to be kidding me!!” he shouted.

“The numbers smile on those who love the game,” Spike told him.

“And Spike is the winner of this Gate Battle!” Fluttershy proclaimed.

The masses cheered, but they were quickly drowned out by an explosion... from inside the resort. Spike bolted inside and saw Sunset emerge from X Sushi, which was filled with smoke.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Someone stuffed the microwave with salt and pepper packets!” she said with a cough.

“That. Is. IT!” Spike shouted.

Spike reached behind one of the lobby’s potted plants and pulled the Paradise twins out from their hiding spot.

“Where are your parents?” he demanded.

“The casino,” one of them answered.

“Hurt us and we’ll sue,” the other added.

“That is a risk I am more than HAPPY to take right now!” Spike told them.

And he dragged them by their ears as he led them, the resort’s staff, and the crowds to Mr. and Mrs. Paradise.

“I believe these belong to you,” Spike stated.

“What is going on here?” Mr. Paradise shouted.

“I don’t want to criticize your parenting skills, but I will,” Spike said as he threw the kids at their parents’ feet. “For the past two weeks, your little brats have been running wild, terrorizing the guests, assaulting the staff, and causing Faust knows how many dollars in damages! I don’t give a damn if it does cost me my job for saying this but get out! Get out of this hotel!! Get out of this casino!!! GET OUT OF LAS PEGASUS!!!!”

“Well I never!” Mrs. Paradise exclaimed. “You can’t talk to us like that! This is our third summer here, and we will not be returning!”

“GOOD!!!!!” Spike yelled.

The Paradises emptied their rooms and checked out, and when they did Sunset threw her arms around Spike.

“Oh, I could kiss you for that!” she exclaimed. “In fact...”

Sunset put her hands on the sides of Spike’s face and planted a big, loud kiss on his lips, forcing her tongue down his throat, and when she finally broke the kiss her lips left their mark in red lipstick.

Another round of applause erupted from the guests as well as the staff.

“Thank you!” they all cheered. “Thank you so much!”

“You know, I have to give you a strike for that, right?!” Discord shouted so that the angered former guests could hear him.

“Do what you want to me,” Spike replied. “I’m taking this one for the team.”

Discord smiled.

“That’s my boy,” he said proudly. “Between you and me, someone should’ve kicked their butts out years ago!”

The staff and guests thanked Spike almost one by one and then departed until only Feather Bangs and his groupies remained.

“What do you want now?” Spike asked him.

“I just wanted you to know that I am hereby never using stolen lines on women again,” Feather Bangs said.

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve come to realize just how much you care for your friends, and after seeing how you stood up for them just now, I realize how wrong I really was. And I don’t want any of you to be upset with me anymore,”

“I got to say, Feather Bangs, I’m impressed,” Spike admitted. “On behalf of all these ladies, I congratulate you.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“How about a friendly game of darts,” Spike offered, “and if you win, I’ll teach you how to score. But if you lose, then you three ladies have to spend the night with me,” he told Dear Darling, Fond Feather and Swoon Song.

“Sounds like a bet!” Feather and his groupies said.

Rainbow Dash smiled as she pulled out her phone and dialed her brother.

“Hey, bro, you can forget about coming to pick me up,” she told him.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Dash replied. “There’s a guy here who I think is gonna make this summer very interesting.”

Feather Bangs didn’t stand a chance against Spike, and even though he lost the dart match, Spike treated his new friend, and his three groupies, to dinner – the traditional shrimp cocktail and prime rib – and gave him a few pointers on how to strike up positive conversations with women.

After dinner, Spike took Dear Darling, Fond Feather and Swoon Song up to his suite. He took out his key, opened the door for them, and closed it behind him after he followed them in. After they entered his bedroom, Spike couldn’t help but wonder what the exactly nature of their relationship to Feather Bangs was... if there even was a “relationship” to speak of.

“Tell me something about Feather Bangs,” he asked, “does he love you?”

The three women blushed.

“He loves to win,” Fond Feather said.

“So you’re just companions? Why do you do it?”

“He pays us,” Swoon Song answered.

“Is that all he pays you for?” Spike inquired.

“And for being seen with him,” Dear Darling added bitterly.

“Just seen?”

“Just seen,” the three women stated.

“That makes me so glad,” Spike thought as he smiled.

Feeling overdressed, he quickly disrobed and sat on the edge of his bed.

“Lie down,” Fond Feather said softly.

Spike did as he was told and sprawled out across his bed. The three women were blushing furiously as they began to shed their dresses. Spike looked at their beautiful faces, lovely smiles, and unselfconscious bodies. Then he noticed the fear in their eyes, but also a look of submissiveness and longing.

The women climbed onto the bed; Dear Darling on Spike’s left, Fond Feather on his right, and Swoon Song in between them, in front of him. Spike tried to make himself look in control, but he felt like a gladiator in the coliseum with three lionesses and they were about to devour him. And ‘devour him’ they did. They surrounded his cock and took turns stroking and licking it. He watched them as if he were hypnotized while their tongues caressed him.

“It’s so hard,” Dear Darling said, almost to herself. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

Spike smiled again as he shook his head.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve met anyone like you, Spike,” Fond Feather added.

“We have all night,” he said to them. “So don’t be greedy and take your time, okay?”

The three women nodded, tears of joy forming in their eyes.

“We want you to come, we really do, but not too soon,” Swoon Song said. “If you feel you’re getting close, tell us and we’ll slow down.”

Spike nodded in agreement as Swoon Song climbed atop him to kiss his lips before sliding back down his body and started to suck him off while Dear Darling licked Swoon Song’s pussy and Fond Feather ate out Dear Darling.

After a few minutes, Spike reluctantly moved away from them, indicating that he was about to erupt, and the girls changed positions. Fond Feather squeaked as Spike mounted her doggy style. Dear Darling lay in front of her and Fond Feather ate her out while Swoon Song sat on Dear Darling’s face and she licked Swoon Song. Spike thought he couldn’t get any harder, but he was wrong.

After that, Swoon Song mounted Spike. She guided him inside her while Dear Darling positioned herself over his face. Fond Feather took Spike’s cock out of Swoon Song and sucked off some of his juices before shoving it back inside Swoon Song. Then she sat between them, on Spike’s abs, and started kissing and licking Dear Darling. Swoon Song shuddered as she tightened around Spike and Fond Feather and Dear Darling came onto his abs and into his mouth. They got as much as they wanted and then some.

Their smiles never faded.

Of the three women, Spike found the brunette Swoon Song to be the most attractive, so he made sure she ended up lying in the middle with him. If his bed were a chess board, he would have been the king, she would be the queen, and Dear Darling and Fond Feather would have been the bishops.

They all snuggled up close to Spike as he glanced over at the Fabergé egg on his dresser... and the two Gate cards inside it. He had two of the thirteen now: Number Seven and Number Three.

“Another step closer to my goal,” he whispered to himself as he smiled and fell asleep.

Join us next time when Spike becomes friends with a couple of girls he meets on the tennis court and he learns a secret about one of the resort’s employees. Elsewhere Zephyr Breeze grows a soul patch.

The day started with Rainbow Dash teaching Spike how to play tennis... with mixed results.

“See, Spike. That’s the right way to hold the racquet while you hit the ball,” she told him.

“I’m sorry, Dash, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it,” he said. “Why don’t you hold me properly and fix my posture?”

“Oh no, I’m not falling for that again!”

Dash had already tried to help Spike “correct his form” when she reached around him and took his wrist in hand, but she caught on to what he was doing when he stepped back into her as she nestled her body against his.

Spike laughed as he looked over at Ace, the main tennis instructor, who was teaching a pair of teenage girls with bad hair (and even worse fashion senses) named Surf and Turf.

“Excuse us, sir,” said a voice. “When will you be free to teach us?”

“Just a minute, ladies,” Ace said. “I’ll be right--Whoa!”

His and Spike’s eyebrows shot up when they saw a pair of women in tight white polo shirts, really short white skirts, and white tennis shoes walk onto the court. One had a mint green hair and golden eyes, the other had shoulder-length blue hair with a pink streak and ice blue eyes, and both had fantastic legs that led up to well rounded rears and incredible breasts that their outfits did none too well of hiding.

“Think you could show us a thing or two?” the one with mint hair asked.

“Yes,” added the other. “We’d love to get some lessons from a talented coach like you.”

Ace was by their side in a second.

“Where did those two sluts come from?” Surf asked.

“I don’t know, but they, like, just seduced our handsome coach away from us,” Turf replied.

“We were here first!” Surf exclaimed.

“It’s obvious he likes us better!” the blue-eyed newcomer replied.

“Ladies, please!” Spike shouted as he stepped between the two pairs of women. “There’s no need for this!”

“It looks like I’ll have to separate you into two groups and assign a new coach,” Ace said.

“I know the perfect way to settle this,” Spike put in.

He pulled Ace aside and spoke to him in a whisper.

“A tennis match to decide who I’ll coach?” he asked.

“It’s crazy, I know,” Spike admitted, “but watching them prance around in their tiny skirts should make up for it,” he said as he jerked his head toward the two new girls. “And I’ll tell you what: I’ll referee so all you have to do is watch.”

Ace quickly agreed.

“All right,” he said. “You’ll compete for which of you gets to have me as your instructor. Surf and Turf will be one team, and...”

“Lyra,” the mint haired girl said.

“Bon Bon,” added the other.

“And Lyra and Bon Bon will be the other,” Ace finished. “Spike, ladies, take your positions!”

Spike stood off to the side as Lyra served the first game. She bounced the ball once and knocked it over the net as Turf drilled it back. She was aggressive with her return, so much so that it didn’t land inside the lines.

“Out!” Spike shouted.

Surf served the second game. She lobbed the ball into the air before hitting it over the net and Bon Bon hit it back with just enough power that Turf wasn’t able to hit it back before it bounced a second time.

“Point! Thirty, love!”

Bon Bon served and Surf darted off to the side, taking the ball on her backhand and hitting it over the net with a nice spin so that it dropped short, making Lyra scramble to hit it back.

“Point! Forty, love!”

Lyra and Bon Bon called a quick time out to catch their breath and have a drink of water.

“I told you, I’m terrible at tennis,” Bon Bon said to Lyra. “Good thing our looks give us an unfair advantage.”

“And having the ref on our side doesn’t hurt,” Lyra replied.

It was true. Spike had been leering at them throughout the entire match.

“We’ve got this!” they told each other.

“The ref has been favoring those two the entire game,” Surf told Turf.

“We can’t lose to these sluts!” Turf replied.

Both pairs returned to the court and Turf got ready to serve. It didn’t last long and Lyra and Bon Bon came out on top.

“Game!” Spike shouted. “Lyra and Bon Bon win!”

“I can’t believe this!” Turf exclaimed.

“I’m leaving,” Surf said. “I’m not sticking around to hear them gloat.”

Lyra and Bon Bon catapulted into each other’s arms and swung around.

“We won! We won!” they cried happily.

“That was an impressive game, ladies,” Spike told them. “Congratulations.”

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Bon Bon said.

“Yeah, you were so biased,” Lyra added.

“What?” Spike asked. “What are you talking about? I was not--”

“We’re really grateful,” Bon Bon replied.

“If there is anything we can do to properly thank you...” Lyra led on.

“Well, let’s take a walk and see where it goes from there,” Spike said.

That was not quite the response they had been hoping for, but they both smiled and said, “Okay.”

“So, you gals live in Las Pegasus?” Spike inquired.

“No, we’re just here on vacation,” Lyra said.

“We’ve been here about two weeks now,” Bon Bon added.

“You like it so far?” Spike asked.

“Oh yeah,” Lyra answered quickly.

“It’s been pretty boring,” Bon Bon added honestly. “Until now, that is.”

She and Lyra walked with Spike and Rainbow Dash inside to the Café and they chatted about tennis. They saw Discord seated at one of the booths with Twilight sitting across from him.

“Lyra, Bon Bon, this is Discord,” he introduced them. “And Twilight,” he added. “Dash and I met Lyra and Bon Bon on the tennis court. I had their backs in a fight.”

“It wasn’t really a fight,” Lyra replied.

“We just banded together against a couple of bitches who were hogging the instructor,” Bon Bon added.

“And all they got was a view of them winning,” Rainbow Dash finished.

“Hey, Spike, do you have any plans for tonight?” Lyra asked.

“No. Why?”

“Well, Lyra and I were planning on having dinner at X Sushi and drinks in the Midnight Lounge after,” Bon Bon said. “And we’d like to treat you as our way of saying thank you for getting Ace to coach us... if you’re interested.”

“You had me at ‘drinks’ and ‘lounge’,” Spike replied, “Two of my favorite words, right between ‘refill’ and ‘bacon.’”

“Or is there some rule against fraternizing with the guests?” Lyra inquired.

“Technically, I’m a guest too,” Spike answered. “I’m just teaching dance here because I love it, and I was recommended by the previous instructor who retired a few days ago.”

“Give me your number and I’ll text you the details,” Bon Bon said.

Spike typed his number into her cell phone and she called it to make sure it worked. It did.

“It was nice to meet you,” she and Lyra told Discord. “Catch you later, sexy,” they said to Spike.

Spike slid into the booth next to Discord, a broad grin on his face.

In the few days that he had been there, it had been golden day had followed golden day. And he had won four cars from slot machines!

In addition to the yellow 2010 Camaro SS, he won a green 1969 Camaro RS, a black 1967 Impala Sedan, and an orange 1969 Charger R/T Hemi.

For the moment, everything was perfect... until Twilight spoke to him.

“I gotta admit, I’m a little impressed that you would have any friends like Lyra and Bon Bon,” she said.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked. “I got a bunch of gal friends.”

“I meant a lesbian couple,” Twilight said.

“What are you talking about?” Spike repeated.

“I think Lyra and Bon Bon might be lesbians,” she elaborated.

“Yeah, I got that vibe too,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Why, because you think they were checking you out?” Discord asked.

“No!” Dash replied.

“Oh, they were totally checking you out!” Discord teased. “I can’t say I’m surprised. You do tend to give off that kind of vibe... and get that kind of heat.”

“Shut up!” she told him.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Spike said to Twilight, “but Lyra and Bon Bon aren’t lesbians. If they were, they wouldn’t have called me ‘sexy’.”

Before anyone could say anything more, Fluttershy entered the Café and slid into the booth next to Spike.

“I need you all to help me with Zephyr Breeze,” she said. “He went with Tree Hugger for the weekend to visit her family, and I guess they rubbed off on him, because he came back with a soul patch.”

“No,” Spike said.

“Oh, wow,” Discord added. “So that means you’re the older sister of Mister Idiot, Esquire.”

“I tried to tell him that it’s lame, but he thinks it’s cool and retro,” Fluttershy went on. “He crumbles under pressure from you all, so please let him have it. I mean it, really lay into him!”

“All right, here he comes,” Spike said.

Zephyr entered the Café and slid into the booth next to Twilight.

“What’s up, guys?” he asked.

“Hey, welcome back,” Spike said. “Got a little soul patch action, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, well, what do you think?”

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Spike replied.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No, you don’t.”

“I’d go as far as to say retro,” Discord added.

“Wow. Okay, I gotta admit there was a part of me that thought you guys were gonna mock it,” he confessed. “Well, thank you. I’m going to go wash up.”

Zephyr got up and headed for the restroom and Fluttershy slammed her fist onto the table.

“What the Tartarus is wrong with you guys!?!” she shouted.

“I’m sorry, I really am,” Spike said. “At first, I wanted to go along with you, but then I realized, the more we say we like it, the longer it stays on his face.”

“And keeps on giving,” Discord added as he and Spike fist bumped.

“I can’t believe you guys didn’t abuse him,” she said. “One time I wore fake fur, one time, and I never heard the end of it!”

Spike put his arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders. He knew how much she loved animals, and would never do anything to deliberately hurt them. He gave her a kind smile and she smiled back as Zephyr Breeze returned.

“Hey, did you give the patch a little comb through?” Spike asked.

“A little bit,” Zeph admitted.

“I didn’t think you could improve it,” Discord said.

“But you did,” Spike finished.

After breakfast, Spike and Rainbow Dash played one-on-one on the indoor basketball court. Well, Spike was shooting hoops while Dash was asking him about the other lady he had been hanging out with.

“Fleur, huh?” she asked.

“Fleur,” Spike confirmed as he landed another basket.

“Good shot!” Rainbow Dash told him.

“Ten bucks behind the line?” he asked her.

“Sure, shoot till you miss,” she replied.

Spike scored again.

“She’s staying here at the hotel?” Dash inquired.

“Room 520,” Spike said after scoring another basket. “But you should know that since you cleaned her room and then you, Starlight and Fluttershy ‘borrowed’ some of her dresses for an evening.”

Spike shot again—another basket.

“The man’s on a role, ladies and gentlemen!” he announced.

“So, she’s really been saving herself for you all these years? Did you get a look at her ring finger?”

Spike had, and he didn’t see a wedding ring. Nor did he see a tan line to indicate that there ever was one. He swung his arm and threw overhand.

“It’s good!” he exclaimed.

“Listen, there’s a difference between a one-night stand and a meaningful relationship with an unattached millionairess,”

“I’m not thinking about her that way. Fleur could be more than a one-night thing,”

“She’s going to do a number on you,”

“I appreciate the concern,” Spike said as he threw the ball backwards. “Whoo!” he shouted. “That’s fifty bucks you owe me!”

“Fifty?” Dash asked. “Well, fifty says either you or her will be in someone else’s arms before the week is out.”

“That’s a bet,” Spike said.

And he continued to nail shots.

After basketball, Spike was strolling through the casino when he caught sight of Lyra and Bon Bon at the slot machines and walked towards them. He was going to tell them that he was looking forward to tonight, but he stopped when he saw Lyra and Bon Bon kissing and his smile froze on his face. He quickly looked away. Then he glanced back at them, his smile gone.

He put his hands to his forehead.

“Son of a buck!” he cursed softly. “Twilight was right!”

As he rode the elevator up to his suite, Spike tried hard not to think about Lyra and Bon Bon, but the more he tried not to think about them, or what he just saw, the more he did. A part of him had always found the concept of girl-on-girl hot, but now that he had seen it, he felt dirty. The doors opened and Twilight entered the elevator.

“How was basketball?” she asked.

“It was good,” he said shortly.

“Did you run into Lyra and Bon Bon again?”

“Yep,”

“And...?”

“I saw them kiss,” he admitted.

“I told you so,” she said.

“You don’t have to hold it over my head,” he replied.

“What are you doing?” she asked as Spike pulled out his cell phone.

“I’m going to text Bon Bon and tell her that I’m not feeling well,” he said.

“I thought you were going out with her and Lyra,”

“I’m not feeling well,”

“Unbelievable!”

“What?”

“You are a homophobe!”

“Excuse you?”

“You were going to have dinner with them, you found out they were lesbians, and now you’re cancelling on them,”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“You and I both know damn well that if Lyra and Bon Bon were both straight, you would be getting ready to go out with them right now,” she said. “And the fact you’re not, makes you a homophobe.”

“You keep using that word,” Spike quoted. “I do not think it means what you think it means.”

“Excuse you?”

“Allow me to break it down for you: ‘homo’, a prefix meaning, ‘human’ or ‘human being’, which, somehow, over time, has become associated with homosexuality,” he explained. “And ‘phobe’, a suffix that comes from ‘phobus’, meaning ‘fear’. You are calling me a ‘homophobe’, and to call me a homophobe, would mean that I have a ‘fear of homosexuality’, which I do not. I do not ‘fear’ homosexuality, nor do I have a fear of homosexuals.”

“Well, ‘phobe’ and ‘phobia’ can also mean, ‘a strong dislike of something,’” Twilight replied. “And while you claim to not have a ‘fear’ of homosexuality, you obviously haven’t been acting like you like or even mildly tolerate it, either. Tell yourself whatever you want, but I think you don’t wanna hang out with anyone that’s a homosexual,” she told him as the elevator doors opened.

“All right, I will go have dinner with Lyra and Bon Bon. If nothing else, just to prove to you that they are not lesbians! Which! They! Are! NOT!!”

Spike picked out a tight red collared shirt and even tighter black slacks with black leather loafers. He looked in the mirror in his bedroom as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, constantly turning and looking himself over while Discord and Zephyr Breeze watched him.

“Aw, our little man’s going out to dinner with a couple of ladies,” Discord said with mock pride. “I think I’m going to cry.”

“Speaking of which, you got any advice for me?” Spike asked.

Discord was caught offguard—he almost didn’t know what to say.

Key word: almost.

“Well, I’ve never been down this road myself,” Discord said, “but the best advice I can give you is this: Just because a woman likes women, it does not make her any less of one herself. And I know you’re an ‘ass man’, so if you’re going to even mention theirs, whatever you do, do not say that they’re big. No woman ever wants to hear that! And finally, treat them like you would any other lady. No! Treat them better than you would any other lady! Better yet, treat them better than you would your mother—your birthmother or Celestia!”

Spike exhaled. He could not believe that he was taking dating advice from Discord (a man who had never been on a date in his life) of all people.

Then Spike looked at Zephyr Breeze and saw that Zephyr had some powdered sugar on his soul patch, which Spike guessed was left over from the French toast Zephyr had for breakfast.

“Hey, Zeph, you’ve got--Oh, wait, wait, wait. You know what? That looks good. You should bleach it!”

“Oh, man, that’d be fierce!” Zephyr exclaimed.

“Did you just say ‘fierce’?” Spike barely managed to contain his laughter. “Dude, that’s cool.”

Spike checked his cell phone when he heard it vibrate and he saw a text message from Bon Bon.

“We’re down in X Sushi. Hope you’re hungry. See you soon, sexy!”

When Spike entered X Sushi, Lyra and Bon Bon waved him down. Bon Bon was wearing a little white dress while Lyra wore a little green dress. Both wore high heels and their legs looked even sexier than he remembered.

“We’re glad you came,” Lyra said when he showed up.

They smiled as he told them how gorgeous they looked. They were soon joined by Rarity, Fluttershy, and Zephyr Breeze. Sunset brought them water and sake while they watched a baseball game on the TV behind the bar.

“Oh! I got that guy on my team,” Bon Bon said.

“You play fantasy baseball?” Spike asked.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Me too,”

“Who’s on your team?”

“Oh, well, I just got Hock Fetlock,” Spike practically bragged.

“More like Hunk Fetlock,” Lyra said, to which Bon Bon quickly agreed.

“You two think he’s hot?” Spike asked.

They both said, “Yes.”

“Good to know,” he thought.

Spike was relatively at ease for the rest of dinner, especially when the chef arrived and cooked the main course right in front of them. His quick reflexes with the knives were mesmerizing as he filleted bits of beef and shrimp on the grill and tossed them into the group’s open mouths, and Spike impressed the girls by catching every single piece that came at him.

“Here’s something that I had hoped never to say to my younger brother,” Fluttershy said. “Zephyr, you have a little rice in your soul patch.”

Spike was surprised Fluttershy could see it, because he couldn’t; especially after Zephyr had bleached it. He was even more surprised by the fact that Zeph had somehow managed to bleach his soul patch in the amount of time it had taken Spike to ride the elevator down from his suite and enter X Sushi.

“Stop knocking the patch, Sis,” he said arrogantly. “You’re the only one who doesn’t like it.”

“No, you’re the only one who does,” she replied, trying to keep her cool.

“Okay, let’s ask Rarity,” Zephyr said. “She knows fashion. Rarity, what do you think of this bad boy, huh?”

“Yes, Rarity, tell him,” Fluttershy said. “What do you really think? And please, don’t hold back.”

“Okay. What’s out? Soul patches. What’s in? Not having soul patches,”

“Well, Spike likes it,” Zeph said.

“No, I don’t,” Spike admitted.

Lyra and Bon Bon didn’t like it either.

“See?” Fluttershy asked.

“So no one thinks this is fierce?” Zephyr asked.

Rarity gasped.

“Oh, my goodness, did you really just say that word in my presence?”

Lyra and Bon Bon paid for everyone’s food and they left arm in arm with Spike in between them. Later, in the Midnight Lounge, Soarin mixed them drinks while they listened to the Dazzlings sing “Sweet Little Lies.”

“Scotch on the Rocks,” he said to Spike, “and a Shirley Temple for each of the ladies.”

Lyra took a sip through her straw before telling Spike, “Seriously, try this.”

Spike looked at the concoction of ginger ale and grenadine, and the maraschino cherry that garnished it. Then he took a small sip and was surprised by how sweet it was.

“Wow. That is refreshing,” he said honestly.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other before looking back at Spike, who seemed to be more focused on the Dazzlings than on them. They noticed him squirm throughout their performance, despite his best efforts not to. His cheeks were as red as his shirt and his stomach felt as tight as his pants. When the song ended, Bon Bon asked him if something was wrong.

“Yes, there is,” he told them. “Girls, there’s no easy way for me to ask, so I’m just going to come out and say it. Are you in a relationship with each other?”

They both gave him a perplexed look.

“We’re best friends, if that’s what you mean,” Lyra said.

“No, I mean more than ‘just friends,’” Spike replied.

“Wait, you mean--” Lyra began.

“You thought we were--?” Bon Bon added.

“Lesbians,” Spike finished.

He hung his head, ashamed of himself for even asking.

“Is that why you’ve been--?” Bon Bon began.

“Acting like a jerk?” he replied. “Yes. I have been feeling awkward ever since I saw you two kiss in the casino this afternoon.”

“Spike, that’s just something we do,” Lyra said.

“I mean, seriously, why can’t two people, men or women, who are best friends, just go out together and enjoy themselves?” Bon Bon asked.

He told them he felt exactly the same way whenever he went out to brunch with Thorax, his college roommate.

“Spike, if something bothers you, just tell us,” Bon Bon said as she took his hand in hers. “I may look like a porcelain doll—fragile and very expensive—but I promise I’m not. We should have been a little more up front with you. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry,” he apologized. “I let my stupid prejudice almost keep me from coming tonight. That’s no excuse for how I’ve been acting toward you. I really am sorry.”

“Hey, how about we play a game?” Bon Bon suggested. “Twenty questions. You can ask us 20 questions—anything you want to know about us, the nature of our friendship, or in general.”

“All right,” he said.

The first thing he wanted answered was if a guy could get them off/make them cum. They both said yes. They even added “very easily.” Then he asked them about their sexual preferences and style: “Are you screamers or are you more relaxed,” that sort of thing.

“Sometimes I like to scream,” Bon Bon admitted, “but I’m usually very quiet, with little moans and whimpers.”

“Do you like it rough or a little more sensual?” he directed at Lyra.

“I love it rough,” she said. “I love to be thrown onto the bed, hair pulled, panties ripped off.”

“Now, do you like to be rough?” Spike added.

“No,” Lyra said. “I like to be dominated.”

“Well, if you found the right guy, how often would you prefer to have sex?”

“Every single day,” they both said.

“Every single day?” he echoed.

“Sometimes more than once a day, I would hope,” Lyra said.

“So, when you are in bed with a guy, what is your favorite position?”

“I love to be on top,” Bon Bon said, “because everything is inside me and I can move the way I want to. Let me tell you, the detachable shower head was the best invention for women.”

Spike instantly wanted to know more about that.

“What have you done with that?” he inquired.

“We turn it on to pulsating and we play with ourselves, and each other, down there, and we cum in a couple minutes,” Lyra said.

“And you do that often?” he asked.

“Every single morning,” Bon Bon answered, “and sometimes when we’re not even together.”

“Wow. You masturbate every single morning,” he breathed. “So, do you think about each other when you do that or... what do you think about?”

“Honestly, I fantasize about me with Lyra and a man,” Bon Bon said.

“And I think about me with Bon Bon and a man,” Lyra added.

“We both love the threesome,” Bon Bon went on.

“So, what is it about the other that turns you on?” he asked them both.

“Honestly, it’s her tongue,” Bon Bon said. “She really knows how to put her tongue to good use. No other girl can lick my pussy as good as she can.”

“And I like the way she touches me, especially my tits,” Lyra replied. “We have just such a good connection. I can’t say that I’ve had the same chemistry that I have with her.”

“So you have been with other women before?” he asked.

“I have ‘been with’ other women,” Lyra confessed, “but not in the dating sense.”

“Would either of you ever date other girls?” Spike asked.

“No,” Bon Bon said quickly.

“We love cock too much,” Lyra added.

“I think women, we’re too catty, too emotional,” Bon Bon admitted.

“I like the fantasy and the sexual part of it,” Lyra agreed, “but as far as an actual dating relationship goes, count me out. I need a good dick in my life.”

“Me too,”

“We can’t live without guys,”

“So, how did you two meet?” Spike asked.

“I was doing a photoshoot in Horseolulu, and Lyra was there on vacation,” Bon Bon recalled.

“And I am so thankful that I had the bravery to walk up and talk to her when I was passing by,” Lyra confessed, “because if it hadn’t been for that, we never would have met.”

Spike smiled and he started imagining them rolling around in the sand, getting all hot and bothered in the ocean.

“Look, Spike, I think we all know where this is going,” said Bon Bon. “We like you, and you like us, so why don’t we just stop beating around the bush...”

“And take this upstairs?” Lyra finished.

“After one more song, please?” Spike asked.

“Well, I guess one more couldn’t hurt,” said Bon Bon.

Their attention returned to the stage as the applause subsided and a man came out from the wings and approached the microphone.

“Give a bag hand to the Dazzlings,” he said. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce, next on our fine stage, a lady as sweet as cider.... the tantalizing Apple Jewel!”

The curtain parted and a sultry chanteuse appeared onstage. Her blonde hair was drawn up away from her face. The red silk dress she wore clung to every curve of her voluptuous figure. The deep V of the halter-top gave Spike an almost clear view of her perfectly pert breasts and nipples, which were protruding through the soft fabric. A slit on the side of the skirt ran all the way from the base to the top of her right thigh. And the way her arm rested just beneath her breasts as she stepped up to the microphone seemed to lift them further up out of the dress. It was more than enough to drive a man crazy. Spike had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

“It can’t be!” he breathed.

His suspicion was confirmed when started singing, “Trust in Me.”

Spike downed the last of his Scotch and focused all of his attention on her. As she sang, he felt as if he were entering another calm, soothing, relaxing trance. The only other women that had been even remotely capable of causing that were the Dazzlings themselves.

His eyes roamed up her body, to her face, and to his surprise (and hers) they locked eyes. Though she was quite a distance from him, Spike knew she was looking back at him, almost into him. Then she stepped down from the stage and started to walk towards him. Spike’s eyes shifted to his left, and then his right, wondering if he may be wrong.

She came closer and closer until she was directly in front of him. Then she swung one of her legs over his and began to straddle him. She placed a hand on one of his shoulders as she swirled her hips in smooth circles over his lap, her groin hovering a mere inch above his. She leaned forward, allowing him a perfect view of her breasts and he felt the silk of her dress as she playfully brushed her crotch against his pants. Her lips grazed his ear as she sang, her body arched over his frame. Then she traced the outline of his ear with her tongue, her breath flowing down his neck. She ran her hand all the way down from his chest to his leg, letting her hair run over his body before she switched positions.

Spike peeked over her shoulder as she massaged her rear against his hard on and saw everybody looking at him with deep envy. She leaned her back against his chest as she did this, taking one of his hands and guiding it over her body to feel her soft breasts. She wrapped her other arm around his neck and writhed slowly against him. Her seductive smile never vanished, even as she strolled back up to the stage to finish her song and she disappeared behind the curtain as it closed.

Spike told Lyra and Bon Bon that he had to make a quick stop before accompanying them back to their suite. He promised he would hurry before he made his way to the Dazzlings’ dressing room backstage. He found them, and Applejack, seating in front of the row of mirrors.

“I knew it,” Spike said.

Applejack gasped as she saw Spike enter, and then quickly turned away as if she were afraid to look at him. Spike stepped further into the dressing room, but kept a respectful distance from the women.

“Applejack, that was incredible. Why didn’t you tell me that you sang?” he asked. “Do any of the other girls know about this?”

“No,” she said.

“Why not, are you afraid of what they might think?

“They would laugh at me,”

“Applejack, you have a beautiful singing voice! You blew my mind! You sang your heart out up there, and I... and I...”

“Spike, are you okay?” Sonata asked.

“What? No, no! I-I’m fine,” he lied, as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re crying,” Adagio said.

Spike knew he couldn’t keep the truth from them, especially not with Applejack in the room.

“All right, you might as well know,” he said. “Back in college, there was this super-cool all-male singing group. And I wanted nothing more than to be an Acapelican.”

“You sang?” Aria asked in genuine disbelief.

“I wanted to. I practiced for months, but at the audition... I choked, throat dried up. I could barely even breathe,”

“That’s awful!” Sonata gasped.

“And hearing your voices blending in sweet harmony... weaving a tapestry of song, all that pain came flooding back,” he concluded. “Applejack, you shouldn’t be afraid of doing something you love.”

“I hate to think of you wondering if you’d missed out on something special,” Adagio told him.

“No, there’s no streaming service for what might have been,” Spike replied.

“Maybe there is,” Adagio said. “Meet us back here tomorrow evening. And wear something fancy.”

Spike wasn’t sure why she wanted him to do that, but he nodded and then he left, closing the door behind him.

Lyra and Bon Bon’s panties were already wet when they brought Spike back to their hotel room. They were lucky they were able to restrain themselves on the elevator and down the hall to Room 1215.

They told Spike to sit on one of their beds while they undressed in front of him. Lyra’s lingerie was mint with lace, which Spike had guessed; but Bon Bon’s weren’t the virgin white (to match her dress) he presumed.

“Black lace panties, matching bra, looks like – Celestia’s Secret Spring Catalogue, page 27... She’s got good taste!” he thought.

And they both had tiny, little tattoos on their hips. Lyra’s was a golden lyre and Bon Bon’s looked like three little hard candies in blue wrapping.

The two women undid each other’s bras–the clasps were in the front–then they pulled down each other’s panties, and Spike’s jaw dropped when he saw that they were both shaved.

“Holy Guacamole!” he exclaimed. “You. Two. Are. Gorgeous!”

“Thank you,” they said as they forced him onto his back before crawling onto the bed.

“Wow! I figured you two were hot for me,” he admitted, “but I didn’t expect you to come at me together.”

“We’re best friends,” Lyra replied. “We share everything.”

“Especially hot guys,” Bon Bon added.

“Now, it’s time for us to show you a thing or two!” they said together.

“Wow! He’s one Tartarus of a kisser!” Bon Bon thought as she started making out with him while Lyra unbuckled his belt.

“You’re so big. I’d say we hit the jackpot, Bon Bon!” Lyra said. “I’ll have fun with this later.”

She crawled over Spike and positioned her breasts over his face.

“Have a taste,” she said.

Spike did as he was told and began suckling Lyra.

“There... Ahhh... That feels so good...” she moaned.

“She’s so soft,” he thought.

“Oh, Spike, your hands are amazing,” Lyra said. “Oh yeaaahhh...”

“And they’re so warm,” she added in thought. “So warm... so relaxing...”

Lyra felt like she was floating on a cloud.

“Don’t stop!” she told him.

“You’re paying too much attention to Lyra!” Bon Bon whined. “Suck my breasts, too!”

“Go on,” Lyra told Spike. “Try hers out.”

Spike switched to Bon Bon’s, which were just as soft. Then Lyra slid her fingers inside Bon Bon before eating her from behind.

“Oh... Aaahhh there... keep licking me right there...” Bon Bon moaned. “Mmmm...”

The more worked up the girls got, the more ambitious they became; and Spike was working them into a frenzy.

“I’m going to have to pull double duty to keep up with them,” he thought.

The girls rolled onto their backs as Spike got on top and they forced their breasts around his cock.

“Is that firm enough?” Bon Bon asked.

“That’s perfect,” he said. “Hold them just like that.”

Spike couldn’t believe his luck. He was living one of almost every man’s dreams: getting a titty-fuck from two beautiful women.

“It feels so good I’m gonna—” Spike’s thought was cut short when Bon Bon curled her tongue around his shaft and he exploded onto her face.

“No fair!” Lyra cried. “You know most guys can’t resist your blowjobs!”

“I’m sorry,” Bon Bon replied. “I couldn’t resist.”

“You got a little bit of his cream on your nipple,” Lyra said. “Let me clean that up for you.”

Lyra positioned herself on all fours, on top of Bon Bon, after licking her (Bon Bon’s) breasts clean, and Spike mounted her (Lyra) from behind.

“Ahhh... Kiss me, Bon Bon,”

After fifteen minutes of thrusting, Spike started smacking Lyra’s ass as he slid in and out of her.

“OH yeesss! Oh, more! Harder! Do me harder! Give it to me!” Lyra shouted. “Jackhammer me! Fill me with your cum!”

Lyra came so hard that she squeezed Spike out of her before she collapsed onto the bed.

“I’ve never seen her cum like that before!” Bon Bon said.

“I feel so full...” Lyra slurred.

“Why don’t you take a breather and enjoy the show?” Spike told Lyra as they rolled onto the bed.

But Lyra didn’t want to rest, she tried to keep going, kissing Spike as Bon Bon straddled him.

“This is even better,” he thought. “One riding me while the other is making out with me...”

Spike admitted to himself that having only two girls to please was much easier than three. The Dazzlings and Feather Bangs’ former groupies were almost too much for Spike to handle.

“You’re filling me up!” Bon Bon shouted. “That’s it! Go as hard and as fast as you want! Make me cum!”

Spike pulled out and forced Bon Bon onto her back beside Lyra.

“Don’t make me beg for it!” Bon Bon cried.

“Shower us with your juices!” Lyra added.

“Say you’re naughty girls!” he commanded.

“We’re naughty, naughty girls!” they squealed.

And Spike showered them with his nectar.

“I love being sprayed like that,” Bon Bon said.

“I think we might need that three times a day for the next three days,” Lyra added. “Are you up to it?”

“I sure hope so,” Spike thought.

Spike spent the night with Lyra and Bon Bon. He didn’t wake up until the next afternoon and headed to the Café for a late brunch, a big grin on his face. He saw Twilight sitting with Discord at the same booth again and slid in next to him.

“Guess where your ‘homophobic’ coworker was,” Spike said, “playing with his two new, bisexual, friends.”

“Are they any good?” Discord inquired.

“Surprisingly, both excellent ball-handlers,” Spike replied.

Twilight glared at him.

“A sex pun?” she asked. “Really?”

“You’re the one who practically forced me to hang out with them, so from now on, any and all risqué remarks that I make, you bring upon yourself,”

“Speaking of ‘playing’,” Discord put in, “Rainbow Dash and Soarin have been complaining to me about you not wearing underwear when you play basketball with them... well, mostly Soarin.”

“Let him complain,” Spike replied. “Nobody crowds me under the boards.”

Zephyr Breeze, clean shaven, walked in a few seconds later, and slid into the booth next to Twilight, across from Spike and Discord.

“Aw, you got rid of the soul patch,” Spike groaned. “Remember when he had it?” he asked Discord.

Discord nodded and said, “This is the pilot of the world’s tiniest plane. Is the runway clear for landing?”

He laughed as he pulled a miniature airplane, not much larger than one of his fingernails, from his coat pocket and proceeded to “fly it” toward Zephyr’s chin.

“Can we just move on, please?” Zeph asked.

“Porn star Robbin’ Glitter left a message two days ago, she--”

“I know what she wants!” Zeph shouted at Spike. “I don’t have it anymore!”

Later that night, Spike entered the Midnight Lounge, wearing a black tuxedo. He ordered a Scotch from Soarin at the bar before making his way backstage again, where Applejack, Vinyl Scratch, and the Dazzlings were waiting.

“All right, I’m here,” he said. “Now, what’s this all about?”

“Spike, we’ve been looking for a guy to join our group for a while now,” Sonata told him. “And after your little speech last night, well...”

“We want to give you an opportunity to sing again,” Adagio said. “To see if you’ve got what it takes.”

Spike was almost flabbergasted. They were giving him a chance to join them... and to make up for the time he missed out on in college.

“Vinyl can give you some musical accompaniment,” Aria said.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Adagio told him.

They stepped off and sat at the table closest to the stage. Sunset, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Rarity and Starlight were in the audience as well that night. Spike downed the last of his Scotch and nodded to Vinyl, who walked over to her turntables. The curtain opened as Spike picked up the microphone and he started singing Flank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

He started out softly for the first few words of the first verse, but he gradually got louder with each chord until he enraptured his entire audience with his voice. By the time it was over, Applejack, Sunset and Pinkie were in a trance, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Aria stared in open-mouthed enthrallment, and Fluttershy, Adagio and Sonata were in tears. The audience broke out in thunderous applause as the curtain closed and the girls went backstage to congratulate him.

“That was out of this world!” Sonata exclaimed.

“I thought it was a little in and out,” Aria admitted, “but not bad.”

“Spike, on behalf of The Dazzlings, we would be honored to blend your golden voice with ours,” Adagio stated.

“I appreciate the offer, ladies, but I have to refuse,” he said politely.

“What?” Aria exclaimed. “That is absurd! You have an incredible gift!”

“But I have another gift that’s even more powerful than singing... and that’s dancing. I’m sorry,”

He thanked them as he left. Then he stopped to whisper to Applejack.

“Next time you have a show, I’ll go up there with you and we will show them what we got... together. What do you say, Apple Jewel?”

“Okay,” she smiled.

Next time, Rainbow Dash breaks her ankle after rollerblading in the lobby and is forced to take a week off with a cast on her foot. Discord subs in Spike as the new head dealer so Twilight can take over Dash’s maid duties.

The next day, Fluttershy was getting yet another dance lesson from Spike. This time, he was dressed in a basic T-shirt and black pants. She wore a green dress with a skirt so short that it barely covered her thighs and cut so low that if she bent the right way it would fall free.

“Okay, just like we practiced,” he told her.

“I did it!” she gasped. “I’m doing it!”

“She’s come such a long way in a short time,” Spike thought. “She’s still so shy, though. That reminds me, I’ve got to take Coco out for coffee sometime.”

“Nice!” Pinkie cheered. “Whoa, you two look rough,” she said to Twilight and Rainbow Dash as they rollerbladed into the ballroom.

“Discord had us hall-sitting until 2:00 A.M. last night,” Dash yawned. “What’d we miss?”

“Fluttershy doing some sweet quickstepping,” Pinkie replied.

“Did you see me?” Fluttershy asked as she brushed a lock of hair back from her eye. “Spike taught me to quickstep! Isn’t he the best?”

“I’ve seen better,” Twilight replied.

“Way to drag your butts out of bed,” Spike said to them. “Tough day at the tables yesterday?” he asked.

“Actually, yes,” Twilight answered. “Teaching tourists and amateurs how to play cards all day is harder than it looks.”

“Right,” Spike commented. “Card dealer is right up there with crab fisherman on the tough-job scale.”

“Hey, I’m an essential service!” Twilight snapped. “On call 24/7 and I never get a day off!”

“I could do your job in my sleep, wake up, do my job, and still kick your butt at the tables,” Spike countered.

“You talk about our butts a lot,” Dash observed. “I think you like them.”

“She does have a good butt,” Pinkie admitted.

“I could not care less about your butt,” Spike replied. “Oh, and before I forget...” He dipped a hand into one of his pants pockets, pulled out a wad of bills, and handed it to Rainbow Dash. “You won our little bet.”

“Thank you,” Dash said, almost shyly. “Wait... That’s a thousand bucks! The bet was only--!”

“Just take it,” Spike cut her off.

Rainbow Dash thanked him again as she rollerbladed back to the lobby. She jumped, did several spins in midair, and crashed into the Brothers’ statue.

“I’m hurt. I’m hurt!” she exclaimed as Zephyr Breeze and Bulk Biceps helped her to her feet.

“What? What hurts?” Twilight asked.

“My ankle!” Dash cried. “I think I broke my ankle! Aah! It really hurts!”

“Let’s see,”

Twilight removed Dash’s rollerblades and squeezed her right ankle.

“OWWWWWWWWWWWW!” she screamed.

“That’s definitely broken,” Twilight said.

Almost two hours later, Rarity was pacing the floor of the lobby while Coco worked the front desk.

“Hey, Rarity,” Spike said. “Twilight and Dash back from the E.R. yet?”

“No, and I can’t hide it from Discord much longer,” she replied.

“Hey, Concierge!” came the unmistakable voice of their boss. “Where is Sparkle?”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash came through the entrance doors a few seconds later, the latter on crutches and her right foot in a cast.

“Someone please tell me this is a joke,” Discord said.

“The doctor told me to take it easy for at least a week,” Dash told him, “which means I get a week off! I have a note.”

“Great!” Discord exclaimed after he’d skimmed it. “Who am I gonna find to clean rooms on short notice?”

“I’ll do it!” Twilight volunteered.

“Don’t you already have a job here?” Discord asked.

“Twilight can do it,” Spike told him. “She’s great at cleaning up other people’s messes.”

“No, because then I would have to find a replacement dealer,”

“I could do that,” Spike replied.

“No!” Discord stated.

“I’m bad at cleaning toilets, and I’m the Dragon Lands’ Blackjack Champion. You need me working the tables. At least give me a shot,”

Discord thought it over for a moment and then said, “Okay, you’re up. You’re the new maid,” he said to Twilight. “And you’re on sick leave until your ankle heals,” he told Dash. “Don’t make me regret this!” he told Spike.

When Fluttershy entered the staff locker room later that morning, she paused when she saw Spike buttoning up an emerald green vest with a bold design – the four card suits: red hearts and diamonds with black spades and clubs – and knotting an even darker green tie around his neck.

“Did you get fired?” she asked.

“Nope, I’m the new star dealer,” Spike replied.

“That’s great!” she squealed. “Isn’t it?”

“I can’t deal cards and teach people how to dance!” he exclaimed.

“Come on, you taught me how to quickstep this morning,”

“That’s different. You’re no pressure. What if I get so exhausted from both jobs that I drop a girl during a dip?”

“This was the job you came here for. You’re a natural,” Fluttershy told him. “Or maybe Twilight’s just a much better dealer than you are...”

“In her dreams,” Spike scoffed. “There is nothing that she can do that I can’t! Except give birth and fake an orgasm, I’ll give her that.”

“Exactly,” Fluttershy said. “Hence...”

“Did she just use reverse psychology on me?” Spike thought. “Damn, she’s good!”

“Okay, okay. I can teach ballroom dancing and deal cards, too,” he smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy. From now on, your lessons are always on the house.”

“Thank you!” she cried as she hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts into his chest as she did so.

Meanwhile, up on the staff floor, Soarin was helping Rainbow Dash get settled for her recuperation.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked her.

“I got everything I could need: food, pillows, the entire Daring Do collection... I am in paradise!”

She kicked back on the couch and sighed.

“It’s good to be me,” she added to herself after Soarin was gone.

Spike’s first Blackjack game that afternoon was with two familiar faces.

“Bonjour, Fleur. Hello, Fancy Pants,” he greeted them. “How are you?”

“Oh, same as always: I move, I breathe. I seem to feel the thrill of life along the keel,” Fancy Pants replied.

“You sound like a ferryboat,” Spike commented.

“Men like you and me are not ferryboats, Spike, we are sloops. Very manly sloops,” Fancy said. “Wherever we go, people stare at us in dumb admiration.”

“Yeah, and what happens when they speak?” Spike asked as Fancy Pants laid 20 hundred dollar bills on the felt. “Changing two thousand!” he announced before counting out 20 black chips for him. “Don’t worry. I bring good luck. I always bring good luck.”

Spike winked at Fleur as he dealt her two cards: the Ace of Hearts and the King of Diamonds.

“A natural Blackjack,” he told her. “Congratulations, Mademoiselle, that’s very lucky.”

Fleur grinned at her good fortune. “I’m impressed. For a new dealer, you’re doing surprisingly well.”

“You’re too kind,” Spike replied.

He dealt Fancy Pants the Queen of Hearts and the Seven of Spades. He hit and got the Three of Diamonds for a twenty.

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” Fancy Pants let out.

“Congrats,” Spike said before signaling Fluttershy as she passed by his table. “A round of drinks for our guests,” he said to her.

She nodded as each took a vodka martini off her tray. After tipping Fluttershy a fifty, Fleur turned to face Spike again.

“So, where are you from?” Spike asked her as he dealt the cards. Fancy got a king, Fleur a queen. “I mean originally. Califoalnia?”

Fleur pretended not to smile, but Spike could tell by the goosebumps on her arms that she was impressed. She had grown up in Southern Califoalnia and, as Spike had guessed, made her living off of her looks as an Applewood starlet.

“What gave me away?” she asked. “I’ve got to get out of town once in a while, especially on the weekends. I get enough of the industry during the week.”

The next set of cards came out. Fancy drew a nine for a solid nineteen. Fleur drew another queen, a strong twenty. Spike had a six showing.

“You work in Applewood?” Spike inquired.

“Oui,” she answered. “Count this up for me. I want to split.”

She grabbed a handful of chips and pushed them across the felt. She set a second pile next to the first and split the two queens. Then Spike turned his head over one shoulder and called, rather loudly, “Splitting tens!”

Sassy Saddles looked over from across the pit. She looked at Fleur, nodded to Spike, and then he proceeded with the deal. His heart thudded as he dealt. Splitting tens was an unconventional move—and usually, an extremely stupid one. Unless the count was high and the dealer’s card was low. Then it was extremely profitable. Fleur drew another face card on her first hand and a seven on her second. Spike flipped over a ten, and then drew a queen, to bust.

Fleur and Fancy both won.

“Being an actress must be tough,” Spike commented.

“I’m not an actress, Chérie, I am a star,” Fleur said as she gave him a wink.

Fleur hit on a sixteen against Spike’s two. Luckily, she got a two for an eighteen to win the hand. Another time she doubled on an eight, managing to draw an ace. Toward the end of the shoe, she began raising her bets, taking advantage of her hot streak of good hands. As for Fancy Pants, he tossed chips into the betting circle with seeming abandon, keeping his bets around two hundred, but every now and then he jumped up to five hundred, and once laid down a thousand after drawing three hands of face cards.

By the end of it, both Fleur and Fancy Pants had made over fourteen thousand dollars—in under an hour. Most of it was stacked in front of Fleur, but at least five hundred dollars of pure profit was in front of Fancy. And it hadn’t been simple luck. Spike had tracked his shuffle so that they would win.

Overall, it had been a very lucrative afternoon.

“Well, that went well,” Fancy said, sipping his martini, amazed.

“See? I always bring good luck,” Spike said.

Fluttershy watched in awe as Fleur wrote something on a cocktail napkin and stuck it in Spike’s vest pocket. When Fleur left the casino, Spike felt like all the extra oxygen that was pumped in had been sucked out instead.

Upstairs, Rainbow Dash called her brother after she played through the whole campaign of the latest Order and Overpower game on her laptop.

“Yo, bro, what, are you too busy working to take a call? Sucker! Call me back, okay?” She hung up. “Okay, I am officially bored.”

After reading through half a dozen Daring Do books, and beating all of the video games, Dash decided to head out and see how her friends were doing. Her first stop was the front desk.

“So, what’s happening?” she asked Rarity. “What’s the 411 for tonight?”

“I’m not sure,” Rarity replied. “Here you go, Madame -- your room key and your spa card. Enjoy your stay.”

“So, this is what you do all day, huh?” Dash inquired. “Looks fun... If you want, I could hang out and greet guests or something.”

“I thought you were enjoying your time off,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, but I felt bad depriving the world of a Rainbow,” Dash replied. “I got great people skills.”

“I’m not sure having one of our maids walking around in a cast is good for P.R.,” Rarity answered. “Maybe... someone else could use your help.”

“Yeah, that’s... cool. I-I’ll go see what’s not cookin’ in the sushi bar,”

She hobbled on her crutches to X Sushi, where Starlight was helping Sunset lay out the cutlery for dinner.

“So, how’s Sunset treating you?” Dash asked as she sat down at the table Starlight was setting.

“If the fish tank was bigger, I would have drowned myself in it by now,” Starlight replied.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to work here, either,” Dash said as she tried to prop her casted leg up onto the table, spilling a pitcher of water as she did so.

“Dash, I just finished setting this one!” Starlight exclaimed.

“Sorry. I-I’ll clean it up,”

“No! Not my origami napkins!” Sunset shouted. “Those birds took me half an hour to fold!”

“I can fold these for you. See?”

“She said a ‘bird,’ not a ‘turd,’” Starlight said.

“Dash, do you mind if we hang out after our shifts?” Sunset asked. “I want to finish resetting so I can get a dance lesson in with Spike.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Dash replied. “I should probably check on him, anyway. He’s probably dying by now without Twilight working the tables.”

She gave them one last smile and hobbled away.

“I kind of feel sorry for Dash,” Sunset said.

“I don’t,” Starlight replied. “I’d kill for a day off!”

Then she started wondering how much a broken ankle really hurt.

Rainbow Dash entered the ballroom just in time to see Spike towel off as Discord handed him two guest evaluation sheets.

“Not bad,” Discord told him as he left.

“Hey, substitute dealer,” Dash said. “Drop any girls while dancing yet?”

“Not so far,” Spike replied as he dried his neck with the towel. “And dealing’s actually been really fun.”

“So, what’d you get?” Dash asked. “Six? Seven?”

“Try two tens!” he replied, showing her the sheets. “Oh yeah, oh yeah, who’s the boss? Come on!”

“I don’t think Twilight’s ever gotten a ten since you arrived,” Dash said.

“That’s because she sucks and I rule,” Spike said as he twirled away.

The next day, Spike was double booked for dance lessons with everyone from elderly couples to young girls that barely came up to his chest (some of which didn’t want to let him go). Fluttershy, trying to be considerate, canceled her lessons after she commented on how exhausted Spike looked afterward. He also dealt Blackjack for four hours in the casino. He slept well that night, but his muscles ached like he’d been dancing for eight solid hours.

Meanwhile, Twilight had to not only mop, vacuum, make beds and scrub toilets, she also had to clean food stains off the walls and check every battery in every smoke detector in every suite... via the tried and true “tongue test.” Unfortunately, her hair got stuck in the vacuum cleaner, all the sheet-tucking wreaked havoc on her cuticles, her tongue went numb from licking the batteries, and she had to deal with any and all floaters that came with the toilets.

Then one morning, Rainbow Dash awoke to find Spike standing over her. He, Soarin, and the girls had come by to check on her.

“Hey, gang,” Dash yawned, “ready for another day of tourists and oldies?”

“Dash, it’s been three days and you’ve barely left this suite,” Spike said.

“That’s because this is where all the fun is,” she replied.

“And Twilight, don’t you miss your job at all?” Rarity asked.

“It’s teaching kids how to bluff,” Twilight scoffed. “I mean, it’s not like a busload of movie stars just checked in looking for both card and dance lessons.”

Just then, Zephyr Breeze burst into the room, out of breath.

“Spike!” he panted. “A busload of female acrobats, swimsuit and lingerie models just checked in, and they need Blackjack and dance lessons!”

“Female acrobats?” Applejack asked.

“Swimsuit models?” asked Sunset.

“Lingerie models?” Fluttershy repeated.

“Female acrobats, swimsuit and lingerie models?” Rainbow Dash echoed.

“Who need Blackjack lessons?” Twilight asked.

“Who need dance lessons?” asked Pinkie.

“Who need Blackjack and dance lessons?” Rarity inquired.

“Female acrobats, swimsuit and lingerie models who need both Blackjack and dance lessons?!” Spike reiterated.

“That’s what I’m telling you!!” Zephyr shouted.

Spike suddenly felt like he was on Cloud Nine. His entire life had been leading up to the day when he was supposed to teach swimsuit and lingerie models how to dance.

“You’re probably right,” he said to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “Sitting here, on your butt and/or cleaning rooms is way more fun.”

“You need help with all those women?” Zephyr asked.

“I think I can handle it,” Spike said calmly as he headed for the elevator.

“I have to see this,” Rarity said.

“Me too,” Sunset added.

“I’m down with that,” Soarin joined in.

“As much as I would love to,” said Starlight, “I have to get to work.”

And they followed Spike, leaving Rainbow Dash and Twilight alone in the room.

“I never thought I’d say this,” Dash told Twilight, “but Spike has the best job in the world.”

“He has my job, too!” Twilight said angrily. “And I’m getting it back!”

Discord found all of his key employees in the lobby, ogling the swimsuit and lingerie models and the female acrobats. They were all fully-clothed, save for the lead acrobat, Trapeze Star, who wore a purple sequined leotard.

“Wow! For someone on duty, you’re sure doing nothing!” Discord said.

“Just, uh, checking on our dance instructor-slash-dealer,” Sunset replied.

“And you guys are...?” Discord asked.

“Helping,” Soarin and Zephyr Breeze answered.

“Uh-huh,” Discord said.

Spike swaggered up to the throng of beautiful women.

“Okay ladies, are ready to dance?” he asked them.

“Yeah, we’re ready, coach,” Trapeze Star replied.

“‘Coach’ -- I like the sound of that,” Spike said. “Okay, let’s start by strutting right past those guys over there.”

Discord found himself staring along with Soarin and Zephyr Breeze as Spike, the models and the acrobats paraded past them. They followed them into the ballroom and watched them warm-up before dancing freestyle to “Footloose.”

“Well, that settles it,” Discord said. “Spike is the new permanent top dealer.”

“He is?” Fluttershy gasped. “That is so awesome!”

“And Twilight is the newest maid,” Discord added.

“Where’s Rainbow Dash going?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, that’s easy,” he replied as he left. “She’s fired.”

“That’s so unfair!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Can’t you find her another job,” she asked Rarity, “at the front desk, maybe?”

“Front desk requires -- how can I put this delicately? A bigger brain,” Rarity replied. “And all the other positions are filled. There’s only one place for her, and if she can’t stand on her own two feet, she can’t clean rooms.”

“But Twilight can still deal cards,” Fluttershy said. “Can you get Discord to make the rounds in the casino a bit early so he can see it?”

“I guess so, but--”

“Perfect! You’re the best, Rarity!”

Fluttershy hugged Rarity and marched up to Spike.

“This should be interesting,” Rarity told herself.

“Great job, ladies,” Spike told the models and acrobats. “Fluttershy, thanks again for the pep talk the other day. You were right -- this is my dream job.”

“That’s great, but you have to quit,” Fluttershy said. “Discord is this close to giving you Twilight’s job and giving her Rainbow Dash’s job permanently!”

“Let me get this straight,” Spike replied. “I get to be the dance instructor and the new star dealer, Twilight’s stuck as a maid, and Rainbow Dash goes home? What’s the downside?”

“Spike, please!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Oh, all right, all right!” he exclaimed. And then he sighed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this... I’ll help them get their jobs back. But I am only doing it for Rainbow Dash, not Twilight, just Dash!”

“Yay!” Fluttershy cried.

Later that afternoon, Rarity convinced Discord to make his rounds in the casino earlier than usual. She had told him something urgent had come up that required his immediate attention.

“All right, what is so important that it couldn’t wait?” he asked.

Rarity pointed to the Blackjack area, to Twilight Sparkle’s table. Spike and the girls (Rainbow Dash included, her cast off) joined them after Spike completed his dance session with the models. They watched as Twilight swept up the losses of three players.

“Not bad for an egghead,” Spike complimented.

“She’s a legend!” Pinkie stated.

“I don’t need the rest of my sick leave, sir,” Rainbow Dash told Discord. “I can return to work immediately.”

“And I can return to dealing cards,” added Twilight.

“Oh, we don’t need you anymore,” Discord said to Dash. “You’re fired.”

“What?” Dash asked. “But I can walk again!”

“We have a new maid and a new star dealer,” Discord replied.

“No, you don’t,” Spike said. “I quit.”

“What do you mean you quit?” Discord asked.

“I’m sorry, but Twilight was right, teaching tourists how to play cards is pretty bleak,” Spike lied. “I’ll just stick to dance instructing, Twilight can work the tables again, and Dash can go back to housekeeping.”

“Whoa! Spike taking another one for the team,” the girls thought.

“Suit yourself,” Discord said, “oh, wait -- the housekeeping position’s already been filled. Oh, well. Safe trip home,” he told Twilight.

“What? Now you’re firing me?” she shouted.

“Technically, it’s downsizing,” Discord replied smugly. “And just when I thought the Brothers should have given you the housekeeping job. I mean it. You did a really good job cleaning.”

“That’s so unfair!” Fluttershy cried. “Rainbow Dash, she just saved your job! Say something!”

“You can’t fire me!” Twilight shouted. “Please, I’m begging you! Is there anything I can do?”

“Listen, I hire you back, that puts us over our staff quota, which hurts our overall budget, and you know who gets penalized for it? Me!”

“If you’re gonna fire anyone, fire me, not them!” Spike told him.

“I can’t fire you!” Discord replied. “You’re the only semi-decent employee I’ve got!”

“Either everyone stays or I go,” Spike stated.

“Even Twilight?” Discord asked.

“Even Twilight,” Spike repeated.

“Come on, man! At least attempt to be reasonable!”

“Nope, all or nothing,” Spike said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Fine, you can all have your old jobs back!” Discord said.

“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered.

Rainbow Dash knocked on the door to Spike’s suite later that night. He opened it, wearing a dark blue bathrobe.

“I wanted to thank you for saving my job,” she said. “That was pretty cool of you. So, got a full day ahead of you tomorrow?”

“Nah, I’m skipping it,” he replied. “I was on my feet all day. So, you’re back in housekeeping?”

“It’s not that bad,” She gave him a smile. “I get free movies, tons of grindage from the minibars...”

“How’s the ankle?”

“A little better, it’s probably never gonna be the same again but I can still pull a three-sixty,”

“If you call what you do a three-sixty,” he said.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a voice calling Spike’s name from his bedroom door.

“Yeah, Star?” he answered it.

Dash looked over and saw Trapeze Star, wearing one of Spike’s shirts, leaning against the doorframe.

“Are you coming back to bed?” she asked him.

“I’ll be right there, babe,” he murmured softly.

Trapeze Star smiled as she disappeared back into the bedroom and Spike turned to face Dash again before closing the door on her with a smile.

“No! Way!” she breathed.

The following day was hot and humid, and thunderheads began to form up around one in the afternoon as the Flimflam Brothers led Twilight and Rarity through a big gray casino that had been built to look like a castle, located in the heart of Las Pegasus.

“Slow down!” Twilight called after them.

“No, you speed up!” Flam called back. “Pick up the pace!”

“So, what do you think?” Flim asked them after they reached the top.

“This place gives me shivers,” Twilight whispered to herself.

“Wow! What a gorgeous view!” Rarity breathed.

“We’ve got big plans for this place,” Flim said.

“Just imagine how much the guests would enjoy this view if this whole top floor was a bar-lounge,” Flam added.

“But aren’t castles like this usually haunted?” Twilight asked. “Wouldn’t that drive customers away?”

“Who knows?” Flim replied. “Spooky stuff like this could be a great attraction.”

“Let’s check out the basement,” Flam said.

“Do we have to?” Twilight asked.

The basement was black marble and onyx, its ceiling held up by four statues of nude women with upraised arms and stainless steel eyes. Blue tapestries hung on the walls and long black candles stood in elegant silver candlesticks.

“There used to be a pretty popular casino here back in the 19th Century,” Flim told them. “It was run by a woman named Nightmare Moon, who’s featured in this portrait here.”

They all gazed up at the framed painting of a regal woman in a dark blue gown silhouetted against the night sky.

“She’s so beautiful,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, she really was something,” Flam replied. “And we’ve converted this basement into a perfect recreation of her casino.”

“Conveniently, these tables are the same as the ones we use in our casinos, so repairs were a breeze,” Flim added.

“Impressive,” said Rarity.

“I know,” Flam answered. “To pull the whole look together, we’ve ordered you ladies some special costumes. We’ll open for business next week, when the reconstruction is done. Can we count on you?”

“How do you expect us to work here and at the hotel at the same time?” Twilight asked. “We’re all working overtime as it is, not to mention all of your little side projects.”

“No worries,” said Flim. “We’ve already got your replacements lined up for the big day.”

“Not another new recruit, I hope,” Twilight replied.

“No, these are experienced professionals,” Flam assured her. “There’s no room for error.”

“We’ve invested a truly irresponsible amount of money into this castle,” Flim said as the women followed him and his brother out of the basement. “If it turns out to be a flop, then we all lose big.”

When they left the castle casino, the skies opened. It began to pour and the portrait of Nightmare Moon started glowing.

Hours later, a zigzag of lightning cracked across the sky over Las Pegasus. It had been raining for hours and the storm showed no sign of letting up. Outside the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort, the night was cold, rainy, and dark. But inside, the guests were all warm and comfortable. Several of the girls had joined Spike in his suite for a little late night reading.

“Ah...” he sighed.

Spike had his nose buried in one of the many fine titles in his excellent collection of comic books. He wasn’t sure exactly when his fanboy crush on Mistress Marvelous had begun, but he didn’t care. At the moment, he imagined himself as Humdrum, peeling off her tight red uniform and making love to her... right behind Masked Matterhorn’s back!

Applejack was looking at an issue of Mistress Marvelous too. Pinkie stifled her laughter (as not to disturb everyone else) as she read a comic about cartoon animals that sang silly songs and (at least in her mind) spoke in squeaky voices. Fluttershy held up a comic, but it was to conceal a smutty romance novel about a group of lady pirates who had saved a young man from dying and took him on as their cabin boy. She was reading the part where the cabin boy had started a relationship with the ship’s doctor (who was also a woman). Even Rainbow Dash was reading a Shadow Spade novel... with a sour, unbelieving expression on her face. She traded with Rarity for Daring Do and the Tickets to the Opera.

The only one who wasn’t reading was Sunset Shimmer. She was staring out the window, into the rain, into the darkness. Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed into the night, followed by a deafening crash of thunder that shook the building.

All the other girls looked up at Sunset, startled.

“Just the storm,” she said, blushing as red as her hair.

She turned away from the window too quickly, stubbing her toe against the leg of the room’s main reading table.

“Ow!” she cried, hopping around the room in pain.

“You’re awfully jumpy tonight,” Spike observed. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Sunset insisted.

Spike returned to his comic book, but every few seconds, he lowered it an inch to look at Sunset. When she caught him looking, he quickly raised the comic back in front of his face.

Twilight glanced at her watch—it was almost midnight—then she headed for the door.

“I’ve got to work the graveyard shift,” she said.

No one seemed to be listening as Twilight pulled the door to Spike’s suite shut behind her. She hurried down the hall to the elevator and rode it down to the ground floor. Once the doors reopened, she walked through the lobby to the casino. She glanced at her watch again. The minute hand moved. It now pointed straight up to twelve. The lights flickered on and off as Twilight took her position behind her table and a woman in blue sat across from her. She was soaked to the bone but in good humor.

“Good evening,” Twilight said.

Droplets of water dotted the lady’s hair as she pushed four chips (one red, one black, one purple, and one blue) across the felt to Twilight. Thunder boomed and a few hanging lights in the gloomy casino flickered.

Twilight dealt the woman the Ten of Hearts and the Ten of Spades, and she got the Jack of Diamonds and the Eight of Clubs for herself.

“Twenty,” she said. “The dealer shows eighteen. Congratulations.”

“Let’s make a bet,” the lady told her. “If I’m the winner of this game, then your casino belongs to me.”

“Good one, that’s very funny,”

The lady in blue started laughing. Then she attacked Twilight!

Twilight screamed as she bolted upright in her bed.

“Just a bad dream,” she told herself as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and she dove under the covers. “I hate lightning!” she cried.

Across the city, lightning struck the castle casino and the spirit of Nightmare Moon was freed from her portrait!

The next morning was sunny and warm. The staff and the guests of the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort could hardly believe that there had been a storm the night before. Applejack, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight were all by the pool, preparing for the Brothers’ latest side project: a swimsuit calendar featuring all of them. Applejack was dressed in a royal blue bikini while Fluttershy wore a yellow two-piece number with a frilly pattern, Pinkie was decked out in hot pink while Sunset wore black, Rarity was in white, Rainbow Dash wore red, and Twilight wore purple.

They had agreed to stay by the pool for the entire shoot, in support of each other. The plan was to finish up by 10:00 and reshoot anything that the photographer didn’t like after that, but they had the pool to themselves from six until noon... when they would enjoy a Champagne brunch together.

“I, Photo Finish... have arrived! Now, let’s get ready for the photo sesh!”

Spike stood in the shade, away from the pool and out of Photo Finish’s way. He had heard stories about her from his days as a model; about a famous fashion photographer who was as beautiful as she was smart, good at giving direction, had no limits (as long as her models felt comfortable posing for her), and a thick accent that added to her sexiness. He had never worked with her personally, and he only “knew” her from her work, which was impressive, and her reputation.

She wore a black ensemble with white accents and big purple sunglasses with thick black frames that complimented her light gray hair. And she had brought her entire entourage: Soigné Folio, High Style, Powder Rouge, Pixel Pizzazz and Violet Blurr (all women).

“It is time to make... za magicks!”

Photo Finish pulled out her camera—a high-end single-lens reflex digital model—and immediately started snapping photos. And the girls did as she instructed them without hesitation.

“Oh, yes! Ja! There you go. Okay, yes. Oh, now, Pinkie Pie, you’re having fun! Yes! So much fun! Now, Flootershy, you’re feeling bashful. You’re blushing. Rarity, give me a little pout...”

The poses started out modestly with Pinkie holding a beach ball, Fluttershy looking cute, and Rarity sitting on one of the pool chaises with her legs crossed and acting coy (like she knew they wanted her).

“Ah, yes, very nice. Ja,” Photo Finish said. “I like what I’m seeing. Now, let’s get a little sexier.”

The poses quickly got more provocative with Applejack and Sunset hugging each other, their hands coming dangerously close to untying each others’ bikini tops; Twilight tugging on the strings of her top, and Rainbow Dash bent over and looking back as she sucked a Popsicle. Photo Finish kept throwing out commands and the girls obeyed, which made her very happy. And every time the camera flashed, the girls moved. They wanted to give Photo Finish as much to work with as possible.

Photo Finish saw Spike in the shade out of the corner of her eye when she was adjusting the focus of her camera, and stopped mid-command. Then she lifted her sunglasses, staring at him with wide, dark indigo eyes.

“You!” she shouted, pulling him out of the shadows. “That poise, that masculinity... You are magnificent!” She kissed him. “I MUST photograph you!”

Photo Finish started taking photos of Spike. He held his hand up in front of his face (the first few flashes had temporarily blinded him), then his eyes adjusted.

“Remove your shirt!” she ordered. “So I can see the hunk behind the man!”

Spike took off his vest before Photo Finish (or any of her assistants) could get the chance. Then he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, and Photo Finish was in complete awe.

“Ooohh... That flat stomach, those taut, sculpted muscles... That abdomen, those lats, those deltoids, that butt, and just the right amount of chest hair... you are a fantastic physical specimen! You pose for me!”

Spike just went with it, a simple turn here, a flex of the arm there...

“You are a big, strong, macho, MACHO MAN!!” Photo Finish shouted.

She went crazy with her camera, snapping in numerous different positions, including under her leg, upside down, while lying down, looking away, crouching, even between her legs! Spike started getting the hang of it and even added some of his own personal touches, which Photo Finish liked.

He could sense Photo Finish’s lust for him as he gave her a look that said, “I know you want me. Come and let me ravage you.”

Photo Finish couldn’t remember the last time she had done a photo shoot with a man so gorgeous nor so comfortable with himself as Spike. She was thankful that she was wearing her shades, because if not, Spike would have been able to see the desire in her eyes.

“Perfect!” she said. “Hold that pose! Brilliant! Brilliant! Oh, you’re radiant! You’re glowing! Enough! I go!”

And just like that, with a snap of her fingers, Photo Finish and her entire team were gone.

“Is she always that intense?” Spike asked.

“No,” Fluttershy replied. “In fact, usually she’s much more than that.”

“That was great,” Dash said to Spike as she offered him a bottle of water.

He thanked her before taking a swig.

“You really have gotten popular around here,” Sunset said. “I’m sure you’ll be getting a call from Applewood any day now.”

“I’d love to see a movie starring Spike,” Pinkie put in.

Spike smiled as he fought off a blush. But he smiled even wider, and blushed even harder, when he saw Chrysalis sprawled out on one of the pool chaises... naked, as usual.

“Spike, can you be a dear and do my back?” she asked cutely. “You always get the little nooks and crannies.”

“Sure thing, Mamacita,” he said.

Spike was a little surprised that Photo Finish didn’t ask Chrysalis to pose for her (she had been laying there the whole time). She had been tanning so much that her skin had gotten a bronze sheen to it. Chrysalis tilted her head to look up at Spike as he rubbed oil onto her shoulders.

“That storm last night was intense,” she said.

“I slept like a rock, so I couldn’t tell,” Spike replied.

“Lucky boy,” she thought.

It hadn’t taken much effort (on Spike’s part) to seduce Chrysalis. She was lonely, bored, and like many women her age, horny. Add a few drinks and a day where it was a hundred degrees in the shade, and the result was spontaneous combustion. Now, he had her wrapped around his little finger. And yes, I’m sure most of you are thinking, “All Spike has to do is look at a woman and she’s wet between the legs, panting like a puppy for a treat, bent over, thighs spread, ready to satisfy his every desire.” But Spike liked to earn it, even though he didn’t have to. He took the time to enjoy every opportunity that came his way.

Suddenly, Starlight Glimmer came running out from inside.

“Did you hear what went down yesterday?” she asked the girls.

“No, what happened?” Twilight replied.

“Grand theft pineapple,” Starlight said. “Late last night, someone stole every single pineapple that we had on the hotel premises!”

“Every one?” Pinkie asked.

Starlight nodded.

“That’s odd,” Twilight commented.

Applejack looked over at Spike when she noticed him rubbing his arm.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

Spike shook his head. Starlight mentioning the word “pineapple” had caused him to give in to his reflexive urge to scratch. They looked over at Rarity, who was lying on one of the pool chaises and holding her cell phone to her ear.

“I’m sorry, but I need to cancel my reservation,” she said. “Yes, thank you.”

“What’s wrong, Rarity?” Spike asked.

“I’ve been dieting, but I’m still gaining weight,” she replied.

“Are you sure?” Applejack asked.

“I was shocked when I got on the scale after I woke up this morning,” Rarity said with a sigh. “And I’m so busy I have no appetite.”

Spike gave Rarity a sympathetic smile as she got up and went inside.

“I hope she’ll be okay,” he thought.

It was cold and rainy again that night. At one o’clock in the morning, another horrible rainstorm lashed the resort. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed, and when the grandfather clock in Spike’s suite bonged, the sound was drowned out by a thunderclap. And down in the casino, several of the patrons left when the slot machines didn’t pay off.

“What the--?!”

“Is it broken?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve been on a cold streak,”

“Man, let’s just go,”

A woman in dark blue approached the Roulette wheel. She was dripping wet and she was carrying several stacks of casino chips. With a pale white hand, she placed a stack of red chips on Black 26 as Fluttershy spun the wheel.

“Let’s make a bet,” the lady in blue said. “If I’m the winner, your casino will belong to me.”

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the casino’s vast roof. Thunder boomed and rain slashed noisily downward and all of Las Pegasus blacked out for ten whole seconds. Then the power returned... and the lady in blue had disappeared.

Discord, Spike, Applejack, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Starlight and Twilight assembled in Flim and Flam’s office the following morning.

“If she wins, the casino’s hers. That’s what she said?” Twilight inquired.

“Almost word for word,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Damn!” Applejack exclaimed. “She’s got guts!”

“What did she look like?” Starlight asked.

“She was wearing a long, very dark blue dress,” Fluttershy replied.

Twilight looked aghast.

“What?” she asked.

“And she was beautiful, if not a bit gloomy,” Fluttershy added.

“I’ve never seen anyone like that before,” Pinkie said.

“Just like in my dream,” Twilight whispered.

“What dream?” Starlight asked.

“Well, well, speak of the Devil,” Flim and Flam both said.

The Brothers had pulled up footage from the camera near the Roulette table Fluttershy was working the night before, and the lady in blue appeared on the security monitors.

“Creepy!” Dash commented. “You can’t even see her face!”

“Applejack, if this woman shows up again, we want you and your security team to deal with it,” Flim ordered.

“You got it,” AJ replied.

“Discord, check the backup generator and make sure it’s operational,” added Flam. “If the power goes off in the hotel again, we’re going to need it.”

“Yes, sir,” Discord said.

“Fluttershy, come with me,” Twilight whispered.

The afternoon was cold and rainy when Spike entered the Sweet Snacks Café. After the shoot with Photo Finish the day before, he went to the front desk and asked Coco if she would like to have coffee with him the following afternoon. She said yes and that she could hardly wait. The Café was almost deserted at 3:00 o’clock when Spike went in and sat at a table near the back. He waved for Coco to join him after she’d arrived. She smiled as she sat across from him and Pinkie brought him a cup of hot chocolate.

“You already ordered?” Coco asked.

“I didn’t know how you take your coffee,” Spike replied. “If I had, I would have ordered it for you so that it would be ready when you got here. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I don’t drink coffee.”

Pinkie asked Coco what she wanted and Coco said she would have the same thing that Spike had.

“Another hot chocolate with whipped cream, coming right up,” Pinkie smiled and skated away.

“It’s surprisingly chilly out there,” Coco said. “Hard to believe it was sunny and warm a few hours ago.”

“I know, this weather’s been freaky lately,” Spike replied.

Once Pinkie returned with Coco’s cocoa, she (Coco) began to relax and she and Spike got to talking. He thanked her again for helping get Suri fired and making sure that Fluttershy stayed. Then they started speaking about their jobs at the resort; Coco had told Spike that she had been working there for five years now, but she had aspirations of being on Bridleway and that if not as an actress onstage, then as a set builder and/or costume designer behind the scenes.

Spike shared that his minor in college was Theatre Arts and he had done community theatre a few times since then. He also admitted that green was not his natural hair color; he had dyed it once on a dare, but he liked it so much (and he looked so good) that he just never let its natural black color return. Then he told her he liked her hairdo.

“Bobs are gorgeous, but not a lot of women can pull them off,” he said. “And you... you do it very well.”

All in all, it was not bad for their “first date.” But after a while, Spike started staring at her.

“Spike, are you okay?” Coco asked.

He sighed.

“I like you, Coco,” he said. “I really do. But, there are others... Other girls... that I like, and who like me...”

“Miss Queen and Miss de Lis being among them?” she guessed.

“Yes. I’m sorry--”

“I understand,” she said.

Spike was shocked. He had expected her to slap him, or at least cry, but she didn’t do either.

Coco paused for a moment before adding, “Have you told either of them how you feel?”

“No,” he replied.

“Well, I think you should,” she told him. “You’re a good man, Spike Drake, and you deserve the best.”

She thanked him for buying her cocoa.

“I hope I didn’t keep you from work,” he said.

“Not at all. I had fun. I only wish we had more time to talk,”

“Me too,”

They exited the Café together. Then Coco gave Spike a kiss on the lips.

“Thank you again, Spike,” she said. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel that as long as you’re around everything will be all right.”

Spike held a hand to his lips and he blushed as he watched her go.

“She slipped me tongue!” he thought happily. “She slipped me tongue!”

Fluttershy was extremely scared when Twilight led her down to the basement of the castle casino. Even with the lights on, it was still dim and eerie.

“It’s not much farther,” Twilight told her.

They walked down the stairs, then Fluttershy stood frozen, her face twisted in terror as she pointed up to the gilt-framed painting hanging above their heads.

“That’s the woman I saw!” she exclaimed.

“Are you positive?” Twilight asked.

“I’d never forget a face like that. That’s definitely her!”

“It’s just as I thought. It’s the spirit of Nightmare Moon!”

Twilight and Fluttershy returned to the Flimflam Resort right after, and Twilight marched into Flim and Flam’s office.

“A ghost?” the Brothers asked.

“I’m not kidding,” Twilight said. “It’s Nightmare Moon! Fluttershy confirmed it after I showed her portrait.”

“We had heard rumors of ghosts when we bought the place,” Flim admitted, “but we thought it was just a joke.”

“So what?” Flam asked. “Ghosts don’t exist! Nightmare Moon died years ago and she’s not coming back!”

Twilight showed them an article she had printed off the internet.

“What’s this?” Flim inquired.

“I decided to do a little research,” she told them.

“And what did you find?” asked Flam.

“Nightmare Moon loved gambling more than anything or anyone,” Twilight said. “The casino she opened in the castle basement was well known for being as beautiful as its owner... until one night, when a high roller came to visit. In a single night, she lost everything from ownership of the castle to her all-time favorite food: pineapples.”

“Pineapples?” Flim echoed.

“Isn’t it strange that all of our pineapples have gone missing?” she asked.

“It can’t be--” Flam started to say. “It’s ridiculous!”

“The casino continued to operate long after Nightmare Moon’s death,” Twilight continued. “But frequent sightings of her ghost roaming through the castle caused a decline in sales, which forced the casino to ultimately close down for good.”

“Nonsense!” Flam shouted. “It’s all nonsense!”

“You’re not going to do anything even in the face of all this evidence?” Twilight shouted.

“What evidence?” Flam replied. “Let’s suppose there really is a ghost. Why would she show up here and now after all this time?”

“And why would an immaterial being want to eat pineapples, anyway?” Flim added. “Ghosts can’t eat without a physical body!”

“None of this makes any sense!” they both stated.

Twilight couldn’t answer.

Rarity awoke in the middle of the night with a throbbing headache. She went into her bathroom, splashed cold water on her face and when she looked in the mirror, she saw Nightmare Moon staring right back at her. Rarity shook her head and closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, she saw her own reflection in the mirror.

“What’s happening to me?” she asked.

Rarity could hear Nightmare Moon laughing in her head, and then she blacked out. A little while later, a noise woke Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Dash made her way to Fluttershy’s room.

“You hear that?” Dash whispered.

Fluttershy nodded.

It was a terrible, slurping, smacking sound like somebody was licking their chops. And it was accompanied by the sound of teeth tearing meat from bones.

Rainbow Dash fumbled in her pocket for her penlight. When she flicked it on, the thin beam of light found Fluttershy’s pale face.

The noise was coming from Rarity’s room.

They tiptoed to Rarity’s room and saw that she wasn’t in bed. Then they saw the door to Rarity’s bathroom creaked open. They peeked around the corner and saw Rarity sitting on the floor, savagely devouring whole pineapples. Only it wasn’t Rarity, it was a creature that looked like Rarity. It looked up at them with wild eyes and they turned and ran with it close behind them.

They bolted for the door, but it cut them off.

“You saw me!” she shouted as she overtook them.

Meanwhile, Twilight tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep.

“I can not believe them!” she said about Flim and Flam. “They are so hardheaded!” Suddenly, her cell phone started ringing. “Rarity, what’s up?”

“Please... help me... before it’s too late...”

She sounded weak, almost like she was dying.

Then the line went dead.

“Rarity, what’s wrong? Rarity!” she shouted.

Twilight ran down the hallway to Rarity’s suite. The door was wide open. She walked in and saw that the suite had been trashed. The water had been left running in the sinks in the bathroom and the kitchenette, a bottle of red wine had been spilled on the carpet by the couch, and every single one of the rooms was littered with... pineapples.

“Rarity’s been possessed by Nightmare Moon!” Twilight breathed.

Numerous bolts of lightning flashed above Twilight’s head as she made her way across town, to the castle casino. Once she was inside, she made her way down to the basement, and she found Spike standing across from Rarity as she sat on a throne in the center of the room. Only it wasn’t the Rarity they knew. This woman wore a dark blue, almost black dress, and she was taller, paler, and more endowed in the bust department.

“I welcome you to my castle, Miss Sparkle,” she said with a wicked smile.

“Get out of Rarity’s body right now!” Spike ordered.

“You want me to leave? Very well, but in exchange...”

She tossed Spike a pair of red dice and he caught them one-handed.

“I want to play a game,” she said. “Afterward, I will release Rarity. Well, if you win, of course.”

“And if I lose?” Spike asked.

“The Flimflam Brothers’ Resort will belong to me... forever!”

“That’s outrageous!” shouted a familiar voice.

“Unacceptable!” added another almost identical one.

“We’ll never agree to those terms!” a third joined in.

Spike looked behind Nightmare Rarity and saw Flim, Flam, and Discord all hanging, suspended by ropes on the far wall.

“Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy!” he shouted.

They had been possessed too, hypnotized into Nightmare Rarity’s servants.

“If you refuse my game, I’ll cut them in two!” Nightmare Rarity said.

“Accept her challenge, Spike!” shouted Flim.

“Do what she says!” Flam added.

“Are you okay with putting your entire resort on the line?” Spike asked.

“I’d rather die!” Flim growled.

“You’re about to!” Spike reminded them.

“Fine, you have our express permission!” the Brothers shouted.

“If I win this game, do you promise that you’ll let Rarity go?” Spike asked.

“I swear,” Nightmare Rarity replied.

“And you have to promise to leave all of us in peace!” Spike added.

“I keep my word!” Nightmare Rarity smiled evilly. “Now, let’s get started!”

“I’ll do it!” Spike accepted.

They took positions on opposite ends of a Craps table.

“Let’s keep it simple,” Nightmare Rarity said. “We’ll place bets on the sum of our dice coming up even or odd.”

“That’s fine,” Spike replied.

“One roll will decide your fate,” she added. “Here we go.”

Spike held the dice firmly in his fist.

“Hurry up and roll already!” Nightmare Rarity demanded.

“What’s your bet?” he asked.

“Odd,” said she.

“Don’t you dare lose, Spike!” Flim stated.

“The resort is our lives!” added Flam. “You have to win!”

Spike was about to throw when suddenly, a swarm of bats appeared and started flying all around him. Only they weren’t bats, they were rings of pineapple. Flying pineapple rings with bat wings attached to them. He tried to knock them away with his fists, but they were too quick.

“What is he doing?” Discord and Twilight asked.

Spike was the only one who could see the pineapple rings, and even if they were a hallucination, they still felt very real. His arms started to turn red as the pineapples rings surrounded him.

“What’s the matter?” Nightmare Rarity asked. “Roll the dice. I’m getting impatient.” She picked up a pineapple ring from a bowl of them that had been sitting next to her throne and tore into it. Then tears started to form in her eyes. “What the Tartarus is wrong with these rings?” she exclaimed. “They’re so spicy!”

“They better be,”

“You!” Nightmare Rarity hissed.

Spike squinted through the swarm of pineapple rings, and Twilight turned to look up the staircase, and saw Sunset and Pinkie Pie standing at the top!

“I soaked the last of that shipment in my own special blend of hot sauce with extra habanero,” Pinkie smiled.

Nightmare Rarity exhaled sharply, and spat out a fireball that incinerated the flying pineapple rings surrounding Spike.

Once they were gone, Spike cast the red cubes... and he rolled two ones.

Normally, single digits on both dice were not desirable at all... but that day, they were life-saving.

“Snake Eyes!” he declared. “You lost! Now release my friends!”

Nightmare Rarity screamed as Sunset ran down the stairs. She whipped out Spike’s allergy shot and jabbed it into his arm just before his face started to swell up. Spike thanked Sunset as he quickly caught Rarity, Pinkie caught Fluttershy, and Sunset caught Rainbow Dash before they all fainted to the floor.

“That was close,” Discord exhaled.

“Rarity, are you okay?” Spike asked.

“I’m all right,” she groaned. “But I feel bad for Nightmare Moon. We had so much in common... we might have gotten along.”

“Hello, anybody,” Flim began. “Let us out of here!”

“If we’re not out of here in ten seconds you’re all fired!” Flam yelled.

Sunset and Pinkie released Discord and the Brothers from their bonds before helping Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to their feet.

“Thanks for your help,” Spike told Sunset and Pinkie Pie. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“But who, what--when--how?” Twilight attempted.

“It was quite simple, really,” Spike told her. “The other girls and I had been keeping a close eye on Rarity since the photo shoot. It was originally just to make sure that she was all right, but then we noticed her acting strangely. Then, when I saw her leave the resort after a late night gambling session, I decided to follow her and voilà!”

“We saw where things were headed,” Sunset added. “I guess that’s what you’d call intuition.”

“You gotta make sure players follow the rules,” Pinkie said.

Twilight was thunderstruck. Spike, Sunset and Pinkie had saved Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Flim, Flam, and Discord! And not only that, but in spite of her not sharing any of her findings with him, he had found out about Nightmare Moon on a simple hunch! As they all walked back to the resort, Twilight couldn’t help but think that there was much more to Spike, and his abnormally large amount of good luck, than what was meeting the eye.

Next time, the girls take Spike to a magic show, only to have the Great and Powerful Trixie make him disappear as part of the act.

Magic was the topic at the table when Celestia and Spike joined the girls, Soarin and Zephyr Breeze in the Sweet Snacks Café before it opened and the breakfast rush began. The Flimflam Brothers Resort was hosting a magicians’ convention at the hotel and several performers from illusionists to hypnotists had checked in over the past few days.

Soarin held up his hardboiled egg and asked, “How great would it be if I cracked this open and a dove flew out?”

“That’d be unbelievable,” Zephyr said. “We’d be talking about it forever.”

“Plus, I’d sue this place for millions,” Soarin replied, “buy a cabin in the woods, maybe a boat... But I’d have to buy a lot of birdseed, too.”

“Why?” Zeph asked.

“To feed the million-dollar dove,” Soarin answered.

“This is an actual conversation?” Twilight asked rhetorically.

“Women are the ones always asking what men are thinking about,” Soarin replied. “Never ask me what I’m thinking about,” he advised.

“Not anymore,” Twilight retorted.

“Good,” Soarin said.

“I’ll admit, magic’s pretty cool,” Pinkie replied, “but I’m more of a human cannonball kind of girl.”

“I know a little hypnosis, myself,” Starlight said. “What about you, Spike?”

“I hate magic,” he stated.

Twilight stiffened as if Spike had slapped her.

“How can you not like magic?” she asked.

“I just don’t. You got problem with that?”

The entire table stared at Spike in shock.

“I don’t want to talk about magic. I don’t want to hear the word ‘magic’, I don’t want anything to do with magic, and I hope and pray to never see another magic trick for as long as I live!!” he yelled.

He turned his whole body away from them, but he didn’t get up to leave.

“All right, Spike,” said Pinkie, “what is the deal with you and magic?”

Spike glared at her for a moment, like he was hoping she would burst into flames. Then he went right back to staring away from them.

“Spike, what is it? What’s wrong?” Pinkie asked, genuinely concerned.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said shortly.

“Spike was part of a wonderful magic act when he was a boy,” Celestia explained, “The Great and Powerful Trixie... and Friend.”

“Wait! Trixie?” Starlight asked. “As in Trixie Lulamoon? My best friend? That Trixie?”

“Oh, you know her?” Celestia asked.

“She’s the Resort’s very own special in-house magician,” Starlight said.

“And friend?” Twilight inquired, looking at Spike.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Spike repeated.

As if on cue, Celestia pulled her cell phone and showed them a video of Spike and Trixie when Spike was seven-years-old and Trixie was thirteen. Trixie was dressed in a top hat with a cape and wand, while Spike had been reduced to wearing a ridiculous outfit with a brightly colored vest and neck tie.

In the video, Trixie was performing one of magic’s most popular impromptu tricks. All she needed to baffle her audience was a length of rope (which she proved to be strong and unprepared). She gathered the rope to find its exact center. Then she made a loop and held it in her hand. After that, she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut through the center of the rope. She twisted the cut ends in her fist; waved her other hand over it, and when she reopened her hand, the rope was back in one piece as if by magic.

“Aww... You were so cute!” Fluttershy said.

“But how do you know Trixie?” Starlight asked Celestia. “And more importantly, how does Spike know her?”

“Trixie was Spike’s closest friend,” Celestia replied.

“Another ‘closest friend’?” Rarity asked. “What about Thorax?”

“Before Thorax,” Celestia explained. “They both attended my School for Gifted Youths together and Spike saved Trixie’s life.”

“Where’d Spike meet Thorax, then?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They were roommates in college, but before that, who knows?” Celestia replied. “A racetrack, a nightclub, Whinnyland...”

The gang turned to Spike to ask him, but he was gone. Celestia paid for all of their meals and they went off to find him. They found him with Discord, standing by the large double doors leading to one of the resort’s theaters, in front of a stone statue of Trixie’s father, the late, great Jack Pot.

“That man was one of the greatest showmen I’d known since Flank Sinatra,” Discord told Spike. “Jack was supposed to be the Resort’s main attraction. The theater was designed specifically to house his show. Sadly, it was not meant to be.”

He and Spike bowed their heads, almost mournfully, as if to pay respect to the dead. Spike knew that world-famous magicians used their tricks to impress supermodels and beautiful Applewood starlets the same way some guys used flashy cars to impress women who were way out of their league (Spike, himself, was guilty of using both in the past). But Spike knew Jack Pot all too well and his daughter... And it all began with a game of the old street hustle, three-card Monte.

It was fifteen years ago, when Spike was walking down a street in Monacolt. He came across a girl in a blue top hat, a blue jacket, a matching skirt and heels. She had very pale hair, beautiful dark violet eyes, and an even more beautiful smile. She was amazing.

“I know a lucky boy when I see one,” she had said.

“And you look like the cat that ate the canary,” Spike countered. “Tell me, what would your Daddy think if he knew his little girl was running a con game?”

“Some people sharpen their skills with Tae Kwon Do, I sharpen mine with cards,” she replied. “Lay your money down, rube.”

Spike put down fifty dollars, which was all the money he had. Trixie smiled.

“Of course you know the object of this game is to stay away from the Jokers and find the Queen of Hearts,” she told him. “If you can find the Queen after the cards are shuffled you win double your money back.”

“Let her rip, baby cakes,” Spike said.

“Okay, here we go. Keep your eyes on the prize,” she said as she shuffled. “Everyone wins and everyone’s a winner. Show me the lucky lady.”

Spike pointed to the left card.

“Right here, toots,”

Trixie flipped the card over.

“Son of a--!” she exclaimed. “Beginner’s luck... Keep your eyes on--”

“There,”

“Damn! This is impossible!”

“I guess all that time hanging out with transient carnival workers finally paid off,” he said.

Trixie snapped her fingers and the faces of all three of the cards transformed into the Queen of Hearts.

“I’d say the hearts are on your side, Slick,” she said. “What to go see some real magic?”

Trixie loved being onstage, seeing the mystified looks of the crowd as she wowed them with the simplest of magic. She had started out as a regular stage magician, performing parlor tricks, when her father, Jack Pot, introduced her to the world of true magic. She quickly began incorporating it into her act, creating illusions that would be impossible for any other magician to replicate. It was her ticket to fame and fortune. But Trixie didn’t perform for the money, or the attention. She was in it for the thrill.

She also adored Spike, so much that she went doe-eyed whenever he was around. They’d been best friends, mostly because Trixie’s father was extremely protective of her, always too worried about “bad influences”. But she had Spike and they shared a very special bond; Trixie felt it was her responsibility to make sure that Spike was happy.

Spike’s mind drifted to the last time he saw her. It was a routine they had done time and time again. The very first illusion of the night would be Jack dramatically appearing onstage, whether it was levitating down from the rafters, teleporting in with a puff of smoke, or by a simple drawback of the curtains by the crew offstage. Then Jack would introduce his daughter, usually by either helping her out of his top hat, or making her materialize out of thin air or a cloud of smoke, demonstrating Jack’s power to convince the audience that he could make his assistant(s) come and go at will. It was always one Tartarus of a show. Then they added Spike to their act. And when they did, no trio had been more famous. And no trick was too big. They had done almost every trick in the book: amazing appearances, death-defying escapes, baffling levitations, astounding vanishes, mind-blowing sleight of hand, and impossible illusions; everything from the levitating woman to the disappearing elephant.

Their final performance together, Jack and Spike stepped out in black tuxedos and matching hooded capes. Then Jack asked Spike to help him with the first trick, which involved a tall, four-legged wooden frame. Spike entered and examined the seemingly empty frame. As he looked around, the audience could see straight through it. Then Spike lowered a chain from the frame’s round top. Then, Jack handed Spike a costume—a suitably seductive two-piece number and a pair of heels. Spike hung the costume from the chain as Jack removed his cloak. As Jack attached it to the frame, Spike picked up a ghostly mannequin head. Once the cloak was in place, Spike set the head on top of the frame. Jack pulled the hood of his cloak up and over the head and he gave Spike a signal to rotate the entire frame.

While Spike was spinning the frame, Jack did a few of his patented hand gestures and pulled a bouquet of red roses from one of his sleeves. After Spike finished spinning the frame, Jack handed him the bouquet. Jack removed his cloak from the frame and there was Trixie, wearing her top hat and the costume that Spike had hung from the chain. And she was delighted by the bouquet. The audience applauded and Spike pocketed three of the roses. He was going to need them for later. Then Jack took his cloak and stepped off to the side as Trixie stepped forward.

“Now for something simple,” she said to the audience. “Nothing up my sleeves; and my hat is empty.”

She took off her top hat and displayed the inside of it to the crowd. She even tossed it into the air to further prove that nothing was hidden inside.

“Now, who can guess what I’m going to pull out of my hat?” she asked.

Some of the audience members shouted guesses to her.

“A rabbit!”

“Some scarves?”

“Another bouquet of flowers?”

“Would you believe... more hats?” she asked them.

Trixie reached into her hat and pulled out a slightly smaller top hat. Then she pulled another out of that one, and another, and another, and another like they were nesting dolls, until she finally pulled out one the size of her fingernail.

“Thank you, thank you!” Trixie said with a smile as they cheered and her father returned.

“And now, my assistants will help me perform another illusion,” he told them, “one of the most famous in all of magic.”

He levitated an ordinary-looking table and chair onto the stage. Spike walked around the chair so that he, and the audience, could get a good look at it. Then he did the same with the table. They could see that there was nothing on or below the chair or the table. Then, Jack stepped onto the table to prove that there was nothing above him or the table. He then called Trixie over so that the audience could get a good look at her.

Jack stepped down from the table and Spike and Trixie covered it with a large sheet. After that, Spike handed Jack the chair, which Jack placed in the center of the tabletop. Ever the gentleman, Spike helped Trixie step up onto the table where she joined her father, who told her to sit in the chair. Jack stepped back down onto the stage again, removed his cloak once more, and began to raise it while Trixie was still in the chair. Spike helped cover Trixie with the cloak and Jack told the audience to watch carefully as they lifted it in front of her. Again, the audience could see that there was nothing below the table.

Jack waved his hands a bit, and when Spike lifted the sheet away, Trixie was gone. Spike helped Jack remove the chair from atop the table and Jack spun around on top of the table to prove that Trixie was really gone. After Jack stepped down from the table, Spike removed the other sheet. Once again, the audience saw nothing underneath the table... and Trixie was nowhere to be found. But wait! There she was! On the far side of the stage!

After that, Spike plunged a rose through Trixie’s heart. From the expression on Trixie’s face, the audience could tell that she hoped his intentions were honorable. But they weren’t. She let him approach from behind. And then, he plunged the rose straight through her back and out through her chest.

Spike’s first “solo” illusion was a classic trick that Jack had performed countless times all over the world. One of magic’s bread and butter tricks: levitating—more specifically, levitating someone else. For centuries, magicians have been making audiences believe that they have mastered the art of levitation. And Spike was going to do it using a solid oak plank, three chairs (two of which were set up at each end of the plank), and a pedestal in between them.

Trixie did a little dance to get the men in the audience, and Spike, into the mood. Spike gazed into Trixie’s eyes, as if to put her into a trance (I’ll tell you right now, he was the one entranced). She stepped up onto the chair in front of the pedestal, reclined on the board resting between the other two chairs, and she appeared to go limp. From offstage, Jack telekinetically lifted the chair in front of the makeshift table and levitated it towards him, behind the curtain.

Spike wrapped Trixie in the sheet that was covering the board and then he removed the center pedestal from beneath the plank so that it was supported only by the two chairs. Beneath the board, the audience could see that Spike was standing on a raised platform so they could see his legs. A few waves with Spike’s hands, and Trixie began to rise. On Spike’s command, Jack (who was still standing offstage) telekinetically moved the other two chairs, which had been supporting the plank, leaving it, and Trixie, floating in midair. Slowly, Trixie continued to rise.

Spike moved his whole arm under her body to prove that nothing was supporting her. Then, with a wave of his hand, Jack levitated a stainless steel ring the size of a hula-hoop out and Spike grabbed it out of the air. Spike passed the metal hoop around Trixie’s whole body, to prove that she wasn’t being suspended by wires, cables, or any other kind of supports. He passed the ring around her a second time, then Spike signaled to Jack, who took the hoop away and returned the two chairs and the pedestal just in time before the board floated all the way to the ground. After the pedestal was put back in place, Spike made a few more waves with his arms. Slowly, Trixie floated down to her original position and Spike removed the sheet and brought her out of her trance.

There was a brief intermission, and when the audience returned, two identical steel structures had been set up onstage.

“Now, with the help of my daughter, Spike will perform the illusion of teleportation,” Jack told them. “Take a good look at her... and not just for the obvious reasons.”

Spike backed Trixie up a flight of stairs and onto the first platform suspended overhead. They danced around the pole at the top, gazing into each other’s eyes, to prove that there was no place to hide. Spike then took a bright red handkerchief from his pants pocket and tied Trixie’s hands to the beam, over her head, using two separate knots. As Spike descended the stairs, he looked back at Trixie to make sure that she couldn’t escape. Then, he ascended the stairs of the second platform ten feet away.

With a wave of Jack’s arms, the curtains on both platforms began to rise. When they fell down again, Trixie appeared on the second platform alongside Spike, having escaped her bonds.

The level of hype continued to rise as a giant glass tank filled to the brim with water, with a platform that surrounded the top, was brought out.

“Spike will now attempt to cheat death by performing the world’s most dangerous illusion: Hoofdini’s famous water torture escape!” Jack Pot announced. “I want you all to know that this chamber is airtight, the plate-glass is bulletproof, and there are more than 500 gallons of water sealed inside! As always, do not attempt this or any other dangerous illusions or escapes! We are professionals and we have a team of safety experts standing by. Spike has been training for the past six months to pull off this feat!”

It was true. Spike had learned to expand his lung capacity and slow his breathing by putting himself into a temporary state of suspended animation. This would allow him to stay underwater without gasping for air.

Most tricks aren’t very dangerous. But this one really is. In fact, anyone who would get into a device like that voluntarily would have to have confidence in their powers of escape... or a death wish. And if it was their “swan song,” it would be one Tartarus of a way to go.

There was a timer clock next to the tank, and Trixie was going to keep track of Spike’s minutes underwater.

The lid of the chamber was lifted and Spike began to mentally prepare for the dangerous trick. First, Spike held his arms out in front of his body and Trixie cuffed his wrists together. Then, his feet were shackled inside of the lid. Once he was tightly secured, Jack began to levitate Spike, upside down, into the air. Timing is crucial in a trick like this. Spike’s blood was already rapidly rushing to his head, increasing the odds that he would lose consciousness while underwater. He was trying to keep calm. He took a few deep breaths and concentrated on lowering his heart rate and expanding his lungs so that he could hold his breath for as long as possible. He was hoisted into position. He steeled his courage, took one final breath and nodded, indicating that he was ready. Trixie and Jack stood on both sides of the tank, closely monitoring Spike’s safety and ready to alert the paramedics if anything went wrong.

Spike was lowered into the chamber and water began to pour out, cascading to the floor, since there was no extra room in the chamber. It was very real, and very wet. Trixie and Jack secured the lid and locked it with heavy duty padlocks. Spike had been underwater for almost thirty seconds.

How long could he hold his breath?

Hopefully long enough.

Even experienced divers would find it terrifying to hold their breath while handcuffed and locked inside a tank of cold water with virtually no way out. Spike had been in much trickier positions than this. A minute later and Spike was still inside, struggling to escape. Even if he’d smuggled a lock-pick into the tank, reaching the locks on the outside would be impossible!

After he had managed to turn himself right-side up, he wrestled with the cuffs. He had been underwater for two whole minutes and he still hadn’t made any progress. But he didn’t show any signs of panicking, more like frustration. Three minutes and still holding his breath; it was then that he began to almost stand at the bottom of the tank as he slipped into his hyper-trance. Four minutes and Spike slowly slipped into his state of relaxed consciousness. A few air bubbles escaped from his lips. Jack and Trixie were still standing at the ready in case he needed help. Quite a few people in the audience wondered if Spike was okay. Another minute had gone by and Spike was still underwater and going into his trance.

Some more bubbles escaped from his mouth.

“Spike has been holding his breath for exactly five minutes!” Jack shouted.

Time was running out.

Still standing beside the tank, Trixie felt helpless. She wanted to get Spike out of there, but he had told her and her father in advance that he wanted to do it alone. It was going to take a miracle to get out of that.

Finally, Spike floated to the top of tank. His head and face were still underwater. There was no way for him to breathe. Panic overtook Trixie as she climbed to the platform at the top and she began to remove the locks to free him.

She struggled as she pulled him out of the water. She placed her hand on his neck to feel for a pulse while she placed her other hand on a pressure point in his back, monitoring for any sudden jerks or contortions that would indicate distress.

Nothing.

The paramedics were still standing by in the wings offstage, ready to act in the event of the worst.

Suddenly, Spike gasped.

He was alive! He was shaken, a little out of breath, almost completely out of strength, and barely even able to keep his head up, but none the worse for wear. And even though he hadn’t escaped, the audience still clapped, thankful that he was not dead.

And for their grand finale, Jack made two nine foot tall male elephants (one seven thousand pounds, the other five tons) appear, disappear, and reappear. Using his telekinesis, Jack raised a very large sheet (aside from the long poles sewn inside to hold it upright, it was not gimmicked in any way) in front of one of the elephants. He repeated the process with a second sheet, and then both of them dropped. The elephants had disappeared. Jack raised the sheets again and when they came down again, the elephants were back on the stage. The crowd roared, giving them a standing ovation. After the show ended and everyone else had gone home, Jack pulled Spike aside.

“I remember when my daughter first brought you to see one of my shows,” he said. “You had no interest in magic, and yet you were dying to learn. And for some reason, I wound up teaching you secrets I’ve never shown anyone else. I’m sorry you’re going to be moving on.”

“Same here,” Spike replied. “It was an honor to work with you.”

“I’ll miss you, Spike. And so, I trust, will Trixie,”

Jack smiled at his daughter and left the two of them alone.

“I thought you’d be finishing the tour with us,” Trixie began.

“I’m leaving for Jockeypan tomorrow,” Spike told her.

He had told her at least once before that he would be on a plane in the morning... and he was.

“I know,” she said, “first San Franciscolt, then Horseolulu, and Trotkyo.”

Trixie didn’t want him to go. She had made that abundantly clear, several times, but she knew that no matter what she said or did he would leave.

“Here,” he said.

He gave her the other two roses he had pocketed earlier before plunging the third one through her heart.

“I wish I could give you more,” he added.

“I have something for you, too,” she replied.

She reached behind her back and produced a pair of white men’s opera gloves. Spike knew that Trixie would ask him to try them on, so he did and they fit perfectly. They were a little dated, but still fashionable.

“As long as you wear these, your luck will never run out, and no harm will come to you,” she told him.

Spike gave her a smile and said, “I know I’ll see you again someday.”

He gave her one final hug and left. As the years went by, Spike started gambling (and found it to his liking). He had always had good luck, but now it had been amped up by the white opera gloves Trixie gave him before they parted.

Now, every time Spike wore those gloves, or even thought about magic, they reminded him of her.

Back in the present day, Spike was still standing in front of Jack’s statue with his head still bowed.

“Spike never knew his father,” Celestia told the girls, “and after his mother died, Dragon Lord Torch entrusted me with Spike’s care. I raised him like my own son. Upon learning that Barbara was a ballroom dancer, Spike decided to pursue becoming a dancer on his own.”

Spike looked down at the white gloves on his hands.

“Trixie’s mother had been hospitalized for quite some time,” Celestia continued. “Her father, Jack, was always working and she spent most of her childhood alone. They were virtually inseparable until Spike decided to study abroad and they parted ways. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost five years.”

“Five years?!” Pinkie cried.

“She and her father were very fond of him,” Celestia said.

“I was a different person then,” Spike said with a passive sigh. “I doubt she’ll even remember me.”

“Knowing Trixie, most likely, she will!” Starlight stated.

“Well you all can go in and check out rehearsal if you want,” Discord told them. “Right now, Miss Soleil and I have some business to discuss.”

And he walked off with Celestia.

The theater was laid out like the Midnight Lounge; with booths lining the walls and tables all across the floor. There was a string quartet playing, sitting in the far corner of the room; and most of the people seated around the theater were street magicians, illusionists who specialized in close-up magic and tried way too hard just to get attention.

At a table of three, one of them was making a soda can float through the air. He held it gently between the fingertips of both of his hands. He blew on the can and suddenly, in began to rise. He quickly snatched it before it went too high.

The second magician was making a coin penetrate a sealed can of beer. With the coin resting on his outstretched palm, he forced it through the bottom of the can. Nothing in his hand, but when he shook the can Twilight could hear the coin rattling inside. The magician broke the seal and the beer began to flow. He poured it into a glass, careful not to spill a drop of the suds. But the coin was still inside the empty can. He shook the can and the coin fell out through the top, slightly smelling of brew. An ordinary can of beer, still factory sealed, and an ordinary coin—nothing really special about either of them—a simple, good, and convincing sleight of hand trick that anyone could master and fool ‘em every time.

And the third man was doing trick that was often used by street magicians to convince their audience that they had freakish powers: tapping a bent bottle cap on the bottom of a clear (and empty) glass bottle. With the cap resting on his fingers, he continued to tap until the cap appeared inside the bottle. It seemed to have penetrated the glass without breaking it.

Twilight looked over at a table of five. One of them, a woman, was playing with linking rings (a trick that one can buy at just about any magic store). Two of the men were vanishing objects—one was using toothpicks while the other was using a book of matches. They held the little wooden sticks in plain view, made a few magical waves with their hands, and poof! The toothpick, and the matchstick, were both gone; vanished without a puff of smoke and without as much as a hint of sawdust. Twilight would have been impressed by that if he hadn’t seen the so-called “invisible tape” that was stuck to their thumbnails.

The fourth took a match from the second guy’s matchbox, lit it, and then lit a candle with it. Then, he took a piece of white paper and crumpled it into a ball. He touched it to the flame and, of course, it lit flared up. But it didn’t burn. He unfolded the paper to reveal a 100-dollar bill. A little warm, but still cold, hard cash—another classic piece of close-up magic that street performers presented as a brand-new miracle. And the fifth magician transferred the flame from the candle to his thumb and back again without burning himself before he blew out the candle.

And finally, at a table of four, one magician was making his cigarette pass through a (not-so-solid) half-dollar while the second was taking the cigarette’s ashes from the ashtray and making them pass through his hand. He sprinkled some on the back of his right hand, made a fist, and then rubbed the ash with his left hand. The ash had disappeared. He opened his fist and the ash was in his palm.

The third was making a crumpled 20-dollar bill float. At first glance, the bill looked authentic and unrigged. A few hand gestures and it looked like the bill was moving on its own. Then it began to hover in midair between his hands. Then, with a little coaxing, it did a little dance. Finally, it floated straight up to his hand. He unfolded it. It was still wrinkled, but other than that, unharmed.

“Wire,” Twilight thought. “More specifically, a super-fine thread that is virtually impossible to see.”

The thread acted like a fulcrum, or an improvised pulley, allowing him to raise and lower the bill, depending upon how far away he moved his hand. The more slack he took up, the closer the bill went to his hand. And by hooking the thread between his fingers, he could control the movement of the bill, making it look like it was dancing. And the fourth magician was debating whether to use his deck of playing cards or a seemingly ordinary spool of thread.

Spike, Soarin, Zephyr Breeze, and the girls took seats at the tables closest to the stage and a voice boomed from all around them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort is proud to present the Mistress of Illusion, the Prestidigitator without Peer—the one, the only, Great and Powerful Trixie!”

The lights dimmed and Trixie appeared on the stage in a puff of smoke.

She was still the gorgeous pale-haired, violet-eyed beauty that Spike remembered. Except now she was wearing a strapless blue silk leotard covered in sequins (her ample breasts peeked tantalizingly from the top) under a blue tuxedo vest with gold buttons, a matching tuxedo jacket with gold cufflinks, a blue bowtie, her blue top hat, a black cape, and fishnet stockings with her blue heels.

The first trick she performed was a simple transformation. Using her telekinesis, she levitated a glass of water from one of the tables in the theater. Then she levitated an empty coffee mug from another table. She grabbed both cups out of the air, and she poured the water from the glass into the coffee mug. Then she gave the mug a little shake. She poured the water from the mug, only it wasn’t water anymore... She had turned the water into ice!

The girls applauded, especially Pinkie Pie. Trixie clapped her hands together, made a few magical gestures, and an enormous straw basket levitated onto the stage.

“For my next trick, I’ll need a volunteer from the audience,” she said.

Pinkie Pie frantically waved her hands in the air while Spike crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Oh, we have a handsome young man right here, front and center,” Trixie said, motioning to Spike. “I assume the lovely blonde next to you is your date?” she inquired about Applejack.

“Actually, I’m his date,” Twilight spoke up.

“And I thought I was the magician,” Trixie joked, which earned a roaring wave of laugher from the other illusionists. “I’m just teasing. Why don’t you come on stage?” she directed at Spike.

“Go on, Spike,” said Twilight, “it’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, Spike, go on, do it!” Pinkie added.

Spike stepped up to the stage, and then climbed into the basket.

“I have to underscore the warning for the young people that are watching, and the drunk people, don’t try this at home,” Trixie told the audience. She leaned over Spike and added in a whisper, “Don’t worry, you’re perfectly safe.”

She put the lid on the basket, and then she levitated no less than a dozen swords onto the stage. They were very real and very sharp. Trixie plunged the first sword, a thin scimitar, through the center of the basket.

“Yeesh!” Spike breathed. “That was close!”

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hands as Trixie drove more swords through the basket. It seemed like the blades were cutting right through Spike. But if that were true, Spike would have been screaming.

One by one, Trixie removed the blades from the basket, but she was far from done. After she removed the final sword, she removed her cape and covered the basket with it. Then she proceeded to levitate the basket into the air.

Trixie pulled on her cape, and the basket and Spike were gone.

“Where did he go?” Twilight asked.

“I bet this isn’t the first time she’s said that on a date,” Trixie told the audience. “Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve been very kind,” she added with a bow.

Suddenly, a hoarse, petulant voice roared from above them. A voice that was very different from the one that had introduced Trixie.

“Get out! NOW!!”

Suddenly, a tall, thin man in a tattered suit and a scary mask appeared on the stage in a blazing inferno. Some of the street magicians ducked under tables for cover while others fled the theater. Fluttershy screamed and ran as the masked man shot fireballs out of his eyes and they burned through the cables of a steel cage that was holding a 1200cc motorcycle suspended high above the stage. The cables snapped and the cycle plummeted toward Trixie!

Spike, who had been transported backstage, ran and shoved Trixie out of the way as the 500 pound motorcycle came crashing to the floor and the masked magician disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“What was that?” Trixie asked.

“It looked like Jack Pot,” Spike said, “or his ghost.”

“You really think it was my father’s ghost?” Trixie asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

“Well, thank you,” she said. “You saved my... life...”

“It’s been a long time, Trixie,” he said at last.

“It can’t be! Spike!? Is that you?”

“You remember me?”

“Remember? How could I forget?”

Trixie was convinced that it was Spike, but she performed a test to be sure: she reached into his ear and pulled out an egg. Everyone gasped at the display. Then they applauded when she cracked the egg and a white dove flew out of it.

“It is you!” she cried, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. “It really is you! I have never been able to do that trick with anyone else!”

“Oh, Trixie, it’s so good to see you!” Spike told her.

“I can’t believe you’re really here!” she replied.

“Trixie, you know this guy?” one of the street magicians asked.

“This handsome man is my former assistant, Spike Drake!” she replied.

“Drake?” another illusionist asked. “The same kid who turned a Bentley into a Lamborghini?”

“The guy who survived walking through the spinning blades of a giant industrial turbo fan?”

“The man that caught a bullet... with his teeth?”

“None other,” Trixie replied.

“I don’t believe it!” many of them shouted.

“Trixie, hand me that bottle of wine and that spool of thread,” Spike said.

“Spike, you don’t mean...” she began.

“Mm-hmm,” he said with a nod. “We are going to convert these nonbelievers!”

Trixie handed Spike the spool of red thread and he pulled out a sewing needle that had been stuck through it. He dropped the needle into a nearby wine glass and he topped it off with a little vino. He wiped the glass on the napkin and offered the glass to Trixie.

She took the glass, drank from it, and swallowed the wine. Then, Spike picked up the spool and unraveled a length of it. He broke it off and proceeded to gather it into a small wad before handing it to Trixie. She balled it up with her fingertips and placed it into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue.

Then, with a clap and a wave of his hands, Spike got Trixie to open her jacket and expose a little flesh. The needle was embedded in her breast! A few careful tugs with her fingertips and the others watched her pull it out along with the length of thread—a trick with a high level of shock value that required a very brave assistant.

“Still not convinced?” Spike asked them.

Before they even had a chance to answer, Spike grabbed the edge of a tablecloth and pulled it out from under all of the utensils that littered the table. He pulled the tablecloth out and everything that was on top of it still stood in one piece. Spike and Trixie took position on both sides of the string quartet. Then they covered the quartet with the tablecloth and quickly removed it. Everyone could still hear the music but the quartet had vanished. Spike and Trixie lifted the tablecloth again and when they brought it back down, the quartet reappeared, still playing.

Everyone gasped and then cheered.

They had made the entire quartet disappear and reappear.

As the applause died down, Discord ran in.

“What happened?” he asked. “I heard a crash from outside.”

“Sorry,” Trixie apologized. “I’ll try to keep it down the next time someone tries to kill me!”

“She’s not lying,” one of the illusionists said. “We all saw it. It was the ghost of her old man, Jack Pot! Maybe it would be a lot safer if one of us headlined in her place. At least until this blows over.”

“Nice try, Prance,” Trixie said. “But I’m not giving up my show in Las Pegasus because of some ghost.”

“There’s not going to be a show!” Discord stated. “I’m cancelling until I find out who, or what, is responsible for this damage!”

And then he stormed out.

“Wait!” Rarity exclaimed. “Where’s Fluttershy?”

“Sis?” Zephyr Breeze called out. “Sis!”

Fluttershy had fled backstage and was hiding under one of the tables in the Green Room (a little place that served as a waiting room for performers when they weren’t onstage). When she finally decided that it was safe to come out, the scary magician that had shot fireballs in the theater appeared between her and the exit.

“Pick a card,” he said. “Every card!”

The masked magician threw several razor-sharp playing cards at her as she took cover behind one of the sofas.

“Impressive,” said a sweet, feminine voice from behind him.

The masked magician turned and saw Pinkie, Spike and Applejack standing right behind him.

“I can barely shuffle,” Pinkie added.

“Our turn to deal,” Applejack said.

She reached for her lasso, but before she could grab it, it seemed to come to life. It slithered like a snake before it wrapped around her legs, then her wrists, hogtying her, and stuffing an apple from a nearby basket of fruit into her mouth for good measure. Pinkie tried to tackle the ghost, but it pulled its arms up in front of its face, and when it did, two cables snagged Pinkie and coiled around her. The ghost of Jack Pot continued to throw more cards at Spike, and Spike ducked behind the same sofa Fluttershy was hiding behind.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

Fluttershy shook her head and buried her face into his chest, wishing that the chaos would end. And it did. The ghost of Jack Pot disappeared in an explosion of fire just as the rest of the girls entered the Green Room.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“The ghost brought these cables to life!” Pinkie replied as Twilight helped her get free.

Twilight took a closer look at the cables that had attacked Pinkie and noticed that they were leaking water.

“That’s odd,” she said.

“The ghost was hovering over there, by the costume rack,” Pinkie told them.

Spike and Fluttershy came out from behind the sofa and tried to free Applejack from her lasso, but Appleack was still stuck to the floor.

“The ghost’s got AJ!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“No, the floor does,” Fluttershy said. “Her belt buckle is stuck.”

“It’s like the floor is magnetized,” Twilight added. “And the cables that attacked Pinkie are hydraulic. When water is forced through them, they move. Discord said that this theater was designed for Jack Pot, remember? These elaborate illusions are probably built right in.”

“Uh, Spike...” Rarity attempted.

“What?” he asked.

Rarity was pointing and staring at Spike’s midsection. Spike looked down at himself and saw that one of the ghost’s playing cards had pierced and sank deeply into one of the buttons of his vest. Any deeper and it would have pierced the skin. Sunset helped him remove it.

“Hey guys, look what I found!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

They all turned and saw that she was holding something in her hand.

“The mask the ghost was wearing!” Sunset stated.

“Whoever was wearing it probably ditched it so they could slip out of the theater unnoticed,” Dash said.

“That, or blend in with the people inside,” Twilight added.

“Like a couple of certain magicians who want to steal the top spot from Trixie,” said Zephyr Breeze.

“You mean Prance and Teller?” Soarin asked. “Maybe, but what about Discord? He seemed to take his sweet time getting to the theater after the motorcycle hit the stage.”

“Why would he want to sabotage his own resort?” Zeph asked.

“Well, Discord doesn’t own the place,” Trixie explained. “He’s just the general manager. He was losing his shirt and he sold to a big conglomerate, who then sold it to Gladmane, who ran it before Flim and Flam.”

“So, maybe Discord wants to ruin the hotel out of spite,” Rarity suggested.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Soarin said. “Zeph and I will keep an eye on Discord.”

“Well, then you better hurry because he’ll be heading for the sauna,” Trixie told them. “He always goes there whenever something like this happens.”

“Great! We’ll check out the other illusionists,” said Sunset.

“And Spike and Trixie can have lunch and catch up with each other,” Pinkie added quickly.

The gang nodded and went their separate ways.

Twilight pulled Sunset aside and asked, “Why did you say we would check out the other magicians?”

Sunset held up the card that had penetrated the button on Spike’s vest.

“Like casino dealers, and you, a lot of magicians use personalized decks,” Sunset explained. “The patterns on the back are like fingerprints. All we have to do is match it to the magician. We find a match, we’ll have our culprit.”

Soarin and Zephyr Breeze kept their distance from Discord as they followed him to the spa. Once he was inside, he went into the steam room just like Trixie said he would. Soarin and Zephyr disrobed, wrapped towels around their waists, and followed him in.

“Who’s there?” Discord asked.

Soarin and Zeph saw that he had a towel wrapped around his head as well as the one around his waist.

“He can’t see us,” Soarin whispered. “Maybe if I disguise my voice, I can pump him for a little info.”

Hanging out with Rainbow Dash, who was capable of creating almost perfect duplications of the voices of all of her closest friends, had allowed Soarin to learn how to do impersonations of just about anyone.

He sat down, cleared his throat and said, “Thank ya! Thank ya very much!”

“Tex?” Discord asked.

“Uh... yeah,” Soarin replied.

“I tell you, Tex, Las Pegasus has changed,” Discord said. “I gotta sneak off just to take my steam bath.”

“I know what’cha mean, boss,” Soarin replied. “Viva Las Pegasus, kickin’ it ol’ school, T.C.B., takin’ care of ‘bidness’!”

“You said it, Tex!”

“Say boss, ya know anythin’ about this ghost ‘bidness’ with that magician fella?” Soarin asked.

“That’s no ghost!” Discord stated. “First of all, Jack Pot would have to be dead in order to be a ghost.”

“What?” Zephyr Breeze asked. “He’s not dead?”

“Who’s that?!”

Discord removed the towel from his face and scowled at Soarin and Zephyr.

“Get out of here!” he shouted as he chased them out of the sauna. “And your Tex impression stinks!”

Spike and Trixie had lunch in the theater with the other magicians after a cleaning crew removed the motorcycle from the stage. They were served pelee island caviar, followed by a lovely lobster tail, and for the main course, ever-so-gently seared Kobe beef medallions. Trixie couldn’t even begin to express just how happy she was to see Spike again. As she sat across from him, she thought that Spike had not aged one day from the time when he was her stage assistant. And he was still the nice guy she knew. There were so few nice guys left in the world. Spike told her that he missed her every day and he apologized that he never wrote. He also shared that he had started playing guitar and piano again (even though he hadn’t played either since he was a little kid).

Spike held up the spoon he had been using to stir his cocoa and he proceeded to bend it with his mind. Trixie watched the spoon as it bent right before her eyes.

“How did you do--?” she began.

“A little something I picked up while I was in the Orient,” he replied. “The trick is to not focus on the spoon. In fact, tell yourself ‘there is no spoon.’”

Then, still using his mind powers, he proceeded to bend it back, and it became straight as it was before.

“I have to say, I’m surprised,” Trixie said. “I never expected you to become a card dealer. Had I had known you were in Las Pegasus we could have met up sooner... Same old Spike. You haven’t changed at all, have you? No. You’ve gotten even cooler. I had no idea you were a Gate Holder.”

“How do you--?”

“The International Casino Dealers’ Guild only issued thirteen of those cards, and you already have two. You really do remind me of your mother. She alone achieved the dream that every dealer strives for: to collect every Gate and become the strongest—Double R, Role Ruler.”

“That means a lot to me. If I could be even half as good as she was...”

“You can do it!” she told him. “I know you can.”

“I really am sorry that I left,” he apologized. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Spike, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Trixie said. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I never meant to drive you away... not to Jockeypan... Just answer an old friend one question.”

“Shoot,”

“What happened that made you come back?”

“A painful memory... And a promise,”

“I’d say you’re keeping that promise pretty well. And for what it’s worth, Dad would have been proud of you,”

“You too,”

“Now, I want to know all about Horseolulu,” she said, changing the subject. “I’m thinking of touring there in the future.”

“Oh, great sunsets,” he replied. “Only one a day, but they’re working on it.”

“Weather really good?” she inquired.

“Sometimes it rains, sometimes the Sun’s out,” he answered. “A little more picturesque than most, but there are some mighty pretty places.”

“How about the native people? Are they as glamorous as the travel posters make them out to be?”

“Sometimes it rains, sometimes the Sun’s out,” he repeated as he took a swig of his cocoa.

Trixie sighed. “Why can’t we be besties again, like we used to?”

“Besties? We’re not kids anymore,”

“You’re right. You’re not that little boy I used to know,” she said as she placed her hand over his. “But I’ve loved that little boy since he and I were kids. He never gave up on me... You never gave up on me... I love you, Spike. I loved you then, I love you now... and I always will love you. I always will.”

“There you are!” said a voice.

Spike whirled around and saw Fleur standing next to him.

“Playing hard to get,” she said. “I like that in a man.”

“Do you mind?” Trixie asked.

“I heard about your little act this morning,” Fleur told her. “How dare you perforate my pin cushion of love! En garde!”

Fleur grabbed a scimitar that had been laying on one of the other magicians’ tables as Trixie reached for her wand.

“Ladies, don’t fight over me!” Spike shouted.

Fleur put down the sword and Trixie pocketed her wand just as Soarin, Zephyr Breeze and the other girls entered the theater and approached them.

“Well, what did you all find out?” Spike asked them.

“We followed Discord into the sauna at the spa,” Soarin reported, “and he said that Jack Pot’s not dead.”

“What?” Spike and the girls asked.

“I don’t believe it myself,” Zephyr added.

“Well, there goes the ghost theory,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Ghost theory?” Twilight asked. “Wait until you hear what we found out. But first...”

Twilight pulled out her personal deck of cards and started shuffling. She was going to try to impress Spike by performing a trick that street magicians used to mystify their (unsuspecting) victims into believing they had freakish powers.

“Pick a card,” she said after she shuffled the deck, “any card.”

Spike, remembering the events that had transpired in the Green Room not even a few hours before (almost being stabbed by a razor-sharp card), didn’t want to. But then he decided to upstage her again, hoping she might take the hint.

“Your card is... the Three of Clubs!”

“No,”

“I mean, the Five of Spades,”

“No,”

“The Jack of Hearts?”

“No,”

“The Seven of Clubs, the Eight of Clubs, the Six of Spades, Nine of Diamonds, Ten of Diamonds, any Diamonds, is it a red card?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, and NO!”

“I give up,” Twilight said. “What’s the card?”

“‘This deck is guaranteed by the manufacturer to be free from defects,’”

Twilight scowled Spike.

“He drew that one on purpose!” she thought.

She then tried a close-up trick that was another favorite among street magicians. She pulled out a crisp one-dollar bill. Then, she folded the bill in half, then in half again. One more fold and after grasping it in her fingertips, she began to unfold it, miraculously transformed into a fifty-dollar bill.

“You must have performed at a lot of kiddie parties,” Spike commented.

“If you think you can do better, then please, be my guest,” she told him.

Spike took Trixie’s top hat and placed it, open end up, in the center of the table. Then Spike swiped Twilight’s deck from her hands and dropped into the hat.

He looked at her and echoed, “Name a card... any card.”

“Seven of Spades,” she said.

Spike stood up from his chair and looked down at the top hat full of cards. With a wave of his left hand, the cards shot out of the hat like water from a geyser. Then, using his right hand, Spike pulled a pocketknife from his back pants pocket and stabbed a card in midair, right through the middle, and held it up to Twilight’s face. Twilight gasped. It was the Seven of Spades, just as she had requested—a classic card trick with a dangerous twist.

“I know. I’m just that good,” he said, pulling the card from his knife and sitting down again. “Now, what did you find out?” he directed at Sunset.

“We didn’t find a match to the cards that your attacker used,” she replied. “So, unless he’s using a different deck, we have no leads on his identity.”

Spike took his seat again as the next act was about to come onstage. There was still one more lead to follow—someone Trixie knew from when her father was still alive; someone who had worked with Jack when Trixie was a child.

“There she is!” Trixie whispered. “Dad’s former assistant, Obscurity.”

Obscurity was a platinum blonde with blue eyes, red lips, and dressed in a black leather corset, matching bottoms, and black nylons.

“Please welcome the comedy-slash-magic style of Flipside,” she announced.

Wearing a yellow suit jacket, polka-dot pants with a matching bowtie, big red shoes, and with thinning orange hair, Flipside looked more like an ex-circus clown than a magician. And when he spoke, he sounded like the duck from all those insurance commercials mixed with the most annoying parrot on the planet.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!” he said rather loudly. “I’ll have you know, I learned everything I know about magic from my ex-wife. She made my bank account, my car, and my house, disappear! Now, I’ll need a volunteer...”

He selected a girl from the audience, and she looked like she knew what was expected of her. The illusion he was about to perform was one of the classics of magic. It was a trick they had all seen before and one that dated back over one hundred years: The Multi-Cube Box.

First, Flipside walked around the curiously constructed cabinet. Then, he opened the four doors on the front of it to show the audience that there was no place to hide inside. As he opened the doors, the audience could see that cabinet was actually made of four separate boxes that had just been stacked on top of one another. And each one was a different color: blue on the bottom, green and orange in the middle, and red on top. Now, as we all know, magicians are known to put their assistants in danger for the sake of entertainment. And Flipside was no exception. As soon as his volunteer stepped into the box, he closed and locked the doors behind her.

“She’s pretty well put together,” he told the audience, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t tamper with perfection.”

Flipside opened the top panel to show that the girl was still inside. She was, and she did not look happy. In fact, she looked like she knew what was coming. He closed the door in front of her face, relocked it and opened the door just below, which showed the audience her bust. He closed it and opened the third one, showing her hips; and finally the bottom, her feet. Flipside called for Obscurity and she handed him three solid surgical stainless steel blades designed to separate each section of the box.

Then, he began to insert the blades into the box... and the girl inside. He inserted the first blade into the cabinet at neck-height, separating the girl’s head from the rest of her body. Then he slid the second blade through her torso (with a bit of a struggle) and the third blade just below her knees.

Once the blades were in position, Flipside slid the two middle sections of the box to opposite sides, away from the top and bottom portions, dividing up her assets (as if the girl in the box hadn’t had enough abuse). Then he pushed the two center sections back into place. Even with her chest and hips back where they belonged, the girl was still divided by the steel blades. Then, Flipside proceeded to take the whole box apart, one piece at a time.

He lifted the top box (the red one), removing the girls’ head and shoulders, once again dividing her into four separate (but equal) sections. He placed it on the floor until he decided what he was going to do with it. Then he followed suit with the other three sections.

“Now, I will attempt to reassemble my volunteer,” he said. “Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten which box goes where. Oh, well! I’ll give it a try, anyway!”

He started by placing the blue box on the bottom. Then he placed the red box on top of the blue box, the green box on top of the red box, and the orange box on top of the green box.

“Now, let’s see if she’s still inside,” Flipside said. “And what condition her condition is in.”

He opened the bottom box. There were her feet; where they should be. He opened the one second from the top (her chest), so far so good; then the top box.

“Uh-oh,” Flipside said. “What are her thighs doing up there?” he asked. “And what is her head doing down below?” he added, opening the final panel.

He had deliberately put them back in the wrong order.

“Time for another try,” he said casually.

He closed the doors and took the box apart again. This time, he put the green box on bottom. Then the orange box on top of that, the blue one after that, and the red box on top of the blue one.

He opened the doors and his volunteer was in even worse shape than before. But she was still breathing (as impossible as that seemed).

“Seriously, I just got this trick,” Flipside told the audience. “Like, help me out here!” he gritted through his teeth at Obscurity.

“He’s not the only one who needs help,” Spike whispered to Trixie.

Learning from her boss’s mistakes, Obscurity began to reassemble the box: blue on the bottom, green, orange, and red on top. One by one, she removed the blades—first the one at the top, then the middle, and the bottom.

“I hope she’s got it right,” Zephyr Breeze said. “It’d be a shame to mess up a perfectly good body like that.”

Obscurity unlocked the doors and the girl stepped out, still alive, her body in one magnificent piece. For someone who had seemingly gone to pieces, she appeared unharmed, but she was clearly not thrilled.

Obscurity’s dressing room was furnished with two sofas, a glass top coffee table, and a bed against the back wall big enough for four. A long countertop stretched along the wall to the right, with a mirror hanging above it, and directly across from it was a long closet, with several partitions dividing it. There were three stools spread out, evenly spaced, in front of the counter, and a door, just beyond the bed, in the back that most likely led to the bathroom.

After the show, Spike, Soarin, Zephyr, Trixie and the girls went backstage to find her. Trixie knocked on the door, and Obscurity told them to enter. Once inside, Pinkie told her how impressed she was by the show.

“Wondering how it was done?” Obscurity asked.

“Mirrors and cleverly disguised mannequin parts,” Spike spoiled it. “As soon the trick began, and we saw the girl from the audience step into the cabinet before Flipside locked the doors behind her, she was simply getting comfortable. When he slid the center sections of the box to opposite sides, we were not looking through the cabinet, we were looking at mirrors. I’m going to guess you had screens set up to the right and left sides of the box that were identical to the wall behind it. The mirrors created an image that filled in the center sections so that what we saw an exact duplicate of what we thought was behind it. So from the front, it appeared that we were looking through the box to the back wall. And when it appeared that her chest and hips were being dragged off to the side, they were actually staying in place, right behind the mirror. And the ‘solid steel’ blades are really flexible sheet metal. When Flipside inserted the blades, the girl inside simply bent them down, away from her body with her hands and legs. And the cabinet had secret compartments hidden inside that gave her access to the whole box. That’s how the middle portions of her body appeared to move to opposite sides.”

Obscurity was speechless.

“After the boxes were slid back into place, your ‘volunteer’ concealed herself by simply curling up inside the bottom box, just before the top section was taken down,” Spike went on. “One by one, the levels were removed. And the reason the boxes were all a different color was to help Flipside correctly reassemble them, which would help if he wasn’t colorblind! He also turned the boxes around while reassembling them so that the mannequin parts were in front while the volunteer hid in the back. The first door that reopened, those were the mannequin legs, as were the torso and thighs. The only reason her head popped into the box second from the bottom was so that she could give Flipside that confused look.”

“But there were blades between the boxes,” Rarity interjected. “How did her head manage to appear in the box second to the bottom?”

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, and then came up with the answer.

“Secret panel in the bottom blade,” she said. “It easily folded out of the way so that she could reveal her head above the bottom box. As soon as the doors closed again, she closed the panel and hid again. With the red box in place, the illusion was made believable and we were convinced that her head had been inside the whole time.”

Spike nodded. He knew that there was a secret compartment at the bottom of the box. And below it was a trapdoor containing two mannequin feet identical to the volunteer’s.

“You put the boxes back into their original positions, seemingly ‘reassembling’ her,” Applejack added. “But before opening the door, you gave her enough time to stand back up, completing the trick that she had been divided up and put back together.”

“And the girl from the audience was a shill,” Spike concluded, “all to make the illusion seem convincing. And it was... for a brief moment. But maybe next time, you might think about picking someone who can at least look excited while they’re being cut into fourths.”

“Who are you?” Obscurity asked, almost indignantly.

“Spike Drake, the Defier of Death, stage assistant to the late, Great Jack Pot and his daughter, the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Spike boasted. “I’m sure you’ve at least heard of, if not seen, some of my better-known stunts: walking through solid steel and concrete walls, turning a Bentley into a Lamborghini, surviving underwater without drowning, making gorgeous women materialize, levitate, disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye, and survive being sliced, diced and taken for a ride.”

Obscurity didn’t believe him, and Spike didn’t care if she did. But he was still going to prove he was who he claimed to be, if nothing else, to get back in her good graces. After all, they still needed her help if they were going to find out the truth about what happened to Jack Pot.

He was going to attempt to impress Obscurity with a very dangerous game of Russian roulette. But instead of a loaded gun, Spike was going to use the blade of his deadly sharp pocketknife. Spike knew the facts he was presenting to Obscurity weren’t going to be enough to convince her, but he knew it would be enough to start. The girls could all see just how perilous the trick was that Spike was about to perform. And he hadn’t even gotten to the threatening part yet.

Even though Spike was a trained professional in the use of knives, there was still a serious risk of disastrous results.

He placed the blade of the knife point up in a circular base on the coffee table. He asked Trixie to place ordinary Styrofoam cups over the base with the blade in it as well as three more identical bases, to hide them from view. Then he asked her to mix up the cups, like in a shell game, so that the knife would be impossible to detect. Spike even turned his back to Trixie, to prove that he wasn’t cheating. She lined them up, and then mixed them. Once Trixie was sure that she had them good and mixed, she turned Spike around.

He was going to find the knife, eliminating cups one at a time, by crushing them with his bare hand. He crushed one cup, and the knife wasn’t there. He crushed the second cup, and the knife wasn’t under that one either. He was down to two cups, a 50/50 chance. Fluttershy and Rarity couldn’t bear to watch while the rest of the girls couldn’t look away. One, two, three...

Spike had managed to keep his hand intact.

“How did you--?” Obscurity asked.

“How did I find the razor-sharp blade without impaling my open palm on it?” Spike asked. “Look at the base holding the blade.”

She did. Then she looked at the other three. All of them were identical. Except she noticed something stuck to the bottom of the base with the blade.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Fishing line,” Spike told her. “That’s how I could tell it apart from the others, even after the cup covered it.”

Even when Obscurity knew it was there, the line was very difficult to see. Spike had added a dramatic pause to heighten the tension, but he knew where the knife was.

“Now you know the secret,” Spike said. “And you can use it in your next show if you want, if you tell us about Jack Pot.”

“I don’t know what you expect me to tell you that I’m sure you already know,” she replied.

Spike told her about Trixie’s performance earlier that day and the appearance of her father’s “ghost”. Then Spike put forth a theory that he had recently thought of.

“Faked his death?” Obscurity asked. “No. Jack couldn’t walk away from the spotlight. He loved magic too much. He wouldn’t have left me to scrape out this excuse for a living with a hack like Flipside.”

“Hey! I resemble that remark!” Flipside shouted as he passed by the open door to the room. “And what is this? Oh, more kooks who think that Jack Pot is still alive? Well...”

He blew a big raspberry at them and stormed off.

“Oh, don’t pay any attention to him. He’s just jealous,” Obscurity told them. “Once gentlemen like Jack Pot came onto the scene, guys like Flipside went out of fashion pretty quickly. Look, Jack isn’t coming back. Here, if you don’t believe me, this ought to convince you. It’s the footage from his last stunt.”

Applejack’s office, the Eye in the Sky room, had forty monitors piled on top of one another in rows five across, and they showed almost every inch of the resort. Everything that happened in the casino and the hotel was taped and beamed to this command post. Spike and the girls went there to watch the tape that Obscurity had given them. It was a recording of what was originally an exclusive, live nationwide news report.

“From making everything from groups of chorus girls to national landmarks disappear to being encased in a giant block of ice for a week, Jack Pot has made magic crazy-fresh for a new generation,”

It is without a doubt that Harry Hoofdini was the greatest escape artist who ever lived. In fact, one of his many titles was “the Handcuff King.” Since then, thousands of magicians have repeated his death-defying escapes. This was one such trick. First, Jack was put into a straightjacket. A real straightjacket (just like the ones found at any “good” asylum/mental hospital), virtually impossible for almost anyone to get out of without some kind of help. The straps were securely fastened and then Jack was bound to a large spinning wheel. First his feet were shackled, then his waist, and finally his neck.

“Now, strapped to this giant Roulette wheel by his lovely assistant Obscurity, he’ll attempt a daring escape from inside this historic Las Pegasus hotel as it’s demolished by a ten-ton wrecking ball and two tons of dynamite!”

Obscurity spun the wheel, sending Jack Pot into a spin, and she and the reporter and her cameraman fled the building just as the crane with the wrecking ball started up. The wrecking ball knocked a hole into the side of the hotel as the Roulette wheel stopped spinning. The wrecking ball was already demolishing the building and it was rigged with explosives. Jack had less than a minute to get out. After the wrecking ball had done its job, the timers on the explosives were activated. The tension was mounting. Jack had only a few seconds left to escape. As Jack struggled with the straightjacket, the building began to crumble.

Then it collapsed in a cloud of smoke.

“Jack Pot is still inside!” the reporter screamed. “This is horrible! Stop the camera! Stop the camera!”

Soarin, Zephyr, and the girls stared in complete silence as Spike looked at Trixie, half expecting her to throw herself into his arms and cry into his chest.

“I hate to say it, but Obscurity was right,” Soarin said at last. “There’s no way Jack could have gotten out of there.”

After witnessing that, almost everyone was convinced. But not Spike.

“Applejack, rewind to the beginning,” he said.

She rewound the tape, and then played it to the point when the building began to come down.

“Now pause!” he said.

She stopped the tape and a little white line appeared at the top of the pile of rubble in the video.

“What’s that?” Pinkie asked.

“It’s a line around computer-generated effects,” Spike explained. “Sometimes you see it in music videos.”

“What are you saying? That’s not real concrete falling down on Jack?” Rarity asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Spike stated.

“Well, if it is layered over the original image, I should be able to strip it away,” Applejack said.

She typed a few commands into the computer and the concrete disappeared.

It was a digital image!

Once the concrete was removed, Spike studied Jack’s movements in the video more intently. The first thing he noticed was that while Jack was being buckled into the straightjacket he kept his arms stiff and away from his body, giving him enough slack to eventually escape. But Spike knew that, even using that technique, getting out of the straightjacket would not be easy. That part of the trick required lots and lots of practice.

And practice was something that Jack Pot had a lot of.

Once the Roulette wheel stopped, Jack made use of that extra slack. He not only escaped the straightjacket and his shackles, but he went down through a trapdoor in the floor. Then the video cut out.

“This must have been prerecorded before the building actually came down,” Spike said, “and then spliced into the broadcast to make it look like it was happening live.”

“So what do we do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“We have to find Jack Pot,” Spike told them.

It was a long shot, but Spike decided to follow one last hunch: a dark and spooky tunnel beneath the theater’s stage that led to Jack Pot’s old storage room.

It was a large chamber filled with a collection of old magic stuff: saw horses, suits of armor, a bed of spikes, an old player piano, solid steel rods, massive chains, a guillotine, an old milk can, a giant Chinese lantern, a cannon, two thrones, a pair of oak wine barrels, Hoofdini’s old steamer trunk, disappearing cabinets, the Box of Pain, “The Assistant’s Revenge” restraining rack, and other medieval torture devices as well as wooden stockades and iron cages. And on a nearby table were an ornate candelabrum, an antique lamp, a tambourine, and heavy leather straps with chrome buckles.

“Kinky,” Spike thought.

Twilight saw an egg-shaped apparatus made of forged bands of iron and secured by hardened steel pins. Looking at it, she couldn’t help but think that there was barely enough room to make the tight squeeze.

She reached out to touch it when a deep, sophisticated voice said, “See with your eyes, not your hands. Those antiques are priceless.”

The gang looked into a dark corner of the room and a tall, thin man with light gray hair, moderate violet eyes, and dressed in a purple suit and a yellow cloak emerged from the shadows with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Agh! It’s the ghost of Jack Pot!” Fluttershy screamed.

She dove, head first, into the open steamer trunk and the lid slammed shut on top of her. The man removed his cloak, held it in front of his body, and slowly raised it up. He lowered it to show that he was still there. Then he raised his cloak again, and when he lowered it, he was not alone. Right beside him, was Fluttershy. He had teleported her from Hoofdini’s trunk.

“It is Jack Pot!” Spike shouted.

“Father!” Trixie cried.

She catapulted into his arms and they shared a warm embrace.

“I thought you were dead,” she said.

“I’m sorry I disappeared on you like that,” he apologized as he released her. “But I’ve been watching you perform. I’m so proud of you.”

“You mean you’re not trying to keep her from performing in your theater?” Rarity asked.

“My theater?” Jack replied. “Oh, you mean that celebrity funhouse upstairs? No, I’m not all about all that. That’s why I left; to get back to street magic. I’ve got some amazing new tricks in the works.”

As Jack spoke, he reached into a nearby trashcan and pulled out a crumpled soda can. With a wave of his hand and a shake of the can (to prove that it was empty), the dents began to disappear. Another gesture and Jack pulled the tab and broke the hermetic seal. And then he poured himself a drink. The gang could have sworn that the can was empty and discarded. But it wasn’t.

Jack had grabbed what appeared to be a discarded soda can. But upon closer inspection, Spike could see how it was secretly prepared. A tiny puncture near the top of the can released just enough soda to create an air pocket inside of the can. And before all of the liquid escaped, the hole had been sealed with a tiny piece of waterproof tape.

As for the pop top of the can, it had been covered by a small circle of black paper. From a distance, the paper created the illusion that they were looking into an old, empty can when in reality the top was still factory sealed. As for the dents, they had been bent in, creating the impression that it had been crushed and discarded into a pile of garbage.

When Jack shook the can, the movement caused the gas bubbles inside to build up pressure. As the pressure increased, the air inside the can expanded and caused the dents to pop back out. Then Jack discreetly removed the piece of black paper, revealing the untouched seal. Finally, he flipped up the tab, broke the seal, and poured out the remaining soda.

It was a common trick among street magicians, using a seemingly ordinary, everyday object and the power of science.

“Well, if you’re the real Jack Pot, then who’s that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she pointed to the ceiling... and at the ghost that was masquerading as Jack.

The ghost threw a fireball at them as they ran out of the chamber. The ghost flew after them, but Jack snapped his fingers and a whole flock of doves flew from his hands. The gang pursued the ghost as it flew back down the tunnel and through the door that led back to the resort. Then it started chasing them again. It chased Pinkie, Fluttershy, Soarin, Zephyr Breeze and Rainbow Dash through the restaurants’ buffet lines, it chased Jack, Rarity, Starlight and Twilight through the casino, between the rows of slot machines; and then it chased Spike, Trixie, Sunset and Applejack into the “Big Dive” skydiving simulator.

The crew eventually escaped Jack Pot’s “ghost” and returned to the theater to find Flipside performing again. This time, they watched his show from backstage, out of sight.

“Obscurity’s working for Flipside?” Jack asked. “That jerk was after my secrets for years.”

“With Obscurity by his side, he may finally have them,” Trixie said.

“But he sure doesn’t seem to use them,” Sunset added.

“Unless he’s saving them for a surprise performance,” Applejack put in.

As Spike watched Obscurity and Flipside, he suddenly had an epiphany.

“Oh my Faust... That’s it!” he said. “I am such an idiot!”

“What?” Trixie asked.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!” Spike tried to contain his voice. “How could I have been so stupid?!”

“What?” they all asked.

“Did any of you know that Jack Pot is right-handed?” Spike asked them. “When all the other magicians did their tricks, they all used their right hands,” he recalled. “But the masked magician that attacked us, the one pretending to be Jack’s ghost, threw cards and fireballs with his left hand. That can only mean one thing: the ghost couldn’t have been any of these guys because none of them are left-handed. There’s no way you can trick someone with such a stupid cheat. Still, that’s not enough to explain how the ghost was able to recreate several of Jack’s tricks. We need to draw the imposter out into the open. And I know exactly how we’re going to do it! You up for it, Jack?”

“A chance to save Obscurity from Flipside? Definitely count me in!”

Later that day, Spike asked Flim and Flam to make a public announcement on the resort’s personal TV channel.

“Jack Pot, the magician the world watched perish three years ago will return tonight, seemingly from the dead. Is this for real? We don’t know. But we do know, we reported it first,”

That evening, Spike changed into his old black magician’s suit from his days working with Jack and Trixie. He was surprised that they had kept it all these years. He was even more surprised that it still fit! Several of the other girls were getting dressed too, to help with the act. Sunset, in particular, wore a costume that was little more than a black leather bikini with fishnet stockings and knee-high, patent leather boots. Looking at her, Spike see could almost everything!

“Can I be your assistant?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m sorry,” he politely refused. “But I’ve got something bigger in mind for you. Right now, I need you,” he told Sunset.

“How do I look?” Trixie asked Spike.

“With that outfit and those heels, the other girls don’t stand a chance,” he said quietly. “Applejack, you ready?”

“I’m not coming out!” she replied.

Sunset reached behind the changing panel and pulled Applejack out by the wrist. She was wearing the same outfit as Sunset, but with a black cowboy hat and cowboy boots.

Spike took her hand in his and said, “Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

Jack Pot took his position behind the curtain as Soarin introduced him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back the master of magic, the ambassador of illusions, the grandmaster of hypnotism, the king of the impossible, the one, the only Jack Pot!”

The curtain went up, and Jack was met with a booing audience.

“I don’t blame you for doubting it’s me,” he told them. “But I intend to prove it the only way I know how: by astounding you... Using an empty wine glass, a simple deck of cards and my bare hands! But first, I shall require the assistance of at least one lovely young lady.”

The women in the audience started crawling over each other, trying to get onstage. Jack chose Fleur, and no, she was not in on the trick. Jack rifled through the deck to show her that the cards were of the standard playing variety. He fanned out the cards and asked Fleur to pick two at random and show them to the audience. Once she had selected them, he turned his back and covered his eyes with one of his hands. Fleur showed the audience her cards: the Ten of Spades and the Ten of Diamonds. Jack asked her to place her cards back into the deck anywhere she’d like. Fleur complied and Jack shuffled the deck to be sure that her chosen cards would not be easy to find. Then he dropped the deck into a clear glass wine goblet. A few magical gestures with his fingers, a jiggle of the glass, and the Ten of Spades began to rise, then the Ten of Diamonds, and the audience applauded as Fleur returned to her seat.

“Next, I will make the first of my assistants appear, seemingly from nowhere,” Jack said.

He walked around a large open-sided cabinet on top of a large, wide pedestal that had been set up onstage. Nothing above, behind or below it, and it was empty. Then, to further prove that it was empty, Jack walked up the steps and onto the platform. After stepping down, Jack grabbed a cord that was hanging from the top of the cabinet. He pulled the shades down, one after another.

And when he raised the shades, Spike appeared, standing inside the cabinet.

Spike stepped down as Jack untied his cloak and held it out to Spike, who took a corner and they raised it in front of the pedestal. They lowered the cloak and there was Trixie, standing on top of the platform. Jack helped his daughter down from the pedestal and asked her to help Spike raise the cloak again.

A few magical gestures from Jack and Spike and Trixie lowered the cloak. When they did, Applejack appeared standing on the pedestal. She stepped down and the cloak went up a third time. A few more gestures from Jack and when the cloak was lowered again Sunset appeared alongside them. Jack had conjured up a parade of beautiful women from out of the blue; a giant version of a classic trick.

Then Jack allowed Spike and Trixie to take over. Spike was going to make Trixie disappear while she was in midair. First, Spike cast a spell over Trixie (or so it appeared). Then, he removed his cloak while she took a seat on the bench behind him. She laid herself across the length of the bench and Spike covered her with his cloak. Then, she began to rise, floating off of the bench. Trixie floated higher and higher into the air. Then she stopped. Below, Spike waved his arm under her to prove that there was nothing supporting her. Then, he reached up, grabbed the cloak, pulled it down, and Trixie was gone.

Spike had done it! He had successfully levitated Trixie and made her vanish while she was in midair! The audience cheered!

“For my next trick, I’ll turn two of my assistants into tigers!” Jack declared.

Sunset and Applejack stepped into a large cage that had been set up and Jack locked the door behind them. Then, he and Spike covered the cage with Jack’s black cloak. Then, Jack began to levitate the cage into the air, making it impossible for anything (or anyone) to get in or out. The curtain fell and two white tigers appeared in the cage... but Sunset and Applejack were nowhere to be seen. The cage levitated back down and Spike let the tigers out of the cage, and he walked them to Fluttershy backstage.

“And now for our grand finale...” Jack Pot said.

Using Jack’s cape once more, he and Spike folded it out, over and over and over, until it was over two stories tall. Spike waved his hands and motioned to Trixie (who had been up in the rafters since her disappearance) to drop the now enormous cloak, revealing a full grown female giraffe.

The crowd roared, demanding an encore, as the giraffe was escorted backstage. That’s when the ghost appeared in an explosion of smoke and fire.

“Impostor!” it shouted.

From up in the sound booth, Zephyr Breeze shined the spotlight right into the ghost’s face, temporarily blinding it.

“And for our next trick,” said Spike, “we’re taking you down!”

“Well, enjoy mine first,” the masked magician replied, “because it’ll be the last you ever see! Or, should I say, never see?”

Spike briefly recalled a fight he’d had with another street magician. Their fighting styles were relatively similar: very little, if any, hand-to-hand combat, with heavy reliance on their tricks. Illusion and misdirection were their weapons of choice, and so Spike had to counter them with his own magic... and tricking himself into seeing more than just what was in front of his eyes.

“I’m gonna make you disappear!” the imposter said. “Permanently!”

The ghost started to float when Pinkie, who was backstage with Fluttershy, saw a big metal switch on the wall marked “Caution: Magnetic Polarity” in big red letters. She flipped the lever down and the ghost of Jack Pot quickly descended.

“Ha! The ghost is grounded!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

“Thanks to magnets in its shoes,” Twilight told them. “The same magnets it used to levitate.”

Spike looked up to the rafters when he heard Trixie scream. She lost her balance and fell over the side. He held out his arms and he caught her bridal style.

“I knew you’d fall for me,” he smiled, “sooner or later.”

He set her down as a squad of Las Pegasus police officers stormed the theater with Discord leading the pack.

“Ah, Discord,” Spike said. “You’re just in time to meet the real culprit. I think it’s time we pulled the curtain down on this fraud!”

Spike pulled off the magician’s mask to reveal... Obscurity!

“Jack’s former assistant?” Soarin asked.

“So that’s how the ghost knew all of Jack’s tricks!” Sunset said.

“All the other magicians seemed like obvious suspects, but without their assistants, some of them, like Flipside, couldn’t perform even the simplest tricks,” Spike explained. “The biggest clue was the ghost’s body language: having mastered Jack’s walk and movements, it passed itself off as an almost perfect double... except for one major detail: Jack’s not left-handed. That meant the ghost had to have been someone who was close to Jack: hence, Obscurity.”

“But why?” Jack asked her.

“Because after you ‘disappeared’, I was supposed to step into the spotlight!” Obscurity replied. “I knew all your tricks! I would have made millions! But Discord wouldn’t hear it!”

Spike and Trixie scowled at her. In the world of magic, stealing tricks was the most unforgivable crime.

“So you wanted to ruin Discord,” Fluttershy said.

“That’s right!” Obscurity replied as the officers cuffed her. “And I would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for you!”

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time to develop a new act where you’re going,” Spike told her. “Just so long as you don’t try any escape tricks!”

Realizing the theater was still packed, Jack, Spike, Trixie and the gang all turned to face the audience.

Spike shouted, “Thank you, Las Pegasus! You’ve been a wonderful audience! Good night!”

The crowd applauded one more time as the curtain fell and Discord pulled everyone aside.

“I want to personally thank you all for everything you’ve done,” he said. “Especially you, Spike, for luring Jack out of retirement. He’s agreed to perform at the resort a few times a year.”

“On my terms,” Jack reminded him.

Later that night, in the ballroom, Spike impressed Trixie with another of his personal favorite tricks—a trick that had been amazing kids at birthday parties for years. He picked up a small metal pan (that was solid on the bottom and all the way around). Then, with a single match, he lit a small fire inside the pan and quickly covered it with a metal lid, smothering the blaze. He removed the lid to reveal a fully cooked lobster dinner for two.

Dinner was served.

It was a trick that Trixie herself had performed dozens of times before. She would smother the fire, remove the lid, and reveal something totally different. Usually a dove, some flowers, or a small rabbit would be inside, but this was the first time she’d seen a full course meal. Either way, the secret was still the same.

Pinkie served them and systematically removed the dirty dishes as they ate. She returned to the kitchen and Trixie asked Spike something that had been troubling her for years. He thought it was about the fire in the pan.

“I know about the chemically treated flash paper,” she said. “I taught you that trick. I’m talking about the water chamber. I saw you plunge into that tank. How did you survive?”

“Well, it was much easier than I made it appear,” Spike said. “First off, the handcuffs weren’t solid as you were led to believe. They were specially rigged to pop open in an instant. Cuffs like that are almost always used in underwater escapes, to minimize the risk of danger. They only add more drama to the act. Then, when your dad lowered me into the tank, I displaced some of the water with my body. In order for anything to float, it has to weigh less than the water it displaces. That, in turn, left me with more space to move freely. But I was suspended upside down, so I did have to hold my breath while I was underwater. It was a tight squeeze, but I had just enough room to turn myself right-side up. Since hundreds of magicians and assistants have lost their lives performing water escapes, a breathing tube was concealed in the top of the tank, just in case something were to go wrong. You know as well as I do that whenever a magician attempts to pull off a death-defying trick, safety features are always built into the design. That tube and a hidden air hole were added protection in the event of an emergency. Once I was upright in the tank, I could reach up and take a breath if I needed to. But I didn’t. Also, the padlocks were real, and they were never opened until you unlocked them... because they didn’t have to be. The top of the case was loose and unsecured. All I had to do was climb out.”

Trixie stared at Spike in amazement.

“I could have escaped anytime I wanted to, but regulating my metabolism by fasting and living in an oxygen-rich environment for the last 24 hours had prepared me for that stunt. My heart was still beating even before you checked my pulse,”

Trixie gave Spike a relieved smile and they finished their meal.

Meanwhile, when Pinkie was in the kitchen washing the back of the empty metal pan, she noticed a second pan hidden inside. It was slightly smaller and it fit snugly into the original pan. Until it was needed, the second pan was secretly held in the lid by special metal spring clamps. The pan snapped into the lid and was held by the springs until it made contact with the outer pan, thus releasing the springs and the secret inner pan dropped into place.

“So, that’s how he did it,” she thought. “Well played, Spike. Well played.”

Spike sat in the hot tub at the base of the rumbling waterfall at 10:00 o’clock that night. He had completed his greatest performance to date and pampered Trixie with a gourmet dinner. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to a relaxing soak. Suddenly, smoke (not steam) started to form around the hot tub. Then he heard “Magic Man” playing from somewhere overhead. The smoke cleared and Trixie appeared, beautiful as ever—another classic appearance done with smoke, but definitely no mirrors. She took a moment to show off her dark blue one-piece, which was suitable for the pool, beach or even perilous illusion, and clearly designed for sex appeal... It didn’t get much sexier than that. Trixie glanced over her shoulder at Spike and smiled at him. She was always eager to please. Spike hoped that Trixie realized that she was about to get wet, and, for her sake, the fabric would not shrink. She walked down the steps and into the hot tub.

“Go ahead, honey,” Spike thought, “take a dip.”

A small gasp escaped Trixie’s lips as her toes made contact with the bubbling water. She gave herself a moment to get used to the heat before lowering herself further into the tub until she was completely submerged. She came back up and wiped the water from her eyes before they embraced. Now that she was soaking wet, she was ready to take Spike on. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled as she prepared for what she was about to do. She was ready to go the distance.

She felt her nipples harden as she put her hands on Spike’s chest. As they kissed, Spike placed his hands on Trixie’s rear and gave her a nice squeeze, earning another gentle gasp from her as he rubbed. Trixie pressed her breasts against Spike’s chest as they deepened the kiss. Their kissing grew more intense as Spike scooped her into his arms and gently swept her through the water. With the water slowly churning around them from the waterfall, Spike slipped a hand onto her shoulder and pulled down one of her swimsuit straps.

Trixie pushed him away with a playful smile. She swam backwards until she was several feet away, and then pulled down the other strap. With only her head and shoulders above the water, she tossed her swimsuit onto the ledge of the hot tub, and then stood with her arms outstretched. Spike tossed his own swimsuit away and Trixie swam back to him. They pressed their naked bodies together and kissed passionately once more, drifting toward the waterfall so that its cascading currents splashed onto their interlocked bodies. Spike went red when Trixie spun around and gently started rubbing her rear against his shaft until she felt him stiffen. Trixie rubbed against him one more time and smiled again as she felt Spike twitch. Spike felt his pleasure as Trixie turned around again, wrapped her arms around his neck, and they shared another hot kiss.

Then, Trixie stood up and walked to the shallow end of the hot tub. She bent over, pressed her breasts against the tub’s wall, lifted her rear out of the water, and opened her legs as far as she could. The sight of her from behind was so hot that Spike struggled not to cum. He positioned himself behind Trixie and entered her slowly. Her warm walls hugged him tightly. He couldn’t wait to be all the way inside! As Spike kept going further and further, Trixie let out little whimpers. When Trixie felt him stop, she could tell that he was afraid to hurt her. Then he slammed into her, his hands on her hips, pulling her back to meet him with each thrust. Trixie moaned, her head thrown back as Spike worked his magic. She came hard and fast and Spike howled as he felt the bliss overtake him, and she milked him for all his worth.

“The perfect way to end a day,” they both thought.

Trixie snuggled against Spike, her head on his shoulder. She was almost purring when she smiled up at him. It was her first genuinely happy smile since she pulled that egg out of his ear.

“I feel great,” she said. “And beating Obscurity was actually a lot of fun.”

Spike nodded as he looked up at the stars.

“The sky is so beautiful,” she added as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I’m so glad you’re back, Spike.”

Spike smiled and said, “Me too.”

The first thing Spike noticed the instant he awoke naked in bed was the vast picture window to his left. Instead of a view overlooking the Strip, it displayed dolphins swimming underwater; under where the Flimflam Brothers’ main water fountain was located. And left of it was a marble hallway that led to a marble bathroom with a marble Jacuzzi.

“I’m in Trixie’s room?”

Spike wasn’t sure what time he finally drifted off to sleep. The last thing he remembered for certain was when Trixie brought him back to her room: 11:15 P.M. After that, everything else felt like a dream. Trixie led him by the hand as they got out of the hot tub and she took him to an enclosed elevator that went down to her suite. She squeezed his arm and looked at him with wide, doe eyes. The way she always did when they were younger.

“Spike, will you stay with me tonight?” she had asked. “I... I don’t want to be alone.”

He knew what she meant. She was afraid that, after all this time, she was going to lose him again. And just like that, that overwhelming sense of responsibility to care for and protect his childhood friend came rushing back.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised her as he held her in his arms.

They made love again, the second time to the Scorpions singing “There’s No One Like You”, and Spike found himself agreeing with the words—there really was no one like Trixie.

Now, as he looked at her, the woman with whom he had grown up, this woman who loved him, he longed to touch her again. He didn’t, even though the cold of the night had sent her into his arms. She lay, beautiful, naked and sleek, against his side. She was at a half curve, her front to him, her arm cast out, her knee curled high. Her breasts peeked out from the tangle of hair and the crook of her elbow, and they were as tempting as ripe fruit. Spike barely restrained himself. Yet he did. Trixie sighed and smiled in her sleep, and he wondered of what she dreamt. He had touched her passions. He had reached inside her and found a deep sensuality he knew lay beneath her sizzling eyes. He sighed softly as he stared at her, following the elegant lines of her features to the slender, beautiful curves of her body, and smiled.

“So I wasn’t dreaming after all,” he said to himself.

Spike and Trixie were called into Flim and Flam’s office a few hours later.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked. “You mean you knew that Trixie and I were childhood friends all along?”

“Of course,” Flim replied.

“We want to see you two as a package deal: Spike and Trixie’s Dynamite Magic Showtime Deluxe!” Flam added. “Double the pleasure, double the money.”

Spike smiled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“It’s always about money with you two, isn’t it?” he asked.

“We’re not completely heartless,” Flim replied.

“Wait, who told you that Trixie and I knew each other?” Spike inquired.

“Do not underestimate our web of information,” Flam answered. “We know everything from if any given woman is single, to hidden treasure and secret recipes of fanciful chefs from every country... even stuff we can’t talk about.”

“We also know Trixie is 5’ 7” tall, and her body measurements from the top down are 91, 59 and 86,” said Flim.

“Eight-eight, actually,” Trixie corrected him. “Your intel is outdated.”

Spike and Trixie took their leave and the Brothers went back to watching the security monitors. The biggest screen showed a zoomed in view of Twilight talking to Rarity behind the front desk.

“Good morning, darling,” Rarity said.

“Not for me,” Twilight groaned. “That damn magician stole my date.”

“Oh, yes. When Spike called me this morning I did hear someone in the background yelling ‘ta-da,’” Rarity commented.

“I love this channel,” Flim said.

“A favorite,” agreed Flam, “an absolute favorite.”

As they rode the elevator down to the lobby, Spike asked Trixie if she was all right with the fact that the Brothers put his name before hers in the (more-or-less) official title for their new show. Trixie smiled, saying that there was no one else that she would be happy to play second fiddle to. Then, when Spike saw Twilight’s name pop up on the screen of his cell phone, he almost didn’t answer.

“This is a recording. You have dialed the wrong number. Now please hang up and don’t do it again,” he said with a laugh.

“Spike, Fluttershy’s in trouble!”

Spike and Trixie darted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened and made a beeline for the casino. When they got there, they saw Applejack, Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Rarity, Starlight and Twilight joined around one of the blackjack tables... and Fluttershy in the arms of a big, beefy, barrel-chested man in a dark suit. He had frizzy hair, long sideburns, a silver nose ring, and weighed over three hundred pounds.

“Get your hands off her!” Spike ordered.

“You here to make a bet against me?” the big man asked. “If I win, this little lady’s gotta join me on a date. Don’t worry, I don’t bite,” he said to Fluttershy.

“I accept your challenge,” Spike said.

“You’ve got guts. I like that,” the muscle-bound man said as he let Fluttershy go and motioned to a tall appliance that had recently been set up. “The name of the game is Lottery Vending Machine, imported directly from the Akihabara District in Jockeypan. It’s my specialty.”

“For real?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That’s so lame.”

“So lame,” Pinkie repeated.

“I’m the Lotto Vending Machine Master!” the burly guy proclaimed. “Call me Iron Will! I have a hundred percent win rate. I’m the best there is! NO ONE CAN BEAT ME! I!! NEVER!!! LOSE!!!!”

“I’ll go first,” Spike said as he approached the vending machine and deposited a silver dollar.

Spike skimmed the list of drinks. Many of them were marked “HOT” and “COLD” in red and blue letters respectively. He made a selection and the machine’s lights flashed off and on, complete with fanfare.

“Aw, shit!” Iron Will exclaimed. “That was just dumb luck! No one make a fool out of me!! You make me lose, I blow my fuse!!!”

He inserted his own coin into the machine, and the same process repeated.

“Looks like it’s a draw,” Iron Will sneered. “As a tie-breaker, we’ll have a speedy drinking contest!”

“Wow, what a sore loser,” Dash commented.

“Don’t worry,” Sunset told her. “There’s no way he’ll finish his first.”

“Say what?” the girls asked.

“He pressed the ‘hot’ button,” Sunset replied.

Sure enough, as Iron Will chugged his drink, his face instantly went red and steam shot out of his ears.

“Hot, hot! Water, water!! IT BURNS!!!” he cried.

And he took off running.

“Fluttershy, are you all right?” Spike asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. “Thank you.”

“That was impressive,” Trixie said.

“You think so?” Spike asked.

“That was awesome!” Dash exclaimed.

“But I didn’t even do anything,” Spike added.

“All right, people, as you were,” said Applejack, “nothing to see here!”

“Spike, I can’t thank you enough for coming to my rescue!” Fluttershy said. “I promise I won’t forget this! I will find some way to repay you, I swear!”

“Well, what are you doing right now?” he asked.

“I’m working, but I’m free this afternoon,”

“How would you like to have lunch with me?”

“I would love to!” she exclaimed.

“Perfect,” he thought.

It was a nice day for a picnic, Spike thought as he laid a red and white plaid sheet out on a secluded sand dune just outside the city limits. No one else seemed to know about it, and Spike considered himself very lucky. Then again, who else would go picnicking in the desert even on a cool day? He sat on the sheet across from Fluttershy, who had changed into a green turtleneck sweater and faded blue jeans. She opened the picnic basket and pulled out a tuna sandwich.

“Um, Fluttershy, aren’t you a vegetarian?” Spike asked.

“I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to be,” she said as she gave it to him.

Spike took a bite of the sandwich as Fluttershy helped herself to a bowl of salad, and he was overwhelmed by the flavor: ripe cucumbers, real mayo, fresh dill, and fresh ground pepper!

“Is it good?” she asked.

“It’s great!”

Over the course of their picnic, Spike learned more about Fluttershy; what she liked and what she didn’t like. Like Rainbow Dash, she hailed from Cloudsdale, but she was delicate and frail as a child. She had a fear of heights and she was an avid animal lover, which explained why she was a vegan. She was only a little bit younger than Spike, and she’d had a couple of boyfriends back in Cloudsdale, the first when she was a teenager. That one ended in a messy breakup. The second one she talked about even less.

“It didn’t work out,” Fluttershy sighed. “He said I was nice, like a sister.”

“I know how that feels,” Spike told her, looking at her chest as it heaved ever so slightly beneath her sweater.

Spike wanted to say that Fluttershy’s ex (whoever he was) was an idiot for dumping her, but he decided against it. Eventually, he asked her about the man who’d had her in a headlock that morning.

“Do you have any idea who he was?” he inquired.

“His name is Iron Will, and he’s a motivational speaker,” Fluttershy said.

Spike recalled having seen pamphlets for a self-help guru who had checked into the hotel about two weeks before. He had also heard rumors about a high-octane, energetic dude that was built like a wrestler with an enormous ego to match... but Spike hadn’t paid much attention. In fact, he doubted it was even the same person.

“I attended one of his seminars on assertiveness last week so I could learn to be more confident,” Fluttershy explained. “He promised a one hundred percent guarantee and that anyone who wasn’t completely satisfied would pay nothing. I didn’t have much money, and I thought I wouldn’t be completely satisfied, so I figured it was a safe bet.”

“Did it work?” Spike asked.

“It did, but I became so violent that I attacked someone and threw them out of a taxi cab,” she went on.

Spike was shocked. Fluttershy wouldn’t hurt a fly! It was impossible for him to imagine her raising her voice, much less physically harming another person.

“Well today, Iron Will came to collect and I refused to pay,” she said.

“Did you tell him you weren’t satisfied?” he asked.

“I did. Unfortunately, Iron Will’s not the type to take no for an answer,”

“I noticed,” Spike replied.

“So, since I wouldn’t pay, he demanded that I go out with him as collateral,”

Spike grimaced at the thought. Suddenly, Fluttershy reached out and picked a piece of cucumber off of his lip. Then she ate it.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s an old habit of mine,” she apologized.

Spike smiled as Fluttershy’s cheeks turned crimson and she tried to hide her face behind the high collar of her sweater.

“Damn girl, you just got even cuter!” Spike thought.

“I never really did thank you for saving me,” Fluttershy said.

“Sure, you did,” he replied.

“Coco told me that she helped you save my job,” she added. “She also told me that you told her I’m cute.”

Now, it was Spike’s turn to blush. Ever since he first laid eyes on Fluttershy, he thought she was cute; but her kind heart, sweet smile, soft voice and shyness made her unusually attractive.

“That’s twice you’ve saved me. Twice,” Fluttershy said. “Thank you.”

She reached into the basket again and pulled out a cheesecake.

“Consider this a small token of my appreciation,” she told him.

“Baby, you are the greatest,” Spike smiled as he kissed her cheek.

And they dug into the cake.

When Spike and Fluttershy reached The Hive Casino and Grill later that evening, he stood aside and held the door open for her, bowing and swinging his hand in a courtly welcome. They stepped into the fragrant, dimly-lit bar and Arista, the bartender, paused inquiringly before them and Spike answered for them both.

“A double Scotch and a Virgin Marey,” he said.

Spike said hello to a few faces he knew and glanced at a few others he didn’t know – and didn’t want to know, including the few drunks that were sitting at the end of the bar. As he and Fluttershy gazed around the room, Spike noticed that the Changelings looked much different from the last time he had seen them. Some still wore black, but most of them were dressed in a variety of bright colors: reds, oranges, yellows, greens and blues, even turquoise, azure and the occasional purple. The drinks came and Spike slid a twenty past Fluttershy, let the change lie on the bar as he picked up his Scotch. Fluttershy raised her glass to her lips and sipped her Virgin Marey as she enjoyed the scent of desert bluebells.

“This is nice,” she said. “This is very nice.”

“I’m glad you think so,” said a voice.

Spike and Fluttershy turned and saw Thorax and Pharynx standing next to them. Thorax was dressed in a custom tailored lime green suit with an emerald green vest and an orange neck tie, while Pharynx wore a dark cyan suit, a grayish-blue vest, and a red tie. They were accompanied by a young woman with beautiful light pink hair and blue eyes that rivaled Fluttershy’s, pale skin, and dressed in a school girl’s uniform with a pleated skirt. Spike recognized her as Thorax and Pharynx’s younger cousin, Ocellus.

“Little dark in here, though, don’t you think?” Spike asked them.

“Dark and cold, like the hearts of so many in this city,” Pharynx replied, almost poetically.

“We’re still remodeling the rest of the building,” Thorax said. “I wanted to have some vines in here.”

“I told him they were a safety hazard,” Pharynx put in.

“So we compromised on ‘no hanging plants,’” Thorax added. “As you can see, we do theater, swing dancing, and have potlucks once a week...”

“Your open mic night seems like a big hit,” Spike commented.

“It always takes the timid ones a while to get up the nerve,” Pharynx replied.

As they were talking, Cornicle was onstage singing “Just What I Needed.”

“What in the world? Am I the only one hearing this?” Spike asked himself. “The man is butchering a classic!”

Spike started weighing his options on what to do. Then he remembered one time when he was at a karaoke bar in Trotkyo. He got up and started singing, and the men in the crowd got up and left because they felt so insulted and because they took karaoke so seriously over there. But these guys, the Changelings, were different. They really had no culture or heritage. These were a people who were all but literally starving for a tradition that they could call their own. They had recently started celebrating Hearth’s Warming. It seemed that embracing the arts (and even karaoke) were the next thing.

“Maybe it would help if you went up there and started things rolling?” Spike asked Thorax.

“Thorax, sing in his own club?” Ocellus asked. “That would be like this place was just a big temple set up to worship him.”

“Come on,” Spike said, “just one song, you guys and me, as an example to the shy kids.”

“Okay, okay,” Thorax replied.

So Thorax, Pharynx and Ocellus followed Spike up after he’d finished his Scotch and they joined Cornicle onstage.

“Testing... testing...” Spike said into the microphone. “Are you guys ready to rock and roll?”

The audience cheered. Spike and Thorax picked up guitars while Pharynx got behind the drums, Ocellus moved to the keyboards as Cornicle picked up a tambourine, and Spike led them in singing “Rock’n Me.” The ladies all smiled and swayed in their chairs while the men started nodding their heads to the beat. Not even a minute went by and half a dozen women got up onstage with them and started dancing around Spike as he sang. When the song ended, Spike invited Fluttershy to join them. He led her by the hand, up to the microphone, and she started a smooth version of “Somebody to Love.”

She began softly, then Spike joined her to give her some encouragement, and when Ocellus started playing piano and Pharynx give her a beat on the drums, Fluttershy felt the butterflies in her stomach fly away. The only break in their singing was two minutes into the song, when Thorax had a guitar solo, which the ladies in the audience loved. After the third minute, everyone started clapping their hands and patting their knees, keeping in time with Pharynx’s drumbeat, and when they finished, the audience erupted again.

Spike had always loved that song, but hearing it sung by Fluttershy, he loved it even more. After they finished “Somebody to Love,” they moved on to “Take Me Home Tonight,” and every time Fluttershy sang, “Be my little baby,” she seemed to sing it with a little extra affection.

Now, with Fluttershy having proved to Spike that she could sing as well as she could dance, she started to wonder if Spike would see her as someone he could love, and one he could always love. A part of her thought that guys like Spike never changed. It was crazy to hope they could.

Spike, Fluttershy, Thorax, Ocellus, Pharynx and Cornicle stepped forward and took a collective bow.

“Thank you! You’ve been a great audience!” Spike shouted. “Good night, Las Pegasus! Spike Drake is leaving the building!”

Trixie sat in the Midnight Lounge, alone, that night. She was shuffling, flipping, reshuffling and reflipping her brand new set of tarot cards when Twilight Sparkle walked in. Trixie offered her to sit down, but Twilight refused. Trixie flipped over a card that showed a man and a woman, both naked—The Lovers—and they looked a lot like her and Spike.

“I didn’t come here to have my fortune told,” Twilight began. “I came to talk about Spike.”

“You love him,” Trixie guessed.

“What’s wrong with that?” Twilight replied.

“Nothing,” Trixie said. “He’s great.”

“I heard you and he were getting closer... onstage and off,”

“If you feel threatened by me, don’t be,” Trixie replied. “When it comes to love gone sour, I don’t pine, I don’t whine, I just move on.”

“It seems he has, too,”

“So, Fluttershy, huh? From the gossip, it’s pretty serious. If it’s the real thing, I wish him well. You should, too,”

“It’s hard to be that dismissive about someone who’s brought such... emotion into my life,”

“If you feel there’s something you want Spike to know, Twilight, you should tell him... before it’s too late,” Trixie fanned out the remaining cards in her hand and said, “Pick three.”

Twilight shrugged as she did so and she showed them to Trixie.

The first was a court jester dressed in purple (and looked freakishly similar to Twilight)—The Fool. The second was The Tower—a dark gray structure being struck by lightning and several people falling to an unknown fate—which usually meant destruction. And the third was a white skeleton, hooded and cloaked in black, wielding a scythe and riding a pale horse—Death.

Spike opened the door for Fluttershy when they returned to his suite after karaoke. Spike shrugged his jacket and threw it in the general direction of the nearest chair. He tore at his tie to loosen it, and let it sag below his opened collar.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked her. “Bottled water, ginger ale?”

“Water, please,” she replied.

Spike walked behind the bar and fished a bottle out of the minifridge below. Looking at Fluttershy, he felt that she had done well; not only as a bunny girl, but also as a shoulder to cry on. Since she started work, she had become everyone’s friend. And she was. She was one of the few girls he could talk to and not get tired of the sound of her voice or the look of her face or the curves of her body. Spike had always had a weakness for curves especially when they were wrapped around a heart of gold... or a pint of Scotch.

Fluttershy was one of those girls you thought you could have seen somewhere else, like in a movie or in a fashion magazine (and she was in the latter, thanks to Photo Finish) and then you’d look at her closely and think maybe not. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the looks or class – she had both. But perhaps she was too nice.

He gave her the bottle of water and she followed him into his bedroom. The first thing she noticed was the picture on the nightstand of a woman with silky hair, lips soft as rose petals, and emerald eyes.

“Spike... Who is this?” Fluttershy asked.

“My birthmother, Barbara,” Spike said.

“She’s beautiful,” she breathed.

“Yes, she was,” he replied.

“You have her eyes,” Fluttershy commented.

Barbara’s photo, as stunning as it was, didn’t capture the full scope of her beauty. Spike may have inherited his eye color from his mother, but the chiseled jaw and muscles were his dad’s. It had been so long since she died that Spike was beginning to forget what her voice sounded like. Fluttershy picked up another photo of Barbara in a white wedding dress with a man in a black tuxedo.

“Is this your papa?” she asked.

“I never knew him. Celestia she told me he was in a bomb disposal unit. He was honored twice as a hero... then he died in the line of duty before I was born,”

Fluttershy looked at the floor before sweeping her hair behind her ear. That was one of the things Spike loved about Fluttershy. She didn’t mind that he didn’t talk much. She didn’t mind his tough guy act, and she didn’t mind his drinking. Everyone needs some kind of defense. But there was still something, a small aura she gave off that seemed to take the form of motherly instinct.

As Spike looked at her, she looked conflicted, like she was trying to make up her mind about what to do next.

“You don’t have to be so shy around me,” he said to her.

“I know, but... I can’t help it...”

“Just tell me what you want,”

“But... wh-what if what I want is... kind of... dirty?”

Spike couldn’t answer.

“Spike, were you nursed as a baby?”

“What are you--?”

“I’m asking if you were breastfed,”

“I... don’t... remember,” he said slowly.

“I was a wet nurse,” Fluttershy confessed. “I gave milk to the children of mothers who couldn’t produce their own... I thought I was ready to wean, but I miss the bonding.”

She glanced out the balcony window.

“I’m dull, and I can’t speak well... I thought if I became prettier and turned people’s heads... I could have more self-confidence...”

“Fluttershy...”

She catapulted into his arms, her head against his chest.

“I’ve loved you for so long... so long... from the moment you taught me how to dance!” she cried.

She pulled herself away just enough to look up at his kind face. Then she kissed him. Her mouth was sweet and damp. Then she stepped away.

Spike’s jaw dropped as he watched Fluttershy undress. She lifted the hem of her green sweater and then held it in her right hand. Her stomach was pale and her bra was forest green, almost matching her sweater. She dropped the sweater, and then put her arms around Spike’s neck, kissing him again. Spike tasted her breath as she took his right hand and put it on the silky cup covering her left breast. She was so responsive to his touch and he could feel the soft, steady beat of her heart. Then she stepped away again. She looked beautiful, standing there barefoot in her faded jeans. Spike wanted to take her in his arms, lift her and carry her off to a castle in the clouds.

He imagined the panties beneath her jeans, wondering if they matched her bra (they did), and he began to stir. She had a body to go with her face, young and virginal. Her breasts were melon-round with pert nipples, her belly was deliciously dimpled, and her hips and thighs were doubly seductive.

So, why was she so self-conscious?

They kissed again and her hands dropped to his belt and unbuckled it. There was a soft rasp as his zipper went down, and then the side of her palm was sliding along the hard ridge beneath his shorts. She gasped.

“It’s bigger than I imagined it would be,” Fluttershy whispered.

She smiled as she slipped a cool hand inside, and gripped him. That hold, coupled with her gentle moving thumb, made all of his former girlfriends’ efforts seem very minor league, and things got pretty heated pretty fast.

She unfastened her bra and Spike could see small white droplets forming on the end of her nipples, slowly inching their way down the round underside of her breasts as she wrapped them around his cock.

“So, I just sandwich it like this?” she asked.

“Yeah!” he nodded.

“If you become that happy about it, it’s embarrassing,” she said. “I always thought big breasts were just in the way...”

“Fluttershy, your breasts are wonderful!”

“Thank you,”

Then she started licking the tip as she gave him a boob job. She pulled away as Spike was about to burst and pushed her jeans and panties down. Spike removed the last of his clothes as Fluttershy sat on the couch in the corner. She patted her lap with her hands, inviting him into a more comfortable position. She let out a long, soft moan as he reclined across her soft thighs, stretching out his legs.

Fluttershy smiled down at the strong, perfectly built young man with eyes that were full of joy. Spike fondled her nipples for a moment, feeling them rise and harden under his touch. Then he bent to caress them with his lips and tongue. She sighed as he looked up at her; his eyes were watery with emotion, a mixture of self-anger and guilt.

“Suckle me,” she said, trying to encourage him.

He took her incredibly sensitive left breast in both hands and gently placed his lips upon it.

“That’s it,” she whispered. “Suck my nipples harder.”

Spike’s cock twitched as he suckled her left nipple, moaning as it swelled in his mouth and her milk began to glide down his throat.

“Let me feed you,” she cooed as she stroked his hair. “Let me be your mommy.”

Spike’s fantasy was becoming a reality. He thought of how the loss of his mother had affected him. He thought of how he needed a feminine support over the years, and he began to cry. Tears ran down his cheeks and he whimpered as he nuzzled his face into her breasts.

“Shhh... shh... shhh... there you go, baby. No more crying now. Mama’s here,” she cooed.

Seeing his almost childlike reluctance turn to eagerness was turning her on. The taste of her milk was intoxicating; it was all he ever wanted, and he could not get enough. The harder he sucked the faster it filled his mouth.

Fluttershy cupped a hand behind his head and guided his mouth from one breast to the other and into the fragrant, woman-scented valley between them. He responded by suckling a bit harder, coaxing more and more of the creamy liquid from her breast, and she stroked his hair. Then he moved his left hand to her right breast and began to caress it.

Spike didn’t need any more encouragement at this point as he reached up and took Fluttershy’s right breast into his mouth and latched on. Instantly, steams of warm milk began to fill his mouth.

He started making contented little noises as he felt his climax approaching. Fluttershy detached herself from Spike and encompassed his cock with her mouth just before he released and she gulped down his cream.

“Spike, I want you to deflower me,” she said so low it was almost a whisper.

“I’ll take it slow,” he promised.

He ran his hands up to her bare shoulders, and pulled her down for a kiss. Then he stood up, scooped her up in his arms, and placed her gently across the bed, dropping himself alongside her as he ran his free hand down to the warm moisture between her trembling thighs. She tried to look away from his sincere, handsome face but could not.

“Spike, would you please turn the lights off?”

“But then I wouldn’t be able to see you,”

He started suckling her again.

“Spike, not too much with the breasts this time, please,”

He parted her knees and entered her, his bare feet on the carpet and her hips almost hanging over the edge of the mattress as he drove hard and deep. Then her hips began to gently rock, encouraging him, and he thrust into her, slowly at first, as she adjusted to having him completely submerged inside her. She gasped and moved her face to one side, sobbing.

“Am I being too rough?” he asked.

“No, it’s okay. I can take it! I-I’m not made of glass,” she said.

He muffled her screams with a kiss as he came fast, and moved them both further onto the bed for a more comfortable second encounter, taking his time now, as their heaving flesh got better acquainted. He grabbed both of her buttocks in his hands and hauled her in closer under him. She moaned as she and raked her nails along his back and sobbed again.

She had dropped her modesty completely now and was responding like a she-wolf in heat, digging her nails in and raising her knees until her heels were crossed behind his neck. He was hitting bottom with every stroke. He eased off a bit; aware that he could be hurting her, but she pumped hard to meet his thrusts.

“All of it! I want it all inside me! Deep! Go deep! I want all of you! Now! Now! Yes! Oh, yes!”

They had a long shuddering mutual orgasm and she suddenly went limp. Spike knew he was heavier than Fluttershy, so after lying there long enough to catch his breath, he shifted his weight to his elbows and eased off.

“Don’t move,” she sighed. “Just let it soak inside me till we can do it some more. You’re still nice and hard. My, there’s certainly a lot of you, isn’t there?”

He took it as a compliment.

“Can we do it again?” she asked. “This time I want to be on top!”

He rolled off her and lay back as she giggled like a naughty schoolgirl and climbed on top of him, with a knee by each of his hips. She toyed with his moist erection, guiding herself onto it with her hands.

“I feel delightfully wicked,” she said.

He sighed with pleasure as she dropped her pelvis hard, taking it deep with a breathless hiss, and moved up and down with amazing vigor as she leaned forward, swinging her nipples across his face.

“Suck me! Suck my titties!” she shouted. “Oh, don’t stop! It’s amazing!”

Suckling this way was much easier as the milk in her breasts was being helped by gravity. This made it easy for him to drink without having to use as much suction.

“Fuck me harder, Spike! Fuck me like there’s no tomorrow!”

They came together before Fluttershy collapsed on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her narrow waist.

It wasn’t just once, and that was very lucky for Spike, because the first time he lasted only about eight minutes, maybe nine. Fluttershy smiled, a little smile that put dimples at the corners of her mouth, but she didn’t laugh at him.

“If anything, I’m flattered,” she had told him.

She got up from the bed and disappeared into the living room for a minute. She came back with a bottle of pink Champagne in an ice bucket and two crystal glasses. But as she stood naked before him, Champagne was the last thing Spike wanted. They lay together, sipping Champagne and enjoying each other’s warmth. When Fluttershy sat up, the sheet slipped away from her nipples and Spike felt himself begin to stir again. She caressed his face with her free hand.

“You’ve had thirds. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in fourths?”

Spike put his own Champagne down beside the bed.

“As a matter of fact...”

The first time was embarrassing, the second time was good, and the third was quite a bit better. But the fourth time... was the charm.

“I will treat you to your fantasy,” she said. “I’ll nurse you, and feed you all the milk you want and need.”

After two hours, Fluttershy began to cry out softly. But it was him whispering “Come for me. Please” into her ear that sent her over the edge.

“Was I good?” she asked.

“You were more than good, babe. You were great,” he said. “I wish I could have been better.”

“I wish I could have been better,”

“Baby, you’re the best,” Spike said as he wrapped his arms around her again. “You are so pretty, so pretty and kind.”

Spike didn’t know how Fluttershy knew what she said next, but somehow a little Jockeypanese escaped her lips.

“Ai shi teru, Spike-kun,” she said.

I love you, Spike.

“Ai she teru, Fluttershy-san,” he whispered back.

Rich Enterprises Incorporated.

Like the Flimflam Brothers, they had a clear hierarchy among their employees, and the only thing they cared about was money. It was the only thing they respected. That and how skilled at gambling their employees were. Those were the rules. That was all that mattered.

The Rich Resort and Casino, which was the largest casino in the world, had been built on a massive scale: the main complex totaled five million square feet, with half a million of those feet dedicated to gambling. The casino boasted 500 table games and more than ten thousand slot machines spread through ten distinct gambling areas. The company’s total 100,000 employees serviced an estimated 250,000 guests daily—an incredible accomplishment.

An architectural and entreprenueal phenomenon designed to make every visitor’s jaw drop. The mini-replica of Manehattan was like a guidebook gone three-dimensional: tourists wandered from a replica of Maneway Station at one entrance to the Bronclyn Bridge at another, passing by a one-third-size The Mare Statue, as well as detailed representations of Saddle Row, the Rink at Rockefillyer Center, and even Bridleway. The casino itself looked like the back lot of an Applewood movie studio, the décor so authentic that you could smell fresh bagels above the customary scent of cigarettes and cheap perfume.

But even though it was one of the great “wonders” of Las Pegasus, the casino was definitely not a favorite among professional gamblers. So many tourists came just to gawk that the narrow pathways winding through the resort were jammed in a constant state of pedestrian gridlock. It was built like a labyrinth to keep people in, and security had an eye and an ear on everything. Impossibly Rich was also tapped into the federal fingerprint database.

The Rich Family’s greatest strength was also their greatest weakness: ego (something they shared with Twilight Sparkle). As for Impossibly Rich herself, she was a machine. She arrived at her Resort every day at 2:00 P.M., in the same car, driven the same chauffer, the family’s butler Randolph. Impossibly Rich remembered every valet’s name on her way in (not bad for a woman worth three-quarters of a trillion). She had offices upstairs, she worked hard, hit the lobby floor at 7:00 P.M. on the nose. Her right-hand was her son, Filthy Rich; and her left-hand was her haughty casino manager, Abacus Cinch. She spent three minutes talking with Cinch, all business. Between Filthy and Cinch, the place was covered.

Impossibly Rich liked to know what went on in all of her casinos, from the rotation of the dealers’ to the path of every cash cart. She liked to be in control (also like Sparkle). She knew everything about every guard, watcher, anyone with a security pass; where they were from, nicknames, and how they took their coffee. There was rarely an incident she didn’t know about or handle personally. She spent a few minutes glad-handing the high rollers. She was fluent in Latin, Germane, and Itailian, and she was taking lessons in Jockeypanese (getting pretty good at it). She was out by 7:30 P.M. when Filthy Rich handed her a black portfolio with the day’s profits and new security codes. Then they headed to the restaurant for dinner.

Long story short, Impossibly Rich was as smart as she was ruthless. The last guy she caught cheating, not only did she have him sent up the river for ten years, she also had the bank seize his house and bankrupted his brother-in-law’s tractor dealership. Impossibly Rich didn’t just take out people’s knees, she went after their livelihood. She ruined their lives and the lives of anybody they knew.

Impossibly Rich’s office was typical Applewood; with its eclectic styling of furniture, walls littered with photos of the woman shaking hands with politicians and movie stars, and the liberal amount of unnatural lighting, it was all flash and almost no class. And in that upstairs office, Impossibly Rich sat at a ten million dollar redwood desk with four phones – one to call her son, one to call her lawyer, one to call her masseur, and one to call her personal trainer (the latter two of which were also her lovers). And there was a silver tray by the window, stacked with bottles of only the finest liquor. Iron Will stood at the far end of the office while half a dozen women, wearing maroon vests and/or jackets with pleated plaid skirts and matching high heels, stood in the center of the room.

One, named Sunny Flare, had cerise eyes, a mulberry bob haircut with raspberry streaks, dark eye shadow, and wore a pair of metal bracers on her wrists that had been outfitted with miniature computers. Another girl, Sour Sweet, had pale skin, freckles on her cheeks, and a rose-colored ponytail with a streak of aquamarine, which matched her eye shadow. Another, Sugarcoat, had orchid eyes behind glasses with orange frames, light gray hair with light arctic bluish streaks that was done up in twin pigtails and she had the shortest skirt of them all, but wore pantyhose with her socks. The fourth, Lemon Zest, had amber eyes, hair the color of pistachios with various highlights, pink skin and blue eye shadow. And the fifth, Indigo Zap, had golden eyes, hair that was three shades of blue, and wore a pair of flight goggles and sneakers instead of high heels.

The only thing that tied them together was the power they wielded as members of Impossibly Rich’s inner circle. Power derived from the authority of Impossibly Rich and her family. They were soon joined by Abacus Cinch. Cinch was in her mid-fifties, with fuchsia hair, thick lips, a grandmotherly face, and angry eyes. And like the younger women, she was wearing a tailored maroon suit with tiny glasses.

“Miss Rich, the data we have on the young man who recently started work at the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort,” Cinch said.

She handed Impossibly Rich a beige folder and Impossibly Rich started going through its contents.

Spike Drake, 22-years-old, orphaned at age four, and was adopted by Celestia Soleil shortly after. He barely knew his birthmother, Barbara, but he inherited a lot of money from her when she died. He was rich, he was bored, and he was talented. A college graduate with mysterious means of income and a nonconformist lifestyle.

“So, the Serpent’s son has appeared in my paradise,” Impossibly Rich said.

She closed the folder and looked at her employees around the room. They had all heard the stories surrounding the young man... including the rumors.

“Care to share any thoughts, ladies?” she asked.

“He’s awesome if he could take down Sparkle so quickly!” Indigo Zap said.

“I bet he’s full of himself after beating that peon,” Sour Sweet added.

“Hold on!” Lemon Zest cut in. “How did she get to be at the top again?”

“I think that’s enough,” Sugarcoat stated as she readjusted her glasses.

“So, how exactly do you plan to dispose of Spike Drake?” Abacus Cinch inquired.

“Seriously, I find the situation developing to be rather interesting,” Sunny Flare told them. “Why don’t we do some more meddling?”

Impossibly Rich smiled, and then agreed.

“I have a question for you, though,” Iron Will interjected. “Are you sure that’s what you wanted? Why did you want me to cause such a big scene? What did you have me do that for?”

“To test the extent of Spike’s power,” Impossibly Rich replied. “We are going to learn everything about him.”

Next time, to impress her father (and the Flimflam Brothers), Starlight asks Spike and the girls to perform in the staff ballroom dancing competition in the hopes of beating archrival hotelier Impossibly Rich’s team. There’s just one problem: the girls need to learn how to dance first.

Everyone at the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort from the owners down to the parking valets was in a bad mood. Discord, in particular, was extra frustrated; so much that he had crushed a whole case of stress balls just to try and keep calm. At the moment, he was chewing out Rarity, Soarin and Zephyr Breeze. He looked like he would blow his top at any second.

“This is a copy of my job description,” he said as he held up a sheet of paper to them. “Do you see ‘supervising a staff full of babies who can’t think for themselves’ anywhere here? Do you?!”

“Dude, it’s not even ten o’clock,” Zephyr groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

“You mixed up the Coals’ and Slaws’ luggage!” Discord went on.

“Not my fault,” Zeph replied. “I couldn’t tell one from the other. They were both so big and heavy.”

“The luggage or the people?” Soarin inquired.

Discord finally went nuclear.

“You are nothing but a never-ending string of complaints, excuses, and wisecracks! That’s a strike for all three of you! Now, get to work! That is an order, NOT a suggestion! Move it! And what kind of a sorry display is that?!”

Meanwhile, in the Sweet Snacks Café...

“What’s the holdup?” Pinkie asked Chef le Grand. “Table Twenty-Two’s been waiting on a banana smoothie for half an hour.”

“Miss Pie!” the Flimflam Brothers called out.

“Is there a problem, sirs?” Pinkie asked after roller-skating to their table.

“Would you look at this?” Flam asked. “My muffin is bursting with blueberries and my brother’s barely has any! Does that seem right to you?”

“Uh... uh, no, no, sir,” she replied.

“Tell Chef le Grand in there that we want every muffin to have an equal amount of blueberries in it -- an equal amount!” Flim stated.

Pinkie did.

“This is nonsense! Equal blueberries?! Get out of my kitchen!”

And she skated back through the swinging doors, being pelted by the Chef’s muffins, as well as croissants, as she fled. Just then, Starlight Glimmer walked in, talking to Trixie on her cell phone.

“Yes, it’s hard!” she said as she finished buttoning up her uniform with her free hand. “My manager, Sunset, is sooo annoying. Oh, and Rarity wears way too much makeup. Did you know her eyelashes are false? But I won’t be here for much longer. I have a way out of this job...”

“Where have you been?” Pinkie asked. “Your tables are about to keel over from starvation!”

“Trying to avoid angry bellhops,” Starlight answered. “I need to talk to Flim and Flam.”

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” Pinkie advised. “On an angry scale of one to ten, they’re a fifty this morning.”

“Oh, I’m just gonna suck up to them for a minute,” Starlight reassured her.

“Twilight!!” Flam yelled. “We need to talk to you NOW!!”

“Um, I think she’s hiding under a shelf in a supply closet,” Pinkie said.

And the Brothers went on the hunt for her as Starlight approached her father’s table. Sunburst and Stellar Flare had joined him for breakfast.

“Why’s everybody so upset?” Starlight asked.

“The list of the Top-10 Casino Resorts just came out,” Stellar Flare explained, showing her the morning newspaper. “And the Flimflam Brothers came in second.”

“Second?” Starlight asked.

“And guess who came in first,” Sunburst added.

Starlight gasped... then growled, “Impossibly Rich!”

“Ever since her driver beat the Brothers’ pick in the Las Pegasus Grand Prix,” Stellar Flare replied. “It’s too bad there isn’t a way to stick it to her.”

“I might have a way,” Starlight said. “The staff ballroom dancing contest is usually right after the Top 10, isn’t it?”

“Oh, don’t remind us, Pumpkin,” Firelight told his daughter. “In fact, that is the last thing any of us want to think about right now.”

“Don’t worry, Dad -- we are going to win it this year, and I’m gonna make sure of it. But first, duty calls!”

Then she ducked under the table.

“What are you doing?” Sunburst asked.

“This gum isn’t going to scrape itself!” she replied.

Her father, Sunburst and Stellar Flare all quickly pushed their chairs back and paid as they left.

The only room that seemed to be immune to all the negativity in the whole resort was the ballroom. Inside, Rainbow Dash was snacking on handfuls of little chocolates (the ones that were for decorating the guests’ pillows in their rooms. At least they were supposed to be) while Twilight sipped a strawberry smoothie.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” Dash hummed. “These are so good. Can you get addicted to pillow chocolates?”

“How many guys would do something like that on their day off?” Twilight asked. “He’s not even being paid.”

She was talking about Spike... again; more specifically, the fact that he had started streaming dance instruction videos to the hotel’s website as a way to strum up more business. That day, Spike was having Sunset Shimmer film him teaching a segment on hip-hop... and Fleur was his dance partner.

“Are you forced to offer some feeble excuse for not dancing?” he asked, looking into the camera. “Are you left holding the bags, the coats, and stuck with the check while everyone else enjoys themselves? Do you feel like a wallflower, alone in a world of dancers? Do you have two left feet?”

Spike stretched as he talked, then he started shaking his money-maker.

“See, the thing about hip-hop is that you don’t plan the dance, you just make up new moves as you go along with the music,” he went on. “You use steps you know, but don’t plan the order. So, the dance is a little new and different each time. That’s called improvising.”

He proceeded to demonstrate, earning a gasp from Sunset.

“Dancing is as easy as A, B, C or 1, 2, 3,” Spike said as he nodded to Vinyl Scratch, who nodded back and dropped the needle on her turntable.

Sunset gasped again. It was hard to believe it had been fifty years since that song was released, where it stayed at #1 for four weeks, and it was still popular.

“Stupendous!” she exclaimed.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were soon joined by Spike’s mother, Celestia.

“Spike’s been obsessed with choreography,” she said. “Ever since he saw Barbara teach a blind man how to tango, he’s wanted to make a career out of it.”

“Aww, I think it’s cool,” said Twilight. “It’s like there’s more to him than just a cute smile, nice eyes, broad shoulders and perfect abs...”

“Watch it!” Celestia warned her. “That’s my son you’re drooling over!”

“Hey, she’s a total catch, too,” Rainbow Dash said about Twilight.

“Thanks,” Twilight replied.

Dash’s phone beeped and she saw a text message from Starlight Glimmer.

“She’s on her way down,” Dash said. “So, are you gonna hang out here on the sidelines until Spike notices you, or are you gonna walk up to him and say hi?” she asked Twilight.

Twilight wasn’t sure that she could. After everything that had transpired between her and Spike, she felt awkward and uncomfortable.

“Brock-brock-brock-brock-brock-brock-brock-brock-brock!” Dash clucked.

“Okay, okay!” Twilight said.

As they were talking, Fleur was having her own conversation with Spike.

“You know, Spike, if you were my boyfriend, I would spoil you,” she whispered into his ear as they danced. “I would love to spoil you. Take you places you’ve never been, show you things you’ve never seen. I would like you to... crème my brûlée.”

Spike blushed hard. Thankfully, the music stopped just as he saw Starlight enter the ballroom and he hip-hopped over to her. Soon, the ballroom became filled with people – as well as Spike, Fleur, Celestia, Sunset, Vinyl, Rainbow Dash, Starlight and Twilight – Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Soarin, Rarity, Coco Pommel, Cheese Sandwich and Zephyr Breeze joined them shortly after.

“What’re you all doing here?” Spike asked.

They all held up their phones, revealing the same text message from Starlight Glimmer.

“I wanted to see how the latest dance video is coming,” Starlight told him. “Also I need you all to do something for me.”

“What?” Zephyr groaned.

“Win the annual staff ballroom dancing contest next Saturday,” she said.

“Is that all?” Soarin asked, as if he were expecting more.

“You’ll have to skip work without getting fired and practice every spare second you have,” Starlight added.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... Whoa!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “When you say ‘dance’ you mean as in ‘together’? I don’t know if you know this about me, but I don’t slow dance, only break dance.”

“And if we did agree to help you, what’s in it for us?” Rarity asked.

“Other than spending time with Spike and possibly getting fired,” added Applejack.

“The Rich Family and the Flimflam Brothers are sworn enemies,” Starlight explained. “They’ve been competing at everything since Flim and Flam took over after Gladmane was brought down. Sports, social events, the stock market...” she listed them off. “Every year for the past six years, the Brothers have been Number One. That’s why Discord’s being such a dictator. They’re giving him the grind because he let us slip to Number Two.”

“This morning, he gave me a strike just for yawning!” Coco told them.

“The dude’s a workaholic,” Soarin said. “It’s a disease.”

“Hope I don’t catch it,” Zeph added.

“Yeah, I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Dash told him.

“So if we win, Discord will get off our cases?” Spike asked.

“You’ll be legends, and... Dad will let me out of this stupid job,” Starlight said. “So, are you in?”

“Definitely,” Spike replied. “I mean, if it means getting Discord off our backs, and promoting the hotel at the same time, how would you gals rather be seen, in smoking hot dresses or with your mouths full of pie?”

“On a skill level, I’m better at pie eating,” Applejack answered.

“I think this could be really cool,” Pinkie added.

“And having the staff show off their dance moves would surely bring in more guests,” Twilight went on.

“All right, just for argument’s sake, who would I be dancing with?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Why, me, of course,” Zephyr smiled.

“No offense, darling, but you’re a groper and you smell like you haven’t showered in a week,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, thanks, but no thanks,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Fine, just get another partner,” Starlight said.

“Like who?” Dash asked.

“Oh, for Scorpan’s sake, I’ll do it,” Spike grunted.

“Spike, no,” said Sunset. “You’re working hard enough as it is.”

“I’ll have you know I am a three-time ballroom dancing champion,” Spike bragged. “In fact, my dance teacher told me that I was the best she’d ever had.”

“So, the dance teacher selling you lessons said you were a natural?” Dash asked. “Unheard of!”

Now, a normal guy would’ve said something along the lines of, “You think I can’t do it?”, or a sarcastic “All right.” But not Spike. For one thing, Spike was not a normal guy. He was a college graduate turned casino dealer and dance instructor. Instead of saying anything, he simply grabbed Fluttershy by her wrist, pulled her close to him, and started twirling her. She spun around him several times before he finally dipped her, leaving her breathless.

“I can also do the Hop, the Jump, the Twist, the Hustle, the Monkey, the Jerk, the Dog and the Disco Duck,” Spike said. “And I won’t be the only guy in this competition; I’m going to take Cheese, Soarin and Zeph here under my wing. The more teams we have competing, the greater our chances of winning.”

“So, what do you say, girls?” Starlight asked them. “Please?”

They slowly agreed, one by one.

“Fine, we’ll do it,” Rarity replied.

“Good. I’ll cover for you so you can start training,” Coco said.

“Wait a minute! If Coco’s going to fill in for Rarity, who’s gonna cover for me?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” Starlight replied.

“You’re gonna clean rooms?” Dash asked. “This just keeps getting better and better!”

As Twilight finished her afternoon shift in the casino, she thought back to when she and Rarity were in the staff locker room an hour ago. Spike had walked past her outside the changing stalls like she didn’t even exist.

“Twilight, darling, you can do so much better than Spike,” Rarity had said. “Move on! And besides, why do you care if he notices you? You’re pretty, you work at an exclusive casino-hotel and you’re a friend of mine. You can date anyone you want!”

“I know, but the one I want is Spike,” Twilight replied.

“Well, here’s a little advice: the fastest way to get a man’s attention is to make him jealous,”

Twilight was willing to give it a try, but she didn’t know to begin. That’s when she heard a commotion coming from one of the poker tables across the casino. She saw a battered young man in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, who had been on the wrong end of too many boxing gloves. He was tall—over six-five—with vivid orange hair and an athletic frame. His face was narrow and his eyes a little too close together.

He barely looked at his cards as the deal continued. He threw out his bets haphazardly, carrying on conversations with the other players while they tried to focus on their hands. Pretty soon the others dropped out until it dwindled down to him and one other player, who was also drawing into a full house.

Instead of folding, the guy pushed a large stack of chips into the center of the table. He smiled at the other player, daring him to match the bet, the very same way Spike had smiled at her that night when they played poker. His confidence was unnerving; Twilight could see the other player weakening with each passing second. Finally, he folded, unwilling to take the chance that his last card would give him the full house. The guy swooped up his winnings and began to stack them in neat little towers.

“That was pretty impressive,” she said.

“What that? It’s just pocket change,” he replied.

“I’m Twilight,” she introduced herself, “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Call me Garble,”

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Soarin, Zephyr Breeze, Cheese Sandwich and Twilight assembled in the ballroom the next morning. They were about to start warming up when Discord burst through the double doors with Applejack right behind him.

“There had better be a really good explanation for why you’re not all at work!” he growled.

“They have to skip work so we can win the staff ballroom dance contest,” Spike explained.

“Let me think about that,” Discord said. “Hmm... No!”

“If we win, you’ll be the Brothers’ hero,” Spike said.

“Think of it as career advancement,” Rarity added.

Discord thought it over for another moment, and said, “Fine. But only on one condition: I want in!”

“You want to dance?” Spike asked.

“Yes. And my doctor suggested I get some exercise,” Discord added. “So, you got a partner for me?”

“I have just the woman,” Spike told him. “Twilight!”

“Why can’t I be your partner?” she asked.

“‘Cause he just said you’re with me, baby!” Discord answered. “And we are gonna dance till we’re blue in the face!”

And he swept Twilight into his arms, which wasn’t too difficult since he stood a whole foot taller than her.

“Next time, I’ll take out my lifts, you wear heels,” Discord said.

“I already am,” Twilight replied.

“All right, everyone else pair up,” Spike said.

“Cheese’s my partner!” Pinkie exclaimed.

So, Pinkie paired off with Cheese Sandwich, while Soarin paired off with Rainbow Dash and Spike took Rarity, leaving Fluttershy to dance with her brother, Zephyr Breeze.

“We have only five days to train, and we are not coming home without the trophy,” Spike told them. “So, let’s warm up with some basic Trust Exercises. Now, I wouldn’t blame any of you if you didn’t trust your partners at all; but if you can’t trust them to catch you when you’re falling, then this isn’t going to work.”

The trust fall—the tried and true mothod in which one person fell, relying on another person to catch them. This was necessary for the couples if they were going to dance together. The more they trusted one another, the stronger and more productive they would be. It was that simple. The men caught the women, no problem; but the women catching the men required a bit more effort.

“All right, now I want to go over what dance each couple will be doing,” Spike said. “Dash, Soarin, I would like you two to Samba. Twilight, Discord, I think you two should do the waltz. Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich are going to do a hip-hop dance, Zephyr’s dancing ballet with Fluttershy, and Rarity, you and I are doing the tango. You and your partner must move as one,” he said as he pulled a tabloid out of his back pocket and held it between Discord and Twilight. “You must hold her so closely that this magazine can not fall.”

“You got a thinner magazine?” Discord asked.

“This is creepy,” Zephyr thought as he danced with his sister. “But I can deal with it.”

“Follow my lead,” he told Fluttershy. “Not too close. Keep your arms locked. And loosen your elbows. Don’t look at your feet!”

“I told you -- wait until I’m ready!” Rainbow Dash shouted at Soarin.

“It’s not my fault you’re slow!” Soarin replied.

“I am not slow!” Dash stated.

“Okay,” Spike said, stepping between them, “the biggest mistake you two are making right now is you’re going for the big moves first. You’re not going to do that. You are going to work our way up to the Level 9 lifts.”

“What about Level Ten?” Dash asked.

“Do not even joke about that!” Spike stated. “No one does Level Ten lifts, not even the pros! Got it?”

Rainbow Dash and Soarin nodded.

“To win, we just need to execute a perfect Level 9, unless one or both of you wants to end up in the hospital... or the morgue,” Spike said.

“No, we’re down with that,” Dash replied quickly.

“Level 9 sounds good,” Soarin agreed.

“Okay,” Spike told them. “Begin again.”

After Spike got everyone else set up, he finally approached Rarity.

“All right, stand up straight. Now, you’re going to put one hand here,” he said, holding out his left hand. “And the other hand on my shoulder.”

“You mean touch you?” she asked.

Spike nodded. “And you’re going to lock your thumb under my armpit.”

“There’s not enough money in the world,”

“It’s called the tango. That’s how it’s done. We need to lock elbows,”

“I’m not locking any of my body parts with yours, elbows or otherwise,”

“Come on. You can do this,”

“I know. I just don’t want to,” she said. “All right, one hand here?”

“Mm-hmm,” he replied.

“And my thumb there,”

“That’s right. And the man, me, I put my hand here,” he said, placing it behind her shoulder. “Don’t laugh.”

“Well, don’t tickle me,” she replied.

“I’m not tickling you,”

“I’m ticklish there,”

“You’re ticklish in your upper back?”

“I’m ticklish in a lot of places I’m not telling you about,”

“All right, you’re going to feel pressure on your hand and you’re going to go against that,” Spike told her. “It’s like magnets pushing away from each other.”

“Oh, so dancing with you is based on repulsion,” Rarity said. “I am gonna be awesome at this.”

“You’re cute, you know that?” he asked sarcastically. “Ready?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded.

“I’m gonna move, and you’re gonna follow me,” he instructed.

They started moving, forward and back, and she mirrored him perfectly.

“How’d that feel?” he asked.

“Good. Really good,” Rarity admitted. “I mean, in a dancing sort of way.”

“See, the tango is about passion,” Spike told her as they continued to dance. “The man leads, and the woman follows, until the two become...” He dipped her. “...one.”

Rarity blinked in an attempt to free herself of Spike’s mesmerizing gaze.

“Okay, I think I need a drink,” she said.

“Yeah, me too,” he replied, pulling her to her feet.

“That was kind of--”

“I understand,”

Just then, Starlight burst in.

“Spike, amazing news!” she cried. “The Resort has been selected to host the competition this year! And it’s going to be televised live!”

The gang could not believe it; Spike was grinning from ear to ear.

“You all heard the lady!” he shouted. “Let’s dance!”

The rest of the day went smoothly... even for the Flimflam Brothers, who had found their newest “show” to watch on the security monitors.

“You know, brother of mine, I really think these kids have a chance of winning,” Flim said.

Flam agreed.

“Good job, everyone,” Spike said after they were done. “Keep practicing, and remember to hold your frame.”

Soarin and Zephyr Breeze rode the elevator up to the staff quarters while Twilight walked with Rainbow Dash to the garden out back.

“That was fun!” Soarin said. “Don’t Dash and I make a great team?”

“Oh, yes!” Zephyr Breeze said sarcastically. “Switch partners with me.”

“What? Why?”

“You can’t lead Rainbow Dash. She’s pushing you around like a mop!”

“And what’s wrong with Fluttershy?”

“Besides the fact that she’s my sister, she’s got noodle arms. It’s like dancing with spaghetti. I’ll never win with her,”

“Then why should I take her?”

“‘Cause you’ll never win with anyone,” Zephyr said.

“That is insulting!” Soarin replied. “And also true...”

“Look, if you won’t do it for me, do it for Spike and Starlight,”

“Fine, I’ll switch,”

“Thanks,”

Meanwhile, in the courtyard garden...

“Rainbow Dash, I’m in trouble,” Twilight said. “I can’t dance.”

“If you can’t dance, then why’d you agree to be in the contest?” Dash asked.

“Because if Rarity enters with Spike, they’re going to win!” she replied. “That means their names are going to be on the trophy... together. Touching...”

“So?”

“So, I’ve got to stop them! I can’t allow them to name-neck!”

A part of Rainbow Dash told herself that she was going to regret doing this, but she agreed to help Twilight with some basic dance techniques. Dash reached into her pocket, pulled out a little silver bell, and proceeded to tie it to a low branch on one of the trees.

“Who carries a bell around?” Twilight thought.

“Jump and ring the bell,” Dash told her.

“Why?”

“Just do it,”

Twilight did so.

“Again,” Dash said.

Twilight jumped again and Dash shook her head.

“Twilight, you have the energy of a bullet, but you lack precision and finesse,” she said. “You have little to no sense of rhythm. You are without balance, grace and charm. And you have the lightness of a depressed elephant.”

Dash picked up a watering can left behind by one of the gardeners and dumped out the contents, creating a big puddle beneath the branch.

“Now jump up, ring the bell, land, and do not splash the water,” she said.

“That’s impossible,” Twilight replied.

“I thought you wanted to learn how to dance,”

So, Twilight did as she was told. And she continued to practice until she could barely stand.

The next day started off well enough, with the pairs working on their routines for the contest while Applejack, Sunset and the Dazzlings watched.

“You’re really a lovely dancer, Twilight,” Discord complimented her.

“Thank you,” she replied indifferently. “Now, would you scrunch down a little, please?”

“Why don’t you scrunch up?” he asked.

Twilight growled in reply.

“Right, sorry,” He twirled Twilight, and when she came back around she sneezed into his chest. “Oh, gross!”

“Sorry,” she wheezed.

“I can’t afford to get sick before this competition!” he shouted. “I’m the one who has to carry this team.”

Across the room, Rainbow Dash and Zephyr Breeze were fighting each other at (literally) every turn while Soarin was having trouble trying to boost Fluttershy’s confidence.

“Dash, you’re leading again!” Zephyr grunted.

“I’m leading because you’re hesitating,” she replied.

“I’m hesitating because you keep criticizing me,” he countered.

“I’m criticizing you because you’re not doing it right!” she shouted.

“I’m not doing it right because you’re yelling at me!”

“You’re yelling!”

“Fluttershy, you need to hold your arms up,” Soarin said gently.

“I’m sorry, Soarin really I am,” she apologized for the twentieth time.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “One more time, ready, and... One...”

While this was happening, Spike was pacing the floor, waiting for Rarity to show up. When she finally did, the first thing she told him was, “All right, I’ve got half an hour.”

“Half an hour?” he asked. “You didn’t get the schedule? I said we need six to seven hours a day minimum for the rest of the week.”

“Yeah, now 29 minutes,” she said to him.

Instead of arguing further, Spike immediately placed his arms around Rarity and they went right into their routine: lunge, flick, flick, lunge, flick, flick, out, up, around, spin, and drop.

“How low can I go?” Rarity asked.

Spike pulled Rarity to her feet and said, “What the Tartarus was that?”

“Look, if we’re going to be on TV, I need to show all of my strengths,” she replied. “I may not be the best at precision, but I am the best at pizzazz.”

“That’s not what we’re doing here! Now, let’s do it again,”

But before they could start again, Vinyl started playing Samba music.

“Our turn,” Rainbow Dash said.

“We are not done!” Rarity snapped at her.

“Well, Zeph and I need to practice our Samba,” Dash replied.

“No, Spike and I need to practice, since we’re the only ones with a chance of winning!” Rarity shouted.

“I beg to differ,” Twilight butted in. “I think Discord and I stand a pretty good chance.”

“Would you all stop?” Spike shouted.

“You know what? This isn’t even about dancing anymore,” Twilight said. “It’s about control.”

“What?” Spike asked her.

“Look, you put up with a lot,” Twilight told him, “and the one time you’re put in a position where you actually know something, you just want to run the whole thing.”

“Or maybe it’s about someone who likes to call the shots at everything, including the exact color of stripes in their toothpaste!” Spike replied. “And now you’re involved in a situation where someone else knows more about it than you do! You’re a control freak!”

“HEY!!” a new voice joined in.

They all turned to face the ballroom doors. It was Starlight Glimmer. She was flanked by two familiar individuals—Garble and Suri Polomare—and she did not look happy.

“I did not slave over the entire twelfth floor all morning so that you could spend it bickering!” she shouted. “Please tell me you at least learned a few lifts.”

“Well, duh,” Zeph replied. “Come on -- let’s show her number seven,” he said to Dash.

The group watched Zephyr as he placed his hands on Rainbow Dash’s waist and launched her into the air. When she came back down, her foot landed right on his crotch, causing him to fall onto his back and drop her. Dash quickly got to her feet as Zephyr Breeze held his damaged area with both hands.

“Seriously, you have no idea how much this hurts,” he groaned.

“Oh, suck it up,” Dash told him. “You’re such a wimp.”

“You wanna see a grown man really cry?” Garble asked Starlight.

She gave him a confused look.

“Hey, Drake!” he called out. “You don’t get rich if you don’t take risks!”

Spike, who had his back to Garble, froze. He was hoping, praying that he was wrong. And that he wouldn’t have to see that face, or hear that phrase, again. Then he slowly straightened before turning around to face him.

“Well look what the wind blew in,” he said.

“What, that’s it? No tearful greeting?” Garble chuckled.

“Dragons’ Law: never show surprise, never lose your cool,” Spike replied.

“I can’t believe they actually hired you here,” Garble added.

“Spike, this is your competition from Rich Casino and Resort,” Starlight said. “Our former coworker, Suri Polomare and--”

“Garble Chan,” Spike growled.

Twilight’s mouth fell open for a second.

“You two know each other?” she asked.

“Oh, we go way back,” Garble stated.

“All the way to the first time I kicked your tail at Lava Surfing Sectionals,” Spike said, smiling for the first time since Garble entered the ballroom. “It’s nice to see that some things never change. Are you still dying your hair and shaving with a Brillo pad?”

“Two years we haven’t seen each other and we just flow into the old act,” Garble commented. “I taught this ungrateful punk everything he knows.”

“I doubt that,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Don’t waste your loyalty on him,” Garble warned her. “He’ll dump you after Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“What the Tartarus are you doing here?” Spike asked him.

“This kid used to be the best, second only to me,” Garble said, ignoring the question. “It’s his downfall.”

“I don’t see how being good at something can be your downfall,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“I grant you, it’s not an easy concept to grasp,” Garble said. “Now take our hero, here. I haven’t seen him for a while and I’ve never been in this place before, but I will bet my bottom dollar that he’s got some kind of success manual in his back pocket. You see, Spike’s a believer. Always has been, always will be. He doesn’t realize the doors are shut to people like us.”

“Well, maybe he wants to open those doors,” said Applejack.

“Then he has to steal the keys, sweetheart,” Garble replied.

“Something even you have been unable to do,” Spike countered.

“There are two types of people in this world: workers and hustlers,” Garble said. “The hustlers never work and the workers never hustle. And you, my old friend, are a worker. Faust knows, I tried to beat that instinct out of him, but it’s in his blood. Is he or isn’t he a great teacher?” he asked the room full of people.

“The best,” Fluttershy replied.

“See? They love you,”

Spike briefly averted his eyes and smiled tightly.

“So, you traded in your surfboard for a pair of dance shoes?” he asked his rival. “Ladies, get ready for Cirque de So Lame!”

“Oh, really?” Garble retorted. “Is this lame?”

Garble grabbed Suri around the waist and hoisted her over his head. Then he held her, one-handed, under her thigh, while she stretched out both of her arms and stuck one leg out behind her while she tucked her other leg underneath her.

“Wow -- the One-Arm Falcon,” Dash breathed.

It was a tandem surfers’ move, not a dance move, but it was still impressive.

“Whatever,” Spike scoffed. “I warm up with the One-Arm Falcon.”

“You what?!” Dash, Rarity, Twilight and Starlight asked.

“You do?” asked Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Applejack.

“Spike, that’s a Level Three lift. Rarity’s not ready for moves like that,” Dash said. “I’m not ready for that.”

“I’m gonna take you down like last year’s Hearth’s Warming Tree,” Garble told Spike after he let Suri down.

“We’ll see about that, Mr. Lucky-To-Get-An-Erection-On-His-Birthday-If-The-Wind-Is-Just-Right,” Spike stated.

“Are you looking to start something here, bro?” Garble asked, getting all up in Spike’s face.

“He’s not your bro!” Dash snapped. “I got your back, dude,” she told Spike.

“Who’s got yours, Rainbow Hair?” Garble asked.

“Who you calling ‘Rainbow Hair’, Chicken Legs?” Dash quickly countered.

Spike and Garble grinded their teeth together as they glared into each other’s eyes, both trying to get the other to back down. It wasn’t until Spike clenched his fists (cracking his knuckles as he did so), and Garble punched his fist into his open palm, that Twilight finally stepped in.

“Whoa! Guys come on!” she said as she moved between Spike and Garble.

“Just get out,” Spike growled at Garble.

“Fine,” Garble replied. “But remember, it takes two to tango. Feel free to send that trophy over early, if you want. Later!”

He and Suri turned and walked out of the ballroom, and Garble smacked Suri hard on the ass, earning an audible yelp from her.

Spike let out a heavy sigh before facing his students.

“Well, don’t just stand around!” he shouted. “Keep practicing!”

A minute hadn’t even gone by when everyone started coming apart.

“Ow! You stepped on me again!” Dash hissed at Zephyr.

“I stepped on you because your foot’s not supposed to be there!” Zeph gritted through his teeth, trying hard not to yell.

“That’s where you led me!”

“It’d be easier to lead a donkey!”

“Don’t talk to her that way!” Fluttershy exclaimed.

“Oh, and I suppose it’s my fault that she pushes me around like a bulldozer!” Zeph added.

Everyone stopped and gasped. Then Rainbow Dash marched out of the ballroom with Fluttershy right behind her.

“Wait, girls, he didn’t mean that!” Soarin said.

He shot a hateful glare at Zephyr before following them. Cheese Sandwich, Pinkie and Rarity followed suit, and Twilight followed them.

Pinkie was trying extra hard to leave Twilight behind when she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Twilight, as your first real friend, I feel I should tell you that was not cool what you did,” Pinkie stated.

“What do you--?” Twilight began.

“She means spending time with Garble,” Rarity cut her off. “When I suggested that you try to make Spike jealous, that is not what I meant!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know Spike and Garble were rivals. I didn’t mean for them to almost come to blows. It won’t happen again,”

“That’s not the point, darling!” Rarity told her.

And she and Pinkie took off toward the elevator bank, passing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash on their way.

“Way to go, Sparkle,” Dash said as she went after them.

Fluttershy was the only one left at Twilight’s side.

“I can’t spend the rest of the summer with everyone hating me!” she said. “I have to make this right!”

“What are you going to do?” Fluttershy asked.

“The only thing I can do,” Twilight replied. “Drop out of the contest.”

Back in the ballroom, Zephyr Breeze held his hands against his head as the Dazzlings were about to head to the Midnight Lounge. Never in all of his life had he felt more like a jerk. He was wishing that he hadn’t said what he said to Rainbow Dash, and if he the chance to take it back, he would.

“I have to find another partner,” he said.

“What you need to do is apologize,” Sunset replied.

“We would be happy to do it, but we’re ineligible,” Adagio said. “Plus I need both arms to dry my hair.”

“Coco can barely dance on her own,” Sonata added.

“And Sassy doesn’t dance at all,” Aria finished.

“For the love of Faust, are there literally no other female employees at this entire hotel who can dance?!” Zephyr shouted.

He eventually left, as did Sunset and the Dazzlings, leaving Spike alone with Vinyl Scratch.

Spike didn’t fall to his knees; it was more like a baseball catcher’s crouch he was in by the time everyone else had gone. Not only had Garble come back into his life, but Suri as well, and worse, they were both working for Impossibly Rich.

What Spike knew of the Rich Family was all fact; their wake was strewn with wreckage. Spike knew about every bombing, shotgun blast, dynamited car, and other loud incident that always seemed to claim the lives or good health of Impossibly Rich’s associates but never her. Impossibly Rich had been named in court as responsible for breaking up eight Applewood marriages. There were scores of other shattered romances, marriages, business partnerships, long-standing friendships, and other pleasant associations that were rumored to have been blown to bits by Impossibly Rich. She had a talent for bringing troubles with her wherever she went.

Now, looking back, it seemed to Spike that this served as both a sign for what he had been though (as well as what he had dragged his coworkers into) and a sign for things to come.

How else could he explain the things that had happened to him?

Things had not been done to him; he had done things.

“We have to make things happen,” is what he told Celestia.

And he was suffering the consequences of those things that he had done.

He orchestrated Suri getting fired, so she went to work for the competition; worse, it was Flim and Flam’s arch rival. And Spike knew from personal experience that almost all of Impossibly Rich’s employees were incredible dancers. It was simple cause and effect.

Vinyl walked around her turntables toward him. She wished she could tell Spike just how sorry she was that everyone had walked out like that. She wished she could offer some kind words. But all she could give him was a look and a kind-hearted smile as she took off her rose-tinted sunglasses to look at him.

She didn’t say anything, but Spike was starting to show the strain of it all. He was feeling it too, as he reached into his back pocket, brought out a small silver flask, uncapped the top, and took a generous swig from it.

“When the Tartarus did I start carrying this around?” Spike thought.

As much as Spike hated to admit it (to anyone, or himself), he had been an alcoholic. He was still an alcoholic, probably always would be. He had been an emotional alcoholic just as much as he had been a physical one. It had nothing to do with willpower, or the morality of drinking, or the weakness or strength of his character. There was a switch that was broken somewhere inside, or a breaker with a circuit that didn’t work.

Spike whirled around and almost screamed as he was broken from his thoughts by a voice.

“Spike!” it called to him.

It was Applejack.

“You’ll never guess what happened,” she said. “Cheese Sandwich threw up, so he and Pinkie can’t be in the competition... Are you okay?”

“I’ve decided I’m going for the Level 10 lift,” he said.

“Didn’t you say those were dangerous?” Applejack asked.

“I have to! It’s the only way to beat them!”

“Spike, I’m getting the feeling that this isn’t just about you wanting to beat Garble,” she told him. “What’s really going on?”

“Applejack, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” he snapped.

“Wow. Some woman must have really done a number on you,” she said.

“Why does it always have to be a woman?” Spike replied.

“Well, it doesn’t. Your friend, Garble, couldn’t have done it to you,”

Spike glared at Applejack.

“Let me tell you something about me and Garble! We grew up together! I looked up to him like an older brother! As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Until the day he made a move on the woman I was dating...”

Spike first met Garble nearly eighteen years ago, but when Spike was adopted, they rarely crossed paths. It was thirteen years later that they ran into each other, when they were working at the same college pub. Garble was too much the typical jock. A boxer and surfer at heart, he was a fierce athlete, but also lazy: content with C’s and the occasional B. He could be calm and cool, even in the classroom; but when the right set of competitive stimuli was applied, he could become a juggernaut. Take away all the scar tissue, the broken nose, the bulbous ears, the caveman bone structure, and one would still find a nasty face on Garble, tough and nasty. Spike was familiar with the type. His own athletic abilities would have opened other doors. Well, Spike caught Garble kissing the girl he (Spike) had been dating, and he confronted Garble.

“If anything I did you a favor,” Garble told him, “took her off your hands before she twisted your mind.”

Spike’s lip twitched as he gave Garble a final, furious glare. He punched Garble in the teeth and Garble fell to the floor, smashing bottles of liquor as he went down.

“Get up!” Spike shouted. “Get up!”

“Can’t take the truth, huh?”

“Bullshit! It was nothing but taking a cheap shot at me! Where I come from you don’t do that to your friends!”

Garble got up and held one of the broken bottles to Spike’s throat.

“Clearly, you forgot the rules. No brawling in here!” he growled. “That includes the help!”

“I don’t care. I don’t work here anymore,” Spike stated. “You wanna cut me, go ahead. Cut me! Come on!!”

Spike even leaned into the broken end of the bottle.

“Coward!” he spat at Garble.

Spike then scraped his own neck against the broken glass, drawing his own blood and earning a loud gasp from everyone in the bar. Then he headed for the exit while the stunned patrons watched.

“You’ll thank me for this one day,” Garble told Spike before he wiped his own blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

“The Tartarus I will!” Spike yelled back at him.

Spike rubbed the scar on his neck as Vinyl and Applejack stood in silent disbelief.

“Garble always told me ‘you don’t get rich if you don’t take risks’,” he said mildly. “The last guy who fed him that line was a jeweler. He wanted Garble to short-circuit a burglar alarm so he could rob his own store. He got half a million dollars, and Garble got one to five. That snapped the last thread that was holding me up. After that, the only way I could keep myself sane was to keep my anger locked up. But today... right now, things are different. Suddenly, everything’s changed. The feelings I locked up are fighting to get back out. The anger he put in me, the loss, the rage, the frustration, the desire for revenge! This contest is my chance to make Garble suffer like I have... just for a moment.”

“That thing that happens with your eyes,” Applejack said. “When they go from white to red in a second...”

Spike nodded shamefully.

“Spike, I am so sorry,” she said.

Then Spike put the flask back in his pocket and asked Applejack, “Would you like to learn how to dance?”

“What?” she asked.

“I’m offering you my services, free of charge. What do you say?”

Now, Applejack was speechless. No one had ever asked her to dance before and Spike could see the reluctance in her eyes. She was afraid.

“May I have this dance?” he asked her.

She slowly nodded and he led her out onto the dance floor.

“You can do this,” he told her. “Left, right, left... turn and step. Look at me, not at your feet. Now put your hand on my shoulder.”

She did so, and he put his hand on the small of her back.

“Left, right, left, turn, eye contact in the turn, and step,” he continued. “One more time, left, right, left, turn, and step. You’re doing it.”

“I am?”

“You’re doing great!”

Applejack found herself smiling as Spike nodded to Vinyl and said, “I’ve got a Little Dirt on My Boots.”

Vinyl nodded back and dropped the needle as Spike and Applejack continued their dance. Applejack thought back to the days of her youth, working outdoors all day, as the sounds of the fiddle and the steel guitar washed over her. She had always wanted to go out and hang with her friends after a shower, but nobody ever asked her to dance.

They finished with one final left, right, left, turn, and instead of stepping, Spike dipped her. He brought Applejack back up, and when the song ended, her head came to rest on his chest. She could hear his heart beat. And as her head was resting on his chest, he slid his hand from her lower back and up to her shoulder.

“Perfect,” he whispered.

“I never thought you were this graceful,” she whispered. “You really are an amazing dancer.”

Spike smiled in reply.

“Any time you want a dance lesson, my door’s always open,” he said.

“I still can’t believe that you’re going to compete even after everything that’s happened this week,” she replied.

“I’m the only one left,” he told her. “I have to do this.”

“Well, see ya later, I guess,”

“You’re not even going to come to support me?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, Sugah, but a bunch of people trying to show each other up at a dance contest is not my idea of a good time,”

“That’s too bad,” he said. “It really won’t be the same without you.”

Applejack was about to walk out the doors when Spike called out to her. She turned back to face him and he said, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anybody what I just told you.”

“I promise,” she said.

“Thanks,” he smiled again. “And for the record, you were good.”

The night before the dance competition, Starlight found Zephyr and Soarin shooting hoops in the indoor basketball court.

“I can’t believe you guys!” Starlight shouted at them when she walked onto the court. “You just quit?”

“We didn’t quit. The ‘ladies’ let us go,” Zephyr replied. “We just don’t mesh: we’re sane and they’re nuts.”

“I was counting on you guys!”

“What are we supposed to do?” Zeph demanded. “Huh?!”

“I don’t know, act like adults and apologize? Be men?”

“Why do men always have to be the bigger person?” he asked.

“You say you’re sorry and they’ll jump at it. And you will have scored major points for taking the high road,” Starlight said. “And if you don’t, there’s only one other option...”

She whispered it to them.

“Two dudes?!” Soarin shouted.

“Yeah, I’m not doing that,” Zephyr stated.

“Come on, guys, I don’t see the big deal,” Starlight said.

“I am not dancing with another dude!” Zephyr Breeze said. “We’d have to touch each other!”

“And, besides, it’s not even legal,” Soarin went on. “Is it?”

“I have read the competition’s rule book from cover to cover, and there’s nothing in it that says that the pair has to be a guy and a girl -- just two dancers,”

“But we’re two dudes!” Zephyr shouted.

“And it’s just one little contest,” she replied.

“But he’s a dude!” Soarin repeated.

“Fine, don’t dance together! Let me down, let the bosses down, let us all down!” she told them.

“And even if we did, one of us would have to be the girl!” Soarin said.

“We’re two bros,” Zeph said. “I thought we just established that.”

“I mean, one of us would have to lead, and lift, the other -- the girl,” Soarin explained. “And I’m definitely the dude.”

“Why are you the dude?” Zeph asked him.

“You could never sustain my bulk on those girly shoulders of yours,”

“My hair is much more masculine,”

“Says who?”

Soarin and Zephyr’s argument went on and on and Starlight left them to duke it out. Meanwhile, up on the third floor, Spike knocked on Rarity’s door and she let him in.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I just wanted to say I may have let my high standards get in the way,” he said, “so I’m sorry and I’m willing to be your dance partner again.”

“Well, I appreciate you trying to apologize, and I may have gone a little far myself,” she admitted. “But when you left, I got a new dance partner.”

“It’s only been three days!”

“Yes, well, I called in a few favors and I got lucky. I got David Hasselhoof! Turns out, he’s in Las Pegasus and he can come over and dance with me at the competition tomorrow,”

“I see,” Spike said as he turned to leave. “Question: did he win that year he was on Dance, Equestria Dance? No, I don’t think he did.”

The night of the dance competition finally arrived. Spike, wearing a black tuxedo, moved through the crowd, trying to reach the dressing room just off the ballroom. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to do his hair so it was a mess.

He saw the Dazzlings, in bright purple dresses with shiny sequins that reflected on the audience’s faces, on a platform that had been set up for them to sing from. Sunset Shimmer was with them. She wore a strapless, backless magenta evening dress slit up her right leg to the top of her thigh, with long, over the elbow purple silk gloves. And Vinyl Scratch, in a black skin tight bodysuit and white long coat stood behind her turntables. Spike also saw two trophies, a big gold one and a smaller silver one, resting on the judges’ table.

Then he spotted Impossibly Rich’s table, right next to Flim and Flam’s, on the edge of the dance floor. Five women in identical maroon uniforms stood near it. They looked like characters right out of a bad anime—a bad anime about girls at a prep school—a real charming bunch. Then he looked at the Rich Family themselves. They were just as he remembered them: people who needed everything on a grand scale to be comfortable; money, pleasure, notoriety and sex. Ever since Stinkin’ Rich starting selling Zap Apple Jam, he had left his mark on the business world; there were men and women, even large corporations, who had never been the same because they had become involved in a deal with the Richs.

Stinkin’ Rich’s grandson, Filthy Rich, was only the second most appealing-looking one of his whole family. The first thing Spike noticed about him was his skin. It was a deep tar-pit brown, like he had spent every day on the beach outside of Horseolulu. The blue suit he was wearing cost more than most men earned in two years; the red silk tie alone was worth no less than five thousand dollars. And his dark gray (almost black) hair was polished with some expensive goo that Spike could smell from the other side of the ballroom. Filthy’s wife, Spoiled Rich (née Spoiled Milk) was as unattractive as they came—with strong opal eyes, dark hair, pink skin, and the worst nose job Spike had ever seen—whereas their casino manager, Abacus Cinch, was (as kindly Spike could describe) a cougar.

Of the three Richs present, Impossibly Rich was the biggest in every respect. She was the tallest; she had the most magnificent body, and the biggest sexual appetite of the trio. Her son and daughter-in-law, Filthy and Spoiled, were not weak by comparison; but whenever Impossibly Rich was around, they disappeared into her shadow. With her long hair, a blue dress with a plunging neckline, a white fox stole, and a necklace with five 30 karat diamonds that dangled just above her big fake boobs, Impossibly Rich sure didn’t look like anybody’s grandmother.

“Grandma’s had some work done,” Spike thought as he looked her over.

A beautiful lady, Spike begrudgingly admitted, even Impossibly Rich’s worst enemy (and there was a great rivalry among the women of Applewood to prove their right to that title) had to admit that she was beautiful.

She stared at Spike like he was a small boy and she was the lady of the house whose window he had broken. And Spike glared back at her like the person he knew she was: the kind of woman who looked down on everyone else like they were something unpleasant she’d accidently stepped on in a dark alley.

In the dressing room, the Flimflam Resort’s former teams/competitors stood on opposite sides, as far from each other as possible. Soarin wore a blue blazer with silver buttons, whereas Zephyr Breeze had thrown together a polo shirt and khakis. Soarin’s right arm was in a sling and Zephyr was also wearing shades—their argument the night before had escalated into a fistfight—because Zeph had dislocated Soarin’s shoulder right after Soarin socked Zeph in the eyes.

Applejack wore a strapless emerald green dress with open-toed white heels and her blonde hair was done up away from her face. Discord wore a blue suit with a red tie (a cheap knockoff version of Filthy Rich’s suit), Rainbow Dash wore a light blue toga-like gown, Fluttershy wore a strapless yellow ball gown with a big skirt and petticoats, Starlight wore a simple, form-fitting purple dress, and Pinkie (in pink) was adding more feathers to Rarity’s ensemble.

“Ow!” Rarity cried. “You stabbed me in the back with your fingernails!”

“Well, now you know how Spike feels...” Pinkie remarked, “to be stabbed in the back... to be betrayed... by someone he trusted!”

“Look, I feel bad, okay? But I got David Hasselhoof!”

Coco Pommel ran in, shouting, “We don’t have David Hasselhoof!”

“What?!” Rarity screamed.

“Keep calm,” Coco said. “Mister Hasselhoof is stuck in traffic and is somewhat delayed. And by ‘somewhat’ I mean a flat tire. But he swears he’ll be here in time.”

“What if he’s not?” Rarity asked.

“He will be here!” Coco replied.

“But what if he’s not?!” Rarity repeated.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Coco said. “If Hasselhoof doesn’t show, we’ve got Discord standing by. And please stop worrying. You’re molting!”

Twilight, in a purple dress and dark sunglasses, walked in a minute later.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, all stuffed up.

“Twilight, what’s wrong with your voice?” Starlight asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to play dumb.

“You’re sick!” Discord stated while pointing a finger at her.

“No, I’m not,” she said with a cough. “Okay, you got me.”

Discord couldn’t believe his own rotten luck. Twilight was sick and now even he didn’t have a partner.

Spike walked in literally one second later.

“Nice outfit, Mrs. Peacock,” he said at Rarity.

“Spike, I’m so glad you’re here!” she said. “Look, I’m sorry. You’re a really great dancer. And I need your help--”

“I’m fine,” he cut her off. “You traded up. I would’ve done the same thing... if I was you.”

“Spike, wait!” Rarity cried. “I’m sorry for what I said. You were right. Twilight is a control freak. She was bothered by what you said, we all were, and we were bothered that you know so much more about this than we do, but you were just trying to help.”

Twilight sneezed so loud that Rarity (forgetting that Soarin’s arm was in a sling) jumped into Soarin’s arms and she hit the floor.

“Rarity!” Coco screamed. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m all right,” she said, standing up. “Never better... Oh! Oh, I could be better!” she cried.

“Sit down, sit down!” Dash told her. “Oh, that knee’s starting to swell up.”

“This is disaster!” Starlight shouted. “The Brothers are counting on us, and now our best dancer doesn’t have a partner!”

“Twilight’s sick, Soarin’s in a sling, Zephyr Breeze is blind, and Rarity may have broken bones!” Discord exclaimed. “What are we going to do now?”

“Oh, Spike’s going to dance tonight!” Rarity stated. “And he’s going to dance with Applejack.”

“Wait, what?” Applejack and Spike asked.

“We’re doomed,” Discord said.

“You know the steps, don’t you?” Rarity asked Spike.

“Know? I live them!” he answered.

“And you’ve been dancing with him on the side,” Rarity told Applejack. “Don’t deny it!”

“I’m not dancing!” Applejack stated.

“We have a chance to make history here,” Starlight told her. “Come on. Take one for the team... for me.”

“No,” AJ avowed.

“Come on! With your elbow grease and Spike’s know how, you make the perfect team!”

“No,” she repeated.

“Applejack, you have to do it,” Starlight said. “We need to win this contest. I’ll do whatever you want!”

“No!” she said again.

“Then do this for me,” Spike said.

“Please?” Starlight begged. “There is literally no one else. Please, please, pretty please? Please, please, please? Please?!”

“All right, all right, I’ll do it!” Applejack replied. “But only once, and I won’t enjoy it!”

“Thank you!” Starlight shrieked. “You are the best!”

“And,” Spike added, “if we win, and you get back into your father’s penthouse, you have to let Applejack and I come up and use his 102-inch TV anytime we want.”

“Deal,” she said.

“With popcorn,” Spike added. “And pizza and pop and a nice meat and cheese platter.”

“Anything else?” Starlight asked.

“Yes,” Applejack said. “Spike and I get to be together.”

“You got it,”

“Just with each other,” AJ elaborated, “which means ‘alone’, as in ‘nobody bothers us.’”

“Yes, yes, we all promise to not spy on you and Spike if you decide to make out on my father’s couch,” Starlight said.

“Not what I was going for, but okay,” Applejack replied.

“All right, fine,” Spike added.

“Yes! Now get out there and kick some Impossibly Rich butt!” Starlight declared. “I’m going to tell Sassy that there’s been a slight change.”

And she darted off.

Discord pulled Spike and Applejack aside.

“I don’t care what you two have to do,” he told them, “but you better come off that dance floor winners or don’t come back at all. Got it? Win this contest!!”

Applejack didn’t feel even close to okay. She was supposed to dance in front of over a hundred people, and Faust knew how many more watching on TV.

“No pressure,” she thought.

Spike held her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

“We can do this,” he told her. “Just pretend you’re dancing like we did before -- no crowds, no competition, just you and me.”

“I don’t usually dance with a guy’s hand on my butt,” she shared with him, “but okay. Let’s decimate this dance floor.”

The lights in the ballroom dimmed as Spike and Applejack stood next to Garble and Suri while Sassy Saddles spoke into the microphone. Garble was wearing a tight red shirt with a plunging neckline, even tighter black pants, a black cape, and a mask that covered half his face; Suri wore a maroon dress, symbolizing her newfound loyalty to Impossibly Rich, and sensible blue heels.

“Welcome to the Annual Staff Ballroom Dancing Competition between Impossibly Rich’s and Flimflam Brothers’ Resort!” Sassy announced. “The contest consists of a single round with a total score out of thirty.”

“That is one hot blonde,” Flim said.

“I think that’s Applejack,” said Flam.

“That’s Applejack?” Flim echoed.

“Hope you brought your silver polish,” Spike said to Garble.

“Your head of security dancing with a neophyte... What kind of operation are you running?” Impossibly Rich asked the Brothers.

“One that’s going to stomp you into the ground, Rich,” Discord answered. “Stomp them into the ground!” he told Spike and Applejack.

“First up -- for the Impossibly Rich Casino and Resort: Suri Polomare and Garble Chan!” Sassy shouted.

Applejack squeezed Spike’s hand again as Garble and Suri made their way out on to the dance floor. They started nose to nose. Then they started executing perfect steps. About a minute into the dance he accidently tripped Suri forcing her to do the splits. Garble grabbed her hands when she held her arms over her head, and he pulled her to her feet. Then when he dipped her, she kicked him in the jaw.

The judges, three women wearing stern expressions (including Miss Harshwhinny, the head of the Flimflam Brothers’ Human Resources department, and judge number three), wrote notes as they viewed the performance. After three minutes had gone by, Suri kicked Garble square in the nuts, forcing him to his knees (for a brief moment), and they finished with her wrapping one of her legs around his back.

The judges displayed their scores: an eight, a seven, and a nine from Miss Harshwhinny. That was going to be tough to beat.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen -- dancing for the Flimflam Brothers’ Casino Resort: Spike Drake and Applejack Smith,” Sassy said.

Applejack could feel Spike’s body heat radiating through his tuxedo as he led her out on to the dance floor.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered to her.

“With my life,” she replied.

“Then just follow my lead,”

Applejack nestled closer to Spike, and he felt her soft breasts press through her dress, into his chest.

“This may have been a big mistake,” Soarin said.

“Oh, just tell me when it’s over!” Discord bawled as he buried his face into his hands.

The Dazzlings nodded to Sunset as she placed a hand on the microphone.

“G Minor,” she told Vinyl. “Give me a G Minor.”

Vinyl nodded as she chose a record from her collection and Sunset began to sing, “Holding Out For A Hero.”

When Spike spun Applejack around, the women in the audience glanced down and saw that Spike was pitching a more than noticeable tent, but he didn’t care. Applejack’s face ran hot as Spike moved his hands to her legs and hoisted her off the ground, balancing her so that her back was pressed against his chest. Then he gently set her back down again.

“Oh, my--!” Pinkie gasped from the crowd. “They’re amazing!”

“How is he lifting her?” Starlight thought. “Her legs alone must weigh at least--”

“Did she just touch his ass?!” Twilight asked.

“Wow! They are really good!” Dash stated.

“Yeah, if you wanna dance that way,” Zephyr commented (even though he couldn’t see).

“I would love to dance that way!” Fluttershy told them.

After about one minute, the Dazzlings started crooning in time with Sunset’s words. Meanwhile, out on the dance floor, Spike and Applejack were continuing their conversation.

“Spike, this is a side of you I’ve never seen before,” she whispered.

“There’s a lot about me that no one knows,” he whispered back. “And this may sound pathetic, but you’re my first real dance.”

“What? But all your dance lessons, all those times you taught--”

“Are just that,” he said. “I’ve never had anyone to dance with before... Not like this.”

“I’m your first?” she asked.

Spike flushed a bit as he led her into a spin before he grabbed a rose from a nearby vase and he held it between his teeth. As Spike and Applejack danced, she felt safe in his arms. Like he wanted her to know there was no reason to be afraid. They shared smiles as they continued to move together. Spike twirled the rose between his teeth before letting it fall to the floor as he dipped her. Applejack picked up the rose and held it between her teeth, and Spike lifted her to her feet again. The rose exchanged lips several times for the next minute before Spike finally threw it over the crowd and Fleur picked it out of the air, held it under her nose, and sniffed it.

Spike dipped Applejack one last time as Sunset’s song finished, and the ballroom went quiet. There were five seconds of uncomfortable silence. Then everyone applauded at their performance, everyone except Twilight Sparkle.

“That should have been my song!” she cursed under her breath. “The masses should be cheering for me!”

“Spike Drake and Applejack Smith!” Sassy Saddles cheered. “Now if the judges have regained their collective composure, let’s see what they have to say. That’s a nine! And a nine,” Miss Harshwhinny grabbed the second judge’s ten card and held it up with her own. “And a ten... No! A thousand and ten! That’s the highest score in the history of dance!”

Spike and Applejack embraced as the audience cheered, Discord hugged the Flimflam Brothers, and Miss Harswhinny handed Spike the gold trophy. A girl from the crowd ran up to Spike with a camera, he winked at her and she fainted.

“Spike, Applejack, I have never seen moves like that!” Rainbow Dash squealed. “That was so awesome!!”

“We did it!” Starlight exclaimed. “We won!”

“You really pulled it off!” Firelight told his daugther. “And you even took over a housekeeping job in addition to your waitress duties to get it done!”

“So, do you I think I’m ready to--” Starlight began.

“No,” he cut her off.

Starlight hung her head. So close.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t catch you, Rarity,” Soarin apologized. “As soon as you have the use of both legs again, I promise I’m gonna take you out for dinner.”

Applejack looked at Spike and asked, “You okay?”

“I’m getting better,” he smiled. And he was getting better. “Thank you.”

They shared another faint smile as Spike turned toward the ballroom doors and left, trying to outrun the crowd.

Spike returned to his suite and immediately locked the door behind him. He had just finished taking off his tuxedo when he heard a knock at the door. It was a soft knock, but it was a knock nonetheless. He walked to the door, looked through the peephole and saw Fleur in a pink bathrobe standing out in the hall. He unlocked and opened the door.

He meant to say something, but any and all words died on his lips as he saw the passion blazing in her eyes. She all but forced her way in and her hot kisses were covering his mouth, cheeks and forehead. She pulled back to shut the door. Then she grabbed the back of Spike’s head before kissing him again, forcing him to walk back towards his bedroom. Spike was hard in an instant and Fleur felt him brush against her hip.

“Ooh la la,” she murmured. She gingerly bit his ear before adding, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?”

Fleur didn’t give Spike a chance to respond as she pulled the top of her robe open just above the tie, so that her breasts were encircled by the fabric on both sides. She untied her robe and it dropped to the floor. Then she pulled the knotted string in her nightgown and it fell to her ankles. Spike almost passed out from the shock and candor of her ease of undress. She wore high-cut, virgin white panties with three little fleur de lis (one gold, two violet) patterned on the front, and when Spike tried to reach for them, Fleur grabbed his hand and brought it to her mouth. She drew one of his fingers into her mouth, then a second, and then she plunged her mouth down and sucked hard at them up to his knuckles.

“Mon Cher...” she breathed as she put a hand on Spike’s shoulder.

Then she forced him to sit on the edge of his bed. She knelt between his legs, forcing his knees apart. She tugged his black briefs down and his cock stood straight up.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Vous n’êtes pas une petite Crêpes Suzette. Vous êtes un roi!”

Fleur drooled as she gently wrapped one hand around the base, then her other hand around the shaft, on top of the first. The head was still visible, and she bit her lip. She kissed the tip, and then took it into her mouth.

“Shhhh,” she said, briefly looking up, and then returning with gusto to the task at hand.

She removed her top hand and took him so deeply that her lips kissed the top of the hand at the base of Spike’s throbbing erection. Then she started pumping, taking more and more into her mouth, deeper and more lustfully, until she gasped, finally coming up for air. Then, seeing the expression on Spike’s face, she cooed, realizing he was close.

She licked his entire cock before gently climbing atop him. She pushed down on his chest, forcing him onto his back. Unfortunately, this caused her to slip off his lap and onto the carpet.

“You know what they say,” she said huskily. “Once you are thrown by the horse, you must get right back on and ride!”

She slipped off her panties and straddled Spike again, and his back arched as he balled the sheets into great fistfuls with his hands.

“Giddy-up, my little pony of love!” she screamed.

When Fleur had finally worked herself into a rhythm, Spike snaked his hands around her body and he slipped a finger up her derrière. And when he did so, she squeezed hard around his cock and she completely lost control. He shot grand hot bursts into her and she took every last drop as he rotated his finger around inside her and held her steady with his other hand. When she finished convulsing, she fell forward onto Spike’s chest with his cock still deep inside her.

“C’était fantastique,” she breathed.

Meanwhile, a trio of college girls stood before the Flimflam Brothers, in their office, ready to unveil their latest piece of technology.

“You mean it?” Flim asked.

“It’s ready after all this time?” Flam added.

The three coeds nodded as they stepped aside and showed the Brothers their creation.

“The ship is finally leaving port and it’s your time to shine... Sweetie Bot!”

Next time, the Flimflam Brothers reopen a casino originally designed to fly into the sky. Meanwhile, back on the ground, Spike, Chrysalis and Feather Bangs square off against Filthy Rich’s daughter in a game of Blind Man’s Bluff.

The next morning, Spike awoke with Fleur naked in his bed. Her panties slipped off the lamp on his nightstand as he turned to look at the sleeping beauty.

“Oh, man... Look at her... Wait! What is she even doing here? Damn, I drank way too much...”

Spike was so wrapped up in thought that he didn’t notice Fleur stir.

“What’s wrong, Spike?” she asked. “Are you angry with me?”

“No, just surprised,” he replied.

“I couldn’t keep myself away,” she said. “Last night was... amazing... It was the first time I’ve ever done anything like... that.”

Fleur seemed almost embarrassed.

“Wait. What did we do?” Spike asked.

“You’re going to make me say it? You’re so kinky!”

Fleur told him about the events of the previous night. After Spike ran out of the ballroom, trying to avoid his screaming fans, she followed him upstairs (after stopping at her suite to change into her nightgown and bathrobe). Then she regaled him with how she practically forced her way in when he opened the door to her. She even delighted in the fact of how bold he was to slip a finger up her rear (Spike still couldn’t believe he even did that).

Finally, Fleur told Spike how he said that he wanted her out on the balcony. So, she led him out onto the terrace naked. They were very high up and the night air was gusting as he bent her over the ledge and slammed into her from behind. The desert night was so cold Spike grew harder and Fleur became even tighter, but it made their lovemaking that much better. Then Fleur told him that they noticed a young couple watching them from one of the nearby high rises.

“Great...” Spike sarcastically groaned in thought. “We had an audience, so we could perform.”

And perform they did, adding much more movement and exaggerated expressions than they would have had they been alone. That’s why Spike wanted to step out onto the balcony in the first place. It was his way of saying, “Look, everybody! Look at the sexy, beautiful French babe I got! Watch me fuck her!!”

Fleur saw the frown on Spike’s face when she finished her tale, and she stroked his arm with her hand.

“Listen, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” she said soothingly. “I don’t just sleep around. I gave myself to you because I love you.”

“You mean... I was your first?”

Fleur nodded happily.

“But what about Fancy Pants?”

“Fancy’s just a good friend,” she said.

“But why?” he asked. “I mean, why me?”

“Spike, you’ve been so good to me, but you seemed to respect me too much to really do anything,” she admitted. “And, well, I got a little impatient waiting for you to make the next move. You’re too much of a gentleman.”

Spike grimaced again and this time Fleur stoked his cheek.

“But that’s what I love the most about you! I’m a little jealous of you,” she added. “You seem to live however you want. Your life is such an adventure.”

He finally smiled. “Yeah, it is pretty cool, isn’t it?”

Fleur dotted his cheek with little kisses before making her way to his lips. He didn’t resist, nor did he attempt to move away. He wished he could lie with her a little longer, and she wanted to stay with him forever. But she knew he had a job to do, and she had other engagements to keep, so she gave Spike one more kiss before she thrust her butt back to him, asking him to spank her, and he did. Then they got dressed and went their separate ways, promising each other that their little rendezvous was far from over.

As Spike rode the elevator down to the lobby that morning, he was joined by another young couple that had checked in a few days ago. And even though Spike had been up most of the night with Fleur, he felt incredibly refreshed.

The young woman gasped and then whispered to her boyfriend, “Hey, hey! Do you think he’s the one?”

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about it,” he whispered back.

Spike smiled as the elevator doors opened and he told them, “Have a lucky day.”

While this was happening, Twilight Sparkle cursed as she rolled out of bed.

“I can’t believe I overslept!” she screamed.

She was already late for her meeting with the Flimflam Brothers; she swore up and down that she set her alarm, but she never heard it go off. She went to get dressed, but couldn’t find anything to wear.

“Where’s my uniform?” she asked herself. “It’s still at the cleaners!”

She dug through her closet and her dresser until she eventually came across a blue strapless corset teddy with cat ears and a long cat tail. When she finally arrived at Flim and Flam’s office, Flim was on the phone while Flam was talking to Starlight and Rarity.

“Good grief, Twilight!” Starlight exclaimed. “You seriously had nothing else to wear?”

“I was in a hurry, so I grabbed the first thing I saw!” Twilight replied.

“Why do you have that lying around at all?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, that’s everything,” Flim said as he got off the phone. “Keep up the good work. Sorry to keep you ladies waiting,” he told them. “Now, I hope my brother and I don’t need to remind you that the Sky Resort is having its grand re-opening later today.”

“You mean that structure at the base of the mountain?” Starlight inquired.

“That’s right,” Flam confirmed. “That is our newest entertainment facility. We intend to promote it as the premiere tourist destination: the highest casino in the world.”

“This may seem sudden, but you three are being transferred there for the day to help with the grand reopening,” Flim told them. “It’s only right to aim for sky-high ratings, so make us proud.”

“Yes, sirs!” Rarity, Starlight and Twilight replied.

“We open at noon,” Flim said. “We’ve set up private rooms for you, so please move your belongings and get acquainted with the new place. We’ll be there as soon as we finish up here.”

“How do they expect me to get all my things moved in less than an hour?” Rarity asked as they got into the elevator.

“Come on! You don’t have that much stuff!” Starlight exclaimed.

As Starlight drove Rarity and Twilight down the highway in her jeep, Twilight was feeling very hesitant about the idea of Flim and Flam reopening another casino. Since the incident with Nightmare Moon, the Brothers had cancelled their plan to reopen her castle casino, so Twilight was certain that they would want to avoid another occurrence like that. The desert felt like it went on forever. After half an hour of driving, they came upon a brightly colored complex consisting of a twenty-five-floor hotel attached to a casino with almost thirty thousand square feet of gaming space.

“Flying fortress” would have been the perfect words to use in describing Mowed “Bugsy” Green’s original vision for the city of Las Pegasus. This place was supposed to be the test run of that big plan, but it never came to bear fruit. It was designed to levitate through a system of giant blimps, hot air balloons, reactors and propellers, hence its longer title “The Casino in the Sky.”

The Sky Resort, as it had been known, was an impressive structure with a festive atmosphere. It had drawn young, mostly suburbanite crowds back in the day. The key man in the multimillion dollar dream was a stand-up comedian who had unfortunately once regarded himself as indispensable. Upon the comic’s untimely demise, Green used his connections in the Equestrian government to have them build the floating resort. A smart man didn’t replace rented furniture out of his own pocket, so the décor of the Sky Resort remained a nightmarish mélange that resembled little more than a movie set on a studio lot.

It mattered little to the Flimflam Brothers that the decorators who had originally outfitted the place had prostituted their art by succumbing to the departed comic’s hideous tastes. Most of the furniture was comfortable despite their weird designs. When Rarity, Starlight and Twilight pulled up, people had already arrived and were lining up to get inside.

They went in through the staff entrance in the rear and were greeted by a trio of eighteen-year-old women: a redhead, one with long mulberry hair and pale skin, and one with extra short hair. Rarity instantly recognized the second girl as her little sister, Sweetie Belle, and the redhead as Apple Bloom, Applejack’s younger sister. Suddenly, a second Sweetie Belle stepped out from behind the first.

“Welcome!” the first one said. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said sternly, “what have you done?”

“She’s quite the likeness, isn’t she?” the second Sweetie Belle asked.

Upon closer inspection, Rarity saw that the first Sweetie Belle’s skin wasn’t skin at all. It was metal!

“You built a robot of yourself?” Rarity asked.

“I am Sweetie Bot, the Sky Resort’s main computer terminal,” the robot said. “And my interface lets me move wherever I please.”

The third girl stepped forward and said, “My name’s Scootaloo. We’re the dealers here at the Sky Resort.”

“Flim and Flam instructed us to give ya’ll the grand tour of the place,” Apple Bloom told them.

“Right this way, and feel free to ask me anything about the Sky Resort,” Sweetie Bot added.

Their first stop was the Sky Resort’s casino. It was wide and roomy, with high ceilings, plenty of easy access to the exits, and everything from the tables to the slot machines was extra shiny. Sweetie Bot snapped her fingers and the lights immediately turned on. After that, they checked out the Hologram Theater. It was a big, spacious white hall that stretched for almost a mile.

“You can travel anywhere imaginable in no time,” Sweetie Bot said.

She snapped her fingers again and a tropical jungle seemed to take form right before their eyes. Another snap of the fingers, and they were on the top of a snowy mountain peak. They could explore all kinds of worlds from right there!

“Let’s keep moving,” Sweetie Bot said as she snapped her fingers, deactivating the holographic program.

“Wait, there’s more?!” Starlight exclaimed.

“All of that was an illusion?” Twilight asked.

“It looked so real,” Rarity said.

“Anything is real if you believe,” Sweetie Bot told them.

“What would have happened if we fell?” Twilight asked.

“It would hurt. A lot,” Sweetie Bot replied. “But there are safety measures in place, so you won’t die.”

“How reassuring,” Twilight remarked.

“Behold the Extreme Slides!” Sweetie Bot proclaimed.

Another one of the Sky Resorts popular attractions, it was a complex series of tubes that could take people anywhere in the resort... and it was Equestria’s longest waterslide.

“The Sky Resort really has everything!” Starlight commented.

“A few of the other attractions aren’t fully functional yet,” Sweetie Bot admitted.

“Her design doesn’t really scream high-tech,” Twilight commented.

“Well, she seems nice, just like my sister,” Rarity said. “Speaking of which, Sweetie Belle, does she know who I am?”

“Well, yeah, we programmed her that way,” Sweetie Belle explained. “She has most of my memories.”

Suddenly, Twilight tripped over herself and she bumped into Sweetie Bot. And when she did, Sweetie Bot’s head fell off. Rarity, Starlight and Twilight recoiled in shock as Sweetie Bot’s body picked up her head.

“The lock on my neck is loose,” she told them as she pulled herself together, “so if I lose my balance I lose my head.”

“Well, we’d love to keep hanging, but we have to do some work in the main unit,” Scootaloo said. “See ya!”

Flim and Flam arrived within the hour with a TV crew in tow and they began to broadcast from the Sky Resort’s entrance.

“It is a profound honor to welcome the newest member of the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort family: the legendary Sky Resort!” Flim began. “A cutting-edge facility with top-of-the-line technology, this new-age resort is sure to lead the entire entertainment industry. I promise it is unlike any you’ve seen before. Stories of the experiences you’ll have will be told for generations! We promise, Sky Resort with both shock and move you! Here, the sky is the limit when it comes to your enjoyment!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the future of entertainment awaits you!” said Flam. “Flimflam Brothers’ Infinite is open for business!! So, let loose and shoot for the stars!!!”

Sweetie Bot issued a few commands into the building’s main computer and the structure blasted off like a rocket into the sky!

Back in Las Pegasus, down on the ground, Impossibly Rich watched the whole broadcast (along with Abacus Cinch, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet) on the TV in her office.

“They love to hear themselves talk,” she said.

Just then, Sunny Flare walked in.

“Diamond Tiara’s right outside, demanding to speak with Spoiled Rich,” she told them.

“Filthy’s old ball and chain obviously isn’t here right now,” Sour Sweet mumbled in reply, “but I guess we can handle it. Send her in.”

Sunny Flare nodded as she stepped back into the hallway and said, “You may come in.”

Diamond Tiara was just as pretty as the next bratty little daddy’s girl. Her wavy hair was a pale, light grayish violet with white streaks, her skin was just as pale, and her teeth were remarkably white. Her clothes were of the highest, most expensive name brands; even her jacket had diamond zippers.

She walked into the office with a form letter in her hand.

“You need something?” Sour Sweet asked. “We’re busy, so keep it short.”

“I received this from my Mother this morning,” Diamond Tiara said, showing them the letter. “Just what is the point of it?”

“It means what it says,” Sugarcoat answered. “Everything that it says is exactly what’s going to happen. I am not going to explain it to you and I am not going to repeat myself.”

Suddenly, Sour Sweet swiped the letter from Diamond Tiara’s hand.

“Well, look who scored! You get to marry the son of a politician!” she cried. “Well, Chip Rockefillyer’s an arrogant, conniving, money-grubbing pig, I wouldn’t want to marry him, but still it could be worse. He’s got plenty of cash and connections, so at least you’ll be taken care of, right?”

“Think of the kind of life he can buy you,” Impossibly Rich told her granddaughter. “And you’re guaranteed that nothing will happen!”

“What do you mean by that?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“She means the decision has already been made,” Abacus Cinch said.

“Even if any of that was true, I’m not marrying Chip Rockefillyer!” Diamond Tiara shouted. “No way in Tartarus! I don’t even like the guy!”

“It doesn’t matter what you think,” Cinch stated. “Your parents’ decision is final. And believe me when I say there are a lot of ways to force somebody to do what you want. You are not eighteen yet, so you have to agree to everything that your parents tell you... including an arranged marriage.”

The Rich Family had heavy connections in the financial and political worlds, and if Impossibly Rich said she was going to do something, she would.

Diamond Tiara could see it all too well. She would get to spend every day shopping, playing tennis, getting facials, browbeating her husband... She would be just like her mother!

Diamond Tiara hated her mother. When she was a child, she would try to run away from home, but she never got far. Her father, Filthy Rich, did his best to protect his daughter and keep her from being sent to year-round boarding schools... but at a price. She couldn’t refuse her mother or grandmother anything else. They just wanted to use her abilities as a gambler for their own selfish ambitions.

“But, if you win against Spike, you’ll be free,” Impossibly Rich promised Diamond Tiara. “Free to live your life the way you want to. That’s if, and only if you win.”

“I won’t let you down, Grandmother,” Diamond Tiara said.

The Lucky Prince—that’s what people were starting to call Spike, the Flimflam Brothers’ newest rising star dealer. Ever since he and Trixie brought down Obscurity and he and Applejack crushed Garble and Suri in the staff ballroom dance contest, Spike Drake was quickly becoming a household name. Men and women would crowd around him just for a chance to shake his hand in the hopes that some of his good luck would rub off on them. Some even started asking him for photos, autographs, and autographed photos.

“Just another day in the life of a lucky man,” Spike thought. “Me.”

Feather Bangs ordered a cola from the casino’s bar as he, Applejack and Sunset Shimmer watched Spike handle his adoring fans.

“Hey, Feather Bangs,” Chrysalis said as she sat on the stool beside him.

“There you are,” he greeted her. “You don’t look like yourself.”

Chrysalis was wearing a pristine white dress and she had lost a bit of her tan but her skin shined. She looked more beautiful than ever.

“That obvious?” she replied. “I was winning right up until the tables closed last night.”

“You, too, then, huh?” he asked.

Ever since they’d gambled with Spike, their good luck had increased astronomically. Feather Bangs’ drink arrived as Spike strode over to the bar.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite narcissistic divas,” he bantered.

“Good to see you again, Spike,” Feather Bangs replied.

“Hey, cutie,” Chrysalis added. “That was quite the performance last night.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have won without my partner and new theme song singer,” Spike replied, looking at Applejack and Sunset (earning a blush from both of them). “So, you two know Fleur de Lis?”

Chrysalis and Feather Bangs both nodded.

“Well, she came to my suite last night after the competition... and I crèmed her brûlée, so to speak,”

Feather Bangs sputtered into his cola while Applejack and Sunset’s eyes went wide and Chrysalis put on a little girl’s pout, and Spike wondered at the fact that such expressions were not ridiculous in a grown woman.

Chrysalis quickly dropped her pout when she, Sunset, Spike, Applejack and Feather Bangs heard a commotion coming from the casino floor. Several people had crowded around a teenage girl in a golden jacket who was accompanied by an elderly servant with thinning white hair, blue eyes, and bushy eyebrows.

“If you would be so kind as to keep your grubby claws off my good luck charm!” the girl exclaimed as she clutched a fist around her necklace.

“Who’s she, the granddaughter of John D. Rockefillyer?” Chrysalis asked.

“Nnnope,” Applejack replied. “That’s Filthy Rich’s daughter. Last year, Filthy tried to buy Flimflam Resort and give it to his wife as a birthday present.”

“I didn’t know the Resort was for sale,” Feather Bangs commented.

“It’s not,” Sunset and Applejack both said.

“Filthy Rich’s mother, Diamond Tiara’s grandmother, Impossibly Rich, owns the casino across the street. And she’s rapidly gaining influence in the gaming and entrepreneurial worlds,” Sunset went on. “She wants this Resort more than anything, but Flim and Flam refuse to sell. She has several powerful allies and Diamond Tiara’s a pretty good gambler herself. Rumor has it she’s completely undefeated at card games.”

“Oh, really?” Spike asked.

He raised a quizzical eyebrow as he studied the seventeen-year-old, who was smiling (seemingly rather anxiously, to Spike) as she walked up to him.

“Spike Drake, I’m Diamond Tiara, nice to meet you,” she introduced herself as she held her hand out. “I heard you mopped the floor with Twilight Sparkle on your first week. You’ve become the talk of the town.”

Spike accepted the handshake after a tiny hesitation.

“And I know all about you,” he replied. “I know about your family and their connections. A lot of loot and rough people to cross... But I still reserve the right to dislike you!”

Diamond Tiara placed her hands firmly on her hips.

“All right, big boy,” she said. “If that’s the way you want it, fine. Let’s see how big you get tangling with me.” She reached into her jacket and produced a pair of playing cards with the Sun on one side and sapphire numbers on the other—the first was a four, the other a Jack. “I challenge you to a Gate Battle!”

“She’s a Gate Holder?” Spike thought. “And she’s betting two Gates?”

“What’s your game?” he asked her.

“A personal favorite of mine: Blind Man’s Bluff,”

“All right,” Spike accepted. “But we’ll need two more players.”

“Do you have someone in mind?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Spike turned with an outstretched arm and hand and motioned to Chrysalis and Feather Bangs.

“All right,” Diamond Tiara said, “but why?”

“We want the opportunity to play against Spike again,” Feather Bangs said.

“Do you accept our counter-challenge, cutie?” Chrysalis asked.

“I do,” Diamond Tiara stated.

The news of the Gate Battle quickly spread throughout the resort. It traveled the fastest to the High Rollers’ Lounge via Bushel.

“Filthy Rich’s daughter just challenged one of the employees to a Gate Battle!” he proclaimed.

“For real?” Silver Waves asked. “Which one?”

“Guess,” Bushel said.

“Spike Drake?” Haakim asked.

“None other!” Bushel replied.

“Where?” Amira inquired.

Everyone exited the High Rollers’ Lounge and clamored to the casino floor, where a table had been set up in the center of the colossal room.

An unconventional game, Blind Man’s Bluff was a two-card version of poker in that each person saw the cards of all the players except their own.

The rules were pretty straightforward: they would be using a 40-card deck with all the Joker and Face Cards removed. The standard version was simply high card wins. Each player was dealt two cards, one of which they displayed to all other players (traditionally by holding it to their foreheads while it faced outwards). This was followed by a round of betting. Players attempted to guess if they had the highest cards based on the distribution of visible cards and how the other players betted. The strongest hand was if the numbers on both cards matched, a pair; the second strongest hand was a suit, which was self-explanatory; and the weakest hand was called a “pig”, where neither the suit nor number matched. If multiple players had the same hand, then the largest number won.

Sunset passed out the first cards (the ones they could look at) to Spike, Diamond Tiara, Chrysalis and Feather Bangs; and then their second cards (the ones they could not look at)—one visible card and one hidden card—they would be their tools for the game. Then they decided on how much they wanted to wager.

“Thank you, Randolph,” Diamond Tiara said to her butler as he pushed her chair in for her. “Let’s not bet too little,” she told them. “That would be boring.”

“Okay, how about my two Gate cards, plus $40 million in cash, against your two Gates?” Spike asked. “If I lose, I’ll give you my Gates and the money, but if I win you give me yours. How does that sound?”

“Excellent,” she agreed.

“I should warn you, I’m not a very patient man,” he told her.

“For your sake, I hope that doesn’t come back to bite you,” Diamond Tiara smiled in reply.

“Spike, I can’t watch this,” Applejack said. “It’s stupid to gamble with such a massive amount of money.”

“Relax, you have no reason to worry, so stop,” he said to her. “Money is nothing to me.”

Sunset gave Spike, Feather Bangs, Chrysalis and Diamond Tiara 10 golden chips apiece, each worth $1 million. Normally, the number of chips wasn’t important in Blind Man’s Bluff, it was their sum. The player with the highest value of chips in their possession by the end of the game was the winner.

The game would take place over ten turns—which meant Spike had that many rounds to rake in as many chips as possible and win those Gate cards—and all four players were required to pay one chip to participate. And they could only bet up to five chips at once.

Diamond Tiara would be worried if she wasn’t a three-time champion at Blind Man’s Bluff. To her, it was like picking money off the ground.

“I’m not going to lose to you,” she thought while looking at Spike.

“Be careful, Lucky Prince,” she said out loud. “Do not underestimate my luck!”

The first round of betting began. They all had to pay their fee of one chip, and then they looked at their first cards and placed them face down in front of themselves. But they couldn’t look at their second cards. Instead, they placed them on their foreheads.

“You have the honors,” Sunset told Diamond Tiara.

“It would be boring to fold on the first round,” she said as she bet one chip.

Feather Bangs called with one of his own, as did Spike.

“You can’t play a game if you don’t play at the start,” he agreed.

Chrysalis folded and the calls were completed. Then they showed their hands. Spike had the Seven of Clubs and the Eight of Hearts, a pig. Feather Bangs had the Three of Spades and the Six of Diamonds, another pig. Diamond Tiara showed the Three and Nine of Clubs, a suit.

“I win,” she said.

She collected her winnings and they moved on to the second round. Feather Bangs started by betting a single chip while Spike and Chrysalis folded. Then Diamond Tiara raised four chips, causing Feather Bangs to fold.

“These guys aren’t even worth my time,” Diamond Tiara thought.

The third round began and Spike bet a single chip. Chrysalis folded and Diamond Tiara raised Spike two.

“After wagering four chips last round, isn’t that a little cowardly?” he asked.

“I prefer to call it strategy,” she replied.

Feather Bangs folded and Spike raised her three.

“All right, I’ll call,” Diamond Tiara said. “Two chips.”

She showed the Two and the Five of Diamonds, another suit; and Spike showed the Four and the Ten of Hearts, a higher suit.

“How did he--?” she thought.

They moved on to turn four; Chrysalis had the deal.

“Spike’s right,” she thought. “At some point, you have to play the game.”

“I’ll wager one chip,” she said.

Diamond Tiara called with one chip, Feather Bangs folded, and Spike called with one of the chips he had collected from Diamond Tiara.

“You know, Diamond Tiara, you should be embarrassed by the way you play,” Spike told her.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I will repeat myself. You play terribly and you ought to be mortified. You’re the one who originally suggested this game, right? Giving Chrysalis and Feather Bangs a whisper of hope when they’re so desperate to beat me and then plunging them even deeper back down the hole, you’re no different than your loan shark grandmother. I don’t know how good a gambler you are, and frankly I don’t care, but you’re the worst kind of human being... Your whole family’s shit, and you know it!”

“Well I’ll be, you really are an intriguing son of a bitch,” she replied.

“Stop, you’re making me all warm and fuzzy inside!” he laughed.

Diamond Tiara glared at him. She was definitely pissed.

“Raise!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “Three chips!”

“Are you stupid?” Diamond Tiara asked. “What, did you think that once Spike won, I’d get scared and fold? Even I’m not that dumb!”

Chrysalis smiled.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” Diamond Tiara went on. “It’s obvious that you three are working together! The whole point of this game is that you can only ever see one of your cards. But no matter how big the number is, you’ll always lose to a suit, and the odds of that occurring are one in four. There’s no way you could know that! And there’s even less chance that you’d bet that kind of money on something so uncertain. You only took that risk because you knew for sure that you’d have a suit. It’s obvious you’re cheating! I will fold!”

“I’ll fold as well,” Spike said.

“You’re sharp,” Chrysalis told Diamond Tiara. “I guess when you’re on the wrong side of life, you get good at figuring out when someone’s out to get you. Anyway, I’m glad I went big on this round. It gives me a bullet to fire.”

Spike grinned and Chrysalis laughed as she showed her cards: the Ace of Clubs and the Eight of Spades.

“My hand was a pig the whole time, you brat!!”

Diamond Tiara’s mouth hung open.

“Spike’s win in turn three was so obvious I’m surprised you didn’t catch on,” Chrysalis smiled. “Don’t feel bad, it was painful for me too.”

“What makes you think you’ve got me beat?” Diamond Tiara asked. “You’ve only won one round.”

“Keep your panties on. As long as I’ve got something to bet with, I’ll never worry about losing to a child,” Chrysalis provoked her.

“What did you call me?” Diamond Tiara shouted.

“Spike, Chrysalis, stop provoking her,” Sunset said, “now, on to round five.”

“I’m betting one chip,” Diamond Tiara said.

Feather Bangs folded while Spike raised the bet with four of the chips he’d collected from Diamond Tiara.

“No way, he’s just bluffing!” Diamond Tiara thought.

She called with one of her chips plus two she’d collected from Feather Bangs. Then they revealed their hands. Diamond Tiara had a pig—the Seven of Clubs and the Nine of Diamonds.

“If Spike was bluffing, I should win,” she thought.

Spike won with a suit—the Two of Diamonds and the Five of Diamonds.

“If you were offended by what I said before, I truly apologize,” Spike said to Diamond Tiara. “I had to stretch the truth a bit in order to up the ante. Please forgive me.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Why?” he echoed. “I’ll tell you why, because it’s painfully obvious YOU are the one who’s cheating here.”

Diamond Tiara gasped.

“Are you sure?” Sunset asked.

“Dead sure,” Spike stated.

Turn six began and Chrysalis bet the three of the chips she got from Diamond Tiara—another high-stakes wager.

“I’ve got a pig,” Diamond Tiara thought. “I can’t risk it.”

She folded and Chrysalis showed the Six of Diamonds and the Three of Hearts.

“Lucky me!” she said. “I had a pig and I still won!”

Spike and Chrysalis’s gameplay went way beyond being good at reading tells and being able to bluff.

“I have to say, you’re dumber than you look,” Chrysalis told Diamond Tiara.

“Randolph,” Spike addressed her butler, “we all know that you’re signaling to her, so you can stop.”

“You might think that the position of your hands is subtle enough to tell her she has a suit, but I can tell you it’s a dead giveaway,” Feather Bangs added.

“From what we’ve seen you do so far, both hands at your sides means spade,” Spike said.

“And rubbing the back of your neck with your right hand clearly means that it’s a club,” Chrysalis went on.

“Tugging your left ear means a diamond,” Feather Bangs continued.

“And if you fold your arms in front of your chest, it’s a heart,” Spike finished. “It’s pretty handy having a servant faithful and loyal enough to do whatever you tell them to, no matter what... especially if they’ve been doing it for years,” he admitted to Diamond Tiara. “I knew you wouldn’t play fair, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have a pair of spotters on my side.”

That’s why Spike had asked for Chrysalis and Feather Bangs to play with them... and Chrysalis provoked Diamond Tiara just to make sure that she cheated.

Randolph was sweating when Sunset said, “It seems that you were right about the cheating.”

“But that’s no other reason to stop the game, is it?” Spike asked.

“So, you’re just fine with playing a game compromised by cheating?” Sunset inquired.

“Isn’t that the point of any card game; to be able to outbluff your opponent?” Spike replied. “But Diamond Tiara basically told us what was in her hand. And besides, I’m just getting warmed up.”

“Fine, you got me,” Diamond Tiara confessed. “Let’s just finish this.”

“Very well,” Sunset said. “Then the game will resume—moving on to round seven!”

Diamond Tiara continued to lose as Spike, Chrysalis, and Feather Bangs bluffed their way through the game. Spike was in the lead, but only the best liar among them would emerge victorious.

“I can’t lose this!” Diamond Tiara thought.

On turn eight, she called with one of the chips she’d got from Chrysalis, and Chrysalis threw down the Two of Diamonds and the Two of Hearts.

“Too bad, so sad!” she said.

“A pair?” thought Diamond Tiara. “What the Tartarus is going on here? How can this be happening to me?”

Turn nine began and Feather Bangs put down his last chip. Spike called with one of Diamond Tiara’s chips, and Chrysalis folded.

“Spike must have a good hand,” Diamond Tiara continued to think. “But I’m not done yet! There’s no more bluffing here! This is just a pure bet of the actual cards!”

Diamond Tiara showed a Seven, Five suit in Clubs. And Spike had a Six, Two suit in Spades.

Diamond Tiara started laughing.

“This game is mine!” she cried. “Starting tomorrow, I’m making your life Tartarus!”

“It’s easy for you to look down on other people, isn’t it?” Spike asked. “You’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted since you were a baby. You ever make a buck yourself?”

“No, but I have plans,” she answered.

“You know what I had when I was a kid? Nothing! A lot of nothing. Now, I’ve got a little of everything. You wouldn’t believe it, looking at me now, but my birthmother was so poor I used to walk Manehattan barefoot in the winter and summer. One day, I was swimming in the East River. When I came out, I saw a row of shoes on the wharf, one pair brand-new. I put them on, they fit. Then some kid yells, ‘Hey, them’s my shoes!’ So we fought. I won!”

Sunset started wondering how badly Spike had beaten the other kid for him to go home without his brand-new shoes.

“It’s been that way ever since: fight, fight, all the time... but you? Your family owns half of this city, so you’ve always had plenty of money to play around with. A few million dollars is nothing to you. Even if you have a 100% win ratio, I can tell that you don’t win as much as you’d like. Over hundreds, even thousands of games, you can keep winning stable amounts at a slow compounding rate. But, clearly, that isn’t enough for you, is it? You didn’t need to win every time, just a little more than your opponents so that nobody would get suspicious. That’s why nobody could ever catch you in the act. Cheating is no guarantee!”

Diamond Tiara was speechless.

“Not only have you been rigging games in your favor, your family is stockpiling Las Pegasus’s wealth... but for what?” Spike went on. “We should both feel the same pain. My total wager was forty million, but those cards are priceless.”

Diamond Tiara was sweating bullets now.

“Even though I’m rich, I can’t afford to lose the Gates!” she thought. “If I-If I lose this, I lose everything. I’ll be ruined! I-I have to talk him down.”

“Let’s finish this,” Spike stated.

Turn ten began and Spoiled Rich entered the casino.

“You mind if I watch?” she asked.

Diamond Tiara’s face went pale, her mouth ajar, and her eyes aghast.

“Mother!” she exclaimed.

“This looks like more fun than you should be having,” Spoiled Rich said. “I see you’re betting two Gate cards. At times like this, trouble is bound to occur. So we’ll be supervising from here on out.”

“There’s no need for you to bother! I can handle this myself,” Diamond Tiara said. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”

Spoiled Rich leaned in close to her daughter and Diamond Tiara went whiter than a sheet.

“That’s enough,” Spoiled Rich stated. “Just shut up and play.”

“I’m getting tired,” Spike yawned.

“Let’s finish this up already,” Chrysalis added.

“Why are they acting so casual?” Diamond Tiara thought.

She was going to fold, so she would win for sure. But if she was wrong, one of them could easily win. Chrysalis could bet all four of the chips she’d won from Spike, or Spike could bet the two he’d got from Chrysalis.

“You can scheme all you want,” Diamond Tiara thought, “but bet or no bet, you’re not going to win!”

She gasped when Spike called with one chip.

“Did he just do what I think he just did?” Applejack whispered.

“What are they doing?” Diamond Tiara thought.

Then Chrysalis raised three chips.

“I find easy wins to be quite irritating,” Spike said.

Then they revealed their cards.

Diamond Tiara had a pair of nines, Hearts and Diamonds... and Spike had a pair of tens, Spades and Clubs. He couldn’t have asked for a better last round hand.

“Spike is the winner!” Sunset declared.

Diamond Tiara lost. And not only did she lose, she fell for their bluffs hook, line, and sinker. They still couldn’t believe it.

“I didn’t think you’d have a snowball’s chance in Tartarus at winning,” Spoiled Rich told Spike. “Lady Luck was on your side this time. I’m impressed. As for you, young lady,” she said to Diamond Tiara, “I am incredibly disappointed.”

Chrysalis put a hand to her mouth.

“Don’t laugh,” Spike told her. “It’s rude. Especially since Diamond Tiara is so sensitive.”

“I never thought it would have ended so well,” Chrysalis said.

“Part of it was just luck, but a lot of it was thanks to your acting,” he replied.

“Oh, thanks,”

“Game... Set... Match,” Feather Bangs smiled.

Spoiled Rich started to leave, and then waited for Diamond Tiara to join her.

“Are you really okay with her abusing you like that?” Spike asked. “Or are you just telling yourself you have to suck it up until graduation, when you finally get your freedom?”

“Shut up!” Diamond Tiara snapped. “You don’t know anything about me!”

“I can tell that you’re a good person and you have no choice but to play by other people’s rules,” he told her calmly. “If you can’t find the strength to stand up for yourself and the courage to fight back against your abusers, then nothing will change. You have a chance to get even, and if you don’t take it then you’re just a puppy who cowers when someone opens the kennel door, proving that you are nothing but someone else’s punching bag. Is that how you want to live? You’d rather suck up to your mother and grandmother so that they might be a little nicer to you? Do you really want to live your entire life with your head down forever? A life lived in fear is no life at all!”

Diamond Tiara stared at Spike with an open mouth. He was speaking the truth. And every word he said was like a breath of fresh air.

“Think about what I’ve told you,” he advised. “And remember, the world doesn’t run on one person’s standards. Everyone chooses to do things in their own way. There are some things they can forgive and some things they can’t. But no one will ever obey someone 100 percent of the time. That’s the beauty of free will. And it’s what makes life great.”

Spoiled Rich called for her daughter and Diamond Tiara finally followed.

She had lost, but she wasn’t angry about it because Spike saw something in her that nobody else did.

Spike watched them leave, keeping his eyes on Diamond Tiara until the last.

“I’m amazed you won after taking a really big gamble like that,” Applejack said. “Congratulations, all of you.”

“It’s almost hilarious how honest she is,” Chrysalis thought.

“Well, I’ll see you later, I guess,” she told them.

Suddenly, Spike hugged Chrysalis from behind, his hands on her breasts.

“Hey! What are you--?” she began.

“I want to thank you,” Spike said. “The game was more fun with you there, and I feel so much closer to you because of it.”

“I guess I could say the same thing about you,” Chrysalis admitted shyly.

“Well, friends are supposed to stick together, right?” he asked.

Chrysalis was surprised by that.

“We’re friends?” she asked.

“Of course,” Spike said. “And since we are, would it be all right if I called you Chrissy?”

“Sure. Now get off me! Do you realize where your hands are?”

“Oops. Sorry, accident!” he laughed.

Upstairs, Impossibly Rich, Flim and Flam had watched the entire game from the security monitors in the Brothers’ office.

“Outstanding,” Impossibly Rich said. “He’s an extremely gifted player... but, of course, you already knew that. That’s why you hired him, right?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Flim replied.

“You must be doing quite well for yourself, to have so many skilled and talented dealers working for you, Lady Rich,” Flam added, changing the subject. “We would very much like to meet them.”

“Oh, you will, in due time,” she replied, almost darkly. “And please, don’t call me that. I can’t imagine it’s anything but sarcastic coming from you.”

“If you say so,” Flam answered. “Come now, full disclosure, how many Gates do you have? And who gave you them, anyway?”

“We are both curious how you suddenly acquired so many,” said Flim. “It must have been tough.”

Impossibly Rich didn’t answer.

She finished her drink and left their office saying, “Thank you for the entertaining game, gentlemen.”

“No Impossibly Rich, the pleasure was all ours,” they replied.

The Brothers breathed a sigh of relief. The game ended just the way they had expected it would. But it didn’t matter. Either way, the outcome would have been acceptable. Diamond Tiara was the youngest member of one of Equestria’s oldest families, and Spike Drake was now on their list of people to keep an eye on.

All they wanted was for one of them to beat the other—either way, it would have been a win. And, of course, it was a success. But was it the right thing to do?

It was obvious that Spike wasn’t driven by money. It was the simplest way to control people, and he was unaffected by it.

“I hope we were right about letting him roam so freely,” Flim said.

“Or have we unleashed another monster?” asked Flam.

The Brothers hoped, for Spike’s sake (as well as their own), that this would be the last Gate Battle... at least for a while. They knew that Impossibly Rich was ruthless and she would do whatever it took to win.

“She isn’t just after our Resort,” they thought. “She must want more... but what?”

Impossibly Rich was awfully interested in Spike. Did she want his Gates? Or did she want Spike himself? Either way, the Brothers were about to find out what kind of monster was hiding under that heavy makeup.

Next time, the gang makes plans for a little late-night gambling only for the electricity for the entire city to go out, leaving Spike stuck in the elevator with Sunset and Applejack... and Discord goes on a blind date!

The following afternoon, Flim and Flam were at the Sky Resort while Discord stayed behind in the city. Currently, he was searching the hotel for his employees, trying to round them up for some overtime, but he couldn’t find them anywhere. Rarity was not at the front desk, Rainbow Dash wasn’t cleaning any of the bedrooms or bathrooms, Sunset, Pinkie, Starlight and Fluttershy weren’t serving tables in the restaurants or bussing drinks on the casino floor, and according to the cameras in the surveillance room (which head of security, Applejack, usually watched) none of them were in any of the hallways, either. Discord finally checked the staff locker room and saw their uniforms strewn about, this way and that. He had just missed them.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” he declared.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash led Soarin, Zephyr Breeze, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and the Dazzlings through the casino to the swimming pool with Discord hot on their trail.

“Hurry up!” she shouted.

“Out of my way!” Discord commanded as he barreled through groups of guests. “You’re mine now punks!”

The group reached the pool... as did Discord.

“Stop!” Discord ordered. “Do not enter the water!”

“Soooooo busted,” Pinkie groaned.

“I have a job for you,” he panted. “Get dressed and meet me in the lobby.”

The gang dragged their feet as they returned to the staff locker room.

“Discord caught you too?” Rarity asked Applejack.

“Eeyup,” she replied.

“I was going to work on my tan today,” Sunset said. “It is pathetic!”

“You think that’s bad?” Soarin complained. “I haven’t had a good gambling session in three days!”

“Do you guys ever stop and wonder, I mean really wonder, if things could get any worse?” Zephyr asked.

“Seriously, it’s not like we came out here to just work,” Dash commented. “We need a day off! We deserve a day off!”

A light bulb went off in Zephyr Breeze’s head.

“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed.

“Got what?” Dash asked.

“Discord may own our days, but we own our nights. And tonight, we’re getting our gamble on. Eight thirty, the casino floor -- be there!” Zephyr told them.

“Great,” Dash replied. “Except for one thing -- what are we gonna do about Discord? He never leaves. This resort is like his life.”

“The dude needs a vacation,” Pinkie said, “or a girlfriend.”

“Or maybe just a date,” Soarin replied. “Adagio, how are your sweet-talking skills?”

“I don’t know,” she said as she strode up to him. “But your hair is looking sooo good today, handsome,” she added huskily as she ran her hand through it and stroked his chin.

“Whoa...” Soarin mumbled weakly.

“She’s good,” Zeph complimented. “She is very, very good.”

“I have a mission for you,” Soarin told her.

Later that day, Adagio and her sisters approached Discord at the front desk.

“Wow, you look stressed,” Sonata observed.

“Don’t remind me,” he replied. “The Hooffields don’t want to be on the same floor as the McColts, and the Prince of Yakyakistan doesn’t want anyone near him...”

“Maybe this isn’t a good time,” Adagio told her sisters.

“Come on,” Sonata said, “we promised her!”

“Wait -- Promised who what?” Discord inquired.

“Well, there’s this woman and she’s really pretty and super sweet and she has a major crush on you,” Adagio said.

“What? Fo-fo-for real?” Discord stuttered.

“Oh, yeah,” Aria replied. “She can’t stop talking about you!”

“But we said you were way too busy to go on a date,” Adagio added.

“Aww... She’s going to be so crushed,” Sonata went on.

“Well, maybe I could squeeze her in,” Discord replied half-heartedly.

“Great! Tonight, eight o’clock, at The Hive Casino and Grill,” Adagio told him. “She’ll be holding a red rose.”

“And so will you,” Sonata added as she handed him one. “Have fun!”

“Thanks,” he said. “So... someone’s digging on the Discord? Nice.”

The Dazzlings smiled as they walked away. Adagio pulled out her cell phone and dialed Soarin once Discord was out of earshot.

“He bought it!” she said triumphantly. “He actually bought it!”

“Roger that,” Soarin replied. “Target is in my sight. Hey, Fluttershy, what are you doing tonight?”

Soarin approached the driver’s window of the shuttle bus as Fluttershy boarded it that evening. Discord was already onboard, in the far back, but he didn’t see her get on. It hadn’t taken much for Soarin to convince Fluttershy to go on a blind date, even though she told him she already had her heart set on Spike. He told her it was just for the evening and that the man in question was just as nervous as she was... all without telling her it was Discord.

“So remember, keep Discord and Fluttershy out as late as you can,” Soarin told Cheese Sandwich.

“You got it, man!”

Soarin watched the shuttle until it was out of sight, headed down the street. Once it was gone he mass-texted Rainbow Dash, Zephyr Breeze, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and the Dazzlings, and they quickly spread the word.

“The fish is in the net. Repeat, the fish is in the net!”

“Discord has left the building!” Zephyr Breeze declared. “Let’s get this par-tay started! Wooo-hoo!”

Night fell and Soarin popped a Champagne cork as Zephyr Breeze picked up a martini. Dripping in diamonds, Rarity picked a raspberry out of her Champagne glass as Zephyr took another martini and handed it to Starlight. Plates of delicious food came thick and fast, along with lots of cake, chocolates and other sweets, all washed down with endless glasses of Champagne.

The Dazzlings crowded around Zephyr Breeze at the Roulette wheel as more Champagne was poured. Zephyr was up a thousand dollars when Rarity knocked her glass of Champagne over, but the game went on. She wasn’t quite drunk, but certainly a little tipsy; her cheeks were red and she was throwing chips out recklessly when she raised her bets.

The atmosphere of the casino didn’t distract them; instead, the crush of people and the ambient noise bolstered their energy. So many smiling, laughing faces, so much gambling adrenaline flowing... they found it hard to catch their breath. Soarin won three hands of two thousand dollars, followed by two hands of twenty-five hundred at blackjack, as the blinking lights and spinning wheels wreaked havoc on their senses and the Champagne flowed.

“I won again!” Zeph shouted.

Soarin upended one of the Champagne bottles and it fell in a foamy waterfall into Pinkie’s open mouth. She made frantic slurping sounds, and some of the women applauded while the men whistled, and everyone screamed with laughter.

Applejack wove her way out of the eating, drinking throng, talking to herself while she inspected her uniform. She almost never wore a skirt and she was wondering if Spike would like seeing her in it.

“Howdy, Spike! Do you like--? No! Hey, Spike! No, that’s all wrong. Hi, Spike, I thought you might want to--that’s so lame...”

She sighed as the elevator doors opened and she heard Spike’s handsome voice call out, “Hold the elevator!”

“Oh, my gosh!” she thought. “He’s coming my way!”

“Thanks,” he said.

Applejack pushed the button for the 26th floor—Spike’s floor—as he stepped inside, smiling at her as the doors shut. Applejack smiled back, her eyes drinking in the sight of him clad in his purple board shorts with a towel over his shoulders. He had just come from the pool and he looked handsomer than ever.

“EEEE!! This isn’t happening!” she continued to think. “Spike and I are alone in the elevator and he has no shirt on!!”

Spike shook his head and tiny drops of water flew from his hair and onto her chest. “Oops! Sorry about that.”

“He shook on me. That has to be a sign. He wouldn’t just shake on me if he didn’t like me,” she thought. “Okay, say something. Don’t just stand there!”

She tried to, but when she opened her mouth, the elevator doors opened. They had stopped at the third floor—the staff’s floor—and Sunset Shimmer got on with them.

“Hi, Spike,” she smiled at him.

Spike opened his own mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Back in the casino, the rest of the crew raised their drinks in a toast.

“That. Was epic,” Dash began.

“Legendary,” Zeph added.

“Sick!” added Soarin.

“We are the kings and queens of night gambling!” Pinkie declared.

They clinked their glasses together and, at that exact moment, the lights went out all over Las Pegasus.

Meanwhile, Spike listened to the sounds of the elevator, finding the hum of its motor and the cables somewhat comforting. Suddenly, the humming ceased, followed by a loud clank, a rattling bang, and a thump. Then there was a grating, screeching sound as the elevator came to an instant halt and its lights went off.

“What was that?” Sunset asked.

“I think we’ve stopped,” Applejack replied.

“Oh, no,” Spike said as he pressed the emergency call button.

“This is an emergency suspension due to a blackout,” a recording said over the speaker. “There is an official on the way, so please wait momentarily.”

“A blackout,” Sunset purred. “How romantic.”

“This is not good,” Spike and Applejack both thought. “Not good at all.”

A blackout in Las Pegasus was literally (and not just in Rarity’s words) the worst possible thing: it was the perfect time to steal anything from a kiss to a bunch of casino chips.

In the casino, Miss Pommel turned on a flashlight. Lit from below, her face glowed like a menacing ghost.

“Whoa!” Zephyr Breeze exclaimed.

“Uh-oh...” Dash breathed.

“Wow. Did not see that coming,” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted. “You -- the entire resort -- all dark, all dark! Can’t breathe... Can’t breathe!”

“Twilight, it’s going to be okay,” Adagio said.

“Yeah, we can fix this,” Sonata added.

“Fix this?!” Twilight screamed. “You-- I-- what-- Oh, my-- I’m so-- this-- I’m getting fired! I’m a dead woman! You’re dead, too! We’re all dead!”

“Stop panicking!” Aria told her.

“What else is there to do?” Twilight shouted.

“She’s hyperventilating!” Coco cried.

“Deep breaths, Twilight, that’s it,” Starlight said as she handed her friend and roommate a brown paper bag to breathe into. “No one’s getting fired tonight.” She turned on the rest of the group and added, “If we don’t fix this, I’ll be stuck in the staff quarters until I’m thirty!!”

“It’s cool,” Soarin said. “I used to work for an electrician.”

“You can fix a circuit breaker?” Twilight asked, finally calmed down.

“Piece of cake,” he reassured her.

“You know what your problem is, Twilight?” Zephyr Breeze put in. “You worry too much. You keep it up and you’ll have a stroke.”

“Discord will be back soon, and he can kill a man at ten paces with one blow of his tongue!” Twilight replied. “How am I supposed to not worry?”

“By reminding yourself that there’s always someone worse off than you,” Zephyr told her.

“Is there?” she spat. “Well, I would love to meet them!”

Just then, the lights flickered back on, only to flicker off again. Soarin looked out to the street and saw that the lights had come on in the rest of the city, but they were still without power.

“If everyone will just stay where they are,” he told the groaning guests, “I’ll go check the circuit breaker.”

“It’s in the basement,” Adagio said. “We’ll go with you.”

“No, Starlight and I will go with him,” Rainbow Dash told her.

“Me too,” said Zeph.

“I’ll get more flashlights,” Miss Pommel promised.

“And some candles!” added Pinkie.

“Adagio, you and your sisters keep the guests calm,” Soarin said to them. “And Coco if your cell’s getting a reception, use it to call Cheese Sandwich. Tell him we need as much time as we can get.”

“Yes, sir,” she said agreeably.

Soarin moved slowly through the lobby, waving his hands in front of him until he found the door to the basement. He twisted the doorknob hard. Only then did he remember that doorknobs are hard, not soft. He also remembered that doorknobs aren’t at almost chest level. And they aren’t covered in fabric.

“What are you doing?” Rarity screamed. “Let go of my breast!”

“Sorry,” he said as he let go. “I can’t see a thing!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay right by your side,” Starlight promised.

“That’s reassuring,” Soarin said sarcastically.

“You don’t need to be nasty,” said she. “I’m only trying to be helpful.”

She tried to run her fingers through his hair but, because of the darkness, she missed and poked him in the eye.

“Ow!” he exclaimed.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized.

Starlight linked her arm through his. Soarin started toward the door leading to the basement. He found the doorway and went through.

“Oof!”

Starlight, still by his side, had walked straight into the wall.

“Sorry about that,” he said, helping her back to her feet.

And they headed downward.

Discord entered The Hive at eight o’clock on the dot. He was wearing his best brown suit coat, his pressed black slacks, an off-white collared shirt, red vest with a steel gray tie, and he was breathing hard. It was the first time he’d done anything like this, he was so nervous. He also witnessed the city-wide blackout and instantly thought that something was wrong. He reached for his cell phone and was about to dial Rarity when the lights came back on. He looked at the phone in his hand. Then he thought of his date, and placed his cell back in his coat pocket.

“You’re getting yourself worked up,” Discord told himself. “If there’s an emergency, they will call you.”

There were about two dozen people in The Hive that night, most of them Changelings. Pharynx was directing the wait staff while Thorax walked around, close to the bar, and mingled with the guests. That’s when Discord saw her—his blind date—sitting at the end of the bar with a cup of tea, the single red rose right next to the saucer. She was wearing a pretty yellow sundress, which complimented her fantastic body (especially her breasts); black open-toed sandals, and she had a pink butterfly barrette in her hair.

“Oh, no, she’s been waiting!” he cursed himself in thought. “I hope she hasn’t been waiting too long! Maybe she hasn’t noticed... Just breathe, Discord. You can do this. Okay, it’s showtime!”

She turned her head and Discord realized who she was. They both gasped.

“Fluttershy?” he asked. “You’re my date?”

“John de Prancie?” she addressed him by his real name.

Meanwhile, back at the resort, Coco dialed Cheese Sandwich on her cell.

“Come on, Cheese Sandwich, pick up. Pick up, pick up!”

Cheese Sandwich, who was sitting at the other end of the bar (far from Discord and Fluttershy) answered, “Big Cheese Sandwich here.”

“Mr. Sandwich, we have a Code Red!” Coco said. “The blackout blew out the power. Soarin’s working to fix it, but we need you to keep Discord and Fluttershy out for as long as you can.”

“No problemo! Operation Stall the Chaos Man is in effect,” he replied.

And then he hung up.

He turned to face the room and announced, “Just a reminder, the shuttle bus is parked for the next two hours. I’m double booked tonight: got a bar mitzvah going on next door and a bat mitzvah right after. Anyone who wants to check ‘em out is more than welcome. We got a karaoke machine and kosher hotdogs.”

“I’d rather tear my eyeballs out of my skull,” Discord replied. “And then eat the one eye while I watch myself eat it with the other eye.”

“Your loss, dude,” Cheese said casually.

“Now what?” Discord asked.

“Well, you could join me for dinner,” Fluttershy suggested.

“Fine, but this is sooo not a date,” Discord told her. “Wait, aren’t you a vegetarian?”

“Yeah, but I can make it work,”

“No. No, no. I am not going to make you compromise your principles for me,” he said strongly. “Let’s... go get... vegan food.”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked sincerely.

“The Hive has a vegan menu,” Thorax informed them.

“Sounds like a love letter to my colon,” Discord replied.

Pharynx turned to Ocellus and said, “A table for two.”

“Right this way,” she told Fluttershy and Discord, and led them to a secluded table close to the stage.

Discord pulled Fluttershy’s chair out for her before taking his seat and Ocellus handed them the menus. Then she asked if she could start them off with something to drink. Fluttershy asked for a peppermint tea and Discord had the sauerkraut juice on the rocks.

A silence fell between them as Ocellus left, saying that she would be back to take their orders. The vegetarian menu had quite the selection: prime ribs of celery, spinach loaf, soy bean sherbet, daffodil and daisy sandwiches, dandelion salad with mineral oil dressing, and 27 flavors of yogurt.

Ocellus came back with Discord’s drink, which he quickly downed, and a pot of hot water and a teabag for Fluttershy. She poured the water from the kettle as Fluttershy looked at her menu.

“Oh. I don’t really like soy beans,” she said. “This is hard for me.”

“It’s hard for all of us,” Discord whispered to Ocellus.

“I’ll come back,” Ocellus replied. “Can I get you another?”

“Never stop getting me another,” he said, handing her his empty glass.

He and Fluttershy fell into another awkward silence.

“You weren’t who I was expecting,” Fluttershy said quietly.

She didn’t look at Discord when she spoke; she was staring at the table.

“Me neither,” he admitted. “So, what sort of company were you expecting?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect,” she confessed, finally looking into his eyes. “They didn’t tell me it was you.”

“Same here,”

Ocellus returned five minutes later, much to Fluttershy and Discord’s relief.

“Have you made your decision?” she asked.

“I’ll have the fruit salad with the vanilla yogurt on the side, please,” Fluttershy said politely.

“The soy bean hamburger with French fried soybeans,” said Discord.

“It also comes with a kale shake,” Ocellus told him.

“Perfect,” Discord replied.

Ocellus smiled as she took their menus and dashed off to the kitchen. As they sat in silence, Discord came to the decision to give Fluttershy the night of her life. She was going to have a good evening, a nice meal, and he was not going to ruin it for her. That included no flirting. He was not going to flirt with her!

“You know, you’re a lot friendlier when you’re not on duty,” she told him.

“Well, I’m a lot more able to fire someone when I’m on duty,” he replied. He sighed. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I believe you don’t like me, and frankly, I don’t care. I manage over a hundred employees; and I know that many of them don’t like me. I also know that most of them think I’m a troll. I have to be to run the resort in the manner the owners expect.”

“That’s not true,” Fluttershy said. “Well, maybe, but I don’t hate you.”

“They’re a bunch of clowns,” he said. “I like clowns, but they should be funny. It’s a clown’s business being funny. I ask you: and be frank with me... what have I done to earn contempt? Why should I be treated like I am stupid and they are smart? There isn’t a man in all of Equestria with my reputation. So why don’t they respect me?”

“Discord, I get the feeling that you’re not upset about my friends disrespecting you,” Fluttershy said as she placed a hand over his. “What’s really bothering you?”

She was visibly concerned. Her sincerity almost made him break down and cry, right there in front of everybody. The truth was that his job had gotten so stressful that he had been changing everything from his diet to his cleaning habits.

“I even started sleeping on the other side of the bed,” he told her.

“I sort of lie down wherever,” Fluttershy shared.

“What are you, a farm animal?” Discord shouted. “Even I have a side of the bed I always sleep on! Please, walk me through this. You get ready for bed. You put on your pajamas, whatever...”

“Actually, I sleep naked,” Fluttershy said.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked.

“Totally naked,” she repeated.

“So there’s no barrier between your business and your bed?” he inquired. “Basically, your sheets become a giant pair of panties? No sides, no clothes, no rules. Normally, I would say you’re a woman after my own heart, but I draw the line at filthy, naked hippies!”

Fluttershy gave Discord a rather admiring glance.

That was one of the things she liked about him, those bizarre things he said every once in a while. Call him a dope in so many things, a screwball that flipped on the hour every hour over the least little go-wrong, a patsy for the oldest gag, but he sure could handle the language when he wanted to.

Ocellus exited the kitchen a minute later, balancing a bowl in one hand and a plate on the other.

“Soy bean hamburger with French fried soy beans for the gentleman, and for the lady, fruit salad with the yogurt on the side,” she said.

“Took long enough,” Discord complained.

Fluttershy started to peel an orange as he tore into his burger... and immediately wanted to spit it back out. But he put on a smile and kept chewing as Fluttershy gave him a concerned look.

“Mmm... Mm-hmm...” he hummed.

Then he swallowed and almost vomited as Fluttershy picked up a banana (that was still in one piece), peeled it, and started licking the tip... rather erotically.

Ocellus came back with another sauerkraut juice for Discord and asked if everything tasted okay. Fluttershy nodded happily while Discord smiled.

“How was your meal?” he asked Fluttershy a few minutes later.

“Oh, that was so good,” she replied. “How was yours?”

“Nothing better than mung beans, a kale shake and a shamburger,”

“Really? Because it looks like you barely touched it,”

“I’m saving room for dessert,”

Ocellus returned again and asked, “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“Yes, we will have the chocolate soufflé for dessert,” Fluttershy told her.

“Just a reminder, it’ll take 45 minutes to prepare,”

“No, no,” Discord protested. “We need something that’s ready right now.”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s just being silly,” Fluttershy said as she shot a smile to Discord across the table.

“One soufflé coming up,” Ocellus replied.

And she disappeared once more.

“While we’re waiting, why don’t we have some fun?” Fluttershy asked him.

“Fun?” Discord replied, like the word was new to him.

“Why don’t you go up there with me?” she asked as she nodded to the stage. “I love karaoke.”

“Sounds spontaneous,” he said. “I like spontaneous!”

Fluttershy waved Thorax over, whispered something into his ear, and he smiled as me led her and Discord up to the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen please help me in welcoming back Fluttershy!” he announced.

The crowd clapped as she sang “Somebody to Love” and Discord’s eyes bulged to the size of tea cups. They sang a few more songs; Fluttershy had them eating out of her hand.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said after she finished. “And now, for your listening pleasure, a little something called ‘I’m Cute’.”

Fluttershy’s bangs fell over her left eye as she held the microphone and started singing again while Discord, Thorax and Pharynx provided the backup.

After a few verses, Discord was starting to get bored but he kept singing. When Fluttershy finally caught on to what he was doing, she got right in his face.

“You’ve ruined my entire cute song!” she shouted. “I am angry! I am furious! I am enraged! I! Have! HAD IT!!”

She started breathing heavily and Discord smiled.

“You’re awfully cute when you’re angry,” he said.

Fluttershy blushed and asked, “You really think so?”

Discord’s grin widened as he finished the song with one final, “She’s cute!”

The crowd burst with applause as they returned to their seats and the chocolate soufflé came out.

“I’ve never felt so alive!” Discord said. “I should have cut loose years ago. That was awesome! Keep the change,” he told Ocellus as he paid the bill.

“Oh, Pharynx doesn’t permit tipping,” she replied. “But if you like, I can put it in the building’s renovation fund.”

“You do that,” he smiled.

Spike, Sunset and Applejack sat on the floor of the elevator, wiping the sweat from their faces with Spike’s towel. The girls had taken off their jackets and their shoes, but they were still perspiring. Spike never thought that this would happen to him. And yet, here he was; stuck in an elevator between floors with two beautiful women. Not only were they trapped in there, it was getting hot; so hot that Sunset started clinging to Spike for support.

“We’ll be all right,” he thought. “Someone will come.”

Sunset had pushed the emergency call buttons two more times, hoping that someone would answer, but all they got was the same recording from before. Spike tried to keep calm, but it was difficult. He had hummed most of the songs he knew, partially to entertain the girls but mostly to take their minds off their current situation. Unfortunately, that just made him even tenser.

Applejack started looking Spike over. Her mind registered every detail, starting at his toes, his long, muscular legs, his broad shoulders, and finally his handsome face. His eyes were closed, features relaxed. AJ couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him sitting there, clad in only a pair of swim trunks, looking calmer than an undisturbed pond.

Just as Applejack finished admiring the Adonis before of her, she saw that Spike was now looking at her. AJ blushed as she realized that she had been caught staring like an idiot. Spike couldn’t help but smile as AJ’s face got redder and redder by the second. She tried to say something, but she couldn’t find the words.

“Oh, no, he saw me!” she thought. “Quick! Pretend to be interested in something else! Damn, it’s hot!”

“They’re not coming,” Applejack said as she loosened her tie and undid the first two buttons on her shirt, exposing ample amounts of cleavage.

Spike caught sight of her black lace bra and his face almost flushed. He felt so weak that he didn’t remember if what happened next was a fantasy or reality, but Sunset saw him struggling to stay awake and she placed his head against her breasts. They were going to pass out before help even arrived.

“It’s so hot!” they all thought.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Applejack exclaimed as she got to her feet and her hands fell to her waist.

She blushed again and she looked at Spike over her shoulder and said softly, “Please look the other way.”

“Sure,” he said.

Applejack unzipped her skirt and it fell to her ankles, revealing a pair of black lace panties. She sat down next to Spike again, and her eyes fell to his shorts.

“You don’t have to bear it,” she said to him. “Just take it off.”

“I’m fine,” he replied.

“You’re sweating too much to be ‘fine,’” she observed.

Spike was fading in and out as Sunset pulled her shirt over her head, unclasped her bra, and threw them both aside. One of Spike’s hands found the firm weight of Applejack’s left breast and he began to stroke it through her shirt. He continued to stroke it, rubbing the ball of his thumb gently over the nipple. His strong hand on her breast felt soothing. Applejack let out a soft sound—in reaction to his gentle pressure on her breast. He raised his hand slightly and undid the third button of her shirt. Applejack shifted her legs slightly. Suddenly, her panties seemed too tight, slightly irritating in a pleasant sort of way.

Spike’s hand dropped to the fourth button, slipped it, and more of her cleavage was exposed. He unbuttoned the next two buttons and he slipped her breasts into the wide V of the open shirt, pulled down her bra, bent, and molded his lips around the stem of a nipple. He slipped his tongue slowly back and forth across it in a way he didn’t know she liked. Applejack moaned a little and arched her back. Spike raised his head slightly and then settled against the other nipple.

She was totally excited now, leaning over him, her breasts tumbling out of her shirt as Sunset pulled off her jeans and her panties. Sunset pulled Spike away from Applejack and told him to lick her nipples, giving AJ a chance to fully undress. Spike tried to stop, but he couldn’t.

One part of him was arguing that getting all hot and bothered while it was already hot in the elevator was just going to increase their collective body heat and accelerate their chances of collapsing from heat stroke, while the other half countered that if they were going to die in the elevator it would be nice to make out with someone one last time.

Applejack licked her lips as her bass player hands slipped over the front of his crotch and felt the bulge beneath.

“Looks like I should bring down the heat here, too,” she said.

Sunset helped raise Spike gently off the floor so that Applejack could pull down his board shorts. She slowly slipped them off and her mouth watered.

“I knew it was big, but I never imagined it was this big,” AJ thought.

“S-Spike... You’re so hard...” she said.

“AJ...” he said weakly.

“Just lay back and leave all the work to us,” Sunset told him.

Applejack wrapped her fingers around the shaft and immediately took the tip into her mouth.

“Taste good?” Sunset asked.

“Mmmm!” AJ moaned in reply and she started bobbing her head furiously.

“I want a taste, too!” Sunset pouted.

Applejack pulled back and let Sunset take her turn.

“Mmm-mm!” Sunset moaned. “That was delicious, but I think we should take this to the next level.” She wrapped her breasts around Spike’s cock. “I’m not trying to keep him to myself!” she said to Applejack. “Join in!”

AJ crawled up alongside Sunset and they each placed a single breast on either side of his cock, sandwiching it between them.

“Oooh! It’s too good!” he thought.

Sunset closed her mouth over the top and Spike moaned at what he knew was sure to come. Then she started bobbing her head up and down his shaft, sucking hard, bringing him closer to climax. He finally came in her mouth and she gratefully swallowed every drop of the steaming hot liquid.

Applejack climbed atop Spike and started nibbling his shoulder as he cupped her ass in his hands. Then Sunset got up and positioned herself between them, placing her bum in front of Spike’s face. Giving each thigh a quick slap, Spike began to push Sunset’s legs open a bit further. He leaned in close, ran his tongue up the inside of her thighs, and found the object of his desire.

AJ kept gnawing at Spike’s collarbone while Spike licked Sunset’s honey, and Sunset moaned, sighed, whined and whimpered until both women fell on top of him, panting.

While all that—Spike’s time in the elevator with Applejack and Sunset, and Discord’s blind date with Fluttershy—was going on, Soarin led Starlight, Rainbow Dash and Zephyr Breeze down to the basement.

“Follow me!” he told them.

“Boy, it’s dark,” Zephyr said. “Wow, it’s really dark. Seriously - it’s dark.”

“Yeah, we get it. It’s dark,” Dash replied. “Wait... Are you scared?”

“The Zephster does not get scared,” he answered.

“Oh, you are scared! Awww! Zeph’s scared of the dark!”

“That’s actually funny,” Soarin added.

“I am not scared of the dark,” Zephyr replied.

Zeph took a few steps down the corridor before Rainbow Dash grabbed him around his waist and said, “Gotcha!”

“AAAAAHHH! You can’t get me, vampire!” he cried and he jumped into Soarin’s arms.

They all laughed at him until they heard a metallic creaking.

“What was that?” Starlight asked.

Soarin dropped Zephyr and shouted, “Every man for himself!”

And they all ran off screaming. They ran for a whole minute before Rainbow Dash shouted for them to stop.

“What are we running from?” she asked.

“I don’t know!” Starlight exclaimed.

“Bet you ladies are glad I’m here to protect you,” Zephyr said.

Rainbow Dash groaned in reply.

“Where’s Soarin?” Starlight asked.

“The vampires got him!” Zephyr shrieked.

“There’s no such thing as vampires,” Starlight told him. “Come on! I think it’s this way.”

For the next ten minutes Starlight opened doors, looking for the circuit breaker. The first was the walk-in freezer where the cooks kept all of the meat. There were 15 rib roasts, 12 whole turkeys and 40 whole chickens, 50 sirloin steaks, two dozen pork roasts, and below them were racks and legs of lamb (20 each)... all hanging from rows of hooks along the walls. Hamburger in 30 ten-pound plastic bags, 12 packages of sausage, the same number of bacon, a dozen canned hams stacked up like poker chips, five pounds of rainbow trout, ten of turbot, and fifteen cans of tuna. A long wallboard, covering one whole wall, hung with cutting instruments all the way from knives to two-handed cleavers hung beside a four-basin sink.

The next bin was the bread—thirty loves of white, twenty of wheat, and twenty pounds of butter. Real butter.

“You know I was just kidding about that vampire stuff,” Zephyr told them. “I’m not scared.”

Suddenly, they heard a disgusting slurping sound coming from behind them.

“I’m too pretty to die!” he cried.

They ran again until they hit a dead end. The slurping approached and Zephyr put Rainbow Dash in front of him as a shield as a dark shadow came around the corner.

It was Soarin. And he was holding a tub of chocolate ice cream.

“Yo, you guys find the breaker yet?” he asked.

“Dude! You’re alive! Oh, dude!” Zephyr cried happily. “Where’d you get the ice cream?”

“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Soarin exclaimed as he fell to his knees.

“Oh, my gosh! Soarin!” Starlight cried.

“Ah, brain freeze!” he said. “That’s better. Come on, let’s move!”

And they followed him further into the basement.

Meanwhile, the bat mitzvah had ended in the building next to The Hive, and Cheese Sandwich started up the shuttle bus as Discord and Fluttershy got on.

“Okay, both coming-of-age parties are over,” Discord told him. “And we’re going back now.”

“Sure thing, boss man,” Cheese Sandwich replied. “But I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that the bus is stuck in first gear.”

“What’s the good news?” Discord asked.

“I just got a wicked new party mix CD for us to listen to on the way back,”

Discord sat in the very back next to Fluttershy, and he closed his eyes saying, “Serenity now. Serenity now. Serenity now.”

Starlight led Soarin, Zephyr Breeze and Rainbow Dash through the storeroom where all the dried and canned goods were kept. Fruits (everything from peaches and apricots to raisins and prunes) and vegetables (potatoes, onions, tomatoes, turnips, squashes, and cabbages), fish and meats, rice, macaroni, spaghetti, a bushel of fresh apples, hot and cold cereals, a dozen gallon jugs of molasses, a hundred boxes of dried milk, and thirty 12-pound bags of sugar. Zephyr found a roll of aluminum foil, and not only did he make himself a hat out of it, but he actually wore it. Dash asked him about it.

“It’s so the aliens can’t hear my thoughts,” he said.

“Oh, they’d have to listen really hard to find one of those,” she replied.

Starlight stifled a giggle.

“Does it protect against brain-eating zombies?” Soarin inquired.

“Darn. I didn’t think of that,” Zeph said.

“Okay, it has to be this way,” Starlight told them.

“You don’t know where it is, do you?” Dash asked her.

“No clue,” she confessed.

“I knew it!” Zephyr cried. “We’re all gonna die! And then we’re going to die at the hands of vampires and aliens and brain-eating zombies and then we’re gonna get fired! And then we’re gonna die all over again! HEEEEELLLLP!!!!”

Soarin slapped Zephyr across the face.

“Dude, what’d you do that for?” he asked.

“You were wigging out,” Soarin replied. “And Dash gave me fifty bucks.”

“Guys!” Dash shouted. “I think I found something!”

It was a big metal door with a lightning bolt in the center.

“That’s it!” Starlight exclaimed.

“Okay, Soarin, you’re up!” Dash said as she pushed the door open.

Soarin stepped into the room and his eyes panned across a panorama of over 50 different levers, buttons and knobs.

“Where’s the ‘on’ switch?” he asked.

“SOARIN!!!!” they shouted.

Starlight pulled out her cell phone and dialed Cheese Sandwich.

“Great Cheese Sandwich here,” he answered.

“Cheese, it’s Starlight Glimmer. We need your help! We’re at the breaker switch but we don’t know what to do!”

Cheese glanced in the mirror over his head and saw Discord nodding off in the back seat of the bus.

“Okay, listen very carefully,” he whispered so that Discord couldn’t hear him. “One false move and the whole system will go down for good.”

“As if we weren’t under enough pressure!!” Dash exclaimed.

“Oh, and I’m almost back,” Cheese added.

“Oh, that’s just great!” Zephyr shouted. “This is everyone else’s fault! If the vampires don’t get us, Discord will! We are so dead! We are beyond de--”

This time, Rainbow Dash slapped Zeph across the face.

“Yeah, I deserved that one,” he admitted, rubbing his cheek.

“Okay, Cheese,” Starlight told him, “I’ve got you on speaker.”

“First, power up the pump,” he began.

“Got it!” Zephyr said. “What’s next?”

“Flip the switches in this order,” Cheese instructed. “Orange, yellow, pink, blue, then...”

“Cheese?” Starlight asked. “Cheese can you hear me?”

“Hold on -- incoming Discord,” he whispered in reply.

“Who was that you were talking to?” Discord asked.

“Who, me?” Cheese answered. “I wasn’t talking.”

“I heard you talking to someone on your cell phone,”

“This cell phone? Naw man, the battery’s dead,”

Cheese showed Discord his phone—the battery had indeed died.

“See? Dead,”

“Who. Hired. You?!” Discord asked. “And where is the hotel? We should be able to see it by now.”

“You got me, bro,” Cheese Sandwich replied.

“All right, that’s it! Something’s up! Move over!”

Cheese Sandwich pulled the bus over and Discord took control. With a punch of the clutch and a jerk, he dropped the bus’s stick shift into second gear, then back up into third.

“Ha! I thought you said only first gear was working!”

“It’s a mechanical miracle!” Cheese Sandwich replied.

“Then what?” Starlight shouted into her phone. “Cheese, then which one?”

She waited for a reply, but she heard nothing.

“He’s gone,” she breathed.

“Okay, two choices,” Rainbow Dash said. “Red or purple?”

“I can’t work with this kind of pressure!” Soarin exclaimed.

“There’s only one way to solve this,” Zephyr Breeze said. “Eenie-meenie-minie-mo.”

“Seriously?” Dash asked.

“You got any better ideas?!” Zeph shouted.

“All right, just pick one!” Dash yelled. “Quick!”

Zephyr flicked the red switch up... and the lights came on all over the resort.

“They did it... They did it!” Coco cried. “We have light!”

In the elevator, the silence was finally broken by a hard, clanking, metallic rattle. Then there was heavy grinding and a mechanical humming. The elevator started moving again and Spike, Sunset and Applejack cheered.

Starlight, Soarin, Zephyr Breeze and Rainbow Dash all exchanged hugs and high fives (including one really awkward, and uncomfortable, hug between Dash and Zephyr) before making their way back upstairs, just in time to see Discord and Fluttershy enter the lobby.

“Anything happen while I was gone?” he asked Rarity.

“Nothing I can think of,” she slurred.

“Something seems off,” Discord said.

“It’s been really quiet,” Rarity answered.

“Well, I’m going to bed,” Discord yawned. “Oh, and Rarity...”

“Yes, sir?” she asked.

“Don’t forget to turn off the lights in the lobby bathrooms. Thanks,”

“You got it, boss,” she hiccupped.

Once Discord was out of earshot Zephyr let out a big, “Woo-hoo!”

“Okay, double or nothing one of ‘em gets fired by tomorrow night,” Tex told the other guests. “Any takers? Anyone? No?” They all walked off. “Crap!”

Three seconds later, the elevator on the far side of the lobby sighed opened and Spike, Applejack and Sunset stepped out of the car, fully clothed, and glistening with sweat.

“We’re free!” Sunset exclaimed. “Free at last!”

“Spike, I’m sorry,” Applejack apologized. “I bit you in the shoulder.”

Spike looked down and he saw that she had given him a hickey.

“It was so hot I couldn’t even think,” she said. “My mind was so clouded I was about to--”

Spike placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her. He spoke not a word, but the look in his eyes told her that she was forgiven. The elevator doors sighed shut as he walked to the stairwell and she smiled as she watched him go.

“Man, I really hope I remember this in the morning,” Spike thought.

“So... Did you enjoy your evening?” Fluttershy asked as she followed Discord to his office.

“I did, actually,” he replied.

She chuckled. “If you’re free tomorrow, perhaps you’d consider going out with me again?”

“This wasn’t a date!” he re-reminded her.

“It’s okay, John,” she told him. “Everybody needs a little fun sometimes -- even you.”

“You’re right,” Discord admitted. “I could use a little more fun in my life.”

She raised herself on tiptoe to brush her lips against his cheek. She smiled at him as his cheeks went red and she skipped merrily away.

Next time: Rainbow Dash’s gross roommate habits get her kicked out of her room by Rarity and Fluttershy... and into Spike’s. But when they realize how much they miss Dash, they beg her to return.

Meanwhile, Starlight and Pinkie (afraid that Twilight received a bad evaluation, which would lead to her third strike) try to track down the paperwork before it reaches Discord.

One night, Fluttershy awoke to a horrid smell coming from outside her bedroom. She shuddered as she pulled on her white bathrobe and tiptoed to Rarity’s room while Rainbow Dash snored loudly on the sofa in the living room.

“Oh...” Rarity mumbled in her sleep. “Are those pancakes I smell? Mmm, how divine... spiced warm apple cider... Ooohh!!” she gagged, now wide awake. “What is that repulsive odor?” she asked Fluttershy.

“If I had to guess, I would say either a toilet backed up or it’s...”

They both looked at Rainbow Dash, still passed out on the couch. Rarity grabbed one of her slippers, threw it at Rainbow Dash and it bounced off her head.

“Soarin, why’re you head-butting me?” Dash murmured, still asleep.

“Rainbow Dash, wake up!” Fluttershy shouted.

She yawned and said, “What’s up?”

“You were snoring again!” Fluttershy whined. “Louder than ever.”

“I obviously don’t hear anything,” Dash replied. “And don’t say it’s because I’m awake now,” she added at Rarity.

“And not only are you loud, you smell worse than a rhinoceros fart!” Rarity complained as she propped a window open. “Take a shower!”

“I would, but you two always hog the bathrooms in the morning, so I don’t have time to shower,” Rainbow Dash replied. “And even if I did, all the hot water is gone by then.”

“Rainbow Dash, you’re my friend, and I love you, but could you maybe not be so nasty and revolting?” Fluttershy asked as she reached under the couch and pulled out a bowl of moldy cereal. “You can’t live like this. And I definitely can’t live like this!”

“I hate to interrupt,” said Rarity, “but have either of you seen my new lingerie?”

“Were they black and frilly, with white lace around the edges, and cut really high on the hip?” Dash inquired.

“Yes...” Rarity said slowly. “Why?”

“Hold on,” Dash replied.

Rainbow Dash twisted beneath the sheet. After a few seconds of struggling, she pulled out a pair of frilly panties with a matching bra.

“Here,” she said as she handed them to Rarity. “I kept them warm for you.”

Fluttershy bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling.

“Your girls have trespassed on my girls’ property,” Rarity replied. “My girls no longer want to be there. You know what? Keep them.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my girls like that!” Dash told her as she cupped her now bare chest. “You’ll hurt their feelings.”

“Oh, I’ll hurt a lot more than their feelings if you don’t keep them out of my brassières and other intimates,”

“What is your problem?”

“You are my problem!” Rarity yelled. “I must confess have seen many gross things in my life. I have roughed it out in the wilderness with Applejack for ten straight days. I have used public bathrooms that should have been declared toxic waste dumps. I have witnessed my father excavate things out of his own navel that I do not even want to think about, much less attempt to describe, but I refuse to share space with a woman who can’t respect that sanctity of another lady’s unmentionables!!” She took a deep breath and said, “Rainbow Dash... I think you should go.”

“What?” Dash asked.

“What?” Fluttershy repeated.

They were both shocked.

“I’m sorry,” Rarity said, “but either clean up your lifestyle or get out.”

“Fluttershy?” Dash attempted.

“I have to agree with Rarity,” she replied.

“Fine, I’ll just get my junk and go!”

She pulled on one of her Wonderbolt Academy sweatshirts, threw the rest of her clothes and her toothbrush into her duffel bag, slung her electric guitar over her back, and reached for the YBOX that was under the TV.

“Unh-unh!” Rarity exclaimed. “The video game system came with the room. It stays!”

Rainbow Dash picked up her bag, walked out into the hall, and slammed the door behind her without looking back.

“That was cruel, Rarity,” Fluttershy said.

“Your panties could be next, darling!” Rarity told her.

“Good point,” she replied.

The first place Dash went to was Applejack and Sunset Shimmer’s room. Inside, AJ was (metaphorically) spanking Sunset in their latest video game session. That night’s game was Ogres and Oubliettes: Selena’s Gate.

“I win again,” Applejack said.

“I don’t like to lose!” Sunset grumbled.

Suddenly, there was a knock at their door.

“Who could that be?” they both wondered as it opened.

“Hey, girls,” said Rainbow Dash. “Got room for one more?”

Sunset and Applejack immediately covered their noses.

“Not a chance!” Applejack exclaimed.

“And no offense, but you stink!” Sunset added.

Rainbow Dash left them to their games and tried the room across the hall.

“Yo Dazzlings, guess who’s your new roomma--” she cut herself short.

Dash had walked in on the three women, naked, and kissing a body pillow with an image of Spike on it. Well, Aria and Sonata were making out with the pillow while Adagio was riding a massive purple dildo that was attached to it.

“Does no one know how to knock in this day and age?!” Adagio shouted.

“I’m sorry, I was just leaving...” Dash said and closed the door behind her.

Rainbow Dash attempted to bleach her mind of what she had seen by thinking of who would be willing to take her in. If Applejack and Sunset said no, then chances were that Twilight, Starlight and Pinkie would too. She thought maybe Soarin would since they were old pals from the Academy; but she definitely didn’t want to crash with Zephyr Breeze. Then Dash’s thoughts strayed back to the image of Spike’s face on that full body pillow.

Then she thought, “Maybe...”

So she rode the elevator up to the 26th floor and approached the door to Spike’s suite. She thought about using her master key like she had on the girls’ doors, but she decided to be a little more polite and waited for an answer after she knocked. It opened and Spike stood in the doorway, a bewildered look on his face.

“Fluttershy and Rarity kicked me out,” she began.

Spike’s expression turned to shock as he let her in.

“They took my videogames and Rarity even yelled at me,” she went on. “I don’t want to put you out, but please, can I stay here?”

Spike paused for a moment, then said, “Sure, you can stay... on one condition.”

“Name it!” she replied.

“Help me try out my TV’s new sound system,” he told her.

Spike led her by the hand until she was right in front of the living room TV.

“Stand right there,” he said. “My buddy’s cousin hooked up the speakers for me, but I haven’t tested ‘em yet. He said they’re supposed to be so strong and so loud that they’ll kill birds and small animals. Don’t tell Fluttershy I said that.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied.

Spike turned the TV on, cranked the volume all the way up to the max, and pushed play on a disc that was already in the DVD player. The soundwaves hit Dash so hard that her sweater flew from her body, leaving her naked.

“Oh, and blow women’s clothes off!” Spike smiled triumphantly.

“You are dead!” she shouted, and she tackled him.

They wrestled around on the living room floor and in the scuffle, knocked over the coffee table. It ended with Spike on his back while Dash scooped up her sweater, guitar and duffel bag, marched into Spike’s bedroom, and locked the doors behind her. Spike reached for the remote, turned off the TV, and then climbed onto one of the couches, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning to find his bedroom doors wide open.

“Oh, what the Tartarus?” he groaned.

He walked into his bedroom to find the bed unmade (no real surprise there) and Rainbow Dash gone. Then he walked into his bathroom, and it was a mess. Dash didn’t turn the exhaust fan on, so the whole room (including the mirror) was fogged full of steam, so Spike couldn’t shave; there was no hot water left when he turned the faucet on in the shower, and she finished the toilet paper and didn’t replace the roll.

“If she left the toilet seat up she’d be an honorary dude,” he thought.

He skipped shaving and immediately dressed for work.

When he got to the staff locker rooms, Discord was already going over the staff evaluation forms from yesterday. Nobody even noticed Spike come in.

“Unacceptable! Completely unacceptable!” Discord shouted. “Look at these! Rainbow Dash! Seven point five out of ten!”

“You said anything above a seven is okay,” she said.

“Do better! Soarin! Four! Says ‘needs to spend less time flirting with the customers and actually serve drinks,’”

“The girls I ‘flirt’ with are no less than nine out of ten,” Soarin replied.

Discord threw the forms to the floor in disgust.

“That’s it!” he yelled. “From now on, anyone who gets less than an eight on a staff eval gets a strike! And you know what three strikes means...”

“We. Are. Out of here,” they all droned.

Spike looked over his shoulder and saw Twilight enter with a towel crudely wrapped around her head.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Discord said (not feeling sorry at all). “Did I schedule the staff meeting during rubber ducky time? You just earned another big, fat, strike!” he shouted as he stormed out. “And let that be a lesson to the rest of you!”

Twilight slumped onto one of the benches with her face in her hands.

“No! That’s my second strike!”

“It’s not that bad,” Starlight told her. “Just do a perfect job from now on and Discord has to forgive you... eventually. By the way, you’re out of conditioner.”

“Yeah, I know,” Twilight grunted as removed the towel from her head to reveal her hair in a very high poof.

Later, at the front desk, Rarity smiled over the newspaper, studying the front page article. Shining Armor had arrested the group that was responsible for the city-wide blackout the other night—a gang of criminals that had planned to hit a bank in Las Pegasus. But how did they knock out power to the entire city? They used a pinch; a device that was created to cause a cardiac arrest for broadband electrical circuitry. Basically, it was a bomb but without the explosion.

When a nuclear device was detonated, it released an electromagnetic pulse, or a wave jammer, that shut down any power source within its blast radius. But that didn’t matter because a nuclear weapon usually destroyed everything that would need power anyway, whereas a pinch created a similar pulse but without the mass destruction and death. There was only one pinch in the world big enough to work; it had been stolen from the Califoalnia Institute of Advanced Science two weeks before and Shining Armor was in charge of that investigation.

The Las Pegasus city workers didn’t back the main power lines so the robbers managed to not only knock those out, but also the backup grids, one by one, like dominos. The city-wide blackout lasted only 30 seconds, and the power game back on, but the pinch had also knocked out the backup generator that the Flimflam Brothers had installed in their resort just for emergency blackouts. That’s why Soarin had to reroute the power through the circuit breaker the night Discord went on a blind date with Fluttershy while Spike, Sunset and Applejack were stuck in the elevator.

Each member of the gang had a cover while they were in Las Pegasus—some had jobs while others were on vacation—but Shining Armor and the EBI tracked them down and arrested every single one of them. And not only that, but now that the City of Las Pegasus knew its weakness, they were quick to fix it.

“Wow. You’re chipper this morning,” Fluttershy observed as she strolled up to the front desk on her way to the casino.

“Oh, I had a great night of sleep last night!” Rarity replied. “I actually got up early and I went to a yoga session. You have got to come with me next time. The new instructor is a hottie!” She sighed. “And with the Grand Duchess of Slobula gone, the air was so fresh! Hey, you’ve got the afternoon off too, right? We should do something together.”

“Okay. What do you want to do?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know. What do you want to do?” Rarity replied.

“We could always call Rainbow--” Fluttershy began.

“No! She’ll think we want her back. I’ve got a taste of fresh air and I am not about to give it up!”

Speaking of which, Rainbow Dash walked by them with her maid cart, shot them a hateful glare, then stuck her nose in the air and kept on walking.

“Oooh - the Silent Treatment,” Rarity said. “Like I care.”

Spike followed close behind, from the ballroom, and stopped to say, “S’up.”

“Wow, look at you,” Rarity said. “What’s on your face?”

Spike brushed the tip of his middle finger across the corner of his mouth. Then he lifted his hand to his eye to see what had been on his face.

“Blood, apparently,” he replied. “My couch was lumpy, thanks for asking.”

“I didn’t,” Rarity said. “Wait, you slept on your couch last night? Why?”

“Because I fought Dash for my bed,” he answered.

“She stayed with you last night?” Rarity inquired.

“Yeah, thanks for that, by the way,” Spike said shortly.

“I assume you know why,” Rarity replied.

“You should have seen my bathroom this morning,”

He gave Fluttershy a brief glance and walked away.

Later that afternoon, Starlight (dressed as a Bunny Girl) was keeping an eye on Twilight while she (Starlight) helped bus drinks on the casino floor.

She saw one of the players at Twilight’s table write a “1” on his staff evaluation card and she gasped.

“If Discord gets that eval, that’s Twilight’s third strike!”

She had to do something.

Starlight approached him after he cashed out.

“Let me put that staff evaluation form in the box for you,” she said to him.

“Thanks, but I think I can handle it,” he chuckled.

“But you shouldn’t be working while you’re on vacation,”

“I’m not working,”

“I’d call using your fingers work,”

“Are you trying to interfere with my staff evaluation?”

“Why would I ever do that?” she asked. “Gimme that form!” she exclaimed.

Starlight tried to tackle him, but he dodged her and deposited the form into the comment box. She looked at the box and noticed the big padlock on the front. And she didn’t have the key. She reached down between her breasts, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Applejack.

“Applejack, got anything that’ll cut a lock?” she began.

“What for?” AJ inquired.

“I need to cut the lock off the comment box,”

“No,” AJ stated, and she hung up.

Starlight returned to the comment box, only to find it already open... and the staff evaluation cards gone.

“Where did they go?” she asked.

“The forms?” Fluttershy asked. “Adagio took them to Discord’s office.”

“No!” Starlight screamed as she pushed Fluttershy out of the way, knocking her tray of drinks into the air.

Fluttershy shrieked as she caught one drink with the tray she was holding in her right hand, another glass in her left hand, one on the top of her head, and the fourth one with her left foot... all without spilling a single drop.

“My whole job just flashed before my eyes!” she said.

“Thanks,” one of the patrons told her as he took the glass that she caught with her foot.

Starlight ran out of the casino, to the Sweet Snacks Café just as Pinkie Pie was coming off her shift.

“Pinkie! Emergency! Twilight got a bad staff eval and we have to stop it from getting to Discord’s office!”

“Whoa!” Pinkie replied. “She must have really messed up.”

They saw Adagio on the far side of the lobby with the stack of staff evaluation cards. She looked at one and smiled.

“Discord doesn’t need to see my little five out of ten,” Adagio said as she folded it up and slipped it down the front of her blouse, between her breasts.

“Stop that lounge singer!” Starlight exclaimed, and she and Pinkie chased after her.

“Aria, get these to Discord. I’ve got to rest up for tonight’s show,” Adagio said as she handed her sister the staff evaluations.

“No problem,” Aria replied.

Pinkie and Starlight would have caught up with Aria if they hadn’t been blocked by Zephyr Breeze and Bulk Biceps, who were pulling their luggage carts through the lobby.

“Discord doesn’t need to see my little four out of ten,” Aria said as she pocketed one of the eval cards.

“Stop that backup singer!” Starlight shouted.

She and Pinkie continued to chase after Aria, who handed the staff evals off to Sonata.

“Sonata, get these to Discord,” she told her.

“Discord doesn’t need to see my little nine out of ten,” Sonata said. “Oh, wait... Maybe he does.”

“Stop... that...!” Starlight panted. “Just stop her!”

They followed Sonata down the hall to Discord’s office. She took the forms inside and several beams of red light shot out of the walls the second she shut the door behind her.

“Good luck getting by that laser field,” Pinkie said. “You’d need the biggest I.T. geek in the world.”

“Or the casino’s head of security,” Starlight replied.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Applejack again.

“Applejack, you’ve got to shut down the laser grid around Discord’s office!”

“Are you off your rocker?” Applejack asked. “Do you have any idea how much trouble I’d get in if--?”

“It’s to save Twilight’s job,” Starlight said.

“No!”

“Did I say Twilight? I meant Spike. It’s to save Spike’s job,”

“Done!”

AJ typed a few commands into her computer and the lasers around Discord’s office door quickly vanished.

“Way to go, Applejack!” Pinkie said.

When Starlight opened the door, it was obvious from a quick glance at Discord’s office that his world revolved around chaos, a chaos that he controlled. And the décor was right in tune with his usual disheveled appearance.

There were a few framed photographs that hung on the walls. One of which was Discord, when he was much younger, shaking hands with Flank Sinatra. Another was of Discord dressed like Sinatra, standing on the Las Pegasus Strip and selling everything from 29 cent shrimp cocktails, to tickets to Foxy Boxing and fake IDs. There were two mismatched couches facing each other in the center of the room, as well as a torn, aging leather easy chair. The shelves were so cluttered they buckled in the middle like they were about to collapse, and 20 stacks of evaluation sheets, all higher than their heads, covered the floor.

“This might take a while,” they both groaned.

While Starlight and Pinkie went through the forms in Discord’s office, Fluttershy and Rarity spent their afternoon at the spa.

Aloe and Lotus Blossom, the curvaceous twin sisters who managed the place, smiled when Rarity walked in and asked for her usual: a manicure and a pedicure (complete with polish), an avocado face mask, a bikini wax, and a seaweed skin wrap... in other words, the full treatment (aka the works).

Rarity was currently enjoying a deep tissue massage from Aloe while Lotus Blossom rubbed Fluttershy’s feet.

“Darling, could you get between my shoulder blades?” she asked. “That’s where I carry all my tension.”

Aloe smiled as she applied more pressure to Rarity’s back.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked when she noticed her friend wasn’t enjoying herself.

“I had a lot more fun when Rainbow Dash came with us,” she admitted.

“We do not need Rainbow Dash to have fun,” Rarity told her. “And besides, it is much nicer to be at the spa with someone who doesn’t crack up every time she hears the word ‘facial.’”

“Facial,” Fluttershy chuckled. “Sorry.”

As much as Rarity hated to admit it, Fluttershy was right – a day at the spa wasn’t the same without Rainbow Dash.

She sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check on her.”

So, they allowed Aloe and Lotus Blossom to finish their massages, got dressed and went to see how Dash was doing.

Spike had so much cash lying around his suite that he didn’t know where to put it all. When he dug through his bedroom closet, he’d find stacks of hundred-dollar bills on the floor—as much as a hundred thousand held together by tight rubber bands. When he reorganized his music record collection and cleaned out under his bed, he uncovered several shoe boxes full of orange casino chips hidden behind one of his stereo speakers and beneath the bedframe. And when he went to eat at the restaurants, he always paid with hundred-dollar bills; not to show off but to get rid of some of them.

“Hey, check out this beanbag I found out in the alley,” Rainbow Dash told him. “Can you believe somebody just threw that out?”

“Well, that’s great,” Spike remarked as he poured himself a drink at the bar, “but what are all those homeless cats gonna pee on now?”

He was almost thankful when he heard a knock at his door as Rainbow Dash hooked her electric guitar up to the speakers and started tuning it. Spike opened the door and his frown deepened.

“Oh,” he said. “Hello, Fluttershy. Rarity.”

“Rainbow Dash is not still mad, is she?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, she’s not mad,” Spike answered. “She’s pissed.”

Suddenly, they heard rock music blaring from inside Spike’s suite. He ushered them in and they saw Rainbow Dash standing on one of the sofas, rocking hard. Her light strumming had quickly turned to wild windmill strokes with her arm and wagging her tongue.

“Of all the--You get yourself kicked out, and then you have the nerve to have fun without us?” Rarity hollered over the music.

“Don’t act so high and mighty, Miss The-Other-Side-Music-Video!” Dash countered as she leapt off the couch to look Rarity right in the face. “You don’t need to say a word for me to know that you two went to the spa without me!”

Rarity recoiled and was about to try and lie her way out of it when Dash added, “The smell of sweat that doesn’t come from a workout, your teeth are so bleached that they almost match your skin, and not only are your nails filed, but the polish is still drying!” She jumped back onto the couch and she went right back to playing. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

“Well, it’s late and I’m really tired, so could you, please, keep it down?” Rarity asked.

“Sure thing, Mom!” Dash shouted in reply.

“I mean it, Rainbow Dash! I have a double shift tomorrow, and you know how grumpy I get without my beauty sleep!”

“Sounds like someone wants me back in bed,” Dash said huskily.

“Fine, if that’s how you feel, why don’t you just stay here and sleep in your own filth, and Fluttershy and I will enjoy our nice, garbage-free room, all by ourselves,” Rarity told her.

“You think that’s punishment?” Dash scoffed. “Confining me to Club Spike? Where, every night, all Spikes drink for free! You see that?” she asked Spike after Rarity and Fluttershy left. “They’re on the verge of cracking. Eventually, they’ll give in, beg me to come back. And then I’ll be the winner!”

Spike just rolled his eyes as he finished his drink.

Dash noticed his upset expression and she unplugged.

“If this is about the mess I left in the bathroom, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I meant to clean it up.”

Spike didn’t respond.

“Look, I know I haven’t really shown my appreciation,” she added. “And because you’ve been so great to me...”

She reached into a bag she had brought back to the suite earlier and pulled out a bottle of Wild Dragon bourbon.

“Dash, you didn’t have to--Wait... ‘Made with Flash Bee Honey’? Dash, this is really expensive stuff! How could you afford this?”

“I dipped into my rainy day fund,” she replied. “It’s the least I can do.”

Rainbow Dash ran her hand down Spike’s arm, to his belt. Then she knelt down in front of him and unzipped his pants.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed. “You’re hung like a stallion!”

She began to stroke him lightly. Then she licked the tip before taking him into her mouth. She stroked him a bit more, and then she began to suck, bobbing her head up and down as she did so.

“Oh yeah...” he groaned.

Spike began to relax as Dash’s hand squeezed around his shaft. He started to zone out as she drooled down his cock; making sloppy, wet sounds as she sucked harder and deeper.

“Just a bit more...” he said.

“Mpghph!” Dash exclaimed when she sensed Spike tense up.

Her eyes went wide for a second and she stopped bobbing with him halfway down her throat. She closed her eyes as Spike’s seed dripped from her lips and he continued to thrust into her mouth. Dash pulled back, coughed for a moment, then licked some of his nectar off her fingers and guided the last of it into her mouth.

“You mind if I take a shower?” she asked as she got to her feet.

“If you’re gonna do that, maybe I could join you and wash your back,” Spike suggested.

“And by ‘back,’ you mean ‘boobs,’ right?”

“Potato, tomato,” he replied, “by the way, nice melons.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled as Spike followed her through his bedroom and into the bathroom.

“Let’s get in that shower so I can wash you,” he said. “All of you.”

They quickly disrobed and turned on the hot water. Less than a foot of space separated them as Dash looked at Spike’s face... then down at his crotch. Then she turned away and grabbed a bottle of shampoo.

“Would you?” she asked as she motioned to her hair.

Spike nodded with a smile as the tip of his fully engorged cock rubbed against the small of her back. He gathered her hair behind her head and began to run his fingers through it.

“Mmm... That feels good,” she sighed.

Spike felt the firm cheeks of her bottom brush against his balls as he heard her take a quick breath and felt her tense up as he slid snugly between her cheeks. After Dash rinsed her hair, he worked up a good lather with the soap and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them as an almost overwhelming feeling of pleasure washed over him.

He moved his hands over her shoulder blades as she arched her back slightly and brought herself up onto her tiptoes, lifting herself an inch or so higher. The water cascaded over them as Spike soaped Dash’s breasts while he stood behind her. He kissed her neck as his hands slipped over the smooth curve of her waist to her hips and his shaft slipped into the small gap between her thighs, making her shudder. He took a sharp breath as the tip slid over the lips of her pussy and she let out a soft moan. But he didn’t penetrate her. Instead, he knelt down and started sucking her pussy, much to her delight. She came hard and sighed deeply.

When they were done, Rainbow Dash stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her body, and tucked the edge in right next to her breast.

Spike was enamored by that.

Every woman knew how to do that. They also knew how to do the weirdest thing: how to do that head wrap with the towel right out of the shower.

A typhoon couldn’t blow that thing off her head.

He followed her out of the bathroom and she walked to the bed.

“They say size doesn’t matter,” she told him. “But we both know that’s a load of horseshit, don’t we? You’ve got nothing to worry about in that department, you stud!”

Rainbow Dash cast her towels aside, pushed Spike back onto the bed, crawled on top of him and straddled his waist.

“What are you--?” he began.

He was silenced as she placed a finger over his lips.

“I’m gonna rock you like a hurricane!” she whispered.

She reached over to the nightstand, picked up a tiny remote control, hit a button, and “Rock You Like A Hurricane” started playing from the speakers.

Dash lifted her rear a bit, reached underneath her and grabbed Spike’s cock. She guided the tip to her pussy, and rubbed it back forth over her folds without letting him enter. Then she moaned as she prepared herself to take him in. She braced herself, and then slammed down hard, taking him all the way to the hilt.

She cried out in pain, and after taking a few seconds to adjust to the sensation of being full, Dash balanced herself by leaning down with her hands on Spike’s chest. She lifted her butt an inch or two off of him, only to slam it back down again. After a few minutes, she had worked herself into a rhythm, keeping the same pace as she slammed down on him again and again, enjoying the feeling of his cock stimulating every centimeter of her insides. Spike himself was lost in a feeling he had never dreamed even existed. The feel was almost too much for him to handle. Every time she lifted herself up, he wanted nothing more than for her to lower herself again so he could experience the all-encompassing warmth of her around him.

He came hard, over and over, sending Dash over the edge. She arched her back, her hands shot from his chest to her own, as she squeezed her small bosom tightly. She fell forward and rested her head on Spike’s chest, his cock still deep inside her. A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash lay beside Spike; then looked at him through a wisp of blue-black smoke, a cigarette in one hand, a glass of Wild Dragon bourbon in the other.

“Spike, I don’t do this kind of thing very often,” she told him.

“What? Smoke, drink, or fuck?” he inquired.

“All of the above,”

She set her glass on the nightstand and snuffed her cigarette out in the ash tray beside it before she ran her fingers through the small tuft of hair on his chest.

“I really am sorry for the way I’ve treated you,” she said. “Making a mess in the bathroom and leaving it, spilling your blood after you blew my clothes off--”

“Hey! That last one I deserved,”

“Well, I’m still sorry. Hitting you was totally uncalled for. Hitting you until you bled was...”

She looked like she was about to cry.

“What’s wrong, Dash?” he asked.

“It’s just... I was looking forward to one last break after graduation before the real world hit me in the face,” Dash said. “I just want to see something so awesome that I throw up from all the awesome, ya know?” she asked.

Spike kissed her forehead.

“Dashie, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes? Because you have beautiful eyes,”

“You really think that?”

“I don’t generally say things I don’t mean. You’re cute,”

“He really thinks I’m cute!” she thought.

“Well, you’ve got the most mesmerizing eyes I’ve ever seen,” she replied.

“Aww, Dash, I bet you say that to all the guys,” he teased.

“No, I mean it. Your eyes are more beautiful than the finest emeralds from Zebrabwe,” She looked over at Spike’s dresser, and the Fabergé egg that held his four Gate cards... and his mother’s Fire Ruby necklace. “And that is the biggest ruby I’ve ever seen that wasn’t protected by a uniformed guard.”

Spike smiled.

“Think you got enough in you for one more round?” he asked her.

“I think I can rally,” she said as he kissed her again.

Two hours later and Starlight and Pinkie Pie had barely gotten through three stacks of staff evaluation cards.

“Hurry!” Starlight told her. “Discord could walk in any minute!”

She picked up one of her own score cards, pulled out a pen, and started writing on it.

“What are you doing?” Pinkie asked.

“Just fixing a couple of my scores,” Starlight replied. “Goodbye, three, hellooo eight!”

“We don’t have time for this--Oh! This is it! I found it!”

“Ahem!”

Both girls bolted upright and turned to see Discord standing in the doorway.

“Uh, housekeeping?” Starlight attempted.

“Okay, ladies, hand over the form and nobody gets canned,” he told them as he held out his hand.

Discord wasn’t smiling, but his tone was amicable. Starlight had expected anger, or, at the least, disappointment.

“Really?” she asked.

“No. Somebody is very likely getting canned,” he replied.

“Better do what he says,” Pinkie advised.

Starlight complied and gave Discord the paper.

“Well, well, well. What have we here?” he asked.

“Please, John! It was my fault!” Starlight said. “Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please don’t fire Twilight!”

“Why would I?” he asked. “It says, ‘excellent poise in the face of chaos.’ He gave her a ten out of ten.”

“So she didn’t get a one?” Starlight asked. “I am so happy! You would not believe the day I’ve had!”

“No,” Discord chuckled. “But I’ve got a pretty good idea of the night you’re going to have... filing every single one of these forms.”

Pinkie and Starlight groaned.

“Oh, and by the way, STRIKE!”

The first thing Rarity did when she got back to her room on the third floor after her argument with Rainbow Dash was grab a pillow, press her face into it, and scream. She hated admitting defeat, but she knew that she would ultimately have to choose between her pride and her friendship with Rainbow Dash. So, a few hours later, she and Fluttershy returned to Spike’s suite and knocked on the door.

Rainbow Dash, wearing one of Spike’s shirts, answered and saw Fluttershy waving a little white flag and Rarity carrying an olive branch.

“What do you two want?” she snapped at them.

“Rainbow Dash! We’re sorry!!” Rarity bawled.

“We want you to come back,” Fluttershy added.

“You can have the couch back, and permanent dibs on the game system, I’ll feed you grapes from a bowl and rub your feet, whatever you want!” Rarity begged. “Just come back to us!”

“I don’t want to,” Dash replied.

“There’s no reason not to,” Fluttershy attempted.

“Oh, no?” Dash challenged them. “What about my stink and my snoring?”

“Well, we’d rather put up with it than be alone,” Fluttershy said.

“Just come back to us,” Rarity sobbed. “Pleeease!!!”

“Well, I admit I was kind of a slob,” Dash confessed. “All right, I promise to do a better job of cleaning up after myself if you girls agree to join me and Pinkie for some free climbing tomorrow.”

Rarity and Fluttershy thought it was a small price to pay... until the following afternoon when they actually climbed all the way to the top of the rock climbing structure that stood next to one of the outdoor swimming pools. Rainbow Dash wanted to dive off the top.

“Did I mention I have a fear of heights -- and dying?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, come on, chicken!” Dash said.

And she took the plunge.

“Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!” Pinkie cried.

And Rarity and Fluttershy jumped after them and into the pool.

“That was awesome!” Dash exclaimed after she resurfaced.

“I’ve got a wedgie,” Pinkie said as they got out of the water.

“Me too,” Fluttershy added. “I think I just tasted my bottoms.”

“I’ll pull yours out if you pull mine,” Pinkie offered.

“Ew,” Fluttershy replied.

“Just asking,” Pinkie said.

The four girls joined Sunset and Applejack, who were lounging by the pool and listening to Spike explain his Champagne theory to them while Twilight was reading a book.

“And so I said, ‘that’s why they make the top explode, so you can’t put the cork back in and return it,’” he concluded.

Applejack, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity all laughed.

“What album do you want to jam to tonight?” he asked Dash.

“Why don’t you pick the album, Gramps? It’s your Victrola,” she replied. “Well, I’ll catch you later,” he told her as he kissed her on the cheek. “I told Flim and Flam that I’d help test some new equipment.”

The girls (minus Twilight) bid him farewell and Rainbow Dash told them about her and Spike’s latest “sex-capade”.

“Sex on the sink?” Twilight asked, finally looking up from her book. “How does that happen?”

“We were getting ready for bed, sharing a mirror, one thing led to another and... well, you know,” Dash said.

“Yes, nothing says ‘take me’ like the sight of spit and used dental floss,” Twilight retorted.

She didn’t think so, but the rest of the girls (particularly Rarity and Fluttershy) wanted to know every detail, err on the side of way too graphic.

Next time: during a prank war with the Rich Casino and Resort, one of the Richs’ employees, Indigo Zap (a girl from Rainbow Dash’s past) comes to work for the Flimflam Brothers, apparently due to the Richs’ crummy treatment. Everyone starts treating her like she’s one of them... except for a left out Dash, who believes her old rival is up to no good. When Spike starts dating her, Dash conspires with Starlight and Twilight to take Indigo down.

The following week, Flim and Flam called an emergency meeting in their office with several of their key employees. The resort had become a laughingstock, courtesy of Impossibly Rich and her cretinous underlings. It all started one morning at breakfast when Twilight asked Rarity to pass the sugar. Twilight put some on her cereal and when she took a bite, she threw up because someone had switched the sugar with the salt!

Somehow, several of the Richs’ employees had managed to infiltrate the Resort and put salt in all the sugar bowls and sugar in all the salt shakers. Not only that, they also snuck into the staff laundry room and threw a single red sock in with all of Spike’s white shirts (turning them pink) AND took a picture of Zephyr Breeze while he was getting a spray-on tan.

“Where did you get that?” Zephyr shouted after Spike showed him the picture on his phone.

“Those jerks from across the street took it and sent it in a mass e-mail,” Spike said. “The entire staff has it.”

“There is no way--” Zephyr began.

“Oh, good Luna!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she dropped her own cell phone and started clawing at her eyes.

Adagio read the caption that came with the photo out loud. “‘Must be chilly in the tanning booth’?”

“That’s not funny!” Zephyr stated. “It was very cold in there!”

“Nowhere is it that cold,” said Aria.

“Well, it’s not exactly a flattering angle,” Sonata commented.

“I have to figure out how to delete that from everyone’s phones,” Zeph said.

“Yeah, I don’t think that will be a problem,” Spike told him after he deleted the one that had been sent to him.

And one by one, so did all their coworkers.

The pranks had quickly escalated from there: everything from dismantling golf carts to setting off bug bombs. But the final straw was when some of the Rich employees somehow turned Discord’s entire office upside down AND painted tiny wieners on the gold statues of Flim and Flam.

“This... is... WAR!” Discord yelled furiously.

“Impossibly Rich has played us for fools for the last time!” Flim shouted.

“I was a prankster myself back in the day, so I can appreciate a good gag,” Discord admitted, “but that is beyond the pale!”

“We are ordering all of you to drop everything and prank Impossibly Rich like she’s never been pranked before!” Flam commanded.

“Yes, sirs!” the group replied.

“Are we talking mildly hard-core prank or really nasty prank?” Pinkie asked.

“Really, REALLY nasty!” Discord answered. “We are going to need a prank to end all pranks. So... anyone have any ideas?”

Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash.

“No!” Dash stated.

“But you’re the Queen of Pranks!” Pinkie said.

“NO!! Not anymore!”

“I used to get pranked all the time, until I got my tormentors to stop,” Spike said. “I could come up with something. I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve seen things.”

“All right, you obviously have a story to share, so share it,” Discord said.

“It all started when some guy stuck a ‘Kick Me’ sign to my back,” Spike recalled with a scoff. “So, I put his contact information in an ad for an S&M magazine.”

“Wait. ‘Blond Caucasian seeks dominant professional type for late-night spank sessions’?” Rarity inquired.

“How’d you know?” Spike asked.

“Lucky guess?” Rarity replied, almost sheepishly. “That was you? You put that in about Grape Crush?”

“Yep,” Spike said, almost proudly. “Then there was the whole calendar shoot incident.”

“Calendar shoot incident?” Applejack asked.

“It was a fundraising-slash-charity project when I was working as a model,” Spike explained.

Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy remembered hearing about it from their own modeling days.

“One of the guys had to drop out, so they needed a new man for October,” Spike went on. “Grape Crush, who was already Mr. April, took a cheap shot at me by saying to Persnickety, ‘I assume you want to sell a couple of these things, so that lets him out, so sure, I’ll do it.’ Naturally, I asked Grape Crush what he meant by that, and he said, ‘It means blond Caucasian is probably a better choice than scary Dragon boy.’”

“Ouch,” Rarity thought.

“So, we competed for the last spot. We both sent in our bio applications, his snapshots, I sent in professional glamour shots, and they chose me. I rubbed it in Grape Crush’s face for a couple of days. And then, on the day of the photo shoot, I got the photographer to punch me in the nose,”

“You what?!” the girls (minus Sunset) asked.

“It was all part of the prank. It freaked Crush out and that was the end of it,”

“Wow,” Pinkie breathed.

“But this obviously calls for something a bit more drastic,” Spike said. “I’ve got one, but it’s big, real big, all-hands-on-deck big.”

Everyone (minus Rainbow Dash and Twilight) leaned in to listen to Spike, like he was about to share top secret information for their ears only.

“We steal some Rich company uniforms and dress up in them. Then we tape ourselves doing all kinds of nasty things in them and put the video online. The video goes viral, and Impossibly Rich’s reputation goes down the crapper,”

“Do it,” Discord stated. “And do a good job -- or you won’t have a job. If you fail, heads will roll. Am I clear?”

“No, you’re opaque,” Spike replied. “But yeah, we understand.”

“And do something with your hair!” Discord added. “Jeez!”

Spike smiled as he led the gang out of the Brothers’ office.

“Last chance to join me in some epic pranking,” he said to Rainbow Dash.

“Forget it!” she snapped in reply.

Spike shrugged and said, “I tried.”

After they all left Flim and Flam’s office, Trixie accompanied Discord to his own office.

“Shh! ICDG agents are watching us,” she said quietly.

“What? The Casino Guild?” he replied.

Discord cautiously shifted his eyes around the casino as they walked together, and sure enough, he picked out several pairs of men in suits and sunglasses trying (and failing) to look and act inconspicuous.

“We’re safe in here,” he said once they were inside his office. “What is going on? Why is the Casino Guild here?”

“They arrived the same day Sky Resort took off into the clouds,” Trixie said.

“Well, that’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?” Discord asked. “I wonder if the Dealer’s Agency is trying to make it in the casino business.”

“I’m not so sure, but I’m certain that Impossibly Rich is the one behind all of this,” Trixie shared. “I’m also worried about Spike... and Twilight. Every prediction shows her future shrouded in darkness and death.”

Later that morning, Moon Dancer was making her rounds when she was stopped by Coco, Dear Darling, Fond Feather, Swoon Song, and the Dazzlings.

“Come on, Moon Dancer!” Adagio told her. “It’s showtime!”

“What?” Moon Dancer asked. “Where are you going?”

“To the loading bay,” Sonata replied.

So Moon Dancer followed them across the Resort and through the service doors that opened out to the back of the building. Outside, Soarin was helping unload cases of Crystal Empire^TM bottled water from a truck while Spike was being filmed for a television ad for said water. Moon Dancer stared awestruck with the rest of the women as Spike took off his tight T-shirt, reached for one of the bottles, wiped his brow with the back of his hand, and chugged the liquid.

“Ah... Oh, my...” they all sighed. “What a hunk!”

While Spike was posing for the film crew, Soarin was trying to figure out how they were going to get their hands on some Rich company uniforms. After the shooting for the commercial ended, Spike thought about Rainbow Dash. Even before the prank war started a week ago, she seemed to be in a remarkably bad mood and nobody could figure out why. At first Spike thought it was that time of the month, but it wasn’t; the girls’ cycles had almost completely synced up with one another’s since they started working together.

“So, you plan on seeing Dash again tonight?” Soarin asked Spike.

“Nah,” he replied. “After her, Fleur and Sassy, I think I might take a break for a while.”

“Wait, Sassy? As in, Sassy Saddles, the pit boss? That Sassy?” Soarin inquired.

“The same,” Spike confirmed.

“Since when?”

“Remember the day you asked me to help you test the new rock-climbing equipment?” Spike asked.

Soarin recalled.

Three days ago, Soarin and Spike headed to the roof of the Resort and Soarin helped fit Spike into a harness before he tied the end of the rope securely to the railing. Spike climbed over the ledge and began his descent down the side of the building, gently pushing himself back with his feet like he was spelunking while Soarin held the line, and Spike looked up every two to three stories to signal to Soarin that he was okay. Spike eventually stopped on the balcony of Room 520—Fleur’s suite—and peeked inside. When he did, he saw Fleur doing naked yoga with Sassy Saddles.

“Yoga is the perfect way to work up an appetite,” Fleur said. “And now inhale, cobra; exhale, downward dog.”

“S-so m-much s-skin!” he whimpered happily.

Spike called Soarin on the walkie-talkie Soarin had given him, telling him that he was safe and that he was stepping out of the harness. Once he freed himself from the gear, Spike tugged on the line and Soarin hauled it back up. Spike quietly slid open the balcony door and snuck inside.

Spike was thankful that their backs (and behinds) were to him or they would have seen him come in. Alone, each lady was formidable in her own right, but together, they are a lot of woman. I mean a lo-o-o-t of woman.

They spread their thighs further apart as they bent over, so much that Spike had a direct line of sight to their tight little anuses. He took off his shirt and unzipped his jeans before sneaking up behind Fleur and penetrating her.

“Ooh!” she squeaked. “I was wondering when you would drop in.”

Spike wanted to do her right there, right on the yoga mat. But, in an attempt to be a little romantic, he swept Fleur into his arms and onto the sofa, shoving his tongue down her throat the way she liked. Fleur moaned into Spike’s mouth as he gave her derrière a hard squeeze and he reentered her. His cock felt like steel and Fleur moaned even louder as Spike thrusted harder and harder until she constricted around him.

After her climax had subsided, Fleur asked Sassy to sit in front of her on the sofa and Fleur spead Sassy’s legs apart. Spike knelt between Sassy’s legs and she gasped when Spike’s tongue made contact with her silky vulva, and her legs clamped around his head. Sassy shook as she threw her head back and arched against Fleur before she slid off the couch, back onto her yoga mat. But Spike was far from done with her. He slid into Sassy from behind before sticking a finger up her backside. Once her anus started to soften and open from the fingering he pulled his cock out of her vagina... and shoved it into her ass.

“Oh, my stars and garters!” Sassy cried out.

“Did I hurt you?” Spike asked.

“No, I love how you feel inside me. I already feel so full...”

Spike’s hands held Sassy’s hips in an iron grip as he pounded into her from behind, keeping her in place long enough for him to deposit his seed, erupting with one final thrust into her velvety confines. Sassy moaned and slumped forward onto her yoga mat, smiling at Spike over her shoulder as he retrieved his clothes.

Spike was broken from those thoughts when he heard someone scream.

“What was that?” Moon Dancer asked.

“It sounded like Rainbow Dash,” Soarin replied.

“And it sounds like it’s coming from the pool!” Spike added.

Soarin and the women followed Spike as he made a beeline for the pool area just in time to see Dash tackle someone into the deep end of the pool. The brawl continued underwater and ended when Spike dove into the pool, little concern for his jeans, and pulled the woman Dash was fighting with out of the water.

Applejack helped Dash out of the water while Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Starlight, Twilight, Soarin, Coco, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Dear Darling, Fond Feather, Swoon Song, Moon Dancer and Discord all crowded around Spike as he hauled the other woman out and laid her onto her back. She had blue hair and was wearing a maroon jacket with a plaid skirt. Spike recognized her as one of the women from the audience at the dance contest weeks ago—Indigo Zap.

“She’s not breathing!” Spike exclaimed.

As soon as Applejack heard those words, she was down on her knees and began giving Indigo chest compressions while Spike took a deep breath, clamped his lips over Indigo’s, and gave her a kiss of life. Indigo’s eyes shot open and she gasped after Spike and Applejack revived her.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked.

“Yeah, I’m great,” she replied. “Thanks.”

The hotel doctor arrived soon after, and made sure that Indigo had sustained no other injuries.

“What were you doing here?” Spike asked.

“I’m miserable working for Impossibly Rich,” Indigo said. “I just never had the guts to quit.”

“Yeah, right,” Dash scoffed. “Then why’d you punk us all those times?”

“I had to. You don’t know what the Riches are like. Impossibly Rich is a tyrant wrapped up in a slave driver! If you don’t do what she says, when she says it, she puts you on solitary garbage duty for a month! And you don’t even want to know what they feed us!”

“That’s awful!” Fluttershy said.

“Please, let me stay,” Indigo begged. “I’ll even be a Bunny Girl!”

“Now, that’s my kind of employee,” Discord said. “You’re hired!”

“Are you sure about this?” Rarity asked him. “I mean, how do we know we can trust her? She could be a plant.”

“I know I have done a lot of bad things,” Indigo told them, “but please, let me make it up to you.”

“I’ll get you a Bunny outfit,” Discord said.

Rarity glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who was a little red in the cheeks as she watched Spike escort Indigo inside.

“Somebody’s jealous,” she said.

“Jealous? Of an old rival who is probably gonna give Spike head and have steaming hot shower sex with him after I already have?” Dash retorted. “As if!”

“Because if you were, you could always flirt with someone else and make him jealous back,” Rarity suggested.

“Like I need dating advice from you,” Dash added as she stormed off.

“Suit yourself, darling,” Rarity replied. “She’s totally jealous,” she told Pinkie Pie.

“No doubt,” Pinkie replied.

Spike took Indigo up to his suite and gave her a towel to dry off with.

“Whoa, this is your room?” she asked. “Who do you share it with?”

“Nobody, it’s all mine,” he said.

“Seriously?” she chuckled.

“Yep,” he replied. “So, now that we’re away from the others, what’s it really like working for Impossibly Rich?”

“Ugh, it’s totally lame!”

“You don’t have to keep lying. It’s just us in here,”

“No, I mean it. The other girls, Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, they don’t raid the minibars, they never skip work... they seriously have no idea how to live!!” Indigo confessed.

“Were those the four gals I saw you standing with at the staff ballroom dance contest?” he inquired.

“Yeah... Now you, you look like you know how to have a blast!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he said modestly.

“I’m serious. I watch your dance instruction videos on the Resort’s website, and I saw you mop the floor at the dance competition. You’re really good. No! You’re the man!”

“Yeah, well, that was a next-level prank you guys did with the upside-down office bit,” Spike said. “That was brilliant!”

“Thanks. Hey, this might sound a little crazy, I mean, I know we just met, but would you maybe want to go out sometime, maybe after work tonight?”

“I would be honored to take a fine lady out for a night on the town,”

“Great! See you later,”

And she headed down to the staff locker room while Spike changed.

Later, Rainbow Dash asked Soarin if he had seen Spike since he (Spike) pulled Indigo out of the pool.

“Nope,” Soarin replied.

“You were that last one to see him, you know where he is. Spill!”

“He’s in the casino with Indigo!” he blurted. “Darn it!”

Dash immediately headed to the casino, and sure enough she found Spike, clad in new jeans and a clean T-shirt, test running the Filmflam Brothers’ newest toy—a video poker machine that had a minimum of ten dollars a hand.

Spike put in five one hundred dollar bills and kept his bets low so that it would last longer. He had a few small wins early on, but eventually found himself eighty dollars down so he thought “Screw it” as he hit the maximum bet button and put down two hundred dollars. Spike knew his chances were slim, but he figured what the Tartarus. He pressed the deal button and watched the cards pop up on the screen. He got a pair of Queens, held them, and two more Queens appeared!

Indigo Zap, clad in a blue bunny suit, white tail and matching bunny ears, brought Spike a ginger ale and looked at the screen over his shoulder.

“Looks like you’ve got a loose one,” she told him.

“No such thing. These machines run on random number generators; no brain, no bias,” Spike explained. “That’s why the Brothers are thinking of replacing the dealers and tables with them... best odds in the house, though.”

“I thought that Craps had the best odds,” Indigo said.

“Normally, Poker odds are slightly worse at 0.7% in your favor, but if you employ optimal strategy and always draw for the Royal Flush you can push those odds to a solid two percent,” Spike replied.

“Smart and handsome,” she said.

Spike smiled shyly.

He had stayed pretty close to even after that last win, but the video poker machine had other ideas. So he hit the max bet button again to try and end the game as quickly as possible, but something amazing happened—he hit a Royal Flush! And the pay out totaled one hundred thousand dollars!

He and Indigo stared at the machine in disbelief as people gathered around them. Then several attendants appeared, led by Sassy Saddles. By the time Spike had shook hands with everyone who had witnessed his win Sassy happily placed a check for ninety thousand dollars and another ten thousand in cash in his hands.

“I love Las Pegasus,” Spike thought.

“Here,” he said as he gave Indigo the check.

Indigo’s mouth hung open as she held the slip of paper while Rainbow Dash pulled Spike aside.

“You just gave ninety percent of your winnings to the enemy,” she said.

“Indigo is not ‘the enemy,’” Spike replied. “In fact, she’s been really sweet.”

“Look, Spike, Sunset and I used to compete against Indigo on the motocross circuit, so she and I know what she’s really like,” Dash shared.

“Oh, really?” Spike asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“All right, if you want to learn it the hard way, fine! But don’t say I didn’t try to warn you,” she said.

“Oh, I won’t,” he replied.

Later that afternoon, Twilight was pacing the floor in the staff locker room while Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer watched her.

“You girls have to help me end whatever this thing is that’s going on between Spike and Indigo,” Twilight said.

“On the one hand, you’re my friend and I want to help you,” Starlight replied. “On the other hand, if Spike gets close to Indigo, we get free dirt on Rich.”

“Oh, she is going down!” Rainbow Dash stated. “It’s one thing to play Discord and the others like a guitar, but I will not just stand by and let her make moves on Spike! I’ll help you, if you can get Spike to admit that he’s only seeing her to make me jealous.”

“He’ll never admit to that!” Twilight replied.

“No confession, no help,” Dash said.

“Fine,” Twilight growled. “But we are going to have to fight dirty by being sneaky and conniving. And this time, we’ll win!”

“Twilight, I’ve never seen you this angry,” Starlight said. “I like it!”

“Oh, I’m not angry. I’m determined. The claws are coming out!”

“Shh!” Dash whispered. “Someone’s coming!”

The three women ducked into one of the changing stalls and peeked around the curtain to see Indigo walk in with her cell phone in hand. She didn’t even notice Twilight and the others hiding in the changing stall.

“He plays like a titan, he sweats awesomeness, and... he’s totally generous, loyal and kind... Spike just might be my ticket to freedom!” she thought.

Once Indigo thought she was alone, she dialed her superiors at Rich Casino and Resort and their faces appeared on the screen. Rainbow Dash whipped out her own cell phone and started recording Indigo.

“Report,” Abacus Cinch began.

“Guess who just scored a date with Flim and Flam’s favorite employee,” she began. “Oh, and Spike -- stud -- said I was totally his type!”

“That’s great!” Sour Sweet began pleasantly. “Do not lose focus!” she added with a shout.

“We’ve gotten the photos of the mess in the kitchen you sent us,” Sunny Flare added, “but using Spike to sabotage the place will really seal the deal.”

“One look at those nasty pics and the health inspectors will shut them down for good,” Sugarcoat said.

“Leaving me free to move in and take over,” Impossibly Rich stated. “Good work, Miss Zap.”

Indigo nodded as she hung up.

“I knew it!” Rainbow Dash whispered. “We have to tell Spike!”

“Have you lost your mind?!” Twilight asked.

“If they shut us down, we’re all out of jobs!” Dash told her. “You can do what you want, but I’m going to do what’s right!”

So she pulled the curtain aside and confronted her rival.

“Stay away from Spike or I will make your life worse than it already is!” Rainbow Dash threatened her.

Indigo didn’t seem at all shaken by their sudden appearance.

“You know, all I wanted from Spike was a free meal, maybe a kiss, but now that you said that, I’m going to make him fall in love with me instead,” she said.

“You won’t get away with this,” Twilight told her.

“Just try and stop me,” Indigo scoffed, and walked away.

“Come on,” Dash told her friends. “We’ve got some date-wrecking to do!”

Later that evening, Spike took a quick shower, shaved, put on some cologne and a black suit, minus a tie. He was debating on whether or not it was too formal for his date when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door to find Indigo waiting for him. She was wearing a little black dress with a matching pair of high heels that had a single small strap that buckled around the ankle, and a black purse.

“Wow, Spike, you look ace!”

“Thanks. You look beautiful, yourself. Shall we?”

Smiling, Indigo hooked her arm through his as they got into the elevator.

Grabbing a cab, they headed to the Hive and entered just as Cornicle was playing ragtime on the grand piano.

“Reservation, Drake,” Spike told Thorax.

“Yes, sir,” Thorax replied formally. “Ocellus will seat you.”

“This way, please,” Ocellus said with a smile.

She asked them if she could start them off with something to drink—both asked for water—then she asked if they knew what they wanted to eat.

“We’ll have two of tonight’s specials,” Spike said. “Is that all right, dear?”

Indigo smiled. “And an order of chili cheese fries to split.”

Ocellus nodded as she wrote down their orders and returned to the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash, Starlight and Twilight entered the Hive five minutes later.

“Thanks for helping us with this,” Twilight said to Starlight. “But are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“What? You think this is my first sabotage? Please!” Starlight replied. “Now, here’s what we’re gonna do--”

“Wait! I’d rather not know,” Twilight said.

“Fine, but I’ll need some cash,”

Twilight handed over a small stack of twenties.

“Okay, go. Dash and I’ll keep our eyes on Spike and Indigo,”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash sat at one booth and they saw Pinkie and Fluttershy sitting at another booth on the other side of the room. Apparently, they’d had the same idea—to spy on Spike while he was at dinner with Indigo.

Meanwhile, Starlight approached Pharynx and spoke to him in a whisper.

“Pharynx, I’m cashing in a favor you owe me,” she began.

“All right, but what’s in it for me?” Pharynx asked.

Starlight gave him the money Twilight had given her and said, “You get to make someone blow chunks... from both ends.”

“I’m in!” he grinned.

Starlight told him who his target was, and then took her seat at Dash and Twilight’s booth while Pharynx ducked into the kitchen and poured half of a large bottle of liquid laxative onto Indigo’s order of chili cheese fries. Unfortunately, while his back was turned, a second dish of chili cheese fries—Rainbow Dash’s order—was placed right beside it. Pharynx couldn’t tell which order of fries he had tampered with and tried to “fix” his mistake by pouring the rest of the bottle onto both orders. Ocellus served both dishes, but Spike and Indigo were so caught up in conversation that they didn’t even touch the fries. Meanwhile, Twilight was slowly munching away at Rainbow Dash’s fries as she, Starlight and Dash watched them.

“So you like makeup sex?” Indigo asked. “When a girl’s still hot and in her makeup?”

“Yeah,” Spike replied. “When we were done the pillow looked like it had been used to suffocate a clown,” he recalled, almost fondly. “Now, before bed, Dash puts on this ratty old robe I refer to as ‘The Shrinker’.”

“Ugh, man, did you talk to her about it?” she inquired.

“Yes, I made that rookie mistake,” he admitted. “I talked to Dash about The Shrinker and it was swiftly replaced by another robe I refer to as ‘The Termite’.”

“As in the little insect that destroys wood?” she asked.

“Exactamundo!” Spike stated.

“So, the robe that Dash wore into the lobby that night I snuck in and pulled the fire alarm... was that The Termite?”

Spike gave Indigo a courtesy laugh. “No, no. That was just The Shrinker.”

“Oh, Faust!!” Indigo gasped.

After about ten minutes, Twilight’s stomach gurgled.

“Um... was that you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head and her stomach gurgled again.

“Are you okay?” Starlight asked.

“No. Clear a path!” Twilight shouted.

And she rushed to the ladies’ room.

“Are you finished?” Ocellus asked Spike and Indigo about their food.

They both said yes and Ocellus asked if they were interested in dessert.

“I’ll have a vanilla gelato,” Indigo said.

“What?” Dash thought. “That’s my favorite!”

“I’ll have a chocolate soda with three scoops,” said Spike.

Ocellus smiled as she took their unfinished meal back to the kitchen and returned with their ice cream. Spike paid for them both and they exchanged bites of their desserts, smiling and giggling. Then, when Spike’s back was turned, Indigo took one of the fries she had swiped from her dish, and aimed it at Starlight Glimmer. She flicked it like a paper football, and it flew across the restaurant and into Starlight’s open mouth.

Starlight coughed and gagged as it went down her throat. Then she groaned when her stomach gurgled.

“Oh, no. Out of the way!” she cried.

“That’s it!” Dash yelled as she got up from her table. “Spike, Indigo Zap is a spy for Impossibly Rich! And I can prove it!”

She pulled out her cell phone and showed Spike the video she had taken earlier that afternoon.

“We’ve gotten the photos of the mess in the kitchen you sent us, but using Spike to sabotage the place will really seal the deal,”

“One look at those nasty pics and the health inspectors will shut them down for good,”

“Leaving me free to move in and take over. Good work, Miss Zap,”

Suddenly, Cornicle came up behind Dash, carrying a bowl of macaroni and cheese. She stuck her foot in his path and he tripped. As he fell, the bowl of food flew up to the ceiling. The round metal bowl landed on Spike’s head like a hat, its contents slopping onto his face and shoulders.

Everyone in the restaurant stopped and stared. Indigo rolled her eyes and put her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Spike took the bowl off of his head, gooey mac and cheese matting his green hair.

“Excuse me...” Spike leveled a serious gaze at Indigo, “did you just snort?”

She shook her head... then snorted again.

“I suppose you think this is funny,” he said. “Well, maybe you’ll get a little chuckle out of this.”

And he flung a bit of butter at her.

“Food fight!” Indigo screamed.

She threw a handful of macaroni at Spike and the Hive’s restaurant erupted into a giant battle with kids and adults hurling foodstuffs at each other. Laughing, Pinkie and Pharynx joined the fight with gusto, pelting everyone with handfuls of food. Salad and peach cobbler flew everywhere, coating the floor and the tables. The food fight raged on.

It wasn’t until Fluttershy got hit in the face with a slice of pie, which coated her with gunk that Thorax yelled for everyone to stop, and they did. Spike looked around for Indigo, but didn’t see her. Somehow, she escaped in all the confusion, leaving Spike to apologize to Thorax and pay for the damages.

“Rainbow Dash, are you okay?” Spike asked as they, Pinkie, and Fluttershy left the Hive.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied.

“You were right. I should have listened to you. I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“Eh, forget it. Getting a bowl of mac and cheese dumped on your head is punishment enough,”

“Dashie, we’re all sorry for not believing you,” Pinkie added.

“And ignoring you,” said Fluttershy.

“Thanks, girls,” Dash smiled.

Meanwhile, back inside the Hive...

“Hoo! Ho-ho!” Ocellus exclaimed as she exited the ladies’ bathroom. “Whoever’s in that stall should really see a doctor.”

“Aah! Mnh! Ugh!” Twilight grunted.

“O-M-G! I’m out of toilet paper!” Starlight gasped.

“Oh, my gosh! Me too!” Twilight added.

And they spent the next half hour “re-spackling the toilets.”

Spike walked with Indigo after he had collected his video poker winnings from Sassy Saddles.

“You took a big risk coming here,” he said. “Why?”

“I want to join up with you, but when I started working for Impossibly Rich, she made me sign a contract that basically says she owns me,” Indigo replied. “She’s not named ‘Impossibly’ for nothing!”

“So, you’re willing to go against her for me, someone you barely even know?” Spike inquired.

“You saved me from drowning. It’s the least I can do,”

“All right, I’ll help you,”

“Do you think your luck will hold out?” she asked.

“As long as you’re with me, you’ll always have good luck,” he told her.

Indigo gave Spike one last smile as she entered the staff locker room and prepared to call her employer.

Next time: Discord and the management staff go away for the weekend and leave Sunburst in charge of the resort... and to judge the staff bikini contest. But things go awry when Sunburst’s mom, Stellar Flare, decides to stay behind... and she starts spending time with Spike.

Meanwhile, Twilight, in an attempt to make amends with Spike, joins Pinkie and Rainbow Dash on an errand to buy some tasty pastries... and end up lost in the bad part of town.

Spike awoke one Friday morning to a burning hot Sun. After he took a cold shower, he dressed in his lightest clothes and went to the staff quarters, where he found his friends sprawled out on the sofas. The girls were wearing their swimsuits under crop tops and short shorts while Soarin and Zephyr Breeze were dressed in their work pants but wore their button up shirts open.

“You sure you don’t want a slice?” Applejack asked Twilight as she took a bite out of a piece of reheated pizza.

“For breakfast?” she replied. “You’ve got to be joking.”

“It’s better than beer,” Zephyr Breeze told her.

“Not for a hangover,” Soarin commented.

“I know something to stop hangovers,” Spike said.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Don’t drink so much,” he answered. “Now, come on or we’ll be late for Discord’s morning pscyh-up.”

The Flimflam Brothers’ Resort was abuzz when the group exited the elevator onto the lobby. Several pieces from Equestria’s Largest Items Museum (including Equestria’s largest pen and silverware, among others) were on loan to the Brothers and people from all over the world had come just to see them. But it wasn’t the Brothers’ idea, it was Discord’s.

And speaking of Discord, when they got to the staff locker room, he was already there, waiting to reveal his latest piece of “management genius.” He called it, “The Wall of Shame.” It was kind of like “Employee of the Month”, only the exact opposite. And the first inductee, for single-handedly dragging the Flimflam Brothers’ Resort through the mud, was Twilight Sparkle.

The gang couldn’t deny that Twilight had had a lot of bad luck recently. Earlier that morning, she had locked herself out of her room.

“I won the pool,” Pinkie Pie commented.

“Pinkie wins it three days in a row, that’s uncanny,” Rainbow Dash said.

“What did you have yesterday, Pinkie?” Sunset asked.

“Uh, it was scrapes and nicks and she cut herself shaving her legs, hence the dark nylons she was wearing,” Pinkie recalled. “The day before that I had stubbing something, and it was the big toe on the bed.”

“It still hurts,” Twilight shared.

“Tell me, what do you predict for tomorrow?” Soarin asked Pinkie.

“Uh... Uh, I see a mine shaft out in the middle of the desert,” she replied.

“Okay, mouth breathers, eyes front!” Discord interrupted them. “The topic for today -- love the guest more than you love yourself. Zephyr Breeze, if a guest asks you to use your hand to blow their nose, what do you do?”

“Uh... Run?”

“Wrong!” Discord yelled. “You say, ‘Here you go, sir. Do you prefer my right hand or my left?’ Twilight, if a guest tells you to go get fucked by one of Applejack’s male relatives, what do you say?”

“Ew!”

“Wrong! You say, ‘Madame would you like me to get fucked by Big McIntosh or Golden Delicious?’” he told her. “Remember, you are here for one and only one reason.”

“To ride the most awesome, epic, off-the-charts rollercoaster, play some of the just as awesome gambling tables, and have fun?” Rainbow Dash answered.

“Wrong, wrong, and WRONG!! To serve the guests and make their stay the best ever anywhere! You are here to sell fun! In exchange for the hard-earned money of your customers, you will deal out happiness. People will go home and dream of what they saw here and what they did here. I hope you all remember that when the work is hard, or when guests are rude, as they often will be, or when you feel your best efforts go underappreciated,”

“Sadly, one of his better pep talks,” Spike thought.

“Now listen up -- major announcement! The Flimflam Brothers, Mr. Glimmer, and I are going to Vanhoover for the weekend for a hotel-management conference, and we are leaving Sunburst in charge while we’re gone. He’s going to drive you losers like a rental car -- hard and without mercy. Right, Sunburst?”

Sunburst nodded.

“And if I hear that you’ve been slacking, I’ll come back cracking... skulls,” Discord warned them. “Now, go forth!”

After he sent everyone back out, Discord took one final walk around the Resort before he left.

“I’m gonna miss the place,” he said. “Goodbye my baby,” he told his surveillance golf cart. “Goodbye Equestria’s Largest Money-Making Vibrating Banana. Goodbye my aquarium full of fish. Be good while Daddy’s away.”

Discord looked toward the water fountain. Then he nodded once more in a businesslike way before making his way to Flim and Flam’s black limousine, which was parked out front, and where Starlight was seeing her father off.

“I’ll think of you every day,” Firelight told her. “Remember, Sunburst is in charge until we get back, so don’t even think about throwing another wild party!” He gave her one final kiss on the cheek as he said, “Goodbye, Pumpkin.”

The limo’s engine purred to life after he and Discord got in the back and the taillights flashed as it pulled away.

Once they were gone, Sunburst spoke to the crew.

“Okay, guys, as acting manager, I vow not to be anything like Discord,” he told them. “I vow to manage using unadulterated logic. Just follow these three simple rules -- take a break whenever you need to, have fun -- because if you’re having fun, the guests are having fun -- and no strikes unless you smash the Brothers’ statue or something. But what are the chances of that happening?”

And they all cheered and went their separate ways.

Zephyr Breeze, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Starlight and Twilight were lounging around the outdoor swimming pools late that morning while Applejack was on lifeguard duty. It wasn’t even noon yet and it was already a hundred degrees in the shade (and getting hotter). And as if that weren’t bad enough, most of the hotel’s ice machines broke down and the kitchen ran out of lemonade. The pools were overcrowded as Sunset Shimmer (in her black bikini and sarong) ran this way and that way, trying to keep the guests’ cups full, while the rest of the girls tried to keep cool.

“We’re dying!” Dear Darling cried.

“Bring us some more water!” Fond Feather added.

“Hurry up with our drinks!” Chrysalis and Feather Bangs both shouted.

“Calm down!” Sunset replied. “I’ve only got two hands!”

“The service here stinks!” Swoon Song complained.

While Sunset served them, Rainbow Dash noticed Applejack (clad in a red two-piece uniform) looking off into space.

“Hello?” Dash asked her as she waved a hand in front of AJ’s eyes. “What’re you staring at?”

“The handsomest thing in the world,” Applejack sighed in reply.

It was Spike, shirtless, and wringing a wet towel out over his head.

Needless to say, Applejack liked what she saw.

“So, what are you waiting for?” Dash asked AJ. “Ask Spike out already!”

“Me ask him out? Are you nuts?”

“AJ, it’s the Twenty-First century. Guys like it when you ask them out!”

“Yeah, independent women rule!” Zephyr Breeze agreed chipperly. “That’s why I signed up to help judge them in the staff bikini contest tonight.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Dash replied.

“It’s sad, really,” Zephyr said, “that Discord had to be gone this weekend of all weekends. It’s the best idea he ever came up with--the most beautiful women on our payroll parading around, hoping to be chosen as ‘the fairest one of all’... Some of them are already bribing me to vote for them.”

“That is so sexist!” said Twilight. “I hate degrading female contests with every fiber of my being. I mean, where’s the men’s swimsuit competition?”

“Spike already won that,” Zephyr replied. “And he didn’t even have to wear a speedo!”

“You are so lame!” Dash retorted.

“If being a judge for a bikini contest is lame, then I don’t want to be cool!” Zeph said proudly. “Just think, in a few hours I will have a whole weekend to inspect one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

“Bikinis are not one of the Seven Wonders of the World,” Twilight argued.

“One of my Seven Wonders,” Zeph corrected her, “as well as waves, Sun, sand, surfboards, sleep, and chili dogs.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she turned to walk away. Then she screamed as she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground.

“Oh, come on! Really?” she exclaimed. She had broken one of her flip flops. “These were new shoes!” she growled as she held the broken piece in her hand.

She huffed as she got to her feet and found herself staring at Spike as well.

“Don’t even think about it,” Rainbow Dash told her.

“Where’s that same support you had for Applejack a few seconds ago?” Twilight asked.

“Look, he’s clearly not interested in you, so why don’t you just give up?” Dash replied.

Starlight disagreed. “If you really want Spike in spite of his attitude and treatment of you, then you are gonna have to make an effort. Try to do something nice for him, something that he’ll appreciate. Maybe there’s a certain fantasy of his you could fulfill.”

“One idea, darling, might be in invite a friend and/or coworker over to watch or participate in the event,” Rarity added.

Twilight shot her a hateful look.

“Asked and answered,” Rarity replied, and she went back to fanning herself.

Spike was five feet away from them when he said, “Man, I’m hungry.”

“You can have half of my chocolate bar,” Dash offered.

“I could go for a creampuff,” Pinkie said. “Or a cupcake... No! A puffcake!”

“A what?” Spike asked.

“A puffcake: half cream puff... half cupcake,” Pinkie explained.

“Go on,” he said.

“They’re big, fluffy, doughy, sugary fireworks in your mouth!”

Spike’s mouth began to water and Rainbow Dash started to drool.

“Call Cheese Sandwich,” Dash told her. “We need him to get us some!”

“He’s setting up for the luau tonight,” Pinkie replied.

“Then it’s up to us!” Rainbow declared. “We’re going on a cupcake run! Any of you girls in?”

“Not me,” Sunset said, “gotta sneak in a motocross session before the afternoon shift.”

“Starlight?” Dash asked.

“Sorry, I just got beeped,” she said, holding up her cell phone. “Got to get to work; some kid rejected his food. And by ‘rejected’, I mean he threw up.”

“Twilight?”

“I don’t know,” she told Rainbow Dash. “I have a Poker game to deal for at 4:00 in the High Rollers’ Lounge... but, if we don’t make any extra stops we can be there and back by 3:45.”

“If I wasn’t on duty, I’d go,” Applejack said to Spike. “They have these cute heart-shaped cakes. Maybe you and I could share one?”

“I could go for something chocolaty,” Spike admitted.

“I’ll get you one!” Twilight said excitedly. “I was gonna go anyway, to pick up my swimsuit for the bikini contest tonight,” she added, like she didn’t care.

“Uh, thanks?” he replied.

Twilight turned to Dash and Pinkie and said, “Let’s roll! Move it or lose it!”

Meanwhile, Sunburst sat at the front desk, crunching numbers. He input them into his time-management software and came up with a spreadsheet that, if followed, would allow everyone to do their work in half the time and break early.

“They are gonna love this,” he thought with a smile.

He was about to print it off when he felt a pair of arms curl around him and a set of soft lips kiss his cheek. It was his mother, Stellar Flare.

“Mom, what are you still doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were going to Vanhoover with Discord and the others.”

“I wanted to surprise you, sweetie,” she said. “Now, let’s go get you something to eat. You’re nothing but skin and bones.”

“I’d love to, but they left me in charge until they get back. Why don’t you hit the spa while I make the rounds and we can have lunch after?” he suggested.

Stellar thought about it and said, “Okay.” Then she kissed him on the cheek again and headed off to the spa.

Sunburst exhaled, and then jumped when he heard Spike walk up to him and say, “Going out of your way to avoid your mom?”

“No, I really need to make the rounds,” Sunburst replied.

“Here’s a crazy idea,” Spike suggested. “Talk to her. Tell her how you feel.”

“You’re right. That is crazy,”

“No, I mean it, man. All you got to do is clear your mind and let the words come out. I do it all the time,”

“Or maybe you could talk to her,”

“Yeah, that’s not what I meant,”

“I’ll help judge the bikini contest if you keep my Mom busy,”

“Well, I was gonna spend the morning at the spa, race Sunset on the motocross track this afternoon, and maybe get in a quick lap or two around the pool before going to the luau tonight... but suppose I could work her in,”

“Thanks Spike!”

Spike led the way to the spa with Zephyr Breeze close behind. The spa’s reception desk was commanded by an exotic Kirin beauty named Fern Flare. She was a very attractive young woman, with brown hair and stunning crimson eyes, and wore a fitted white uniform.

“Reservation, Drake, Spike Drake,” Spike said to her.

She spoke not a word as Spike reached for his wallet.

“I got this,” Zephyr Breeze told him.

“No,” Spike started to protest.

“You’re my friend, you invited me, let me pay,” Zephyr said.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Zeph replied as he gave Fern Flare his credit card.

She nodded to him, as if to say, “Thank you,” and then motioned for them to follow her, as if to say, “Right this way, gentlemen.”

She remained silent as she approached a divider in the wall and turned to face them. Again, she never spoke, but the look on her face seemed to ask, “Are you ready for what’s behind this door?”

“I’m ready,” Zephyr said.

Fern Flare pulled back the divider to reveal 30 of the tannest, most beautiful, voluptuous Kirin women they had ever seen.

“Oh, my goodness,” Zephyr Breeze gushed. “This place is off the hook! I love Las Pegasus!”

Finally, Fern Flare spoke.

“You get a massage from Kirin girl before?” she asked.

She had the slightest bit of an accent; it was subtle but very pretty.

“No, but I’ve heard wonderful things,” Zephyr replied.

“You can pick any girl you want,” she said.

“Any girl?” he asked.

“Any girl,” she repeated.

“I don’t know where to start,” he said honestly.

One of the Kirin women smiled at Zephyr as she cupped her breasts together and lifted them up as if she were offering him a better look.

“I’ll take her, right there,” he said quickly. “She’s got it going on.”

“Oh, yes,” Fern Flare said. “She’s very nice.”

“She is, but I’ve got some pain in my back, and my neck, so I’ll take her in the blue, too. And let me get her, and her... Is she good with feet?”

“Oh, yes,”

“What are you doing?” Spike asked.

“She said I could have any girl I want, man,” Zephyr replied.

“Well, hurry up!”

“What’s wrong with you? You don’t cut in front of a guy in a buffet line!”

“Please, follow me,” Fern Flare said after Spike had made his own decision.

She led them to a changing room just before the spa.

“Here you go,” she smiled as she handed them each a bathrobe, a towel, and a pair of flip-flops. “Put those on. I will wait outside. Then I will take you in.”

She gently closed the door, leaving Spike and Zephyr alone. They quickly undressed, wrapped the towels around their waists, and put the bathrobes on over them. They exited the changing room and followed Fern Flare again.

The ambiance was warm and relaxed as Spike and Zephyr entered the spa. It smelled densely of steam and sweat. Large pillars made of polished marble trimmed the high ceilings of the main chamber, which was decorated with pristine white furniture with gold accents. The room was crawling with women... and they were all practically naked. And as Spike drank in the oasis before him, the ladies drank him in likewise. There he was, Spike Drake, the man who had captured the hearts of infinite women, in nothing but a towel and robe.

“Enjoy,” Fern Flare told them.