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.