It's Not That Fabulous After All.

Chapter one: The City of Dreams and Broken Souls

Gray skies engulf the city from afar. Sunlight shimmers off buildings, reflecting light right into your eyes no matter where you stand. Tall buildings pierce the dust ridden sky during the day. It's not surprising that Las Pegasus would seem polluted from a distance, but in actuality, dust builds up from the desert, and without wind, builds up within the town. The city itself sits upon a cloud raised high above the desert floor, while the unicorns use their magic to allow others to visit and for clouds to support solid objects. During the day, buildings and towers seem lifeless and colorless; just as dull and gray as the dust cloud it sits in. But during the night, colors explode, the tourists are loud, and the parties are endless. Strobe lights flash every color you can think of, entertainers roam the streets, looking for an easy bit to make. Tourists laugh, have fun, while others make trouble. “What Happens In Pegasus Stays In Pegasus.” A phrase used too often, even though it's somewhat true. Every visitor sees Las Pegasus as this wonderland of lights and people, but to anyone who lives here knows it's not that fabulous after all.

One Pegasi in particular spent all his time within the casinos, wasting whatever money he had left to gamble. His arrogant attitude constantly landed him in trouble, while his hot-shot personality got him  pretty much anything he wanted. Solo Wing is his name; the user and the gambler. City born and raised, but never knew his parents. His whole life had been about having fun and living life to the fullest which lead him to drop out of school. He's lived 21 years so far, though the gambling age is 21, he learned how to gamble from the sliest and the best as a young colt. He was never good with money, but somehow had cash whenever he needed to gamble. He had everyone believe he was a former member of the Wonder Bolts and his physical appearance helped his credibility. His mane resembled Rainbow Dash's perfectly, except his mane was streaked with crimson and gray. He always wore his black flight goggles over his forehead. He could have picked gray, but it would blend with his hide. He bragged on and on about his farfetched ability to fly.

The sun had just gone down on a Friday night. Solo played poker at MGM and rich mares gathered around him to watch. He would casually hit on every one of them, having them blow on the dice for luck, or buy them drinks. Solo would use this as a chance to pick out a mare from the crowd and attempt to get lucky that night. It has only worked a few times, but with every night he tried, his chances of success grew higher. He never cared for anyone in particular other than himself, he viewed everypony else as a pawn in his chess game of fun.

“Seven!” he shouted, turning to his right to a mare he had been hoping to get with that night. She smiled, hugged him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. The dealer collected up Solo's winnings and stacked the chips in front of him.

“Who thinks I can roll another seven?” he looked around him. It was a rhetorical question in his head but everyone shouted with agreement. He set a quarter of his chips up front to the dealer then picked up the dice and shuffled them between his hooves. He then held them up to the mare standing to his right.

“Lady luck?” he asked with a sly smile. The mare smiled coyly and puckered her lips and blew gently into his hooves. He whipped his head to the table, casually throwing down the dice as if the bits he had bet meant nothing.

“Seven,” the dealer said, gathering up Solo's winnings once again and slid them over to him. Everyone cheered for Solo while his mare friend scooted closer, pressing herself up into his chest as a sign to everyone else that she was with him. He couldn't care less about how close she was to him, though he knew the other mares around him thought they were together, leaving less options for him to choose from.

The night was practically set for him. After a few more rolls, he would gather up his money and his friend-for-the-night. He looked around to his peers, holding his hoof up for high hooves. Everyone followed through. Laughs, giggles, and the sound of ice filled glass colliding filled the small area around him.

Four colts made their way from across the room, focusing their attention directly on Solo. Solo turned his head and instantly recognized them. He tried to blend in with the crowd but it was too late.

“I gotta go,” he whispered to his mare friend. She frowned in disappointment while her eye twitched in annoyance. Solo pushes passed her, causing her to spill her drink on herself. Everyone gasped and watched Solo flea, though no one knew why.

Once out of the crowd, he looked back to see if anyone was following. Ponies of all kinds blocked his view, but in the background, he saw them. Three colts of normal stature, while the one in the middle always wore a leather jacket, marking himself as the boss. They still followed him while pushing their way past other ponies who responded with rude comments. They didn't speed up or slow down in their attempt to chase him down.

Solo looked forward and trotted through the casino floor, making his way straight for the exit of the humungous structure. Ponies stared at him from every direction, the guards also watched suspiciously, whispering among each other on what they should do.

His heart raced and pounded in his chest. He picked the paths with the most ponies and the biggest machines to walk behind, hopefully confusing the colts that chased him. He looked back once again. He searched the faces off all the ponies behind him, none of them being the colts. He felt relaxed and slowed his pace, but just to make sure; he kept going.

The streets outside were busier than the building inside. He slowly and casually made his way through the ponies, trying not to stand out in anyway. Every time he should bumped somepony, his heart pounded in fear that he had been caught in a grasp. Solo slid his goggles over his eyes so no one can see the panic within him nor his darting eyes.

Every inch of the city was drowned with light and color. He had to hide, just for a few minutes until he was sure they weren't following him. He walked with the crowd against the wall, turning quickly down a dark alleyway, where he pressed back against the wall and slid down to the dark end as quietly as possible. Darkness surrounded him and the area.

Hoof steps other than his own appeared behind him; mocking him. Solo stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“There you are, Solo.” Four shadows cast their way down the alley to merge with the shadow that surrounded Solo.

“Hey Guys, what's up?” Solo said casually, turning to them. The four colts slowly made their way into the alley. Solo backed up slowly as they approached and smiled nervously.

“We just wanted to come by, say hello, and collect our money,” the leader with the leather jack said with a grin on his clean shaven face.

“That's just what I was doing in there, winning back the money I owe you guys. Heh,” Solo said, rubbing the back of his head with his right hoof before bumping into the brick wall behind him, “so if you guys don't mind.”

“We want our money now,” the leader interrupted.

“Well I don't exactly have all of it right now.”

“In that case,” the leader trailed off and clapped his hooves twice. Two colts walked up to Solo while the third followed behind them. The two colts latched onto Solo's arms and wings, holding him back against the wall. The third colt raised his hoof, glaring directly at Solo's stomach.

“Wait, Wait!” Solo shouted. The third colt looked back to his leader, who nodded. The colt lowered his hoof.

“What is it, Solo? Have our money?”

“No, but; look, I'm sure we can make some kind of deal, right?” Solo asked.

“Hmmm. . .” the leader raised his hoof to his chin then lowered it, “well, some of our mare 'workers' have gone missing, and we could use a new one to patrol the streets. If you know what I mean. So, how about this. Me and my boys are going out of town for the week to check on our clients there. You have until Saturday to either give us our money, or find us a new mare member. And don't think about running for it, we'll just find you,” the leader explained while holding up a switchblade that shined within the darkness.

Solo nodded and gulped. “Got it. That should be easy,” Solo laughed to break the tension.

“Yes, It should be. You are impressively skilled with mares. So we have no doubts you can pull that off. But just remember; no money, no mare,” the leader held up his blade, “no life.”

The leader clapped his hooves twice. The third colt raised his hooves and gave Solo three clean punched directly to the gut. Solo let out bursts of breathe with every punch, gasping for air in between. After the third punch, the leader called them back upon which they left the alleyway, blending into the walking crowd.

Solo dropped to the floor to his hooves and knees, gasping for air and coughing multiple times. He crawled slowly to the edge where darkness met light, where only his face was illuminated by the light. He fell completely flat on his stomach, gasping for even more air. The sound of it made it seem like he'd heave up a lung any moment.