As Rarity walked towards the front of the Marelogio casino, hotel and resort, she started talking to the voice in her head again. "So darling, what should we call ourselves?"

"Hmm...", the voice replied in a husky tone, "...it matters not what we call ourselves, so long as we achieve this next phase and begin building an empire."

Rarity stopped and glared at her other half in the reflection of a window. "A name means everything. Think of it as a brand that our customers can respect and our competitors can fear." She twirled the double-headed coin over and over in her magical field.

The mare in the reflection looked at the coin flipping in the blue magical field, one head was immaculate, the other was marred by gouges and scratches. The coin matched both the mares, one side of their face perfectly untouched, the fur immaculately groomed, gleaming white, the other side was almost completely devoid of fur, her dark skin that normally was hidden under the fur was marred by scars and locked in a permanent scowl because of nerve damage from the near-fatal torture and the botched skin graft. The reflection seemed to ponder the coin for several minutes before answering in a husky voice, "I say we call ourselves split-face."

"An interesting prospect. But it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi."

"You have something better in mind?"

Rarity pursed her lips as she let her eyes travel around the area, they settled on a banner announcing a local chess tournament. Her eyes immediately locked on the two knights facing each other at the top of the banner, one white, the other black. Her mind immediate clicked together something, if she had been of a healthier state of mind, she would have chided herself for not being as creative as she could be. "Two-headed mare.", she whispered in a feeling of almost divine inspiration.

The reflection locked eyes with Rarity. "Good heads, we call ourselves split-face, bad heads, we call ourselves two-headed mare."

Rarity locked eyes with the reflection and nodded her head. The coin sailed up through the, then down, flipping end-over-end and landed in an outstretched hoof on...bad heads. "Very well...we're the Two-headed mare.", the reflection replied in a husky voice. Both the mares, one in the reflection and the other outside the reflection curled up one corner of their mouths in a malicious smile while the other corner of their mouths pulled taut in a flat scowl "Now let's go start a fabulous new franchise.", the mare outside the reflection said in a pleased tone as the mare inside the reflection nodded her head.

The Two-headed mare walked up to the front of the Marelogio with the mostly full cart of gems in tow, two heavily muscled doorponies held the gleaming glass and golden doors open for her. "Welcome to the famous and fabulous Marelogio casino, hotel and resort ma'am!", a concierge in an immaculately tailored suit said walking up and hoofed over a small stack of chips, "Please take these complimentary chips as a token of our welcome. Would you like to check your gems at the counter? We have plenty of high-roller games for your perusal. Maybe you would prefer to have some drinks at the bar or maybe catch a show?" It was clear to all listening that the concierge was familiar with ponies bringing in piles of bits as well as gems and she clearly thought that this mare was here to gamble or drink the night away.

"I would like to talk with the owner of this fine establishment, I like to make him or her an offer.", The Two-headed mare said in pleasant and business-like mood.

The concierge raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Take...me...to...the...owner.", Two-headed said curtly, tapping a hoof between each word loudly on the floor to emphasize them.

The concierge quirked an eyebrow in annoyance before nodding to two doorponies. "Very well, follow me."

As The Two-headed mare followed the concierge to an elevator, she heard one of the doorponies whisper into a walkie-talkie. One corner of her mouth curled up in a smile as the other side stretched backwards in a flat scowl as the two mirrored doors slid closed, the mare in the reflection matched the expression. The Two-headed mare in the reflection nodded her head slight to the side to alert her counterpart outside the reflection towards the uneasy expression on the face of the concierge. A small derisive snicker rumbled in throat came at the expensively dressed pony.

As the elevator car rose slowly through the building, the concierge cast her gaze downwards at the scarred mare and scoffed. Something about being stuck in the tight confines of the elevator with this mare made her feel uneasy. She didn't know if it was this mare's mismatched appearance or her the way that one side of her face smiled while the other scowled, but like her boss, this mare radiated danger and violence.

With a soft ding of a bell, the elevator car came to a stop and the mirrored doors slid open smoothly. "Right this way.", the concierge said, gesturing with a hoof, "I'll go see if mister Romaine is available." Two-headed mare followed the concierge over to a bench with the wagon of gems in tow.

Opening the door to the office, the concierge walked in. She stopped at the desk where a slender stallion was typing out some forms. "Is mister Romaine in, Sharpened Pencil?"

Sharpened Pencil looked over the top of the typewriter and noticed the concierge's distressed look. "Is something wrong Honeyed Wine?", he asked as he pulled the form from the roller in the typewriter and placed it in a nearby stack.

"Just an odd-looking mare that wants to talk with mister Romaine.", Honeyed Wine said.

Sharpened Pencil raised an eyebrow. "What do you think she want?"

"I've learned I will live a longer and healthier life by not asking questions that don't pertain to me.", Honeyed Wine stated in a matter-of-factually tone. Walking up to the heavy oak door, she raised a hoof and knocked softly.

A gruff voice from the other side of the door said, "Come in."

Opening the door, Honeyed Wine walked in. Standing by the smoked glass that overlooked the casino floor was a rather large and fat unicorn stallion with a light green coat, a Kelly green mane that was swooped back with either gel or oil, the flowing hair of his tail had long fallen out leaving only the short, fleshy pink base, on his flank Honeyed Wine could never figure out if it was a head of lettuce or cabbage with a knife slicing into it, he was chewing on a cigar. "Mr. Romane? There's a mare who wants to see you."

Romane walked over to a spittoon by his desk, pulled the cigar from his mouth and spat a gob of brown liquid into it. "Why do you think she's here?"

Honeyed Wine shuddered before speaking, "I don't think she's here to a a showfilly."

Romane silently noted his concierge's shudder, the last five years she worked for him she was an exemplary employee, never asking questions that would put herself in any danger, passing off bribes to cops when they came snooping around. "Why do you think she's here to muscle in on my operation?", he asked, popping the half-chewed cigar back into his mouth.

"I didn't bother to ask any questions."

Romane smirked. "Humor me. Tell me what your educated eyes have observed."

Honeyed Wine sighed. "She has a wagon of gems and the way she's dressed shows a professional, if somewhat unhinged mentality."

"Hmm...show her in."

Honeyed Wine turned to the door and as she lifted a hoof to the handle, she paused. "Mr. Romane, I just want you to know it has been a privilege to work for you for these past few years. I'll let this mare know you're ready to see you, but consider this my two weeks."

Romane frown at his now former employee. "Very well. It's a shame to see you go and I'll make sure you get your severance package. But you talk to the cops or anypony else and you'll you'll find yourself doing laps in VanHoover reservoir with a brand new cement swimsuit."

Honeyed Wine nodded before walking out of the office. She reached a hoof into her pocket and tossed a key card on the Sharpened Pencil's desk.

"What's this about?", Sharpened Pencil asked, picking up the key card.

"I'm quitting, Sharps.", Honeyed Wine said, "I'd suggest you also do the same. I don't know what this mare is up to, but I can tell you one thing, that bitch is crazy. You can stay if you want, but mark my words, she's going to get a lot of ponies killed and I want to be as far away as possible when that happens."

Sharpened Pencil picked up the key card and dropped it in a drawer. "So where are you gonna go?"

"I've got a cousin that used to live in Ponyville before she died, I'm going to see if they've built the new library and honor her memory by being their new librarian.", Honeyed Wine replied before walking out into the hallway. She looked at the deformed mare, "Mr. Romane will see you now." The fur on her haunches prickled at the mare's half smile-half scowl.

Two-faced mare watched Honeyed Wine walk off quietly before entering into the office. Sharpened Pencil looked up and his eyes went wide with surprise before regaining his professionalism, pushing a button on the intercom, he said, "Boss? The mare who wanted to see you is here and I'm taking my break now." Sharpened Pencil gestured with a hoof to the heavy oak door, then quickly hurried out of the room.

Two-faced mare pushed the oak door open and walked in. She approached the desk where Romane was sitting in his chair while chewing on a cigar. "Mister Romane Sireonis I presume?", she said in as pleasant of a tone as she could conjure.

Romane stared at the heavily scarred and deformed mare, his face a perfect mask of calm professionalism. He had her pegged as some newcomer to this world, he was an old pro in the underworld and his empire was vast, no pony or creature ever did anything in Las Pegasus without his knowledge. Over the last few years this world of shady backdoor deals, underhanded maneuvers, bribes, moves and countermoves against other bosses had made him feel like butter scraped across too much toast, especially when those two psychopaths, the mare with the clown motif and the vigilante with the thunder boxes had killed too many, then there was the isolated reports of the Thestral in Manehattan. The other bosses he had worked with or competed against were getting out as fast as they could, there was rumors of a war coming and this was unlike the mob wars of the past. Romane had decided some time ago that he would get out and now here was this unhinged mare in front of him, was she here to muscle in on his empire or was she here to buy him out?

"How can I help you today...many apologies, I never got your name miss..."

"The Two-headed Mare."

Romane barely kept from rolling his eyes. "Great!", he muttered under his breath, "Another nut case." He cleared his throat, "What can I do for you miss Two-headed?"

Two-headed mare reached into the cart and tossed a hoofful of gems on the desk. "I want to buy out your business, all properties and projects associated with it. I assume we can come to some kind of deal here?"

Romane picked up one of the gems in his magical field, put on a jeweler's monocle and studied it. "You have exquisite taste Madame Two-headed. What's the catch?"

Two-headed mare flipped her coin over and over in her magical field. "No catch, you either sell me your business or you face the coin."

Romane looked at Two-headed mare for a few minutes in silence. A crooked smile spread across his lips and her walked over to the wall and removed a picture hang from a nail, revealing a small safe. "Very well, you drive a hard bargain, but I think we can come to a deal.", he said turning the combination wheel and opening the hardened steel door. Pulling several stacks of paperwork from the safe, he dropped them on the desk and continued, "How many of my business would you like to buy?"

Two-headed mare looked over the stacks of paperwork. She pulled out five pieces of paperwork, the deed for the Marelogio casino, hotel and resort, the deed for the Pink Diamond gentlestallion's club, the deed for the Lamaregini high-end carriage dealership, a deed for a wagon and carriage repair shop and the deeds for two warehouses.

Romane looked at the choices this mare had made and quietly remarked on her eye for business. She had chosen his highest paying schemes and scams. The Marelogio severed not only as a way to legally grift ponies out of their hard-earned bits, but also served as a means to launder the money from his less-then-legal businesses. The Pink Diamond served not only as a gentlestallion's club to legally steal the bits from lonely and pent-up stallions, but also served as a front for a prostitution ring. The Lamaregini carriage dealership served not only as a way to sell overpriced high-end carriages to ponies with more money than sense, it also served as a front for a carriage smuggling business. Finally the wagon and carriage repair shop, along with the two warehouses served as a chop shop for stolen wagons and carriages.

"You have a measured eye for business ma'am.", Romane said with a smug smile, "Because I don't believe in wasting time, let's make a deal. If the remainder of those gems are a high quality as the few you've placed on my desk, then I ask for two-thirds of what you've got there."

"Three sackfuls.", Two-headed mare replied.

Romane scoffed at the offer. "You come in my place of business with your cheap clothes, your ugly face and you insult me with such a paltry offer?! I've had ponies tossed off the side of Las Pegasus for less."

Two-headed mare hopped up on the desk and kicked Romane on the face. As he fell to the floor, she leapt off the desk and planted her hoof on his throat. Showing both sides of the coin, she said, "Because you decided to insult my more than generous offer and threaten me, the coin will now decide. Good heads, you get to leave here with the few gems I placed on your desk, bad heads, you leave here in a box."

Romane Sireonis' eyes became pinpricks as the coin began sailing upwards. The coin landed on the carpet, good heads up and he blew a sigh of relief. Suddenly he was lifted off the floor in a blue magical field and levitated over to the row of smoked glass windows. "Wh-what are you doing?!", he shouted in shock as one of the windows was opened and his body moved over to it, "The coin landed on good heads! You said if it landed on good heads, I could walk out of here!"

Two-headed mare moved her face close to Romane's and said, "I said if it landed on good heads, you could leave out of here, I never said you would walk." With a shove of her magic, Romane Sireonis plummeted towards the floor screaming. Reaching over to the desk with a hoof, she grabbed the few gems and tossed them out of the windon, onto his unconscious form. "Get him out of our building!", she shouted at the stunned doorponies, "Make sure he has those gems with him too." Turning back to the stack of paperwork on the desk, she began looking them all over. Pushing a button on the intercom, she said, "Excuse me, secretary? Could you come in here for a moment?"

Sharpened Pencil walked in through the door and swallowed hard. "Yes ma'am?"

"First tell me your name."

"Uh, Sharpened Pencil ma'am."

"Am I right in assuming that you are qualified to assist me in all things business related?"

Sharpened Pencil swallowed hard again, he didn't know what she was getting at and he now regretted not taking Honeyed Wine's advice. "I'm only an associate ma'am. I can set up any appointments you need for accountants or managers."

Two-headed mare pouted slightly as she dug around in the desk drawer before finding an emery board. As she filed her right forehoof, she held up the coin, showing off both sides. "Good heads, you get promoted to our assistant, bad heads, you go out that window." Flipping end over end, the coin sailed up, then down, before coming to rest on her outstretched hoof. A half-smile/half-flattened scowl spread on her lips. "Good heads, congratulations on your promotion Mr. Sharpened Pencil. Now the first things I want you to do is one: send somepony to the village of Ponyville to get information on the whereabouts of a filly named Sweetie Belle and two: locate a small purple baby dragon with green frills named Spike, He might be in Canterlot."

"Y'yes ma'am", Sharpened Pencil stammered, "Will that be all?"

"For now."
********************************************************************************************************

It was getting dark when Honeyed Wine entered into her apartment. Pulling off the expensive suit, she placed it on a hanger and placed it in the closet. Dimming the lights, she closed the curtains and pulled out a small crystal from a pouch under the bed. Her expression went blank as she placed the crystal on a dresser in front of the oval-shaped mirror.

The image of an azure unicorn mare with a two-tone pale cerulean with light gray stripes appeared in the mirror, her expression equally flat. "Corporal guard Silver Sun, what have you to report?", she asked in a flat, neutral tone.

"Rarity has turned up in Las Pegasus and has taken over the criminal empire of Romane Sireonis, Commander Lulumoon. She appears to not be of sound mind. Please advise."

"Return to Canterlot and report your findings to the princesses and princes personally. Take caution brother, our brothers have reported sightings of Hoof agents."

Author's Note

Things are moving a little more.

I'll give you an invisible cookie if you get the Romane Sireonis reference.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy.

Please feel free to leave any criticisms or comments, I will try and take all as constructive.