The Good, the Bad and the Unfriendly

On the bad side of town a poker game had just concluded. And like many poker games in a place like this it ended with a gun being drawn. The victor found himself staring down the barrel of a revolver while his very upset opponent glared down at him and threatened to blow his brains out.

But it wasn’t the first time Zephyr Breeze had found himself with a gun in his face.

“Hey now buddy, what’s the problem? It was a fair game,” he smiled placatingly up at the big guy, hands spread in front of him in surrender.

“Fair? You saying that was fair?” The big guy slammed his free hand down on the table right in front of the hand Zephy Breeze had put down that led to this incident.

A royal flush in hearts.

“You really expect me to believe you didn’t cheat, you little shit?”

Zephyr Breeze chuckled and shrugged, not showing any real fear and just trying to look as relaxed as possible. “Buddy, it happens! I know it’s uncommon but everyone gets a royal flush now and then, don’t they? I aint a cheater, okay?”

“Lying rat!” The guy shoved the tip of the barrel into Zephyr’s forehead.

“Really pal, if I was going to cheat why would I give myself something as suspicious as a royal flush? I’d have just gone for a full house or something,” Zephyr continued to grin as if he didn’t have a gun pressing into his head at all. “You lost fair and square. Them’s the breaks.”

It didn’t look like he was satisfied with that though. If anything Zephyr’s words just made his face even redder with anger.

Now worried that he might actually get shot, Zephyr felt a little drop of sweat start to go down the side of his head. He was still confident in his ability to talk his way out of this. After all, he had been talking his way out of problems his entire life. Usually after talking his way into them. “Look my good friend, the simple fact is that I don’t cheat at cards. Never have, cause where’s the fun in that? I just happened to get lucky here. That’s what happens when you gamble. You either get lucky or you get unlucky. And I’m sure everyone else around here can assure you they didn’t see me cheat or nothing.”

Both Zephyr Breeze and his angry hombre looked around the table, they were outside in an alley back behind Coal Digger’s department store. Not the most reputable places to hold a card game but it’s where Zephyr Breeze usually found himself playing. Despite all the whiskey bottles around it was still just early morning and a few other tables set up had games going on—though they had all momentarily paused thanks to the altercation between Zephyr and the big guy. All eyes were on their table and the gun that had been pulled out, including the eyes of those who had been sitting at the same table as Zephyr.

The three others had been silent up until now—and Zephyr couldn’t exactly blame them since they probably didn’t want to get their heads blown off either—but he could really use their help right about now. Luckily Zephyr Breeze was a regular across town and a well known gambler. Not a well known cheater. He just hoped the guy with the gun would see reason.

Of course, he might still end up shooting Zephyr just cause he lost too.

Wind Sprinter gulped and looked up at the angry card player. “Uh… Zephyr’s right, Oak Tree. He don’t cheat.”

The angry gun wielder—Oak Tree—glared down hard at him and Wind Sprinter went back to admiring the table.

“It’s true. Anybody else here would tell you the same thing,” Zephyr Breeze said. “Now do you really want your face to end up on a wanted poster for nothing?”

It seemed like Oak Tree really might have wanted that as he cocked the hammer back. Zephyr Breeze kept smiling but in his head he was thinking “Oh shit” as he was half certain he was about to die. The large man was sweating red in the face and he had his finger on the trigger—but at last he pulled the gun away from Zephyr’s forehead and angrily shoved it back into his holster, turning around and kicking his chair over as he stomped out of the alley.

Zephyr and the others at the table all let out a big sigh of relief, that was a close one. The other tables resumed playing their games and Zephyr was now finally able to rake in the money he had just won. With a happy grin he grabbed up all the coins and bills and put them into his pockets, this was money he won just in the nick of time, he had something damn important to do with it.

“Thanks for the chump change fellas but I’ve gotta be going now,” Zephyr said to the others.

Wind Sprinter glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. “What are you in a hurry for?”

“You guys know about the big poker game being held by Fancy Pants tonight. I’m gonna go clean house,” Zephy Breeze said as he shoved the last few bits into his pockets.

“Are you crazy? They’re not gonna let you in,” another regular of these grungy games said to Zephyr.

“They don’t give a shit about who you are as long as you’ve got the money to play,” Zephyr picked out a bit from his pocket and flipped the coin in the air before grabbing it and putting it into his breast pocket instead. “And thanks to you fellows and this lovely low-stakes game I’ve got the money to buy my way in.”

Wind Sprinter snorted. “Wouldn’t be half surprised if they just threw you out on your ass when you tried… Fancy Pants knows you, Zephyr. He doesn’t like your type.”

“Everyone knows how much I win and lose day in and day out, Fancy Pants aint gonna turn down the opportunity to take the shirt off my back. And I aint gonna turn down the opportunity to turn those rich stiffs into laughingstocks. See you kids later,” Zephyr winked and walked away to leave the alley while the rest of fellow gamblers grumbled in annoyance. He had far bigger things on his mind.

It was true; Zephyr Breeze loved to gamble. And he definitely didn’t cheat. Didn’t see the point in it. To him there wasn’t any fun to be had betting on something you knew for sure was or wasn’t going to happen. The thrill came from not knowing, from actually gambling. That was where his love of poker came from. Sometimes he would do stupid things and wager on bad hands on purpose and just try and bluff his way through for fun. He liked the risk. And if he lost some money then so what? And if he lost it all and had to scrounge around or beg for some more then so what again? He’d be back at the table the next day and win it all back.

That’s what he was well known for around town. One day he would win big at the tables and the next he’d be bumming around town asking for a bit. Any fortune that came his way soon left his fingers, but Zephyr didn’t really mind. He was having fun and living large (as he saw it) and never did he sweat the small things. To make it even better he was always still able to send some money and gifts to his big sister every now and then. She deserved it, being the sweet angel she is. Zephyr hadn’t actually seen or visited her for a while but he hoped she could still feel how much he loved her from that.

She was a tough girl despite how she might seem at first glance. Right now she was living with her friends Rarity and Pinkie Pie at that mansion Rarity owned a little north of Ponyville. So things were probably pretty good for her. Wasn’t exactly easy being a kind girl like her, but Fluttershy never let the world break her down. If—when—he won at the high stakes game tonight he’d get her something especially nice before he inevitably lost the money again.

Zephyr Breeze didn’t exactly have the time to think about her too much right now though. He had to prepare for tonight. The fact is that Wind Sprinter and the others were right—he really might be thrown out or not allowed in so he had to look his best to give himself a chance. That’s why he was now in the dingy room underneath the barbershop that he was currently living in. It was small and dirty and it didn’t even have an actual bed but Zephyr didn’t care too much, it had a mirror and a sink and that’s what was important to him.

“Looking handsome as always but I don’t think Fancy Pants and those other fellows would agree,” Zephyr Breeze said to his reflection as he rubbed his stubble.

He splashed some water over his face and pulled up a straight razor from a cup on the sink. Another benefit of living here was his landlord didn’t mind him using this stuff so long as he cleaned it after he was done. Indoor plumbing was a plus too.

Zephyr always had a way with hair and styling, whether his own or someone else’s, so he was able to do a pretty good of cleaning up. Normally he liked to keep a little stubble cause that’s what the ladies liked but if he wanted to be presentable for the game his face was gonna have to be shaved smooth. Oh well, a day or two after and he’d be back to his normal, sexy, rugged look. And with enough money to visit some of his oh so very favorite ladies at the local brothel.

...after buying a gift for Fluttershy of course.

He dragged a comb and heavier brush through his unruly mop of hair and tried to do it up into something decent. Wincing as every now and then it caught on a curl. He didn’t exactly have easy access to a shower or anything, and if he dunked his head in a trough he’d just get his clothes wet and probably start smelling bad. So his hair was turning out to be a damn struggle. Nothing he wasn’t used to with it though, Zephyr Breeze just had to put some muscle into it. Some pomade would’ve gone a long way to making this easier but that was something the barber didn’t just let him use willy-nilly. He finally did manage to get his hair up into a do that didn’t look horrible and that was just going to have to be good enough for Fancy Pants. Zephyr Breeze then smiled widely in front of the mirror to check out his teeth and—well—they weren’t sparkly white but they weren’t brown either. Coughing into his hand he checked to make sure his breath wouldn’t kill anybody too. Satisfied that his hygiene wasn’t too bad he patted his pockets to make sure the money was all still there and headed up out of the barbershop’s basement.

Fancy Pants was holding his game at the stage he owned in the middle of town, a huge theater with tons of room on the main floor and an open second story that looked down over it all. Zephyr Breeze had been there a couple times before, sometimes to gamble, sometimes to work, and sometimes to ogle the pretty ladies. Fancy Pants didn’t much care for him though so working there had been out of the question for a while now.

“Wonder if the drinks will be complementary for the gamblers,” Zephyr Breeze laughed to himself as he walked down the street.

Now the game wasn’t actually starting until later in the evening but Zephyr was still going to head to the stage and wait inside cause what’s a better way to spend your time than drinking and chatting up the ladies? Sides, he wanted to make sure he was actually going to be allowed in. Big waste of time if he showed up there tonight only to get the boot. He had to be careful to not get too drunk or spend too much before the game started though or he might go out too early. He’d gambled while drunk before and it didn’t exactly increase his chances of winning, even though he relied on plain dumb luck more than skill in the first place compared to most of these poker players.

Zephyr Breeze started whistling to himself as he saw the stage approaching down the street. You couldn’t miss it really, with its large size and gaudy exterior. A full three stories high and always brightly lit even in the middle of the night. The front door had doormen keeping a watchful eye out at all times to make sure no one unsavory entered and there always seemed to be raucous laughter and cheers pouring out from just behind those doors.

And of course like most days there were a lot of people out on the road right in front of it too. People either having a chat with each other or waiting for some friends to arrive before they went inside. Busy, busy, Fancy Pants certainly knew how to make his place the hot spot in town. Zephyr Breeze already looked out of place just walking through this crowd, they were from a far more elite circle than he could ever hope to be. Not like he cared about the looks and glares sent his way, no skin off his bones. Like usual he took that kind of thing in stride. All that mattered was how good he played cards and the money he currently had in his pockets. Which was enough to get himself a nice day in here on a normal day.

Of course the doormen recognized Zephyr too and as soon as he got close to the front door they both glared at him and the one on the left moved to block him from entering.

“Not today, Zephyr,” he said. “There’s a big poker game being held soon and we know that Fancy Pants isn’t going to want anyone like you hovering around it. Go bum for money or play poker somewhere else with the other bums.”

“I aint here to be a nuisance, friend. I’m here to play,” Zephyr Breeze smiled.

“Play? You’re nothing but a no good broke slimeball,” the other doorman said.

Zephyr Breeze shrugged. “Slimeball? Yeah, okay. No good? Maybe. But I definitely aint broke, pals.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wadded up clump of bills and a coin purse that he opened to show off a number of golden bits. “This is at least enough to buy me into one hand, boys. High stakes games so yeah, maybe I’ll lose it all at once, but maybe I’ll win and keep getting to play. Money’s money, aint it? So what do you say you let me in? Fancy Pants wont have a problem with me spending money at his place after all. And I bet he’d like the chance to personally take it off my hands too.”

Both doormen peered at the money Zephyr was holding and then glanced at each other. Right shrugged at left and left rubbed the back of his head in debate. Finally he sighed and stepped aside to pull the door open for Zephyr.

“You had better not cause a scene or mess around during that game,” left told Zephyr Breeze.

“Unless winning is causing a scene you don’t have to worry about anything,” Zephyr told the doormen and stepped inside with a wink.

Left sighed as he closed the door back up and the two resumed standing guard silently for a moment before right chose to speak up again.

“You realize if he wins, Fancy Pants is probably going to fire our asses?”

“I know.”

Zephyr Breeze took in the glorious and rambunctious sights of the stage as he walked in. It sure was nice in here already. Dancers were performing on stages, waitresses in gaudy and revealing dresses went around delivering drinks, a band played in the corner, the whole place had been decorated even more than usual with streamers and bunches of flowers set up everywhere. And all in the middle of it was one big, circular table. Currently roped off with no one sitting at it just yet, it looked like five or six players were gonna be there along with Fancy Pants once the game began. Zephyr Breeze patted his pocket and walked towards it, ignoring the rest of what was going on in the house of entertainment. Fancy Pants had really outdone himself here; every chair was beautifully carved black wood with red cushions for sitting and the table looked brand new. The green felt surface was immaculate and clearly never played on.

“Buddy, I cannot wait to win on you,” Zephyr Breeze said to the table.

“What is a scoundrel like you doing here?” A frustrated, high-class voice came from behind Zephyr Breeze.

“I recognize that voice!” Zephyr Breeze grinned and turned around. “Fancy Pants! Fancy seeing you here.”

The rich magnate narrowed his eyes at the bum. As always, Fancy Pants was dressed in an expensive tuxedo with a golden rimmed monocle resting over his left eye and a perfectly trimmed thin mustache over his lips. “Very funny. Now I asked you a question.”

“I’m here to play in your game of course. Don’t worry, I’ve got the money,” Zephyr held up his hands in supplication.

“I have enough confidence in my doormen that they wouldn’t have let you in otherwise. Still, I almost want to say your money is no good here,” Fancy Pants folded his arms over his chest. “This is a high-stakes game with high class people playing. I don’t want you sullying my table.”

“Hey, hey, if that’s the case then just beat me early and clean me out. Come on, at least give me the chance to play a hand or two,” Zephyr pleaded, putting on his most harmless smile. He had always been good at making people think he was just a harmless ditz and flirt.

Fancy Pants rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I’m a generous man. In the essence of fairness I will allow you to buy your way into the game. But you had better be on your best behavior, I don’t want you dragging down the reputation of this establishment.”

Zephyr Breeze was briefly distracted by a pretty waitress walking by before he looked back at Fancy Pants with a sheepish smile. “I promise I’ll behave.”

“Right...” Fancy Pants glared at him one last time before turning around and leaving to go talk to some other patrons in here.

“Alright, hard part’s over,” Zephyr chuckled. Now he was in the game for sure and all he needed to do was win. Easy. He won at cards all the time and if this morning was anything to go by luck was on his side today. He really, really hoped that luck wasn’t all used up when he drew that royal flush though. He also wouldn’t have put it totally past any of the players here to cheat, especially if they needed to save face against a guy like him.

He wasn’t worried though. Like most things, he wasn’t going to sweat it. Zephyr Breeze would play cards like always.

Zephyr spent the next few hours lounging around the stage, making passes at the waitresses and promising to tip big after he won at the poker table. Until then he kept his drinks to a minimum and mostly just flirted, occasionally whistling or calling up to some of the dancing girls on stage too. He earned a few ireful gazes from some of the higher class patrons but it was all water off a duck’s back. His legs were kicked up on the table and he leaned back in his chair, relaxing as best he could right now since Fancy Pants sure as hell wouldn’t let him put his legs up on the poker table.

As far as places to wait for something to happen this was a pretty good one. Zephyr was going to enjoy it as much as he could before the game started what with not normally being allowed in here. And if he won he was probably going to get banned from returning.

Zephyr Breeze drank down the last of the beer he had ordered from his favorite (today) waitress and placed the mug back on the table. Looking out one of the windows he could tell it was getting late. The game would begin soon. More and more people had flowed into the stage too, lots of gamblers who wouldn’t be playing along with a lot of Fancy Pants’ acquaintances and other rich folk. Boy was Zephyr going to enjoy taking thousands from Fancy Pants and whatever other moneybags he had gotten together for his game.

He rubbed his hands together and stood up out of his chair. “Alright, we starting soon or what? Unlike most of the people here I got places to be!” His loud and intentionally obnoxious voice carried over the whole open floor until it reached Fancy Pants’ ears. The monocled man had been mingling and drinking champagne with some other socialites.

The wealthy proprietor frowned at him but pulled a pocket watch from his tuxedo pocket anyways to check the time. “Hmm… it is just about time.” With a cough and a nod to the band to get them to stop playing for the moment, Fancy Pants took center stage in front of his poker table. “Ladies and gentlemen, in a moment we will be beginning the grand poker game that you all came here for. I now invite all the others who are playing in the game to join me here at the table. Thank you.”

Zephyr Breeze took that as his cue and walked towards the table while some of the employees here removed the rope and a dealer came out to stand beside Fancy Pants. Fancy Pants then took his seat, his back facing the stage while the dealer sat a few spaces down at the right side of the table. Zephyr grinned. He knew where he was going to sit. With that annoying smirk on his face he made sure to get to the poker table first and sat down right across from Fancy Pants. And of course Fancy Pants glared at him again while Zephyr just winked in return.

Four others came out from the crowd of people to sit at the poker table and play. Zephyr looked back and forth between them and while they were all certainly rich people he only recognized one: Silver Shill, a glasses wearing and mousy looking guy who was one of the chief executives of the Flim Flam Bros. gun company. He had a slick brown suit on and was doing his best to look like he belonged, but after Zephyr he was probably the most out of place guy at the table, being new money. The others all had that same pompous aura and look to them that said they didn’t have to work or do anything their entire lives. Born into money. And probably their parents too.

Well, Zephyr Breeze didn’t hate guys like that, that’s just the way the world worked. And he was fine with how his life had gone so far.

“It’s standard five-card poker,” the dealer said as everyone took their seats. “Everyone antes and we go clockwise starting from me on who first discards and draws new cards. Does everyone understand the rules?”

“Yes.” Everyone said at once—except for Zephyr who said “Oh yeah!”.

“Then I will now begin dealing,” the dealer said and pulled out a deck. It looked pristine and new, as expected of Fancy Pants, and the dealer expertly shuffled the cards before splaying them all out on the table, flipping them over, and then shuffling them back together. With a final riffle he cut the deck in two and placed the formerly bottom half on top. Then the cards began to fly.

One to each.

Two to each.

Three to each.

Four to each.

Five to each.

Zephyr Breeze looked at his first hand and hoped for the best. King of Clubs, Ten of Diamonds, Five of Clubs, Five of Spades, 2 of Diamonds. Well it could be worse but it could also be a lot better. He was still going to count himself lucky for having a pair right off the bat.

Now the ante came up and the dealer asked everyone to put fifty bits into the middle of the table.

Zephyr did his best not to sweat, that was more than half of what he had. If he actually did lose this first hand he wouldn’t have enough to ante up anymore. He knew it would be a high-stakes game but he was hoping for twenty at the start, not fifty. Still, he threw the coins he had in. Zephyr was no stranger to risk and a big gamble. He relished it. If he had to win here starting out with nothing more than a pair of fives then that’s what he’d do. Be a fun way to start off the game, get his heart pounding and also get on the nerves of these bigwigs.

Besides, in a game like this it was rare for more than one or two players to have anything more than a decent hand. It was possible nobody had anything better than two-pair or three-of-a-kind even after picking up their new cards. In fact, Zephyr could count more times he won with a high card than he won with a straight flush or royal flush.

Fancy Pants discarded three cards and was dealt three new ones. That meant that at best he had a pair of aces that he kept and he might’ve just gotten some more help or no help at all. Zephyr Breeze was paying close attention to his face as Fancy looked at his new cards but the philanthropist gave nothing away, he had a good poker face. The others were the same aside from Silver Shill, who couldn’t stop himself from sweating a little across his forehead as he asked for four new cards. Meanwhile one of the other players folded altogether right from the start. Not a stupid thing to do, in fact it was probably what Silver Shill should’ve done too, but it was boring to Zephyr. It was Zephyr’s turn next and he calmly asked for three cards himself while wearing his same easygoing grin as always.

He had a good poker face too, and that’s why he didn’t give anything away when the Five of Hearts came into his hand. Three-of-a-kind, something with a high probability of being the strongest hand at the table. Zephyr Breeze wasn’t going to raise though if it came down to it. First off because everyone would know he had less than fifty bits left and secondly cause he didn’t want to tip his hand. So he waited to see what the others were going to do and at best he would call with what he could.

When Fancy Pants didn’t raise, Zephyr decided to do one of the things he did best: annoy people.

“It aint that bad for you right off the bat, is it?” He asked their host.

Fancy Pants frowned and stared across the table at Zephyr Breeze. “Perhaps I’m lulling someone into a false sense of security.”

“Oh sure, sure, I bet that’s what’s happening. Definitely don’t only have a pair of Twos or something,” Zephyr Breeze chuckled.

Fancy Pants’ eyes narrowed. “I thought I told you to be on your best behavior.”

“Hey, this is just part of the game too,” Zephyr shrugged. “Bluffs, psyching people out, that’s as big a part of poker as the cards themselves.”

“So it is. But we should also move things along,” Fancy Pants snorted and glanced over to the player to his left. “Well? Call, raise, or fold?”

“Raise, actually,” he said and threw another fifty bits in.

Silver Shill folded when that happened, running a hand through his smooth hair as she shook his head. He was showing off his amateurishness.

Because the guy next to Silver Shill had also already folded, it was Zephyr’s turn, and there was only one thing he could do.

“Well this is a little embarrassing but I can’t call that in full. Tell you what, I’ll cover what I can and then when I win the hand I’ll only take the initial antes everyone through out. Sound fair?” Zephyr grinned as he looked from person to person, around the table he heard the onlookers muttering in distaste.

Fancy Pants rolled his eyes. “I suppose I should have expected as much. Very well, Zephyr, if you win the hand then that’s what will happen. If.”

Zephyr could tell how badly he was getting on Fancy’s nerves already. Best to not poke that hornet’s nest too much just yet. That could come later. Right now he still wanted to just play.

“Right on,” Zephyr said and pushed all the remaining money he had in his pockets out onto the table.

After that the guy on Zephyr’s left also folded and then Fancy Pants called the extra fifty thrown out. Leaving him, Fancy Pants, and the one who had raised.

“Are there any further bets?” The dealer asked the players.

A series of shaking heads was his answer. He nodded and gestured to the players. “Reveal your hands then, please. Starting with you, Mr. Fancy Pants.”

Fancy Pants put his cards down and to Zephyr’s great amusement he was almost right. Fancy Pants had a three-of-a-kind of Twos. The other player clicked his tongue in annoyance and placed his cards on the felt as well, showing a high two-pair made of Queens and Jacks. As soon as those cards were down a wide smile broke out on Zephyr’s face as he prepared to gloat over his first (of many to be sure) victory for the night.

“Well that’s just too bad but it looks like lady luck wants me to keep playing for now,” Zephyr said and put down his hand, showing the three Fives dead center.

“Three-of-a-kind with Fives, the high hand.” The dealer nodded to Zephyr Breeze.

Around the table the onlookers murmured and some huffed in annoyance and dislike as Zephyr Breeze won the first hand of the game. He was not endearing himself to them at all. Whether he had the skill or the luck, they just wanted someone like him gone from the game.

“And I’ll be taking back my fifty and all of yours, too,” Zephyr said as he reached out to rake it all in, only giving back what Fancy Pants and the other player had raised. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Laugh now, Zephyr. Truth be told I’m also happy you get to keep playing, it’ll be more fun to take back everything you think you’ve won,” Fancy Pants said as he sipped a glass of champagne a waitress had brought.

“Not a big deal,” Zephyr shrugged. “After all I could just bow out right now couldn’t I? Take my winnings and go, a lot richer than how I came in. But don’t worry, I won’t be doing that. You all haven’t lost enough yet.” He winked.

“I say, you are not exactly the kind of company I expected at this game,” the player immediately to Zephyr’s left said.

“His money is still good,” Fancy Pants said. “As distasteful as he is.”

Zephyr Breeze shrugged and sat back as the dealer re-shuffled the deck and flicked cards out to everyone again. The mood at the table was considerably more serious now as nobody wanted Zephyr to win another round again. Of course Zephyr was still sporting the same cocky smile he always did. When he saw his hand though the only thing that kept that smile up was his trained poker face. Junk. Absolute junk. Queen high and chances of either a straight or a flush were one in a million. Zephyr loved to make stupid far out gambles sometimes but his goal here was to win big, he couldn’t afford to lose too much this early. He shrugged, still smiling, and folded when the dealer came to him.

“Not as lucky this round but what are you gonna do?” He leaned back some more and almost kicked his feet up onto the table before catching himself.

“Lose, I would say,” Fancy Pants icily said to him.

“This round. Not the whole game,” Zephyr Breeze said right back.

Being out of it already, Zephyr instead decided to keep a close eye on all of the other players to look for tells and how they played the game. Fancy Pants ended up winning the pot this time with a Nine high straight. Silver Shill on the other hand looked like a guy who didn’t know when to fold. Not that it mattered for him, since even at an expensive game like this everything he lost was just a drop in a bucket.

The next hand Zephyr was dealt looked a lot better. But it was risky all the same. Four Diamonds and then a measly Jack of Clubs. He could try getting rid of the Jack and hope for a flush but if he didn’t get a Diamond at best he would end up with a pair and at worst ace high.

This time though, this was the sort of gamble he would gladly take. The antes were in and as the dealer went around the table everyone got their new cards until it was Zephyr’s turn.

“One,” he said to the dealer and didn’t even bother looking up at anyone else to gauge their reactions. The thing is, asking for only one card was a good bluff strategy. Even if he didn’t get anything now the others might think it was too risky to challenge him.

The dealer slid a card over the felt and Zephyr calmly picked it up, putting it in his hand before even really looking at it.

Nine of Diamonds.

This really is my day, aint it? Zephyr Breeze grinned internally. I can’t remember the last time I was this damn lucky at Poker.

Fancy Pants ended up folding, which was disappointing since Zephyr wanted to get more money off him, and the next guy just called. But then it came time for Silver Shill and that new money fellow raised. Fifty bits were pushed out into the table. Zephyr Breeze was plenty happy for that, having a flush like this gave him the opportunity to make a lot of money this round. The likelihood of someone else at the table having anything better was very low. Even getting a flush was already low chances, so someone having something like a full house or four-of-a-kind to beat it was practically crazy.

That’s why when it came to Zephyr he raised, pushing another fifty bits into the pot. Everyone except for Silver Shill folded after that. Silver Shill looked over to Zephyr Breeze with a frown, trying to size him up and see if he was bluffing or not. But Zephyr had that same cocky, easygoing, attitude as usual.

“Well, Mr. Shill? It’s your move,” the dealer said to the other player.

“Thank you,” Silver Shill nodded and looked over his cards one more time. Zephyr almost felt bad for beating on an obvious beginner like Silver Shill, but maybe the rube shouldn’t have joined this game if he wasn’t prepared. At last Silver opened his mouth again. “Call.” He said and pushed fifty more bits in.

After that it was time for the cards to come down. Zephyr Breeze showed his first, fanning out the red flush on the table.

When Silver Shill saw it he bit his lip and roughly dragged a hand through his hair, almost pulling on it. Putting his cards down on the felt showed a 4-8 straight. Ouch. That would’ve been a good hand but Zephyr just happened to be a little luckier this time.

“Close one, close one,” Zephyr said, laughing as he pulled all the money to himself and started making it into neat little piles around his spot. It couldn’t compare in the slightest to what these other players actually had on them but Zephyr had still so far won the most.

“You’re doing well, Zephyr. Perhaps it was good that you came here since you’re certainly making the game more entertaining,” Fancy Pants said and looked around at the onlookers.

It was true, everyone was finding this quite interesting. Even if the rich socialites and businesspeople watching didn’t exactly like an underdog like Zephyr he was still putting on a good show.

“I just like to have a fun time. Guess it’s infectious,” Zephyr said.

“Indeed,” Fancy Pants muttered and with another nod to the dealer the next hand began.

That was the nature of the game from then on, Zephyr Breeze always in the lead (when it came to overall winnings) and only losing a little most of the time or folding when it was smart. He lost one big hand to an unfortunate full house but at least it wasn’t Fancy Pants who was the winner either. Fancy Pants of course played a solid game but as time wore on it became obvious he was getting more and more frustrated that he couldn’t break Zephyr and clean him out. Zephyr for his part probably could’ve bowed out of the game long ago but it was more than just winning big now—he wanted the others to lose big too. Chalk it up to his gambling nature but that dumb idea just made him really excited on the inside. How was he supposed to resist anyways? In front of a huge crowd like this, Fancy Pants’ own circle, and he had the opportunity to totally show the man up and take a massive amount of bits from him.

So Zephyr Breeze was gambling again.

Maybe it was dumb and he should’ve just left to go get a nice gift for Fluttershy and then spend the rest of his winnings in… “other” ways, but Zephyr was enjoying this game of poker way too much right now. He made a promise to himself that he was going to win a huge pot from Fancy Pants to end the night. Whether he had to bluff his way to it or just get a strong hand that’s what he was going to do. To enjoy things even more he had one of the waitresses bring him over an elaborate cocktail. Sipping that in front of Fancy Pants just made the host that much more annoyed.

When the next hand started to get dealt, Zephyr knew what his plan was to end things on a high note.

He smugly watched each card come sliding to him before picking them all up and then making an overexaggerated yawn and smile. “Hey, looks like I’m winning this hand too.”

It was part of a bluff he was planning but in truth he did have a decent hand: Black Aces and Eights with the Jack of hearts.

“I think you’ve had enough lucky draws,” Silver Shill said as he glared at Zephyr.

“Think whatever you want but my luck aint running out tonight,” Zephyr shrugged.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Fancy Pants said.

The anteing started after that with only the player to Zephyr’s left folding from the outset. When it got time to ask for new cards, Fancy Pants asked for three, the next guy two, Silver Shill four, the guy next to him two, and finally when it came to Zephyr-

“None. I don’t need any,” Zephyr told the dealer.

The others all looked at him and he heard a wave of murmurs go through the crowd watching. It was a bold strategy and most would probably (correctly) assume he was bluffing. So he just needed to bluff harder the more the round went on.

Zephyr just shrugged, playing up the act. “You all heard me.”

When the time for new bets came though it was clear that Fancy Pants was going to attempt to call his bluff for now. “Raise. Fifty.” The rich man said and slid his bits to the center of the table.

Silver Shill had the sense to fold this time but the other two called Fancy’s raise, bringing it back to Zephyr.

“I’ll call your fifty, and raise you one hundred more,” Zephyr said and casually pushed his bits in.

The other two folded immediately, but not Fancy Pants.

“Someone’s trying to bluff, is he?” Fancy Pants raised a mocking eyebrow at Zephyr Breeze. “Very well. I’ll call your one hundred and raise you one hundred more.”

“Oh? You finally trying to actually get me out of this game? It aint happening here though. You want two hundred? I’ll raise you five hundred.” Zephyr Breeze pushed a huge pile of his money into the center, it was enough now where even these rich people were greedily leering in and the other players at the table were looking with concern at Fancy Pants.

Zephyr Breeze wasn’t finished yet either. “Man oh man, how embarrassing would it be if you lost this hand to me? Raising so confidently and all that. But when you lose you’ll be the biggest loser of the night and it’ll happen right in front of all your little friends and acquaintances.”

Fancy Pants glowered at him. “Call.”

“Ohhh, just calling this time? Not confident enough to raise and lose more? Well let me help you out there,” Zephyr said and threw every last bit of money he had into the pot. “I’m all in. Now you call me or fold.”

Seeing the amount of money Zephyr put in, as well as his confidence and taking into account how lucky he’d been tonight, made Fancy Pants pause for once. He looked down at his own hand: a three-of-a-kind with Fours. Decent, but was it good enough for him to call Zephyr’s bet? Was he really bluffing? And if he went all in here and it turned out Zephyr was just baiting him it would be humiliating. Losing like that in front of everyone.

“You don’t have it,” Fancy Pants finally said. “You’re not getting your way this time, Zephyr.”

“Pff,” Zephyr snorted. “Put your money where your mouth is then. And even if you’re right then so what? I lose and I go back to having nothing, which is how I woke up this morning, big deal. But if you lose here it means you just lost a whole bunch of money to some no good bum, you’ll be out way more money than you woke up with today and people will be talking about it for ages.” Zephyr Breeze smirked at Fancy Pants and leaned over the table. “So what’s it gonna be? Call? Or fold?”

Either way Fancy Pants was in a hard spot and for the first time so far his poker face slipped a little and he found himself sweating. Three-of-a-kind was a good hand, he knew that, but there was still so much that beat it. What if Zephyr even had a three-of-a-kind with Fives? That would be excruciating. And he had a point, Fancy had way more to lose than Zephyr did and if he got baited into being cleaned out at his own game he’d never live it down.

He wasn’t willing to make that gamble.

With great irritation and the urge to crush his cards in his hand, Fancy Pants laid them face down on the table. “I fold.”

“Alright!” Zephyr Breeze yelled and pumped his arm in celebration. “Thank you, thank you. This has been a wonderful night.” He said while waving to all of the onlookers who were absolutely flabbergasted that Zephyr Breeze had just won such a large pot and bested Fancy Pants at the same time. The inside of the stage was loud and uproarious with surprise. He could see scornful and surprised faces as he looked across the crowd, and it just made him grin even more.

And Zephyr Breeze wasn’t about to show his hand either. He didn’t have to. And he didn’t want Fancy Pants to know if he was bluffing or not. So he placed it all face down too and cracked his fingers before yawning and stepping out of his chair. “Well it’s been fun you guys but I think I’m going to take my winnings and head on out of here.”

Fancy Pants’s eye twitched. “Not going to give me the chance to win back my money?”

“Nope,” Zephyr winked at him. “Maybe you’ll have better luck the next time we play.” He looked down at the big pile of bits and bills in front of him. “Hmm, could kind of use a briefcase for all of this if you’ve got one to lend out? I’ll even pay you for it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Fancy Pants icily said. He then glanced at one of the workers under his employ. “Fetch Mr. Zephyr Breeze a briefcase that he can hold his money in.”

Zephyr basked in the glory as he waited to be able to take his money on out of here, basked in the glory and the annoyance of everyone he had just beaten. Boy did it feel good. And boy did it feel good for a gamble like that to pay off, he loved gambling precisely because of that. Hell, he’d still love it even if Fancy Pants had called his bluff and won. The point was how good it felt to take a risk. Now he could get an even better gift for Fluttershy than he planned and he could probably go at least a week this time before he lost it all in another game of poker.

When the briefcase was full, Zephyr took it from the worker and gave a final wave and obnoxious smirk to Fancy Pants and the others. “I’ll see you around, fellas.”

He turned and began walking through the large crowd between him and the exit to the stage. Weathering those angry glares was no sweat to him, he just squeezed his way through with swagger, being as arrogant as possible. “Scuse me, pardon me—hey baby, you’re looking good—pardon me, coming through.”

When he got to the last few people of the crowd and pushed them aside to leave he found himself suddenly blocked from the front door.

“Excuse me, pal-”

He felt the powerful whumph of the gunshot in his stomach before he heard it and Zephyr Breeze went down immediately, the briefcase falling from his grip. Screams of terror rang out from the crowd as Oak Tree grabbed the briefcase and ran off out the front door with it. Zephyr Breeze just barely caught a glimpse of him shrugging off the two doormen outside before the doors closed shut again. Above him now the blurry faces of the crowd blocked out the ceiling and Zephyr’s vision swam around and all became muddled together. Barely, with the last bit of strength he had in his body, he managed to tilt up his head and look down at the bullet wound in his stomach. His hands were reflexively clasped over it and blood flowed freely out between them. But he couldn’t feel anything, just cold.

Zephyr Breeze tilted his head back and closed his eyes, Fluttershy briefly appearing to him in the darkness.

Well, them’s the breaks.