The House Always Whinnies

Chapters

3 - Lunar Eclipse
4 - Sun Over All
5 - Full House
6 - Mare to Mare
7 - Wage Comparisons
8 - Power to the Mares
9 - Question of Take
10 - Your Name Is?
11 - Embrasse-moi
12 - Don't Tap the Glass
13 - Double Pane
15 - The Rain Ends
16 - Swimming in Troubled Waters
17 - A Step Too Far
18 - Timeout
19 - Press Start to Continue
20 - Bonus Stage
21 - Put a Ring on It
22 - Ho Ho Ho
23 - Revealed Hand
24 - Two of a Pair
25 - Just Desserts
26 - Rising Sun
1 - Ante Up
2 - Your Order, Sir
14 - A Good Pony

3 - Lunar Eclipse

"You ruined my streak!" Luna was glaring at… Luna. "I don't need you announcing my moves as I do them!"

"We are the announcer." The other Luna inclined her head. "That includes what you are doing, especially when you begin to gather attention."

"Break it up, my little ponies." Celestia spread her wings as she moved between them, pushing the two Lunas a few inches further apart. "We don't need to come to arms about this."

The announcing Luna nodded at Celestia. "Truly you speak, sister mine. You can settle this with but a few words." She pointed at herself, then the gaming Luna. "Which of us is the true Luna, and why is it not that one?"

Gaming Luna scowled at Celestia. "That's a trick question! Your real sister can tan your hide at Trot Trot Solution!"

"Your true sister has proper manners." Announcing Luna drew herself taller. "And is but one head smaller than you, sister mine. Not a head and a half like this delinquent."

"I am not shorter than you!" Gaming Luna charged up to Announcing Luna, only to discover no matter how hard she tried to stretch herself straight and tall, she was actually a bit shorter. A younger Luna, perhaps? "That doesn't matter!" She leveled a hoof at her larger doppelganger. "The better Luna can win. Name your game, any game. You're going down!"

Celestia sat, hooves raising in placating gestures, not that it seemed to be working. The crowd was cheering on the conflict, eager to see the two butt heads. "You're both wonderful sisters."

Announcing Luna nodded. "But only one of us is best. And we already know that we are. We do not need a meaningless game to prove that."

Celestia suddenly smiled. "I know exactly the game." Both Lunas were looking at her, uneasy quiet between them. "My best sister would surely know how to serve me tea."

Announcing Luna's smile was quite wide. "That is not a game. That is a duty, and one we will perform well." She turned in place. "Let us retire to the food court, where we can fetch your tea and your favorite cake, sister mine."

"That's not a game," agreed Gamer Luna, scowling as the two walked off. "Cheater." And yet, Celestia had succeeded. The confrontation had ended. "That doesn't even count," grumbled the smaller Luna as she turned back to the game. "I'm in the mood for some revenge. Who is ready to have their flank tanned by royalty?!"

The crowd began to shift. A few, perhaps foolish, souls moving to accept Luna's offer for a beat down. Others gathered around to watch the carnage.

Fleur walked past it in no special hurry. Her target was past all the noise. There, that hat, that shirt. Flim, one of the owners of the very casino she worked in. "Pardon me."

Flim looked up with a smile. "Well, if it isn't one of my prize mares! How can I help?"

"It is about the paperwork of mienne." Her horn glowing, she drew up a card that floated there, announcing her payment. It was criminally small, but she didn't know better, and she didn't bring it up. "It says I was employée here for just a week, but haven't I been here longer than that?"

"Nope, just a week." He patted her on the shoulder lightly. "Seven days, what you were paid for, hm? Now you keep up the good work. The crowd adores you!"

Fleur wandered away from Flim, frowning faintly. Ah, a familiar attire. His brother. She hastened towards him. "Flam, Un moment s'il vous plaît."

"We can play after hours." Flam turned to see the concerned Fleur. "Something wrong?"

She brought the card closer. "I remember clearly more than a week, but this says only a week. Pourquoi?"

Flam gave a soft huh of thought. "Must have been a mistake in the office. You should be being paid for the last two weeks. We pay every two weeks, you know that."

"I do." She smiled a little. This was a more encouraging reply. "Thank you."

"Not a problem at all for one of our darling mares." He passed the card back to her. "Keep an eye out for the fix."

Fleur had been giving an agreeable outcome, business speaking. And yet, her heart did not sit quite right. She made her way across the floor, ducking into the workers halls behind everything. Not the one that led to the, hm, customer privacy rooms. No, their rooms, where they lived.

Where she lived specifically. She willed the door open as she tucked the card away. "Octavia, are you here?"

"Hm?" A refined mare, much like herself but in very different shades and not quite so tall, looked up from her book. "Hello, Fleur. I trust my performance was acceptable?"

Fleur's left ear skewed. "Hm?" she echoed back before it hit her. Octavia had played as she had danced the day before. "Ah, magnifique! As it always the case when they allow your hooves on your cello. You are, as they say, jouer à l'ange?"

The two met, nose first, gently rubbing one to the other. The two gazed into the other's eye, a gentle smile worn. "I am bothered," broke Fleur as she turned partly away. "I am ill at ease. Perhaps you can help. You are a master of such things, of keeping a quiet thought."

"I will certainly try." Octavia sat up, watching Fleur intently. "What is the problem?"

"This." Fleur produced the card and showed it towards Octavia. "It says I only worked 7 days, but I remember it being longer. One of the brothers, he says this is correct, the other, he says this is le tort. And I am left with promises of bits, but no less confused."

Octavia frowned at the letter. "Hm." Her eyes wandered over Fleur. "You are the newest of us."

"I am happy to be a part of things. Grande soeur, when was it I arrived?" She set a hoof down near Octavia, looking to her for answers.

"I first saw you… about a week ago…" She rubbed at her chin softly. "You were… making the rounds, I recall. You were smiling. You have such a lovely smile."

That just made Fleur smile all the more. "You flatteuse! Your smile is so much more rare, but you capture such charms with every movement. I will not deny, I am jalouse at times."

"I do no such thing." Octavia waved the returned flattery away. "I play my cello. I try to do a good job of it, nothing more. But that is when I first saw you. Does that help?"

Fleur nodded, but sat on her bed with thoughts still tumbling. A week prior… A week… "I remember many days before then…"

Octavia raised a refined brow. "I don't remember seeing you. It is a busy casino, were we missing one another?"

But Fleur struggled to imagine she had somehow entirely missed Octavia, or been missed in kind. The source of the inconsistency was without an answer...

She could remember being in the game hall. She was being presented with her favorite dress. Pants. No, a dress. She… wore that… "Perhaps I should ask if I could take a day off."

"You work hard enough." Octavia stepped down from her own bed. "You look… harried. Can I help?"

"You have already been a perfect friend." The two met in a soft embrace. "That you are here is a burden lifted from my chest. I will try to get myself back in shape, hm?"

"Don't hurt yourself."

Elsewhere, on the casino floor, a fiery maned and orange furred mare set down a card in her horn's glow with a look of finality. "If this card is a jack, you lose. If it's a heart, you win." She trailed a hoof slowly around the still concealed card, facedown as it was. "It all comes down to this."

The stallion seated across from her swallowed heavily. "I'm ready to take that risk."

"I thought the same thing." With a sharp flick, she turned it about, revealing a 3 of spades. "That isn't the card you needed."

The stallion swore, just to go red. "Uh, another round?" He mouthed up a few more chips, tossing them down.

"Always a pleasure." Sunset began shuffling the cards held up in her magic. "Lady Luck is a fickle mare. If you can catch her eye, she'll shower you in all the riches you ever wanted."

"Or be ignored and lose it all," chuckled the stallion. "Let's see which way she's looking today."

"That's the spirit." She caught a glimpse of a pony glancing. "Come on over," she called to the mare. "This game works with more than one. You're against me." She set the shuffled and folded deck down with a smile. "Having someone to win or lose with makes it more fun."

The mare sat down with an uncertain noise. A bit hit the table, it was time to play.

"I have this." Another mare approached with a broken horn, casually nudging Sunset aside. "Are your eyes closed? Your shift at the table was over some time ago." Tempest grinned at the two players at what was then her table. "Let's play."

"Phew." Sunset seemed just as happy to get away, trotting off to let Tempest fleece the guests of their bits. "Back to the bar." She quickly swung around and her magic began grabbing glasses and bottles, setting things up just the way she liked it. "I see some thirsty faces. Let's fix that."

She began dispensing drinks, both plain and colorful to those who wanted it. The bar's offering were not terribly costly. A tipsy pony was just the sort of pony they wanted. "Long John!" She saluted a stallion she had seen come in many a time. "Your usual?"

"The usual," agreed the tallish earth pony. "You know just the way I like it."

"Just the way." And she got to mixing. Long John was very particular. But he also tipped if you got it right. He was a reliable source of extra bits, which Sunset was not shy about earning it as she plunked down the glass, not a drop of the drink spilling. "Just the way you like it."

Long leaned in with a sniffing. "Hm, yeah…" He'd tip that day…

A clear note rang out over the area as the curtains lifted, revealing a new performer. Spitfire's gaze wandered over the crowd as she continued, "At this moment, you mean everything." She reached out a hoof slowly in tune with her words, continuing the song that didn't exist in Equestria.

Not that any pony there knew, thinking they'd just never heard of it before. A true enough fact as their heads slowly bobbed along with the melody Spitfire was producing. A tale of love, lust, and loss, much of the context being missed on the merry casino goers.

It was far more interesting to them to see the pretty mare singing an emotional song, the specific emotions so easily forgotten in the noise and activity of the gaming floor. It was already out of sync, to have a Wonderbolt singing them a song, the rest was almost meaningless.

Even as Fleur emerged from the back tunnels, the life of the casino was a throbbing and living thing. It went on despite her worries, despite her confusion. "Flim, Flam? Frères."

A pony she was passing pointed the way with an extended wing. There, across the floor. But they were busy, talking animatedly to other ponies. They got upset when the ladies, Fleur included, barged in on them during such conversations. "Mince," Fleur muttered under her breath. Both a dirty and clean word, used for Prench speakers who wish to avoid actual profanities.

She would have to wait.

"Ma'am." A foal was standing before her, grinning at her. "What's your name?"

Fleur smiled at the little colt. "I am Fleur de lis." For the moment, she could treat the child kindly. That was a job she felt confident in.

Author's Note

Say hello to other performers that work in this strange casino.

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!

4 - Sun Over All

Celestia strode confidently through the casino. She was available, at quite the premium. Ruler of the realm, at least outside the casino, Celestia was the ruler of the security, within it. She snatched a pony in her magic. "You look a little young for here, young colt."

The gangly teen of a colt ran wildly, but went nowhere, being hovered in the air. "Hey, lemme go!"

"I think not. Where are your parents?" Celestia looked around for anypony taking pointed interest in their interaction. "You must be within their sight at all times."

The colt began to point. "No! You can't tell him!"

Celestia smiled easily. It was obvious to her what was happening then. "Is your father even here, at this casino?"

"T-two doors--"

"--What have you got there?" Tempest emerged from the crowd, eyes darting between Celestia and the captive colt. "Where are his parents?"

"I was just asking him. And he was about to tell me." Celestia rolled a metal-clad hoof. "Go on."

"Two doors down." The colt thrust a hoof in the right direction.

Celestia knew the place. Safe for the whole family. The most untoward thing they had there was the unlimited ice cream bar. Quite an attraction, that. "Your father would be quite displeased if he learned you were here, I can only imagine."

Tempest moved in on the colt, trapping him between herself and Celestia, not that he could move far in his field of capturing magic. "Want me to go find him? Maybe that'll teach him a lesson about sneaking where he doesn't belong."

"Tempting…" She could see the colt trembling in terror. "But if he just promises to go and not come back until he's old enough, or with his father, we can let this slide, one time."

"Oh please! I'll be good!" The colt clopped his hooves together with the biggest grin he could manage. "Promise!"

Tempest rolled her eyes. "You're too nice." The glow on the magic around the colt shifted as Tempest began to spark and fizzle around her horn, taking grasp of the young one. "I'll take him out." In but a moment, she left the foal on the sidewalk out front. "I swear. This is why they sneak in here. They know you won't tan their bottoms."

"Tanning anypony that doesn't pay for exactly that is how we can draw the wrong kind of attention to the casino," gently cautioned Celestia, an easy smile worn. "He'll have quite the tale to tell, and maybe others will hear about us from it. He's free advertising, if you think about it."

"Yeah…" Tempest shook her head softly. "Look, one premium mare to another, we're better than this."

"Better than what?" A brow and an ear raised in unison. "Is something wrong?"

"Chasing brats around?" Tempest inclined her head towards the inside. "I'm going to get back to the cards. The sweet sound of a cut deck is just what I need right now."

"Make them cry," called Celestia supportively with a little smile. She did not seem at all ruffled with her place in the grand scheme of things. "I'm just keeping things safe for my little ponies." It's what Celestia did, in and outside of the casino. She watched out for her little ponies.

"Celly!" There was Flim, approaching with a knowing smile. "We have a gig for you." He was holding a ticket, floating it towards Celestia. "Five PM."

"Five?" Celestia glanced at the clock. It was hidden from sight, but she knew where it was, hiding behind a sign. It wasn't there for the casino guests. "That's early for a guest, isn't it?" Her eyes darted over the slip. "Two?"

"They were sure there was enough of you to share." Flim waggled his brows at the dirty implication. "And they paid for it. You'll be ready, hm?"

"Of course." Celestia nodded gently. "They know my conditions, I presume?"

"Nothing plain, Celly my dear." Flim wandered off right past her. "Just a couple that want to touch the sun."

Celestia watched him go. She had finally gotten a vacation. Running a country was hard work… Somehow she had not envisioned that vacation becoming involved with… them. On one hoof, being treated like much any other pony was a refreshing change of pace.

On the other, it was them. She walked without letting her feelings show. Besides, she had two ponies that wanted to be with her. It wasn't as if she had any regret towards them anyway. Ponies were normally too frightened to approach her. It made sense, really, in the end.

They paid. They paid because it gave them bravery. By paying, they felt they 'earned' the right to be with her. Reminding them they could have approached if they were just brave, and interesting, would not help the situation.

She willed the door open and began putting things in their proper places. Some of the mares and stallions that worked there would take the room as it was. Celestia was a pony of… tastes… She set out tools to the left and scenery to the right. She placed a large decal of the sun above, floating it in her magic as she pressed it flat to stick right where she wanted it. They would do work beneath its gentle gaze. Whoever came would likely get quite used to being under the sun. That was often how it worked out. Maybe that time would be different?

There would be no mystery that the pony who entered would know they were in the sun's domain. A little subdued smile worn, she sank down onto the bed, tail lashing once across the soft sheets. She could hear them coming. Two sets, as promised. Just before they reached her door, she spoke up, "Enter."

She could tell they were surprised. There was a delay. Were they asking one another if they should press on. Poor things.

The door cracked open, and a face peeked in. That was a face she knew. "Mister Carrot Cake."

He went red as a beet. "U-um, yes ma'am!" He scooted inside, making room for Cup Cake to follow him in. "I'm glad you remember us."

Celestia had not expected those two. "How could I forget. Have you come to serve your sun once more? Or... " She licked her lips slowly, making sure they could see the action, her eyes drilling into them. "Or… this time, you would like to put the sun in her place, hm?"

Mister and Missus Cake shared a look at that. Cup Cake advanced. "First, let me say that is is quite nice to see you again." She cleared her throat softly. "You really do look just like her."

Celestia raised a brow. "You have that backwards. I am the real Celestia. The one in Canterlot, that one is the fake."

There, all nice and settled. But Missus Cake only looked more confused. "Do you doubt me?"

"But… Celestia retired?" Cup Cake shook her head. "Nevermind that. Today is all about you, right there." She advanced a step with a smile. "Ruler of the sun."

Celestia pointed at Carrot Cake suddenly. "You. Who will raise the sun today? Is it me? Or is it you?" She sneered, tail lashing anew. "Make a decision and do not regret it."

Carrot Cake cleared his throat softly. "Today we want neither of those."

Cup Cake advanced towards the bed. "Today, we would like to be what you never had, not truly."

"Not truly?" Celestia lifted an ear, curiosity forming. Surprise was not something she encountered often, and the tease of it brought a smile on her face. "Tell me more, my clever little ponies."

Carrot reared up, setting his hooves on the bed's edge. "We wish to be your foals."

"And you our mother," finished Cup. "Not our queen."

"Your mother," finished Celestia, ears dancing. She had mentored no few ponies, assuming a role close to that of a mother, but not quite… there. "I had expected a more… carnal desire." She glanced off at the exotic tools that would need no use if she were dealing with foals.

Cup Cake hopped up onto the bed, her husband coming with her as they circled around either way to trap Celestia. "As a mother, I know that parenthood can be very--"

"--very," continued Carrot, closing in against Celestia, trapping her between their warm forms. "Sensual, and close. A normal foal can do nothing with this."

"To hold them close is all one can do, hold them, and protect them." Cup set a leg over Celestia and sank against her. "But these foals are ready to love their mother very much."

"With all their hearts," added Carrot, nuzzling into her soft faintly off-pink fur. "Sun mother, you are especially bedazzling today."

Celestia smiled gently. A little worship play was not that. She jumped, feeling a hoof straying where she did not expect it. Cup was nosing up underneath her, working through the soft fur of her belly. "What are you--" It become all too obvious when the seal was made, the soft little motions. A thrill ran up her spine, realizing that the grown mare, a mother, was nursing from her. "Is… Is baby hungry?" She set a hoof gently on Cup's back as she sat up properly, making it easier to reach that near-hidden teat.

Play or not, Celestia had never had a child, so her breasts never had much a reason to grow, so they hadn't. That didn't make them less sensitive to, oh! Carrot had joined from the other side, two adult ponies working her in only the soft sounds of suckling. She had become the mother of two hungry little foals. Part of her wanted to laugh, but it did feel nice, and she wanted to see where it was going. "Drink up… You have to grow big and strong," she whispered instead, holding the two gently.

Unlike actual foals, she was free to enjoy the sexuality of the occasion. Both were not only adult, but middle aged. There was no shame in feeling turned on by their actions. Her horn glowed as she reached around and under the two, tickling and teasing in kind. "My my my," she whispered gently. "It looks like my foals are ready to make some of their own. Will I be a grandmother?"

Unlike her, Cup Cake was a mother. Her teats were a little swollen despite those foals being large enough to not technically require her to do that. All the more a target for Celestia's magic to caress, squeeze, and pull with slowly increasing intensity. She was staring to enjoy what the Cakes had bought to her, however unexpected.

Carrot squirmed, fully engorged against his 'mother' He wasn't getting any milk, but there were other things his large sun mother could provide. He began to nuzzle away from her belly, instead nosing at her cutie mark, tracing the sun that the entire country knew so well. "Naughty colt." Not that she was actually stopping him. "What are you doing?"

Another nose. Cup had moved to match. The two were quite the team, without any words shared between them, they were working Celestia in stereo. Her cutie mark was… actually a bit sensitive. It wasn't like she could get many ponies to touch it, or to do much with it. But now she had two nipping and rubbing in soft ways that made her spine tingle with delight. "Naughty children!" She grabbed both in her golden magic, lifting them into the air. "Foals like you need to be disciplined." She smirked at the two as their happy expressions faded to something of worry.

Good. They had surrendered command of the situation to her some time ago. It was time for her to make use of that. "Such impudent little foals." She smooched the top of Cup's head, then Carrot's. "It's a good thing I love them very much. This will hurt me more than it hurts you…"

She would discipline them, and make them squeal in new ways they likely never experienced before. Maybe they would come back again.

Author's Note

Celestia's been around a long time. She needs interesting twists to keep interested, you see.

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

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5 - Full House

The casino was bouncing. Not literally, of course, but there was plenty of fun-seeking ponies looking to get their fix, and the casino, and its showmares, were there to help make that happen. "Oui." Fleur gestured to the right. "You will want that." The guest nodded and ambled off at a lively trot. "What a crowd..."

More than usual. Fleur had to navigate that same crowd, weaving slowly. She was a large pony, which only slowed her progress. Ponies were not as eager as she'd have liked to dive out of her way. Most just started to move when she was on them, making it a slow slog.

"Here ya go!" Apple Bloom was just as overwhelmed as the others, hurrying order after order into waiting hooves as quickly as she could.

"This isn't my order."

Apple Bloom slapped a hoof to her face. "Right." She grabbed the tray and swapped it to another pony. "Be right back!" and she dashed into the back.

Fleur shook her head. At least she wasn't alone in the crush of the wave. What had drawn so many customers in at once? Flim and Flam, at least, were surely pleased.

Her thoughts strayed to calmer times. She remembered enjoying the slot machines. She walked up to one, took hold of the knob in her hand.

Hand? She did not have hands. Her magic! Obviously. Her magic could form a hand, for pulling just a thing and hoping for a lucky spin, yes, clearly…

"Fleur!" There was Flam, waving at her. "Go get Octavia out here. All hooves on deck!"

Any excuse to escape that crush was a welcome one. "Je suis sur l'affaire," she called in reply, working her way towards one of the staff hallways.

Ah, blissful quiet. The doors between the gaming areas and the staff areas were quite well made, little sound but a faint murmur of that riot getting through, leaving Fleur to her own thoughts in peace.

But she did have a task. She marched down the hallway, not erupting into a trot. A little time in the quiet wouldn't hurt her…

"Is that you, Fleur?" Octavia had heard her approach and somehow knew it was her despite only hearing her hoofsteps. "On break already?"

Fleur willed the door open, poking her head in. "Non. Flam sent me to fetch you. It is quite busy today."

"That I can hear it at all is testament to that." Octavia rose, approaching her cello. "Does he want me to play for them?"

Fleur folded an ear back, considering that. "Non… They would barely hear you in their state. I imagine he is hoping you will serve them directly."

Octavia frowned at that. "We are mares of specific talents." She rose to her hooves. "How do you put up with it? I swear… I am a cellist! Not a bartender. Not a maid. Not a dancer…"

Flits of her troubling thoughts returned to her. "About that… 'Tavi, if you've a moment?"

"Hm?" She put her cello back against the wall, apparently not needing it at the moment. "For you, you know I always have a moment." A kind smile returned. "I'm not angry at you, not at all. What's on your mind?"

"A few things." Fleur slipped in, the door closing behind her with a glow of her magic. "Odd flights of fancy, as they say… Let's start with… the most rooted." She sat in place. "How long have I worked here?"

Octavia frowned at that. "About a week? At least that's when I started seeing you, whyever is that a problem? We were all new at some time. You've adapted rather nicely, if you ask me, which you are."

"It still bothers me." Fleur scowled with renewed irritation. "I remember more than a week. One of the brothers said more than a week… Where is that week, Octavia? Où est-ce?"

"What else is bothering you?" deflected Octavia. "It's not just a typo on your pay stub that has you looking like that."

"Non… no…" Fleur took a slow breath. "I keep remembering things. They feel… impossible." She thrust a hoof at Octavia. "This is a hoof, is it not?"

"It is a lovely hoof." Octavia set her own hoof atop it. "That belongs to a lovely mare, who is obviously quite rattled."

"I remember grabbing something, with a hand! Une main!" Fleur waved that hoof that was not a hand at Octavia. "Where can that come from?"

Octavia trapped the hoof between both of hers. "You do not have any hands," she stated in clear confident tones. "I am holding a hoof. That is what you have."

"What I have." Fleur settled on her haunches, allowing Octavia to just cradle her hoof. "Of course." She leaned in, touching nose to nose with her roomie. "Thank you for allowing me this moment of nonsense."

"Nonsense is not a word I would associate with you." Octavia pushed Fleur back as she rose herself. "If you are having these…" She trailed off with a frown. "Have you had other thoughts? Things that bother you? Do tell me. I will not judge."

Of that Fleur was doubtful. Octavia judged, a lot, when she thought the one being judged couldn't hear. "It's… hard to put in words… I have this nagging feeling, as if I were not… being entirely myself." She suddenly grunted, clopping the ground as she turned. "I must sound like a mad mare!"

"Perish the thought." She perked an ear. "Somepony's coming. Someone crude."

"Ladies." Flim had arrived, knocking on the door. "We need everyone out on the floor. Today's quite the busy day."

"On the way," Octavia called out, but her eyes were on Fleur. "We are not finished." She rose herself up fully. "We have work to do, but we will continue this conversation."

Fleur stepped out of the way for Octavia to move past, following along afterwards. "Have you ever had such thoughts?"

Octavia turned an ear back at her friend. "I will gladly share, later. For now, let's put on a brave face." She forced a smile. It was not her usual look. "And make some ponies happy to be here."

They emerged into the thick of it. For a while, there was little time for inner thoughts. Their job had need of them. They were called to positions they did not often frequent. Fleur spotted Sunset helping ponies onto the roller coaster. "Tell me you have a clue why we're so busy?"

Sunset swung shut the door with her magic, getting the car moving down the track. With a heavy grunt, she turned to Fleur. "An entire airship of ponies came for a trip. The place they were going to stay at? Closed for extermination. Guess who got the overflow." She tossed her head at the crowd. "Flim and Flam jumped on the chance, took it all without thinking how hard it'd be to keep up."

Fleur had to take a moment to imagine just how large that airship must have been to carry so many extra ponies to their doorstep. "Well… good for them…" Not so good for the rest of them. "I had better go." There were no breaks, not that day. "Appels de travail." And she dove back into the crowd to do her part.

She buckled down. It was crunch time. She'd survived Christmas rushes! She'd survived Black Friday! She could handle a press of customers. She knew retail!

What was Christmas?

Another strange thought. No time for that. It was Friday, but no more black or any other color. What… No, stop being distracted. She clopped and forced herself back on track. "Just this way." She was a waiter and servant. She'd get ponies where they needed and make sure they had a lovely time while they were there. That was the job she accepted.

She had… applied…

When had she applied? Why did she take the job? Where was she before she had the job? The questions kept coming even as she pushed through the day.

But the pressure did abate. Fleur wasn't sure exactly when, but there was room around her. She could hear ponies speaking again. Ah, there was Flam. She approached at a brisk trot. "Are the guests retiring to their rooms?"

"Yes," he snapped. "But not to ours. 'Too crowded,' they said." He rolled his eyes with a loud snort. "They've gone to other hotels, most of them. Still, today was a capital day." Ah, his smile was back. "We'll have to count it up, but the registers didn't even have a moment to calm down." He slapped Fleur on the side. "Good work! Be a doll and tell the others they can go back to their usual shifts."

Fleur's snort was far quieter as she walked away from the grinning Flam. Ah, there was Sunset, leaning heavily against the same rollercoaster. "They've gone. You can--"

"--Finally!" Sunset hopped down from the platform and trotted out of that nook to join Fleur. "I'm a bartender, not a… whatever that job was." Was there a name for someone who ran a rollercoaster? "That was a lot of ponies." She went past with a determined expression.

Fleur smiled a little, imagining Sunset was headed right back to her spot at the bar. "Now… There." She saw Octavia dealing cards, which was not easy for her to do. She was an earth pony, and not trained in the art. She was doing her best, keeping the game moving. "Tempest?" She craned her neck left and-- "Oh!" Tempest had appeared as if by magic from the thinned crowd. "There you are."

Tempest nodded at Fleur. "Congratulations, you survived that mad trip. What do you need?"

Fleur lifted an ear. "You already know? This is good. Can you take that over?" She pointed over to where Octavia played. "Poor thing."

Tempted winced at the sight. "On it."

And soon Octavia was free to get away from the table. Before she could get far, Fleur cut her off. "I know you are tired."

"Tired is not the precise word I would select." Octavia looked over Fleur in kind. "Aren't you?"

"Very… But I would like to perform, with you, if I may? My magic, she is better with your enchanting accompaniment."

That got a gentle smile from Octavia. "Now… that is an offer that's hard to turn down. Alright… I'll get my cello. You freshen up. We'll meet on the stage."

For a few quiet moments, what was more like ten minutes, give or take, Fleur and Octavia knew peace. There were many ponies there. They were watching them both. Magic and music blending together as if the two of them were dancing. In that moment, Fleur felt whole again. However rough the day had been, she had her performance and that delightful music. It was all right again.

With the last sweet note, Fleur bowed to the audience. The curtain dropped, muffling the soft applause that was coming. They had enjoyed her show, good. She walked down the hallway only to find Octavia waiting at the first intersection. "Hm?"

"There you are." Octavia went past down the hallway that led towards their room. "That was jolly fun, but we have a discussion to have, or did you forget? I rightly did not. You're not escaping until we get this sorted out." She glanced over her shoulder. "So save your excuses."

Fleur followed behind sheepishly. She hadn't expected that, no… "Am I in trouble?"

"Clearly so." It was quiet a moment, just their clip-clops. "And that is what I wish to address. Fleur, you are not alone. You have friends. I do hope you see me like that as well?"

"Of course!" Fleur hurried to get a leg over Octavia, but was rebuffed, denied that contact.

"Not the time," warned Octavia. "You are clearly in pain, and we will address it, as friends. Now, in." She pointed to the door leading to their room. "And let's start from the start, as they say, hm?"

Author's Note

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6 - Mare to Mare

"Have a seat." Octavia pointed at Fleur's bed. "Get comfy. We have things to discuss." She did not move for a bed herself, sinking to her haunches facing it instead. "I will start with what you need most to hear right now."

Fleur's horn glowed as she pushed the door shut behind herself, already moving at a gentle walk to climb up and sink down on the bed. Her eyes were on Octavia solidly. "You speak in grave tones..."

"This is a very serious matter," assured Octavia with a nod to back it up. "Let us begin, shall we? You are not insane."

Why did that feel so... Fleur could feel a tension escaping her that she had failed entirely to notice had been mounting. Her vision went blurry as a few tears escaped. She wasn't sobbing, far from it, but the rush of pressure escaping her left her overwhelmed for a moment. "Pardon." She couldn't explain it. Even as she wiped her face with a fetlock of a leg, she could feel a tremble roll through her. "Is there more?"

Octavia smiled, just a hint. "That is enough for a moment. Fleur, I do mean what I said. Go ahead and decompress for a moment. Take in what I said."

Fleur fidgeted a little in place. "You have said what is to be said, mon ami. Why are we not moving on? If I am… not taking leave of every sense, why do I imagine these things?"

Octavia was quiet a moment, offering none of the answers Fleur wanted until several quiet moments had passed, "You are not alone."

"You have them too?" Fleur leaned forward off the bed, ears pricked bolt upright.

Octavia took a slow breath, her midsection swelling before it came out in a soft even sigh. "Most of us do… We whisper quietly, share the pieces." She raised her hooves. "But let us stick to the self-evident. We have hooves." She pointed at Fleur's forehead. "You have a horn, both comely and functional. Some have wings. None of these things are debatable. None of this can be questioned. They are facts."

Fleur reached up one of those named hooves, running it gently along the spiral of her horn. "Facts, yes…" Surely she could feel the texture of the horn, and the sensation of her hoof against it, especially against the center of it, her frog. "Why am I troubled with memories of things I do not have now?"

"I couldn't say." Octavia moved to rest a hoof against her propped cello case. "But you are neither insane, nor alone. These are two things you need to accept, deep inside. We, the mares of the casino, stand with you." A faint smile. "We're all just as perplexed, but we stand together." Only the briefest of pause. "You want to see it?"

"See it?" Fleur quirked a brow. "See what, mon ami?"

"Follow Spitfire. When her eyes seem to lock onto something and she wanders away from her duties. It is a singular trait of hers and hers alone. Follow and watch closely. Not at her, exactly, but what it is she's focused on." Octavia turned away from her instrument. "But only if you are prepared to be rattled."

"Mon ami," Fleur breathlessly got out. "At this moment, I feel sufficiently rattled. More than enough!"

"Then don't. I wouldn't blame you." Octavia sprang suddenly, landing on her own bed. "You had a busy day. We both did. Let's get some sleep. We'll have more work to do in the morning, no doubt."

Fleur willed the lights off, plunging the room into darkness save the crack of light seeping in under the door from the hallway. She laid down, drawing the blanket up. It was soft and warm, normally comforting. That was not an evening for comfort. "How?"

"Close your eyes." Octavia's eyes were already shut, but she could speak despite that. "And think of something calm and gentle. You favor it, why not my music?" She began to hum one of her favorite pieces, the gentle raises and lows.

Fleur was tense at first, but a smile came gently. Her friend was singing her a lullaby. That Octavia cared meant so much at that moment. Before she knew it, she had let go of the world, and sleep came to her.

Fleur stepped from her room with a smile. A new day, filled with possibilities. Sleep had been exactly what she needed! Knowing she had such good friends, like Octavia, was high on her mind. She was a blessed pony, surrounded by bounties that couldn't be counted like bits.

"Pardon me." A mare almost crashed into her, pulling up short in just the nick of time. "Sorry, ah get lost back here all the dang time."

All the time? Fleur had never seen the mare before, looking her over. "Applejack?"

The earth pony mare inclined her head. Atop her head, she had no hat in the usual style of AJ, but the rest of her was dressed as a casino dancer or waiter, much like Fleur was. "That's the name, right?" She frowned as if not entirely sure of that, but it passed quickly with a nod. "Something wrong, Fleur? Ya done look like a cow done missed bucket time."

Fleur shook her head as she circled around Applejack. "Nothing… Non…" She hesitated a moment. "Where is it you are going?"

"To mah room, which is…" Applejack turned in place. "Consarnit. Ah'm all turned about t'day. Ah swear, Ah'd lose mah hat--" She reached up to tap the space no hat existed. "Oops… Already happened." A frown spread over her features. "Just not mah day. Ah'll get it together, sugarcube. You go on and keep 'em happy."

She pulled out a bundle of clothes. "Though since ah have ya. Where do I put these?" She was holding a set of clothes, draped across her arms. "Some guest just left 'em! What kinda pony does that?!" A set of jeans and a brightly iconed T-shirt. A leather belt coiled through the loops of the jeans.

Fleur shook her head. "How very strange. Allow me." She took the bundle in her magic. "I will drop them off at the lost and trouvé. You take a moment." And off she went towards the waiting crowd.

"See you out on the floor," called Applejack, left behind.

Fleur emerged into the noise. The casino was active and bustling with life. She was a part of that life. She gave smiles and nods to ponies as she went past them. The sway of her hips, the flutter of her lashes. They were watching her, and she felt like she had returned home.

A glimpse of a room, dark. No, no darkness. She was in the middle of the bright casino. "Somepony lost this." She dropped off the clothing at the last and found. "In case they are looking for it, hm?"

She turned away from the attendant. They weren't even one of the casino mares, an outsider, hired on. Perhaps, in time, they'd find another mare worthy of the name to replace them. For the time, they worked the desk, and that was fine.

With confidence rebounding, she mingled with the guests, giving them a Prench taste of culture in their stay. The guests ate it up.

"Fleur." There was Applejack, approaching through the crowd. "Sorry ta bother ya."

Fleur turned to Applejack. "We are all new once, are we not?" It was… a week, maybe three? It had been some time since Fleur had arrived, but not that long ago. She could remember the confusion. "We are here to help one another. Do not hesitate to approach your fellow mare."

"Right kindly of ya." She made a motion to tip a hat she still wasn't wearing. "Now, look, Flim an' I don't always see eye to eye, to put it nicely. But he says ah can make some nice bits to send home." She leaned in. "But ah trust you more than him, just 'tween us."

Fleur inclined her head softly. "They pay biweekly, ma petite jument. There was one bit of… confusion, but they have otherwise paid as they should." She paused a moment before nodding at Applejack. "If ever they are tardif, you tell the rest of us. We will not stand for it."

Applejack smiled at the encouraging words. "Aw, thanks. Right kindly. Good knowin' ah'm workin' with good ponies." She nodded with building confidence, but a furtive glance left and right interrupted it. "Pardon if this is a might rude t'ask, but how much ya gettin'?"

Not a question most of the other mares had ever asked before. "Two bits a day," she confessed. "Extra when I provide camaraderie." She rolled a hoof. "If you are new at that, you will not get much, but you can make a considerable sum." She had… lots…

Did she have practice? She was good at it. Ponies were pleased with her company, and she got good reviews and even tips. Surely… She shook her head free of the confusing thoughts. "Relax, and be as you are. The ponies, they come to see you, exactly as you are." She set a hoof on Applejack's snout. "Applejack, hero of Equestria. Bearer of le element of honnêteté! I am almost jealous. You are quite the star in more than one city, such as I."

Applejack blushed at the praise. "Aw, don't be like that. Ah ain't that special. Shoot, if this casino had a rodeo… Then ah could really…" She trailed off, noticing a pony across the way. "Apple Bloom?" She set off at a trot, forgetting Fleur existed.

"Ya sprouted up like a weed in good morning Sunshine!" Applejack went left and right at the bar in front of Apple Bloom, looking her over. "Did ya go and mess with that again?!"

"Hey sis." Apple Bloom nodded at her sister, the two rather close in size. "Did I mess with what? Oh, you joined? Neat!" She clopped her forehooves with a smile. "But ah got the experience, so I'm yer big sister here, hm?"

"Mah big…" Applejack shook her head with a scowl. "Now that ain't right. Apple Bloom's only this tall." She raised a hoof only a short way off the ground, even with the head of where she imagined Apple Bloom should be. "And yer all grown!" Her cheeks began to glow. "Do ya even now what kinda place this is?"

Her tone implied she hoped the answer was no. Alas, Apple Bloom shook her head, still smiling. "Where ponies come to have a good time." Her brows waggled. "Sometimes a really good time with a pony they fancy. If yer worried, don't be." She pointed at herself. "I'm not on that menu."

Applejack wheezed with sudden relief. "Well, good!" Her blush had not abated, however. "But if ya know…"

"I know what yer here for, ah huh."

Applejack sank miserably. "Ah'm ruined. Yer never gonna respect your sister no more."

"Don't be melodramatic, Sis. That's Rarity's job." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes grandly. "Lots of classy mares work here. Like Fleur." She waved at Fleur in the distance. "Ya were just talkin' with her, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Applejack nodded stiffly. "Yeah… She is a right fancy mare." She rubbed behind her head. "So… if yer not doin'... that… what are ya doin' here?"

Apple Bloom spread her hooves over the bar before her, filled with all kinds of appetizers. "Ah serve up a nice good meal to keep ponies fueled up and ready t' have more fun!" She grinned as she leaned forward towards her sister. "That includes staff, by the way. So when ya get that rumble, ya come on back here and ah'll chase it away, jus' like that!"

A little smile appeared on Applejack, deepening as she thought about it. "That ain't so bad… Good on ya, Apple Bloom… Still not sure why yer so… big…" She eyed her adult little sister. "But yer doin' good, raisin' money for the farm like that." It clicked suddenly. "Poor Big Mac, takin' care of it on his own. We owe him a big gift."

Author's Note

I feel some very important tidbits are offered in this chapter. Did you spot them?

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7 - Wage Comparisons

"Two bits a day," reported Fizzlepop, though she only allowed those she was quite close to to call her that. "Why?"

"Two bits a day," offered Apple Bloom with a shrug. "What fer?"

The question passed from mare to mare. They were all being paid exactly the same base rate. That didn't bother them, in the end. The base job was, well, the base. Fair enough that they got the same for that.

Celestia nodded to the pony that was standing before the rollercoaster. They were not one of the mares. A male, to start, bored, easily forgotten... "Pardon me."

He jerked in place, surprised. "Me?" He pointed at himself. "How can I help, um, ma'am?"

The non-mares were often surprised when the mares spoke to them directly. Celestia smiled gently at him. "Nothing wrong, I promise. Just a little question, if I may?"

"If I can help." He looked Celestia up and down. "You're too large to fit on this ride."

Celestia resisted the blush that tried to surface. "I am perfectly sized for who I am. Putting that aside, I was wondering how much you were paid, daily?"

The stallion lifted an ear at her. "I get an hourly rate. Don't always work the same shift, so it can vary a lot."

Celestia blinked. Ah, that... made sense. "What is your hourly rate then? I'm just curious, if you don't mind?"

"Ain't much of a secret." He shrugged with the same boredom he began with. "I get three bits an hour. Bet you get tons more."

It was only centuries of political practice that kept her expression neutral. "Ah, I see. Thank you." She walked away, legs a bit stiff. Three bits, an hour?! They were paid more in an hour than all the mares did... in a day?

And so she went to Luna, both of them. "Three bits."

"A day?" asked Gamer Luna.

"A week," decided Announcer Luna. Clearly the non-mares made less. "A day, truly?" She raised a brow at her younger doppelganger. "This is how we know you're the faker."

Gamer Luna crossed her arms petulantly, looking to Celestia. "Which of us was right?"

Celestia smiled a little. The antics of her sisters was not a thing that bothered her in the end. "You were closer. " She pointed to Gamer Luna, inciting a hoof pump. "But still off." Both looked at her curiously. "An... hour."

Both Lunas found their jaws to be criminally lax, gaping at Celestia.

Gamer Luna shook her head. "Now I almost wish I hadn't been right. An hour?! Unacceptable!" She began to clop from hoof to hoof against the floor in almost a tantrum. "We work at least as hard!"

"If not harder." At that moment, the two Lunas had no arguments between themselves. Announcer Luna clopped one hoof down towards Celestia. "We can't accept this!"

Celestia raised a hoof. "Don't move too hastily. I've seen this sort of thing before." Both sisters looked to her with renewed interest. "While you were... away... Equestria has seen its fair share of worker's rights squabbles over the years. The ones that ended in favor of the worker had a few things in common, which we do not yet have." She looked from the larger to the smaller. "So don't go galloping off just yet."

Gamer Luna snorted angrily. "We have to do something, 'Tia!"

"And we will," she calmly retorted. "Starting with making sure all the others are aware of this, but also do not make a move, yet, until we're all prepared, together."

Announcer Luna smiled at that. "Clever, sister. Clever... I see where you're going."

"Gather before the raid boss," agreed Gamer Luna. "We got this!" The two lunas met with a firm clop of hooves and went off in different directions, ending the conversation.

And leaving Celestia behind without a goodbye. She smirked faintly, shaking her head as she turned to move in her own direction. They had a new task.

Just as the price they were being paid spread, so too did the price they were not being paid began to spread from mare to mare. From one set of lips to the next set of fuzzy ears, the energy in the casino began to shift quietly, an unseen wave that washed over the working mares as they learned just how little they were being paid compared to relative noponies.

"She has no clue." Fleur shook her head slowly. "It feels... strange, now that I have seen it."

Octavia inclined her head towards the door. "Applejack does not seem to be troubled by our visions, and, frankly, good for her." She leaned forward. "Don't tease her about it. I didn't poke you until you came to me about it. Some of the mares are like that, untroubled. Good! Good for them." She smiled faintly. "Almost jealous if we're being honest. I had a memory."

Fleur's ears perked right up. "A memory? Please do share, mon ami." For all of anything else, those were a thing she was ready to listen to and be quiet for.

"Hands." Octavia reached out a hoof. "Grasping a glass beaker. Notes, many notes. Studying? That's it." She glanced away and back. "Look... I don't talk to... ponies often."

"All the more reason I treasure the bond we have," warmly assured Fleur with a little smile. "I know the feeling. To..." She frowned softly. "I can remember quiet... and being quiet... As if... As if... I have grown louder. Not in a way unpleasant, I hope?"

"No, no." Octavia shook her head quickly. "You are a darling, one of the few I... trust completely." She took a slow breath. "Some of the others kept coming towards me recently. I don't like it... Did they say anything to you?"

"Hm?" Fleur lifted an ear. "We are a team, are we not? Don't hide from the other mares."

"Easier said…" Octavia frowned at the thought. "Did they say anything to you?" she repeated with a stern look.

"Oui…"

"That tone isn't a good one." Octavia sat up on her haunches. "What was it?"

"Apparently, the assistants, you know them yes?" She gestured vaguely away. "The helpers, who are not famous?"

"I've seen them." And not spoken to them. "What about them? Are they causing issues?"

"Not précisément… We leaned they are being paid quite a bit more than any of us. Surprenante, non?"

"How… much more?" Octavia's brows fell. "Flim and Flam are business ponies. If they can make a few extra bits, they will. How much more?"

"C'est vrai," agreed Fleur with a nod. "Three bits par heure." She repeated the statement immediately, "per hour." She colored faintly. "Pardon Moi. I am not trying to confuse you."

"I am confused, but not at you." She hopped down from her bed. "That's quite a difference. Is that what they were trying to tell me? Can you… tell them I know now?"

Fleur set a hoof on Octavia's shoulder. "This will be done." With that settled, she headed for the door. "It is time for a performance. Will you be playing?"

"Not on the schedule." Octavia waved off Fleur. "Go on and shine. As if you can resist."

Fleur smiled gently as she willed the door open. "I would shine all the brighter with your music." Though that didn't stop her from walking out, the door closing with the glow of her magic behind her.

Octavia let out a slow breath. "Silly mare."

"They know!"

"I know they know," assured Flim. "But they aren't holding any torches. Maybe this will just... Blow over."

Flam shook his head, working his moustache with a hoof. "That isn't how it typically goes, my enterprising brother of mine."

Flim peeked out through the blinds of their office. "They're still out there, performing, keeping our ponies happy, and making us bits."

"But why?" Flam slipped up, his head against Flim's, peeking out at the workplace that had turned in a new direction without a sound, or seemingly without any actual action, yet. "Do you think they'll try to quit?"

"I should hope not," gasped out Flim, affronted at the idea. "We paid good bits!"

Flam sagged to the other side with a huff. "Casinos are more work than they're worth at times, it feels."

"You can say that again…"

"But I will not." Flam sat up fully. "The show must go on. We haven't been chased out of town, and the bits are still flowing. This is not the time to give up!"

"You are absolutely--"

"--positively--"

"--completely correct!" Flim nodded with rebuilding confidence. "Come, brother. The ponies need to see our smiling faces."

They emerged with proper fanfare, and the ponies that had come to visit the casino greeted them with cheers and clopping hooves. It was a fine day to make a few bits.

"Glad you could all make it." Celestia nodded at the room full of mares. "We have important things to discuss."

"Ain't havin' it." Applejack clopped a hoof down. "Those brothers, always up to somethin'! Ah knew it, knew it from the start." She frowned heavily. "We're doin' all the work!"

Sunset shook her head. "Not all the work, but plenty of it. No reason we should be getting less than the others."

Apple Bloom shrugged softly. "If they can afford to pay them three an hour, they can pay us more than two ah day."

Fleur raised a hoof. "I will be speaking on behalf of Octavia, just to be clear."

The conversation slid off track a moment, everyone rushing to get our their bit. At least until Celestia clopped smartly. "My little ponies, we all have reasons to be concerned. That is why we are here." She glanced towards the door they all came through before. "Not all of us are here, but, at this point, we have over 80% of the mares in agreement. Look left." The crowd looked to their left. "Look right." Their eyes followed the other way. "All the ponies you see are your friends and allies, so let's approach this calmly."

Gamer Luna nodded with satisfaction. "That's my sis for you. Now that we've gathered, we can charge the boss and win easy!"

Spitfire sneered at that. "It won't be easy, but at least we have a chance, and that's good enough for me." She crossed her arms. "Who's gonna be the one to start this?"

Celestia pointed at herself. "I call not it."

It was not what any of the ponies expected. And yet, she had done it. "I work security, my dears. It would be awkward. Somepony else, please. I will gladly support."

Announcer Luna nodded softly. "You have spent many years being the one in charge. I understand, sister dearest." She turned to the crowd. "Who will it be then?"

Apple Bloom rose to her hooves and approached the front of the room, nudging past other ponies to do so in the crowd. "Ah'll do it!"

Applejack's ears went up. "Wha? No!"

"Ah work here," defended Bloom with a nod. "'Sides, knowin' mah sister's being ripped off makes mah blood boil! She done saved Equestria more than anypony else here! Right deserves t'make more than some rollercoaster operator."

"Operator!" suddenly called out Fleur. "That was the word. Comme c'est idiot de ma part." She applied a hoof to her face.

Celestia coughed softly. "Well, there we have it. Thank you, Apple Bloom, for stepping forward. If there are any objections?"

Applejack grumbled hotly, but that didn't raise to any actual words.

Sunset nodded along. "Just because we were dealt a raw hand doesn't mean we can't ask for a few new ones." She thrust a hoof in the air. "Face the dealer, but you're not alone."

The crowd rippled in a chorus of agreement, pledging their allegiance to the cause and with Apple Bloom. Not that she looked all that upset about the idea, cocky little smile on her face.

"Ah'll bring it up to 'em both, tomorrow!"

Author's Note

Worker's rights? Is this what we have come to?

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8 - Power to the Mares

"Mornin', Flim, Flam." Apple Bloom waved at either from behind her counter. "Ya got a minute?"

They glanced at each other, having planned to just wander past Apple Bloom, not actually talk to her. "Sure," allowed Flim with a shrug.

"Certainly," more enthusiastically joined Flam. "What do you need? We running low on a supply?"

Flim perked as if that explained everything. "Ah yes, do let us know. Your treats are delightful. We don't want a pause for some ordering neglect, now do we?"

"Certainly not." Flam nodded sagaciously. "Is that it?"

She waved them closer until they had arrived, taking seats at her dining counter. "It's about keepin' this place goin', yeah." Apple Bloom glanced at the crowd. Thin, relatively, which was still considerable. "Ah'll get right to the point. Ah know you two got lots on yer plates."

"Indeed."

"Indubitably." The brother nodded in agreement, seemingly pleased that Apple Bloom understood that.

"We work hard." She set down a glass, attached to her hoof for as long as it needed to be. "All of us. We want this place to do well, but we want our fair cut."

Flim's head began to bead with sweat at the turn of conversation. "We pay promptly."

"Without fail," assured Flam, bobbing his head. "Was something amiss?"

"Ah got mah two bits. Two bits a day." She grabbed a hose and sprayed a bright fluid into the glass, fizzing as a large head of foam formed at the top under her careful gestures. "We work hard for those two bits."

Flim bobbed his head, half an eye on that fizzy drink. "Of course you do. We think the world of you mares."

"You said 'we?" Flam leaned in a bit. "Who is 'we' exactly?"

Apple Bloom nudged the glass closer to Flim. "Just about all of us." She enjoyed the paling of both of them. "We had a nice lil' chit chat."

Flam clopped his hooves together, chin going down on that union. "You aiming for two and a half bits a day?"

Flim was sipping his soda with an appreciative mmm. "You make these quite well. I don't know your secret."

"Well good." Apple Bloom flashed a bright smile. "The guests appreciate mah work too, but it's time to get serious." She allowed her eyes to wander. There. "See that pony, over there, sweepin' the floor?"

Flam looked over at the janitor. "What about them?"

"Why is he makin' almost ten times what ah do?" She reached out, tapping the glass Flim was enjoying. "We do good work, and not only what we make." She turned the hoof at herself. "Ah ain't dumb. We are the product. Ah may not be on that menu, but ponies come to see me, talk to me. The Apple Bloom, servin' up tasty treats? Ponies eat it up." She chuckled softly at the idea. "Literal like."

Flim gulped, abandoning his fizzy drink. "Who told you that?!"

"Ain't not a thing," retorted Apple Bloom with a faint frown. "Now are ya gonna answer that question or not? 'Cause the way ah'm lookin' at it, he ain't worth ten of us. Now... ain't gonna judge a pony like that. Ah'm sure he works hard. Ain't easy keepin' a place clean. A casino? Probably right hard. But we're workin' hard too."

The brothers glanced at one another. Flim rolled a hoof at Apple Bloom. "We weren't trying to swindle anypony."

"Certainly not!" agreed his brother with a firm nod.

"You lovely mares were our first employees. We had nothing."

"Less than nothing."

"Only a dream!" Flim nodded along with his words. "We had to set the numbers where we could even operate."

Apple Bloom hiked a brow. "Well, alright. Now that this place is goin' nice and smooth-like, you can raise our wages proper. We won't even ask for any backpay if you fix it." She leaned forward with a malicious grin. "Startin' today."

Flam clopped his hoof down on the counter, the glasses shuddering from the deep thump. "This is extortion!"

"Reckon it is," allowed Apple Bloom with a thoughtful expression. "Seein' as it's a threat. Don't see Celestia throwin' us in jail fer makin' it though. You don't own us."

Flam stood up, forehooves still on the counter, propping him upright. "We do ow--"

Flim suddenly grabbed his brother, arm over his snout. "Of course we don't. Allow us to go over the numbers and we'll get back to you. That'll be alright, hm?"

Apple Bloom smiled, the smile of a predator seeing their prey tumble and fall. "Take the time you need, so long as it happens today."

The two brothers marched off. Into that void, Fleur appeared to fill it. "They look bouleversé, as they say." Well, as Fleur said at least. "Did it work? Are you alright, mon petit guerrier?"

"Ah think it went well." She ducked down and came up with a plate of food she set right before Fleur. "Yer fave!"

"You are too good to me." With a glowing horn, she lifted a fork and began to enjoy the meal. "Mmm, you've outdone yourself. I will tell the others, oui. Did they agree to anything?"

"I gave them a deadline." Apple Bloom tapped at the counter. "They start payin' us proper today, or we gotta take action. Make sure they're ready to do that, or ah'll look right foalish."

"I can see how that would be." She snapped up a morsel, chewing thoughtfully. "I will confer with them, je t'assure." Things grew quiet as Apple Bloom served other customers, allowing Fleur to enjoy her food quietly. "I do appreciate it."

"Hm?"

"This." Fleur pushed her plate away. "I do not think I would want to do what you are doing. I appreciate it. You are brave. I will make sure they are knowing of this." She smooched the young mare's cheek and trotted off, leaving a blushing Apple Bloom behind.

What Fleur did not expect was her vision being obscured by one of the few ponies that could easily meet her gaze. Celestia nodded at her. "What's the word? I kept an eye on them, and the brothers looked… upset. A good upset?"

Fleur flipped an ear back with a small squeak of surprise. "How do you sneak up on things so well?" For such a large pony, Celestia sure knew how to do that. "I think she was having a good talk." She glanced, or tried, but Celestia's hoof caught her chin and kept her looking at Celestia.

"We're just two mares chatting. We do it all the time." Celestia smiled innocently. "What is the news?"

"Excuse me." A round stallion was looking up at the both of them. "Yes, hello. I heard you could…" He glanced furtively around. "Get the company of a mare?"

Celestia moved away from Fleur, guiding the stallion with her. "Welcome! I can tell you're excited about what we have to offer, but let's not rush into things…"

Fleur smiled at her larger friend, confident that the customer would be instructed how things worked. She went instead to Sunset Shimmer, who was just setting down a likely very alcoholic drink in view of a smiling customer. "Sunset."

"Yo." She accepted a tip from the customer, pocketing it with a smirk of triumph. Of the mares, she managed to make her bits directly, always plying for tips. "Anything new?"

"Oui." She leaned in and Summer leaned to the side, placing her head near Fleur's snout. "The petite one, she had a conversation. Today, they change, or we act."

"Righteous." Sunset gave a thumbs up, or tried, hoof in the right place for it, but having no thumb, being a pony and all. "Keep us appraised. I'm ready. Oh hey!" She turned right back to an approaching customer. "Your usual?"

And so Fleur served as the messenger, the first source of the news. Others would carry her word, helping spread it across the casino to the other mares, the energy gathering as they waited for news, good or bad, of what the brothers would do with their request.

"We're ruined!" Flim paced back and forth, eyes bulging a bit. "This is the part where we get run right out of town!"

"Calm down, dear brother." Flam perched on the seat behind their desk. "She didn't say they quit."

"She wants action, today!" Flim clopped the floor with an agitated swish of his tail. "That sounds like they're ready to start chasing."

"Brother, dearest, calm down." He took off his hat and fanned Flim with it gently. "She didn't say one word about not liking it here, or even not liking us. She just wants bits."

"Our bits!"

"Soon not our bits if we don't handle this properly." Flam set his hooves together. "I say we give them what they want. I say we--"

"--We reviewed the books," cut in Flim, hope building in his gaze. "We counted the numbers and, look at that, we can do that. Um, what were they asking for?"

"Three bits an hour," reminded Flam with a nod.

Flim cringed at the idea. "But they work all day every day. Hourly is unreasonable!"

Flam just smiled. "Thirty a day then. I doubt a single one of them will do anything but celebrate. Going from two to thirty? They'll thank us and work twice as hard!"

Flim tapped his chin with a hoof. "Hm. Thirty a day… That will tighten the budget."

"But we will survive." He leaned back. "Besides, we need to find a new hook anyway. Let's slow down on new mares and work on optimizing the ones we already have. If they want more, make them earn it."

"I like the way you're thinking." Flim offered a hoof and it was soon met in a loud clop. "We'll make this work."

"Without a doubt." Flam set his hat back on his head, ears twitching. "We always do, in the end."

"I'll tell them." Flim went for the exit, only to pause. "Should I? Tell Apple Bloom, I assume?"

"She does seem to be their spokesmare." Flam lifted an ear. "Ah, tell her we're raising everypony to 30, but the extras for the back room are suspended. Everypony will get a fair and equal amount. They can't complain about that."

Flim's eyes sparkled. "Brother, genius. Love it!" That would help tilt their wallets in the right direction. "I'll inform Apple Bloom, and grab a soda while I'm there."

And off he went, the door closing behind him as he trotted energetically out into the casino proper. "Hello!" He greeted, waved, and tipped his hat at ponies as he went. He was one of the faces of the casino. That never really turned off. He was a performer as much as anything else, and the audience was watching.

"Apple Bloom!" He could see her, serving a family a heaping tray of goodies. "Making someponies their fill?"

"Sure am." She surrendered the burdened tray to them to carry the food away with a chorus of cheers from the younger members of that family. They were likely not there for the back rooms. "Here for lunch?"

"No no, but thank you." Flim hopped up onto one of the stools and sat. "We were thinking about your situation, running the numbers, you know how it is."

"Uh huh." Apple Bloom polished clean a random glass that didn't really need cleaning. "What'd ya find?"

"Well, we don't mean to be stingy with our lovely mares, you included." He tipped his hat at Apple Bloom. "We were focusing our bits too much, you're right."

Apple Bloom broke into a smile. "So you'll do it?!"

"Everypony here will get thirty, three-zero bits every single day," solemnly swore Flim. "But no extras. No bonuses. Everypony gets thirty, every day."

Apple Bloom's eyes sparkled, imagining so much money raining upon her in comparison to the two she had been getting. She let out a whoop of rejoice before clearing her throat. "Ah mean, we agree to this new wage."

There was just a matter of what the rest of the mares thought of it.

Author's Note

And it was all settled. The end! I mean, that's how it works, right? Right? Oh shoot, is there a typo on that wage agreement?

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9 - Question of Take

Apple Bloom was all smiles. "An' so ah did it. Ah talked them into givin' us a big raise!"

Applejack whistled with wonder at her little, not so little, sister. "Good job! How much of a raise? Three bits a day?"

Apple Bloom waved that right off, but it was Spitfire that answered first, "Better not be. We were just told they're getting way more than that."

"Which is why it ain't." The young mare grabbed a chalk in her mouth and scratched it against a green board. She drew a big 3, then a big 0. "That much, every single day!"

Applejack exploded into claps, clopping her hooves with a big grin.

Tempest raised a brow. "What's the catch? The brothers don't just give up their bits. That isn't their style."

"No catch." To her at least, but it did occur to her to bring that part up. "Oh! Everypony gets 30, no matter what. No cockamamie incentives or nothin'. 30."

The mares that engaged in those extras, which were most of them, frowned. One could almost hear the calculations ticking in their heads as they struggled to figure out what their actual wages were before and after.

Applejack nodded, seemingly untroubled. "Well good! Don't gotta do no math, just thirty every day. Nice n' simple."

Celestia shook her head softly. "To touch the sun was… not a cheap thing. I do not mean to be…"

"Sister." Announcing Luna perked an ear at Celestia. "I think I understand what is happening."

"Hm?" She looked to the larger of the Lunas. "Please, do share."

"Our payment is being redistributed." Announcer Luna pointed at Apple Bloom. "She made 2, and always 2. She is getting more. Others are getting less. We, the elite, are paying for our lessers to get a worthy salary."

Celestia frowned softly. "I like the idea of everypony getting a reasonable amount…" Her flowing tail gave a lash behind her. "But what is the portion Flim or Flam is giving up?"

Octavia clopped the floor in one sharp sound that drew eyes. "I typically avoid the 'back room' extras, save for special occasions. This has risen the price to secure such a thing. However, it is also rare." She looked at Celestia. "How often are you called to serve?"

Celestia's ears danced atop her head. "Once a moon, on average, it feels? I admit I was not keeping a precise count."

"Precision is not required. That answer aligns with my hypothesis." Octavia strode to the front of the room and turned to address the crowd. "We are confusing the satisfaction of a singular payday. Celestia, if you only get such a customer rarely, then you make two bits a day on most days. Is that not right?"

"Don't bother me." Sunset had a cocky smile and no tension. "Up the base to thirty? Right on."

Fleur allowed a little smirk to appear. "We are not fools. You work for tips. Any increase in the base is going to work for you. Do you even do… the others?"

Sunset frowned at that. "Hey! I do my part. I'm not even super picky, or expensive, like some ponies around here. But, yes." She placed a hoof at her chest. "I do know how to squeeze tips out of ponies. That isn't stopping."

Apple Bloom curled a hoof to the end of her chin. "Maybe ah should get a tip jar…"

Celestia cleared her throat. It wasn't a loud sound, but it was enough to draw quiet from the room. "Miss Melody brought up an excellent point. Even for premium mares, having thirty on off days isn't… a bad thing. Our wages are being leveled. Looking at this more… practically, I think it will be nice having a predictable amount."

The noise returned, ponies chatting their ideas. Octavia took her seat, looking confident that she had said what she wanted to say. Apple Bloom was drawing little lines along the outside of the 30 radiating away from it, as if to make the number shine all the brighter. "Ah did mah part."

Gamer Luna nodded at little Bloom. "You did. You faced the end boss and came back with prizes for us all. Thank you."

Tempest inclined her broken horn, crackling faintly with her power. "Not sure how much I want to keep up the back room if I'm getting nothing extra for it. If they can get any of us at the same rate, that'll end up with too many for some of us that don't…" Her eyes darted to the less picky of the mares. "Some of us offer specific things, or want specific ponies. I'm not even complaining for me, specifically. Open up your eyes, most ponies are not here to be humiliated. Femme domme is a specific taste."

Celestia frowned a moment, but it lifted. "I don't think this will be the case. We can all agree the brothers want their bits." There was a chorus of agreement across the room. "They will not change their prices. If ponies are willing to pay them, which they have proven they are, they will not change. All that is shifting is--"

"Our side," cut in Fleur, even if she blushed immediately after it. "Pardon…"

Celestia nodded towards Fleur. "Exactly my thought."

Gamer Luna waved a hoof a bit excitedly. "I say we try out this new level. It's way more fair to some of us, and it's way easier to plan for all of us."

The conversation tilted more favorably. Apple Bloom was given headpats and words of approval, which seemed to be exactly what she had wanted considering her grand happy smile.

Celestia rose to her considerable height. "Then we are complete. We will meet again if the situation changes. It is my hope that we can remain united, even if this is set aside for now."

Octavia turned an ear back. "I will skip un-vital meetings. Fleur, keep me apprised." With permission half-given, she fled at a stately walk from the room.

The meeting was over.

Fleur examined a small board. It had the names of all the mares, and numbers beside them. Some had multiple columns, those with extra text and more numbers. It was the price sheet. Fleur was, herself on that sheet. She did not have any extra columns.

She didn't have specific requirements. She didn't offer specific services. She was, on that term, mid level. An easy to approach mare with a fine smile, and rump. Her price wasn't the lowest. No, that went to Gamer Luna.

This was, perhaps, understandable. Gamer Luna didn't do… that… The younger mare was available for petting and praising and generally admiring like the foal she was only slightly out of age range for being. Some ponies rather liked that, but she couldn't command the price of a pony offering… The full package, as it were.

"Hm." Fleur turned away from the plaque to come face to face with a pony that had been standing there.

"Yo." Vinyl Scratch flashed a bright grin at Fleur. "You work here, right?"

"Oui. Can I help you?" She stepped out of the way, in case Vinyl wanted a look at it.

"Love that accent." Vinyl seemed to have no interest in the price sheet, closing right back in with Fleur. "Prench, right?"

"Oui. I mean, yes." Fleur bobbed her head lightly at the potential customer. "It is--" She stopped as Vinyl thumped a hoof on the wall just beside her head. "You are dans mon espace. Please, a step away."

Perhaps surprisingly given the tension of the moment, Vinyl did back up a step. "Hey, sorry. I'm just a huge fan. You ever hear Prench electronics? They take it in a whole new direction." Her head bobbed with some unhead of beat, perhaps playing in her great headphones. "It's great."

Fleur felt her tension ebb away in a quick flow. "Oh, yes! I mean, non. I…" She took a breath, recalibrating herself. "Do you have an example?" She pointed at Vinyl's headphones.

"Always happy to share some music." Her horn glowed as her headphones floated free of her head and dropped right into place on Fleur.

Fleur could suddenly not hear Vinyl, or much anything else. Electronic music thumped loudly in her ear, the beat dropped with such force that she squeaked in surprised. "I see!"

"Nah, not yet." Her hoof tapped slowly. "Getting there."

The music was ramping up slowly towards… something. "It got quieter. Something is happening?" But there it was, the beat thumped down, the music exploding forward. "Oh!"

"I love it." Vinyl clopped her hooves excitedly. "That expression, priceless. Yeah, I want you." She plucked her headphones back with her magic. "Be ready." And off she trotted, likely to find the Flim Flam brothers and secure Fleur's company.

Fleur rubbed at her right ear as she recovered from the shock of it. "Well…" She was not reserved yet. Her curiosity was abated and she left the sign where it was to emerge into the casino proper.

But Vinyl wasn't done. She saw another pony she had an interest in and veered right over to where ponies were seated in a music pit. "Hey!" A few looked up at her. Most were ignoring her. This was a normal reaction for music-playing ponies, Vinyl had long ago discovered. "Octi!"

Octavia quirked an ear up at the call. Her eyes widened a brief instant. "Miss Scratch."

Vinyl inclined her head. "Miss Scratch? Did I do something wrong? You only bust that out when I do something wrong. What are you doing here? I left you at home!" She casually vaulted over the barrier that separated the casino from the music pit. "You didn't mention this gig. Shoulda told me! I'd totally want to get in on this."

Celestia stepped in from the side as if she had always been there, cutting off Vinyl's approach quite abruptly. "Ma'am, guests are not allowed here."

Vinyl tried to get around Celestia, but the large pony kept getting right in the way with disturbingly little effort. "Not cool. Octi's my friend! I'm just saying hi to a friend. They're not performing right now."

Octavia's thrust out a hoof, her leg barring Celestia's way. It wasn't as if she could really stop Celestia, but it was enough to make her not want to proceed. "It's alright. I can speak with her." Celestia dipped her head and backed away, still clearly in sight. "Vinyl, I am preparing for work."

"I know how that is." Vinyl approached in a spirited trot. "Seriously though, when did you get here?"

"I am not the Octavia you are thinking of." Octavia frowned faintly, but that faded quickly. "An imitation."

Vinyl inclined her head left and right in sharp little jerks. "A really good one!"

"I mean the one you're thinking of, not me." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "As if I were a duplicate."

"Uh…" Vinyl rubbed at her chin softly. "I knew the other Octi for a long time… Pretty sure she isn't a copy…" Her eyes suddenly widened, barely visible behind her goggles. "Oh shit."

Octavia's ears danced. "Language, Miss Scratch." That was not a term most ponies used, like, ever. "Wherever did you pick up such filthy vocabulary?"

"N-No, you're right, my bad." She started wandering away. "Good luck with the show." Just as easily as she came, she left, hopping over the divider and returning to the crowd of the casino.

Octavia shook her head. "Finally. Celestia, thank you for running interference like that. Commendable. You can return to your own rounds."

Celestia rose to her full height. "You have but to whisper my name and I'll be back, should any other unwanted guests stop by."

"I feel confident you would arrive before I finished the word," assured Octavia with a faint smile. "You are ever so good at your job."

"Your words are as kind as your music is rich. Good luck in your performance, not that you require it." Celestia made herself scarce, to bother the musicians no further.

Author's Note

That could have gone worse! What did Vinyl see? Was it a typo? Tell me, Vinyl!

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10 - Your Name Is?

Fleur sank onto the silky bed, her form indenting it around herself as the sheets rose to embrace her, curled on her side, eyes on that door. "Come to me, mon petit poney." She knew nothing about who would be her client that day. She rarely did. So long as they had the magic ticket, she was to be their companion. Simple as that.

With a glowing horn, she set a record player to produce soft music, Octavia's. It had taken some beseeching to get that recorded, but she thought it worth every bit of effort that had gone into it as it filled the room with the simulacrum of the cellist's performance, other instruments playing alongside it, but as supporting characters in that unseen play.

Her head began to softly bob along with the beat, swaying left and right slowly. She didn't even notice when a pony knocked, quiet as it was. A pony with great goggles poked into the room. Vinyl Scratch had located her, a ticket floating near her head, wreathed in Vinyl's magic. "Oh, music time. I dig it." She turned just enough to will the door closed behind her, but didn't move to interrupt Fleur's musical enjoyment. "You like Octavia? She's a real class act."

"Yes." Fleur was recovering from the surprise of Vinyl's entrance. The glow around the ticket shifted as she pulled it and Vinyl released it, allowing Fleur to have a look at it. It was all valid. It had Fleur's name and on the proper backing. It had the day's date and Flim's hoofprint freshly applied. "Are you as well? I thought you liked… electronic était-ce?"

Vinyl began a casual walk towards the bed. "Ooo, yeah. Lay down those crazy Prench vibes." Her horn glowed as she plucked her headphones free and set them aside. She would live without the musical company she normally had. "I like all kinds of music. Electronic is a fave." She reared up, forehooves resting on the edge of the mattress. "What's your favorite? Classic?" She angled her head at the playing record.

"Oui." Fleur rolled over, exposing her belly to Vinyl. "Now, you have paid for my time, not to watch me listen to music."

"What if I want to watch you listen to music?" Vinyl scrambled up onto the bed with a wild grin. "Talking is actually something I want to do, if that doesn't bother you?"

Fleur tapped the bed with her tail. "Then sit with me. Parle-moi." She spoke the last a bit strongly, leaning into the prench sounds the way Vinyl seemed to favor. "I must have made a good impression. Most do not return to me so swiftly." It had barely been any time since they had met in the hallway. "Were you already a fan?"

"Totally." Vinyl leaned in, nose twitching in taking in the aroma of the pony she was so close to. "You're usually draped over Fancy Pants. A chance to just talk to you, pony a pony? How could I say no? What's up with that, anyway? Fancy into poly?"

Fluer flipped an ear back. "He allowed this."

"So he's free to be with anypony he wants, right?" Vinyl's ears lifted straight. "Only fair, right? Shoot, if my +1 was working in a place like this, it'd be really hard to return the loyalty you aren't showing."

Fleur trembled as the thoughts tumbled in discord. "What? Non! No… Moi…" But the words were failing to come. The logic was failing. "He…" What was her relationship to Fancy Pants? She had none! No, she had a deep one. She knew nothing of Fancy Pants. They were a thing.

"Wow." Vinyl was watching Fleur struggle with contradictory thoughts. "Sorry…" She reached out a hoof to the trembling unicorn. "But this is for your own good, trust me."

"My own good?!" Fleur blurted, scrambling to her hooves, only to collapse, the sheet under her sliding with the sudden motion and sending her collapsing roughly. "My own good!" Her head ached. Her heart ached. Nothing made sense. "When I get… tired… I will return to Fancy Pants."

"What's his address?" asked Vinyl as if asking for the time of day, a question with no weight.

But it landed on Fleur like a set of bricks, forcing her air from her. His address. Of course she knew that! She had to… "He, we… live at…"

Vinyl flicked up her ears at the address that emerged. "American, huh?"

Fleur felt something shatter. She scrambled off the bed in a loud tumble, scrambling for the door. "I have to go, pardon. I will tell them to refund you. Bonsoir madame."

She fled. She didn't even close the door behind her, stumbling and crashing against the walls as she ran as quickly as she could, tears streaking her makeup and her limbs trembling.

Vinyl emerged at a more sedate walk. "Sick bastard…" But her bile didn't seem aimed at the fleeing unicorn. "If they don't kick me out forever…" She started for the exit, her headphones settling down on her ears. "I'll check in on you."

Fleur did not go to her room. A small dark closet in which her inconsolable sniffles could echo off the walls was far more what she wanted just at that moment. Eric. Where did that name come from? It was not a name that would leave her alone. Eric. Eric… Eric… was a humble worker. Customer service.

Like Fleur! But far less… physical. Eric…

She was F--Eric. Eric? She frowned, thoughts swirling. "She… had hands. She typed on a thing that needed all those fingers. She worked very hard to make people happy." But was she? She… Fleur shook her head violently, the thoughts somehow tossed about with the movement. "Impossible à croire," she grunted out, fussing over her appearance for a moment, trying desperately to regather herself. "This is not yourself." But what was herself? She was increasingly unsure. "I am en service. I will… put this aside, for the moment." She forced herself out of the closet.

"Everythin' alright?" Applejack noticed the disheveled mess that was Fleur. "Ya gonna take a break?"

"Non." Fleur straightened herself out. "If you would, a hoof please." And soon she had helped puffing up and looking presentable again. "Apologies for the display. I will get back to work, oui?" And off she trotted.

Applejack, free of any such troubling thought, shook her head. "Hope she's alright." And she went back about her own business.

"What's wrong with her?" Tempest cut off Applejack's retreat. "She looks awful."

"Ah just told her that." Applejack shrugged expansively. "But she didn't want to chat about it none. Saw her come out of there." She pointed to the closed door Fleur had passed through. "Yer guess is as good as anypony else's, sugar cube."

"I don't like it." Tempest scowled in the direction Fleur had gone to. "Not that you'd know."

"Know what?"

"Exactly." She patted AJ's shoulder. "Hey, I think I heard Flim calling for you."

"Shoot!" AJ scrambled off to find her employer, far more worried about that than self-identity questions.

Tempest's horn sparked softly with a grumble. "Not good." She turned to a new direction, emerging onto the floor to slide up to the busy Sunset. She waited patiently for Shimmer to have a lapse in customers. "I think Fleur is cracking."

Sunset's ears danced. "More than the line?"

"Way more." Tempest glanced across the floor, as if any of the attendees were a suspicion. "Didn't get a chance to talk to her. She has that look though." It was almost impossible to miss that haunted look when a mare cracked the first time. "We should--"

"--Yeah," cut in Sunset. "Let's make sure she doesn't fall apart." She ducked down and came up with a little sign, floating in her magic that declared the bar temporarily closed. "Where is she?"

Tempest directed with her horn. "Looks like she's trying to shake her bit maker, but…"

"Yeah…" Sunset could see that look. Fleur's eyes moved only in fits and starts. She was easily startled, and she was speaking quietly enough that it was causing problems. Not that Fleur was extremely loud to begin with. "Points for trying."

"The ones that try the hardest can break the most messily." Tempest sank to her haunches. "I'm not good at coaching ponies, I swear to god."

"Do not use the G word," cautioned Sunset, ears flipping back. "But yeah, I get it."

She slipped around Tempest. "Now shoo. If ponies see you standing here, they are going to ask you for a drink, and do you even know how to mix a drink?"

"I can if I wanted!" Tempest stood at her full height, a haughty expression displayed.

"Good luck with that." Sunset ducked under the bar and set off towards her target with a confident smile. "Fleur!" She waved as she approached, not doing so even slightly subtly. Her loud approach scared off customers, which was the goal. "There you are." She threw a leg right over the slow-to-react Fleur that looked more like an oncoming truck had her in its headlights.

"S-Sunet! Mon ami… What… brings you here?" Fleur pulled back, but didn't get very far. "We should be attending the guests, non?"

"They can wait a moment." Sunset wrestled Fleur away towards a corner. "They'll be there tomorrow. I just want to be sure you will be."

"Whyever would I not be?" Fleur squinted at Sunset with a new confusion. "I am right here, non? I am going nowhere, mon ami. You worry for nothing."

"I worry because you're worth it." Sunset squeezed the rattled unicorn. "And I just want you to know, you're not alone. Tell me, who do you trust the most?"

"Trust the most? Confiant…" She licked over her dry lips, a tremble escaping her. "You!"

Sunset jerked back in surprise. "Me? I… well, thanks. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but are we that close? I'm ready to hear what you have to say, but…"

"No, no… You… Mon ami… You are also… You…" She danced from hoof to hoof in a silent moment. "You see hands?"

"Oh! Oh. Yeah, yes." She leaned in against Fleur. "Yes. I can't say yes enough times. Now, tell me who to lead you to, so you can share--"

But Fleur was shoving Sunset in a sudden turn about, forcing her into a narrow alleyway, a corridor made for employees trying to hurry about. "What is your name? Ton nom est…?"

"Uh… Sunset--"

"Non!" Fleur shoved Sunset back against the wall. "Ton nom est…?"

Things grew quiet, though tense, the two gazing into one another's eyes, Fleur's breath hard and ragged. "I… Alex."

"Alex…" Fleur released Sunset, looking ready to collapse herself. "Bonjour, Alex. Je m'appelle Eric." She sank miserably. "My name is Fleur… Fleur De Lis. I am… I help ponies." Tears began to run down her face. "I work on, how do you say, a computer?"

Sunset flipped an ear back at the mention of that word, a low hiss escaping her. "I got lucky… Look, Fleur. First, I believe you."

"You do?!" Fleur wasn't even sure if she believed herself. It was all coming apart. "How can this be? Who am I? Who are you? Who are any of us? Que Dieu nous aide." She deflated, sniffling and trying desperately to hold onto the fragments of her thought.

"Shhh." Sunset pressed her nose to Fleur's forehead just beside her horn. "Shhh… You're alright. We're here, you're here. Relax… Try… Take the day off. I'll explain to the brothers you need some time to yourself, alright? We'll make it through this." She sat back. "You don't room alone, do you?"

"Non! No no… Octavia, Miss Melody. What is her name? Will she tell me if I ask?" Fleur rubbed below her wildly contracted eyes that darted in an unhealthy way.

"She might?" Sunset quirked a little smile. "If you ask, politely, and privately. Go on and just tell her what put you in this state. I feel certain she'll just give you a big hug."

A big hug sounded rather tempting at that moment. Fleur rose to collect that promise.

Author's Note

Heavy topics are dropped, and realities shatter as a result. This is where typos are born, I think.

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11 - Embrasse-moi

"Hm. Not a one." Spitfire was scowling, though only a little. "Odd."

Sunset smirked across her bar at her co-worker. "Spitfire, girl, love you and all, but odd is a thing you do a lot. Be more specific?" She slid over a glass in her glowing magic. "Got your favorite."

"Thanks." Spitfire lifted it at the end of her hoof and downed it so quickly, it could be wondered if she actually tasted it. "There's usually a warmup, a pre-show, if you would. I'm not seeing it. No pre-show, no show. No show, no new mares."

Sunset angled an ear. "Well, there's plenty of us as is." Her eyes darted to the other workers on the floor, busy making the casino a success. "Maybe enough?" She broke away as a customer approached. "Hey! Sandy! Your usual?" She got to preparing a drink just the way that pony liked it, making small talk and angling for the big tip she enjoyed getting.

Spitfire watched Sunset work, seemingly patient enough. As soon as Sandy left, she leaned in. "The timing."

"The timing?" Sunset hiked a brow. "What's timed with what?"

"We got our payscale adjustment." Spitfire raised a hoof. "And the pre-shows stopped." She raised the other hoof. "Coincidence? Doubt it. The brothers are a lot of things, but random isn't one of them. They do things for a reason. Sometimes bad reasons, but always a reason."

"Usually." Sunset polished a glass. Cleaning tended to draw customers. Why? Who knew, but a bartender looking casually busy seemed to do the trick just fine, so she kept that right up. "You singing today, or working on the floor?"

Spitfire quirked an ear, quiet a moment. "Know what? Good idea. I can distract myself a little with a good number, and ponies like it." She fell to all fours, wings giving one strong flap. "Wish me luck."

"Break a leg. You have spares." Sunset smirked at her joke, one the other shattered mares seemed to get.

The door shut silently behind her. "Octavia, ma précieuse fleur. I have a need most desperate. Apologies for placing this on you."

Octavia had been laying on her belly, but sat up the moment the mess that was Fleur entered the room. "Tell me what happened," she ordered firmly. "Apologies can wait."

"Oui, yes…" Fleur slumped back against the door she had just closed, thumping it with her back. Her constricted eyes closed almost reluctantly. "Nothing is making sense, mon ami. I have two names. They both feel familiar to me, aussi familier que ma propre peau." She brought down a hoof. "Like my own skin," she repeated in proper Ponish. "And both are just as alien, at the same time! Mon ami, it is like I am coming apart, désassemblage."

Octavia slipped from her bed to settle herself instead on her haunches beside the trembling Fleur. "Deep breaths. You're not alone. I went through this bef--"

"What is your name?" Fleur suddenly attacked, hooves on Octavia's shoulders. "Tell me who I am speaking to."

Octavia began to frown at Fleur. "Remove your hooves from me," she demanded in an icy tone. "You get one warning."

Fleur's hooves did move, reluctantly. She set them back on the floor, her trembling only growing worse. "Will you not tell me then?"

"That is my decision alone, and it will be contrary to what you want if you attack me." Octavia rose, striding away calmly. "Since you obviously know both of yours, why don't we start there?" She turned smoothly back to Fleur. "Who am I speaking to?"

Fleur swallowed her tongue that had grown far too large for her mouth. "Mon ami… It hurts to say."

"But speak it you must, if you wish to have any slim chance to hear mine." She inclined her head. "Or do you think only you suffer? Mon ami," she said the Prench almost tauntingly, a dash of mockery. "Just because you are the latest to shatter does not mean you are the one with the deepest cuts. Now, who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Fleur sagged limply to her belly. She was larger than Octavia, but she felt as if she were but a foal at the hooves of the stern mare. "I have two names." Not this was unknown. "One you know, Fleur de Lis, wife of Fancy Pants. The other." She paused for a fresh swallow. "The other is Eric. I work at a helpful desk? For a sizable company of other ponies. Were they ponies? I had fingers, and used them, a lot."

Octavia began to smile gently. "A helpful desk? There's an interesting term for it. I believe you are searching for 'help desk'."

"Help desk! Oui!" Fleur nodded, which didn't work so well with her head being flopped on the ground. "That is it. A help desk. I would be called, and answer letters. Was I a secretary? It is confusing."

"That is you," spoke Octavia firmly. "That is just as much you as the unicorn in front of me."

Fleur sat up at that declaration, blinking open her eyes. "Whatever do you mean? I do not have fingers." She raised a hoof as if to demonstrate this fact. "I do now own a thing to… type?"

"A keyboard," offered Octavia. "You don't, but you did. That was and is you. You are Eric. You are Fleur. You are both of those things." She turned a hoof on herself. "I am Octavia. I am also Jean. I am a human, and an earth pony. Because I remember, Jean still lives, because I am Jean." She pointed at Fleur sharply. "Will Eric live?"

Fleur's ears danced haphazardly. "It is a choice?"

"Of course it is." Octavia rolled her eyes at the idea. "You wouldn't be the first shattered mare to see their past and run from it, screaming. Some of them drop their old selves. Some of them fumble and drop both selves, going quite batty in the process." She angled her head towards the exit. "You remember Applejack? She has a past self, but doesn't remember it. So it's dead. It shows no sign of life. We won't tap the glass." She rapped a hoof against an unseen pane in the air. "It isn't a bad life, just being a pony. Having a human joining the company? That makes things complicated." She turned her hoof back on herself. "I made my decision."

Fleur leaned in towards the seemingly knowledgeable pony before her. "Has any dropped their, as you say, new self?"

"Once." Octavia inclined her head. "They were thrown out of the casino really quickly. The brothers have no use for a human wearing a pony suit. I am not that. I am Octavia. I am Jean. I am both of those things, not one pretending to be the other."

Fleur blinked softly, but her eyes were focused. Her agitation was ebbing a bit. Understanding, a hint of it. "I… I see…" She licked over her lips. "If it is as you say, I can only imagine, we do not… speak of this, to the brothers."

"Smart pony." Octavia nodded in a faint motion. "We don't whisper a word of this. They don't need to know. To be perfectly honest, not sure they want to know. They just want us to do our job. What happens in our head--" She tapped at her own. "--That's our problem."

"Eric." Fleur moved to the mirror that sat on the wall of their room, gazing on herself. "Hello, Eric. Hello, Fleur. Can you two get along?"

"They better, since they are both you." Octavia watched the back of Fleur as she gazed on herself. "Is that your decision then?"

"Oui, I think… To decide the other, I would be, as they say… meurtrière. I will not be that. I do not think Eric would approve either. We agree that killing is wrong. You have given me a choice, and I am grateful, mon ami. I will not kill. To take the other option… That would be to lose myself. Suicide? I am not a miserable pony, mon ami. I like myself. I will learn the new self." She looked over her shoulder at Octavia. "Will you still be friends with me?"

"Some have made that choice, to shut out the second, I mean. Applejack may have done that, we can't tell. She probably just never shattered, but if a mare does shatter, but seems to slide back to beforehoof…" Octavia danced a hoof through the air. "That means she shut it down. She killed that other self. Never saw a mare shatter twice, so far. If they slip back to that, it's likely a done deal. They made their choice."

Fleur shuffled awkwardly for a moment. "You did not answer me. Will we still be friends? Will you accept this new part of me?"

"I need to meet them," calmly retorted Octavia. "You already met Jean. I am both. You've been speaking to Jean and Octavia all this time. We get along fine enough. He wanted to get into music, which I already am, so we're both pleased enough when I perform. He, and I, are clever and smart ponies. We don't get to practice that too much here, at the casino, but it's still a part of me."

Before Fleur could speak, Octavia inserted a hoof right into Fleur's mouth. "First, you need to meet Eric. You decided to keep him around, grand. Marvelous even, but you don't know him yet. You need to help him wake up. He's been sleeping, deep inside you, fitfully stirring as you remembered snatches and pieces. He's starting to rouse now. You've put the pillow away, so smothering him is set aside as an option. So, instead, time to offer a hoof, and learn who you're sharing space with."

The idea struck Fleur silent for a still moment. "Je vois… I see… How?"

Octavia went to the door of their room, throwing it open. "You know how they close off a room on Wednesdays, around eight at night?" She was pointing at the specific room in question. "There's a group class. Call it group therapy if you like."

Fleur poked her snoot out over Octavia, at the directed door. "Is that what they were doing in there? I thought it some manner of customer thing." She drew her head back. "Incroyable… This was all happening around me, without noticing? I feel daft now."

Octavia perhaps enjoyed Fleur's amazement more than what was technically required. "If it helps, I was there before. I wasn't the first shattered mare, and you probably won't be the last. So…" She rolled a hoof slowly. "If you happen on one, you can pass it on."

"Oui!" she sang, a gentle smile spreading on her face. "The isolation was the worst part. If I can help a pony not feel that, I would, gladly. But first… I must find myself." She tapped at her own chest. "Hello in there, Eric. I am Fleur and I am glad to meet you, hm? Are you as happy to meet me?"

Octavia kicked the door shut, no heads or other limbs in the way of it. "You get a point for the effort, but it's a slower, quieter, process than shouting at yourself. If it helps, most of our 'firsts' are, in fact, happy to meet us. Many of them are happy to be us. I think, if they weren't, most just don't end up here. Don't ask for proof, I haven't any to offer."

Fleur's stance became more relaxed. "That… makes me happy, mon ami. That Eric, who is me, also wants to be me, who is Fleur. We will meet, hoof to heart." She placed a hoof over the soft thumping she could feel. "We will both find our happiness, oui?"

"We can hope so." Octavia stepped up onto her bed and settled on it. "You look much better. Now, if you don't want to get chewed out, you'll get back out there and finish your shift. Wednesday."

"Wednesday," repeated Fleur with a firm nod. "I am so very looking forward to it." She left, certainty returning to her steps. She had a plan, and a way forward.

Author's Note

The plot thickens and progresses forward. Our mares are facing the largest typo of their fuzzy lives. What would you do?

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12 - Don't Tap the Glass

"Mighty proud of ya." Applejack hooked her little and yet not so little sister in a leg and hugged her with one side. "Ya went and became so responsible! Holdin' down a job, arguin' fer a fair share, and in a place like this." She looked around the casino. "Gettin' mighty hard to argue yer not..." She swallowed thickly at the idea. "A mare..."

"I'm still not working in the back." Apple Bloom winked at the idea. "Best they'll get out of me is a cutie mark diagnostic session."

Applejack released her sister as she sank to her haunches. "Ya still do that?!"

"'Course ah do." Apple Bloom sat up tall with obvious pride. "Got plenty of experience. A pony wants to chat about their mark, ah'm ready." She thumped her chest with a hoof. "But most of 'em just wanna snack, and that's alright."

"You just keep it up." Applejack met Apple Bloom's hoof with her own in a clop of solidarity. "Now, ah should get back to mah own work." She rose and started off. "The farm must be so happy."

Elsewhere, at a farm, Granny Smith set down an envelope that jingled on impact, coins spilling out of it. "Don't get it."

"Nope." Big Mac shook his head with shared bafflement.

"Ain't a bad thing." Applejack shrugged softly. "Just wish they wouldn't use our names. Kinda creepy. They must like apples though."

The family nodded in unison, not understanding the mysterious benefactor (possibly more than one?) that kept sending bits to them with cheerful letters as if they were family. That they were signed Applejack or Apple Bloom only made it stranger, seeing as both of those ponies were present and not making any more bits than usual.

"Ain't gonna look a gift in the mouth." Applejack shrugged. "So long as they ain't askin' fer favors back."

A startled squeak told Fleur she had struck well, that the mare giggled and blushed instead of angrily shouting the second, more vital, hint. Fleur walked right on past like she had nothing to do with it, but the mare knew, the way she glanced over, and she was the only one that needed to know she'd been goosed by the graceful unicorn.

"Mind if I join?" She sat at a card table, to the excitement and approval of the ponies already playing there. It was a random thing, which made it a rare opportunity to play alongside Fleur. "Don't steal all of my bits, hm?" She winked at the mare and the stallion she was playing cards with.

Tempest set a few cards down with her magic. "Welcome to the game." She turned one card around just before it hit the table, revealing it. "I won't take it easy on you. Dealer has to treat everypony fair, or it's not a good game."

"I will win or lose with my own hooves." Even if it was her magic that was moving the cards around, not her hooves. "My first wager." She set down a few chips.

One of the guests whistled. "Starting hot. I'll match that." More chips slid forward.

Fleur barely had a moment to realize the pony beside her had reached for her. The hoof had been captured, a belt wrapped around its attached leg, held by Tempest's magic. "Worm," Tempest snarled, teeth exposed in a threat. "You looking to get punished?" She pulled the belt back just to whip it in the air. "That can be arranged."

The caught stallion shrank back, ears falling. "Sorry, mistress."

Tempest's scowl warmed a little. "Good that you remember your place." The two clearly had met and interacted before. "Keep your eyes on your cards."

The game flowed well from there. Fleur won some, and lost some, but that wasn't the goal. It wasn't as if she could even cash out the chips she had. They had been given for her to play and interact with the customers, not try to win bits. They loved it, and she didn't mind doing it. Playing with the customers was a nice clean way to make them happy.

"Bon jeu!" she trilled as she surrendered some of her chips across the table, which bounced across to the winning player. "Such skilled players we have. Bonté moi, a pleasure and a delight." She rose to her hooves, to the applause of the other players. She nodded at Tempest. "Thank you for a fair game."

"Any time." Tempest began shuffling the deck busily. "Now, who's ready to face me?" The game resumed under the dominating gaze of Tempest, to their apparent approval.

Fleur glanced up at the partially concealed watch. It was about time. She had worked a full day of keeping the casino merry and bustling, and felt no guilt slipping off the floor into the back hallways. "This one." She approached the door Octavia had pointed out to her. "With espérer, I move forward." She shook off her hesitation and knocked with a raised hoof on the door. Bonjour?"

The door opened a crack, allowing an eye to peek out. "Fleur?" It was Celestia, opening the door that glowed in her golden magic as she took hold of the entirety of it instead of just the handle, throwing it open. "You've never come before." She raised a hoof to her large chest. "I'm being rude. You must be terribly confused. Please, enter." She waved to go around her.

Fleur did just that. "Merci." She nodded at the large form of Celestia. It clicked a moment later, already half-past Celestia. "You are… shattered as well?"

Celestia's glowing horn shut the door behind Fleur. "Everypony you meet here. I'm Lauren."

"Lauren." Fleur sat to work her forehooves together. "It is a delight to meet you, though you have proven a theory I had wrong."

"That all our firsts were stallions? You're not the first pony I broke that theory of." Celestia quirked a smile. "And who are you, if I may ask? Don't answer if you can't. This is a safe place."

"They are a stallion," admitted Fleur to start. "Should I… This is a group thing, n'est-ce pas?"

"It is." Celestia pointed past Fleur to a ring of pillows and wide bottomed chairs, some of which had ponies on them. "Go on, take a seat. I'm still security. I'll join when time runs out and I lock the door."

Fleur wandered further into the room at a slow walk, unsure steps on the wooden floor. "Bonjour?"

Luna sat perched on a pillow. It was the larger Luna, Announcer Luna. "Well met, Fleur. I had heard you were cracking. That you made it here means you have survived the most immediately trying portion of things." She gestured to a seat beside herself. "Will you join me?"

"Gladly." Fleur stepped up and sank down, sitting on the broad chair in more of a laying herself completely down. "It is beyond me… To think about all of them." She looked from pony to pony, knowing they were all shattered, like her.

"Did you forget me already?" Sunset was waving a hoof eagerly from almost clean across the circle. "I was the one that caught you when you--"

Fleur colored rapidly. "Oui! This I remember. Thank you…"

Celestia joined the circle. "The door is locked. We may proceed. It's nice to see you all. As you've noticed, we have a new face. Welcome Fleur." She gestured as she sank on a large pillow.

Fleur scrambled to her hooves, nodding to the ponies of the circle quickly. "Thank you for having me. We have met before. I am Fleur De Lis." She gestured at herself as her eyes wandered over the circle. "We have all worked together before." No new ponies in sight, which, in some ways, made it all the more uncanny, that her coworkers had been carrying that burden without her knowledge.

Hooves met in light applauding clops. Sunset called from across the circle, "Go on, finish your introduction."

Fleur turned an ear back. "I 'shattered', as it is said, only very recently. It was in that I met him." She took a slow measured breath, eyes closing. "And I found another inside me, a face looking back in the mirror. He is smiling, and I want to meet him properly. Say hello to Eric."

A chorus rose up as the mares welcomed Eric to their circle as warmly as they had Fleur. Both were welcome there. Both were the same pony. Two in one, both made friends.

Luna rose. "You may sit. Now, since you are new, allow me to explain how some of this works. "We meet here to talk, first and foremost. Most ponies have no idea what we endure, and it would confuse and alarm them to share it, so we don't. But to hold that in one's hooves, alone, is quite a task." She shook her head slowly.

"So we share, quietly, with others who have the same secret. We discuss the things we learn about ourselves. We discuss what makes us happy, sad, or just confused. We share, because the burden on two backs is so much less than on any one." She dipped her head. "Most of you know this already, but it is unfair to ask someone to introduce themselves without offering the same. I am Luna. I am James. We are both happy to be here."

Sunset bounced to her hooves. "Sunset Alexander is my full name. We're both happy to be here." She waved with a big grin. "Funny thing about that. Both of us know how to be a human." She clopped a hoof on the ground. "Right! Sorry. Fleur. Human, that's what our firsts are." She tapped at her chest lightly. "But yeah, both sides of me are super comfy with the idea of two legs and hands, no friction there at all. Just that he used to like the idea of things shaped like a mare, and now he is one, and we're both pleased." She shook her rump with a laugh. "Next!" She sank to her haunches.

Celestia raised a hoof. "I mentioned my first's name to Fleur, but to be proper, I am Celestia." She inclined her head. "The other is Lauren, but we are not… It is difficult to explain, but you are speaking to Celestia. Lauren is watching, in here." She tapped at her chest. "Resting. She had a hard time of things, and I am happy to provide a safe place, inside me. Perhaps, in time, she will be ready to stir fully, and I will be there, to welcome her with open arms."

A round of gentle applause rippled, not technically required, but given all the same.

Spitfire leaned forward. "Hey. You've met me before." There wasn't a pony there Fleur hadn't met. "But you didn't. Meet Penn. They're an awesome person, just like me." She snorted with a grin. "Nice to meet you again for the first time." She leaned back a bit. "Not gonna lie. Your transformation was, like, 9/10."

Fleur's ears danced at that. "My transformation? Whatever do you mean?"

Luna set a hoof on her forehead. "We don't know how, or why, but Spitfire can see people who are becoming ponies, and she likes watching." She fixed Spitfire with a reproachful glare. "You could do something about it."

Gamer Luna stuck out her tongue. "I want to see the next one!"

Announcer Luna turned her head sharply at her younger clone. "There shouldn't be a next one."

"Aw." Gamer Luna sank to her belly. "Well, hey! I'm Luna, the real Luna." She stuck out her tongue at the older Luna. "My Player 1 is Justin. We both love videogames, and we both love winning them." She clopped her hooves together. "So if you want to lose to two people at the same time, feel free to stop by the arcade whenever!"

Fleur smiled, a growing expression. They were like her. "I am honored to join you all. Let us… learn each other, and ourselves." The fresh applause her words got were a balm. She had found a new home. A place to be safe in.

Author's Note

This feels like an important chappy on a few fronts. I bet those letters have typos hiding in them...

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13 - Double Pane

Fleur allowed others to speak in turn before she raised her hoof. "I do not mean to dominate the time, but who else is… like us?"

"Shattered?" Celestia quirked an ear. "Some of us are still out there, working the floor. We can't all be here at once. That would raise concerns, and leave our customers in a bind. Not to mention how rude it'd be to the other workers. They're not all shattered, I remind you."

Gamer Luna thrust up a hoof eagerly. "Like Apple Bloom. She comes every other week and trades with me."

Fleur inclined her head faintly. "Every other week? Quite the system… Not one I imagine came overnight. How long… Has this been?"

Gamer Luna pointed at her older doppelganger. "Longer than she's been here, I'll tell you that. I was first. Best Luna!" She stuck out her tongue defiantly.

Announcer Luna did not rise to the bait. "The first to shatter was--"

"Me," announced Spitfire. "But can you count it as 'shattering' when that window never closed? I knew I was changing, and I liked it. When the new me began talking, thinking, I just talked back to her. I never went to sleep like others."

Spitfire looked at Fleur directly. "I wasn't kidding, by the way. You walked in, a random dude. That's a human stallion. If I see a human stallion? Good chance things are happening, so I trailed after you. I watched as your ears went all fuzzy and soft. Your tail got so long so fast." She rubbed her hooves together with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I almost wanted to stop it, to try to freeze you, somehow. You were a real looker, right caught in the middle, but it doesn't work like that."

Fleur turned an ear back against her head. "I am sorry to disappoint you."

"Nah." Spitfire, also Penn, waved a hoof at Fleur. "You're still a looker, just in a different way. You came in on two legs, but you staggered into the breakroom on all four. I was there, remember?" Spitfire thrust a hoof at herself. "Pointed you in the right direction."

This was a moment of confusion. False memories of time before that had been laid, crumbling before the evidence given to her. "That was when I arrived? Dear god…" She slapped a hoof to her cheek. "So I did only work one week!"

Announcer Luna allowed a mild snort. "If there was doubt to your shattered state, it has been thoroughly dashed."

Fleur perked an ear at the larger Luna. "How so?"

"You keep referencing God. That is a human thing, which we all are in part." Luna nodded with confidence. "Though part of me, Luna, is baffled at the idea of being so uncertain of one's place in the world." Her voice shifted ever so slightly. "We did the best we could," argued the other side of Luna. "Don't be a jerk about it."

Sunset suddenly hopped down from her chair. "Real talk; Fleur, you should chat with your first. So let me give you a few hints." Focus shifted onto her, the group accepting her sudden new topic. "For some of us--" She angled her head towards Spitfire. "This is literally a conversation. Me and mine have come together, so we don't need to 'talk' much, because we're both here, at the same exact time. It's a personal thing."

Celestia nodded gently. "I do not share words with mine. Most of the time, a faint feeling, and returned with emotions. They are watching now, I can feel it. But no words. That's alright. Rest. You are safe." She sounded like she was assuring someone, perhaps her first as she settled in place.

Fleur fidgeted in place with a soft hum. "But how will I know? Mon amis, where do I begin this journey?"

"Getting to it," assured Sunset. "First thing that works for basically all of us, quiet." She waved a hoof. "We have different amounts of noise we like. But if you want to chat with your other, quiet, especially at first. Take some time for yourself, both of yourselves, with nothing to get in the way."

Gamer Luna nodded quickly. "When you get used to it, you can let up. Justin and I are on the same page. Gotta be to lay down our sweet moves." She moved her hooves as if playing with a joystick. "So if he wants to talk, I can hear it anytime. Sometimes I don't even need to hear the thoughts. He's my player 1, and I'm not kidding around."

"Quiet." The room was full of warm welcome, but quiet was not a word Fleur would assign it. "That will have to be something I follow on my own, j'imagine."

Announcer Luna reached to the side, setting a hoof on Fleur's back. "Yes and no. You are most welcome to report to us how it goes, the goods and the bads. We are here, for you, as we are for each other." A chorus of agreement went around the circle.

"One thing." Eyes turned back to Sunset. "A thing our human halves didn't have, but we do." She pointed up at her glowing horn. "If, after you talk with them, and get used to it, you want to… step across, that isn't impossible."

Fleur blinked with clear confusion. "Excusez-moi, but I do not comprehend. Step across where? Or what?"

Announcer Luna coughed into a hoof. "Some few decide they prefer to be a stallion. This gets them ejected by the brothers, but that is not something we will stand in the way of. Shortsighted of them, I should think."

Gamer Luna rolled her eyes. "Like ponies have no interest in stallions? It's their game to mess up."

Fleur's cheeks darkened in a vibrant sweep as she tensed, having not entertained such a notion before. Still, it was spoken, and so she did consider it. "Oh mon… Fancy Pants would be…" She trailed off, looking to the two Lunas instead with a new focus. "A question, s'il vous plaît. You are… aware… If we are all humans… You are not both Luna… In some ways, neither of you are Luna, non?"

That got her a frown from both of the Lunas. Gamer Luna thrust a hoof at her. "And Fancy Pants has no idea who you are, but that's impolite to bring up. Rude."

Announcer nodded in rare agreement with her smaller self. "Do not tap the glass. It does not simply refer to those not yet shattered. We have our… thoughts. They keep us safe and happy. I am the true Luna." She nodded with rebuilding confidence. "And she, a playful brat of an imitation."

"Fossil," spat Gamer Luna, though the insult seemed to lack teeth in that instant, as if the two were both happy to return to their more familiar and comfortable disagreements rather than face the real problem at hoof. She took a sudden sharp breath. "We are two sheet glass; double paned, weather proofed and everything."

Sunset turned a hoof on herself. "Not me, broke through both halves. I know both of me aren't where we started. We're something new. I'm alright with that."

Fleur swallowed thickly. She was not ready to tap that glass… "I see…" Her eyes darted to Spitfire. "And you, Penn. You are also double-shattered?"

Spitfire/Penn snorted with amusement. "Already forgot? You can't shatter a window that isn't in the way. But I can put a hoof right through the space." She waggled a hoof for demonstration. "'Cause that window is open and I love the view."

"Mon ami…" She licked over her dry lips. "You two…" Fleur was looking between Spitfire and Sunset, the two that seemed the most 'thoroughly' shattered of them. Even if one was quite sure there was no actual shattering involved. "I am not ready."

"Of course not." The larger Luna was gently patting Fleur. "It's not a race. Take your steps as you wish, and no faster than that."

Gamer Luna rolled her eyes. "Competitive shattering? We could win that…"

Sunset squinted at the smaller Luna. "You haven't even finished, so keep that brag under your hat." Not that Gamer Luna had a hat at that moment.

Celestia nodded at Fleur. "You look rattled. This is your first time. Do you want to stop here? We will be back next week, and you are welcome to it."

"That…" Fleur stepped down from her seat to her hooves. "Yes, Oui. A good idea. I will see you all on l' étage." Confident, at least in her fleeing, she moved for the door just to discovered it was locked. Her heart began to pound in her ears, feeling trapped.

A loud click announced the door unlocking. "Got it," called Celestia. "I will lock it behind you."

"Oh, oui… Thank you." She dipped her head at Celestia, horn pulling the door open just enough to slip through. As promised, it closed quickly behind her, and a soft click announced it had locked anew. It was a secret place. A safe place. But she did not feel ready to be there at that moment.

"Eric, are you listening?" Nothing replied to her. "We have much to discuss…"

She fled to her room, peeking inside. Octavia was not there. Out on the floor? It was likely. Probably making her delightful music. Fleur smiled at the thought as she closed the door behind herself. "Just a moment."

Fleur had to return to work, but a few minutes… She sank to her haunches and closed her eyes. "Mon ami, I have seen you in the mirror. Will you face me now?"

She was a pony. She was tall and shapely and average and normal. Fleur shook her head softly at the conflicting thoughts. He was a human, born to two human parents, raised in a human world, in a human way.

She took a sharp draw of breath, almost silent, but it may as well have been a storm in her own ears. "Hello," she whispered, raising a hoof to her chest. "Are you alright?"

He would scare her away. That they had managed to make it so far, a miracle. She could feel his fears and frets and she inclined her head. She had thought it only the jitters of a new job, but… "It is alright." She wasn't entirely sure if they could hear them, exactly… "We are together."

But how long would they be together? Would she get tired of him and get rid of him? That was an option. She could roll over on their shared bed and squash him flat, and there wasn't a lot he could do about that.

"Non!" Fleur scowled, a shiver running down along her spine. "Jamais… To hurt a creature, like that? I could never… We are together." She rubbed at the side of her face with new thought. "If… I have any idea what is happening, and I do not… We are both… here." She tapped the ground before her. "Neither of us deserves to be here more than the other. I won't do that. Would you?"

A sensation of dread, horror, and a dash of disgust. The presence in her did not like the idea of harming another anymore than Fleur did. "Good… Can you talk? I would like much to exchange, as they say, dialogue."

But no words came, just a gentle tickle of acceptance. Their fear was withdrawing. Not vanishing, but ebbing into the background. Instead Fleur thought to examine herself. She approached the mirror of her room and looked at herself, turning left and right slowly. "This is us. We are a pretty pony, jolie jument." She fluttered her lashes at, well, herself.

"Do you like it?"

A warmth, a general sense of approval. Whatever was in her, liked the reflection as she displayed it. "You are a stallion, n'es tu pas? It must be curious for you, to be a mare. Can you feel everything I feel?"

It was perhaps time to learn of her relationship with this other being.

Author's Note

Some feel more shattered than others, but typos were surely involved.

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15 - The Rain Ends

Fleur smiled, it was a thing she had practice with doing, in that proper way. A great big grin would throw ponies off, no, a subtle turning of the lips, the rest of her face lending towards that look of gentle acceptance. A refined smile! A pity those she smiled for were not looking for such subtle details. The crowd screamed and hooted, as if they were excited patrons in a casino, which they were.

She stood on a platform with some of the other mares. It was a new game the brothers had thought up. The casino goers were asked quiz questions, and they were allowed to-- "I'd like to phone a celeb!" The pony that had failed to think up an answer turned to Fleur, Octavia, and Spitfire, the famous ponies on tap that round. "I'll go with... her." He pointed at Spitfire. "I bet she knows."

Spitfire nodded. "Alright, hit me." The question was repeated for her. "Oh, yeah, sure." She tapped at her chin. "Like the view from a mile up. Gotta corkscrew!" The audience laughed and applauded. It wasn't the right answer, but it was amusing, and that was, in many ways, a better answer for them to give.

When the curtain came down later, Fleur sagged. "We made it."

Octavia was leaving rapidly, barely giving time for the curtain to conceal her. "If you need me, you know where to find me." She was headed back to the performing area, where she could ply the one trade she cared about.

Spitfire threw an arm around Fleur's withers. "We made it through just fine."

Fleur considered that a moment. "We did, mon ami, but to stand and make silly answers is hardly what I am comfortable doing." Her horn glowed as she gently tugged things back into position, fussing over her clothes and mane. "My refinement is what ponies come for, is it not?"

Spitfire shrugged lightly. "And that's why they get a giggle out of seeing you up here. Fancy pony playing a trivia game? They love it. None of us look quite like we, you know, belong here. Pretty sure that's the whole gimmick."

"There they are." There was Flim, grinning. "You two were amazing--"

"--wonderful," added Flam.

"--even spell dazzling!" Flim nodded firmly. "An excellent show. Go on back to the floor, do what you do best."

"With pleasure. À bientôt." Fleur dipped her head at the two and walked away, in no great hurry. It was against her style to rush if she could avoid it.

Spitfire was alone with the brothers. She leaned in with a smirk. "So, what's the haps? I haven't seen any new ponies coming through."

"Oh?"

"Not what the numbers show." Flam's horn glowed, holding up a clipboard. "We have a veritable bonanza of new traffic."

"Not what I mean." Spitfire rolled her eyes at the misunderstanding. "New mares. New staff." She huffed softly. "Not even the hint of any, but you keep dumping more work on us. If you want more work, get more mares."

"Easier said than done," noted Flim in an apologizing tone.

"Budgets--"

"Plans--"

"You know how it is." The brothers nodded in unison at Spitfire. "We would if we could."

"If we could," sighed out Flim. "But you're doing a great job!"

"Fantastic," eagerly agreed Flam. "You get out there and keep on knocking 'em over. They love it!"

"Adore it." Flim bobbed his head, reaching up to adjust his hat. "As do we."

"Most certainly." Flam reached out to tap Spitfire on the chest. "Tell you what."

"Ooo, what's that?" Flim leaned over as if he didn't already know the idea.

"Next time we consider somepony, we'll tell you ahead of time."

"Brilliant!"

Spitfire looked less certain. "That's a start… If you plan to actually get someone." Someone versus somepony was a little human tic. So easily missed. "Why don't you let me get someone? I bet I could get a few eager mares if you let me take the wheels for a change."

Flim worked at his bowtie nervously.

"You see." Flam stepped closer. "It's not as simple as it appears. Only a specific pony do that. Her talent."

"Her destiny," added Flim, joining the flow. "It's right on her bottom, as they tend to be."

Spitfire glanced back at her own rump, the flaming wing displayed. "Speaking of that… I'm having fun and all, but these wings gotta stretch a little. Won't your people love a show of Spitfire doing what Spitfire does best?"

The brothers shared a glance, Flim breaking the quiet first, "That's a stupendous--"

"--delightful--

"--Crowd capturing idea!" Flim nodded with growing confidence. "If you're ready to spread those wings, I see no reason to stop you. Let us plan out the particulars of the when and where."

Flam poked Spitfire in the center of her chest. "You're the aerial expert. We'll leave those specifics to you, once we have the rest worked out."

Flim flashed a new smile. "We say when, you say how. Together, we'll have the audience exploding with cheers."

Spitfire's expression warmed. "Now we're talking." Not as good as new mares, but a close second… "I'll need to practice. I'll be outside." She pointed towards the exit of the casino. "I lay claim on six hours a day to keep on top of my game. You want this to work, you need me out there, working it."

Unseen to the brothers, Spitfire and Penn were in eager conversation with one another. Spitfire made it clear, they had been lazy. It was fun, but she was disastrously out of shape. She needed time in the air to get her stuff back. It'd be work, real work. But, she promised, it'd be fun, and the result would be completely worth it.

That Penn agreed was obvious with their shared smile, the two halves reaching consensus without a single outward sign of their conversation. Two halves of the same coin, they were in harmony. "We--I'll let you know when I'm ready to let loose and razzle their dazzle." She shook her back end with a sly smirk.

Flam began leading the way off the stage. "We'll look forward to how it goes then."

"Not that we have any doubt of your abilities."

"Perish the thought," gasped Flam with horror, faked likely. "The other mares will have to cover you."

Spitfire turned an ear back, but there wasn't another way… "If you let me snag a mare."

Flim and Flam both shook their heads at that. "Even if we 'let' you," noted Flim. "You don't know how. We don't either! Only one pony has that trick."

"Just one," affirmed Flam. "And she isn't sharing."

"A magician rarely likes to share their tricks." Flim nodded with a soft mhmm. "Speaking of, let's see your magic. Good luck up there."

With Spitfire not working a chunk of her hours, the others had to step up to fill in that opening. For some of them, little to no change was noticed. Apple Bloom had to offer food the exact same number of hours, and she wasn't that useful trying to play Spitfire's part.

The other Apple sister, however… "Ya sure about this?"

Flim bobbed his head. "You're great friends with a world-renowned performer, are you not?"

"I'm certain you could if you tried." Flam nudged Applejack forward. "Just sing from the heart." An idea struck him. "In fact, why not forget the crowd."

"What crowd?" Flim leaned in from the other side, backing his brother up. "It's just you and--"

"Apple Bloom," completed Flam perfectly. "Your little sister, who'd love to hear a few kind words from her sister."

And it was that Applejack sung a little song of encouragement to her little sister. The fact that the crowd was there, forgotten for the time. It was just her and the strangely-grown filly that she cared for very much.

As Flim and Flam had predicted, Applejack had a lovely voice for singing. Requests for her companionship rose with her performance. The pressure on the other mares was decreased in turn as some of that attention slid onto the back of that earth pony.

"I'll buy 'em." A pony sat across the desk, eying the brothers critically. "How much? My show needs that kind of star power. I don't know where you found such trained actors, but they have it, and I want it." With a toss his head, he sent a heavy sack of bits onto the desk. "How much?"

Flim polished his chest with a cocky smile. "Our lovely mares bring in that much on their own." His eyes dropped to the bag and up to the stallion offering it. "Why would we sell the goose laying the golden eggs?"

"When we can sell the eggs instead?" finished Flam, looking equally as confident.

The pony moved a thick cigar from one side of his snout to the other. "You ain't getting the picture. Now, see, this town…" He trailed a hoof over the desk. "It runs on a few rules. You two, you're a flash in the pan. You come in, stir things up, but then you're gone. How it works."

Flam shook his head. "That's just because--"

"--Zip it," cut in their increasingly unwelcome guest. "You've already bungled it up once. Now, you're gonna leave, the only question is how you do it. You gonna ride out of town in style…" He set a hoof on the heavy bag of coins. "Or are you gonna get rode out of town."

Flim clopped a hoof down on their desk. "You are being very rude in our office!"

"Very so," agreed Flam, joining his brother in scowling at the visitor. "Guard!"

The door swung open instantly, the large form of the largest pony they had on staff poked in. "Anything the matter?" gently asked Celestia with that peaceful smile of hers.

The intruder grabbed his bag, throwing it up over his back, the opening clutched with his hoof in a casual ignoring of physics. "Hey, toots. Looking big and wonderful as usual, eh? You ever get tired of workin' for these mooks, I know three places that'd snatch you up, pay at least double whatever they're throwin', maybe more."

Celestia was ready to reply smoothly, but paused. She could feel intense pressure from the inside. The hurt woman inside her didn't like the angry pony before her, not at all. She could feel that revulsion and fear growing, and it only made Celestia scowl. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir." Her horn began to glow with unspoken promises. "Now."

"Hey, no reason to get your knickers in a twist." The pony began on his way, walking for the door in no special hurry. "The offer's still on the table though. You look me up, I'll get you a great deal."

The door closed behind him, glowing with Celestia's magic as she nudged it firmly closed. The pressure within her abated, and her own tension faded along with it. "What did… he want?"

Flim rolled a hoof in the air. "He wanted to get in on the action."

"But you mares like it here, don't you?" finished Flam with a great smile. "Thank you for your timely assistance."

"Always impeccable work," agreed Flim. "If you see that cad around, see him to the street. He is not welcome in our casino!"

"Without a doubt." But Celestia stood there still a moment. "Sirs? How are the numbers?"

Flam waved that away. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about that! We have it under control."

Celestia curled a hoof to point at herself. "I am no longer acting princess, but I have had experience managing an affair significantly larger than a casino… If I can help?"

Flim reached to get an arm over Celestia, which proved quite impossible to do casually. "We appreciate it, really we do. But we just need you to do your part."

"Which you're so good at," added Flam with a bright smile. "Thanks for being part of the team."

Author's Note

The dynamics are shifting a bit, for the better? Mmm, that might have been a typo.

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16 - Swimming in Troubled Waters

Fleur heaved softly. The days, and nights, had grown longer. She was tired, as were the rest that she could see. Flim and Flam, to their credit, had kept thinking up different ways to employ the mares, which included her, in stunts to draw ponies in. More ponies meant more to do. She had more ponies to interact with on the floor. More ponies meant more companionship sessions.

Ultimately, more ponies meant more everything else. Even the slow parts of the day, the respite, were being scrubbed away, leaving her haggard. She sank against a wall, struggling to regain herself. Tired. It was the only word she could really focus on.

"Let me help."

Her eyes opened and she looked around, but she was alone in the staff hallway.

"#1," spoke the voice, male, coming from inside her as if she was wearing headphones, which she was not. "Eric."

Fleur's eyes widened. "You did not speak before."

"You weren't ready to talk, and neither was I." A momentary pause there. "But you're tired. I'm not. Let me help."

"You… Mon ami?"

"I've ridden in the back a while now. Your turn. I'll be careful, promise."

Fleur felt like she was falling, but the ground was soft, like an infinitely large pile of cushions, warm and surrounding. She fell asleep almost immediately, surrendering to the presence she had thought was just that, a gentle presence.

Not-Fleur looked around with sharpened eyes. "Oui," she spoke to herself and started for the floor. The show had to go on!

"This isn't fair," argued the older Luna, but without her accent. "They're working us twice as hard for the same pay."

Celestia scowled with a furious energy. "This is what I ran away from," she growled out.

Octavia shook her head softly. "Octavia has most of the talent bottled up on her side. I can strum if I have to, but…"

Luna nodded at the other two. "I hear you, completely. Why are some of us…" She waved a hoof between the three. "Looking like we're getting a second wind, and some of us…" She leaned around the corner to point at the barely operating Sunset struggling to get her drinks right through hazy eyes. "Look like that."

"I was asleep," fumed Celestia. "Celly is… a perfect and lovely creature. She kept me safe and cozy and I felt so safe with her." She drove down a metal-clad hoof with a loud thump. "And now she's asleep inside me. I'm going to guess I'm talking to two humans right now."

The other two ponies glanced at each other before both nodded, admitting their humans had taken the controls. "Jean," announced Octavia.

"Lauren, but we did this before, didn't we?" Celestia inclined her head, though she was not entirely Celestia.

"James," finished Luna. "And I have an idea, a theory really." She inclined her head towards the floor. "The ones that are still tired were already awake. Both sides, I mean. So they couldn't fall asleep and trust their other-halves to take over, like ours did." She set a hoof on her chest. "I'll admit it, part of me is kinda tickled Luna trusts me enough to do that."

"Or tired enough," sighed out Lauren through Celestia. "This is just horrible. Look, alright. It's time we started getting to the bottom of this!"

Jean, otherwise known as Octavia, reached out a hoof. "Wait, before we… do that, and it is important, I want to talk." The other two mares looked at her. "Octavia usually keeps a pretty tight lid, so… I don't get to talk much. You don't know me, outside of my name. Can I tell my story?"

James, also Luna, set a hoof on Octavia-Jean's shoulder. "This seems important to you. As a fellow human-person--" She chuckled at that phrasing. "--yeah, sure. Where'd you come from, Jean?"

Jean-Octavia sat back with a little smile. "I'll gladly tell you." And her story went something like this.

I was in school. Huh? No, college, not highschool. I was studying pharmacy. Now, see how they look out there? That was me, but it was worse, because I was running way out of money while I was doing it. Living off ramen seems fun until it's literally your only option.

I was a nice enough-- Yes, I know most people say that about themselves. Sheesh, look, I tried not to be a jerk, and who had time to be one anyway? I wasn't that good around people I didn't know… so I mostly stuck to my studying, and my ever growing pile of debt.

School was a hassle, don't get me wrong. I understood the subject. I understood it! But school is a process, not just acing a test here and there. It was taking a lot out of me, but that's school for most people, right? I wasn't special there, and I'm not claiming that.

But you put the two together and I was looking for a way out. I wasn't thinking straight. In fact, I was kinda dumb. Who goes to a casino to make money? Nobody thinking properly. So there I was, walking into one, thinking, somehow. Somehow. I was going to walk out of it with more than I went in with, a lot more. I'd fix all my money problems!

I started with the slots, but I knew numbers. Not the right numbers in that moment to know I was being dumb, but enough to know my odds of getting enough out of the machines was too small. I had to be bold! I had to be brash! I marched up to the card tables like they owed me the money.

The dealer was all too happy to serve me exactly what I had coming.

When I revealed my hand, my already cracked world fell into little chunks. I had lost what little money I had left. I was a damned statistic, another casualty of gambling. I had laughed at people who fell into that kind of thing. It'd never be me! I was too smart for that! And there I was, living it.

"Tough spot." And there was a pony, seated on the next stool over. "Who knew that guy had a royal flush? What even are the odds?" She was nodding lightly at me, as if commiserating with an old friend, instead of some human she'd never seen before, who was freaking out a little.

I was seeing talking little ponies. That was it. I had lost it…

"Don't look so sad." She reached for me. Part of me wanted to run screaming, but I was tired. Tired and defeated. She found no resistance as she rubbed a little circle. "If you could be anywhere, doing anything, what would you be doing?" Her eyes wandered. "Say, in a casino." She had just reduced 'anywhere' rather quickly, but I wasn't really focused on that.

I looked around. "Anything." Sure, anything. Anything but where I was, and what I was doing. I was desperate to escape the disaster I had made. "Anything." I saw a musician. Guy was playing a big stringed instrument. He was tearing it up, and people were watching, fascinated. He was the center of their world.

"Like a bit of music." The pony leaned over towards me, pausing to puff up her mane that was blocking her vision. "I bet you could make a great musician."

"Me?" I laughed at the idea. "I don't play anything, and I'm terrible at…people."

"Don't be absurd." She was looking past me, her hoof on my far side, drawing me closer. "Look at his hands moving. He's not paying attention to the people. He's living in his music. Wouldn't you want that?"

Without really thinking about it, I began working on an imagined instrument. "That… But could I?"

"You could," she whispered into my ear, close enough that I could feel her whiskers tickling against the skin. Funny thing people don't think about? Horses have whiskers. Girls, boys, they got whiskers, just a thing, and hers were tickling me as she promised me I could.

My fingers were the first to go, but I didn't miss them. I was too busy imagining making all the right moves, swaying my hands back and forth even if they ended in flat hooves. "No more work," she continued.

"School?"

"That, no more that." She accepted my correction. "You'll have friends who care about you, others like you."

Now, at the time, I imagined other musicians. I didn't know it'd be a bunch of other ponies. Not that I mind, now, looking back. Seriously, nice to be with you all, but back to the story. It was about that time that I got my tail. It was long and grey and curled around the stool I was still seated in. The casino was still going on around me, ignoring the crazed man humming to himself.

I had the urge to stand up, so I did, my new hooves clopping on the floor as I left my shoes behind. I was playing a cello. I had never seen a cello, in person, but I was sure I was playing one. Sure, there was no cello there, but I was making the motions to do so anyway.

"Sir." A guard, more of a bouncer really, was closing in fast. "If you're not playing, I need you to step away from the table."

But he wasn't someone listening to my music, just a bother, really. I fluttered lashes that were far longer than they had been and turned away from him. Couldn't he see I was busy?! It was around that time, I think? I can't be really sure, I wasn't in a good mental space, but that was when I stopped being a he and went ahead and became a she, not that I cared. I care now! Sure, but I'm also… used to it… Anyway, getting off topic.

I was grabbed roughly at the shoulder and given a shove. The bouncer? I hit the ground on all four hooves. "Oi! You absolute scrubber!" I shouted with a new accent, my face pushing out into a female pony snout. "When I…" I turned around, but there was no guard there.

That pony from before was though, watching me piercingly. "You dropped this." Her horn was glowing, bringing over an actual cello. "Real jerk, hm?"

"Right wanker," I agreed, still speaking with that british accent. "I see that fucking rotter again…" I reached for the cello and hugged it close. "At least you're safe." That was the important thing, in that moment. That was about when me, the old me, the one you're talking to now, faded. Confused, dizzy, and just having a perfectly crappy day, can you blame me that much?

It didn't help that Octavia was a mare that knew precisely what she wanted. She sealed in over me with that picture of perfect poise. "Apologies for the language." She tipped her head at the pony that had led me down that path. "I should prepare for my next performance." She didn't even wonder why she was there. She just got right to business. I give that to Octavia. She's a professional.

Luna/James shuddered softly. "That sounds like a nightmare! But I get it, I do… This crowd sets me on edge." She glanced off towards the busy floor. "I let Luna ride when we were doing that. She knew how to be in a crowd better than I ever did… Look, there's no time for me to join you in story time. We have to do something. The others look like they're ready to collapse, and they don't have backup brains."

"Like us," agreed Celestia/Lauren, drawing a hiss of a breath. "Well, to start, we could go out there and get back to work."

But that was a short term solution to the problem and all three knew it. The trick was figuring out what the real solution was.

Author's Note

This chapter flowed fast and the ones paying for it were up, ears pricked. I blame them for typos, like the cad I am.

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17 - A Step Too Far

"A pony had too much to drink," warned Tempest, her speech not quite right. "Handle it, please."

One trick being that, Aside Celestia, who she was addressing, Tempest was considered a backup guard. She was good at making rowdy customers remember their place. Firm and commanding, some of them ended up begging to come back to experience that again. Some of them just left and didn't come back, but none of them kept making a fuss, which was the idea.

Celestia nodded, but Lauren, who was driving, cringed internally. Facing an angry and rowdy customer? About the last thing she wanted to do. Celestia was so good at it! A pity, Lauren was not. "On it," she promised anyway, looking in the direction Tempest had alluded to. "On it." She strode through the crowd, faster than Celestia would have done.

She couldn't help but compare everything she did to how Celestia would have done it. Lauren was walking hurriedly, a thing Celestia tended to not do. She was always collected, even when trouble was starting. Lauren was not a princess, gosh darn it all. There, a listing mare with a drink held against a hoof as she swayed and loudly argued with someone next to her about her prowess at the game they were playing.

It was loud enough to be audible over the crowd, even as Lauren/Celestia was still getting towards it. Being large had advantages. The crowd mostly got out of her way without even needing to ask, so she had that going for her. It came as no surprise to Lauren that the next ball throw, the inebriated mare threw it over the back of the game instead of up along the ramp. It landed in the netting, scoring her no points and getting her friend? Were they a friend? Whoever they were, they were laughing at the drunken display.

"I meant to do that," defended the slurring mare. "Itsh a secret move. Game's not over yet." She grabbed the next ball and started winding it wildly, windwheeling their arm.

Lauren/Celestia grabbed the ball out of the mare's distracted grip. It was surprisingly easy. The drunk wasn't holding onto the ball very firmly to begin with, and didn't notice its abscence, still spinning their arm wildly. "And!" She made the throwing motion, but had nothing to throw. The mare squinted and looked around. "Ha... wow... that was a good throw... Did you see that?" She turned for her friend, but they had vanished, scurrying off. "Where'd you go?"

"You won the game," informed Celestia. "Now, if you'd come with me?"

"I did?!" The mare began to follow Lauren/Celestia with a huge smile. "I knew I could... do it..."

Celestia slipped the ball back into the game as they wandered off. "Playing that hard, it takes a lot out of a pony?"

"It does," agreed the drunk. "Maybe another..." She dropped her glass and stumbled. "Maybe not..."

"Maybe not," agreed Celestia with an awkward smile. "Come on now." She led the drunk pony to "the tank". It was a place specifically for just that sort of thing, ponies that could hurt themselves, usually due to being wildly drunk. "You wait here, um, I'll get your prize."

The mention of a prize got the mare inside, sitting with such a proud look. She was entirely confident she had won.

Celestia closed the door carefully. With any luck, the drunk would fall asleep, and wake up later with a headache, and likely forget the part about why she was there in that small room. "One down."

James, who was also Luna, stood tall as she looked over the arena she was the announcer for. "A big win over at the slots," they announced with a point. "The machines are burning hot, but who will be next to control those flames?"

James smirked on the inside, maybe shouting silly things was actually kind of fun. Most ponies weren't actually looking at them, just using their words as to what else they should be looking at. A small difference, but key! "Those two are in it to win it." They were looking at two ponies competitively dancing on a game. "Maybe a new arcade high score will come out? Be there for that."

She was having some fun, but also becoming hungry. It wasn't against the rules, so she made her way towards the lunch line. She had to wait in that line like everypony else. Those were the rules. Luna wouldn't even consider breaking them, so James tried to be good too.

"Hey, Luna." Apple Bloom grinned up at them. "Hungry? I'll get your favorite." She was already reaching to make food.

"How are you holding up?" James/Luna inclined an ear at Apple Bloom, considering how to phrase that. "Are they putting extra hours on you?"

"Yes!" gusted Apple Bloom with a roll of her eyes. "But we got this." she winked dramatically at James/Luna. "We're takin' shifts."

James/Luna sat up at that. "Am I talking to Apple Bloom or Danielle right now?"

"Dani here," Apple Bloom replied. "We shift swapped like an hour back. Don't worry, I know all the recipes." And she was about halfway through making Luna's favorite. "We're usually in it together, but I saw the writing on the wall and let little Bloom take over so I'd be ready to do the same. Worked out!"

Luna inclined her head. That was… almost unreasonably clever. A moment of jealousy. Some pairs were so… "Smart. These shifts are not sustainable."

"Nope." Apple Bloom shoved a plate towards Luna. "Next! G'luck out there!"

Fleur fidgeted in place. Why wouldn't she? She was a he, at least on the inside. But the pony that approached wanted very female companionship. But Fleur, the real Fleur, she was fast asleep, worn to exhaustion. Eric imagined all the ways it could go wrong.

But he knew customer service. Talking to people? That wasn't the problem. The trick was that they wanted more than to talk, probably. They glanced at the clock. The client was due any moment then.

Newest of the mares, Eric was still a he. His gender identity had not shifted yet. He was a guy that was piloting a mare. But he had promised. He promised Fleur, who had done no wrong, that he'd handle it for her and let her get some rest.

A sharp knock stirred him from his thoughts. "Qu'est-ce?" he asked in one querying syllable. It was an odd miracle that touches of French, er, Prench seemed to come without being asked.

"Hello." The door opened, allowing a furry snout to peek in. A grey one, with brown eyes following it, a smile beneath it. "Woah." He apparently liked what he saw. "First time I ever saw you more than an inch away from Fancy."

Eric laughed at that, almost a titter, but that came from the body. "No Fancy here." She looked over the stallion. Familiar… So familiar… "I have… seen you before, assurément."

"Of course you have." He stepped inside, kicking the door shut behind himself. "You're just used to the usual work duds. I'm not a Wonderbolt, not today." His brows waggled a bit as he came across the room at a slow pace, watching her just as intently as she was watching him. "Thunderlane's the name, and today I plan to bring the thunder."

Eric froze, which meant Fleur froze. It was close to a worst case scenario! That stallion was not there to have a nice little chat. What he wanted involved very few words at all other than impassioned noises that Eric did not often make.

"Relax," he urged. "I'm a gentlestallion. We're going at the pace you set, my fair lady." He began to climb up onto the bed, his tail swaying, raised high in his excitement. "You brought the best today." He leaned in, touching his snoot to her clothes. She was still dressed in her casino best, and it seemed to only tickle him in the right way. "Like a wrapped present. Half the fun is revealing what I've been given."

What was paid for! Thought Eric in an angry internal shout. But that wasn't fair… No… Fleur did that work, and all the rules were being followed. Oh… "Excusez-moi? May I see your ticket?"

He started back at that, but a laugh followed shortly. "Yeah, 'course." He drew a ticket from nowhere in a trick ponies tended to have, using a wing for the feat. "Here you are, Fleur. All legit."

Eric/Fleur scanned the ticket swiftly. She would not get out on a technicality. It looked right. "Very good." Oh, why did she purr that? Eric hadn't intended to, but that's what came out.

But he felt something. Something inside. It was like… Fleur? A warm female presence was gently rubbing against his insides, giving off a sense of reassurance. Was this what it felt like when he was inside, for Fleur? Fleur had woken up, just a little. Enough to give some small input.

That was when Eric spotted that Thunderlane was already having a good time. A heavy stallion pillar swayed as he bit and pulled, drawing off her uniform one bit at a time. "You're not like the other mares."

Fleur raised an ear at that. "What are the other mares like?"

"Athletes." He rubbed in a circle with a hoof across her rump. "Hard, trained, and strong. Sexy, in a different way. They're not ugly, but you. You're nice and soft and so girly." He buried his face right into her side. "Which is what I want right now. We?"

"Oui," corrected Eric/Fleur without thought, smiling a little. Correcting Prench was easy enough. He… she… they were soft. He, Thunderlane, liked the soft. Eric was used to having some soft… An athlete he never was, but the soft parts were rarely considered the good parts. "Surely you admire the strength and power of your lady-friends, hm?"

Thunderlane spat out the last bit of fabric, leaving Fleur entirely revealed. "Sure, sure. Rainbow loves showing off, and she has plenty to show off." He waggled those salacious brows of his. "But it's different. She's like… one of those statues, all the bits chiseled just right." He chuckled in memory. "You, on the other hoof, now you…"

His breath washed over Eric's ear, his tongue following it a moment after, making it twitch gently. Eric was being climbed on, by another guy. But he wasn't a guy, um, physically? He was a mare. Those mare parts were even reacting to the event. His mental discomfort was at war with the basic programming, no, no that wasn't fair at all.

Fleur was inside him. She knew what needed to be done, and she was ready to oblige. He was the one standing in the way. Some friend he was being… "I want to try something new." With a powerful roll, Fleur got Thunderlane on his back. It's not that Thunder couldn't have stopped the motion, being far stronger, but he allowed it. Straddling him, Fleur smiled at him. "Have you ever done it from the bottom, mon petit homme?"

Thunderlane licked over his lips, watching her with half-lid eyes. "You keep talking like that and I'll take whatever position you like." His fore hooves went to Fleur's hips, squeezing inwards. "But don't keep me waiting too long if you can."

If Eric didn't have to watch it, it'd be easier. Moving into position and surrendering just enough to let Fleur help line things properly, Eric sank down and learned a new sort of contact.

Just as Thunderlane had promised, he moved as quickly as allowed, but never any further or faster than that. But that didn't matter, in the end. Fleur was a sensual mare, and soon both were calling out their approval of the intimacy they were taking part in.

"Mon premier amant." Not technically true. Fleur had other loves, but Eric's first as Fleur. Both were confident Thunderlane wouldn't dissect the foreign words, too busy in the act. She nuzzled under his chin and nipped at his throat, breathing harshly as they danced together.

That wouldn't be an upset customer.

Author's Note

Learning, growing, and adapting. Our human halves get a chance near the surface.

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18 - Timeout

"We're getting complaints." Flim tapped at a small stack of papers.

"From the workers?" Flam rolled his eyes at the idea.

"The outside ones." Flim gestured with tosses of his head. "The ones that can go to the authorities if pressed."

"Oh, that's different." Flam stepped to the door, his horn glowing as he grabbed the blinds and shut it. "What are they complaining about?"

"We pay them properly." Flim sighed lightly. "But they just don't want to work 24/7, even with offers of raises."

"Hire more?" Flam shrugged softly. "They're not custom order. Surely we can just get a few more."

"You'd think." Flim rubbed his hooves together. "But nopony's responding to our job postings. We're stuck with what we have."

While it was, technically, possible to ask Doctor Fetlock to create basic workers, that would be a very expensive way to get a pony that oversaw a ride or cleaned up and little else. Not that both brothers weren't working over those numbers quietly just that moment. Flam sighed softly. "Fine! This isn't the end of things."

"Certainly not." Flim nodded quickly. "We just need to scale back, for now."

"For now." The two met eyes, nodding in unison. "We're offering good bits though. Why wouldn't ponies come calling?" With an angry snort, Flam turned back to the door. "We'll scale back on the extras."

"Enough!" Lauren/Celestia clopped down a hoof. She was typically not the confrontational sort. She blamed riding Celestia, being her, and taking up a few of her traits along the way. But then... Celestia had simply accepted things. Lauren was left with the idea that, maybe, it was more of her in that moment. It didn't matter! Something had to be done, and she wouldn't stand idly by a moment longer.

James/Luna arrived at her side, marching in lockstep. "You look like something's wrong."

"This." Celestia waved at where Applejack was slumped over her guitar, using it as much as a support as anything else. "That." She pointed at Sunset face down on the counter. "Not that." There was Fleur, looking oddly pleased with herself.

"A dire situation." James/Luna kept pace with what was their sister? It felt right to call them that. It felt nice to be near them. "What are we to do about it?"

"What we should have done ages ago." She raised a hoof to knock on the brother's door, but never made contact with the wood, the door already opening before she could make a knock.

"Oh, Celly." There was Flam, smiling at her. "You're just in time!"

"I am?" She turned the hoof that had been about to knock to point at herself instead. "In time for what?"

Flam noticed Luna, peeking out from behind Celestia. "Ah, you're here too? That works out perfectly. Go and spread the word to the outside workers that we're scaling back."

Both royal ponies recoiled in clear surprise. "You are?" Celestia leaned back in. "We should inform all the ponies, shouldn't we?"

"Sure sure." Flam waved it away. "Back to the usual schedule."

Flim, from inside, clapped his hooves twice in quick succession. "Go on and tell them the good news."

Luna began to turn towards the main hall. "Very well. Announcing is my specialty." It hadn't been their specialty, before becoming half-pony, but it was theirs then, and she took pride in it.

"One thing." Celestia put down a hoof where Flam had been about to start withdrawing. "Is this a forever thing, or a today thing?"

Flam lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Forever's a long time, Celly girl. More than today, can't promise forever."

"Who can?" added Flim. "That's a long time."

Celestia took a step back, allowing Flam to go as he pleased. "This has been quite tough on the others."

"It's a hard job," allowed Flam as if sympathetic. "But we came together!"

"As a team." Flim nodded quickly.

"We made it happen." Flam swatted Celestia's shoulder as best he could. "Good job."

Celestia faced the closing door, teeth clenched. "Those two are…" Lauren/Celestia had been told. It was part of them that the brothers were their bosses, who they listened to. That didn't mean they had to like them. "Jerks."

"The worst." Luna was already on the move. "I'll get on the outside workers. You tell the others." It needn't be said that she meant the other mares, the ones like them. "Thank Celestia--"

Both looked at each other an awkward moment before they laughed. "I will not take credit for this, but you're welcome anyway." Celestia leaned in and Luna met, their foreheads gently touching in a moment of sisterly bonding. "Let's spread some good news."

They emerged from the back halls with long confident steps. Luna sat herself down right in the middle of everything. "I hope you've all been enjoying the extra effort we've been putting out for your enjoyment." The customers cheered and clapped and stomped. "But all good things must come to an end. Effective tomorrow, we are returning to our usual schedule of events. The casino will remain open for fun and play, but events will return to their previous schedule."

Celestia raised an ear at her loud sister. "You just took the thunder out of my steps, Sister." A little smirk spread. "Good job."

"Aw yeah!" called out Gamer Luna, pumping a hoof just before she listed to the side, just as exhausted as any of the other more aligned mares.

"Yay." Sunset twirled a single magical finger up, the rest of her slumped over. "Next drink's on me." It didn't take long for a pony to take her up on that, to her misery. Still, she was a professional and got to work on it with a wry smile.

The disaster had passed. Celestia set a hoof on Tempest's shoulder. "Go get a nap. I'll handle the cards for now."

Tempest unleashed a thunderous yawn, as if she had been storing it the entire time. "I owe you one." They hooves met in a loud clop and Tempest staggered away.

Fleur's ears were dancing atop her head, noticing many of her fellow mares were withdrawing. After a moment of confusion, it hit her why. Or so she guessed. She had been quite asleep, as Eric. To her, him, they… They were still early in the day. They were ready to finish their shift. The others were not. She approached the beaten Sunset. "Go, mon ami. I will mix a few drinks in your name."

"You're the best," slurred out Sunset, half-falling from her stool and slowly retreating towards the staff rooms.

Fleur slid up into the vacated seat. "Oui, drinks are available. Be kind with me, I am following the directions." On her side of the bar, bright cards displayed the recipes for the popular drinks. "I will do my mon meilleur!"

Though she had admitted to not be a pro at drink mixing, the strange allure of being served drinks by Fleur was compelling. The smiling prench mare drew a fresh wave of suddenly thirsty ponies. "Une margarita," she called as she set the ornate glass, glowing with her magic, down for the pony that ordered it.

She'd never made one of those before! She clapped with self-satisfaction. "Qui est le prochain?" Another pony nudged to the fore and she got to preparing the next treat. As her magic grabbed and poured and shook appropriately, she got a chance to think about things. She was Eric, and also Fleur. They were two minds in one body. Fortunately, both liked the other. Fleur was a good pony, and she had already extended a welcoming hoof towards the human inside her.

S--He had a life, before, but it was… It was the past. There was no way back that they knew of. They were a pony, a big pretty french pony. There were worse things to end up being, Eric quietly decided as he set down the next glass. But did they have to work there?

Mixing drinks had a certain charm to it, but what they knew of Fleur didn't echo back that way. It wasn't Eric's job either. The casino… They hadn't applied for the position. Surely they could get a different job! They were a pretty mare with talents. They didn't have to be a waiter!

"You look thoughtful." Luna sat on the customer side of the bar. "And awake. Who am I talking to? Eric was it?"

Fleur flipped an ear back. "Hey."

Luna nodded softly. "James. This woke you up too, huh?"

"Yeah." Fleur got to making a basic drink as they spoke. "So, we're ponies now."

"We're still us," noted James, horn glowing as she took the glass Fleur had made. "Is this virgin?"

"No alcohol on duty," half-sang Eric/Fleur. "So yeah. Still tasty, I hope, oui?"

James/Luna took a sip. "Mmm, thanks. So what were you thinking about?"

"We're both amazing people, ponies, whatever." Fleur gestured between herself and Luna wildly a moment. "Why are we here, doing this, for what never feels like a lot of money?"

"That's what we always did." Luna looked a bit confused even as the argument came.

"Was it though?" Fleur leaned forward. "Était-ce vraiment?" James/Fleur blushed. "Was it really?" She repeated in Ponish. "I swear, the Prench just… happens."

"I know that feeling. Luna has a specific way of speaking, with an old school dignity that I cannot fully fight, not that I especially desire to." James/Luna drained half her glass. "What are you implying? Speak plainly."

"Very well." Things were quiet, other than the noises of the casino around them, which made it far from silence. "I remember having a job. Then I remember being a pony. I remember another life, even if it feels a mille miles away! I do not remember… Non. Forget that." She tapped a hoof firmly on the counter.

"I am being, how they say, off track? We are being worked hard, for little. Do we work here, or are we paid minions?"

"Paid minions?" Luna raised a brow at that. "I am no minion."

"Is Slave a better word?" Fleur waved a hoof in a slow circle at Luna. "If you can't quit, what else are you? Even old army folk at least signed up for a specific amount of time. There is no time limit here, that I've seen. We're just… expected to be here, forever."

"I could quit at any time." Luna sat up tall and haughty. "None could stop me, save perhaps Celestia. It can be difficult to win arguments with her. Hm, or my little doppelganger. She's stubborn… like myself perhaps."

"Prove it." Fleur's glowing horn was busy cleaning a glass as she had seen Sunset do so many times.

"But I do not want to leave." She scowled at Fleur. "Do you dislike me? I thought we had become allies."

"We are!" Fleur waved her hooves wildly. "We are, mon ami. Be angry at the ponies who hold our reins, not me. I'm on your side."

James/Luna set down the drained glass. "Let's finish our shift, so the others may return." A new thought poked at them. "Will we be more… active now? I am not certain I wish to return to slumber."

"I… hear you there, mon ami. To sleep is easy, but now, awakened, to return to it, less so." Eric/Fleur smiled gently. "I feel confident my other half will tolerate me, so long as I am polite about it, oui? She is a good person, and a fine friend, even if it's not very optional."

James/Luna did not have the same confidence. "Luna takes pride in her self control. Letting me free is admitting she is not doing exactly that. She may be thankful that we got through this, but I struggle to imagine such a proud mare will be thrilled to be asked to step aside in a less severe situation."

Author's Note

Things are coming to a head, I think.

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19 - Press Start to Continue

Fleur had her arms crossed. She was seated in a chair. It wasn't an especially cozy chair. Made for employees to park themselves on break and little more, it didn't have the luxury of other seats in the casino. She wasn't focused on that. "We are very upset," she declared firmly.

Celestia angled an ear. "We?"

Fleur pointed at herself. "Eric and I. Eric is napping, but he was quite clear on this fact, hm?" Her eyes went to Luna. "Your other half. He does not wish to be oppressed further!"

Announcer Luna snorted with obvious annoyance. "What are you babbling about? The relationship between me and my other half is not your concern."

Fleur thumped the chair she was seated in. "Plutôt l'inverse! Our relationships with our other halves is a great part of why we have these meetings. It is part of what makes us who we are." She tapped herself on her chest. "The other day, he took over when I was so very tired. He did his part, and I am very proud of him."

Soft clops of approval echoed over the chamber.

Celestia inclined en ear, though her head remained straight. "This is actually Lauren. Since that day, Celly and I have been sharing. I'm very thankful for the care she gave, but I'm awake now. I don't want to sleep anymore… I hope that doesn't make you mad."

Luna scowled at her sister. Or who might not be her sister? "Release my sister this instant! This is how you show your gratitude? She went out of her way to shelter you, and… this?!"

Octavia scowled. "I shudder to imagine what they were up to while I was indisposed."

Fluer turned her accusing hoof on Octavia. "You too?! Our other halves, mon ami, they are as much a part of us as the ponies who are speaking. We cannot--"

"We can and we have." Luna tapped a hoof on the tiled floor. "Some of us permanently. Applejack shows no hint of another beneath her satisfied eyes. Is that what you would prefer?"

Apple Bloom raised a hoof, present for a rare change. "Don't be bringin' mah sister in on this. She's happy jus' the way she is. But that ain't the only way." She tapped at her own smaller noggin. "We're both up here, and we get alon' just fine. They was right clever, took a nap just before I got real tired so we could swap out. Tricky! Normally we're in here together, like right now."

Luna crossed her arms. "You can't say there are different ways, then decry my way of doing things. Or hers." She pointed across at the nodding Octavia. "We are pleased the way we are."

Octavia nodded firmly. "I have not 'shut down' my other side." She frowned faintly. "But I am the primary. I am Octavia."

Fleur huffed, hopping to the ground. "And moi? I am Fleur de Lis! But I am also Eric. They are me, and I am them." She nodded with firming confidence. "We are the same pony, and we stand together."

Celly reached out a hoof. "We all have strong opinions here, but it's not fair, in the end, to tell another pony how they should behave in their own head. This is the very definition of a subjective matter. Nopony can know what's really going on up here like the pony living in it." A gentle smile spread, a Celestia smile, even if it wasn't Celestia driving. "I can only suggest you speak to your other side. You may find you like them more than you currently fear.

"I felt the fear." Fleur climbed back into her chair. "Eric fears, for the friends he just made, on that stressful day. He fears they will be killed, having only just discovered they want to live. I… cannot tell you what to do, mon amis… I can only ask that you give them a chance."

Luna pointed firmly. "Let's put that aside for now. You brought up another point on that day. The other you, Eric. He questioned our freedom to act as we pleased." The other ponies pricked up with alarmed gasps. "They implied, nay, they outright said that we are enslaved ponies, bridles heavy on us as we marched for the amusement of others."

Celly perked an ear. "We have two taskmasters. They don't hide themselves. Flim--"

"--and Flam," finished Apple Bloom. "Who ah just negotiated with." She looked quite proud of herself. "Got us a nice raise an' everythin'!"

Luna snorted softly. "Some slave drivers, to allow their slaves to demand better pay, which is not a thing a slave is prone to having, hm?" She met Fleur's eyes. "Do you have words to share on behalf of your other?"

Octavia clucked, driving her tongue against her teeth in a loud snap. "As if anypony could demand things from me. I am a professional. I work for a fee, never without one. That is what being a professional is."

"I do… Votre Majesté." Fleur her differential head at Luna. "I am the newest, hm? I can remember the start. I was never asked, simply told I work here. I am not… upset. I like much of it. I like you all." She spread her arms wide. "But who here was asked if they wish to be here, mon amis?"

Octavia swatted at one of the hovering hooves. "When you first appeared, you were a lost mess. Not much has changed since then. Still… I appreciate the respect you show to a fellow performer, and to my instrument." A thin smile spread. "As roomates go… you're tolerable."

Apple Bloom burst into new laughter. "Comin' from 'Tavi, that there's a genuine compliment." She leaned forward in her seat. "You've been nothin' but great, Fleur. Ah'm real glad you an' Eric are gettin' alon' jus' fine. Means there's twice as much to make friends with in one package." Her eyes moved to Celestia. "That goes fer you too, um…"

"Lauren," provided Celestia. "Nice to meet you too, Apple Bloom. Now… Celestia, the other me… She was pretty well convinced this is a retirement for her, but she has been working a lot for a retirement position." Celestia tapped gently at the chair's rim. "Now that I am awake fully, I feel certain either of us could secure a better position."

A firm knocking came from the door suddenly. "Ladies?" came a familiar male voice. "We could use you out on the floor."

The group groaned, but Announcer Luna was the first to speak up. "We're on the way." She stepped down from her chair. "This meeting is concluded. Don't do anything foalish before our next one."

Luna, the smaller one, had her room festooned with trophies and banners of contests she had won. She was parked on the bed on her side, watching the door with a cocky smile. When the knock on the door came, she sat up. "Press start if you're up for it."

The door cracked open, "Hey." In came a grey mare with an impassive expression. "I'm not here for any of the advanced options."

GamerLuna raised a brow. "Hey…" She couldn't place the name of the mare, however familiar they were in the back of her mind. "That's alright. I don't play those games anyway. Come sit with Luna." She patted the bed beside herself. "Chill, talk, cuddle. That's what I like."

Maud nodded, a shallow motion. She nudged the door shut with a backwards kick and started forward. "I am not used to this." She ascended to the bed without a pause. "I have a boyfriend, but we haven't done much. Neither of us are very good at communication or interpersonal… things."

Luna reached out her hooves, laying on her side, and soon had a Maud caught up in them, hugging the stoic mare. "That's real bold of you. Most ponies don't like to bring up their Player 2s while they're here."

"He is aware," Maud noted flatly. "We are both trying to become better, for each other. I appreciate him. He appreciates me."

Luna constricted, squeezing Maud in all four limbs. "But neither of you are good at telling the other one?"

"He is better than me." She rubbed a chin with thought. "He tells me exactly what he thinks and feels. I am… less skills in that regard."

"You're doing great right now." Luna smooched Maud's cheek. "You're sharing with me and you barely know me. Keep right on!"

Maud smiled just a cracked. "I'm not bothering you?"

"Girl, you came in here to get some personal time with me." She nuzzled firmly into Maud's cheek. "So here you are. Share. Tell me all about it, and you."

"My sisters." Maud sat up a little, as best she could in the grip of Luna. "Pinkie is… Self-expression is her specialty. Limestone is good, but only if that emotion is anger. Marble's worse than me…" She glanced away and back at Luna. "Ponies like you?"

"Luna is very popular." Luna frowned. "I mean I'm pretty popular, yeah. Unless I'm in the middle of grinding a pony's nose into their failure." She laughed with remembered victory. "But, yeah. I'm used to sharing. I'm motherbuckin' Luna! I visit dreams. I see things."

Maud inclined her head slowly. "Have you seen my dreams?"

Luna began tapping at her chin, thinking back. Had she?! She… had not been patrolling dreams while on duty at the bar, which meant she hadn't patrolled a single one in moons! "Uh…" But Maud was familiar, so… "Oh!" It came to her. She began to wave as her horn glowed, allowing her to paint an image. "You were on a ranch farm, literally on it, on the roof."

There was Maud on the roof, the wind blowing past gently. Cheers washed up from below. There was Pinkie, the other Pie sisters, and her parents, all cheering with big smiles. "Tell me what this means, to you?"

Maud examined the image of her dream. "It means… I'm sitting." She pointed at herself.

"You are doing that." Luna slipped around Maud, hugging her from behind. "But what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking you're hugging me."

Luna snorted at that. "Not about right now, but back then, that you." She pointed to the Maud on the roof. "What is she thinking? Why isn't she smiling if everyone else is?"

"I'm not good at smiling." She turned an ear back at Luna. "I don't…. Do happy the same way other ponies do." Her eyes dipped to her cheering family. "I like that they are there. It's better than them not being there."

"And you care about them, right?" Luna rubbed firmly at Maud's sides in slow strokes. "Your family is nice and tight, right?"

"We are very close. We were. I moved away." She reached out, brushing the image of herself away off the roof, gone. "Pinkie likes me being close to her."

Luna went with it, the house vanishing. Just Pinkie, cheering wildly in front of a stoic Maud. "You like her too, don't you?"

"She is one of my favorite ponies," agreed Maud in her stoic tone.

"Go on, show her." The image of Pinkie grew to the size of an actual pony, even if that cheering Pinkie remained a hologram at best. "I bet she'd really like to get a hug from you."

Maud considered the fake Pinkie. "I am here to be with you." She looked over her shoulder at Luna.

"I give you permission." Luna scooched back. "Only a mean pony would stop anypony from hugging a special pony. Go on…"

There had been, nor would there be any physical intimacy, unless one counted aggressive snuggles. But Maud would get to hug and talk about her feelings. She would have zero complaints about the treatment she received that day. "You're very good at this. Do you share your feelings often?"

"I should do it more often." Luna nuzzled the mare gently. "But I'm having fun doing it today, so thanks for stopping by."

Author's Note

The casino is scaling back to usual operations, hurrah! Luna gets to see a client. Gamerluna doesn't do the naughty stuff beyond hugs and cuddles. If you think so, that would be a typo.

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20 - Bonus Stage

"Girl's night!" called GamerLuna, skipping as she strolled down the street. "We're going for a high score!"

Announcer Luna quirked an ear at her smaller double. "It would be difficult to avoid that. If this is a game, this is our first session."

"Says you." GamerLuna thrust out her tongue at her larger copy. "Now what shall we hit first?" Her eyes went to Fleur. "Any ideas?"

Fleur's eyes were wandering. Las Pegasus was filled with so many bright lights and attractions, all vying for attention, her attention. "Oh mon… Mon amis, there is so much to choose from." She turned her head to the smaller of the Lunas. "How did you get them to agree?"

GamerLuna could not look smugger if she tried. "I didn't."

AnnouncerLuna applied a hoof to her face. "You said you were handling it!"

"What they don't know won't hurt us." The smaller luna skipped forward and pointed suddenly to the right. "Since you're not sure, I say we try that." She was pointing to what appeared to be a great arena of sorts. "I hear they have all kinds of competitions. Go-kart racing, golfing, baseball… They even have bowling alleys! I bet you two could keep up with that."

Fleur smiled gently at the idea. "Bowling? That does sound fun, oui."

"It would appear we are decided then." The larger Luna started forward at the new target. "But if we get in trouble, I will say, rightly, that I thought you had gotten permission."

Fleur wrinkled her nose. "I thought you were a grown pony. If you want to go somewhere…"

"I am," thundered Announcer Luna. "I can go wherever I do please." She turned up her nose. "Tonight, that is bowling."

"Score." GamerLuna thrust a hoof, accelerating in her step. "I bet I'll score more than both of you, put together."

Fleur laughed gently, though she sped to keep up. "Don't be so sure, mon ami. Neither of us are poor with our eye horn coordination, oui?"

GamerLuna spun around. "Nuh uh."

Announcer almost tripped over her smaller self. "No what?"

"No horns." She pointed up at her smaller one, at least compared to the two larger ponies she was with. "Hooves only. We play the traditional way." Her brows began to waggle with unspoken meaning. "And I'm still gonna win!"

Fleur nudged aside at the larger of the Lunas. "She's being very confident, is she not?"

"We will show her the folly of her ways." They met, one hoof to hoof in a loud clop as they advanced as one, a unified team.

The arena was a din of noise, much like the casino they worked out. It focused a lot less on personal games and distractions and far more on competitive sports. GamerLuna was quick to point at the sound of struck pins. "There! Just to soothe the ache of your loss, I'll pay for the first round." Her bit purse came floating free. "But only the first one."

Fleur's hoof came down, blocking the path of the purse. "Why don't we make it interesting?" She leaned in with a smile. "Whoever wins gets the glory, oui? But also pays."

GamerLuna rolled her eyes. "Isn't that exactly what I said?" So confident she was in the fact that she would be the victor. "Prepare to go down!" And off she went in a scamper.

Announcer Luna walked at Fleur's side. "She is excitable. I was never that excited to play a game."

Fleur raised a brow at that. "I hear you were quite the eager participant at your first Nightmare--"

Luna slapped a hoof over Fleur's mouth, blushing intensely. "It was a new thing! I have since regained my composure. I would thank you not to bring that up."

Fleur waved it away gently. "Not another word. I am certain you will do better tonight, hm?"

They arrived at their lane, sneakers adorned over their hooves that made little squeaks instead of clops as they moved around. With horns forbidden, they were up on their hind legs, bowling ball held in their forehooves in a cradle.

GamerLuna gestured grandly. "Go on. I can wait."

Fleur took the offer, advancing as she switched the grip to her right hoof. "I have not played in a while."

But someone else had, nudging at her. Eric had played bowling, and offered to lend a hand. Fleur did not resist as he came to the fore, their grip shifting subtly.

They drew the ball back smoothly as they advanced, turning to an arc that sent the ball flying down the alley, rolling wildly. With a loud crack, the ball impacted with the pins, sending them tumbling and flying. A strike, every pin brought along in the avalanche. Fleur pumped a hoof with a merry laugh. "A lucky shot, perhaps. Or a sign of quite the game."

GamerLuna scowled, but did not move, instead looking to the larger Luna. "If you insist." Announcer advanced much as Fleur had, but there was too much spin to the right, the ball hitting the gutter before it could reach the pins. "Curse it…"

Even as Gamer advanced for her turn, Fleur slid in beside Announcer. "You know… Us humans have experience bowling, um, a lot of us, not all of us. You should ask your other."

The larger Luna huffed, but her thoughts did turn inwards. "Human!"

"I have a name." James was clearly awake and paying attention. "What?"

"Are you any good at this game?" Luna looked around slowly, knowing James saw what she saw.

"I've played it before." Dripping with confidence, Jame was not. "Better than your throw at least."

"You take that back!" barked Luna, out loud. She colored in shame, lowering her voice back to an internal one. "Can you help? That little rat thinks she can show off."

GamerLuna knocked five pins out. "I can still go for a spare," she haughtily claimed with a frown, grabbing her ball when it returned to her from the chute. "Watch me!" She hurled her ball with a fury, bashing three more pins aside. Eight pins in total, not a bad showing, but… "Lucky shot." She was glaring at Fleur. 8 was not a strike.

"I have made a decision." Both looked to Announcer curiously. "I am not 'announcer'. That is a position. And a clumsy name. I am, instead, LunaClassic." She nodded with satisfaction. "A far superior name."

"I didn't say you could say that!" fumed Luna from inside her own mind.

James' reply came quickly, "But it's better than Announcer Luna. And it means you are the traditional Luna."

"There is that," allowed LunaClassic from within in a sullen tone. "You'd better perform well."

Fleur clapped, accepting the name without resistance. "Lunaclassic. How, as they say, classy. I love it. It is my turn." She got her ball and ran her hoof over it slowly. "Can I go for two? The odds are against it, mon amis, but I will try!"

She brought her arm back, ball dangling at her hoof in a feat that defied physics. "Voici!" And off it went, rolling smoothly, but veering to the left. It knocked a single pin over. "Quelle folie!" She applied a hoof to her face as she went back to the chute. "But it is not over. Hm. A few more pins would make quite the difference." She accepted the returned ball. "Harmony forfend."

The second ball was closer to the middle, knocking over four pins. The score board showed 15 for the first set, 20 for the second. "Not bad," she decided with a little smile. "I am ahead, mon amis."

"Now it is our turn. Don't make us look worse than we already do."

James took hold of the ball. "We can only go up from here." And off it went, a casual lob. Five pins collapsed. LunaClassic was back in the game!

The game went on, some of the tension easing as they began to laugh and taunt as they played. GamerLuna was the most on edge, seeing that she was not, in fact, scoring more than both of the others combined.

"Ladies." The next alley over, a stallion was waggling his brows. "How about a friendly game." He waggled a hoof. "Your team against ours." He gestured to his two other friends. "Three on three, that's fair."

GamerLuna suddenly beamed. "Sure!"

Fleur poked at GamerLuna. "You are trying to escape your loss."

LunaClassic laughed at it. "Let her. We are here to have fun." She smiled perhaps evily at the stallions. "Combined, we can show those stallions what they have coming to them."

The stallions laughed at the threat. One advancing, ball hovering in his magic. "I'm--"

GamerLuna thrust up a hoof. "We're playing traditional."

"No magic," added LunaClassic. "Hooves only."

The ball fell from the air into the hooves of the stallion. "Wow, that's old school."

The first stallion nudged that one. "What, getting cold hooves? C'mon! We can take 'em!"

The timber of the game changed dramatically. Playing with her friends instead of against them, GamerLuna was eagerly shooting cries of encouragement and tips with a big smile on her face.

"This game isn't that complicated. I think I have the grasp on it. Allow me to try." LunaClassic nudged herself forward in her mind. "Thank you for assisting."

Fleur took a deep swig of soda they were serving at the bar that served the bowling alley. "Oof, mon amis, this is quite the game!" She looked a little harried, but happy. It was a good sort of exertion. "We're close." She pointed at the two brightly lit score boards above the alleys.

One of the stallions grumbled out, "Only 'cause I'm not used to hooves."

"Hooves is the only way," loudly proclaimed his friend, who was an earth pony. Not like other than hooves was much an option for him. "It's good to see some classy unicorn ladies that get it." He waved his ball at them and stepped up to take his shot, laughing all the while.

The girls, in the end, lost, but not by a landslide by far. GamerLuna thrust out a hoof at the stallions. "GG."

The stallions looked a bit confused, but one of them got it. "GG," he echoed, meeting her hoof with his in a loud clop. "WP."

Fleur broke into laughter, getting the acronyms being used. Or at least Eric did inside her. "A quality game, new friends. We work over there." She pointed. "Flim and Flam's place?"

"Oh yeah!" The unicorn bobbed his head. "I heard about that place. Good drink, and better company." His eyes wandered over the mares. "Huh, they weren't lying."

The two teams dispersed. The girls paid up for their games played. Fleur covered that bill. "I did not expect to win, but I will pay. I would gladly play again."

"And lose." GamerLuna stuck out her tongue. "We were just rusty. You saw how we were doing. We were getting better the whole time!"

LunaClassic set a hoof on Gamer's head. "We had an agreeable time, that is all that matters in the end."

Fleur nodded at that. "Tout à fait. We should return before they miss us too terribly."

As it turned out, they were missed. Flim was out front, talking to a rather burly pony when they came up. He blinked, looking at them. "You're fired." He waved the big pony away. "Where have you been?!"

Fleur and LunaClassic pointed at GamerLuna without a moment's hesitation. "She said she talked to you," both agreed without prompt. They walked past the steaming Flim, leaving GamerLuna to her lamentable fate.

"We were just recharging," lamely defended GamerLuna. "We're ready to go now! We'll be ready for even more now."

Flim raised a brow at GamerLuna. "I need to know where my--" He paused, but there was no Flam there to keep going. "--mares are. I would thank you to never leave without telling us again, hm?"

"Yeah yeah…" GamerLuna scurried inside before she could be berated further.

Author's Note

Girl's Night!

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21 - Put a Ring on It

There was a new fashion accessory on the mares, all of them. Sunset ran a hoof over the studded collar around her neck. "Not exactly my style..." And yet, she had been given it, and told to put it on. It'd let the brothers know if they left the casino. A 'safety' device, they called it.

Apple Bloom fidgeted with hers. "This don't look right on a young mare." She stuck out her tongue, but still got to getting food ready. Hungry customers didn't want to hear her complaining.

GamerLuna just looked defeated. "I did this…" It was at least partially her fault that all the others had to wear that stupid collar. "I hate games with perma-nerfs!" She thumped the floor and stormed off in search of a patron to beat the pants off of. That'd help!

Octavia peered at herself in the mirror with a cool disdain. "They could have.. Hm." A little smile. She reached for her bow, plucking it free of the band it rested in. Soon she had it fixed on the collar, returning her look. "That's better."

Celestia could not put the collar on. It wasn't that she didn't want to go ahead, but her magic refused to bring it down over her head. Internally, she could hear Lauren angrily shouting at the idea. She refused to be collared.

"It is not that bad," gentle soothed Celestia. "Just a trinket."

But Lauren was adamant on that. She would not be collared, and neither should Celestia be happy about it!

Applejack looked around. "Hey, you too?" She wandered up towards Fleur. "Did they just give everypony one of these?" She pointed at the new collar about her neck. "Doesn't really match the country image ah got goin' on, ya know?"

Fleur let out a slow and long sigh. "Oui. In this, we are in agreement. I have heard of uniforms… But I was not aware this was part." She raised a hoof to her collar. "A poor look for us."

"It's not so bad." Tempest didn't look displeased at all. She already wore metal collars. Swapping the brand of collar she wore didn't change all that much. "At least they didn't go for a cheap one. That would have annoyed me so much."

Fleur smirked softly. "Perhaps, but if we are all wearing collars, does that not, as they say, diminish your specialty?" She raised a brow at Tempest. "You are no longer 'the one' with the collar, mon ami."

Tempest slammed down a hoof on the card table. "Blast it! You're right! That's my thing and you're copying it." Her teeth set in sudden annoyance. "What are those brothers thinking!?"

During the lunch rush, Apple Bloom slipped off her collar. Making food and serving it up to a bunch of hungry ponies was hard work, and she didn't need anything around her neck at that time as she labored to keep up with it all.

"Apple Bloom." There was Flim. "After this order, put your collar back on."

"Ah can't breathe!" Not technically true, but that was how it felt. "Ah'll put it on after the rush." With angry grumbles, she got back to work.

Flam grumbled in the office, eyeing Flim as he came back. "This is more work than I expected it to be."

"If you want the big money, you have to play it big." Flim nodded with certainty. "We are raking in the bits right now. We just have to keep those mares in line."

"The bits are nice." Flam tapped his hooves together. "Will they stop complaining? It's just a collar."

"We both have one of those," agreed Flim, tapping at the band that held his bow in place. "Octavia and Tempest have the right attitude."

A loud clopping came from the door.

Flim wheeled back on the door. "Ugh. Who is it?"

"Tempest." The door glowed as it flew open, revealing her. "We need to talk."

Flim smiled brightly. "We were just mentioning you."

"A model employee," joined Flam without cue. "What can we do for you?"

Tempest stepped forward, slowly and with confidence. She rarely moved in other ways. "You two." She pointed at her collar. "This is my thing. Ponies come to see Tempest, and know she will put them in place. They describe me as 'the one with the collar.' How can I be that 'one' if we're all wearing collars!" She stomped the floor, glowering at them.

Flam sat up in his chair. "The others can't even hope--"

"--Dream," added Flim. "of competing with your commanding presence."

"I can't even imagine it." Flam shook his head firmly. "That is your position, and a little uniform change isn't going to displace you."

Tempest shoved Flim aside. "You could have talked to me," she growled at Flam. "Gonna bet these came in more models than this." She was tapping at the new collar. "It didn't have to be like this, but it is! And I'm annoyed!"

Flam raised a hoof wardingly. "I can see that well. But let's approach this like grown ponies."

"Which we are." Flim slipped around to be with Flam. "We don't want you to be upset, Tempest."

"Perish the thought!" The brothers shook their head in unison.

"Great." Tempest tapped at her collar. "Get them something besides collars then. That's it. That's all I need. You can do that?"

Flim gave a soft hm.

"We'll look into it," allowed Flam without promising a thing. "Uniform changes are surprisingly tricky."

"To say nothing of supplies." Flim pointed at Tempest's collar. "Those aren't cheap."

"Then you should have thought about that before you bought them!" She stormed off, the door slapping shut behind her.

Flim and Flam both sagged with weary sighs.

"Always a catch…"

"They can't tell me what to wear!" Apple Bloom thumper her chair, frowning at the other mares. "It gets hot workin' over a stove!"

Octavia inclined her head faintly. "I checked on that, on a lark. It is within an employer's right to set a uniform. If our uniform includes a decorational collar, then…"

Celestia snorted loud and angrily, as did not match her usual temperament. "But it's not decorational." She still didn't wear one. Woe unto the pony that tried to press the issue with the head of security that was also once princess of the land. "It informs them of where we are at any moment. It's a violation of privacy, and I will not stand for it!"

Fleur suddenly raised a hoof to her collar. "Then they know we are here, mon amis."

Tension flowed through the room. Their meeting was at least one step less private.

LunaClassic shook her head. "While valid, also meaningless. It's not as if they didn't know we were here. We weren't keeping that a secret, only the nature of our meetings."

GamerLuna laughed at that. "You want to bet they don't have other things in here?" She pawed at her collar. "Could be listening right now. How can you tell?"

The tension grew, silence with it, as if none of them dared talk with the collars potentially listening in on them.

"Enough," roared Celestia, rising to her hooves fully. "I will not tolerate this, and they can hear that all they please. We are free ponies. We will do as we wish. If they want us to appear a certain way, fine. A casino owner has that right. But to monitor us, without our leave, in such a way? No. No I say. Tell me you stand with me."

LunaClassic was on her hooves in an instant. "Of course, sister." Her ears pinned back. "Am I speaking to mine sister?"

Celestia rolled her eyes. "We are in agreement. We argued long and hard before coming to this meeting. This is a violation of the rights a pony is born to. And to not even ask! Some of us didn't even know what it was we were putting around our necks. That is not acceptable!" She clopped down a metal hoof. "You." She looked to Octavia. "Do you stand with me?"

Octavia flipped an ear back. "He suggests I stand." She was referring to the human bottled up inside her. "I, on the other hoof, have no specific problem. I go nowhere unusual, and do nothing unusual. He's wasting his bits, monitoring me. I have nothing to hide."

Fleur slid to her hooves. "The other day, I tasted something new and wonderful. I had a good time, with friends." She turned to look at the Lunas. "We had a most grand time. Wearing this, I am told I may never experience it again. I can't be happy about that." She raised a hoof suddenly. "We are in agreement."

GamerLuna hopped down next to Fleur. "Where do they get off telling us where to be?! If we get our job done, then they can talk a long walk off a bottomless pit because that's game over in my book." She crossed her arms with a mighty pout. "Work hard, play harder!"

Celestia nodded to those who had rose at her side. "I will contact the others when I can, and this time--"

"Hey wait!" Apple Bloom hopped down. "Not gonna leave me out, ah hope. Hate this thing." She sat down just to get her hind legs up under the collar and kick it free to land on the floor. "Ain't good for ponies workin' in a kitchen."

"Or for many others aside." Celestia nodded gently. "For sake of avoiding trouble, carry it, especially when on duty, for now. I will be the one that brings it up to them this time. You did well last time, Apple Bloom."

Apple Bloom grinned proudly. "Aw shucks. With you on the job, Ah bet we can kiss the collars goodbye right now!"

LunaClassic smiled gently. "I have every confidence in mine sister, but will obey her words. We will hold onto the collar until we are given proper word that we can be rid of the infernal devices."

"Oui!" enthusiastically cried Fleur, removing her collar with a glowing horn but keeping it close to herself. "Viva la revolucion, as they say. Mon ami, you go with my fondest of thoughts."

Octavia slid to the floor. "We're not going to discuss anything important today, so I'm ducking out." None stopped her as she walked calmly to the door and departed with a final flick of her well-groomed tail.

"We are ponies, this gives us certain rights." Celestia nodded to each of the others. "But also means we don't always agree. Octavia should not be harassed for her opinion. She is not a bad pony for tolerating this, but neither are we for choosing not to do so." Cheers rose in solidarity. The decision was firmly made.

It did not take long after that for others to be asked how they felt. It was in this that those who didn't know the collar's true purpose learned of it. "I will end them." Tempest crashed her hooves together. "Safety collars? They'd better get a few dozen more if they think it'll protect them from me!"

Apple Bloom inclined her head even as she served up lunch to the irate unicorn. "What did they tell you it was for?"

"They just said it was a new collar. I thought they were just offering a new fashion at first. Then I learned everypony had one, and now I learn they're tracking us?!"

"Well don't go runnin' off." Apple Bloom gestured to a free seat to enjoy lunch. "Celestia's handlin' this one herself."

"Good." Tempest thumped down on the chair and began eating, angrily. "I'll be keeping an ear open on how she does. Stupid brothers…"

The atmosphere of the casino shifted quickly, tension growing in anticipation of the meeting. Hopefully, Celestia would meet with the brothers that the stupid collars would be thrown in the nearest trash, or so most of them hoped.

But there was no assurances to be made that'd happen.

Author's Note

Things are getting real up in here.

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22 - Ho Ho Ho

Celestia wore a beard. It was not her usual look by far. Atop her head was a bright red stocking cap, and adorning her body was an equally red and fluffy coat. She was an equine, and female, Santa. A pity not a single pony there knew what Santa was.

That wasn't entirely true. Her co-workers had complimented her on her choice of outfit. The foals didn't care what she was dressed as. Her kind smile and the candy canes she distributed were enough to make them happy. They still weren't allowed in the 'adult' side of the casino, but she was happy to provide them treats so long as they stayed on the right end of things.

She was not the only thing decorated that week. What's that? Hearth's Warming was only one day? Ah, sweet summer child. A casino was a subdivision of retail. Retail knew the holidays never lasted one day. One month if one was lucky. The casino was in full Hearth's Warming mode.

But, it was also a joyous day. Not just because of holiday cheer, neigh. It was a happy day because it actually was Hearth's Warming, which meant, like magic, the next day would be the end of that holiday season. Poof, gone. A short break before the New Year season kicked up in a flurry.

"Want somethin' from the special menu?" Apple Bloom gestured at the special Hearth's Warming menu, showing holiday treats. "Free cookie with every meal!"

Octavia strummed a holiday classic. A pity it wasn't, technically, a local holiday. "Last Christmas," she sang to herself softly as she played. To escape the holidays, she had unleashed her human to stand in for her, and he was having a grand time, regaling the casino with Earth jingles.

Sunset grinned as a customer sat before her at the bar. "Welcome welcome! It's a jolly season, which means I have specials." She waved up at a small seasonal drink selection that hung above her on a small menu. "Feel the Hearth's Warming right in your gut."

Fleur ran a hoof down the side of LunaClassic. "Doing a show. Let them know, s'il te plaît."

Luna was not wearing as bright a festive garment as Celestia had gone with. She did have bells jingling from her though. "Turn your eyes to the stage." She directed to where Fleur would be. "It's time to bring your hooves together to draw the alluring Fleur out to give us some Hearth's Warming cheer!"

Fleur emerged from the back. "I hope you are ready." Eyes were on her, countless ponies, and some not-ponies. "It's a special time of the year. A special day. Mon amis, Mesdames et Messieurs, let's celebrate the day." She sang a proper Equestrian ballad to the holiday. Octavia was playing along, thankfully. A pause from the human songs she'd been producing before then.

"The sweet sound of holiday bits." Flim leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "It's times like these that make the business really worth while."

"Well said, brother." Flam nodded along with the thought. "And things have settled down nicely. I was worried for a moment there."

The room plunged into darkness without even a click of a turned light. "Wha? Who?" called the brothers in confusion before a vision appeared, a well rounded grumpy male of a pony.

"Remember me?" The spectral form of Gladmane grinned at them. "Don't bother with the whole name; Gladmane'll do, the ghost of." The brothers clung to each other, eyes wide. "Don't be like that. I'm not here to haunt you two, just warn you of what's coming. If you don't want to end up like me, you better be paying attention!"

Flim sat up a bit, recovering perhaps. "You died?!"

"It's symbolic, boys. Like most of the rest of this." He pressed at the chains hanging from him with a hoof. "These chains are all the ponies I done made real mad at me. They weigh me down, even in the great after! You two are busy collecting a bunch for yourself, and they'll be twice as heavy, promise you that."

"We don't make ponies mad." Flam sat up proudly. "We make them happy, with quality products."

"At fair prices." Flim nodded in sync with Flam. "They don't have to buy."

"You keep on thinking that if'n you like." Gladmane began to float up towards the ceiling. "If it makes ya comfortable. These chains are a bit heavy…" They rattled as he faded into the ceiling.

His head suddenly poked in from through the roof. "Oh, just went and forgot. You'll get three visits. Look forward to that!" And he was gone for real.

Flim and Flam inclined their heads away from one another. Flim looked towards his brother without moving his head. "What do you think that was?"

"I can't rightly say, brother of mine." Flam crossed his arms. "Maybe we're overdue for lunch."

"Seeing things." Flim nodded in agreement with the idea.

They rose, Flim reaching for the door as his horn glowed, but a pony was there in the doorway when it opened, large and imposing. "Ah, Celestia?"

"Neigh." The great form certainly seemed to be Celestia, dressed with bright red with white trim. "I am the spirit of Hearthswarming Past. Come with me. We have much to go over." She was not accepting no for an answer, leading the twins off on an adventure through their life.

Apple Bloom got to cover present, dressed in bright greens and golds as she led them around. The somber form of LunaClassic was the last to visit them, leaving them quivering before the ruins that could become of their lives.

The mares met later. Celestia looked confident. "And that, as they say, is that. Now we wait for them to break down into tears and admit their wicked ways, and we can start on a new hoof for a new year. An agreeable solution, is it not?"

Tempest raised a brow. "Why couldn't I be the ghost of the future? I would have scared the hay out of both of them." She clapped her two hooves together firmly, looking quite ready to teach a lesson to any pony that didn't get out of her way. "You know I would have."

Applejack rubbed behind her head softly. "Why's this familiar…?"

Apple Bloom patted her sister gently. "Probably from some book somewhere or somethin'." She would not explain further of the potentially human origins of their plan, even if their pony sides were sure there was a pony equivalent. Some stories transcended realities.

Sunset threw up her hooves. "I'm not even part of this plan, but whatever. If it works, great. Those two are a real pain in the flank." She hiked a hoof back at the offended bodypart, her tail flicking with agitation. "They really need to calm the hay down."

LunaClassic slapped the door behind her. "And we are complete." She began shaking off her spooky clothing. "Why did you think I was best for the future role? We could have performed any of the others just as well."

Celestia nodded at her sister. "Of course you could have, but few others could have met your performance in that role. Who else could have done it?"

Luna tapped at her chin, the plea against her vanity working too well. "Hm… You have a point, sister mine. The task is done. You are certain they will change their ways?"

"It cannot fail." Celestia nodded slowly. "It is just a matter of waiting for the sound of their change of hearts."

A knocking came from the door. "Ah, there they are now." Celestia's horn glowed as she drew it open. "Hello?"

"Get back on the floor." Flim waved a hoof at all the mares in the room. "And we're locking the door. You all have far too much time on your hooves, especially here." His horn glowed as he turned away, the door clapping shut behind him.

Silence grew uncomfortably.

Flam's voice came from outside, "I don't hear mares hustling into position!"

Their plan, failed. With heavy hearts, they left as they were ordered. They had to. They just had to.

That didn't mean they enjoyed it. Tempest marched out with a deep scowl, though that was one of her standard looks, drawing no extra words from the brothers, though she had plenty of her own, grumbling intensely under her breath.

"PVP flag enabled?" GamerLuna hopped up and sat at Tempest's card Table, accepting the cards passed to her, magic to magic as if she were playing a game. It wasn't unusual for the mares to play at the card tables. The customers ate that kind of thing up, being able to play against them, or alongside them.

Tempest drew a hiss of a breath as she looked from the smaller Luna to the others, dealing all the cards needed. "Affirmative." She slapped down the deck of cards a little harder than technically required. "It's time to teach a lesson."

Word spread among new channels. Celestia's plan had failed flatly. If ponies had been asked without outside influence, they would have prodded her for a new plan. But these were not uninfluenced ponies. The human part of the equation refused to wait patiently for word from on high to try to put things right.

The collars they had been forced to wear seemed to dig against them despite not being a millimeter tighter than they had already been. The idea of them clawed at them, and with increased rancor did they get their work done, all the while plotting. They would be free. Strangely, likely due to the conditioning, the idea of leaving the casino never even came up. The casino was their home, where they worked. That was just who they were.

But that didn't mean they had to simply roll over and accept the terms of that employment. The brothers had trotted over a line without even knowing it was there, only to rush to find a second one they had stomped on roughly without even a single flick of notice. The mares had been pushed to the edge.

It was time to renegotiate the terms of their work, and no was a word they were not ready to accept a moment longer than needed. "You're all being very dramatic." Octavia walked calmly down the hall at Fleur's side. "The collar isn't that big of a deal. As if it tells them anything new. I am in exactly the places they expect."

Fleur hurried to match Octavia's power walk. "Not all of us are pleased to live only to work, to always be in the precise place they demand of us. They took away our place of safety and solitude, where we could talk. Mon ami, this is the last hay."

"Straw?"

"Oui, the last of those. We cannot take this. Will you help us?"

"I won't get in the way." Octavia accelerated out onto the floor. That was going the be the best she would offer.

Author's Note

What do you mean Friendship didn't work? The largest typo of them all.

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23 - Revealed Hand

Spitfire soared over the strip. They had given her freedom. The fools. Wind rushed through her mane and tail, making both flutter violently, but it felt good, so good. Her poor pony side, she had realized as she had worked to regain that fit body that only came with work and regular training. She had been suffering in silence, unable to be her real self. "Never again." She'd heard that, for most, it was the humans that had been subdued, unable to be themselves. "Never again." She, both Spitfire and Penn, were in complete agreement. Never again would they be shackled.

She raised a hoof, feeling along her new collar. "Never again…" But there it was. She was still shackled, just with a kinder felt lining. It would not do. Neither of them would tolerate it. They'd heard the rumbling and planning. They would win their freedom, so the casino could be a good home to both sides of themselves. Where they could soar for cheering crowds! Where they could… win.

Now, plans were coming together. Meticulous plans. But… But sometimes opportunities came up. Spitfire was a Wonderbolt. She knew the importance of keeping to her part of a routine. But she also knew that… once in a while, opportunity arose too powerful to ignore entirely. Below her, walking down the street, unaware… One of the brothers. Alone? It was so rare. Those two were often wed at the hips, but once in a while. One in a while… they'd go their separate ways, getting whatever they needed done.

Was it Flim, or Flam? She never bothered to tell the two apart. It was one of them. They had a beard, which identified them, at least if she remembered which was which. It didn't matter. He was alone. No guards, no backup. No collateral damage. She could strike…

No. Wonderbolt training rebelled against her. Acting out like that against the unity of the team? A bold move, that could result in ruining the entire performance. The price of failure was too high for an action that wasn't part of the plan. She was a team player! She swooped away instead, circling down towards the casino. It was time to share the news, and maybe get an update to the plan.

She soared in through the open doors, touching the ground and transitioning into a trot that slowed to a proper walk. Flying around the interior of the casino was against the rules, unless it was a part of an act. Spitfire's eyes wandered quickly. Ah, LunaClassic. She approached hastily with a smirk. "Have I got news for you."

"Do share." LunaClassic's voice had lowered from her usual loud proclamations. "What have you learned?"

Spitfire pointed behind herself. "One of the brothers, alone. That means both are alone. Do we want to act on that?" Yes, ask a leader what the plan was. She was a leader herself! It would have annoyed her to no end if one of her squad mates ran off and did something instead of asking her. She would show at least that much courtesy. LunaClassic was royalty. Surely she counted. Former?

"Marvelous." LunaClassic brought her hooves together up in a steeple, a sly grin on her face. "Flim…" She looked around slowly. "Ah ha. Not on the floor. That means he must be in his office, counting the bits we earn for him. Very good… Very good…" She rose to her full height. "This is an opportunity. Let us not allow it to slip from our hooves."

She did not go directly towards the back, instead swinging by Tempest's table. The two met their eyes in a glance. A nod from Luna was all it took, and she was moving. GamerLuna joined the procession. Four mares with a purpose. No words were shared, only purpose.

"What are you all doing back here?" There was Flim, just outside his office, looking upset. Clearly he had seen where they were, but he thought they were being naughty.

The looks they gave were not one of simple disobedience. GamerLuna struck her hooves on the ground in a stomp. "Just the pony we were comin' to have a match with."

Spitfire hissed through her teeth. "We've been marching at your orders, but we have some complaints."

"That's putting it mildly." LunaClassic scowled in the imperious way she knew best. "That is locked." Flim had realized a moment too late that the group meant him no good. His magic was no match for LunaClassic's, trying to open the door to no avail. "It is beyond time we have a discussion, Flim."

"Those collars are not just for tracking," he got out, voice shaking with worry. "Stop right there!" But GamerLuna stepped forward anyway. "Stop!" He zapped her, or her collar to be specific. That drew a sudden pained yelp from the smaller alicorn. She toppled over, strength denied her. "Not one more step!"

"Player down," weakly whimpered the faintly twitching GamerLuna.

Tempest did not look scared. She looked… relieved. A slow malicious smile spread over her face. "You just made a critical error, Flim. You just took things to a level you don't want to be at. If you think you can shock me into submission, I will remind you that I've had worse bosses than you. The last one that tried is broken into little stone pieces. Think your odds are better?"

"You can't zap what you can't see." Spitfire was gone. She didn't teleport, she flew. It was against the rules, but the rules were also quite firm in not striking or attacking a fellow mare. Flim had forsaken the rules. She felt no shame in doing the same. The rules would come back after the situation was resolved. The hot beam of the unicorn's magic danced around her, beams trying to lock on her as she darted left and right in the hallway, half-circling Flim.

LunaClassic nodded. If the other brother had been there, two sources of magic would have made the battle far more difficult. "Last chance, stand down."

"Nah." Tempest wasn't in the mood for that, her horn glowing and crackling as power grew. A thin precise beam struck her collar and she began to twitch faintly, her shoulders and sides flickering, but she didn't fall. "That all? She's a gamer. I'm a warrior. You just swung at me, and I didn't fall over. Now let's try the other way." She grabbed the door, her influence roughly shoving LunaClassic's aside with such a forceful yank that Luna recoiled in shock.

Though that was little compared to Flim who was bashed from behind by the violently mobile door, slamming into him, ripped right off the hinges with her roar of defiance. He was sent sprawling on the floor, just for a pained yelp to follow. Spitfire landed right on the door that had fallen on him, stomping it on top of him without mercy.

Lunaclassic thumped the top of the door with a single hoof. "Though I continue to struggle with what I am precisely, I am still Luna."

"Me too," came GamerLuna's still weak reply, quite knocked out of the fight.

"You thought you could hold Luna at bay with such little trinkets?" She tapped at the door. "A critical error."

Tempest sneered, but didn't touch the door. Spitfire had that well in hoof. "And, idiot, you swung first. You are guilty of assault. I will take great pleasure in hauling you in to the authorities. This game is over."

"N-no!" Flim wriggled beneath the pinning door. "My brother!"

Spitfire hiked a brow. "What about him? Maybe he'll see reason now. He won't be doing it with you. You're going to jail."

LunaClassic raised a hoof. "That is the human in you speaking."

Tempest blinked. Oh right. Assault laws were a human thing. That entire justice system was a human thing. Ponies handled their laws very differently… Often without police involvement at all. When a pony wronged a pony, it was often dealt with between them.

LunaClassic did not look upset. "I have just the right punishment for you, Flim. First, you will remove these accursed collars. Then you will enjoy one yourself. Then, we are adding you to the sheet of mares."

"B-but I'm not a mare!" came his piteous whine.

"Many of us play with ponies of all kinds. You love using your mouth."

Tempest grinned maliciously. "This should come like a second nature, really."

Spitfire waved a hoof wildly. "Woah woah woah. I'm not cool with signing the jerk up for being raped. That's a bridge too far."

"Yes, listen to the nice mare crushing me." Flim grinned, not that anypony there could see it.

Spitfire stomped the door with a single hoof. "Hush up, you. Still, I like that idea. Flim, you can work as a mare without that part. The floor needs more hooves, you have hooves. Deal cards, entertain ponies. You like doing that kind of thing, don't you?"

"My brother won't allow this!" came his shrill cry.

LunaClassic leaned over, setting a hoof on the door without pressing down. "Your brother is next. You two are running this place poorly, and treating us terribly. This is a management shift. You took this place from another pony, didn't you? You should be used to the idea."

GamerLuna was slowly rolling up, head spinning. "How… did you… Not just die? That hurts! I'm still dizzy." She held her head with a hoof, trying to find her balance. "Ow!"

Tempest thumped the door. "One thing. How did you get two of us in the same place? You deserve to know what that's like. Tell us."

"I don't know," he wailed. "We hired another pony to make you."

Tempest recoiled. "Make us? Make us?!" Her horn began to spark with a new fury, leaving scorches on the ground where her angry magic landed. "We are not things that were created from nothing! You wretched…" She turned away. "Is deadly force off the table?"

Spitfire snorted powerfully. "Yes! We are not killers." She jumped in place, getting a new grunt of pain. "He deserves punishment, not more than that. Hey, I still have a collar on. Get it off, now."

LunaClassic nodded firmly. "Spitfire speaks truly. Collars, remove them. No other discussion may proceed before then."

"How did you know?" His head peeked free from beneath the door. "To not just take them off?"

Spitfire laughed at that. "We didn't, but we guessed."

"I guessed," triumphantly, if still a little dizzily, called GamerLuna. "What kinda nasty debuff would have happened if we did?"

"Um… If I turned them on and they weren't on you, it would have been even worse. Once you put them on, they're bound to you." He kept wriggling, trying to get out from under the pinned door. "But you didn't do that."

LunaClassic raised a brow. "And yet, we still have them on. Get on with it, little stallion. Your treatment relies on this."

Flim looked from mare to mare, even the one on top of him. "We'll keep a cool head?" Three of them nodded. It'd have to be good enough. He zapped LunaClassic first, causing her collar to fall limply to the ground.

"Better." She picked up the inert leather. "Now the others. We won't have your brother lording this over us."

"Alright, alright. How about the other moon pony?" He zapped GamerLuna free with a beam of unicorn magic to her immediate cheer. "There, see, I'm doing it."

Spitfire stepped off his door, but kept her eyes on him. "Alright, keep cooperating and we can all be grown ponies about this. No reason to make this strange, Flim."

Flim sat up, finally free of doors. "Yes, right…" He turned his horn on the scowling Tempest, freeing her from the collar.

"That's quite enough." At the front of the hallway stood Flam, horn glowing brightly. "I knew it! You were planning something this entire time. We won't have it!"

Author's Note

Hm, I like this chapter. Hope you did too.

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24 - Two of a Pair

Tempest whirled to face the new enemy, head low, horn sparking and one hoof pawing at the ground. "You plan to join this brawl?"

"I plan to do something even better!" He clapped his hooves together. "Offer a splendid deal."

Flim blinked at his brother. "A deal?"

"Of course a deal." Flam nodded lightly. "That is how we do things."

LunaClassic sat up tall. "We will no longer work under you two. Your management of this casino is poor. Your management of us has been even worse. We can do better."

"I'm gonna noscope your management!" cried GamerLuna, perhaps still a bit loopy. "Ponies will line up around the block after we're done."

Flam dipped his head. "I'm sure it will be, but you don't know how things work."

Flim seemed to grasp where Flam was going without words between them. "We have experience!"

Flam nodded at him. "Exactly. Do you even know where to get the supplies to keep this place going?"

LunaClassic frowned, but had a hoof to her chin.

"Are you even considering them?!" Tempest stomped in fury. "We can figure that out later! I've managed entire airships before!"

LunaClassic raised a brow. "To my understanding, you had underlings to assist with that."

Tempest froze, caught. She began to deflate a little. "Well, yeah... I didn't have time for the little things..."

Spitfire waved a hoof between the brothers. "Hey, look at that. Two underlings! How convenient is that?"

Flim moved beside Flam. "And we know how to get things done."

"Absolutely." Flam turned in place. "In fact, I was just out securing needed supplies. If not for us, this place would have run dry moons ago."

LunaClassic snorted softly. "Then you two agree to work for us, instead of the other way around?" She raised an ear. "Think of it this way, we will pay fairly."

"Unlike some." GamerLuna scowled at the two, even if she still had no idea what 'fair' was in terms of payments.

Flim bobbed his head quickly. "Absolutely--"

"Positively--"

"--Completely." Flim was turned in the same direction as Flam, the two moving to depart. "We'd best get to it.

And the two marched away, leaving the hallway in quiet.

Spitfire blinked slowly. "Did... we just win?" She raised a hoof to her collar. "Why am I still wearing this?!"

LunaClassic hurried to the end of the hallway. There was no Flim, or Flam. The brothers had fled. "Accursed creatures... Well, we did win. The casino is ours." She placed a hoof at her head. "But they weren't wrong. We don't know how to run one."

GamerLuna thrust up a hoof. "I bet sister does! She's great at running things."

The other ponies let out an 'oh'. That was so obvious, looking back at it. Of course Celestia could do it! But... would she? LunaClassic began forward. "I will ask her."

Tempest sank to her haunches with a scowl. "Still feel good about not letting me tear him apart while he was right there in our hooves?"

"Yes!" Spitfire scrunched her face at Tempest. "Get your bloodlust down a few pegs. Bottom line is, we own this place. This is our place, all our place. Let's figure the rest out, together."

Tempest casually pushed Spitfire, sliding the pegasus away several inches. "You are way too happy."

GamerLuna bounced in place. "Why shouldn't she be? We won! As if there were any doubts." She buffed her hoof on her own chest. "Few are the ponies that can meet me in a game. They were doomed from the very start."

Flim and Flam fled. It was one of their specialties. "A damned shame."

"Quite much. I think we're done with--"

"--this? I agree. Enough casinos. It's not even our specialty."

"Not at all! We can do better."

The two brothers shared a firm nod. They'd find a new way to scam ponies and look good doing it.

"Pardon?" Celestia sat up tall where she had been watching for troublesome patrons. "You did what?"

LunaClassic folded an ear back at her sister's tone. "We... defeated the brothers. We own the casino."

Celestia's ears danced. "Did you hurt them?"

"No! I mean... a little door squishing, but they're both fine."

Celestia set a hoof over her face. "I won't ask you to expound on that. Is that why they hurried past before?" Luna nodded firmly. "And now they're gone... And we own the casino." Luna nodded all the more. "And you want me to figure this out?"

Luna sagged in place. "I know I am presenting work for you, sister mine. If you don't want it, we will find another way. But you are the best pony for the task that I could think of, so..."

"So here you are." Celestia snorted softly. "She wishes she could have seen that 'door squishing'." Celestia still didn't have a collar. She never put one on. They didn't try to force the large pony.

"However, Lauren also thinks she can handle this." Celestia brought her hooves together. "She dealt with money before. With my support, which she has, she feels she can take charge of things and get the casino on the right path. She, and I, would like to know one thing for certain though. Are all the workers here alright with this? We won't do it against their wishes."

Luna flinched softly. That alien presence in her sister. "It's… all well and good she wants this, but what of you, sister? What do you want?"

"I want her to be happy." Celestia sat up, tall and imposing. "And I know how to rule things. I have no objection to letting her take the reins on this. I retired." She tapped Luna on the chest. "So let her have this. I will help, where I am required. Sister… You are younger than me. I had to live, and work, for a thousand years. I'm mostly done." She shrugged softly. "I want to just enjoy myself. This lets me do that. She can run the casino. I will entertain ponies, and myself, in the back. Everypony wins."

Luna stomped suddenly. "It's not fair! What passed so slowly for you was but a blink of an eye for me, an angry blink, but I am… I am younger, as you said. I want my sister…"

A wing fell over Luna, drawing her closer. "I am a terrible sister… I am not dragging you along behind me. This is why I asked for all the workers here to give their view, including you. This is a new and exciting world, which I am certain you are hungry to see."

"I want to see it with my sister," Luna whimpered out in a small voice. "Is that so much to ask?"

Things drew quiet a moment, cheek to cheek as the two largest ponies in the room shared contact in silence despite the noise of the casino around them.

LunaClassic drew back. "You realize… The… other Luna feels the same way. We both want our sister." Her tongue spilled out a little. "Even if I'm the true Luna."

Celestia set a hoof on Luna's snout. "You're both lovely sisters that I am glad to have the company of. Now, if you'd please, go and ask around."

So it was that Luna went to each in turn. Applejack perked an ear on being asked. "Ah'd take the word of Celestia over the brothers any day. Ain't not a complaint from me."

Apple Bloom began to clap excitedly. "Woo-ee! Celestia's a great big nice pony. Love 'er to bits. Her in charge? Shoot, means ah might actually get what ah ask fer. Sign me up!"

Fleur recoiled in surprise. "The brothers left?" Luna nodded shortly. "I did not imagine them giving up without more of a struggle." She gave a thoughtful hum. "But if this is so, Celestia already has experience with ruling, and she has done nothing but good for what she has ruled over. I can think of much worse ponies to have in this position."

Tempest leaned towards Luna, one brow raised high. "I was there. You don't have to explain it over again. If she wants the position, fine by me. But if she's doing that, she'll need a new security pony." She curled a hoof at herself. "And I know just the pony that'll get it done!"

Sunset smiled, a little smirk and barely that as she sipped from a brightly colored liquor-filled glass. "Right. I've worked with Celly before. If she's alright having me around…" Her tail twitched behind her. "I guess I could put up with that…" She glanced away and back. "Can't be worse than the brothers. Here's to brighter tomorrows." She hovered a glass towards Luna.

"Pardon?" Octavia ran a slow long note from her instrument. "Were you expecting some grandstanding from me? One boss, another, so long as I'm paid promptly, I will perform. A lack of drama is one of my selling features." She rolled her eyes as she tuned busily. "I will be here, ready to play. Though, if we are having a chance of management, perhaps she'll be more open to having refined music playing instead of the… garbage we usually have."

"You even need to ask me?" GamerLuna pointed at herself with both hooves. "This is our sister we're talking about. We disagree on a lot of things, but that's not even up for debate. She's the best pony out there! Um, besides me." GamerLuna grinned impishly. "No, seriously. If she's up for it, yay! The new stage begins, and I'm ready to play." She mashed at imagined buttons in front of her.

LunaClassic approached the other workers, the ones who weren't the mares. They had even less of an opinion on the matter. None of them held any great love for the brothers. They were there to do a job, and get their bits. That was the start and end of it. "But since you're asking." The mare who worked near the front leaned forward. "Why is it we can't toss a horseshoe in to work the back areas?"

Luna's ears pricked. "The appeal of… the back hallways is the company of famed ponies. You are a…" She was a perfectly average mare. "Lovely pony, but can you say you have that star power?"

The mare stomped a hoof. "Give me a chance! If that was my job, I could gussy myself up. I'll make ponies happy, promise."

LunaClassic inclined her head slowly. "Well, I'll inform Celestia, but it would be up to her, not me. I remain the announcer, not the assigner of ponies."

But she only looked happy, not displeased. "Good! That's already more than I got out of the brothers, pfft, forget 'em! Let's make this place the best we can."

LunaClassic met hoof with hoof. "Now that I can agree with wholeheartedly. Glad to have you with us."

"And that's what they said," reported Luna to Celestia. "None are asking we get the brothers back, and they seem quite alright with you taking on their role."

Celestia let out a soft hum. "You heard her. Are you certain you wish this?" The conversation went on, silently. "I will be there, of course." More unspoken words. "We are one, Lauren. We will handle this. You will rise during the day hours, I more during the night, but we are one, and we will always be there." She nodded once more, her entire body seeming to relax. "She agrees. Now, tell us about this mare." Her eyes shifted subtly, another intellect rising to the fore. "We'll need to interview her for a new position if she really wants it. But this is a new era. She will know exactly what's expected from her before she takes one step in."

The casino would start a new era, under new management. And the ones that would have complained had already left.

Author's Note

Phew, took a while to get this one approved, but here ya are!

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25 - Just Desserts

"Where are my bits?" Emerging from the shadows, Doctor Fetlock blew up her mane out of her vision. "This is why I try to not do work before being paid. You were good customers." She looked between the two unicorns, held by her large griffon secretary. "You were good customers. Where are my bits? You're late."

Flim flailed a hoof, held up by the stuff by the stern griffon. "Your ponies were defective."

"We owe nothing for substandard merchandise," agreed Flam.

Fetlock rolled her eyes. "That is not how that works, and you know it." She leaned forward, mane falling across one of her eyes. "It's literally your business ethic. Now, how about you learn mine?"

Gudrun, the griffon, lifted both thrashing unicorns higher. "We headed back?"

"That depends." Fetlock had her eyes on the brothers, considering. "Which would be more demeaning, you think... Becoming an airhead, a slut, a mook, or a slob?"

Flim trembled with building terror. "I can't say I like the sound of any of those!"

"You're right." Fetlock got to walking down the dark alleyway. "Why pick one when I can go with the whole package?" She chuckled darkly, puffing her mane out of the way as she went.

Fleur sang for the crowd of smiling ponies. She was smiling right back at them. The casino had changed. The seediness... It was hard to put a hoof on it, but it had faded. They had become a warmer place. Sure, ponies were still playing games of chance, and watching pretty ponies sing, and sometimes... playing with them, but the feeling...

She frowned for just a moment, trying to capture it. Working for somepony that cared about her, both of her, made a difference. She was genuinely happy, singing for that crowd and putting out her very best. Happiness was the goal, not the next shiny bit.

Fleur bowed to the cheering audience, a few flowers landing near her hooves as the curtains closed. She snapped one up and tucked it in her mane. "How wonderful," she half-sang to herself as she turned to go.

"Why are you keeping this a secret?" There was Twilight, leaning against the bar, looking at Sunset Shimmer. "Just tell me and we can bring her down. That mare's been hiding from us constantly. Every time I'm close, she slips away!"

Sunset slid a glass across the bar towards Twilight. "Hey, look. I don't know where she is, but I also don't want you attacking her anyway."

Twilight threw up her hooves. "I'm not 'attacking' anypony!" she cried with clear frustration. "She's foalnapping people. Don't you care? She did it to you!"

Sunset leaned over the same bar, watching Twilight calmly. "I'm not in a bad place. Maybe if you'd asked a few weeks back. But we have things sorted out." She tapped the glass with the edge of her hoof. "Have a sip, you look tense."

"For good reason." Twilight's wings spread wide. "You know you're... not the real Sunset, right?"

Sunset hiked a brow. "Yeah, most of us have noticed that by now. We're something different, but not bad, I think."

Twilight thrust a hoof to the large but calm form of Celestia. "And she's imitating Princess Celestia!"

"No she isn't." With a glowing horn, Sunset calmly polished a glass. "Celestia isn't a princess."

"What?" Twilight wheeled back on her. "Of course she is."

Sunset applied a hoof to her face. "Right, yeah, sorry." Accursed future knowledge. "Either way, this Celestia is not trying to replace the other, just run a casino nicely. She's doing a good job."

"She's claiming that name!" Twilight suddenly lifted the glass, drinking the glowing glass down in one shot before she sagged back. "You don't see anything wrong with this?"

"Nothing worth being that upset about." Sunset floated the glass she was cleaning back up into a holding rack. "Nopony's getting hurt, are they? I'm not hurt, she's not hurt. The real Celestia, not hurt. The people who were taking advantage of the situation, we already chased away."

"About that." Twilight crossed her arms as she sat on the stool, her balance not entirely there. That drink had been a little harder than she planned for, and she had consumed it all too quickly. "Were they the ones that … What? How were they involved in you… being?"

Sunset lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug. "They didn't share all the particulars. Near as I can tell, they wanted some famous mares to get ponies in here, and then we happened. You should ask her." She pointed to Spitfire across the way. "She kept a real close eye on the whole thing."

Twilight's eyes shone with possibility. "Thank you! I knew I could count on you." She patted Sunset on the shoulder. "Fake or not, Sunset's always there." She slipped to the ground, almost tumbling.

"Watch yourself." Sunset shook her head slowly. "Lightweights shouldn't guzzle their drinks…"

"Spitfire! Captain… Spitfire." Twilight half-crashed into the pony she sought. "There you are. Why are you wobbling?"

Spitfire blinked at the inebriated princess. It was not she who was wobbling. "Woah, hey Twily. Did I catch you in the middle of an episode?"

"This is serious." Twilight leaned against Spitfire as she righted herself. "I hear you saw everything, how these copies were made." Twilight waved wildly back in Sunset's direction. "Tell me everything."

"Well… I have a price."

Twilight's brows fell in a suspicious glower. "What kind of price?"

"First, a hug." Spitfire spread her hooves. "I want a hug from the princess of friendships, and you gotta mean it."

"You can't be serious." Twilight was not moving to deliver the hug. "And what's the other part?"

"Technically the more important part." Spitfire pointed to the collar on her neck. "Most of us still have these stuck on. Can you do some awesome magic to get rid of them? They're mildly cursed."

"Mildly cursed?!" Twilight almost fell over backwards, wings spread akimbo. "Let me see that." She went in far too close, practically mashing her snout into Spitfire's neck as she eyed the collar critically. "Ah, hm, yes… Wow… Standard, but nefarious." She raised a hoof and moved it as if turning a key, the collar limply fell to the floor like it was no big deal at all. "There you are. How terrible! Who put that on you? I am assuming you did not consent to that."

"Not even a little." Spitfire rubbed where the collar had been in contact with her. "Good job though! You promise to get them off the others, and we got a deal."

Twilight smiled brightly. "No hugs then?"

That brought a pout to Spitfire. "If you really don't want one." But then she was hugged by Twilight. "Yay."

"You are very much not Spitfire," noted Twilight. "I can't even imagine her acting like that."

"We're both in here, and you're making her prickly. Anyway!" Spitfire hopped up to all fours and started walking. "So it went like this…"

So it was that Twilight was brought up to speed. "Fascinating… So you're a human." Spitfire nodded. "But also a pony." Spitfire nodded all the harder. "And you're alright with that?"

Spitfire shrugged softly. "What's the alternative? Both sides are alright with the other. I like having a tail and wings. Oh man, the wings." She spread them wide. "Love 'em."

"The alternative… would be trying to get you back to the world you came from." Twilight rubbed at her cheek thoughtfully. "Don't you want that?"

"Can you even do that?" Spitfire frowned in thought. "But even if you did, we've been here long enough… Yeah, wow, that'd be a huge mess."

"A mess? Why?" Twilight reared up only partly. "I want to help you."

"I appreciate that." She swatted Twilight on the back, almost knocking her over. "But I had stuff going on, which I dropped, being here. If I just popped back, I'd be so lost. No job, no house, no nothing! Or… I could keep being an awesome pony who has a job and a place to stay and a bunch of friends. Seems an easy choice."

"Hm." Twilight allowed Spitfire to lead her around, liberating the ponies of their collars. "It's not an especially powerful enchantment, but you have to know how it works."

Spitfire leaned in with a smirk. "And why do you happen to know how a collar enchantment works?"

Twilight colored swiftly. "Not for the reason I think you're imagining! My diary used the same kind of locking spell on it… I've, um, lost the key once or twice. Learning how to get around that spell came up, is all." She cleared her throat. "Anyway! So the brothers?"

Spitfire nodded. "About about them?"

"They hired another pony, Fetlock." She snorted in an equine way. "Not the first time I've heard of her, or cleaned up her messes. She did this?"

"Because they asked, yep." Spitfire pointed outside. "Hey, you're here at the right time. I'm going to show off soon. Want to see me spread these wings?"

Twilight warded the idea away with a gently hoof press against the idea. "Thank you, but I should be going. Do you know where the brothers are, or Fetlock, by chance?" But Spitfire didn't know. None of them knew. Twilight would not catch up to the good doctor that day.

"Two maybe recruits," reported GamerLuna with a big smile, waving to the side and hopping out of the way to allow two ponies into view. "They're special."

Celestia raised a brow from behind the desk she sat at. "Special?"

GamerLuna knocked a hoof against an imagined pane of glass. "Window specials."

Celestia's brows went up together. "Oh! Oh…" In came two ponies, dazed and confused.

One of them was a mare, smiling nervously. "I know you don't… owe us anything."

That voice was not one she knew off the top of her head, but something about it…

"We're still in here," complained the stallion with the mare. "But we're not alone, and they want things."

"Icky things," agreed the mare, shuddering. "And we can't just say no."

"We tried!" wailed the stallion.

The back and forth sealed it. "Flim, Flam?" Her eyes went to the mare. "Poor thing."

"I know! I know you're probably ready to laugh at us."

"But we had to come," noted the stallion, shuffling in place. "Fetlock filled the ghosts in our heads with lofty dreams of this place. We couldn't say no."

"Ghost…" Celestia went quiet for a moment. Was she a ghost? "I see. Well, to be clear, if you want to work here, we can find a place, but it will not be your old place. Not even a little. I will not lie to you."

The mare trotted up to the desk and reared up, hooves on the edge of it. "You are so pretty." Her eyes widened an instant later. "I didn't mean to say that!"

Celestia set a hoof on the mare's snout. "You should learn to reach an accord with that 'ghost'. You two are stuck together. The sooner you learn to get along, the better it will be."

The stallion sat on his haunches. "You're not laughing, or shouting angrily, or threatening."

Celestia sat back. "That is not the sort of pony I am, either of us. Now, we need to know what sort of work you can do, and want to do. Brothers, I feel you'd rather talk and wheel and deal."

Both of them nodded. The mare of them inclined her head sharply. "I want to get snuggly with handsome and pretty ponies and get close and--"

Celestia raised a hoof. "You want to work in the escort hall, alright." Her eyes went to the stallion. "And you?"

The stallion wriggled in place. "Please help me," he sobbed out. "I don't like this, not at all."

"I am very sorry." Celestia's ear sagged, genuinely sorry for the brothers. "But this isn't something I can fix, only try to provide a safe place for you."

Author's Note

Things are coming together, but we're not quite done yet here.

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26 - Rising Sun

This was all amazing, really. I used to have so many ideas how to improve things. Each of them was small, but I never said them, so they didn't count. Around my friends, I could talk for days, but the moment I was at work, I just shut up.

But then came Celestia. She filled in those unsure gaps. Saying my mind came naturally. I could help. I could lead. It… came almost dare I repeat naturally? I loved it! But that wasn't how it started. Let me tell you about that, if you have a moment? Well, I'm starting either way.

My name was, and still is, Lauren. I do respond to Celestia, these days, but back then, just Lauren. I was having fun, as a human. I had visited the casino for the same reason a lot of people did, as an amusement. I had no grand ambitions of becoming super rich. I wasn't running away from life, as some of the others had been. I was, in truth, just a random woman betting on where the wheel would stop spinning.

"All on black." A lady was talking to me, having slid up when I was't paying attention. "All in."

All in? That was not a good way to win! Mathematically, a poor way to spend the day… Still, the excitement tickled. What if I did win? That'd be nice, right? 50% odds! Better than most places you could put on. You wouldn't win much, by design, but… I pushed my chips out. "On black."

Around and around went the wheel, the ball bouncing around with it. It could end up on any of those many numbers, but I had bet on black, it just needed to be black. I leaned forward on the table, so captivated by maybe winning in that moment. I had bet more than I had planned to do at once, and I was invested. "C'mon…" I didn't see that I had a short but growing tail wagging behind me.

As the wheel slowed, my tail only got faster, echoing the excitement in me. Red, black, red red, black… red… black. Oh man, why did it take so long for it to slow down? More likey, I was just that fixed on it, making it feel like it took forever. "Lucky 7," called the operator. 7! 7… I scanned the numbers right quick. 7 was black! Chips were coming to me, mildly increased. "I… I won!" I swept the chips up against myself, laughing a little hysterically. I had won far more than I'd planned on even being possible to win, with a safe bet.

If I walked away right then, it would have been a great day.

But does anyone walk away then? Of course not. I looked to the lady with the good advice. "Thanks! Got any other tips?"

I didn't know Fetlock back then, but she knew me. She knew who she had caught on the end of her hook. "Nice play, well done. Imagine, some people come here every day."

"Every day." I puzzled through that. "The people who work here? Or gazillionaires?"

"Either and both." Fetlock shrugged softly. "But doesn't he look excited?" She inclined her head at the roulette spinner, who was already getting the next spin going. "Master of fate and chance. Star of the world each time they get it going."

My tail was fluffed up and huge, starting to sway in a breeze that wasn't there. "The focus of everypony's attention." My ponyism was entirely unnoticed. "But I'm a little tired of that."

Fetlock blinked softly. "You are?"

"Well, yes." I stroked at my chin even as it began to expand out into a snout. "I'd rather help ponies be stars than be one myself right now."

Fetlock nudged against me. "Well, you could do that. You could be large and in charge. The mother figure."

"Mother figure." That had not been a position I planned for myself. "Sounds… horrifying." My ears sprang out, tall and fuzzy. "It'd be my job to…" To talk to people, to do that thing I was terrible at doing. "You wouldn't want me!"

"You'd be perfect," assured Fetlock, blowing up at an unruly bang that hung before one of her eyes. "Such a calm big pony they could look to."

"Don't be afraid." That wasn't Fetlock, or anything outside of me. It was Celestia, gently rising into my thoughts. "I will protect you." My arms itched as fur spread over them, fingers balling together into hooves. "You're safe here, with me." She seemed so calm, so caring… I would be safe, I felt, with her. She would never let anything hurt me.

Celestia swept over me, not in any suffocating way, but like a warm and welcoming blanket that snugged tightly around me, smelling of familiar people and places. It was like I was returning home, instead of being swept up in an alien horse I was rapidly becoming. My clothes slid off my equine frame just as I began to grow rapidly, becoming larger than Fetlock swiftly. "I will make sure nothing hurts any of my little ponies."

Fetlock inclined her head faintly. "Security?" That hadn't been exactly the plan, but… "Sure. Who'd mess with a place you were watching? Also, if you want, you can play with ponies."

Celestia leaned closer to Fetlock, neck craning downward. "They will have to pay quite a bit, and meet my standards. I have lived long enough to have seen many things." Vanilla was not a flavor Celestia wanted outside of an occasional slice of cake. "But yes, I will keep them safe." The casino around us was changing. We were in a pony one, with ponies.

I was half-asleep, warmly curled up in Celestia. I knew she cared. She cared so much. I could still hear what was going on around us, but I also didn't care all that much, at that time. Celestia was assuming the mantle of head of security, and I was along for the ride. I wasn't asleep though. I could see. I could hear. I was there, just… not doing a lot, relaxing. Recovering?

I'd whisper in Celestia's big furry ears when she went to do things, and she'd listen. She'd always listen. She was literally in charge of everything around her, but she always listened to me, and that was… It was important to me. It felt good. I was the unseen voice, whispering my little ideas where they needed to be heard, and they were heard. She didn't belittle me. She never called me any names. She just listened and responded.

That didn't mean she always took my advice, but she always listened. She'd tell me why she wasn't going to do what I said, when we disagreed, but she also didn't shy away from turning me down, if she decided against it. She was her own pony. A big pony. I could whisper and talk and explain, but she made the decision in the end.

But it was a learning experience. I was… I was expressing my ideas to her, someone vastly larger and more important. Someone that could have shut me down or hurt me without much effort. I was facing my fear.

Oh, uh, this is a Spitfire update, but she insists I was looking good during the process. Becoming Celestia meant I had 'junk in the trunk' and was happy to show it. Ugh, she is the worst sometimes.

When those collars came around, I freaked out a little bit. Celestia, bless her, came to my side pretty fast on that. Neither of us wanted to be collared, besides the fancy jewelry she wears. She picked that one out and not a single pony could make her wear it against her will. Still, the shock of that was a waking point. It was about then that I started paying more attention. I became more of a second person instead of a sleepy voice.

And she listened. She always listened. She gladly asked my opinion on things, and we talked more and more. I hear the others had some kind of struggle, to find themselves, and the other inside them. Celestia sat there with her arms spread, ready to embrace me without hesitation. I got lucky, so very lucky, for her to be my pony.

But then the offer came. Luna asked Celestia if she wanted to be the one in charge. It was the first time, the very first, that I felt Celestia cringe. She was the fearful one. She was withdrawing, almost scrambling away. I was left there, standing in the forefront, and the idea didn't seem very scary to me at all. Not if I had Celestia there at least.

So I did what she did not want to. She had done so much for me, and I felt properly ready. I would become their boss, so she wouldn't have to take that position. She could remain a big protective pony, and a… Well, she's a bit kinky. Did I mention that? She really is. I think it comes from being very old but still wanting intimacy. She's bored of the standard stuff, so she's hot to trot out new tastes with ponies brave enough to try it with her. It's probably for the best that I basically nap through those bits. Not my thing!

But what was once just me, Lauren, has become us, Celestia and I. We are both happy. We are both alive and well. We may speak gentle advice to the other, but we are bright and happy individuals in this wonderful whole. She's the best friend I can't hug, though being her means I can get hugs from others, when I want one. Her sisters are eager to get affection from their big sister, which I now am, but also am not.

I've made it a point to try to be clear when I'm in charge or not. Lying to them about their sister? That just seems like an awful thing to do. Both of them are just precious in different ways. Gamerluna is like a daughter I never had. So bubbly and energetic, I just want to see how she'll grow and love seeing what she's eager to show me, even if I don't understand it every time, like many parents out there, I imagine.

Speaking of daughters, I did ask her about that once… We were a grown woman, mare, person? We were an adult, of sound body and mind. Finding that special plus one and having a child wasn't impossible, right? I asked. I was curious. And she laughed.

It wasn't a mocking laugh, warmth bubbling through me as images, countless images, of the kingdom of Equestria. From its quietest little villages to its loudest cities. They were filled with ponies that still bowed their head towards the rising sun.

She was a mother to more ponies than most would ever dare to dream of.

And that was all fine and well, a mighty accomplishment, worth being proud of! But I knew the angle to attack, a smirk on my face. "If you haven't experienced it at least once, you're denying yourself an experience that every woman I ever spoke to said was life changing."

I could feel her ears prick up, and she was on me, mental eyes sparkling with curiosity. Did I want it? Even in that moment of intense fascination, she paused to ask what I thought of the idea. Did I mention Celestia is basically the best pony ever? "I never felt what it was like to be a mother." I rose and paced gently through our office. "But I wouldn't mind trying… We just have to find someo…pony that'd make a good father."

New images, names, and fragments. Celestia knew quite a few creatures that could potentially qualify, to quicken her and put a child in her, in me… I blushed gently at the heated passion of Celestia's thoughts. "Since you clearly approve, let's consider it further. That's not a today thing."

Author's Note

An epi-prelogue! More may come.

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1 - Ante Up

She stepped with a calm poise through the game room. Noise erupted from all sides. Ponies were pushing cards forward and rolling dice at different tables. "Fleur! Looking good!" called out a stallion just before he reached for a card.

Fleur smiled back, saying nothing, not that she had to speak. Her walk was a statement.Her clothing, also a statement. Eyes were upon her, and she ate up every moment of it. She saw a pony swear, throwing down their cards in abject failure.

"It will turn around," Fleur gently assured, pressing against the mare and blowing across the casino guest's hooves.

That got a smile from the mare. "Thank you." And she got back to playing. Not that Fleur's breath had any prophetic ability, but ponies liked to think it did. The presence of Fleur was a good luck charm. Things could turn around. That mare would spend more in the casino. Fleur's job was being done.

The noise shifted as Fleur stepped free of the gambling portion of the casino into the rambunctious gaming theatre. Arcade games beeped and screeched with wild abandon, beckoning ponies to come spend their bits for a chance at prizes, or just to entertain themselves.

An explosion rumbled to Fleur's right. There was a two player setup, two ponies occupying it, each holding a gun up. One of them, a smaller Luna. Still as tall as most, but that was the odd part. Luna was typically larger than most ponies. This one was their size, smaller than Fleur. She had a cap on at an angle, tongue sticking out a bit.

The gun was held securely in her magic as she lined up shots at the screen. Next to her, an earth pony was holding the gun in their arms, one wrapped around a large trigger to squeeze out shots. They were both fully invested in the game, sweat trickling down their brows. A crowd had gathered to watch it, cheering wildly at the two as they proceeded on, a contest of two skilled gamers.

But that was not where Fleur was headed, strolling past them calmly despite the riotous explosion of the crowd. The earth pony fell to his knees. "Noooo!"

Luna's cap turned in her magic as she turned away from him. "Nice try, but you'll have to practice for a few years before you can outmatch us!" The crowd was cheering wildly as Fleur walked away.

There, at the front of the casino, the owners were standing side by side, barking their wares. Those wares were, however, ponies. Fleur, to start. "Gentlestallions," she greeted, dipping her head at one, then the next. "The day fares--"

"And here's one of our fantastic--"

Flam took right up with it, the two coming in on Fleur from either side. "--marvelous"

"--spell-bindingous!"

"--Star studded mares!" finished Flim with a grand wave as confetti exploded outwards from them into the passing crowd. "Come on in. Play with them--"

"Play against them!"

"Play alongside them!"

Flam leaned forward, eyebrows waggling. "Play with them." A repeat, technically, but the meaning was sufficiently different.

A few ponies diverted from the stream, an uptick in the traffic that was already flowing into the casino full of eager ponies. "Great job," gushed Flim.

"Really knocked it out of the park." Flam motioned as if swinging a bat for an imagined fence in the distance. "

Flim looked Fleur up and down. "But shouldn't you be getting ready for your next show?"

"Oh ho!" Flam made a dramatic look of shock. "The ponies will be upset if you're not there to knock their socks off!"

Fleur glanced aside at a rather large clock on the wall. The wall was outside the casino proper. The inside had very few time pieces, all the better for ponies to lose track of themselves. "I have time enough. I wanted to ask about the after hours."

Flim inclined his head. "We have a--"

"--Very--"

"--well paying stallion lined up for you today!" Flim nodded with vigor. "A longtime fan, but he never had to bravery to walk up and say--"

"--hello!"

Flim nodded. "Exactly that. You'll treat him right, hmm?" Both of them were leaning in towards Fleur with their bright smiles.

Fleur considered a quiet moment. "They were a fan of… the other Fleur, I do presume?"

"Of course," both echoed at once.

Flam leaned in a bit more. "But, after today, we imagine they will be a specific fan of yours, Miss Lee."

Both began to giggle, ribbing one another as if they had just come up with some witty joke. Fleur did not see it. "I will be back to my duties then." Without further todo, she turned to stroll back through the arcade.

"Lookin' good." Not a call of a customer. Fleur's smile was genuine at the young adult mare that waved at her. "Want a snack?" There was Apple Bloom, operating the food court with good cheer. "We workers gotta keep fueled up, ya know."

"Certainly true." Fleur accelerated a little to close the distance. "What is the special of the day?"

"Glazed carrots with radish garnish." Apple Bloom nodded along with her own words. "Surprisingly delish, lemma tell ya. Let me get ya some." And she got right to preparing a plate for Fleur. "Saw ya talkin' to the bosses. Anythin' new?"

Fleur accepted her plate. No bits changed hooves. One perk of working there, they got their lunches on the house. With it floating beside her, she nodded at Apple Bloom. "You know how it is. They planned out my evening for me without checking with me about it." She rolled her eyes with an equine snort. "They have few manners."

"Tell me about it." Apple Bloom pointed at the floating plate. "Go on! Try it. You'll like it or I'll eat mah ribbon!"

"You'll do no such thing," firmly commanded Fleur, but she did take a bite. A little appreciative noise got a grin from Apple Bloom as Fleur began delicately attacking the provided lunch. "You are quite the talented chef, Miss Bloom."

"Jus' doin' mah part." Apple Bloom tipped her head with a giggle. "Got a clear shot to the stage today." She pointed across the way where the stage could be seen beyond all the people and games, but it was a clear line. "Gonna watch ya do what ya do good."

"That's quite charming of you." Fleur set the plate down where it could be taken care of. "With your support, I have little reason to doubt."

"Aw." Apple tossed a hoof. "Ya'd do fine without me, but I'll cheer, uh, when it's the right time." A sudden whoop during a quiet part of the show could throw things off. "G'luck!"

"To you as well." Fleur departed her younger friend with a gentle smile, feeling better. Perhaps a little lunch had been exactly what she had needed? Facing the world with renewed energy, she stepped back onto the casino floor, the portion devoted to games of chance and mental skill.

"You were right!" There was that mare from earlier. "It's turned around!" She displayed her cards to Fleur before slapping them down.

The dealer pushed a small stack of chips towards the grinning mare. She whooped with joy. "See? You are truly an angel, descended to take pity on us."

Fleur dipped her head gently, but said nothing. Quiet and powerful worked better with the customers. She was back in her goddess mode, every step a broadcast of her quiet power over the area around her. Of course, she knew, eventually the mare would overextend herself. If the customer was lucky, and smart, she might stop before she lost all her winnings.

More likely, the mare would leave with far fewer bits than she had started with. The house, well… It always won.

Fleur advanced right past her, leaving the grinning gambler to her fate. She had other business to attend to. She grabbed a glass of clear alcohol from a platter being carried past her and dropped it right in front of another pony. Their eyes met for just a moment, the stallion laughing nervously.

A little gift, it helped the casino and herself. He'd tell tales of how it happened, how she picked him out, what she gave him. Maybe he'd make up some words she said, but she hadn't said a thing, and that was part of the magic.

Fleur advanced into darkness, the tight hallways out of sight. A few turns and she came out into the ready room just behind the stage. "Break a leg," called out a mare in sparklers and a smile. "I warmed them up, knock 'em dead."

With a nod, Fleur checked herself over, plucking and tugging at her dress until it sat properly on her frame just so. She checked her cards before tucking them away. All her bits and bobs were where they needed to be.

"--De Lis!" came an announcer's voice, filtering through the heavy curtain as Fleur stepped out to the clops and cheers of the ponies that had gathered to see her. Some of them had come specifically to see her, to witness what she bought for them.

She was in charge, and that was exactly where she wanted to be. The curtains pulled up, revealing their eyes, their thunderous approval. She bowed to them gently, the cheering only growing louder. So much louder than they had ever cheered for Eric. She began to saunter across the stage, her horn flashing with the display beneath her hooves that exploded upwards in a show of power and bedazzlement.

Fleur had their eyes, following her, each and every motion. Every touch of her hooves to the floor was met with approval, stares. She ate it up, rearing up onto her hind legs. That always got a fresh round of attention, seeing her get even taller than she already was. "Bon vivant," she called, one of the few lines she delivered. To live well, to live completely. To consume the moment before you. It was quite the saying for a casino, matching it as her tongue curled, falling back to all fours.

A sharp whistle caught her attention. Not a stallion. Not… a mare, exactly, at least… Well, they were a mare, an older one. There was Granny Smith, hooting and hollering in approving shouts. Even older ponies liked a show, it seemed, and who was Fleur to deny them? No, she wandered in that direction as if she hadn't actually seen, just a happenstance.

"Shake it while ya got it!" called out the older mare, clopping the table before her as Fleur did give a little wiggle of her bottom, enough to stir the crowd to a new level, fascinated by her.

She was the god of that stage. Everything was going perfectly, far better than in the past, by herself. Fleur frowned faintly, where had that come from? She worked for the casino, a fine place, filled with talented people, and those desperate to be in their presence.

With a clop of her hooves, she drew them apart to reveal a long collection of flowers, cards woven between the stems and thorns. She extended one stem, held in her magic in a slow sweep across the crowd. She said nothing. Nothing needed to be said.Ponies grabbed cards as they went past, some in hooves, some in magic. Granny grabbed hers in her teeth, still cheering wildly. "Ace of clubs, that's a good'un!"

A few other older ponies patted Granny on the back, apparently in agreement in the good fortune of her pull. Good, that meant they'd go off and play games. She had done her part. Fleur turned away from the crowd as the curtains began to fall. "Give it up for Fleur De Lis, spreading the magic across the stage!" boomed the announcer as she went as quietly as she came.

Author's Note

A new tale begins! This will be updated every week, so stay tuned!

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2 - Your Order, Sir

Fleur sauntered down the hallway, dressed in her stage fineries. Few could see her there. They were in the rooms to the left and right. She could hear muffled sounds through the doors as she passed them. Some were little murmurs of conversations.

Some were far louder cries of passion and bliss from a pony, sometimes two... One sounded like more than two. She colored faintly, but pressed on past it. It was not her duty to consider such things. What ponies paid for, they got. There were few rules about it, save that the guests obey the guidelines the ponies they requested set for them.

The construction, her mind wandered, was of top quality. She could not even try to determine which ponies she was hearing, barely getting the hint that the noise was there to begin with and not much beyond that. But that was none of her business either. She had a customer waiting, a client really. She knew almost nothing of them, save that they would be holding a very specific ticket. The ticket would tell her she found the right person.

The ticket would give them access to her. Complete access. Different ponies had different rules. Some were bold and daring... Setting very few things off the table to start. There, door #117. It wasn't her door, not on any permanent basis. But it was the one she had been told to report to. It was the one her client would find her, and present his ticket.

With a glowing horn, she rapped on the door twice in sharp solid strikes. But there was no reply. They had not arrived before her. She pressed the door open and stepped inside the dimly lit room. A massive princess sized bed occupied much of it. There was also a bath, and a drinking bar. Everything one needed to enjoy the evening…

Fleur willed the door closed. With a twist of her magic, she heard a loud click that announced the lock was deployed. Only a pony with the proper key could enter. Her visitor would have to knock, much as she had done. If he was rude… She could reject him outright. That was part of her charm, her mystique. One did not approach Fleur in an uncouth manner and expect to remain for long.

That they were a stallion was one of the few facts she knew with certainty. Not that she only entertained stallions. Sometimes a mare desired her company, and why not? She could give them just as pleasant an evening, and sometimes just someone to… share time with is exactly what a pony may be after.

Some ponies just wanted that, companionship. But those were the minority by far. Most had far more… active wants and needs. If they wanted to sit and talk, there were plenty of other ponies waiting to do just that in the open areas of the casino. Still… with a famous enough pony, that was enough, sometimes.

A knocking stirred Fleur from her thoughts. She hopped gracefully onto the bed and sank down on her belly, clearing her throat softly. "Qu'est-ce?" she called. Little sprinklings of Prench were a part of her image, what ponies wanted to see, to hear…

"This, uh." A stallion. "This the right room?"

Uncertain, perhaps scared. Fleur smiled gently. Not uncommon. "Peut-être. Do you have ma ticket?" She played the accent thick on that last word, curling her tongue. "If this is so, then oui."

Dimly, faintly, she could hear the stallion searching. "Right here, uh, miss?" Ah, good, they had some etiquette. "I'll put it under the door." Not technically required, that, but she did not stop him. A bright silver ticket emerged from under the door, floating an instant before her magic took hold of it.

She brought it over to look at. Her name was emblazoned on it. Two hours. "Oui Oui Oui!" she half sang out. "You are in the correct place." A dull but loud click sounded as the lock was undone. "Please, Entrer," she bade, watching the door. She did not open it, however.

The handle jiggled a moment, glowing with obvious magic as it twisted and opened, revealing a slight shape, a grey unicorn with an uncertain smile. "Hello, ma'am."

Fleur raised a brow, surprised. They did not appear rich or famous, but they had purchased 2 hours of her time despite that? "Good evening, mon petit poney. Come inside."

And he did, rushing in and closing the door behind him. "Of course, ma'am!"

Fleur inclined her head. "I feel there may be some… malentendu, a misunderstanding. You have paid for moi." She turned a hoof on herself. "But you sound as if it was moi who called for you."

"Sorry, ma'am." He rubbed behind his head. "I'm Bags Valet, Miss. I'm used to helping ponies get their things around." He cleared his throat softly. "I've been a fan of yours for… forever, ma'am… The way you walk, the way you talk, er, usually not talking, miss… You're everything I'm not…"

Fleur smiled gently at the slight stallion. An innocent, unknowing of the way of things, of mares, of perhaps even himself. She would treat him gently. "Come closer." She gently waved him and he came, a little trembling. "Protégé," she whispered. "Come up beside me."

Soon they were seated, belly down, side by side. She gently leaned against him, just a little. "Tell me about you." Such stallions were often very unaccustomed to another pony having an interest in their little lives, their little dreams.

"I'm really happy to be here… with you. I saved up for months." He stood up suddenly. "Ma'am… I… Ma'am…" He was dancing on his hooves, struggling to get the words out. "Ma'am… I want… If you would allow… Um…"

"One word at a time," she gently counseled. "If you are prepared to take a no, then that is the worst you will face."

"Yes, right, of course… Ma'am, Fleur… I would like to become a stallion today. I…"

She placed a hoof gently on his lips. "This can be done, mon petite… Do you know anything of it, or are you as pure as driven snow in the spring, hm?" Oh, how he trembled, an answer in itself. "Then, if you can trust in moi, I will guide you."

And then, a smile. The tension fled him in a sudden step. "Fleur… thank you." He suddenly leaned over and pecked her cheek. "I will do my best."

"I feel certain this will be the case, petit monsieur." She lifted him light with her magic, just enough to prompt him to get into position as she rose. "Now, one thing ponies often do not know, when it is their first… There is no 'correct' way to do it. Only the ways you enjoy, that your partner enjoys."

His eyes grew wide. "Which ways do you like, ma'am?!" he asked a bit hecticly, swallowing that nervous lump. "Sorry."

"Since you ask…" Eyes half-lidded, she fixed him with a sultry stare, full of promise. "I prefer belly to belly, with the stallion beneath me. Not all stallions favor this, prendre note, but it is moi préféré." He was not resisting as she gently nudged him right back down to his side first. "I see you have come prepared…"

Her breath washed over that excited pillar of his virility, the tool he had brought to win that battle. "You are larger than I would have guessed." There was scarcely a stallion out there that minded being complimented on that sort of thing. "As large as your heart, perhaps, ready to make a mare swoon with delight?"

She had seen a number of such things. Had one. No...Non… She was getting distracted.

He giggled perhaps a bit boyishly, his hind legs kicking, eyes locked on her, and what she was focused on. "I will do my best," he assured with a little more confidence. "Please show me how, Fleur, ma'am."

"The very first step." She raised a hoof even as she touched the end of her snout to his pulsing lance. "Is to make sure the mare, she is ready. My face, she only gives some hints. You will need to look elsewhere." She gestured with a toss of her head towards her back end, a knowing smile gently worn.

"O-oh!" He scrambled upright, but took the time to smooch the very nose that had touched him. "Thank you," he basically whispered, moving around her to see. "Oh!" Had he never seen a ready female before? Perhaps not. "Oh…" But he liked what he saw, his warm breath teasing against her as he leaned in. "Eep!" She had winked, surprising him.

That sudden clap of her nethers got a jump out of him, but he was soon closer, recovering instantly. "You, um… smell nice, everywhere…"

She made sure of that. Cleanliness was a part of the look… "You will not get far with me in this outfit." She shook gently, making her clothes rustle. "Ask nicely, then remove it. Be a gentlepony, for you are a stallion today, with a mare that wishes your company."

His breath caught, but he stood just a little taller. Yes, he was a stallion. "Ma'am, may I remove your clothing? They look… nice on you, but I bet you'd look just as stunning without them."

Fleur burst into soft giggles. That little stallion was striking her as a nice thing. "You may. What a gentlepony… No wonder you've managed to draw the attention of such a refined mare." She could feel his magic drawing her clothing away with a practiced touch. Ah… "You have helped a mare to dress and déshabiller, haven't you?"

"It's one part of my job, ma'am." He even folded the stack he had made, setting it aside atop the dresser, all neat and ready to go. "Fleur… may I?"

"I have already given--" He was on her, hopping up clumsily. "Oh mon dieu!" She shook him off without too much effort. "Silly thing, you were doing so well." She smooched his blushing cheek. She wasn't too angry at him. "Silly thing," she gently repeated. "Eager to get to things? That is a stallion for you, hm?"

She set her hooves on his shoulders and he went still. Bags allowed her to push him down, to crawl on top of him, their belly meeting in a rub. His rock hard member was caught between them, their belly fur tickling savagely. He wanted to thrust up into that warm space, as if it could be good enough, but there was more to be had, and he held himself back.

He got out a deep grunt as he felt it. They made contact, sinking into the yielding, flexible portal to her body. He was embedding into her, a sword to her stone, held securely as he hugged her tightly from below. "Oh!" The angle was not what he expected, but he was surrounded by her scent, pressed by her large refined form. He was hers, and he was rapidly warming to the idea.

She sank to the hilt against him, pressing her snout against his throat in little nibbles along his sensitive flesh. "You are a stallion," she reminded, rocking against him. "Nopony can ever take that away from you. Know that this mare chose to accept you, mmm. I could have turned you away. I could have rejected you…"

But she had not, and he knew that, moving in counter to her, his hooves flexible forward and backwards in little spasms of joy. All too quickly, though perhaps unsurprisingly for his first time, it crashed upon him all before he was ready, his world reduced to a hot point of almost painful completion.

He had become a stallion.

Panting and delirious, he flopped weakly to the side, though still trapped on his back beneath her, heaving for lost breath.

"Mon petit étalon," she whispered in his ear, kissing the delicate doom that made it up. "Rest with me… Emerge into the hallway as you are, a stallion."

Author's Note

The tale continues! Bags had a good time. :heart: All the fun may have distracted things, which can cause typos, beware.

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14 - A Good Pony

"Having fun?" A mare stood beside them, puffing up at her mane that hung in the way of her vision. "I bet you'll get a winning streak going soon."

"Yeah." The human drew on the arm of the machine. "I'm not a big fan, really. Just wasting some time."

"Not sure? I can fix that." She smirked perhaps a little too viciously, but he wasn't looking at her. "Three games."

"Three games?" Eric had won a single chip from a cherry to start. Not a big win by any measure. "What three games, for what?" He looked at Doctor Fetlock, but saw only a human woman, not a pony.

"Win three of them." Fetlock gestured at the wide array of gaming machines. "Doesn't even have to be in a row. Do that and I'll give you what you want."

"Okay, that's a sketchy offer." He pointed at the strange woman. "You don't even know me, or what I want."

"Confidence," she stated with complete confidence of her own. "To be rid of your worries. Just like that show, you can just be you, without hesitation."

That show? Eric peered sidelong at her as he drew down the arm, sending the slots tumbling with a promise of riches he'd never win. "That's kinda generic." Not many people who didn't want more confidence, he quietly figured, or to get rid of some kind of worry or another.

But the machine began to beep and chime. He'd won, again! More than just a single cherry that time. He collected the tokens that spilled out of the machine with a bit of a smile. "Maybe you're not all off." Had a hot streak coming on been somehow known to the lady? He didn't even notice when his long equine ears twitched atop his head, a second pair, his human ones working on reabsorbing into his body.

"That's one," taunted the lady who also had big equine ears, reflecting his altered state, not that he was paying too much attention. "Two more and you get it. You can keep the money too."

He had won a little, but he could win more? He dropped a new token in and gave a pull, watching the slots. His shoes fell off mid shuffle, leaving him on hooves instead, though he still had his socks on over those. "Ha, see?" He collected more tokens with larger numbers printed on them.

Eric pushed away from the machine still at Fetlock's expecting look. "Aren't you supposed to not leave while you're on a streak?"

"You're not leaving, just changing machines. Have some faith." Fetlock followed after Eric, her own tail twitching in a sway that he couldn't yet see. Her fishing had caught one on the line. She just had to reel it in… "Life at a casino is glamorous, hm?"

"Not sure I'd use that word." Casinos were loud, and wanted your money, and… had given him some, against all odds. Some small part of himself was nudging for the door. His hot streak couldn't go on forever. He'd lose eventually. Get out with what he had, that was the smart thing to do! But he didn't leave, searching instead for the game that felt right.

Eric found a game that was more than just slots. It was like whack-a-mole, but promised the chance to win big if one had the skill, and luck, of course. He took hold of the big cartoonishly bright mallet. "I can do this." He set a token in and it began to play music loud and cheerfully as targets rose into view to be swatted at.

With each correct target that he brought the mallet down on, a little change came with it. At first, he slid sideways, still human, but less a man. His features softened and his chest pushed out. His voice rose in octaves with his grunts of efforts, little cheers and groans when he missed. "Zut!" he cried in a language he didn't know, but wasn't really thinking about that in frustration. "I can do better." He shoved another coin in.

Though he wasn't focused on it at the time, he had quite the erection, pressing stiffly against his pants as he focused on the game, striking and crying with victory at every target. The game, in some ways, was a channel for that masculinity, a victorious hunter, but losing it all the same as he became less of a he with every tiny step forward. The stiffness faded, never becoming soft, but dwindling to nothing, then pressing inwards, but she was still roused, excited, warm and hot instead of long and stiff.

Her fingers became softer, the nails though longer, shining with a gloss Eric surely had never put on herself. This wasn't stopping her from savagely paddling at the table, getting closer and closer to the grand prize. She had started as a man, but had become a warrior woman, chest heaving as she focused intently on each moving target, to avoid the bad ones and not let a good one escape her vigil.

As she drew closer to the finale, other changes crept over her, a long tail smoothly slipping free of her pants as if they had been tailored for the task. Fur tickled and itched, but she managed to ignore it and keep her focus as she became buried in a smooth and soft pelt that was ever so gentle to the touch. Fancy Pants would surely be so very proud of her when she told him the tale.

"Oui!" She brought down the hammer on the last, the machine exploding in lights and sounds, announcing her triumph as tokens spilled out of the side. Her face ached a moment, as it ought to, pushing out into a long equine snout before her, but she was distracted with the giddy high of victory. She had won.

Fetlock brushed past Eric, causing her new tail to twitch. Eric was about halfway between worlds at that point, a shapely anthropomorphic pony that shone with energy. "Looking good. I knew you'd go hot as the sun." She puffed up at the mane that had fallen in her eyes. "One more. I know you can do it. Besides, you've already won so much."

"Yeah! Yeah…" Eric grabbed a bag that seemed to be placed there for such an emergency, filling it with all the tokens she had won. If she left at that point, it would have been a great day! If she left at that point, perhaps she could have returned to humanity. But… "One more." She could win so much more. "This one, oui." She took almost dancing steps towards a new machine. "I have the bon sentiment of this one."

But it wasn't a machine at all, a fact she noticed only after the giddy high ebbed just enough to let her focus. A pony was dealing cards with a glowing horn. "Deal in?" Tempest began to deal the other players, her horn sparking as she dispensed the starting position to each pony there, though they all appeared halfway, just as Eric did, to herself at least. Though Tempest was using her magic, she had hands. They all had hands.

"S'il vous plaît." Eric sat down, tail swaying eagerly behind her. "I am on fire today." She felt like it, that heat only building with every victory. A small voice called to her, suggesting she stop. She had won so much already. That was enough, right? She could lose it all.

But Fleur knew she could only have fun, and perhaps win so much more! "Thank you." She accepted the cards with her own glowing horn as her spine reconfigured to a four-legged stance. Instead of sitting as a human might on the stool, she began to sit on her haunches atop the stool.

Around her, the world was full of ponies, as it always had been. "Raise." She shoved more tokens forward, eyes shining on her hand. Surely she'd win. "Raise. Oui!" Though still woman, she was a pony woman, a mare. Her breasts had moved down without her notice, becoming part of her lower torso. Her rounded snout was the most obvious hint to other ponies, but her long lashes and soft voice made identifying what she was all the easier.

A stallion winked at her as they raced her, one of the few other ponies willing to raise the stakes that high. "Love a mare with a sense of adventure." But did she have a sense of adventure? No! That quiet part of her was storming. Get out! Call it off! No no no! But Fleur did not pay them mind, sliding shut that mental window to discover it later. She had a game to win!

"Behold!" She set down her hand with a grin of triumph.

That stallion whistled softly. "A mighty impressive spread." Ha ha! Victory! Why hadn't he conceded? He set down his cards with a torturous slow pace, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight. A full spread of princesses. One of the best hands one could have, and quite rare, some of those cards being quite new with the new princesses. Fleur stared with naked shock. How could that have been?! Fleur had lost. "A mighty good game." The stallion tipped his hat. "Do you work here?"

Her tokens were taken away. "Oui," she got out weakly. She did work there, right? That felt… proper. Fleur staggered to the floor, the shock of losing leaving her stiff and confused. That voice needled at her. She had thrown away caution, and with it, she had lost it all.

"You were doing so well." Fetlock was still there. "You look tired. Why don't you head to the break room?" She was pointing the way, sending the newest recruit on her way. "Welcome to the casino."

She walked along with Fleur. "You must be overwhelmed. Being new isn't easy," she counseled, brainwashing the impressionable Fleur along the way. "You are a show mare, have been for a few weeks now. The ponies, they love you. They love watching you, playing with you, just being around you."

"Oui…" Sure… sure, that made sense… "But I failed."

"Look back there." Fetlock tossed her pointed head back at the table they left. "That stallion's playing twice as hard now. He'll probably leave without any bits, thanks to you. You didn't fail, you won, for the casino. Such a good mare you are."

"Oh…" Fleur moved ahead of Fetlock, as if some amount of succor could be found in the breakroom for her troubled mind.

It was in the breakroom that Fleur met her first of the mares. Sure, she had been dealt cards by Tempest, but had hardly paid attention to that one. "Nice." Spitfire was watching her. "Loved it. You look…"

"Pardon, but I have lost track of where it is I should be." Fleur batted at an ear with a hoof. "I am being most forgetful today."

"Not a problem." Spitfire set a hoof on Fleur's shoulder. "We're all a little scatterbrained when we're new. Don't sweat it. We mares stick together." She stood up tall. "This way." Spitfire took Fleur to what seemed to be a bedroom for staff. "Octy, I got a newbie."

Octavia sat up on her bed. "I told you I prefer being alone." She was glaring both at Spitfire and Fleur. "Can't you put her somewhere else?"

"There ain't a somewhere else to put them, so tough luck." She nudged Fleur forward. "Don't mind her cold exterior. Octavia's a great pony when you get to know her."

Octavia snorted as Spitfire fled, looking to Fleur. "Very well… Welcome then. I prefer quiet, and ask that you respect that. Occasionally, I need to practice my music. Do you object to that?"

Fleur spotted the cello leaned against a wall. "Is it this?" She took hold of it in her magic. "It is a wonderful instrument." Her eyes wandered over the finely lacquered wood and taught strings. She did not realize that her appreciation won her a vital friend that day, the first of her new life.

Author's Note

And in this chapter, we skip back to the start, the source of the typos lade bare.

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