The Suite was very Sweet indeed. Joe was certain that it was larger, and certainly more well furbished, than most big city apartments. As he admired the simplicity and well hoof-crafted functionality of Lunar decor, Joe heard a soft voice coming from the balcony.
“He just picked up the Queen of Clubs.” The voice was soft and demure as one would expect to come from an innocent child. But it also had a hint of spice to it; a straight to the point directness that came from a mare who know what she wanted, or at least thought she did. “That makes his hoof twenty-nine. He’s holding onto the Six of Spades so I guess he thinks you want it.”
Joe peered out the balcony and saw the owner of the voice. She was a Pegasus, just recently blossomed, he’d say. Her body was tiny and not yet fully mature but certainly desirable. She sat belly down and absentmindedly lifted her hind leg up and down, making the three dragonflies that adorned her flank dance. Her coat color was one that Joe had never seen before. It was certainly exotic. It was pale grey with a hint of blue almost purple. Her main and tail were equally exotic-- a sort of opal and turquoise hybrid that still kept that pale grey overtone. The combination worked beautifully. She wore her mane straight and well combed and was decorated with a large adorable pink ribbon. She seemed to foal like that her natural beauty was almost criminal, but her voice-- innocent and naive yet endearingly sincere-- gave Joe some comfort.
On the table next to the cushion on which the mare lounged and beckoned with her foot, sat a transceiver radio. In front of her, on a stand, was a pair of binoculars through which she watched, unaware of the stallion appreciating her from behind. “That last draw was the Eight of Hearts. He needs Kings and Queens.”
Joe walked over and clicked the receiver off. The mare jumped in shock and stared up at the stranger on her balcony with wide red eyes. They were more curious than afraid although Joe did notice that she clung her hooves close her frame which, oddly, gave her the impression of a wild squirrel unsure whether or not to approach a hoof full of nuts.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“Name’s Mane. Con Mane.” Joe pushed passed the mare and looked through the binoculars. Through them he could clearly see Gin Rummy’s entire hoof as well as Nightfeather’s face which had grown pale white in confusion. He furiously tapped at the piece in his ear, no longer attempting to make it look like a scratch. As Joe looked through the binoculars, he could feel the mare’s body heat and breath as she moved her head closer to his to try and see through the binoculars as well. Joe became aware that he never put his shirt back on.
Gin grew impatient and demanded of Nightfeather to play bis next card. With hesitation, Nightfeather picked what seemed to be a random card in his hoof and placed it uncertainly on the table. Gin danced in his chair and took the card an slapped his hoof on the table. Nightfeather scowled up straight at Joe, although Joe knew that Nightfeather couldn't see him. Joe laughed at himself and allowed the young mare to have her own viewing of the show. She smiled in amusement.
“So what’s your name?” Joe asked.
“Flitter” she responded.
“Dragonflies?” Joe remarked, unable to take his eyes off of the cute dancing bugs
Flitter blushed and tried to cover her Mark with her long, straight tail. “I can fly with the grace and precision of a dragonfly.”
“Tell me, Flitter, why does he do it?”
She shrugged. “He likes to win.”
“And why do you do it?”
She shrugged again, more sincerely this time. She unfolded her wings and absentmindedly pretended to preen it. Her wings were certainly well groomed; they looked soft and plush. “He pays me.” Joe detected a hint of sadness in her voice, “My sister, Cloudchaser, lost her job at the Canterlot weather patrol. Doing this is all I could do to support us.”
Joe felt the need to comfort the Pegasus and so he sat on the cushion next to her and wrapped his hoof around her. He caressed her wing and he was right about their softness.
“That all he pays you for?”
Flitter looked over the balcony and down at the tin black dots in an around the pool. “That an being seen with him.”
“Just seen?” Joe asked playfully.
“Just seen!” Flitter’s cheeks flushed with anger and looked at Joe offended, but he noticed that she was also biting her lip.
“Well that’s a relief. You are much too nice and pretty to be mixed up in this sort of thing.” Joe reached out and turned the volume dial of the radio all the way up before flicking it back on. Through the binoculars, Joe saw Nightfeather cringe at the pain in his ear. Joe then lowered the volume back down before speaking into the transceiver. “Now listen up, Nightfeather! I know you can hear me. I’m afraid your luck’s run out. I don’t think the hotel management would take too kindly to what you’re doing and you wouldn't want that on your reputation, would you Captain? Nod your head if you agree.” Nightfeather remained frozen in shock. “Nod!” Nightfeather obeyed and bobbed his head in exaggerated nods. “Good, that;s right. Now start losing, Nightfeather! Shall we say a thousand?” Flitter smiled and laugh and edged Joe on with her young eyes. “No let’s be generous, let’s make it fifteen hundred.”
Nightfeather’s face twisted in anger. He flicked a card onto the table with such force that Joe was surprised it didn't snap in half. Gin rummy leaped out of his seat like a rocket and danced around the table. He even picked up the score card and shoved it towards Nightfeather’s face to further amplify his victory. Nightfeather Picked up the nearby pencil and snapped it in two in his hooves.
Joe chuckled into the radio. “Over and out.” Joe flicked the radio back off. “That should keep him busy for a while.”
Flitter suddenly clung her arms to Joe and massaged his bare chest. “I think I’m beginning to like you, Mr. Mane.” She rested her chin on his shoulder and gazed upon with adoring eyes. Joe could feel the backs of ears begin to sweat.
“No, call me Joe.” he told her.
Flitter placed her head head against Joe’s chest, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. “More than anypony I've met in a long time… Joe.” She whispered slowly.
Joe put his forelegs around Flitter’s tiny waist and tickled her dragonflies. “Well what in Equestria are we going to do about that?”
“Yes… What?’ Her eyes were still closed and she traced her hoof around his muscles.
“Why don’t we go for donuts?”
Flitter looked up at Joe in confusion. “Donuts? Where are we going to get donuts in a place like this?”
Joe smiled his famous charming smile. “Oh, I know the best place in town.”
Flitter melted in his smile. “And where might that be?”
“My room”
“This is your local news at KPNY and I’m your local correspondent, Press Release. Coltlumbia: In the castle today, Princess Luna said she was entirely satisfied--”
Joe clicked off the radio above his bed where he and Flitter happily cradled each other. “Well that makes two of us.” The pair of ponies kissed each other passionately. Red Velvet was long gone, having to go back to Canterlot for her modeling job. He had all night to enjoy Flitter’s company.
the sheets of the bed were crumpled and half on the floor and were littered with the crumbs of remaining sprinkles of a homemade meal. “Oh, Joe,” Flitter purred, “those donuts were delicious.”
“Yes,” Joe whispered, his eyes locked with Fitter's “I especially loved the cream filled ones.” Joe rested his head on the Flitter’s soft wings and breathed in her scent. His bliss was interrupted by the ringing phone. Joe pushed Flitter off of him, sat on his haunches and picked up the receiver. Flitter climbed against his back and nibbled his ear in a playful attempt to distract him from the conversation. “Hello? Oh, Sky! What’s that? Dinner? Oh, look, I’m sorry, I can’t. Something big's come up. Hows about breakfast?”
Flitter tried to tickle Joe’s ear with one of her wings. “Not too early.” she cooed. Joe simply placed his hoof on her face and pushed her back down flat on the bed where she silently laughed and relished in the fun she was having.
“Yes, nine o’clock would be fine. Goodnight, Sky.” Joe hung up the phone and turned his attention back to the mischievous little filly. “Now, where were we?” Flitter grabbed hold of one of her wings and played with the tip in her mouth while massaging it invitingly. “Oh, yes. The chocolate ones.”
“My favorite.”
Joe reached over to a new platter of donuts piled with piping hot donuts topped with thick melted chocolate. Flitter’s mouth salivated heavily and she licked her lips greedily. She reached out a hoof ready to devour the delicious morsels in front of her but Joe suddenly jerked the plate away, causing Flitter to fall face first into the mattress.
“Hold on a tick! We’re out of sprinkles!”
“Sprinkles?”
“Hold on I got some in the kitchen.” Joe got up and took his donuts into the hotel room kitchen leaving Flitter on the bed. She lay on her back and hung her head upside down over the foot of the bed so that her amazingly straight hair delicately rested on the floor.
“Who needs ‘em?” she laughed.
“My dear filly!” Joe called out playfully from the kitchen, “There are some things that are simply not done! Such as indulging in freshly baked chocolate donuts without some of my gourmet sprinkles. That’s like listening to Sapphire Shores without earmuffs, amiright?”
Joe opened up his cupboard and shuffled through his myriad of baking ingredients. He saw the sprinkles buried deep in the back of the cupboard and reached his head in to grab them with his teeth. As Joe happily pulled himself out of the cupboard, a heavy blow crashed into the back of Joe’s neck.
Joe’s limbs gave way and he fell to the kitchen floor in a heap. The jar of sprinkles spilled out, littering the tile with the tiny, multi-colored candies. Joe fought against the drowsiness that permeated his brain but his muscles would not respond. The kitchen disappeared and everything grew black.
Joe awoke to his own screams. He sat up from the kitchen floor, drenched in his own sweat. candy sprinkles littered the tile floor. Joe’s mind was a fog. He rubbed his temples and attempted to remember what happened. He remembered meeting with Sky. And then he was watching Nightfeather. And then he was making donuts for…
“Flitter!” Joe yelled out. He hurriedly galloped back to the hotel bedroom. Laying on the bed was a mare with a purplish grey coat and turquoise mane. She looked like she fell asleep face down on the bed. Joe prayed that she was asleep. He cautiously approached the bed. A lump had formed in his throat. “Flitter?” he asked. There was no response. Joe reached out his hoof and shook the still pony. Joe readied his nerve and rolled Flitter face up.
What he saw made him jump back with fear and disgust. Flitter’s face was disfigured. Her expression was frozen like a statue with the expression of terror. Her mouth was wide open in a silent, never-ending scream. an her eyes were wider than donut saucers. Her eyes. Her eyes were the most ghastly of all. The whites of her eyes were no longer white. They were a pale, luminescent blue. Her pupils were pitch black and no longer round. They were thin slits like on a snake or Dragon. Joe had seen eyes like that before.
With his heart racing, Joe picked up the phone and dialed Sky Blazer’s hotel room. It rang for what felt like forever and when Sky finally did answer he sounded groggy and only half aware. Joe had no perception of how late at night it really was.
“Hello, Sky? It’s me!”
“Yeah? What’s up.”
“Get over her right away! The filly’s dead!”
“Sky instantly jolted awake. “Velvet!?”
“No. her name was Flitter. And her eyes are blue…”