In the sunny streets of Ponyville, two figures walked past the locals towards the marketplace. One was a red coat Pegasus stallion with a curly light orange mane who was eyeing the dark griffin carrying a beaten-up violin. The said griffon had the head and wings of a raven with the body of a black panther.
“Where did you get that violin from?” the pegasus questioned.
“Does it really matter at this point?” The griffon replied. “The only thing you need to know is that I got it. And this thing is gonna solve our homeless problem.”
“But where did you get it?”
“Trust me when I say that nopony is going to be missing it. Besides, I’ve already tested it out and it’s decent enough to play on. But it’ll be enough to rake up some bits.”
The red Pegasus didn’t say anything much on the matter, rather, he looked on at the foals that passed by them. “There’s so much… happiness here. Nopony is starving, these streets are safe - even at night, and there’s so much wealth about here than anyplace I’ve been to.”
“You would have been amazed in my time,” the griffon rolled his eyes. “With all the revolutions and factories popping up, I don’t think you’ve would have recognized anything there, Father.”
The Pegasus groaned, “I told you I didn’t earn the rank of-”
“But you’re a priest, aren’t you, Signor Vifilli?”
“Yes but…” he let out a frustrated sigh, “It’s complicated.”
“Hey, there’s no shame being a sinner either.” The griffon laughed, “I could recommend a few sins for you to try out, I’d think it might suit you better.”
Vifilli glared daggers at him. “Don’t think about it, Signor Paganeighni.”
“What? If we were given a second chance in life, we might as well enjoy it while we still have it. I mean just look around you, this is a paradise! There’s more food than ever before, more bits flowing about here, everypony is happy and there’re more mares to have fun with than a broth- OW!”
Paganeighni was cut off as Vifilli slapped him across the face with his wing. “If I may kindly remind you, there are foals running about.”
As he was rubbing his face, the ebony griffon raised an eyebrow. “And your point?”
“Regardless of where or when we are, the very least we could do is hold ourselves to a high standard. Much like how Our Lady would have done.”
“You do realize that I’m not a part of your Celestia cult…” Paganeighni grumbled.
“Oh for the love of…” Vifilli facehoofed. “How many times do I have to say this: it’s not a cult!”
“Ah yes, because a group of ponies that say they know how to get a better piece of the afterlife while asking for a daily fee to get in, isn’t one. You sure could have fooled me, Father.”
The ruby stallion’s eye twitched. “Just to be Celestia-like, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. But for now, what exactly is your plan?”
“Simple,” he held up the violin, “I play, they give us bits, then we eat. Play some more, flirt with a mare or two, and earn enough for a room or a dozen.”
“All that for being a street musician?” Vifilli raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t earn my fortune a few centuries ago by praying for money to fall from the sky.” Paganeighni grinned as they entered the marketplace. “I always had to earn it in the here and now.”
Lights, noise, shiny signs, and fake coins. Here and there in this twisted version of Versailles, where the gold leaf and detailed murals hung above all with its enormous crystal chandeliers, there were many flashy mechanical games, gambling tables, and ponies that admired the passing entertainments. Regardless of how long he had been there, the Zebra could barely believe that in this city called Las Pegasus, that one of its great gambling houses was a caricature of the palace he once served.
“Roulette isn’t that difficult to manage.” The mare in a blue vest uniform explained in an uninterested tone. “Bets are all based on not only what color the ball lands on, but sometimes what number too. Now in our casino, players aren’t obviously allowed to place bets on the whole thing nor a majority of numbers on the table. So if they’re betting on color, they have to use only one or the other. But if on numbers, then don’t let them take up more than a third. And don’t let them bet any higher than a hundred thousand. Any questions?”
The Zebra shook his head, his curly black and white mane ruffled about. “It seems straightforward to me. So are there any rules of me at least talking to these players?”
“House rules say that you can, but always try to be friendly and professional. Obviously, don’t try to insult our guests nor make them uncomfortable as that is a huge no-no. So don’t ask them for really personal information or anything like that. However, if you suspect that there might be acting in a suspicious or threatening manner, there’s a button right underneath the table that’ll alert security. Any further questions?”
He shook his head, telling her that he understood.
“Although, before I let you start working Mister…?”
“Lully.” The Zebra said. “It’s Jean Baptiste Lully.”
“Right,” the mare nodded as she jotted down his name on a clipboard, “Mr. Lully, there is one thing I do want to ask you about. I know that you’ve already come here yesterday and all, but I’m a little curious about how you're able to get the job so fast.”
Lully tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t exactly want to jump to conclusions here, but you got the job way sooner than any other employee here since I’ve been working here. Normally, Mr. Lucky doesn’t hire anypony for at least a couple of weeks, you know, job interviews, resumes and all that. But you’ve managed to do it in one day. How? Did you know the owner or…?”
The Zebra smirked. “As a born entertainer, I know how to please any audience I come across. Monsieur Luck just needed to know my qualifications in social skills, my loyalty to work for this establishment, and some…” He paused for a moment in which the mare could have sworn she saw a glint in his eye, “Persuasion. And like so, I have a job in which I won’t starve.”
“Right…” After jotting down some notes, she told him to flip a sign on his table to let the other guests know that he’s open.
It didn’t take too long before a couple walked up to his table with a bag full of bits. One was a unicorn stallion that had a white coat, a dark suit with a blue mane with a monocle in his eye. The other was also a unicorn, just as pale but taller than he and with a flowing pink mane.
Lully put on an infectious grin, “Care to try your luck, Madame and Monsieur?”
“I take it you’ve just opened up?” The mare asked, and he nodded. “How about it,” she asked the stallion next to her, “let’s do a few rounds here.”
The stallion agreed as they approached the table. “How about this,” he opened up the bag with his magic in which he placed a few chips on the table, “I’ll put down fifty on the Odd number on black.”
“Even on red for me.” The mare placed down similar chips. “I take it that you must be new here?”
“Today is my first day on the job, Madame. And you are the first guest I’ve come across. Are you two new here?”
“Not at all,” the unicorn stallion said as he wrapped a hoof around the mare, “we have been to Las Pegasus a few times before. In terms of gambling, this is our personal favorite. Only this time around, we’ve come here for a happier reason.”
“And that being?”
“We just got married,” the mare explained, “and we’re spending our honeymoon here.”
“Ah! Congratulations you two!” He picked the little ball in his hoof. “Oh… I just realized that I don’t know to whom I’m speaking. You can call me Lully.”
“As in the flower?” He nodded. “In that case, I’m Fleur-de-Lis, and this handsome stud is my Fancy Pants.”
“Pleasure.” Lully nodded as he spun the wheel before tossing the ball in.
“I notice you have an accent.” Fancy pointed out, “It’s faint, but I could have sworn I heard a little bit of Istallion with that Prench.”
“You are not too far off, Monsieur Pants.” The Zebra replied. “I was born in Florence but later moved to Prance for better opportunities. You might say it’s by pure luck that I went from a begging street musician to a respected place in Prench society.”
“But why are you here?” Fleur inquired as the wheel was slowing down. "Prance is a far way off from Equestria."
“Let us say that a change in tempo was in order. A fresh start, a new life, and new ponies to encounter. Who knows, maybe my luck would once again bring good fortune.” The white ball bounced as the wheel slowed down until it settled on a number. “Number twelve, red. The Madame wins.”
Several miles out from Fillidelphia on the uneven waves of the sea, a dark green unicorn with a richly blue mane and goatee stared out to sea, admiring the living waters that bobbed the small ship about in its waves. Looking down from the crow’s nest, he watched as the ponies below tossed nets over into the abyssal blue.
“Don’t lean over too far.” The unicorn craned his neck over behind him as an elderly Pegasus flew up. “Last time that happened, a sailor ended up a year in the hospital. So it’s best if you watch your balance while we’re out here.”
“Sorry Captain, it’s been a long time since I’ve been out to sea.”
“No kidding.” The bearded captain then proceeded to land right next to him, sitting down. “Look, Mr. Debussy, I’m not trying to be hard on you, it’s just that the sea can be a dangerous place that, if you’re not careful, could cost you your life.”
“I understand Captain.” The unicorn nodded. “Still, I’m trying to rebuild what little of my life I have left and I thought that the best way to do it is by one of the things I love.”
The old captain sighed. “Son, did you wanted to join my crew? I mean, salvaging things from the bottom of the sea isn’t an easy life for anyone.”
“True. But… What could I say? I love the sea. Even as a colt, I’ve been drawn towards it. Even when I used to write music I come to sea towns to clear my head.”
“So what are you expecting to be looking for out here?”
Debussy shrugged. “Peace of mind. A purpose. Or something. With my daughter gone with… practically everything else, I’m trying to figure out where to go from here.”
This time, the expression of the Captain did change as his stern face gave way to sympathy and patted him on the back. “I can’t exactly say that I’ve lost everything too. For that, I’d be lying. But I remember what was like at your age when you’re trying to figure out what to do with your life. It is disorienting and probably would take you years at first, but once you’ve found what really matters to you, it’ll get easier. Not that it’ll all go away, but it will get easier to handle.”
“Captain!” A call was heard below them. “We’ve found some bottles and a broken mirror.”
“Don’t move, I’m coming down!” The captain called back. Before he left, he paused to look over his shoulder. “I’ll keep you on this crew, Mr. Debussy. But I must warn you, it’s not an easy life and not the ideal place to have a crisis about yourself.” With that, he flew back down towards the bow of the ship.