I returned to my room with a light knock, expecting Alamo to open the door and let me back in, for lo and behold, I had left the key inside. I waited a few seconds, knocked again. Again, no reply, not even a sound from within the room. I began banging on the door, making it rattle on it's hinges. Now, I could've simply tore the door right out of the wall with ease, but that would be property damage, and damaging what belonged to the King sounded like a rather bad idea.
The two clearly weren't inside, and I let out a groan, rubbing my temples with my avian hand. A loud grumble followed my vocalized annoyance, coming straight from my stomach. I then realized that I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since the party the other day way back in Appleloosa. With no idea how i survived this long without food, I turned around and ambled my down the stairs to the main floor. Maybe they'd have some food down in the casino area?
I entered to a rousing amount of noise and light, outlined by the constant jingling of coins and shuffling of cards. I hadn't the chance beforehand to actually observe the casino floor, since both times I was in it I was either chasing down Alamo or being shoved by two goons. I scanned the area for A cowpony and a zebra, but most importantly, I searched for food. The place was big, to say the least. The whole area seemed to be cut off into different sections for various vices and needs. One corner was dedicated to the slot machines that lead to the poker tables and other gambling games. Another corner had a lowered area with a bunch of tables around a stage. That was where I would get my meal.
I strutted over there with as much confidence as I could muster, but towering over ponies in fancy clothes didn't really add to that. I had always been an antisocial, introverted little prick, and this whole 'new world' stuff thrusted upon me, despite it being utterly awesome, did little to help my anxieties. Before I stepped into the area, a large grey pegasus in black shades jumped right in front of me.
"VIP only."He stated flatly. I looked down at him, trying to go eye to eye with the bloke, but his sunglasses made him unreadable.
"He's fine Eight Ball, let 'im in."I heard a familiar voice called out. I turned to see Alamo and Zola sitting at a table in the center of the area, empty bottles of beer around them and our winnings bag sitting dead center between them. The security pony gave me a once over before nodding, standing aside to let me pass. I went over and sat down in an empty chair at the table.
"So, how'd it go?"The auburn cowpony asked, his voice already slurred from his presumably vast alcohol consumption.I replied with a sad nod.
"I guess I...work for the King now."
Zola looked at me sympathetically, her eyes belaying I know what you mean.
"Well, good on ya, Oddjob!"Alamo busted out, pointing at a passing by waitress to get her attention. He pointed back at me, swishing his hoof through the air, awaiting my answer."I just want something to eat."I replied with despair in my voice.
"Everythin' on the menu for my friend! We're good for it!"
She nodded, but with a look of disdain. They probably had a big menu.
"What does the big man got ya doin'?"Alamo asked before taking a large swig of his drink. He absolutely reeked with the potent stench of alcohol on his breath. This is what I get for leaving him alone for twenty blasted minutes.
I shrugged."Dunno. I'll be finding out tomorrow night."
Before our conversation could continue further, a wiry pink pegasus fluttered over to us, her frame covered in the very same showgirl dress Zola had worn only hours early."Oh Zola sugah, I'm so glad I found you!"
The zebra raised an eye."Flitterby? What do you want?"
"Honey, we need you onstage,"Flitterby batted her eyes pleadingly."Melody's gone off tonight, and nopony can find her!"
"It is my time off, I'm not just going to go onstage and saunt."Zola replied sternly, only for her usually apathetic face melting under he coworkers eyes. She slowly nodded with a exasperated sigh. She got up, looking at the two of us with a slight shrug."Enjoy the show, boys. And Oddjob,"
I looked up at her.
"Watch out for any of the King's ploys."
I nodded and she trotted off with her pink friend, the two going off to some unseen door that led backstage. Alamo ribbed me with his foreleg, snickering."She was a real looker, wasn't she, Oddy?"
I merely shrugged in reply. Appearance-wise, I guessed so. She was cute, but in a pony way, not a sexual way. I wasn't one to be attracted to a pony, seeing as how I myself was comprised of several animal parts I did find myself attracted to. I knew that there were others who would agree, but not myself. Oh well.
A few seconds later, the lights dimmed, and a very memorable tune began to play from onstage. Entering from the left, perfectly clad in her showgirl dress and headpiece, Zola trotted center stage. All was quiet escape the song escaping her lips, her frame outlined from a spotlight overhead. Her voice surprisingly belted out the notes and lyrics to a pleasant tone. I caught more than just one of closer up ponies near the stage drooling at her swaying form.
I didn't really have much incentive to listen to the song, since only moments after the performance had started, several waiters came up with trays and trays of varying foods, setting them down around me. One plate had what appeared to be turnips and radishes, another a salad, and another, sandwiches. All vegetarian meals, considering that ponies were herbivorous, but I didn't care. I dug in with ravenous hunger, not caring what animalistic sounds I made or what I was eating or even what was getting on me and the disgruntled patrons around us. Right then, I was a monster, and the monster was starving.
We retired much later that night, mostly me trying not to hurl from all the food I had digested and Alamo keeping himself from keeling over. But eventually the two of us managed to make our way back to the room and collapse into our beds, sleeping heavily for the day ahead. It was a dark, dreamless one that guaranteed rest, the one that you have after a long day of doing everything you hate.
The morning came all too quickly. Through open blinds sunlight poured in, wrenching me away from such peaceful sleep.
"Alamoooo...."I grumbled away from drooling on my pillow, picking it up and tossing it across the room at him. It landed with a thump as it made contact with his body. He bolted upright, his gun whirring through the air as he looked frantically for what had attacked him. Seeing as it was just me assaulting him with a pillow, he collapsed back into his own bed with a groan.
"The mornin' came too quick."He repeated my own thoughts.
"Agreed."I sympathized with him as I crawled out of the cloud bed, shrugging my jacket on and placing the trilby atop my head. I somehow had fallen asleep with my scarves on, and they were all tangled up around my elongated neck. After fixing them, or guessing I did, I was never sure on the proper way to wear a scarf, I took in a deep breath and stretched, a ritual I had come to love being as that I had a body that coiled up like a spring and could be pulled out in every direction.
"C'mon mate, up and at-'em."I told Alamo, to which he stubbornly pulled his covers over his body and placed his own pillow atop his hide to himself from my pestering and the bright sun streaming in.
"Fine, sleep the day away!"
"Ah will."Came his muffled reply. I rolled my varicolored eyes and made my way out the door, making sure to slam it hard enough to jerk Alamo awake. I was met with the satisfying sound of him falling out of bed from the sudden noise.
I actually had no idea where to go or what to do. Los Pegasus was a mystery to me, as was much of Equestria. I would have gone off and grabbed some breakfast, but after last night, my stomach still felt heavy with food, so that was a no-go. I sighed and decided to seek out two ponies I did not want to talk with: Royal Flush and Ace. If anything was to be known about my...'job' tonight, they'd probably have all the information needed.
It was rather easy to find them. They were down in the casino floor, sitting in the lounge area, the entire building empty save for the employees and staggering drunks who had stayed the night. I walked over to them, both of them catching sight of me with a hint of fear in their still battered faces, courtesy of moi.
"Morning fellas."I greeted halfheartedly. They simply nodded."I take it you know that we're...co-employees now?" Another set of nods."Then, what's my first...job?"I spat out the word. I didn't like the taste it left. What would the King have me doing? Drug runs? Something illegal, of course. I gulped, not wanting to get caught and spend my time in Canterlot court before one of the most powerful being this world and the next. I could just imagine it, Celestia gasping at my appearance so similar to that of Discord's, summoning the Elements of Harmony, and in a flash, my favorite characters turn me to stone with a giant rainbow laser beam.
"Real simple stuff. Debt collectin, shakedowns, the works."Royal Flush replied, his voice sounding incredibly reluctant to speak.
"Cool, cool..."I paused."I don't have to hurt anybody, will I?"
"Less it's necessary."Royal shrugged."Usually, we do though."Ace cackled."Sometimes they're...uncooperative."
I pulled a face of stone, silencing the laughter from them. I nodded and turned around on my heels, striding away at a casual pace, hands stuffed deep down in jacket pockets. I really, really hoped I wouldn't have to hurt anybody...anypony...whatever. I just didn't want to do it. Growing up, I was the bullied instead of the bullier. I knew what it felt like to be weaker and to be the subject of torment of those stronger than me. Now that the role was reversed, what would I do?
It was night now, and I huddled down one of the many alleyways the city in the sky had to offer, Royal Flush and Ace right behind me. They directed me, with no shoving this time, to a small bar on the far side of town. We could even make out the edge of the clouds, and for a moment, I was breath-taken. All of Equestria, or so it seemed, was laid out like a map. Fields of green stretched as far as the eye could tell, small villages dotting here and there with flickering lights, and the mountains nearby obscuring the horizon. Is this what every Pegasus felt like looking upon the land below? For a moment, I felt jealous of every winged character in the show.
The serenity of the land was lost upon the two dunderheads, as they went up to the bar and went inside, promptly dragging out the owner to toss him into the street by my paws.
"I told you,"He stuttered out, hopping to his hooves."I-I'll have the King's payment in a little while...b-business has been slow..."
He was afraid when he saw those two, but when he turned around to look at me, if he had pants, I was pretty sure he'd be pissing them right about now."Please don't eat me."He whispered up to me, and I had to roll my eyes. I lifted him up by the scruff of his neck, a rotting feeling inside me as I did so. Would I actually hurt this poor pony? He was trembling in my grip, and I felt a bit of regret bile build up in the back of my throat. I welled it down, and went on to speak.
"Look,"I began at him."I'm very sure you're doing the best you can, but the King needs his money now."I just improvised what I was going to say, taking bits and pieces from mafia movies.
"We uh...don't want anything happening to you or your fine establishment here..."
"I...I can pay half of it now! How's that?!"He frantically pleaded. I looked over to Royal and Ace, and they nodded."That's acceptable."I growled at him. I dropped him, and he dashed back inside, returning nary seconds later with a bag of bits, dropping it by Ace's hooves.
"I'm...I'm safe now, r-r-right? Until I-I can pay the rest?"
Ace chuckled as he took up the bag in his wings."You're safe, for now."
I let out a sigh of relief. No hurting tonight!
"But just to make sure you get the idea in your head..."
I looked up to see Royal striking the pony across the face with a sharp hook from his foreleg. And apparently, he had been carrying a baseball bat. Why do crooks always go with the friggin' bat?! He held it in is wings, rearing it back to strike the fallen pony. Before it even made the whoosh of going through the air, I had deftly caught it in my bear hand, snatching it right out of Royal's grip.
He whirred around, about to give me a mouthful, only to come under an intense stare."No."I mouthed before crushing the wooden bat in half, sending splinters raining down. I discarded it and went over to the barkeep, helping him back up."You okay?"
He looked up with the most grateful face I had ever seen, tears about to well in his eye."Celestia bless you."He whispered before running back into his bar.
"What the buck?!"Royal roared up at me, only for his mouth to be shut tight by both of my differentiating hands to clamp it."Listen here,"I pulled him up into the air to meet my eyes."I'm only doing this until I can find a way off of Los Pegasus without any damage. I don't like you, and I don't like the King. And if you think I'm going to hurt anypony or perform something morally wrong here, you got another thing coming, you twatwaffle."He whimpered under my iron grip. I released him, and he fell to the ground, scrambling away from me to Ace's side. The other doof was just as terrified.
I had to calm down. I breathed in, and out, counted to ten, all that therapy stuff. I had anger issues sometimes, and these always helped.
"Now, is there anything else to be done tonight?"
They both shook their heads slowly.
"Good."I tipped my hat at them, turned around, and made my way back to the King's Throne casino. I really needed something to drink.