The Lightning Seven: The Second Strike *Old story*

by Barracuda cyborg

Rat Hole Casino (fixed)

Our team was walking through the ice once more as they soon came across a giant building shaped like a giant wedge of cheese.

"Great, of all the times not to bring a box of crackers," Scalor said, knowing he was hungry from the various perils they had encountered already.

"Well, we're all hungry, maybe this place will have food," Slash said as he jogged in with hunger evident on his face.

"Welcome to the Rat Hole casino, where the times are so great, you'll never want to leave," A light blue-green squid dressed in a fancy tuxedo said with little-to-no enthusiasm.

"Thanks squiddy!" Pinkie said with joy.

"That was my cousin's nickname." the greeter retorted.

As soon as the group entered the casino everyone went on their own little ventures. "Oh, hey, All you can eat buffet!" Slash said as he ran with great enthusiasm.

"Sweet, a bar! Wanna get 'Berry Punched'?" Dash said as she challenged Applejack to a drinking contest.

"Yer on!" Applejack replied as they both raced towards a table in the bar.

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"Come on!" Twilight said in rage.

"Hiya Twilight, whacha' doin'?" Pinkie asked as she hopped towards Twilight.

"Trying to hit the jackpot, but none of these machines work," Twilight said trying to recollect herself.

"Oh really? Cuz I won five hundred on the machine behind ya," the party mare said as she held up a large bucket, full of casino tokens

"How is that possible?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"It just happened," Pinkie said, unable to explain her luck.

"Pinkie, I need you to be my luck charm," Twilight pleaded in desperation.

"Okay, what's the catch?" Pinkie asked.

"I need you need to follow me wherever I go," Twilight answered.

"Okay so what's the catch?" Pinkie asked once more.

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"I have to say, the place may not have great music, but looks simply divine with all the artwork surrounding us, it is as if the pictures are starting at us," Rarity said, admiring the casinos look.

"Um, yeah, staring... heh heh," Fluttershy said nervously as she saw cameras everywhere.

"Oh Fluttershy, I see a karaoke bar, we simply have to sing," Rarity said with enthusiasm.

"Oh, I'm not the kind for singing," Fluttershy said as she thought she would be an embarrassment to herself.

"Nonsense, lets go," Rarity exclaimed as she grabbed Fluttershy's hoof and ran towards the stage.

_______________________________________________________________________

As Dash's and Aj's drinking contest went on they got into a drunken conversation.

"Why can't you accept that I'm better?" Dash slurred as she knocked a couple shot glasses onto the floor.

"Why cant you accept that hard work goes farther than your type of working?!" AJ asked as she was chugged down a bottle of alcohol down her throat.

"Wha- My life is so to hard! I wake up, punch my toaster, and maintain the weather, and try to be the president of the Ponyville branch of the Daring Do fan club, all while trying to hang out with my friends!" Dash said, as she was offended that Applejack thought she was a lazy good for nothing.

"Well I'm a gonna not go and not buck my uncle." AJ said as she soon went on to complete, incoherent babbling, and fell down to the floor.

_______________________________________________________________________

"What's this card do?" Pinkie asked as she looked at Twilight's cards at the black jack's table.

"That's an 8 of hearts, its worth 8 points," Twilight explained.

"What's this card do?" Pinkie asked again.

"That's a 3 of spades, it's worth 3 points, and brings our total to 11 points," Twilight said as she was adding up her total.

"What's this card do?" Pinkie asked as she held up a round red cardboard disk.

"Pinkie, that's not a card, that's a coaster," Twilight said as she looked at the thing pinkie was holding up.

"So how much is it worth?" Pinkie asked, still thinking the coaster was a playing card.

"And............. 21, congrats ma'am, you've won again," The dealer said as he gave a 10 of hearts to Twilight.

"Yes I win again!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I don't get Twilight, I don't anyone named Jack, and why is it called 'black' jack, why cant it be yellow jack? Or red jack? Or apple jack? Or honey jack? Or even--" Pinkie asked, thinking the game was oddly named. Her thinking was soon cut off by Twilight.

"It's called 'black' because of the jack of spades or clubs, and there's no one named Jack," Twilight said, explaining the name of the game.

"My name is Jack," the dealer said, joining the conversation.

"Can we play the game with the potato chips?" Pinkie asked, pointing at another game.

"If you mean roulette, then yes," Twilight said, as she was getting bored of the card game.

"But you have so much to live for!" Pinkie said. She was thinking that Twilight was going to kill herself.

"That's a different roulette, and besides, I can't even hold a gun," Twilight said flatly, knowing Pinkie was being a doofus.

_______________________________________________________________________

Rarity and Fluttershy were singing at the bar and to everyone's surprise Fluttershy was an amazing singer.

"And I will always love you."

"I will always love you."

"I will always love you."

"I will always love you."

"Wow, Fluttershy, I didn't know you could sing like that," Rarity said as she and her friend finished the song.

"Neither did I..." Fluttershy said as she blushed nervously

_______________________________________________________________________

"What are these?" Pinkie asked looking at the multi-colored chips.

"Those are chips, you use these you make bets." Twilight said as she place some chips towards another wager. Pinkie tried to chomp down on a $100 chip, and spat it out in disgust.

"These aren't very tasty..."

"Pinkie! you can't eat them, you can only bet with them," Twilight was getting more and more frustrated the more she attempted to teach Pinkie Pie the rules of the game.

"Then why do they call them 'chips'?...that doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean how would you measure the worth of chips? Would you measure them by crunchiness, or by size? And why chips. why not muffins? I mean muffins are more easily accountable for this, but would you think blueberry will be worth more, or less?" Pinkie started to ramble on about the game, pretty soon Twilight just groaned and cashed her chips in.

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"Hey Tarlok whatcha doin." Hawk Eye asked as he saw his skinny pal behind a bar.

"......"

"Someone pulled ya in cuz of ya suit didn't they?" Hawk Eye asked trying to think of the reason Tarlok was behind the counter.

Tarlok simply nodded.

"While we're here, lets can ya get me a Bloody Mary?" Hawk Eye said feeling thirsty.

"Make mine a brain hemorrhage, mate." Snaggletooth said as he joined the group. Tarlok feeling annoyed, he nevertheless started to make the drinks for his pals.

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"Thunder Buster, what are you doing?" Celestia asked as she saw Thunder Buster shocking a slot machine to get money.

"Trying to get easy money," Thunder Buster said smirking.

"But using your powers is cheating," Celestia said firmly, trying to get the bird to stop abusing his electrical abilities.

"If you don't say anything, I'll split the winnings with you," Thunder Buster said, trying to weasel out of the conversation.

"... Fine" Celestia said eventually, giving in to the offer.

Author's Note:

editing thanks to Espeon_in_the_Morning

with help from: CosmicAfro, http://www.fimfiction.net/group/50/the-writers-group/thread/67320/anyone-have-ideas#comment/2365329 and everyone else in this forum link.