Appledashery

by Just Essay

When In Roam

An elevator door opened and two sassy pegasi with pastel colored manes trotted across the casino lobby. "And so I told him: 'Don't matter if you were drunk at the time. You ate the placenta. That's commitment! Now pay my damn child support!'"

Rainbow Dash tried her best not to cringe. She flapped her wings so as not to collapse on bent knees. She looked behind her at the two mares, their flanks swishing in unison as they carried their zebra-striped purses out into the coutyard beyond the revolving doors. "Uhm..." Clearing her throat, Rainbow Dash looked ahead. "Tell me again why we didn't settle on gambling and jazz back at Mortuana?"

"Pffft! Are you kidding?!" Lyra trotted backwards for a brief moment. "Rule Number One of Having Even a Snowflake's Chance in Tartarus of Winning Some Cash Here In Las Pegasus!" She winked. "Don't do your gambling at the same hotel you're sleeping at. Cuz if by the astronomical off-chance you do make a bunch of bits, you don't want to make it easy for any would-be-muggers to follow you back to your room and slit your throat in your sleep."

"This mare speaks the truth," Vinyl droned.

"Uh huh..." Rainbow Dash glanced past marble columns, spotting row after row of poker, blackjack, and other card dealing games that she only knew from the occasional comic book crime drama she read when she was bored as a filly. The air rang with electronic symphonics issuing outward from a virtual sea of slot machines, which clashed hideously with the classical Cloudsopolitan architecture and Commander Hurricane statues looming all around. "Soooooooo why do you girls think this is such an enjoyable thing?"

"Well, think of it this way, Rainbow..." Bon Bon spoke with a smile. "None of us have a true statistical likelihood of getting rich."

"And even if we do, the Equestrian Revenue Service is a real female dog, if you know what I mean," Vinyl said.

"I know you do, sunshine," Lyra said, swatting Vinyl's shoulder.

Vinyl sighed.

"But having even the smallest glimpse of a mountain of golden bits—even in passing—well..." Bon Bon giggled inwardly. "It's almost like being rich yourself!" The corner of her smile twitched slightly. "Almost!"

"Yes!" Caramel grinned. "Just like nuzzling a glass slipper for even five seconds almost makes you a princess!"

Dead silence.

"No? Just me?" Caramel rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm off to check out the shops."

"You're doing it wrong!" Lyra cupped her hooves around her muzzle, shouting after him. "You're supposed to get rich... then splurge! Not the other way around, ya melon fudge!"

"Eat a bag of parasprites, Lyra!"

"Hah!" Lyra slapped her hooves together and spun around. "I'm jazzed! Are you jazzed, B-Squared?"

"I'm jazzed if you are, Lyra!" Bon Bon grinned from ear to ear.

"So how about a round through Deep Pocket Lane?" Lyra offered a forelimb.

Bon Bon hooked it with hers. "Squee!"

And both mares trotted stupidly down the middle lane.

Rainbow watched as they approached one of many, many tables. Not long after, a pale unicorn shuffled up in the mare's peripheral.

"So, then..." Vinyl calmly slicked her bangs back. "What insanely complicated cardgame requiring quick wits and expert fetlock dexterity would you like to participate in?"

"Uhhhhhm..." Rainbow Dash blinked at all the tables and dealers and overseeing cameras. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades flipped across a glittery gold sea. "Ermmmmmmmm..." She flexed her numb forelimbs, grimacing. "Ehhhhh..."

"Well?" Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

Rainbow cleared her throat. "I know just the thing."

---

Rainbow Dash strolled up to a bar.

"One cider." She held up a hoof as she sat at the stool, her back to a stage where ponies danced before a live audience. "Frothy. Make it tall." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "This is going to be a long evening."

"Hmmmm..." Vinyl sat down beside her, gesturing for an identical drink. "I'm inclined to agree."

Comments

[Hestia]

Dash . . . just tell Vinyl already. The whole truth. You're just going to go around in circles at this rate.

[Phoenix Kitten]

And then when a bitless Lyrabon trots up to you later all dejected, you can tell them, at least you spent your bits on something you can use.

[DrEggnog]

"One cider."

I laughed. That was a goodie.

[Salad king]

7114877 unless I'm mistaken, that's what she's about to do.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Cider is my favorite alcoholic beverage, too. But once in a while I do crave sangria.

[Sonikah]

Rainbow travels across the country to do the same thing she does every week.

Drink.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Expert fetlock dexterity, huh. Vinyl's savage. I like it. Someone needs to be if we ever want Rainbow to get the help she needs.

[zaponator]

Everything's gonna go to hell in a handbasket soon enough, but I hope that by the end of all this, if nothing else, Lyra and Bon Bon finally hook up.