A Princess's Path

by Bluecatcinema

Las Pegasus Problems

Upon her return home, Anthem was delighted that Flurry had indeed managed to bring back a yak helmet for him. She had made sure it was the smallest one available, so as not to make it too difficult for Anthem to wear.

"Awesome!" Anthem grinned as he donned the helmet. Despite Flurry's best efforts, it was still a little big for him, slipping down over his eyes. "Thanks, sis!"

"You sure it's not too heavy?" Flurry asked. "I don't want you getting a crick in your neck, or something."

"Nah, it's okay." Anthem adjusted the helmet so he could see. "And really cool. You're the best, Flurry."

Anthem made to hug Flurry, but the helmet slid down over his eyes again, and he blindly stumbled into the wall.

"Ow!" He winced as he lifted the helmet again. "Okay, so it might take a little getting used to... but I'll probably grow into it. Again, great present, sis."

"You're welcome, squirt." Flurry tapped the helmet lightly with her hoof. "Just try not to smash anything while you're wearing that, 'kay?"

"Will do." Anthem nodded. As he made his way down the corridor, the helmet slid down, and he bumped into another wall. "Ow."

"If only he'd asked me for some of that vanilla oat cake..." Flurry rolled her eyes.

A week passed following Flurry and Moongleam's trip to Yakyakistan. It was mostly uneventful in the Crystal Empire. After several collisions, Anthem had the bright idea to improvise some padding for the inside of the helmet, ensuring it wouldn't slip down again.

"Pretty smart, huh?" He bragged as he showed off his innovation to Flurry and Moongleam (all three of them in the courtyard).

"Genius." Moongleam said drily.

"Smart thinking, little bro." Flurry nodded in approval.

"I am pretty smart, aren't I?" Anthem smirked.

"Looks like you've got some competition, Moongleam." Flurry joked.

"I'm quaking in my horseshoes." Moongleam rolled her eyes.

Shining and Cadance joined them moments later.

"Ah, there you are." Shining Armor smiled. "We've been looking for you, Flurry."

"Why, what's up?" Flurry asked.

"We have a new assignment for you." Cadance announced. "One we think you're both really going to like."

"Ooh, what is it?" Flurry smiled.

"Your next assignment will take you to Las Pegasus." Shining Armor announced.

"Las Pegasus?" Moongleam repeated. "The resort town?"

"The very same." Cadance nodded.

"Awesome!" Anthem grinned. "I've heard that place is all kinds of fun!"

"We're not being sent there to have fun." Flurry admonished her brother. "... Are we?" She asked her father hopefully.

"I'm afraid not." Shining Armor smiled indulgently. "But the assignment is a simple one. You just have to meet with the city council and confirm our trade agreement with Las Pegasus will be standing for another year."

"It shouldn't take too long." Cadance noted. "So you should have time to have a little fun after your assignment."

"I could use a little fun." Flurry grinned. "Right, Moongleam?"

"Just don't ask me to go on any rollercoasters." Moongleam declared. "You know I get motion sickness."

"I can fly, remember?" Flurry pointed out her wings. "So I won't need to go on one myself." She smiled warmly. "Besides, there's nothing I'd want to do without my best friend by my side."

"I know." Moongleam returned the smile. "But it's good to be reminded of the sentiment every so often."

"Barf." Anthem rolled his eyes. "You know the drill, big sis. Bring me back a present, 'kay?"

"I'll see what I can do." Flurry nodded.

"Great." Shining Armor nodded. "You'll be heading out there at the end of the week."

"Try not to have too much fun out there." Cadance joked.

"No promises." Flurry joked back.

A few days later, Flurry and Moongleam departed the Crystal Empire, taking the royal carriage south to their destination.

"There it is!" Flurry pointed, as they finally arrived.

Las Pegasus was something of a unique place within Equestria. It was primarily formed out of clouds, like Cloudsdale. But it had been furnished with multiple solid walkways and roads, allowing ponies other than Pegasi and Alicorns to travel there (which of course was to be expected, since a resort town such as Las Pegasus would want as many visitors as possible).

"That's quite a sight." Moongleam remarked, taking note of the many extravagant buildings, statues and resorts below. Most notably, a large water fountain.

"No kidding." Flurry nodded. "And look at all those ponies down there." She pointed at the large crowds excitedly moving from place to place, eager to enjoy the sights and attractions. "Talk about drawing a crowd."

They landed outside one of the least extravagant buildings, the building that housed the city council. Flurry and Moongleam disembarked, and entered.

"Hello." Flurry told the receptionist. "Princess Flurry Heart and Moongleam, here to see the council over the trade agreement with the Crystal Empire."

"Of course, your Highness." The receptionist, a light blue Pegasus mare with dark green eyes, lavender mane styled into a bun, and a Cutie Mark of a telephone nodded. "First door on the left. The council is expecting you."

"Thank you." Flurry smiled.

Flurry and Moongleam made their way to the door, where Flurry knocked.

"Come in." A voice inside urged.

Flurry entered through the door, finding a group of stallions wearing suits.

"Welcome, Princess Flurry." A red Unicorn sitting at the head of table nodded. "We've been expecting you."

"So I keep on hearing." Flurry joked. "Shall we get down to business?"

"We're ready whenever you are." The stallion nodded. "You and your companion may take your seats."

"Thank you." Moongleam smiled, happy to be acknowledged for once.

As Cadance had predicted, the meeting with the city council didn't last long at all. A few positive words, some contracts re-signed, and it was all over and done.

"That really was easy." Flurry declared as they exited the building.

"It certainly went smoother than our last assignment." Moongleam admitted.

"And now we have a few hours to have fun before we head home." Flurry smiled. "What say we take a look around, see what this place has to offer?"

"Sounds like a plan." Moongleam nodded. "Though this city has so much to offer. A few hours may not be enough..."

"Then let's not waste any time." Flurry urged. "Next stop: fun!"

For the next hour, Flurry and Moongleam took in the sights of Las Pegasus, which included outdoor shows, a zoo, and even a rooftop restaurant. As they took in the sights, Flurry couldn't help but notice that many ponies were glancing at her as she passed by.

'I guess I can't blame them.' Flurry thought. 'This place has a lot of sights, but a genuine Princess isn't one of them.'

Ultimately, the views of the crowd did little to diminish Flurry's enjoyment.

"This place really is fun." She said happily as she and Moongleam made their way out of a dance show.

"And we're not even a third of the way through all the attractions." Moongleam nodded. "Let's move on to the next venue, shall we?"

Their next stop was a fancy resort building made of ivory and gold. Inside, there were plenty of games, an indoor pond where guests rode paddle boats, and (according to a sign on the wall) a maze for customers to challenge their sense of direction.

"Pretty fancy." Flurry noted.

"Yes." Moongleam nodded. "Somepony spared no expense."

"Indeed they did!" A Minotaur with a black tie around his neck announced as he approached them.

"Hello." Flurry declared.

"I'm guessing you're the owner of this establishment?" Moongleam asked.

"You guess correctly." The minotaur nodded. "Iron Will's the name, and running this resort's my game!" He threw his hands out. "Welcome to The Golden Maze!" Iron Will turned in Flurry's direction. "Princess Flurry Heart. It is a pleasure for Iron Will to see you again!"

"...Have we met before?" Flurry frowned. "I don't recall..."

"Well, you were a lot younger at the time." Iron Will shrugged. "But we have indeed met before. Iron Will was in a different profession at the time, but Iron Will digresses. What Iron Will was no longer matters, only what Iron Will currently is: the proprietor of this marvelous resort!"

"Iron Will seems to enjoy referring to himself in the third person, I see." Moongleam deadpanned.

"Nothing wrong with a little self-advertisement, Iron Will always says." Iron Will shrugged. "Speaking of which, it is quite an honor to have royalty at Iron Will's humble resort. And clearly, your presence has already been noticed." He indicated the ponies glancing Flurry's way as they passed by.

"Yeah, that happens a lot." Flurry shrugged. "Kinda comes with the job."

"Well, having a princess in attendance at Iron Will's humble establishment would be very good for business." Iron Will mused. "Even more so if you were to provide The Golden Maze with your royal seal of approval."

"I don't know." Flurry said awkwardly. "I'm not really here to endorse anything. I'm just here to have fun with my friend here."

"Iron Will would be more than happy to make it worth your while." Iron Will grinned. "A royal discount, VIP passes for all the attractions... Anything you want, Iron Will can provide."

"That actually does sound like a good deal." Moongleam admitted.

"So, what do you say, young princess?" Iron Will asked. "Do we have a deal?"

"Well..." Flurry frowned. Despite Iron Will's extremely generous offer, Flurry felt a strange gut instinct deep within, one that was telling her Iron Will wasn't the most trustworthy Minotaur around. "It's a tempting offer, but I really don't feel right with the idea of using my royal status in such a way."

"Iron Will wouldn't say you'd be 'using' it exactly." Iron Will replied. "Think of it as helping a humble entrepreneur make his establishment a shining beacon of joy to other ponies."

"Thanks for the offer, but my answer has to be 'no'." Flurry insisted. "I'm a Princess, not a corporate sponsor. Come on, Moongleam, let's go somewhere else."

"Okay..." Moongleam nodded.

"Iron Will can respect your decision." Iron declared. "But let Iron Will know if you ever change your mind!"

"Sure." Flurry said flatly as she and Moongleam headed toward the exit.

"Are you alright, Flurry?" Moongleam asked. "I can understand your decision, but you seem a little... distressed."

"I can't explain it." Flurry admitted. "I've just got this feeling that making a deal with Iron Will would be a mistake. Don't ask me where it comes from."

"Well, he did say you met him once when you were younger." Moongleam pointed out. "Perhaps that meeting didn't go so well."

"I guess that would explain it." Flurry shrugged. "I still don't remember anything about him, though..."

"The subconscious can be a powerful thing." Moongleam declared. "It can store and recall information lost to our conscious mind with ease."

"I just wish it could recall exactly why trusting Iron Will doesn't seem to be a good idea." Flurry sighed.

"Don't dwell on it." Moongleam consoled her. "Like you said, we're here to have fun, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

"Right." Flurry nodded. "Thanks, Moony. I can always count on you to keep me on track."

"It's what I do." Moongleam said humbly.

As Flurry and Moongleam continued on their path, they came across another resort, one with large, golden doors opened wide. Outside were two pale yellow Unicorn stallions with red and white manes, striped blue and white shirts, straw hats, and Cutie Marks of sliced apples. One of the stallions had a red handlebar mustache.

"Come on, come all, to The Outstanding Oasis!" One of the stallions urged.

"Witness and be amazed at the spectacular shows within!" The second added.

"Play and marvel at the games!" The first stallion declared.

"Enjoy fine dining at our Equestria-famous buffet!" The second smiled.

"All this and more, courtesy of the Flim-Flam brothers!" They said together.

"And I thought Iron Will liked to advertise." Flurry rolled her eyes.

"Shall we take a closer look?" Moongleam suggested.

"Sure, why not?" Flurry nodded.

As they approached, the two stallions quickly took note of Flurry.

"Well now, look at this, brother." The first stallion declared.

"Indeed, brother." The second smiled. "Royalty at our humble resort."

"Hi." Flurry raised a hoof in greeting. "I'm Flurry Heart... but you probably already knew that."

"I am Flim." The first stallion announced.

"And I am Flam." The second added. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young Princess."

"And... company." Flim cast a glance at Moongleam.

"Hello." Moongleam nodded. "I'm Moongleam, Flurry's best friend."

"Well, aren't you lucky, young filly?" Flam smiled.

"Believe me, luck had nothing to do with it." Flurry chuckled.

"Please, come in." Flim offered.

"It would be a royal shame if you did not partake in our resort's many attractions." Flam smiled. "From our fantastic trapeze act to a performance from our resident performers, the Blue Stallion Group!"

"That sounds like fun." Flurry nodded.

"It certainly is." Flim nodded. "And if you happen to greatly enjoy most of all our wondrous attractions, feel free to let your fellow royals know what an entertaining place The Outstanding Oasis really is."

"No offense, but you can stop with the sales pitch." Flurry frowned. "I've already heard an offer like that once today from Iron Will-"

"With respect, don't get us started on Iron Will, your highness." Flam scowled.

"You have a problem with him?" Moongleam asked.

"We certainly do." Flim nodded. "That double-dealing Minotaur is nothing but a con artist!"

"He and his tourist trap of a resort bring nothing but shame to respectable businessponies such as ourselves." Flam added.

"I knew there was something off about him." Flurry mused. "Guess that was it..."

"Your instinct serve you well, Princess Flurry." Flim smiled. "Rest assured, you'll see none of that here. Our resort is of the highest quality. Nopony need fear being ripped off off here!"

"Indubitably, dear brother." Flam nodded.

"That's good to know." Moongleam declared. "Guess we avoided trouble there, thanks to you, Flurry."

"At least we don't have to worry about any trouble here." Flurry noted.

"Of course you don't." Flim smiled.

"The only thing you need to worry about is having too much fun!" Flam joked.

"We'll try to watch out for that." Moongleam joked.

As Flurry and Moongleam entered the resort, they looked around, spotting an indoor roller coaster, and arcade, and a large statue in the centre of the room. It was a golden image of Flim and Flam, posed as if to welcome all the resort's visitors.

"What should we try first?" Flurry asked.

"How about the trapeze show?" Moongleam suggested.

"Sure, let's go!" Flurry nodded.

Flurry and Moongleam found seats in front of the stage, and marveled alongside dozens of other patrons as the Earth Pony acrobats swung through the air, their glittering costumes adding to the spectacle.

"It's like they're flying without wings." Moongleam smiled.

"Amazing." Flurry gazed in awe.

After the show, Flurry and Moongleam made their way to the arcade.

"Hey, look!" Flurry pointed to one of the games, a treadmill like device with numerous arrows printed on it in different positions. "Prance Prance Revolution! I love this game! I'm so gonna beat that high score..."

Flurry placed a Bit in the machine, which started up the treadmill. She began to dance, planting her hooves on the arrows as they passed by; magic placed in the treadmill detected her successful moments, and the score started climbing upwards.

"You go, Flurry!" Moongleam cheered. "As for me, I'm going to try something a little more my speed..."

Moongleam made her way to another game. The object was to throw rubber balls at the targets. The game was equipped with a magic sensor, to prevent Unicorns from using their magic to simply float the ball over to the target. This did not deter Moongleam, who picked up one of the rubber spheres and took careful aim.

"Here we go..." She aimed for the highest, most valuable target, and threw.

The ball missed the target by a few inches.

"If at first you don't succeed..." Moongleam tried again.

Her next shot missed, but not as much.

"Third time's the charm." She whispered.

Moongleam's third and final shot was true. But instead of knocking down the target, the ball simply bounced off it.

"What the-?!" Moongleam frowned. "I hit it dead on!"

"What's wrong, Moony?" Flurry approached. She had indeed gotten the high score, and had a ream of tickets to prove it.

"There's something wrong with this game." Moongleam declared. "I hit that target centre, but it didn't go down."

"Maybe it's stuck or something." Flurry mused. After paying a Bit for three more balls, she picked one up and took aim. "Nothing a little Alicorn strength can't fix..."

Flurry threw the ball at the target. It was a perfect hit, but the target remained unmoved.

"Weird." She frowned. Taking another ball, she threw it at one of the lowest targets, which yielded to her strike. Then she threw the third at the second highest target, which was just as immovable as the highest one. "Okay, this is a little off."

"Maybe we should report this in." Moongleam scowled. "This machine is clearly faulty."

"Guess so." Flurry shrugged. "How about lunch? All that dancing really worked up an appetite."

"I definitely need something to wash the bad taste of my mouth..." Moongleam muttered.

As they made their way out of the arcade, they noticed other patrons with similar complaints.

"This thing can't hold onto anything!" One colt complaint as he played a claw machine.

As they watched, Flurry and Moongleam saw the claw grab onto a Royal Guard action figure, only to drop it.

Nearby, one Unicorn stallion was playing ring toss. He threw a ring towards one of the higher posts, but, though it reached its target, the ring didn't fit over it, and slid off.

"You gotta be kidding me!" The stallion groaned.

"Welcome to my world, pal." A Pegasus stallion declared. "You can never get the rings over any of the good stuff..."

Flurry and Moongleam shared identical worried looks.

After redeeming the tickets she'd won from Prance Prance Revolution (using them to get a yo-yo for Anthem) Flurry joined Moongleam in getting some lunch from the buffet. They sat at a corner table, discussing what they had just seen.

"Either there are a lot of defective games in that arcade, or the Flim-Flam were lying about nopony having to fear being ripped off here." Moongleam surmised.

"It's starting to look that way, isn't it?" Flurry frowned as she picked at her food. "And they seemed so nice, too..." She jabbed a fork into a piece of broccoli. "But they're just a couple of con artists!"

"If the Flim-Flam Brothers are con artists, then what does that make Iron Will?" Moongleam scoffed.

"That's a good point." Flurry realized. "One that may bear investigation..."

After finishing their food, Flurry and Moongleam quickly made their way back to The Golden Maze.

"Hello again, young Princess!" Iron Will smiled at Flurry's return. "Does this mean you've reconsidered Iron Will's offer?"

"Not exactly." Flurry answered. "But I figure there's no harm in seeing what this place has to offer."

"Of course." Iron Will nodded. "Go right in, your highness."

"Thank you." Flurry nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" Moongleam whispered.

"We check the place out." Flurry whispered back. "If any of the attractions here rip ponies off as much as the games over in The Outstanding Oasis."

"Got it." Moongleam nodded. "I've had my eye on that maze since we first arrived here..."

The two split up and looked around, taking in as many of the games and attractions as they could. Soon after, the regrouped.

"Well, the maze isn't rigged." Moongleam admitted. "It was slightly more challenging than I imagined, but I managed to get through to the end."

"The paddle boats were the same." Flurry nodded. "But the games here are just as crooked as the ones at The Outstanding Oasis."

"So all the major attractions are legitimate, but the smaller stuff are rip-offs." Moongleam mused. "Quite clever, when you think about it. Despicible, but clever. So, what do you suggest we do now?"

"i'm thinking we need to have a little chat with our... gracious hosts." Flurry declared.

Moments later, Flurry approached Iron Will.

"Hello again, Princess Flurry." Iron Will declared. "I trust you enjoyed yourself?"

"I really did." Flurry nodded. "In fact, I may be willing to reconsider my decision not to endorse your resort."

"Oh, really?" Iron Will smiled hopefully. "So, you would be willing to put your royal seal of approval on The Golden Maze?"

"I might." Flurry nodded. "But I'd prefer to talk about the matter somewhere more... private."

"No problem." iron Will nodded. "Iron Will would be happy to discuss our deal in his office."

"Actually, I could use some air." Flurry announced. "How about we talk about this by the fountain outside?"

"Well, it's not much of a walk." Iron Will shrugged. "Very well. Iron Will agrees."

"Great." Flurry grinned. 'Phase one: complete.' She thought.

Flurry walked side-by-side with Iron Will as they traveled to the fountain. To Iron Will's surprise, Flim and Flam were also there, having been led there by Moongleam (under the same pretenses).

"What are you two snake oil salesponies doing here?" Iron Will scowled.

"We could ask you the same question, you horn-headed hustler!" Flim shot back.

"Iron Will is here to talk with Princess Flurry Heart regarding her patronizing his resort." Iron Will declared.

"That's what we're here to discuss with her!" Flam retorted. "At least, that's her friend here told us."

"Sorry, fellows, but you've been had." Moongleam smirked.

"Then why did you bring us here?" Iron Will asked.

"I brought you all here to let you know that I'm aware of the rip-off tactics you've been employing in your resorts." Flurry scowled.

"Iron Will would never do such a thing!" Iron Will gasped theatrically.

"Such slander!" Flim remarked.

"We are respectable businessponies!" Flam added.

"Save it." Moongleam spat. "We've seen your rigged games with our own eyes."

"So here's the deal: either you put an end to all these scams, or we'll let the authorities know what kind of double-dealing con artists you all really are." Flurry declared.

"You can either play it safe, or risk everything." Moongleam added. "Think any of you can handle a gamble like that?"

"It appears fate has dealt us a bad hoof, brother." Flim sighed.

"Indubitably, brother of mine." Flam agreed. "Well played, young fillies."

"It seems Iron Will has no choice." Iron Will sighed. "And Iron Will is getting too old to start looking for another new career..."

"Good choice." Flurry grinned triumphantly. "And just to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow, I think I'll use those royal connections you were hoping to take advantage of to send somepony to inspect your resorts every so often. Any objections?"

Flim, Flam and Iron Will were dismayed, but said nothing.

"Good." Flurry smirked. "Pleasure doing business with you. Good day."

"You sure sured them, Flurry." Moongleam chuckled as they walked away.

"It was oddly satisfying." Flurry admitted.

"You think those three really will stay on the straight and narrow from now on?" Moongleam asked.

"As much as I'd like to hope so, I doubt it." Flurry sighed. "But at least they'll have to watch their step from now on..."

"In the meantime, how about a victory snack?" Moongleam offered. "Like... ice cream."

"Just try and stop me." Flurry chuckled.

Flurry and Moongleam departed from Las Pegasus shortly after, a day of important business, fun, and righting wrongs behind them.

Comments

[HolyCross9]

Another wonderful chapter, Blue. Well done!

[Da Fennec]

Little surprised at Iron Will ripping people off. Flim and Flam no surprise there i wouldnt trust those two further than I could throw them