//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Asking for Trouble // Story: Second Chances // by Nailah //------------------------------// The sun was shining brightly when Flim awoke for the day with a slight yawn, as he stretched out his hooves. He stood up and got himself ready for another day, he wasn't about to let Flam get to him. He could try all he wanted to convince him to come back, but he was starting to learn that a real friend wouldn't have let him go in the first place. Flim wanted Flam to see that just maybe Applejack and the others had the right of things. Flim also knew that if he had just trusted Flam's words he might have just betrayed him all over again and he wasn't about to take that chance, not when he had a second chance for himself here in Ponyville to change his life, change himself and maybe even find a happiness he had never known. He wanted love. Flim walked into Ponyville and noticed that Maud was closing up her rock stand. He couldn't help but wonder why she was deciding to do so after his success with getting ponies of all kinds to actually care about rocks. “Hey Maud, might I ask why you've decided to pack up your rock stand?” questioned Flim. Maud turned to look towards him as she had been preoccupied with packing her things up. “Well you see I have other places I want to go to further study the various varieties of rocks and their histories. Did you know that people often mistake granite and rock salt?” questioned Maud Pie towards him. Flim didn't know a lot about rocks but even he knew the difference between Granite and rock salt. “Well, they can be easily mistaken, it all depends on the shape and weight of the rock.” replied Flim. “Sorry, seems you will have to find a new job. Goodbye.” replied Maud Pie with a simple wave towards Flim as she began hauling her cart behind her, and just like that she was on her way. “No need to apologize my dear pony, this is just the opportunity I need. It's a chance to really show just what I can do in this town.” smiled Flim with a positive outlook and a certain shine to his self esteem. He was fully confident he could find another job in no time at all, after all this town could really use his help. It was just the little quaint town with no problems, well most of the time, and he had to figure out how to really SHOW them that. He stroked his chin as he thought about what he could do for the town, and if there was any pony that could help him, he knew it had to be someone from the town. And whom better to ask then the very pony he was falling in love with. He'd ask Fluttershy, but now he had told her he could do this and if he really wanted to show he was a changed man, he had to show her he could stand on his own four hooves without having to lean on her. The only thing he worried about was Flam. If he knew his brother and no one quite knew Flam like he did, he was probably plotting something against him at this very moment and he couldn't waste another precious second of his time. He would have to make a name for himself and he would have to do it quickly if he wanted to survive in this town. He couldn't fail, and he swore for his sake and for every pony he wasn't going to let his brother win, not this time. For the first time his life he had a purpose more than he had ever known before. Fluttershy...if not for her kindness where would he be? On the streets alone with no pony and no one to even listen to what he had to say, but she had been willing to open her home to him without even a second glance. She was the reason he had gotten this far and he wasn't about to let her down now, not when he had come to care for her. Flim scanned the town for any signs of his no good brother but he was nowhere to be found. If he wanted to find his brother he had to think like his brother but whatever he was up too, he knew it wasn't good. He decided not to worry about it for the moment and focus on his side of things, but at the same time the nagging feeling at his neck just wouldn't go away, and he had this itch that something bad was going to happen if he didn't find out Flam's plans but if he didn't find a job he wouldn't survive in this town and he refused to rely on Fluttershy's aid forever. *******8 “What the hay are YOU doing here? I thought it was bad enough with one of ya around and now you show up on my land?” questioned Applejack rearing with anger but she had to keep herself from doing anything rash as of yet he hadn't actually done anything that she could use against him. She knew Flim showing up was a bad sign, and it was just asking for trouble with both of them here. “Why Applejack I'm appalled that you would think in such a way. Why ever would I want to harm you? I mean you and your friend did help my brother and me out at Las Pegasus. I'm merely here to take my brother home, we had a fight, he ran out in a huff and now I've come all the way here to bring him home with me. I promise you once I find my brother, we'll be out of your mane in no time at all.” smiled Flim with that sly all too familiar grin of his. Applejack just raised an eyebrow at this and starred right back at Flam with that look in her eyes. “Why in the heck would I trust the world of a lying, conceiving snake like you.” questioned Applejack as she bumped muzzle to muzzle with him maintaining eye contact so that he was sure she knew she had the advantage in this little exchange and she wasn't about to be swindled so easily. No way not after everything they had done. She wasn't about to trust either of them, heck she still didn't trust Flim let alone Flam. She knew she had to find out why he was really here. “I realize we haven't let the best impression on you my dear Applejack but really we've changed. We aren't trying to deceive any pony and we're making quite a name for ourselves.” smiled Flam. “You realize no matter what story you come up with, I'm still not going to believe one little word of any of it. But what I do believe is that you and your brother are nothing but trouble and I want you BOTH to leave!” replied Applejack as she turned on her heels and walked away from Flam not even bothering to see what he said. Flam just sighed after she walked off, it seems his plan to use Applejack against his brother wasn't working out as well as he planned, but she had said one thing that would help him. She didn't trust either of them. If he convinced the townponies themselves that they couldn't trust Flim, Flim would have no choice but to leave town and come with him. No one had to know that they shouldn't trust him either, he had a wicked grin prose upon his muzzle. *******8 “Hello Flim it's good to see you again, I heard that Maud packed up her rock stand. What are you going to do for a job now?” questioned Fluttershy as she was out about in the town gathering medicine for one of her sick animals, the poor little thing had a fever and she had to hurry to get the medicine and get back quickly, but she could at least see how Flim was doing before she headed on home. She was worried about him, worried he might rely on her for everything and even she couldn't support him like she had wanted too. She could help but that's all she could really offer. “Oh don't you worry your little heart now Fluttershy, I'm going to make a name for myself in this town and I found the perfect place to work, for Sofas and Quills, I'm going to market their projects all across Equestria. Of course it would be even easier to do so with an eye in the sky, think you would mind hanging some banners up in the clouds?” asked Flim with a soft smile and a bat of his eyes. He knew this would work, Fluttershy knew he needed help. “Oh I suppose I could do that, but I can't do it right now. I really need to get home to my poor bird, she came down with a horrible flu!” replied Fluttershy. “Well then you need to get home right away. Don't worry about me for now I've got a pretty good handle of things. Plus I got to sign some forms for the owner of the shop here. Go on, go to your animals, they need you more than I do.” replied Flim as he pushed her back in the direction of her cottage. Fluttershy couldn't help but see that there really was a change with Flim, before he had only cared about money and now he was starting to care for her, and even wanting to show care for her animals that he didn't even have to care about but was still willing to try. She knew there was good in every pony, even a pony like him. She only hoped she could get the rest of the town to see it that way, especially Applejack. She knew how much Applejack had lost because of the Flim Flam brothers but Flim was trying to change himself for the better of others, he was finally seeing the right of things, and Fluttershy wasn't about to give up on him, just as she knew her friends would never give up on her. It was her turn to be the support to someone else's journey. She hurried on home to her sick animal and went to tend to it but by the time she got there Flam was standing by the door of her cottage. She wasn't one to immediately jump to conclusions but she had this nagging feeling in the back of her head. “Flam? What are you doing here?” questioned Fluttershy, wanting to tend to her animal but he was kind of blocking her way into her cottage and she could hear Angel inside pounding against the door, Flam must have it blocked she thought horrified. “Fluttershy, it's so good to see you again, I wanted to thank you for helping me and my brother out back at Las Pegasus, without your help we would've been fighting forever, and you and Applejack reunited us as a team, but my brother and I, we had another fight and well he went off in a huff, and I've come to get him back, but I'm afraid he doesn't see my side of the story and won't listen to a word I say. I was hoping maybe you could get him to once again reunite with his brother. All I want is to be a family again.” smiled Flam with that same sly conceiving smile that said he was up to no good and not a word out of his muzzle was truthful. “Listen Flam, I'm sure it's very important to Flim too that you two get back together as brothers but I need to tend to my animals and currently you are keeping me from them.” spoke Fluttershy. “Well there's a very simple reason for this, I'm not about to leave until Flim comes with me of his own free will, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes, even if I have to use a sick animal to do so.” smiled Flam. “You heartless monster!” spoke Fluttershy as she hurried to fly past him as quick as her wings would carry her, crashing through the door and landing right on top of Angel. She probably had splinters in her hooves but she didn't care, she went right to her sick animal to begin treatment for it. She was so preoccupied that she had no idea what Flam was doing. Flam used his magic to seal the door and keep Fluttershy and her animals from getting out. Perhaps he could use Fluttershy's kindness to his advantage and finally give his brother a reason to come back with him, Fluttershy's freedom. “Hey who locked the door? Flam what are you doing?” questioned Fluttershy confused as she couldn't budge the door an inch. “I'm doing what I should've done from the start. Using the kindness and love of this town and these ponies to TAKE what's mine back with me. Flim will be with me once more whether he likes it or not!” with that Flam left Fluttershy to her cottage it wasn't like she could go much anywhere without getting through her front door. Fluttershy looked towards Angel who had this little smile grow on his lips as he rubbed his paws together. He looked around and began to think, he knew his owner wouldn't think like he did so he quickly went to gather tools for making a door and showing them to her and even instructing birds to come through the small window. Angel wasn't about to let just some pony control his friend. “Oh Angel! This is so wonderful. This won't be easy though are you sure you can all do it?” she asked and of course Angel nodded in response. Fluttershy got out of her cottage, but she knew she couldn't waste time, she had to warn the others. She hurried on over to Applejack's. She knew she had to tell Flim about his brother before things got out of hoof. Fluttershy just hoped they weren't already too late.