The group entered the publishing company through the wide-open front door and were instantly trapped in a giant cage. The lights shut off, except for one dim one above the cage.
“Hahahaha,” a voice said from the shadows. The form of a pony walking around in circles around the cage could just barely be seen in the darkness.
“Hahahaha,” another voice said, also from the shadows. It was now clear that there were actually two ponies walking in circles around the cage.
“We knew you would come,” the first voice said.
“Just knew it,” the second voice said.
“Why did you trap us here?” Fluttershy asked.
“We thought it would be fun,” the voices said in unison. “Nah, just kidding. You’re the one hundredth customers to the New Manehattan Publishing Company!” The lights turned on, the cage opened and was pulled by machinery back up to the high ceiling, and it was now clear that the ponies who had trapped them were Flim and Flam.
“We’re book publishers now!” they said together.
“What?” Twilight said, confused.
“Flimmy McFlammerson…is us!” Flim and Flam said. “We wrote ‘What Are You Doing? Buy This Book Now!’ by Flimmy McFlammerson.”
“You did?” Rainbow Dash said. “So it was a scam!”
“What?’ Flim said, seeming genuinely shocked that Rainbow Dash would suggest such a thing.
“Well I never!” Flam said.
“We’re just a couple of innocent new authors trying to break into the big world of book publishing,” Flim said.
“It’s a big world out there,” Flam said.
“We bought the Manehattan Publishing Company for the name recognition,” Flim said. “And its bookstore connections.”
“And we started a store within the building itself! It’s even open late! That’s why the door is open!” Flam said. “So far, not many ponies have visited the store, so we thought we’d spread some publicity with that hundredth-customer stunt!”
“In retrospect, the cage might not have been such a good idea,” Flim said. “Sorry about that.”
“So…you’re meaning to tell us you’ve gone legit?” Applejack said.
“Of course!” Flim said.
“Your books were misprinted,” Twilight said angrily. “I bought a copy of ‘What Are You Doing? Buy This Book Now!’ by Flimmy McFlammerson and it just said ‘Sucker!’ on page three hundred eighty-seven and nothing else in the entire book.”
“Oh, yes, we know,” Flim said. “We got your call earlier. You didn’t recognize my voice on the phone?”
“We also got your second call,” Flam said. “Do you speak to your mother with that mouth?” Twilight blushed and shifted her front hoof in embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about it,” Flim said. “Here’s a new copy!” He tossed a copy of “What Are You Doing? Buy This Book Now!” by Flimmy McFlammerson to Twilight. “In fact, here are copies for all of you!” He tossed copies to the rest of the Mane Six.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said.
“Don’t mention it!” Flim said.
“Now good night!” Flam said. He suddenly rushed the Mane Six out of the publishing company / store and shut the door.
“Well, it was nice of them to give us all free copies of the book,” Rarity said. “Maybe they have changed.”
“I’m not buying it,” Twilight said. “I’m starting to think the books weren’t misprinted at all.” She opened her new copy of “What Are You Doing? Buy This Book Now!” by Flimmy McFlammerson. To her surprise, there was writing on every page this time. Every page said “Sucker!” She stared at the book in confusion for several long minutes.
Finally, she closed the book. “What?” she said, looking at the cover and tilting her head.
The rest of the Mane Six opened their copies, too. “Yep, it’s a scam,” Rainbow Dash said. “I knew it.”
Twilight turned the book over to read the blurb on the back. “Have you ever wanted to fool your friends with a fake book? Well, now’s your chance! Put this book on your coffee table and watch as they open the book to see nothing but ‘Sucker!’ Have fun!” There was a picture of Flim and Flam on the back as well.
“What?” Twilight said again. “That…that can’t be it.”
“So it’s…not a scam?” Rainbow Dash said. She flipped through the pages of her book and was more confused than ever. She had somehow never thought to read the back cover blurb either.
“I guess not…” Twilight said. Little did she know that she had been scammed. But she wouldn’t find that out until later.
“Well, let’s go back home, I guess,” Applejack said.
“I was thinking we might see if there’s anything playing on Manehattan Broadway first,” Rarity said. “You know, since we’re here, anyway.”