//------------------------------// // Flim, Flam and the Flush-o-Matic (Flim Flam Brothers) // Story: Potty Training Tales // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Flim and Flam were certainly not strangers when it came to inventions that others wouldn’t have bothered with. They took pride in their ability to have built a working cider pressing machine, among other things. It wasn’t their fault that after their demonstration in Ponyville, no one wanted anything they were selling. Besides, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 had been just a prototype that was due for an upgrade. Unfortunately, that was going to be very costly and the twin unicorns found themselves suddenly short on bits to buy the parts they needed. Fortunately, there came an easy solution in the minds of them both. “Imagine if you had a toilet that you didn’t have to flush all the time, it would do it for you.” Flim proposed one day. Flam smiled. “Oh yes, I like the way you think, brother of mine! A toilet with a built in, automatic flush would sell like crazy! Just think of how much time one could save if they didn’t need to bother with flushing. And if we built in a toilet paper roll, one could easily save time on wiping too.” Flim grinned. “Splendid idea, brother! Simply splendid! This’ll be just the thing to get us back in business!” And the two unicorns soon began to draw up their detailed plans for what they were convinced was the toilet of the future. It took a lot of planning and salvaging from scrap yards, but the brothers eventually managed to bring their project to life. The self-flushing toilet seemed to resemble an ordinary, modern day throne style toilet but with one exception: There was no handle or pull chain attached to the tank. There wasn’t even a button. In fact, where the handle was supposed to be instead rested a box that housed rolls of toilet paper. The brothers couldn’t resist putting their own logo on this toilet, especially since they had taken to calling it “The Flim Flam Brothers Flush-O-Matic 9000” for the sake of marketing and patenting. And with a little bit of effort they managed to get it hooked up to a sewer system for testing purposes. All that remained now was to make sure the auto flush would work as intended. A small sensor had been placed on the toilet seat that was tied to another sensor at the bottom of the bowl. When both sensors gave a green light the auto flush was intended to kick in and take everything in the bowl away. “Well, brother, how shall we test this glorious new contraption of ours?” Flim pondered upon eying the toilet set out in the middle of nowhere. “There’s not room for both of us on the seat.” Flam pondered too. “Good point, brother of mine. I suppose one of us will have to test it the way you can really test a toilet.” “But, I already went this morning.” Flim protested. Flam protested back. “So did I, because I thought you were going to be the test subject.” Flim groaned. “I thought you would test it since this was my idea!” Flam adjusted his mustache. “Well, I got all the parts needed to build it!” Fortunately, the brothers soon settled on a compromise. “We’ll just flip a coin for it,” Flim proposed as he pulled out a bit and held it in his magic. “Heads I win! Tails you win! And no take backs!” “Fine!” Flam agreed as he tossed the coin up into the air and then let it fall. Both brothers examined the coin carefully. Flam started to smirk. “Well, dear brother, it looks like you lose. So go ahead, do the honors.” Reluctantly, Flim scrambled onto the seat of the experimental toilet and sat down. “You can look away now, brother. What matters is if the flush works after the toilet’s been used.” Flam nodded and turned his head. “Quite right. Now go on, do whatever you have to do.” Flim eventually managed to relieve himself, kind of embarrassed at the prospect of doing it. He then used one of the toilet paper rolls to wipe up, depositing the used roles into the bowl. Then the unicorn stallion slowly rose from the seat. This was it! However, nothing happened, the toilet didn’t flush like it was supposed to. Flim was quite frustrated. “Oh great!” “You clogged up another toilet, brother?” Flam teased without turning his head. “And you said that we wouldn’t need a plunger. Guess it’s a good thing I thought ahead and brought one anyway.” Flim had to fight back the urge to growl at his brother over such a teasing remark. “You’re the one who was always making our toilet clog up back home, all because you kept trying to figure out how to make it better!” He thought to himself as he reluctantly retrieved a well worn plunger that had seen better days. “There’s no way this thing would’ve clogged up if we[’d built it the way I suggested we build it. Is it any wonder I was potty trained first?” The plunger was soon deposited into the bowl as Flim stood by, plunging up and down in a circular motion. This was not something he’d ever gotten used to while living with his brother. “What’s the hold up, brother of mine?” Flam teased anew. “Having troubles? Perhaps you need to start watching your diet.” Flim ignored the comment and kept on plunging. “Come on! Come on! Work, you stupid contraption!” He thought to himself while frowning at the toilet bowl. Eventually, with a mighty push down from the plunger, Flim felt his efforts be rewarded as there was a faint click! The toilet suddenly roared to life! “Ha-ha! At last!” Flim proudly declared! “Must’ve been a delayed reaction, brother. We’ll have to see about fixing that for the sales pitch, can’t have a toilet that won’t flush.” Yet as Flam turned around and prepared to help his brother conduct an inspection into the delayed flush trigger, something unexpected and quite frightening happened! The toilet wouldn’t stop flushing, not even after everything it was supposed to take with it had gone down the drain! Flim tried to yank the plunger out of the bowl, but for some reason it wouldn’t budge as the toilet seemed to be trying to pull it down. “Brother, some assistance, please!” He frantically called! Flam trotted over and held onto his brother as they pulled together, trying to free the plunger from the relentless, neverending flush! But it wouldn’t budge. In fact, the plunger seemed to be pulling both brothers closer to the bowl as it was starting to be swept up in the surging, draining waters. Before they could react, they were suddenly thrown back as the plunger disappeared down the drain! “I… I can’t believe it! It took the whole plunger!” Flam gasped in dismay, while his brother was so traumatized he started to rock back and forth. They now realized they had just created a porcelain monster!