Another town, another chance.
Another angry town, yet another ruined chance that is. Why could things never go right?
Trixie sighed deeply as she magically pushed along the small cart which she called home. Inside were all of her possessions, which by now amounted to little more than her stage outfit, a meager supply of performance props, and a ever-dwindling amount of bits. Becoming a showmare seemed like such a perfect idea at first, but she had met nothing but failure since the beginning. If things continued like they were, she would soon only have one option. She would have to do that.
No. No, she wouldn't do that. She couldn't. That was out of the question. Things would start looking up. She'd been having the most rotten luck for such a long time, so surely good fortune was right around the corner, right? Yes, it had to be. Any day now opportunity would knock at her wagon.
Suddenly a series of ear-splitting sounds filled the air, the screeching breaks followed by smashing and splintering of wood.
Or perhaps opportunity could crash at her wagon. That might work too. Wait a minute, crash?
Trixie stole her mind away from its pondering and refocused back on the road before her. A large red vehicle bearing some resemblance to a train was stopped right in front of her, but what caught Trixie's attention was the status of her cart. The front had been crashed into somewhat before the vehicle could stop, destroying the front wheels and wall. The contents inside would be easily salvageable, but the cart was ruined and would have to be replaced. Again. This was the third time since starting off. The first of course being the incident with the Ursa Minor in Ponyville, the second being a certain occurrence that Trixie vowed to never think of again, and now this. If she had to buy another cart, that would be the last of her bits!
She looked back up at the strange vehicle that had crashed into her. Surely this would be a reasonable pony that would be willing to cover the damages. And if he or she wasn't reasonable, then perhaps Trixie would just make them cover the damages. She stomped over to the side of the vehicle, putting on her fiercest scowl to show whatever bumbling idiot hit her that she meant business. However, upon facing the pony, or ponies as it were, she hesitated just long enough to give one of them the first word.
“Well lookie what we've got here brother of mine!” one said to the other. It wasn't hard to believe they were brothers; the cream colored, red and white maned unicorns would be interchangeable if not for the one's mustache and their cutie marks being somewhat different. The mustached one had an almost complete apple, missing just one slice. It seemed however that the missing slice was the cutie mark of the clean shaven brother.
“It seems we've hit us a hot headed unicorn, judging by the look on her face,” replied the other brother, the mustached stallion. “Why so serious looking there, young filly?” he called down to Trixie.
“I am not a filly you dunderhead, I'm a fully grown mare!” Trixie quipped back without missing a beat. “And I'm looking serious because you've just crashed into my cart!”
The mustached brother got up from his seat to take a look at the wreckage which had been Trixie's cart. “Oh my, our dearest apologies” he said, returning to his seat.
“It seems we were in a bit of a rush and failed to watch the road,” The clean shaven one explained. “Of course a grown mare of your assured worldliness understands such a situation.”
“Unless you've been run out of a town, I can't relate,” Trixie scoffed. One brother looked to the other with a knowing look in his eyes.
“Why, isn't that just something Flim?” he said. The brother then turned back to Trixie. “Such a chance coincidence it is that what you've described quite exactly fits our current predicament. Tell me my good mare, what might your name be?”
“Wait, you were run out of—” Trixie began before realizing that the mustached brother had already changed the subject. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, who are you simpletons?”
“He's Flim,” the mustached one gestured to his brother.
“And he's Flam!” Flim gestured right back. “And we're—”
“The world famous Flim Flam Brothers!” they both said in perfect unison.
“So, the Great and Powerful Trixie, eh?” Flam asked before Trixie could comment. “A great and powerful name for a great and powerful unicorn, I assume?”
“Of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most magnificent, magical mare in all of Equestria!” Trixie boasted.
Flim let his eyes flare wide for just a moment before grinning and turning to his brother. “Well Flam, either we've found somepony escaped from Baltimare Asylum, or this here's a showmare!”
“By golly I think you're right Flim!” Flam replied while giving Trixie a scrutinizing eye. “Just look at that stance, that posture, that presence! She's got the makings of one of the greats! Reminds me of a young Showstopper herself!”
Trixie was taken aback. She of course realized she was amazing, but to be compared to Showstopper, the greatest performer Hoofway had ever known, now that was something. “Well, I don't know about that...”
“Now now, don't be modest!” Flim told her. “Really, modesty doesn't suit you at all.”
“A mare who boasts such confidence ought to stay true to the act!” Flam agreed.
“Trixie supposes you're correct." Trixie's expression suddenly flared as realization swept over her. "Hey wait a minute!” she shouted. “Why is Trixie even discussing this with you? You need to pay for my cart! You've completely destroyed it!”
“Completely destroyed?” repeated Flim, placing a hoof to his chest and adorning a shocked expression. “Well I don't know about that, let's give it a look.” The two brothers got up simultaneously to look at the cart. When they spotted it, they traded bleak grimaces.
“Yes, it does seem like quite a bit of a breakage you've got there,” Flam confirmed.
“A real ruin,” Flim spoke.
“A dear disaster.”
“A—”
“Trixie does not care what you want to call it!” Trixie shouted. “The point is that you're to blame for this... this...”
“Worrisome wreck?” Flim offered.
“Whatever! It's your fault, so you need to pay for it!”
Flim chuckled nervously and turned to Flam, on whom a smug smile was forming. “Now wait just a moment there, Great and Powerful Trixie. You say this is our fault?” he said.
“Yes, of course!” Trixie retorted, giving Flam an impetuous look.
“Well I'm not so sure either, Flam,” spoke Flim, picking up on his brothers intentions. “I mean after all, one could say you were not watching the road either, considering you didn't try to get out of our way.”
“And before you say so,” Flam quickly added, “understand that we may of incurred some damages as well!”
“What?” Trixie could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Damages? How could my cart damage that monster of a machine you're riding in?”
“Well, it's certainly true that the mechanism itself is probably unharmed,” said Flim.
“But your cart's wreckage has probably scratched up the pilot! We can't have that!” Flam finished.
“So? The machine itself is fine, what do you care if the pilot has some scratches?!” Trixie was now growing very, very annoyed at these annoying unicorns and the annoying way they finished each others annoying sentences.
“Well, as we said before, we Flim Flam brothers are world famous! Traveling salesponies, nonpareil!” Flam declared. Trixie however had made up boasts enough times to recognize somepony fudging the truth when she saw it.
“You're full of it,” Trixie cracked.
“Seems to me like the pot calling the kettle black, oh Great and Powerful Trixie.” Flim shot right back. “But regardless of our actual fame, we are indeed traveling salesponies.”
“And a showmare of your stature surely knows the importance of proper presentation.” spoke Flam. Trixie groaned. Even if their point was stupid, they probably wouldn't give it up.
“Now then,” Flam continued, grinning slyly as he went, “we don't want to be unreasonable here. Since it seems we've both incurred damages, let's do the proper thing and agree to both handle our own debts. Sounds fair, yes?”
Trixie's eyes grew wide. These irritating brothers had backed her into a corner conversation-wise. Trixie may have been great and powerful when it came to magic, but perhaps these ponies really were nonpareil when it came to conversation. In truth, what they had said made some sense. But she couldn't pay; paying meant being flat broke, and that only left one, unthinkable option.
“N-no! That's not fair! I won't pay for damages you caused!” Trixie shouted, trying her best to hide her desperation. The look on Flim's face however suggested her attempts were folly.
“Won't?” Flim wondered aloud. “Or can't?” Flam looked surprisingly at his brothers accusations, but quickly hopped aboard his brother's train of thought and ran with it.
“Oh please Flim,” Flam returned. “Surely a showmare of such skill has plenty of bits to spare in the event of an unfortunate accident. I say, she must make hundreds of bits each time she passes through a town!”
“Now Flam,” Flim replied, not letting Trixie have a word. “Don't forget she did mention not so long ago that she had been run out of a town on at least one occasion. Perhaps this Showmare isn't much of a Showstopper after all!”
“You mean to say then that the reason this mare wants us to pay for her cart isn't just because it may or may not have been us to blame, but because she lacks the bits to do so anyway?” Flam wrapped up.
At this, both Flim and Flam turned to Trixie expectantly, daring her to respond with their glances. “I, but, uhg!” Trixie grunted with anger. “Fine, you caught me, okay? I don't have the bits to fix the cart. Happy?”
“Well, Great and Powerful Trixie, first of all our thanks for your honesty,” said Flam. “Now, I don't mean to impose, but are you quite sure you haven't the funds for one measly cart? And if not on you, is there really nowhere you could turn?”
“No,” Trixie said firmly, not willing just yet to divulge her one last resort.
“Believe it or not Trixie,” began Flim, “Flam and I are no strangers to being short of fund. We do all right most of the time.”
“But one might say our batting record isn't exactly perfect,” Flam confessed. “Still, in our experience there's always somepony a pony can turn to when in a fix.”
“An old friend perhaps?” advised Flim.
“Or a trusted confidant?” suggested Flam.
“No, no friends to turn to,” Trixie replied bitterly.
“Well there's always family!” Flim stated.
“Why yes! A brother or sister perhaps?”
Trixie felt her legs shaking. She dared not speak, so she only shook her head.
“Well then what about parents? Everypony's got parents!”
“No, I—”
“No parents?” Flam cut off. “An orphan then?”
“Not an orphan!” Trixie snapped. “They—”
“Oh, I see,” said Flim, taking his hat from his head and placing it over his chest. “Rest their souls then?”
“No no no!” Trixie yelled. “I just can't go back to them! I can't!”
Flim and Flam both looked confusedly at each other, uncertain what Trixie meant. Finally after a prolonged silence, Flam put two and two together.
“I think I see,” he said confidently. “You left to follow your dreams of being a showmare against your parent's wishes, hm? And now if you come crawling back, you believe they'll belittle you. You don't want to prove them right. Is that it?”
Trixie wobbled in place slightly before falling to the ground in a fit of tears. Flim and Flam both drew back, surprised by the sudden reaction. Perhaps they had pressed too far?
“There there kid.” Flam hopped down from their vehicle to stand beside the sobbing unicorn, Flim just behind him. “Flim and I realize it may be hard, but I'm sure your folks will be understanding. Parents always are.”
“No they aren't!” Trixie roared up at the two between sobs. “My parents were always jerks! They'll laugh at me! Laugh, just like everypony else has!”
By now Flim and Flam both felt very unsure of themselves. The conversation had taken a turn they certainly had not foreseen. Flam, with no vestige of how to proceed, nudged Flim in hopes that he would come up with some better idea.
“Trixie, if I may change the subject,” said Flim. “Why is it that your show hasn't worked out?”
Trixie looked up from the puddle of tears forming on the ground before her. “What? What do you mean?”
“I'm simply wondering why it is that you haven't had much success as a showmare? What's wrong with your act?”
“I don't know that,” Trixie grumbled. “If I knew what was wrong, I'd change it, wouldn't I?”
“Well let me tell you what I think,” offered Flim. “I think you're on the right track, but maybe you've made one little mistake while planning it all out?”
“What, is it the name?” Trixie replied, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes.
“No no, the name is good.” Flim extended a hoof to Trixie, who took it and hoisted herself back up on all fours. “A powerful name for a pony with a powerful personality, at the very least,” said Flim. “I think perhaps your problem is that you're trying for a one pony show.”
“You know, I wasn't lying when I said I saw a young Showstopper in you,” Flam chimed in. “But she wasn't a one mare act, she always had a strong cast to fall back on.”
“So you're saying what I need is...” Trixie trailed off, looking for the right word.
“An accomplice?” posed Flim.
“A partner!” Flam recommended.
“An associate!”
“A collaborator.”
“A helper?”
“An aide!”
“A coworker?”
“A...” Flam looked over to Trixie, who was glaring at them bemusedly. “I think she gets the point, Flim.”
“Trixie does not need a partner,” Trixie proclaimed. “Trixie is just fine on her own.”
“Now Trixie, there's nothing wrong with having somepony to rely on,” Flam countered. “Why, I would be in a worse state than you if it weren't for Flim here always having my back when I'm about to fall short.”
“And I for one can always count on my brother Flam to push me along whenever I hit a bump in the road,” Flim added in. “And we're not the only ones! Why, even Celestia herself benefits from having her sister Luna at her side.”
“You could even say,” Flam put in with a nervous chuckle, “that Flim and I were recently shown an important lesson in the value of teamwork a few towns back by some certain Ponyville ponies.”
“Ponyville?” A scowl crossed Trixie's face.
“Familiar with the place, then?” Flim grinned knowingly. “A harsh group, wouldn't ya say?”
“A judgmental lot,” said Flam.
“A... hmm...” Flim trailed off, racking his brain for another phrase.
“A tough crowd?” Trixie put forward.
“Ah yes! Just the term I sought! A real tough crowd if I ever saw one!” Flim replied. Both Flim and Flam shared a collective grin at Trixie's input.
“But an admirable bunch of ponies all the same,” spoke Flam. “They certainly care for their own over in Ponyville.”
“Indeed they do!” Flim affirmed. “I can hardly imagine the lengths those ponies might go to protect each other and their precious home.”
“They'd face a dragon!” Flam boasted.
“They'd brave a diamond dog mine!” said Flim.
“Do battle with Discord himself!”
“Or even more terrifying, stand up to Celestia!”
“Perhaps brave an army of changelings?”
“Maybe even drive out a pair of swindling salesponies?” Trixie's brought up wily.
“Very funny, Great and Powerful Trixie,” Flim conceded. “Are you sure you aren't better suited for a comedy act?After all, you did say everypony laughs at you.”
Trixie glared. “That was cold, Flim,” chortled Flam. “The point is Trixie, you shouldn't think that relying on others makes you weak.”
“On the contrary! It's when we work together that we're capable of something which one pony could never hope to achieve on their own.”
“Even if that working together is just some eager support from a true friend.”
“Trixie does not see how any of this advice helps me,” Trixie sighed, her mood dampening further. “I haven't made any true friends, remember?”
“Well why not start right now?” replied Flim.
“We may just be having a special on true friends,” said Flam. “Two for one, and the first one is free!” Trixie smiled softly, the meaning of the brother's words not lost on her.
“Now, about your situation,” Flim began, changing the subject once more, “it would be wrong of us to leave you to your own devices with your cart in such a poor state. What say we help you out of this jam?”
“Really?” asked Trixie, surprised that the brothers had turned from seemingly selfish to rather generous over the course of the conversation.
“What are friends for?” Flim said, flashing a warm smile.
“Come aboard Trixie,” encouraged Flam. “We'll give you a ride wherever you want to go.”
Trixie happily agreed, and after quickly gathering up her few belongings from her ruined cart and packing them into a bindle, she climbed aboard the Flim Flam Brother's peculiar mode of transport.
“So where to, Great and Powerful Trixie? Perhaps some place an infamous pony such as yourself could muster up a few companions and learn a thing or two about friendship?” Flim proposed.
Trixie thought on this. In the past, destinations had always just been whenever she hadn't yet alienated herself from the ponies living there. Was that the best idea though? She could go anywhere, where was the one place most likely to give her a true fresh start?
“What about Ponyville?” she finally answered. The brothers looked at each other with only a small amount of shock, though it clearly hadn't been the first answer they expected.
“Well now, that's not such a bad plan. A harsh group perhaps, but I would be willing to bet they're a forgiving one as well,” Flim responded.
“And surely a place a once lonely but powerful unicorn could learn a thing or two about friendship! There's even a chance you wouldn't be the first. Yes, I do believe there may be opportunity in that community yet!” Flam added confidently. “Ready Flim?”
“Ready Flam!” Both tall unicorn's horns glowed with a green magical aura, and the entire vehicle seemed to spring to life, and a moment later they were off. It moved much faster than Trixie would have expected based on its size, the scenery seemed to fly by as they raced along the road.
“Do you really think Trixie can?” Trixie asked the two brothers sitting beside her. “Make friends in Ponyville, that is. What if they just drive me back out?”
“Trixie, it's a long road ahead,” replied Flam. “But making friends is a lot like being a salespony, except you're trying to sell yourself instead of a product.”
“And tell you what, sister of mine,” said Flim, “you certainly sold yourself to us!”
Flam nodded in agreement. “And if you can sell yourself to two salesponies nonpareil, then we say you can sell yourself to Ponyville too!”
Trixie grinned, glad for the brother's encouragement. She looked forward to the wind beating at her face and whipping back her mane, her smile becoming wild with joy. In that moment, she felt ready to face the whole world, much less just one town of ponies.
Another town, a second chance.