All of Ponyville was abuzz with gossip and curiosity. All over town, ponies were getting together and chatting. There were two major subjects of gossip that everypony was talking about.
One was what happened to Zecora. All sorts of possibilities were discussed and speculated upon. Some -- such as the mares that worked to sell flowers -- claimed that she met a stallion and ran off with him to elope, after which they would have a whirlwind tour of Equestria as their honeymoon. Others believed that Zecora's witchcraft had finally caught up with her, and a demon had taken the zebra to drag her down to the deepest pits of Tartarus. When it came to the best gossip, facts were not really something considered important.
The other was the strange new cart that had appeared in the center of town. None of them had seen it arrive in the night or knew where it came from. The only thing they knew for certain was what it told them. The entire side of the cart was painted up like a massive billboard. The main portion of it was the image of two pale yellow unicorns with red and white manes in straw hats grinning widely. Along the top was written "The Flim-Flam Brothers," and along the bottom was "Traveling Sideshow Spectacular!"
As the day progressed, more and more ponies got curious about the cart. Word spread further and further through out Ponyville as ponies came from all over town to investigate it. Included among them were Applejack -- who saw it when she was getting ready to sell apples -- Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash -- who was sent to check it out while on town guard duty -- and even Fluttershy, Twilight, and Luna found their way there.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked between yawns. Her ears and tail drooped as she walked along with her head low. The purple coated unicorn had pretty much locked herself in her room the entire weekend, reading. She skipped meals and read until she passed out from exhaustion. Now she was paying for it.
"I'm not sure," Fluttershy replied, "but I think I see Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Come on."
The three made their way to the crowd, then started working their way through it. Luna had it the easiest, simply slipping between the larger ponies' legs or walking right under them. Fluttershy led the way for the other two, asking permission or apologizing. This was not completely effective, as a few flanks ended up getting poked by a sleep-deprived Twilight's errant horn.
Eventually the group found their way to where Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and (it turned out) Scootaloo were standing.
"Excuse me" Fluttershy said as she approached her friends, "do you know what is going on here?"
"Not yet," Rainbow Dash grumbled as she glared at the cart, "but if something doesn't happen soon, I'm gonna..."
"Now, now," Rarity's voice called out as she approached yourself. "Just be patient. If the sign is any indication, they are some sort of entertainers. As such, with such a crowd, they should be doing something for a performance shortly."
"It better," Rainbow growled.
Luna, meanwhile, was staring at Pinkie Pie. The changeling in the form of a pink earth pony was shifting her hooves. Her eyes seemed wider than normal and she was constantly looking around.
"Are you okay?" Luna finally asked.
"Fine," Pinkie replied. "Just... I've been feeling something... unpleasant since I got out here...."
"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked, catching the conversation.
"It's..." she shifted again, "...hard to explain. It's like... there's something nearby that is cold and full of hate..." She shivered again.
"Fillies and colts," a masculine voice called out, getting the attention of all the ponies assembled.
"Mares and stallions," called out another -- similar -- voice.
"Ponies of all ages," both said together before speaking one at a time again.
"Welcome to Flim-"
"And Flam's-"
"Traveling Sideshow Spectacular!" the two finished together.
There was a fanfare of horns as confetti burst out of seemingly nowhere. The massive billboard side of the cart lowered like a drawbridge, turning into a stage. A massive red curtain pulled back, revealing the same pair of unicorns pictured on the side. They looked identical except for one wearing a mustache. The two stepped forward, curtain closing behind them.
"He's Flim," said the mustached one.
"He's Flam," added the clean shaven.
"And we are," they said together, "The World Famous Flim Flam Brothers!"
A nod passed between the two. Flim took a step back, slipping back behind the curtain.
"We have traveled all across Equestria," Flam continued, waving a hoof as he spoke, "searched far and wide, and put our lives on the line to find, catch, and bring to you some of the strangest, most exotic, and most dangerous creatures in all the land."
He paused, looking at the audience a moment.
"That's right," Flam continued. "We have sought out and collected creatures the likes of which you have never seen before. You will be awed. You will be amazed. You will be frightened. But don't you worry, my little ponies. We will make sure you are safe and sound from the creatures you see here today. That means you don't have to be worried about being by the likes of...
"The GRIFFON!"
The curtains pulled back to reveal Flim standing next to a cage. Inside it was a griffon. Golden yellow eyes glared out at the audience from purple lined features. There was a rope around her beak, holding it shut. The eagle wings flared wide, giving a flick, and the long lion tail flicked back and forth in frustration.
Rainbow Dash tensed, wings fluttering. Her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped open slightly.
"Gilda..."