//------------------------------// // Scam for the century // Story: Mind Games // by Brolkier //------------------------------// Inside a tent, somewhere in Rainbow Falls. Twilight and Spike awoke to the sound of water dripping. Though much like when they had been put to sleep by Zecora’s powder, their vision and senses were still a little fuzzy upon first awakening. Twilight looked around a little, and found that the dripping was coming from a beaker containing a purple liquid. Looking around as well, Spike saw what looked like a tall pony with a straw top-hat, send a Phoenix off with a small bag. “Huh?...Wh…where are we?” Twilight asked, still feeling out of it. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Spike replied, still woozy himself. “Well would you lookie here brother.” A tall Unicorn pony with a straw top-hat spoke, seeming to come out of nowhere. “And what’s that brother?” The pony that Spike had seen replied, walking over. “It appears our guests are finally waking up.” The first pony spoke again. “And what guests they are dear brother. They’ve been causing quite a stir in Equestria lately.” The second pony added. Twilight rubbed her eyes a little, until she could finally see clearly again. “Hey…I recognize you two from somewhere.” Twilight spoke to the Unicorns. “Do you hear that brother? She recognizes us.” The first pony spoke. “And why wouldn’t she brother? We’re world famous ponies after all.” The second pony responded. “Indeed we are brother. Why, I don’t think there’s another pair of ponies in ALL of Equestria that are as famous, and recognizable as us.” The first replied. His head still sore from getting hit, and only getting sorer from listening to the two Unicorns talk; Spike interrupted the two. “So who are you two then?” Spike asked. The two Unicorns looked at each other, unimpressed looks on their faces. “I guess we’re not as well-known as we thought brother.” The first pony spoke. “I suppose not dear brother.” The second pony added. “Well allow us to alleviate that conundrum.” The first pony spoke to Spike. “He’s Flam.” The first pony spoke again, pointing to the other Unicorn. “He’s Flim.” The second pony Flam added, pointing to the other Unicorn. “And we’re the famous Flim Flam Brothers!” The two said in unison, taking off their hats to take a bow. After giving them their names, Twilight thought a little more, until she remembered them completely. “Hey that’s right! You two were the ones that tried to take over Apple Jack’s farm!” Twilight told the brothers. “All in the past little lady. We’ve got much higher goals now.” Flim told Twilight. “Goals as high as anypony can set them actually.” Flam added. “As long as you two are staying away from Ponyville.” Twilight told the two, before looking around again. “So where are we anyway?” She asked. “Why, you two are backstage to our latest endeavor, here in Rainbow Falls.” Flim told Twilight. “Rainbow Falls!?” Twilight and Spike said in unison, surprised at their current location. “What are we doing here!? We need to get back to Ponyville!” Twilight told the brothers. “Well you can thank your blue friend over there for that.” Flam told Twilight, gesturing behind her. “Blue friend? Rainbow!...” Twilight started to say as she turned around. However, before she could say “Dash,” she saw the “blue” pony that they were referring to. The blue pony that Flam had spoken of, flicked her hair out of her face, before speaking. “Please. ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ has no use for friends, especially not ones like Twilight Snarkle.” Trixie spoke, pointing to Twilight. “Trixie!? What are you doing here? What’s going on?” Twilight asked, now completely confused. “Humph, and Trixie thought ‘you’ were supposed to be the smart one.” Trixie replied. “WILL SOMEPONY TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON!?” Twilight screamed. “Why, you’ve got front row seats to the greatest show in Equestria little lady.” Flim told Twilight. “Show? What show?” Twilight asked. “Why, the show of a lifetime over in Canterlot of course!” Flam added. “Canterlot? What’s going on there?” Twilight asked again. “All of these questions are giving Trixie a ‘Great and Powerful Migraine.’ Just tell her already!” Trixie told the brothers. Flim cleared his throat, before starting to explain. “Well, ever since that Queen Chrysalis came and took over Canterlot, our business has been doing better than ever.” Flim spoke. “Indeed. Thanks to everypony forgetting who we are, we were able to sell them twice as much as before, and all without changing a thing.” Flam added. “However, we did find it a little odd that everypony forgot about us, while we remembered them.” Flim started. “But our worries were soon put to rest, as we found more ponies who were in our same predicament.” Flam added. “Yes indeed. The amazing Captain of the Wonderbolts, and Trix…” Flim started to say. “The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie.” Trixie interrupted, correcting the Unicorn. “Yes, all of that.” Flim spoke, rolling his eyes. “Both of them shared in our non-memory loss, and we’ve been helping each other since.” Flim finished his line finally. “Why, Captain Spitfire was even the first to approach us, with an offer that was far too good to pass up.” Flam spoke. “If we could find a way to help get rid of that changeling queen, then she would see to it that we could have our very own personal shop in Canterlot.” Flim added. “And with the Phoenix that I just sent out; the first step of our ingenious plan is well underway.” Flam spoke. “But what plan is that? And how did Chrysalis manage to take over Canterlot?” Twilight asked. “Still not sure of that ourselves, but since business started to boom, we didn’t really ask a lot of questions. All we know, is that it happened after the Secretariat Comet came by. Sure sold a lot of extend-o telescopes that day. Didn’t we brother?” Flim replied. “We most certainly did brother. But anyway, once that Phoenix reaches its destination in Canterlot, all Tartarus will break loose, and that queen should be no more.” Flam spoke. “All Tartarus will break loose!? What did you two give that bird!?” Twilight demanded. “Why, a batch of our 100%, satisfaction guaranteed, no holds-bar, can’t get enough of it, sure to make your day: Love potion.” Flim spoke his sales pitch. “Love potion?” Twilight asked. “Indeed. A love potion for the ages. Once that queen takes a swig of it, she’ll have more love than she knows what to do with, and she’ll leave Canterlot for sure.” Flam spoke. “There’s no way it could be that easy, and love potions don’t work like that, especially not to a changeling like her.” Twilight replied. “That’s because this is no ‘ordinary’ love potion, Twilight Snarkle.” Trixie spoke up. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, looking from Trixie to the brothers. “Well I suppose we did stretch the truth just a ‘tiny’ bit.” Flim replied. “But only a ‘little’ exaggeration.” Flam added. “What did you two make?” Twilight asked, glaring at the brothers. “Well true to the formula, we did make a love potion.” Flim started. “A tuft of cloud, and a bright rainbow’s glow.” Flam spoke. “Stirred with a Pegasus feather that’s not slow.” Flim spoke. “And served to somepony that’s not in the know.” Flim and Flam said in unison. Twilight continued to glare at the brothers, knowing there was still more to it. “Well we got the tuft of cloud and Pegasus feather from Captain Spitfire.” Flim spoke. “And a bright rainbow’s glow from the falls here.” Flam added. “All we needed was a special ingredient, to make this love potion one-of-a-kind.” Flim told Twilight, placing a hoof on the beaker full of the purple liquid. “A little bit of poison joke, courtesy of our…associate here, to turn the joke on that queen.” Flam added, pointing to Trixie. “Wait, poison joke? What was that intended to do?” Twilight asked. “With the poison joke mixed into the love potion, and as everypony knows the effects that poison joke has on things; instead of the queen finding love in whomever she sees, she’ll find horrid rejection in who she sees instead, and will therefore be unable to steal love from ponies.” Flim said proudly. “Uh-huh, but if that happens, and Chrysalis can no longer control herself, or her subjects; then how is she supposed to keep her changelings from attacking everypony instead?” Twilight asked as a counter argument. Both the brothers’ eyes opened wide, as they sat in surprise at the possibility that Twilight had brought up. “Uhh…” Flim spoke. “Oh dear.” Flam added. “I don’t think that was part of the plan.” Flim added, looking really unsure of himself. “Of course it’s not part of the plan, because that’s not what’s going to happen you imbeciles!” Trixie yelled at the brothers. “Right…of course.” The brothers said, one after the other. “How can you say that!? None of you clearly thought any of this through! Now all of Canterlot is in danger! Not just from Chrysalis, but from this horrible plan of yours as well!” Twilight scolded all three Unicorns. “It could all still work out.” Flim told Twilight. “After all; Captain Spitfire gave her two bits on this plan as well, and I’m sure her judgment has always been for the good of others.” Flam added. “That still doesn’t make it a good idea. For whatever reason, you four still have all of your memories intact, just like Spike and I. The only difference, is that while we’ve been trying to help our friends, you’ve only been thinking of yourselves.” Twilight told them. “That’s not true. We had every intention of helping the ponies of Equestria.” Flim told Twilight. “As long as we could get a little store-front property in the end, is that really so much to ask?” Flam added. Twilight still couldn’t believe the two scam ponies, but it didn’t really come as much of a surprise to her. “So where do you fit in all this Trixie?” Twilight asked Trixie with a sigh. “That is none of your concern Sparkle! Trixie is only looking out for her best interests, and that doesn’t include having a bunch of brainwashed ponies, if they’re not flocking to Trixie instead.” Trixie told Twilight. “We’re not getting anywhere with this.” Twilight spoke with a groan. “But at least now we know what we can do in the meantime. Come on Spike.” Twilight told Spike, as she rushed out of the tent. “Hey, wait up!” Spike called after Twilight, as he followed her out. “Wait! Stop!” The brothers called after the two of them, before Trixie closed the exit of the tent with her magic. “Let them go. This could still work in Trixie’s favor, but I don’t see how they could do anything anyways. Just continue along with the plan, and everything will work out fine.” Trixie told the brothers, as she levitated her hat over to herself. “But what if they do manage to stop our plan?” Flam asked. “Yes, what then?” Flim added. “Do not bother ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ with your problems. Everything that Trixie has done so far has worked out fine for her, and if I’m included in this plan as well, then there shouldn’t be any worries.” Trixie told the brothers, as she made her way out of the tent. The brothers stood in their tent for a moment, as both of the mare’s words ran through their heads. On one hoof; their plan with Spitfire and Trixie had been in planning for a while, but on the other hoof; the possibility of it going the way that Twilight had suggested, filled them with concern. “It seems we’ve found ourselves in another sticky situation brother.” Flim told Flam. “I do believe so my brother.” Flam told Flim. The brothers thought a little longer, until they heard a bird calling from outside the tent. Upon seeing what it was, they discovered that the Phoenix they sent had returned, no longer carrying the bag they gave it. “Did you drop off the bag where we told you to?” Flam asked the Phoenix. The bird nodded its head to say "yes." “Were you seen by anypony?” Flim asked the Phoenix. The bird shook its head to say "no.” The brothers then looked at each other, as grins formed on their faces in satisfaction. Flim then lifted up his hat, and levitated a small brightly colored egg that had been sitting under it to the Phoenix, whom immediately took it and flew off. “Bit.” “By bit.” “We’ve still got it.” The brothers spoke.