Chapter one
Rarity was trotting down Mane Street of Ponyville, humming a happy tune for herself. The sun beat down on the buildings. Normally, it would be too hot for comfort, but, thankfully, a refreshing breeze blew through Ponyville, creating just the right temperature.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle were going to buy some groceries down at the square surrounding the town hall, and get some pastries from Sugarcube Corner. Rarity smiled inwardly as she thought of how happy her sister would be as she tried to choose between the strawberry cupcakes and the banana eclair.
The two Unicorns trotted past Town Hall, and went to study the various stalls offering freshly picked vegetables and fruit.
”Rarity, can we buy cherries too?” Sweetie Belle asked with a hopeful tone.
Rarity thought for a second. Cherries were one of the more expensive commodities Ponyville market had to offer, but both Rarity and her sister had always loved them. Sweetie Belle used her puppy eyes, and Rarity resigned with a smile.
”Of course we can,” She said. ”Why wont you go over there and pick out the best ones? I will be right with you.”
”Okay!” Sweetie Belle skipped away towards the inviting stall. Rarity saw a cream colored Earth Pony with cherry red hair greet her sister.
”Alright, about those radishes…” Rarity said to herself as she went over to the other end of the market.
Rarity collected a great variety of groceries, and the cherries, and started to walk home again, her sister in tow. As she did, she passed just outside the entrance to Town Hall. She heard the two doors open, and two sets of hooves step out.
”I hope, for all our sakes, that what you say is true,” Mayor Mare’s stern voice came from the door.
”Don’t you worry, esteemed mayor,” came a peppy voice, filled of confidence and swagger. Rarity felt that she had heard it before, but could not place it. She looked away decisively. She would not snoop in anypony else’s business.
”My brother and I really have turned over a new leaf, mayor. Just you wait and see, we will bring riches to this community yet, you have our word on that,” said a nearly identical, but slightly more mature voice.
”Well, we shall see,” Mayor Mare said. ”I will keep an eye on you two… but if what you say is true, then I wish you good luck.”
Rarity heard the doors close as she trotted away. She scolded herself. ”You really shouldn’t be eavesdropping Rarity,” she thought to herself. ”You have nothing to do with whoever it was.”
”Rarity,” Sweetie Belle peeped beside her, tugging at her saddlebags to get her attention, ”Rarity, shouldn’t we be going home? This is the wrong way.”
”Not at all dear, we are going in just the right direction,” Rarity said with a secretive smile.
Sweetie Belle recognized that smile, it always meant good news. Literarily good, as in good tasting, news. She perked up as she put two and two together. He smile practically blinded Rarity, who smiled back and nodded.
Rarity trotted in a dignified, ladylike fashion, while Sweetie Belle bounced beside her, the rest of the way to Sugarcube Corner, mighty citadel everything delicious, and stronghold of all things party related.
There were a couple of ponies ahead in line when they entered. Sweetie Belle zoomed up to the counter and started looking at the wonderful promises of delight at display.
Rarity got her turn after a couple of minutes and ordered a blackberry muffin and tea at the advice of Derpy Hooves, who stood behind her in line.
”So, Sweetie Belle, have you decided?” She asked the spellbound filly.
”Ooh, ehm…” Sweetie Belle tried to decide, but could not. ”I will have a mazarin,” She blurted. She had never had that before, but whatever one of the Cake’s had touched was always delicious.
”Certainly,” Mrs. Cake smiled. ”That will be fifteen bits, or ten for you, Rarity.”
”Indeed not,” Rarity said with a friendly smile and produced fifteen bits. She gathered the pastries and went towards one of the window tables. Sweetie Belle looked at her mazarin all the while, as if it might disappear if she let it out of sight.
The two sisters sat down and started eating, slowly in order to maximize the enjoyment.
”Soo,” Sweetie Belle asked when Rarity had finished, ”are we celebrating something?”
”We are,” Rarity said with a relaxed voice as she put the teacup down. ”I have just finished a large order for Sapphire Shores, so I actually have some free time for once.”
Whatever reply Sweetie Belle might have planned was lost on Rarity as the door open and she heard the voice from before.
”Well I say, brother of mine, that went well. This will be a fresh start for us.”
”Right you are, dear brother, third time’s the charm. I can clearly feel that there is opportunity in this community yet.”
Rarity almost choked on the tea as the pieces fell together in her mind. The words ”opportunity” and ”community” in one sentence could only mean…
She turned around quickly and felt her neck protesting.
Sure enough. In the line, talking to one another, were Flim and Flam, traveling con artists and Trouble nonpareil. They were still dressed in the same horrible striped vests, straw hats and neckties. The only thing that separated them was Flam’s mustache and slightly different pattern in his peppermint mane.
”Rarity, what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked, and followed Rarity’s look towards the two Unicorns. ”Who are those ponies?” She asked curiously.
”Ehm, nopony I know very well, I just was surprised, is all,” Rarity said quickly as her mind processed this new information. She had to warn Applejack.
”How come?” Sweetie Belle asked, even more curious.
”Well, I have not seen them around here in a long time,” Rarity said as she looked away and took a sip of tea.
Sweetie Belle heard that her sister did not feel like discussing the two Unicorns, so she dropped the subject.
”You done, Sweetie?” Rarity asked, She wanted to leave before Flim and Flam spotted her.
”No,” Sweetie Belle said indignantly, and pointed at her half Mazarin.
”Hello, Rarity!” A peppy voice that filled Rarity with tired annoyance reached her ears. Flim and Flam had taken the table beside her. They each had an apple fritter in front of them and two cups. Flim drank coffee and Flam tea, just like Rarity. ”Fancy meeting you here, how lucky,” Flam said with a beaming, perl white smile.
”Flim and Flam,” Rarity said with a cold voice. ”How… unexpected,”
”Not at all,” Flim answered, as he wiped some coffee from his lip. ”My brother and I just got the Mayor’s blessing to start up a small business here in Ponyville, so I dare say we will see each other quite a lot.”
”Did you now?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ”Best of luck to you. I think you will find that few ’communities’, as you would say, value honesty and fairness as much as Ponyville.”
”That is our hope,” Flam said confidently. ”We have turned over a new leaf, my brother and I, and where better to start our new life than here?”
”I suppose that’s true,” Rarity said courteously. She summoned up the charming part of her persona. ”Are you perhaps planning on selling cider again? I should warn you, that business is tough,” She said with a cute voice as she glared at the two brothers.
”Not at all, Rarity,” Flam said, ignoring her glare. ”We have expanded our repertoire, as it where. We are actually-”
”Stop, stop, stop, brother, or you will ruin the surprise,” Flim scolded with a friendly smile. ”You, and everypony else, will learn just what we will sell in just a couple of days.”
”Rarity, I am done,” Sweetie Belle said. All the almonds were gone from her Mazarin, but most of the crust was left. Rarity would normally have had quite a few things to say about picking food apart, but her mind was on other things right now.
”Well, Rarity, It was nice catching up, but I presume we will meet each other again soon?” Flam said with a hopeful voice.
”Maybe, I have a very hectic time in front of me, lots of orders and-” Rarity began.
”But Rarity, you just said that you were free of work now,” Sweetie Belle pointed out, proud that she could remind her sister of the happy news, that she somehow had forgotten.
”Oh, look at the sun,” Rarity said quickly while she shot a murderous glance in her sister’s direction. ”I simply must get going. Have a nice afternoon!”
Rarity grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hoof and dragged the confused filly towards the door. Leaving two amused Trouble Nonpareil behind.
The two sisters returned home to Carousel Boutique. Rarity went into the round building, but Sweetie Belle trotted of to Sweet Apple Acres, to a secluded part of the orchards where the fate of many a pony was dictated, a place few knew existed, and even fewer could access. The mythical Cutie Mark Crusader’s Clubhouse. She saw Scootaloo and Applebloom waiting for her outside the fabled treehouse.
”There you are, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said in a relieved voice. ”Come, let’s plan our next crusade!”
The three fillies went inside the clubhouse. Applebloom went behind the small dais from which the Cutie Mark Crusaders were governed. She banged the gavel and the meeting was opened. Now, the fate of Equestria was about to be decided (sort of).
”Applebloom, have you looked into the prospect of a firefighter cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked with an important tone.
Applebloom nodded with a proud smile. ”We are goin’ ta get our firefighter cutie marks tomorrow, Cutie Mark Crusaders! Mah sis is going ta raze an old barn in the afternoon, so we can use that if we are early!”
”Your sister actually agreed to let us burn it?” Scootaloo asked with excitement. Her eyes sparkled.
”Nah, Ah haven’t asked her,” Applebloom fidgeted a little. ”But Ah figured that if the barn is going ta be razed anyway it doesn’t matter if we burn it, right? Besides, we will put out the fire, so we wont really burn it.”
Sweetie Belle thought about that. ”Makes sense,” she said chirpily. ”Who could complain if we just put it out when we are done, and get our cutie marks?”
The crusaders proceeded to plan a couple more activities for the rest of the weekend, just in case firefighter, for whatever reason, did not work. The agreed to try gardening, cider making (Applebloom’s idea), punch connoisseurs (Sweetie Belle’s idea), firework makers…
”You mean pyrotechnists?” Sweetie Belle corrected.
”Whatever, ponies who makes fireworks,” Scootaloo said with a somewhat annoyed voice.
”Pyrotechnists,” Sweetie Belle said.
”Whatever.”
Rarity rose early next morning, for she wanted to warn Applejack about Trouble Nonpareil coming back to Ponyville. She took a warm, refreshing shower, dried her mane slowly and went downstairs to eat breakfast. The dishes told her that Sweetie Belle had risen very early today. After a nutritious breakfast of hay, lettuce and radishes with a cup of tea, drunk slowly, she brushed her teeth.
She proceeded to brush her mane, apply just the right amount of makeup to prefect her already dazzling look. After that she went to a closet and brought out a four slim boots. She was not going to get her hooves dirty, and Sweet Apple Acres was not the cleanest place.
She started to trot over to her destination, and reached it in fifteen minutes. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Applejack, who gave her a tired look.
”Perfect timin’ Rarity,” She said gloomily. ”Ah will need all the help Ah can get if Ah’m ta get through this,” She said with a voice that matched her look.
”Whatever do you mean?” Rarity said with a raised eyebrow. Applejack worked pretty much 24/7, so why was she so tired?
”Just come along, would ya?” The orange mare said.
Confused, Rarity went with her friend to the living room, where the answer, or, rather answers, as to why Applejack was tired sat in the sofa. Trouble nonpareil apparently were early risers too.
Flim and Flam sat with nervous looks and one cup of tea and coffee respectively in front of them. Across the table they were being glared at by Granny Smith and Big Mac.
”In case of me tryn’ to buck them through the wall, restrain me,” Applejack whispered as she rejoined her family.
Rarity stood still in the doorway and looked at the scene before her. ”This looks like the beginning of a bad joke…” She thought dryly.
”So, what do ye scoundrels want?” Granny Smith asked in a somewhat hostile tone. The brothers fidgeted under her gaze. Gone were their confident smiles and perky demeanor. Rarity noted that there was uneasiness in their faces, but what’s more: shame.
”Ahh, w-we…” Flim began nervously.
”We have come to apologize for all we done, Mrs. Smith,” Flam said with a deflated voice. ”We wanted to… to ask you for a third chance…”
Applejack looked at the two Unicorns with shock. Those words, coming from those two, was as easy to picture as a goodhearted King Sombra handing out free candy and apple fritters while singing the ”My little Pony™” theme. Then her face hardened.
”And why would we give y’all that?” She said with a dark voice. ”Y’all have done nothing but cause problem for may family an’ me. Why should we give y’all yet another chance to-”
”Hush, Applejack,” Granny Smith said sharply. She turned back to Flam. ”Go on, why do y’all want a third chance here? There are other towns like Ponyville, why here?”
”We have turned over a new leaf,” Flam said with a serious look. ”We want to prove to everypony that we are not… con artists… any longer, but honest workers.”
”Your family is the one who has been hit the hardest by us,” Flim blurted with an ashamed look. ”We… want to make amends here, we want to prove to everypony, ourselves included, that we have changed.”
Granny smith cracked a small smile. ”Well Ah’ll be, y’all might not be such scoundrels after all,” she said with an appreciative look at the brothers.
”But, granny,” Applejack said uncertainly, ”These’ere two nearly ruined us the first time, an’ Celestia knows what would have happened with their Tonic scheme.”
”We will make amends any way we can Applejack, just… let us try,” Flim said. ”Will you give us two this last chance? Please…”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed. She had fallen for these silver-tongued catalans before, and did not trust them. On the other hoof, they seemed sincere this time, and Applejack prided herself on being able to detect lies, being the Element of Honesty. ”What do you think, Big Mac?” She said slowly. ”Do ya trust them?”
”Nope,” came the immediate reply.
”But don’t ye think they should be given a chance to make things right?” Granny Smith asked.
”Eeyup,” Big Mac answered after a second.
”Then here’s whats gonna happen,” Granny smith said with a decisive voice.
”Ehm,” Flam interrupted sheepishly, ”I know it’s not my place or anything, but perhaps you should put out the stove, I can smell the smoke all the way over here.”
Granny Smith, looked at Flam with uncomprehending eyes. ”The stove’s not burnin’…”
”Hang on Granny, Ah smell it to… but then where is it coming from?” Applejack said as she sniffed the air.
”Maybe outside?” Rarity suggested. Flim and Flam jumped in surprise. They had not seen her enter.
Applejack trotted up to a window and looked over the orchards. Her eyes widened in shock. ”The old barn… IT’S BURNIN’!” She yelled and dashed for the door, followed closely by Big Mac. Flim and Flam looked at each other for a second and dashed away after the two siblings along with Rarity. Granny Smith followed as fast as she could, though that was not very fast.
The five ponies found the barn burning brightly. The flames licked the blue morning sky. They stood mesmerized for a few seconds.
”Water!” Applejack screamed to her brother. ”The well!” She and her brother went to a nearby draw well and started hoisting up water. Rarity rushed to help with her magic, but Flim stood motionless and Flam looked sharply at the fire, as if he was analyzing it. He galloped of away from the well to the other side of the burning barn, his brother following closely.
”What are those two up to?” Rarity thought bitterly as she followed them. As she came around the barn, she saw Flim and Flam furiously blasting the trunk of an apple tree with their bright green magic.
”And what the hay are you think you are doing?!” She screamed indignantly as she galloped towards them. Normally, she would never dream of even considering to get close to use such language, but now she did not care.
”Help us, Rarity!” Flam said with a slightly panicked voice. ”If the fire spreads to the trees, then we will never stop it!”
Rarity skidded to a halt and looked up. He heart froze. The branches hung perilously close to the burning barn. Slightest little wind would set the tree ablaze. She readied her magic and shot it straight at the trunk. It snapped.
”This is taking too long…” Flim said angrily. ”There must be a faster way…”
”Idea!” Rarity said with a bright voice. She galloped away and came up to Applejack.
”Applejack, you must help, you must buck the trees down, hurry!” She said in a breathless voice. ”The fire will spread, and nopony will stop it!”
Realization dawned upon the orange mare. ”Ponyfeathers, ye’r right!” She said silently. ”Big Mac, help me here!”
The two Apple siblings started to buck down the trees threatened by the fire, aided by Flim, Flam and Rarity. When they were done, the barn was more or less burnt down already, so they decided to let the fire die on its own. Soon there was only a pile of smoldering ash left. The five ponies panted and looked at black mark. Applejack turned to Rarity, a smile on her face.
”Thank’s a bunch, Rarity. Without you, there is no tellin’ what might have happened,” Applejack said warmly.
”Actually,” Rarity said with a breathless voice as she looked at her dirty boots, ”It was Flim and Flam who realized what would happen…”
Applejack turned to the two brothers, who both smiled sheepishly and proudly at the same time.
”Ah… Ah never expected y’all ta help save Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said flatly.
”An honest worker helps another one, eh?” Flim said with a warm smile.
”Ah am a mare of actions over words,” Applejack explained. ” So Ah’ll believe y’all have ’turned over a new leaf’ when Ah see it. You have helped me, but Ah wonder if ye’ll help everypony else y’all have wronged. But for now, Ah’m willin’ ta give y’all the benefit of the doubt.”
Applejack smiled at her two former enemies. ”Ah truly hope ya’re sincere,” She said.
”Don’t you worry, Honest Applejack,” Flim said confidently. ”Come to our little abode beside the post office tomorrow, and you will get your proof.”
”And this time we will not hurt your business. Promise,” Flam continued.
”Glad ta hear it,” Applejack said. ”Be seein’ y’all around.”
”I look forward to it,” Flim said. He and his brother started to walk down to Ponyville, a spring in their steps. Rarity heard them whistling their signature song.
”Well we got opportunity in this merry community…” she hummed and knew she would have that song stuck in her head on constant repeat for the next few days.
”Ehm, sis?” A small voice peeped from underneath a couple of bushes. Applejack and Rarity saw three familiar fillies covering under the branches. Their manes seemed to be slightly scorched. ”We’ve got somethin’ ta tell ye…”
As Flim and Flam whistled, they suddenly heard a roar from the orchards behind them. They both broke into gallop. They did not know what terrible creature could make a sound like that, but they knew they should put as long a distance between it and themselves as possible. For that matter, they had things to take care of…