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// Prompt #165: Alliance of Convenience 
// Story: Ponywatching 
// by ThunderTempest 
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The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy came to a juddering halt as both Flim and Flam yanked on every brake they could find. The front end of the brothers’ magitech machine stopped a bare hoofwidth from the mare standing in the road.

“Hello, dunderheads,” said the Great and Powerful Trixie, pushing her hat up.

“Give us one good reason why we shouldn’t just run you over for taking our belongings the last time we met, Trixie,” said Flim.

“Trixie felt it necessary to make the point,” said Trixie, “also, Trixie has something that you may be interested in. A way to make money. A lot of money.”

“It’s not illegal, is it?” asked Flam, the more pragmatic of the two. After their last encounter, the two had done some research on the mare who had robbed them. The name ‘Trixie’ was often uttered as a curse word in unsavoury circles. Though whether it was a curse of hate or of admiration, Flim and Flam had never been able to discover.

“No,” said Trixie, polishing a hoof with a file, “It requires nothing more than a little flash, and some razzle-dazzle, and an unsuspecting town. Trixie can do these things, but the plan requires ponies who are more experienced in certain areas than she is. She is reluctant to ask this, but the Great and Powerful Trixie is willing to put aside past differences for a common goal.”

The unicorn brothers looked at each other, silently coming to a decision.

“Alright, we’re in. But you explain your idea right now.”

“Excellent,” said Trixie.

********

The plan had been rather simple. The three would enter a town, and thanks to a machine that Trixie had somehow acquired, they could make and sell fake tonics. Trixie had the equipment, and the natural showmareship to attract customers, but she didn’t quite have the ability to make the sell. That was where Flim and Flam came in. They could close the deal.

Trixie was willing to give the brothers the press, and they would split the money evenly.

And, in a small town, they managed to convince everypony that their miracle tonic would improve and fix everything that the drinker wanted it to. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, until one morning, the two brothers awoke to discover three things.

Firstly, Trixie was gone.

Secondly, so was everything they owned, including all of the money, though Trixie had left them the press.

And thirdly, and perhaps the most pressing for the two unicorns, there was an angry mob heading for their tent.

“Flim?”

“Yes, Flam?”

“How did we not see this coming?”

“I have no idea. Run?”

“Run.”

And so the two brothers picked up the small juicing press, and bolted out of the town.