"You know, Flim..." Flam began as the two brothers entered their office to start the work day, each carrying a mug of coffee in their auras. "We really need to take a day off. I think we should call up some of the applicants and do some interviewing today."
"Uhh yeah, sure." Flim replied, still half asleep. "I'm just going to take a seat for a moment."
Flim wasted no time getting to his comfy chair behind his desk while Flam took a seat in his own. The brothers' reputation as honest salesponies had gotten around town as of late thus leading to a substantial increase in business. Though this was a very good thing and exactly what the brothers wanted, the fact that they had been working all day every day was beginning to wear on them. It had been nearly two months since either of them had a day to just relax and recover from their exhaustion.
As tired as they were, they still had work to do but hopefully, they would soon be able to hire some extra help to take some of the burden off of them. As Flam continued to sip his coffee, he really began to ponder what the next few weeks would be like and if they could even take much more of this if they didn't get an assistant or two hired soon. Though it would be difficult, Flam always took pride in getting through a tough situation alongside his brother.
"You know something, Flim?" Flam began as he flipped though the inventory papers. "I think I speak for the two of us when I say we need a vacation. I know we've been busting our flanks and I know we still have a ton of work to do before we can actually get a break but we'll get through it. Like Dad always said, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."
Flam paused for a moment to take a few more sips from his coffee and then continued with his pep talk.
"I'm sorry I've been so hard on you lately, brother. I've just been thr-er, we've both been through a lot and running our business on as little sleep as we have hasn't been kind to either of us. But just remember, as tired as we get and as much work we have left to do with so little time will pay off in the end. That's what Dad has always told us and...well. Flim, I know I don't tell you this enough and I know that we've had our disagreements. I know that we're under a lot of pressure but...I love you, brother. I don't ever want you to forget that."
It was not often when the two brothers had a nice talk such as this and even less often when they said they loved each other. Though they were dealing with a lot as of late, Flam's nice little speech would surely help motivate them both to keep up their work and finally take a break when they had some help. The only problem was that much to Flam's confusion, Flim was not responding to the elder brother's heartfelt words.
"Flim?" Flam said as he turned to his brother, only to get a loud snore in response. "Flim! Are you sleeping?!"
"I'll be back to feed your cats in the morning, Granny Smith!" Flim blurted out in his sleep.
"Flim, you stupid fart!"
The irritated Flam then slammed his hoof down on his desk, giving Flim quite the rude awakening. Having just been jarred out of his sleep, Flim did not know what to make of his older brother staring daggers at him while at the same time, his eyes watered up. It was a confusing sight to say the least.
"Flam?" Flim asked. "What, uhh...what's going on? You okay, big guy?"
Flam said nothing. Instead he continued to glare at his worried brother and snort out of his nose with each breath he took.
"Flam, I think this whole lack of sleep thing has done more damage than we originally tho-"
"Forget you, Flim!" Flam yelled in his brother's face. "You ruined the moment!"
"W-what moment?"
"I said I love you, you dumb punk!"
"I-I love you too, Fla-"
"Bwahahahaha! You guys are hilarious!" A female voice at the front door laughed. The brothers then turned their attention to a light blue Pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail, holding a small box of popcorn. "As fun as this is to watch, I got stuff to do so the sooner we can hurry things along, the sooner I can get outta here and turn more heads than usual."
"Ah, Miss Rainbow Dash." Flam deadpanned. "How long were you over there watching us?"
"I walked in right behind your tired flanks! Oh wow, I can't believe you didn't notice! Hahaha!"
"Please, just cut us some slack, Miss." Flim nearly pleaded. "We're in no condition to deal with anypony harassing us today."
"Who said I was gonna harass you?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding somewhat offended. "I'm here to spend money. You oughtta be glad I'm here."
"So you don't wish to press us into 'jerk cider'?" Flam asked.
"Wow, you actually remember that?"
"I don't forget much."
"Look, I think we started the day on the wrong hoof." Flim said. "Flam, clearly she knows that we mean to do honest, legitimate business with the good folk of Ponyville, otherwise she wouldn't be here right now."
"Yeah, Applejack just won't shut up about that truck she bought from you guys." Rainbow Dash said. "Rarity spends more time polishing her station wa-"
"It's called an estate car!" Rarity yelled from the distance.
"Right. She keeps polishing her 'estate car' and Fluttershy seems to really like that bus of hers. That and she, well...let's just say she's learned a lot from it."
Meanwhile, at Fluttershy's cottage...
"Angel, could you get me the half inch socket, please?" Fluttershy asked her bunny companion as she reached a hoof out from under her bus. "Hmm...this ought to do it. I think I've done it!"
The yellow mare then slid herself out from under the bus on a rolling bench. More of her was covered in grease than not as she had recently taken to doing her own repair work. The up and coming mechanic tossed her ratchet back into her tool box and began to wipe her face with a cloth.
"Okay, so I've replaced the muffler, fixed the brakes, tuned the engine, flushed the coolant and transmission and serviced the clutch. I think she's ready for our field trip to Las Pegasus! Okay, everyone on the bus!"
Instead of matching Fluttershy's enthusiasm, Angel just stood there glaring up at his owner.
"What's wrong now, Angel?" Fluttershy asked.
Angel responded by wiping his paw on Fluttershy's leg and proceeded to show her the big blob of grease that he pulled from her.
"Oh, right. I guess I could use a bath then. Heheheh."
"Miss Rainbow Dash, we cannot express our delight!" Flim sang as he skipped down the lot.
"This seems oddly familiar." Rainbow Dash said.
"It's abundantly clear that somewhere out here is the car that will suit you just right." Flam joined in.
"I don't like this. Just stop, okay?"
"Oh. Um, our apologies, Miss."
"No biggie. It's just not really necessary."
"Fair enough." Flim said. "So, you must be looking for something with power and speed if I'm not mistaken?"
"You know it. I was thinking of something like a...like a...what's that over there?"
Rainbow Dash pointed towards the sport car section of the lot and before Flim and Flam could turn their heads in that direction, the eager Pegasus bolted over. Within three seconds, she closed the one hundred yard distance between where she stood before the car in question that caught her attention. The brothers were still on the tired side so they made their way over to join their customer as fast as they could which was not very fast at all.
"Hey c'mon, pick it up a bit will ya?" Rainbow Dash said. "I don't have all day! You guys move like slugs compared to the last time I saw you. What gives?"
"Chronic sleep deprivation by working all day, every day." Flim replied as he and Flam finally reached their speedy customer. "At this rate, we'll have cut our life expectancy in half within the next year or two."
"My chest hurts." Flam said.
"Oh. Uh, my bad. Sooo..how about this sweet ride, eh?"
"Ah yes, a fine specimen of an automobile indeed." Flam agreed.
"It's a 2006 Dodge charger." Flim added.
"This particular specimen was used as a 'state' police car in a far away land called upstate New York."
"That so?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to ride in the front for a change."
"Uh, what exactly do you mean by that?" Flim asked.
"Flim, perhaps we should stick to the task at hoof."
"Ah, of course. Anyways, Miss, I think you'd appreciate the powerful 5.7 litre Hemi this car comes with and the sleek, sexy lines of the body."
"Dude, this thing is pretty sexy." Rainbow Dash said. "A bit too bulky for my taste though. Got anything sexier?"
"Let's move on to the coupes then, shall we?" Flam said.
"Last one there's a rotten egghead!"
"Not again!" Flim sighed as Rainbow Dash bolted away. "We don't have the energy for this!"
The brothers then slowly made their way over to the sport coupe section where their energetic customer was waiting. When they caught their breath, they noticed that Rainbow Dash was hovering around an impressive looking Chevrolet Camaro.
"This one's pretty hot!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro." Flim said. "The power behind that 3.6 litre V6 is truly impressive.
"Awe, it's only got a sixbanger? I'll pass. Oh hey, you got any convertibles?"
"Well yes but most of the ones we have here feature either a four or six cylinder." Flam replied.
"Then what am I supposed to-oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosssshhh! That! What is that!?"
As quick as a flash, Rainbow Dash once again darted over to something that was worthy of her attention and once again, the exhausted salesponies had to follow suit. When they arrived at the scene, they met their customer who was salivating over a true legend of the automotive industry. A 2013 Ferrari 458 Convertible.
"You like what you see, Miss Dash?" Flim asked.
"W-want...Th-this car is want by me..." Rainbow Dash babbled as she continued to drool.
"What does she do for a living?" Flam whispered to Flim. "Can she even afford this?"
"I think she works with the local weather team." Flim replied. "Last time I checked, that doesn't get one into the fortune five-hundred."
"I can afford it!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "How much is it?"
"Two-hundred and fifty thousand bits."
Flim was right and Rainbow Dash knew it. There was no way she could afford this car she so badly wanted. Though the car was out of her budget range by a long shot, she did recall what Applejack and Rarity had told her about their buying experience. If she could not buy the car, she could at least get behind the wheel and drive it.
"Mind if I test it out?" Rainbow asked as she batted her eyelashes. "Just to see how it handles. pretty please?"
If there was one weakness the two brothers had, it was seemingly innocent requests from pretty mares. Though they had their doubts, they gave each other a brief glance before turning back to Rainbow Dash who was now displaying a set of so-called "puppy dog eyes".
"Oh alright, young lady." Flam said as he levitated a set of keys to the now ecstatic mare. "Just be careful with her and don't go too far."
"And be mindful of the oomph this beast has, dear." Flim added. "Remember, she's got more horsepower than the Royal Gua-"
Vroom! Screeeeeeeeeech!
Without another word, the overly eager Pegasus turned it over, put in in gear and tore off like a vampire fruit bat out of Tartarus. The two brothers could do nothing but watch as the most expensive vehicle they had disappeared down the street before they could remember that they were and always would be suckers for a pretty face.
"Flim?" Flam asked.
"Yes, Flam?" Flim replied.
"I think we just made a terrible mistake."
"I agree one-hundred percent."
Rainbow Dash zoomed down the streets of Ponyville as fast as she could without causing a massacre and mowing down the townsponies who would have been unlucky enough to have gotten in her way. Though she wanted to push this car to it's limit, she wasn't about to do it at the expense of other's lives. She needed to find a less crowded area.
"Time to take this beast off road!" Rainbow Dash beamed.
The overly excited Rainbow Dash then sped towards the nearest dead end and before she knew it, she was careening down a grassy meadow. Knowing very little about cars, she was ignorant to the fact that a Ferrari is not made for any terrain other than flat, smooth asphalt. She was getting slightly disappointed at the sudden decrease in speed as the grass she was driving though became thicker and taller with every passing second. She still wanted to push this car to it's max so she shifted into it's sixth gear, gaining a substantial amount of speed as a result. It was then, when she got what was possibly one of the worst ideas she ever had.
"Awww yeahhh, Gasly Gorge, here I come!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
Gastly Gorge had its fair share of flat terrain in the general area but it was dangerously close to the gorge itself. Being as bold and brash as she was, Rainbow Dash failed to keep in mind the risks of high speeds near a large drop off. Surly she would still come to her senses and decide against such a foolish idea, especially with a machine that costs as much as her salary over several years.
Just a few minutes later, the speed and adrenaline crazed mare reached Gastly Gorge and the second the wheels touched flat rock, she shifted into the car's seventh and final gear. With the top down, she had the wind blowing through her mane like she always loved more than just about anything. The car was screaming down the flat rock at top speed but Rainbow Dash was still not satisfied. She still wanted more.
"Hmm, I wonder if this thing flies any faster." Rainbow said to herself.
One Hour Later...
"I'm sure it'll be just fine." Flam said as he tried to reassure his brother and himself that they need not worry. "I hear she's training to be a wonderbolt. Surely she's smart enough to bring the car back in one piece."
"Oh, perhaps you're right, Flam." Flim replied as he calmed down. "She's a sensible girl, I'm confident she knows what she's doing."
"Uhh, guys?" A worried and guilty looking Rainbow Dash said. "Question for ya."
"Miss Rainbow Dash!" Flim exclaimed. "Where's the car?!"
"Uhh yeah, about that..."
"What...did you...do?!" Flam asked, his face as red as the Ferrari's paint job.
"H-hey, hold up there." Rainbow Dash nervously stuttered. "Let's not go jumping to conclusions, alright? It's not my fault the flying mechanism didn't work."
"Cars don't fly..." Flim said through his teeth.
"Ohhhh...Wow, do I feel silly. I'll tell you what happened. Promise me you won't be mad."
"NO!" Both brothers shouted in unison.
"The car's on fire on the bottom of Gastly Gorge! I'm sorry, okay?!"
"Flam! Your blood pressure medicine!" Flim shouted. "Take it now! And you! You complete idiot! We should have you arrested for this! That car was worth six years of your weather team salary!"
"As if we aren't already stressed enough!" Flam screamed after swallowing a small hooffull of pills. "Do you have any idea what we've been going through?! My brother and I have been working so hard every single day, hard pressed to get somepony hired and then you come along and destroy our most expensive...wait a minute. Flim, a word, please?"
In the middle of Flam's rant, he paused for a moment to think about what he had just said. The two brothers were always ones to try and make the best out of something, no matter the situation. As they stepped away to have a moment to talk things over, they realized that this would be no exception and something good may come from this after all.
Rainbow Dash was never much for showing it when she was nervous but as the two salesponies who she now owed a debt to trotted towards her, she anxiously awaited to hear about the decision they had made. The more they stalled, the more the wait felt like torture to Rainbow Dash. One could even say that they did it on purpose just to spite her.
"Congratulations, Miss Dash!" Flim beamed as he hoofed over a white and blue striped vest and a name tag to Rainbow Dash. "You've just bought yourself a car and are now an employee of Flim Flam Brothers Used Autos Inc!"
"You'll be starting immediately!" Flam said. "You'll be working for us until the damage is paid off! Now if you'll excuse us, we have some bags to pack! I was thinking Las Pegasus, how about you, Flim?"
"You read my mind, Flam."
"Well..." Rainbow Dash began as she fitted herself with her new uniform. "Could be worse, I guess."