//------------------------------// // Dear Diary... // Story: Teary Despair // by Peppermint Pony //------------------------------// My name is Silver Shill. You already knew that, though. I mean, you're my diary. But this is my first ever entry, so I'm going to be straight with you. I need help. I know I'm being too hopeful about that. I know full well I'll never be able to escape. But I have even more hope that a miracle, a real one this time, will happen and save me from this horrible life I agreed to. I didn't know it would be like this. About a year ago, I was just wandering about in Ponyville, visiting Sugarcube Corner, when I bumped into two unicorns, who said they needed somepony to do them a favour. I didn't decline, of course, because I had no idea what I was in for. They said their names were Flim and Flam, and they seemed nice enough. I stayed with them on their travels for a while, helping them sell some stupid drink that they claimed was a cure-all medicine. When the show came to Ponyville, the most famous town in all of Equestria besides the capital, I had no idea that it would change my life for the worse! It started with a pony named Applejack. Her granny bought a lot of the tonic, and I stupidly blurted out just after she had tried to break the high dive record that the tonic was a fake, and the brothers left on their cart. I thought I'd seen the last of them, but I was so wrong. It had been a couple of weeks since I'd encountered Applejack at the swimming pool, and I was still trying to recover from the whole thing. It turns out I took a wrong turn at Ponyville's town hall. I wasn't looking where I was going, as per usual, and this time I literally bumped into the twins. I can't remember what it was they said exactly, but it was something involving how I'd have to pay for betraying them at the sporting event and helping Applejack, who they told me that they hated. Ever since that day, I've been trapped within this metaphorical prison. They said they'd pay me bits for it! They said I would be rewarded! They said plenty of things that they never did do. On that day, they told me that if I worked for them - for, not with - then they'd forgive me... but they never have! Almost every day, I receive kicks in the face from one or both of them, sometimes they trip me up and walk away laughing, or worse. I wish that I could tell somepony, but honesty might not be the best policy when it comes to this sort of thing. Anyway, today's events involved me going to Sugarcube Corner. I do go there rather often, but I can only dream of the cakes and pies that they have there. They're never for me, despite the fact that I always have to buy them in ridiculously large quantities. If ever the Cakes ask me why I buy so much cake, and they notice my unnatural skinniness, then I always tell them I have a massive family and can't feed myself. I doubt if Applejack saw me she'd recognise me. The same goes for the brothers. Whereas I'm getting skinnier by the day, they're becoming quite the opposite. But what can I say? If I had somepony who basically catered to my every need, I'd be kind of out of shape too. The thing is neither of them so much as thank me for anything I do. They don't even thank me for providing them with the essentials, not that they need them or anything. I mean, they eat so much every day it's like crazy. What they have in a day is more than what I had in a week. Enough about them. This is about me. Every day, I dread the moment where my door handle glows green with magic or my name is shouted by one of them. I know I'll never finish the day's work unharmed, and that's really what breaks me. I can hear hoofsteps, luckily only four. At least I'm a little lucky. Well, I'm going to have to hide you for a while. ***** Silver Shill frantically jammed his dusty book under the frayed armchair he slept on, hearing the steps get closer. He sat in the middle of the floor, acting innocent like he hadn't done anything. The handle on the door suddenly glowed a bright green, filling the earth pony with dread. Slowly, it turned downwards, and it opened a tiny crack. "Hello? Anypony in?" The voice was the higher-pitched of the two brothers. Silver Shill was going to pretend he wasn't present, but a part of him forced him to respond, "H-hello, Flim..." The entire door opened, and without any further warning the light yellow unicorn practically burst in. He was wearing his usual outfit, despite the fact that it was getting a little too small. "I suppose you came to ask me if something?" Silver asked. "Why, of course!" Flim nodded. "You're needed downstairs." Silver sighed, following the younger twin across the landing and to the elaborate spiral staircase. He was waved off, left to head downstairs alone and have Equestrian public see him. "One last thing before you go..." "What is it this time?" Flim raised one of his front hooves and quickly jabbed it in Silver's face, cutting him both above his nose and giving him a nosebleed. The earth pony quickly left downstairs, holding back the tears nopony would ever see. Flim jokingly waved, opening the door to his and his brother's room with his magic and locking it tightly behind him. Since the tonic mishap, the brothers had promised to 'reform' and had set up a bed and breakfast near Sweet Apple Acres without the permission of the family. This did annoy the Apples, and Applejack had decided something needed to be done. Apple Bloom happily skipped towards the busy looking building, seeing happy ponies both around the building and in the small garden. She couldn't believe her sister when she said that such a lovely establishment should be taken down. Walking through the doors and going unnoticed, she jumped to get the attention of the receptionist. "S'cuse me, Mr. Receptionist!" the filly yelled. She suspected she wouldn't be heard over the noise of everypony else - the place was packed - but he heard her. "Hello there..." whispered the receptionist. Apple Bloom looked up, frowning. "Y'all don't look too good." she noted, the scarred and bruised face of the somehow familiar pony looking down at her. "Anyway..." - the receptionist tried to change the subject - "What brings you here, little filly?" "I need to see the Flim Flam brothers!" she declared. The earth pony receptionist gasped. "No! Absolutely not! You have no authority to-" He was cut off by an angry Apple Bloom. "I'll have to go get my sister, then." "Wait!" he protested, but the Crusader had already left. Within seconds an orange pony came charging in, but upon seeing the receptionist she froze. "Silver Shill? Why is your face all messed up? What're y'all doin' here?" "I... um... uh... had to get a job, so I worked here, and, uh, I used to be a... member of the Royal Guard...?" Applejack frowned. "Is there something y'all aren't tellin' me?" Silver Shill shook his head vigorously. "No..." "Good, because I need to speak to your bosses."