On Sweet Apple Acers Applejack paused to wipe her brow, adjusted her hat, then returned to sorting red delicious from sour green. Upon hearing the creak of cart wheels coming from behind the barn she looked up. “Are you still giving those youngins’ hay rides, Big Mac?”
“Nope,” The large red pony replied as the hay cart rolled around the corner. Big Mac was sitting in the cart among servals foals and waived at her as they rolled up. Pulling them along with ease was one little pink pony. Applejack laughed. “I think that I should hire her to work on the farm. Chores will be done in no time- Hey you two, the longer you stand there gawking, the longer we’re going to be out here,” She called to the Flim Flam brothers. They were both standing open mouthed next to the basket of apples that that they had just dropped.
“How is that little foal pulling that big cart?” Flim asked
“And how can we get whatever magic potion that she’s taking?” Flam added.
“She ain’t taking no magic potion. She’s just special, that’s all,” Applejack replied, “Now Twilight sent you out here to learn how to do honest work hard and taking breaks every ten minutes ain’t it.”
“Oh come on Applejack, we’ve already been out here for hours gathering apples for your orders,” Flam groaned.
“And mixed them together instead of putting them into two separate carts like I told you. Filthy Rich ordered sour green and the Cakes ordered red delicious and I can’t send them their orders in a mess like this. If you two put the same effort that you put into swindling into actual honest work, you two could go far.”
“I can help,” Lily said as she trotted up beside Applejack.
“No youngin’, this is their chance to redeem themselves and they ani’t going to learn to work fer’ themselves if somepony does it for them.”
“Then how about you take a break,” Lily said nodding to the cart. “Everypony knows that you work your tail off.”
“Naw, I if go off on a hay ride how am I going to keep an eye on these two and make sure that they do their chores?” Applejack replied.
“That’s simple,” Big Mac replied. “If nothing has been done by the time you get back then you’ll know if they are working or not.”
“I don’t know…”
“Awww, come on Applejack,” Apple Bloom called and the other fillies joined it.
“Alright then,” Applejack sighed, “Just one trip around the farm.” She climbed in and gave one last look at the Flim Flam brothers. “Remember now, this is your chance to redeem yourselves. If you really want it, don’t blow it.”
“Of course ma’am,” Flim said with a bow. “I promise you that we are grateful for your generosity and we will work hard to learn honest ways.”
As Lily started off Applejack settled down in the hay. “Just one quick little trip around the orchard yougnin’,” Applejack repeated. “I still have lots ta’ do.”
“Quick you say?” Lily replied with a grin. Little pink hooves pounded the earth as she bolted across the orchard with the cart rolling and bouncing along behind her. Fillies, colts and one Big Mac clung the sides cheering and laughing. Applejack clung to her hat to keep it from blowing off.
“Don’t worry, big sis,” Apple Bloom called into the wind, “It’ll be fine. You can’t spend all day frettin’ about those two.”
“Yeah,” Twist called, “and we need help with riddles. We’ve been trying to stump Lily but we can’t. Do you know any?”
“Well I know a few,” Applejack replied, “But their all about apples.”
“Awww, then you just told her the answer to them.”
* * *
Flam snorted as he glared at the receding cart. “These ponies! If it weren’t for them word of our business practices would have never gotten known all over Equestria.”
“Relax brother,” Flim said calmly. “They may have been the start of the problem but they will also solve it. Just stick to the plan. Once we can convince Applejack and her friends that we’ve turned over a new leaf, others will believe it. We’ll play it honest for a while and once we have the trust of most ponies back we can continue with our old tricks. Don’t you remember how ponies were scrambling for our tonic after Applejack said one halfhearted phrase about it? Just imagine how things will be if we get all six of them and maybe even most of Ponyville to agree that we’ve changed.”
“Hrumph,” Snorted Flam as he went back to sorting apples. “It’s a good enough plan but a long term one. The faster a reward comes, the better. Hopefully we’ll find another way out of this mess.”
* * *
“Hmmm, that is quite tell, my friend of scale. She sounds like one clever pony, but one that is good and no phony.”
Leftfang shrugged. “She saved my life though she did make a fool of me.”
“Who made a fool of who? You made a fool of you,” Zecora replied.
“Ua… well… humph. So do you have any idea how to fix my magic?”
“I think that I do know the reason for your trouble but it cannot be fixed on the double,” Zecora replied.
“What! Why not?!” Leftfang exclaimed, “… but it can be fixed right?!”
“Yes, but only by you, once your heart and mind is thoroughly true.”
Leftfang blinked at her lost somewhere between anger and being confused to the point of astonishment. “What?! What does that mean?! That sounds like gibberish! Can you please stop speaking in riddles?!”
“I do not mean it to be a riddle but let me explain a little, all magic within any creature, is not a simple feature. All creatures have it, whether they can manipulate it or not, but of those who can, they must be careful how they trot. You have much rage and hate and that has changed your fate. Fate is connected with magic and for you, this has become quite tragic. Bitterness is a heavy load and it will direct you even further down this road. You have now met a friend who is true, yet you have still not let the idea through. Further you have pulled this split, while they can hold out a hoof for friendship, you still have to take it. Only then can there be kinship.”
Leftfang stared at her as he tried to decode what Zecora had told him. “I still don’t get it. Can’t you just create some potion for me?”
Zecora shook her head. “No potion will solve this, it’s no simple thing that is amiss. Go the home of the Ponyfolk for it to end, your task is simple, make some friends.”
“What?! How is making friends with PONIES going to help?! I need my magic fixed, what I do not need is ponies in my social life! Was that meant to be a joke?!”
“The magic issues are the symptoms, not the cause, from your rant you must pause, for this is no joke, it is true the words I spoke. As crazy as it may sound, you will only find your answer in the pony town.”
“But… their ponies! Surely you know how all ponies are like?!” Left fang growled.
“All ponies the same is unreality, they come in every personality, as do all kinds, just like yours and just like mine.”
But all ponies are greedy!”
“All ponies are?”
Don’t you know that ponies used to hunt us down for wishes?!”
“All ponies did?” Zecora repeated.
“Uggh! Let’s just try a potion!”
“There is nothing that I can do for you, your path you must follow thru,” Zecora replied. “It will either lead to peace or a rage increase. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to choose a good fate.”
Leftfang angrily flew out of the hut and thru the canopy. Flapping his wings hard he zig-zagged over the trees muttering to himself. He started to fly home and the suddenly back towards the hut. Changing his mind again he flew in circles as he debated his options aloud. Finally, he tipped his wings in the one direction that he had been avoiding and flew towards Ponyville where a little pink foal lived.