Flim-Flam Fever

by EHAN

Chapter 2

The crack of dawn. The sign of new hope after a period of dark suspenseful waiting. At least, this is what it meant to Flim and Flam today. Getting the rest they well needed, they began work on making a barrel filled with their new cider. They had kept a record of their recipe, and began to write numerous copies of it. The recipe had become their lifeline. If they lost it, who knows what might happen to them?

As Flim finished making a good number of copies, Flam had filled up the last bit of the barrel. Flim stowed all the papers away, while Flam brought the barrel over to their cart.

Before they left the shack, Flam grabbed a map. He showed it to Flim and pointed out their destination. They had made marks all across the map of Equestria; it showed where they had their successes, where they had their failures, and where they dared to make return trips in the hopes to fool the townsfolk twice. They had gone back to places where they were successful, and more often than not, they left defeated after the return trip. Assuming that almost all of the towns had learned about the con ponies, one area on the map had purposely remained unchecked.

Their destination: a small, cozy village by the name of Hollow Shades.

This town appeared to be the ideal location of a final attempt. It was out of the way, so visitors were unlikely. This way, word of mouth could not easily have reached them about the infamous brothers and their nefarious schemes. They were a self-serving community, and everything they produced went directly to them. As secluded as they were, they welcomed strangers and treated them as they did one another. This innocent little village, as a result, was the perfect candidate to test their latest and greatest batch.

The journey took a couple of hours, but in their determination, they rarely took time to rest. "The sooner we get back on their feet, the better," they told each other. The woods seemed to stretch on forever, but soon enough, they saw a clearing up ahead. A few ponies happened to be enjoying themselves on the outskirts of town, and upon seeing the new arrivals, they ran into town to spread the news. Unaware of who these ponies were, and the reputation they had gained, the inhabitants began to fill the town square to welcome the new arrivals.

A crowd of just under a hundred ponies had gathered around the brothers within minutes. With their feeling of confidence returning to them, they introduced themselves to the town. The reassuring faces of friendly smiles radiated throughout the square. Flim nodded his head toward Flam.

"Awfully nice group of ponies, aren't they?" he said in a hushed tone. His older brother replied, "It would appear so, brother of mine!"

Walking over to one of the empty grocery stands, they set the cart and barrel down. They began to explain their motives to the crowd. Calling their cider "Golden Delight," they began to claim that it would be the best cider the group had ever tasted. They poured a few glasses and set them down in front of them. The crowd seemed a little bit skeptical at first. The town usually didn't take outside business well. However, a group of about four or five willing individuals stepped up to the stand, each asking the brothers for a cup.

The moment of truth had arrived. As the ponies took their sips of cider, the brothers watched with anticipation. A few long seconds passed. The ponies set down their glasses one at a time. The blank looks on their faces made it hard to tell what they were thinking. After a brief moment, one of them uttered only three simple words.

"I love it."

Flim and Flam immediately felt a wave of satisfaction as the small group began to ask for more cider. The brothers were more than happy to oblige. As they drank their second cup, the whole crowd went into an uproar, all asking for a cup of the cider. Once every pony in the crowd had a cup, the barrel of cider ran out. The group was saddened to hear this, but they were satisfied with what they drank nonetheless. Asking for money, the brothers put their hats on the table. Each pony put the bits they owed into the hats, and the brothers smirked, finally happy with their new success.

They had expected to make only a small profit, but by getting the entire town to drink up all of their cider, they barely had room for the bits they received. They had to stuff them all in the barrel. It wasn't the largest sum of money they had ever received at once, but it was definitely more than enough of a start. The brothers, feeling upbeat once again, thanked the town for their business, marched merrily out of the town, and on the road back to their shack in the woods, sang their merry little tune with the sun slowly rising over their heads.

The brothers, when back at the shack, began production of their cider on a larger scale than before. However, at Hollow Shades, the town was buzzing with the news of the traveling salesponies. Something this good could not possibly be kept a secret, they all decided. With the return of the brothers the next day, they asked Flim and Flam if they were planning to take their business to other towns. The ponies of Hollow Shades then promised Flim and Flam that they would put good word in for the next town they would visit, in exchange for more cider of course.

Both sides kept their word.