The Inheritors of Friendship

by NgKQ

Chapter 24

When they reached there, they found that everypony was surrounding something covered in a huge cloth, with their friends have arrived as well. Malinae rushed towards Melody Aurora, who was with her coltfriend Chaos Control.

“Melody! Melody! What’s going on?” asked Malinae.

“You see, it all started since last night,” replied Melody. “We heard a loud chugging noise from a machine in the middle of the night!”

“Night? We didn’t hear anything!” said Fiji.

“Me too,” added Chaos. “But those near the town center heard it, especially Platinum Royale who told this to us.”

“It was so loud that we were jolted by it. The moment I woke up I saw everypony searching for that machine!” explained Platinum.

“Who owns it?” asked Raisin.

“Who knows!” cried Greenie Hats.

All of a sudden, the machine started making sounds again. Then, the cloth slowly unveiled away to reveal a huge machine, with two yellow unicorns having red and white manes and tails, with one of them having a mustache.

“Who are they?” asked Peanut Butter.

“Hmm, if I’m not mistaken, they must be Flim and Flam!” answered Raisin.

“Flim and Flam? When have I heard of them before?” asked Fiji.

The Flim Flam twins were infamous for promoting their low-quality, fraud products to the residents of Ponyville. Now what would be their purpose this time?

“Good morning to all of Ponyville,” began Flim.

“We would like to promote a brand new product to satisfy your worries,” sang Flam.

“Product? What is it?” asked Pepper Flake.

“That sounds boring,” groaned Greenie. “Singing to promote some kind of crap.”

“I think it’s best that we don’t get involved with this,” suggested Beryl. “Especially bogus salesponies like them.”

“How can you be sure that they’re bogus guys?” asked Thunder Clash.

“I remember Mom told us about them. Their products are nothing but a mix of normal ingredients!” answered Melody.

“So they’re selling fake thingies?” asked Pizza Frenzy.

“Kinda,” replied Raisin.

“Then we better get out of here,” said Prudence Aura. “I don’t like anything unreal.”

The friends quickly returned to the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle.

Later that day, Fiji returned to check out the machine. She scrutinized it all over.

“I just don’t know what’s this for,” she thought to herself.

Her attention was next focused to a small tent pitched beside the machine. It was opened and she could see both Flim and Flam inside. They were counting their bits collected earlier when they noticed Fiji standing outside.

“Oh hey,” invited Flim. “Come in here.”

Fiji stepped into the tent. “Well… what can I do for you?”

“Have a sip of this,” said Flam as he offered her a bottle of a liquid.

“What’s this?”

“A special tonic drink…”

“… that can make you wishes come true!”

“What wish?”

“Any wish! Just say what you want before you drink it and it’s all set!”

Fiji just stared at the bottle.

“Just take it home!”

“You can tell us what it is later!”

“But… but I…”

“Don’t worry!”

“We’ll come in a few days!”

With that, Fiji, with an unsure feeling, took the bottle home.

“How am I supposed to deal with this?” she thought to herself. “Aha! I know what to do!”

Luckily, as she got home, her parents were outdoors with Big McIntosh. Raisin was too busy in tending his plants. She found her sister with her aunts.

“Oh, you just came back,” said Apple Bloom. “Anything special?”

“Not really,” said Fiji calmly as she went into her room to hide the bottle.

For the next two days, nothing special happened. Fiji did not even mention to her family about the bottle, not even her friends.

“I’m starting to feel that they aren’t really frauds,” said Peanut.

“How can you be so sure?” asked Platinum.

“We can’t be really deceived yet. They have their hidden purposes,” continued Chaos.

“He’s right,” agreed Melody. “We can’t judge a book by its cover.”

The next morning, the day right before the big day.

Fiji was at the yard sorting out apples when the brothers came.

“Well, well, well,” began Flim.

“Have you tried out the tonic?” asked Flam.

“Err, well…”

“What’s the matter?”

“You hadn’t tried it?”

“You see, I was very busy…”

“Oh, really?”

“You should’ve at least find some time to-”

“And what do you think you’re doing here?”

The brothers gasped.

Applejack had woken up from a start to hear the dialogue between her eldest daughter and the salesponies.

“Oh my…”

“It’s Applejack! Long time no see!” Flim raised out his hoof to her, but she rejected.

“I demand to know, what are you doing with my daughter?”

“Well, you see…”

“We’re trying to promote a brand new product to your daughter.”

“Brand new product…?” She turned to Fiji, now in a nervous state.

“What’s the matter? Not going to do for us?” Flim asked. The brothers now look annoyed.

“If you don’t do it, then why don’t we do something else?” asked Flam.

“Err, not that I want to do it, but…”

“Alright, speak it up!” demanded Applejack. “What are you two going to do this time?”

“Why don’t we hold a cider competition like last time?”

“Too bad your old Granny Smith isn’t here to help you out now.”

“Mom, don’t!” Fiji prayed. She felt that she had opened Pandora’s Box.

“I accept the challenge,” decided Applejack at last, leaving Fiji wide-eyed. “But I warn ya, my o’ Grandma isn’t around to guide me, yet I still have my o’ moves to beat you down!”

“Then that’s settled.”

“We’re telling Mayor about this. In the meantime, good luck!” And the brothers went away, chortling.

“Fiji,” said Applejack severely. “Come back inside. I want to talk to you.”

In the barn, Fiji had the heaviest lecture she ever experienced.

“I’m ashamed of you,” scolded Applejack. “Never had I had somepony who’s good at being a liar and covering up perfectly for what you’ve done.”

“But Mom, I just don’t want to put some burden upon you.”

“Don’t argue with her,” added Niku. “What you’re doing is a shame to this family. Imagine Granny Smith! She would be very upset if she would see you lying like that.”

Fiji felt battered. She didn’t know what to reply.

“Mom and Dad, give her a break,” said Raisin suddenly. “I understand what Fiji’s talking about. By saying that she doesn’t want to put a burden upon us, she’s quite err… loyal, I can say.”

“Huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“She doesn’t want to hurt you all telling all of us that she met the Flim Flam brothers,” elaborated Malinae.

“Wait, Malinae, what are you talking about?” asked Niku.

“I think I have to agree with what they think,” agreed Apple Bloom. “Fiji may not be right at what she’s doing, but she did this partially for the sake of your worries.”

“Me, too. She can be innocent in some way,” said Babs Seed.

“Eeyup!” finished Big McIntosh.

The couple paused for a moment. Then Applejack spoke.

“Alright Fiji, I was supposed to give you a grounding punishment, but after listening to your dear ponies, I shall reduce your punishment.”

Fiji was still worried. “W-what is it?”

“You shall help me when we challenge the brothers,” explained Applejack. “Don’t let me see ya on strike, I’ll put back the punishment to ya!”

Fiji, full of surprise, was speechless.

“Are we not grateful to you?” asked Niku. “If not for your relatives around you!”

“Th-Thank you…”

Raisin patted her neck. “Relax. We understand what you mean.” He pondered for a moment. “But I wonder if our friends can help…”

“They can help,” allowed Applejack. “As long as they’re true friends who understand and being with you since the day you’re born…”