The whole Apple family stood lined up, warming themselves up for the cider-producing competition.
"You ready to do your part?" Applejack whispered in Twilight's ear.
She winked. "You bet."
* * *
Time Turner flipped the hourglass over, and with that, the race to produce cider was on.
The Apple family jumped to it, taking an early lead.
The Flim Flam brothers, though, seemed to be having some problems. "Why won't it work?" Flam asked.
"I don't know, brother of mine!" Flim replied. "But it's the magic. Our magic isn't powering the machine!"
* * *
Twilight watched from a hill above the action, grinning to herself. She could feel Flim's and Flam's magic pressing against her inhibitor spell, but there was no way they could overpower her.
The Apple family would be saved.
Cheaaaaaaating.
OOOOH Twiiii~light~! You little sneak you!
That's... one way to do it. Even if it's cheaty.
The apple family way works best where magic is suppressed.
this is taking itself less and less seriously as it goes
5358715
5358724
5358741
Yeah. Pretty much.
But, hey, the Flim Flam brothers aren't above cheating, themselves.
5358726
Sneaky Twilight is best Twilight.
5358750
Heh, pretty much. ^.^
5358822
Did it ever take itself seriously to begin with?
5358910 True but in the ribbons thing last episode with Applejack you didn't need to do it. Why?
5358925
Because she doesn't LIKE Flim/Flam. Oh I guess she could just beat them at making cider but sometimes a little extra is needed.
Next one is going to be odd... I mean THIS Dash hurting herself?
5358936 I shudder to think if this happens to Flim and Flam what will happen to Chrysalis. I don't know if i should look forward to an episode where they say "Here have some love now leave us alone..." or an episode where she will be vindictively destroyed. I am not looking forward to the latter.
Btw cheating goes against friendship. That is all.
Applelight for the win! Or is it Twijack? Eh, either way.
Presenting a new religion centered around the one true alicorn: King Lord High Commander Darkflame Steelwings The Magnificent.
KBO.
5358936 I think this Dash would pull off the trick without hurting herself and already know how awesome reading and the Daring Do series are.
5358942
Twilight sees Cadance, Sunshine Sunshine, little bugs awake. Clap your hooves and acknowledge your mistake. But seriously Chrysalis, you made a bad move replacing my brother's fiancee and my former foalsitter. You think I couldn't see who you were a mile away? Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way -- Where is she?
5358989 Not looking forward to it. Also this was a childish gesture. Would it be too bad for Cadence to just have grown out of it? I would.
5358996
It makes for a very good "are you really you, check."
5358999 Or a very stupid shameful dance. Really? Showing up your flank to someone? Tell me this "gesture" isn't the least bit suggestive and i will accept whatever you have.
5359013
She came up with it at an age where she had no idea. It is that kind of innocence that is rarely openly expressed.
5359082 That age has passed.
5359090
It never passes unless you let it, and on that day angels weep.
5359095 Why do the angels weep? Dude drama much? It's okay not to lose the mentality but this stuff... this stuff is borderline inappropriate. Innocence MY ASS if any of us did it down the street when we meet each other they'd throw tomatoes at us. Don't even start with the "pony innocence" thing. It doesn't work.
And I thought Flim and Flam's cheating was bad!
5359107 When the angels weep, you run like hell and pray they don't catch you. And when you see them, you NEVER blink...
5359303 You realize I am aware of the doctor who reference I just choose to ignore it?
Don't try to cheat against Twilight Sparkle, or she will get you.
And if you don't try and cheat against her, everything will be fine.
How to beat cheaters: Cheat back
(Don't take that out of context)
"You got a deal," exclaimed Apple Bloom. "But if we win, we get'cher fancy cider press."
"But it's powered by magic," said Flim. "You can't even use it."
"Show of magic: how many unicorns here would be willin' to power this sucker fer a free cup'a cider?" Dozens of colorful lights shone in the assembled crowd.
"Alright, then. But, unfortunately," said Flam, polishing an apple on his striped shirt. "We don't have any...apples."
"What's that y'say? 'You forfeit'? Sounded like y'said you forfeit'," Granny Smith said, turning to walk away. Flim rushed around to cut her off. "Actually, we were hoping to use a few of yours."
"Just a couple of hooffuls," added Flam, not particularly helpfully.
"Oh," Said Granny Smith. "Well, ya'll c'n buy some, but Ah should warn'y, the price is fixin' t'skyrocket fer the duration o' this here competition."
"But how will we compete without apples," the brothers asked simultaneously.
"Ah dunno. Not pertickalurly well, Ah reckon."
"Afraid to help out the competition, Granny Smith? What are ya...chicken," the two said in turn starting from the one without the mustache.
"Sure, if it helps ya t'think that," Granny Smith said, waving a hoof dismissively. "Now, let's get this contest a-goin', already!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some time later
"The Apple family has produced forty-six barrels to Flim and Flam's...left Ponyville in disgrace an hour ago," announced Mayor Mare. "The Apples win!"
"Plus, we got their thing," said Apple Bloom, pointing to the hard to say Super-Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. "We c'n make even more cider, now!"
Granny Smith patted her granddaughter's mane with a proud smile. "That's mah li'l hubris-punisher!"
5360232
You did it better than me.
5360590 I don't know about that, yours was pretty funny. And more succinct. Thank you, though.
I don't like your Version of this Episode... at all
The Flim Flam Brother may have cheated, but 1st that was AFTER they were about to lose, 2nd they were manipulating THEIR OWN Machine and not their Opponents and 3rd it was because of their cheating that they were chased out of Town
oh my gosh, just waht?
Well they say cheaters never prosper, but since logic tends to vanish a few times, I can let this slide.
Flim and Flam actually did *not* cheat in this episode; they talked the Apples into making a terrible bet, but they never tricked them into it. They made it clear what their machine could do and then delivered, and played on Apple pride to get them to make the bet. If they had refused to let AJ's friends participate, then Flim and Flam would never have had to turn off their own quality control, and they were handily outproducing the Apples (with good-quality cider) up to the point when Twilight and company joined in. They were legitimately winning until their arrogance had them give their competitors an edge for no reason.
The Apples, in turn, made their own initial mistake in letting Flim and Flam have vast quantities of apples for free, with no penalty for damage to trees. The solution in the comments here, of charging for the apples, would have made everything work out for all parties concerned - and forget the bet entirely. The Apples would have had a massive standing order from Flim and Flam for apples to make into cider to export across Equestria, and they still could have produced their own cider locally for Ponyville, and sold theirs as a 'top-shelf' brand, at higher cost and more limited quantities.
She is cheating, but still it is funny because it is OP!
5374324 They cheated when they turned off the quality control and started eating whole trees. I don't think apple mash with wood splinters and rocks in it counts as 'cider'. Neither did the ponies once they tried to drink it.
5386215
I wouldn't call that cheating, so much as vandalism, destruction of property, burglary, and possibly attempted poisoning. With how Applejack is about her trees I was surprised she wasn't pressing murder charges. Then I remembered the episode writer and I was like "...oh. Oh yeah."
5360232 Yes. I don't know where Flim and Flam got that machine, but it was the real deal when the QC was turned on. Cider for everypony!
This is even worse cheating then in the episode, I am so proud of you Mane 6
5358910
Do you mean the Ponyville branch or the entire Apple family?
TWILIGHT SAVES THE DAY!
AGAIN!
9527013
Alternate title for this series.
This is not necessary. The Apple family wins anyway
10080111
You could say that about pretty much any chapter of this story!