The school day was about to end and young Flim and Flam were eager to leave. The twin unicorns both sat in their seats glancing at the clock every second. It continued ticking second by second but each second felt like an hour.
“Now listen up everypony,” their teacher said, “Next week there is going to be a school wide young inventors contest. If you would like to know more and are interested in entering then please ask.”
Flim and Flam looked at each other and knew what they were thinking. They wanted to enter the contest. After all they had made a few inventions and they all worked decently. Of course they would have to work together.
The school day had finally ended so Flim and Flam approached their teacher who was tidying up her desk.
“Excuse me Miss,” Flim said to her.
The teacher glanced up and said, “Yes Flim and Flam.”
“It’s about the contest,” Flam began, “We wanted to know if we would be allowed to enter as a team.”
“Of course you two can.”
“Yes,” Flim and Flam said simultaneously.
Flim and Flam had gotten home and went to their barn. The barn was there when they first moved there and, they didn’t use the barn for keeping animals since they didn’t have any. Instead it was used b Flim and Flam as a sort of clubhouse even though they weren’t a club.
“Now what are we going to build Flam?” Flim asked from atop a pile of hay.
“Now that’s a good question. It has to be something that everypony would want,” Flam answered.
“It can’t just be something they want. It has to be something they need.”
“True true…but what is something that would make life better. After all that is the point of inventions.”
“Maybe we could improve on something already existing.”
“Good idea Flim my brother. Now we just need to figure out what to improve.”
They both thought about it but both drew a blank.
“Well I’m going out to get an apple Flam. Do you want one?” Flim said.
“I’m not hungry right now,” Flam then thought to himself for a moment, “Wait! I’ve got it!”
“Me too!”
“An apple cider maker!” they both said, “It’s perfect.”
“Cider only comes once a year. If we made it easier to make then cider could come two or three or even four times a year,” Flim said excitedly.
“Let’s get to work,” Flam said.
So they began making blueprints for their machine. The work was going smoothly until they began to have different ideas about how the machine would work. The argument was about a few things such as how man apples went in at once and how the machine was activated and used.
“Personally I think that we should use our magic to run the machine Flim,” Flam suggested.
“Yes but then the machine wouldn’t be very usable since only Earth ponies can grow apples and only unicorns can run the machine.”
“Look we aren’t making something that’s going to be used worldwide. It’s just for the contest.”
“For now it’s just the contest but I think that the whole world should have more cider.”
“That’s very nice but we only have a week to design and build this thing and we need to work together.”
Flim thought to himself for a moment, “I’m not sure about that.”
“What do you mean Flim?”
“Well do we really need to work together? We do everything together so why do this too?”
“You’ve got a point but I don’t know why you’d want to work against me. I mean we both know you would lose.”
“Really! You think I would lose to you!”
“Well yeah, I am older.”
“Would you stop saying that! You’re only older by two minutes! Just two minutes! Two minutes isn’t enough time to get any better than me!”
“You know what! I don’t even want to work with you! You’d just slow me down like you always do!”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
Flim stomped out of the barn to begin his work. They both worked as hard as they could on their invention, running into man mishaps along the way, until the day before the contest was held. They both sat alone looking at their version of the original design. They both knew that something was missing and that that something was the other.
“Hey Flam,” Flim said as he entered the barn.
“Yeah Flim.”
“I’m sorry about the yelling.”
“And I’m sorry about playing the “I’m older card” way too often.”
They both let out a little chuckle.
“But Flam, now we have some serious work to do. The contest is tomorrow and our work alone is mediocre at best.”
“Alright Flim, let’s do this.”
The spent all night integrating the best parts of both of their machines but by morning it was done. It was finally time for the contest. There were so many competitors and so many unique inventions. Flim and Flam watched eagerly and nervously as the judges walked around and examined each invention.
The judges finally reached the two of them.
“And what did you enter,” one of the judges asked.
“Now what is this,” Flim asked after he pulled out and apple from underneath the table.
“That’s an apple,” the judges replied unimpressed.
“True this is an apple,” Flam began, “But what happens when you take this delicious apple and put it through our machine?”
Flim lifted the white cloth that covered their invention. The judges looked at it unable to figure out its purpose.
“Let’s begin Flam.”
Both of their horns lit up with green magic that started the machine. The judges watched in awe as Flam placed the apple into the machine and in a few moments a glass of cider was ready. This was the most amazing thing they had seen. One of the judges was still skeptical and so he took a drink of the cider. This completely convinced him as it was the best cider he ever had.
“What do you call this amazing invention,” one of the judges asked.
“The Flim Flam Brother’s Super Speed Cider Squeezy,” they both said simultaneously.
Flim and Flam were declared the winners and both obtained a blue ribbon. After the both received their ribbon they noticed the other’s flank was glowing.
“Look your flank…my flank…our cutie marks,” they both said simultaneously.
They had both received their cutie marks. Flim’s depicted an apple slice and Flam’s an apple with a slice out of it. This represented that they were meant to make cider but, only when they’re together.
Flim sat at the bar, the bartender waiting for him to make his order.
“I’ll have a hard cider without ice.”
The bartender began to get his drink when Flam entered. He sat down next to Flim and ordered a hard cider for himself. They both got their drinks and began to drink.
“I can’t believe what happened in Ponyville today Flam,” Flim said sadly.
“Well I guess that’s how it goes. We succeed together and fail together.”
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” they both said simultaneously.
They hit their mugs of hard cider together and drank the rest of it down.