Flim and Flam slowly trotted onto the train departing for Rainbow Falls. Their last business venture having been exposed by Silver Shill, the only way to keep afloat was to expand to other areas, where no one knew of their reputation. Trottingham, Manehattan, Canterlot - they were no longer welcome there after the many failures they had suffered. Surely this new area would be the next best thing for them, but first they had to test the waters.
''Brother, are you sure that this is a good idea?'' Flim asked his partner, feeling unsure as the train began its journey to Rainbow Falls.
''Flim, this is a fool-proof plan,” he reaffirmed confidently. “The Traders’ Exchange is the best way to sell our next product. There is no way this can possibly fail.'' Flam assured his brother, putting a foreleg over his back.
Flim seemed uncertain at first, but dismissed the feeling quickly. His features lifting, he replied, ''I'll take your word for it, Flam! Let's go sell our product!'' He raised his hoof high as the train barreled onward to their destination.
TIME PASSAGE
Rainbow Falls was full of life.
The small settlement was peppered with tiny houses about the landscape, all near rainbow-tinted waterfalls that do the name justice. On the outskirts of the village, ponies could be seen at various shops and stands, trading everything from glazed pastries to mane extensions. The only rule of the Rainbow Falls Traders’ Exchange was that ponies had to come to the mutual agreement that a trade was fair and reasonable. Also, can not trade the lives of ponies for collectible books.
Stretching their limbs after exiting the train, the brothers didn’t waste a second. Flam strode on out of the station with a grin, Flim taking a breath and following likewise. In a matter of minutes they had made it to the center of the exchange. Finding an empty patch of grass, they set down their inflatable tent. Flim bit down on a string hanging off the side of the cloth and pulled back, triggering the mechanism that made the cloth explode into a full-blown, colorful stall. The brothers put down a soapbox and jumped on it vigorously, eyeing the ponies that started gathering around.
‘’Come one, come all, to the Flim Flam Brothers’ trading phenomenon!’ Flim and Flam announced in unison, catching the attention of the other ponies at the trading booths.
Ponies from all around the vicinity trotted over to the tent, except for a pale lime green mare who eyed them over her banners with a frown. Peachy Pitt watched from her trading stand at all of the commotion around her and decided to investigate. She walked over to the inflatable tent, tapping one of the brothers on the shoulder.
‘’Sorry to bother you two, but this exchange is open for all ponies to trade with each other. Not for you to hog all of the traders,’’ she said directly, narrowing her eyes at them.
‘’With all do respect ma’am, this might be a public trading place but we still have the right to do business with whomever we please. Besides, it’s not like anyone will catch o-.’’ Flim stopped suddenly, turning back to the crowd of ponies and acting as if the mare didn’t exist.
‘’Catch on to what exactly?’’ Peachy asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘’That is none of your concern, please leave us to our business.’’ Flim replied in a businesslike tone, shooing the mare away with his hoof. Peachy walked away from the tent and back to her banner booth.
What a pair of mean gentlecolts, I’d like to show them some sense. Peachy thought to herself, upset. She watched the con ponies from behind her booth, sure that they were up to no good.
‘’Everypony, we have a product here that can enlighten you!’’
‘’Astound you!’’
‘’Give you a boost of confidence in your lives, and for the measly exchange of your items, we guarantee that this will lift your morale!”
“Increase your charisma!”
“Boost your confidence!” the two cheered in unison.
‘’Buy the Confidence Boost now, while limited supplies last!’’ Flam rejoiced, as the crowd chatted amongst each other excitedly.
Taking whatever trinkets they could get their hooves on, Flim and Flim distributed the Confidence Boost bottles to each pony in the crowd. Peachy shook her head in disbelief at the ponies actually falling for such a scam. In a matter of moments, they were all out of the Confidence Boost, every bottle willingly sold or traded to a happy customer. Peachy walked over to them.
‘’Oh looky here, it’s the same mare from earlier,” Flam called in mock-pleasantness.
‘’What do you want this time?” Flim asked pointedly.
‘’I heard about you two from Ponyville, conning ponies left and right just to make yourselves look good. Selling a product just to trick ponies is wrong!’’ Peachy stomped her hoof down, glaring at the two salesponies.
Flam put a hoof to his chest, his eyes widening as he looked at his brother. ‘’Why, an accusation if you ask me, were you even there when we sold the Curative Tonic?’’ Flim shook his head derisively as his partner asked the question.
‘’I was there selling banners so I could earn enough bits to come to the exchange. Are you sure you didn’t lie to those ponies you sold your so-called ‘product’ to?’’ Peachy inquired.
‘’Trust me, they’ll be full of confidence once they drink the Confidence Boost.’’ Flim said, walking away with Flam into their inflatable tent.
An angry group of ponies were in front of the tent, yelling at the top of their lungs with complaints. ‘’This is an outrage, we want a refund!’’
Flim and Flam ran out of their tent, sweat beading down their necks and pressing their hats against their chests. ‘’What seems to be the problem, everypony?’’
One stallion called out angrily, ‘’The problem is that this did not boost our confidence at all!’’
‘’W-why, whatever do you mean by that?’’ Flam responded nervously.
‘’I drank this Confidence Boost to ask one of the mares that I liked to dinner; I was gonna be a hotshot! Instead I was sweating buckets and she smacked me right across the face!’’
‘’I’m sorry sir, but we have a policy called ‘no refunds’.’’ Flim stated. Kicking his brother with a hind leg, Flam disappeared for a moment. Coming back to meet the crowd, a hastily scribbled ‘NO REFUNDS’ could be seen marked on the front of the stand.
‘’Come back later after our lunch break!’’ Flam added, retreating back into the tent.
Before Flim and Flam could turn and escape back into their tent, Peachy walked up to them. She lifted an eyebrow and gave the brothers a cocky grin. ‘’I told you so. Looks like it’s time to teach you liars a lesson or two in honesty.’’
The crowd quieted down and watched as the three ponies engaged in an altercation.
‘’We’ll see about that, little mare.’’
‘’How about this? If I can prove once and for all that your Confidence Boost is a fraud, you two jokers will pack your bags never to come back here again.’’ Peachy claimed, she tapped them on their chests to trick them into accepting.
‘’Prove us wrong then.’’
‘’Gladly.’’
Peachy grabbed a bottle of Confidence Boost on the ground, turning the cap on the bottle counterclockwise, and tossing the cap on the bottle. She bent her head back and poured the liquid down her throat as it rushed down her throat into her stomach, positioning her head back up. ‘’Let’s see how this goes.’’
Peachy felt a rush of vomit rise up to her throat, her mouth opened quickly as a coat of vomit landed on the two brothers. ‘’See everypony, a drink doesn’t give you confidence. You do. Confidence comes from believing in yourself and telling the world that no matter how many times they knock you down, you can get right back up.’’
‘’Lying doesn’t help you achieve anything,’’ Peachy finished, turning to the two with a frown. The brothers started to feel the circle of ponies around them shrinking.
‘’Flim.’’
‘’Yes, Flam?’’
‘’Run!’’ Tent and supplies forgotten, the brothers darted away to the train station as fast as their hooves could carry them, nopony bothering to follow.
Confidence comes from showing your true self to the world, and accepting the consequences. Taking a step in the right direction and earning your keep. NOT hiding behind scams and lies. Peachy thought to herself.
Peachy Pitt smiled and trotted back to her banners, ready to make an honest bit. ‘’My work here is done.’’
