Two Halves of a Whole

Flim and Flam weren't the best of ponies but one thing was for sure: They were true brothers to the end. Flim had just received the call from the hospital that Flam was "dying" as per usual. It was part of a new routine. The brothers had found out that apathy towards a pony was a great source of bits. So they naturally came up with a "deadly poison" filled with the most random ingredients they could find. Each routine Flam would fake his death and wind up at the hospital. Flim made his way to visit his brother. He entered Flam's room but something was different. Very different. Instead of sitting in a chair with an annoyed looking nurse waiting for him, there was hooks and wires attached to his body while he lay down in a bed.

"Hello Flam! How's 'death' treatin' ya!" Flim said as he sat down in a chair next to his brother. Flam strain-fully rolled over to Flim.

"Flim, I-I need to tell you something..." Flam said hoarsely.

"What? That nurse giving you a hard time? I can always 'work my magic' like last time." Flim said as he nudged his brother softly.

"No, it's something important."

"What could be more important than mares, my dear brother!"

"That last 'poison'. There...was something in it. Something bad." Flam coughed.

"Sure...wait! You-you're serious?!" Flim said as his eyes grew wide.

"For once in my life, yes."

"So, how long do you think you'll be out?"

"Flim, I don't think I will. The nurse said chances of my survival are unlikely."

"What are you saying!?" Flim cried.

"I'm saying, we can't be the 'World Famous Fli-'" Flam coughed. "'Flim-Flam Brothers' anymore."

"No! No! You can't die! We're brothers! I can't do anything without you!"

"You'll find a way...I know you will...."

"We can't have only one brother! I need you! You need me!"

"You have to...be independent...for...once."

"You see this!?" Flim showed Flam his cutie mark. It was half of an apple. Then he pointed to Flam's cutie mark which was the other half. "You can't go! We're a team!"

"I'm...sorry brother."

"You don't...you must be joking! Laugh with me brother!" Flim laughed as he broke into tears.

"I said...I'm not joking this time. But I suppose I could laugh....one last...time." Flam said as he chuckled.

"Louder! You're gonna be OK!"

"Well...you've...got...an..." Flam sang weakly.

"Opportunity in this very community." Flim continued.

"You're Flim." Flam said as he put his hoof on Flim's chest.

"You're Flam." Flim said as he put his hoof on Flam's chest.

"We're..."

"The..."

"World..."

"Famous..."

"Flim..."

"Flam...Flam that's your line. Flam!?" Flim said as he saw Flam's eyes close for the very last time. "Brothers! Say 'brothers'! Please! Wake up!" Just then, one final word came out of Flam's mouth.

"Br...oth....er...s"

"Flam! Don't die on me! Flam! FLAAAAAAAM!!!"

...Traveling salesponies nonpareil.

Flim had just put on his black suit. He had only used it on Flam's pretend "funerals". Only this time, the funeral was real. Flim then straightened his tie and walked into the bathroom to wash his face.

"Flam...I don't know what I'll do without you. You were...my...other half." Flim said as he washed his face. "Pull it together, Flim. Show some self-respect." Flim said straightening up. Flim then exited the bathroom, wiping any remaining tears off his face and walked outside. He was then greeted by a taxi carriage driver.

"Where to?" The carriage driver asked.

"The local cemetery."

"I see." The driver said quietly. "Should take less than a minute."

"Thank you." Flim looked outside. He saw fillies and colts playing with their sister or brother. Almost breaking in tears again, he looked away and closed his eyes for the remainder of the trip.

"We're here. Oh, and I'm sorry for your loss." Flim nodded back and got out of the carriage. He saw the chairs were filled with Flim and Flam's family and friends. Flim sat down next to his colthood friends and waited for the priest to begin the funeral.

"We are gathered here today to pay tribute to the pony named Flam Skim." The priest began.

"Now you hold it right there!" Shouted a voice in the back. A orange pony walked up to the priest. "I've seen enough of these two to know that they're lying! They do the same thing every few weeks I tell ya!"

"SHUT UP!" Flim yelled. "He...he really is dead."

"Oh yeah? Then where's the proof?"

"The...the death certificate. Here it is. I hope you're happy." Flim said as he showed the orange pony the paper. "He was my only brother. And if you dare pay disrespect to him I will..." Just then one of Flim's colthood friends, a blue unicorn, put her hoof on Flim's shoulder and shook her head.

"I'm sorry about that. I'll...I'll be going now." The orange pony left the funeral while earning glares from everypony around her.

"Ahem. As I was saying," the priest said clearing his throat, "Flam was a traveling salespony along with his brother Flim. Together they were an unstoppable duo. He brought joy and laughter to everypony. He will be missed and we all wish him luck in the afterlife. Would anypony like to speak a few words?" Flim slowly stood up and walked towards the pedestal where the priest spoke.

"Flam...was my brother. He was always happy even when things didn't work out. We may have not been entirely honest, but I...I...hope that...Flam is...happy....wherever he is now. I...I...I miss you Flam." Flim said tears fell down his face. "You were the greatest opportunity a stallion could've asked for."