As the crowd soon departed, you decided to stay in your seat for the next announcement. You don't know why you always found yourself coming back here, something about it made you drawn for the past few days. It didn't take long for the brothers to take notice since you stick out in the crowd terribly.
"Look pal, the longer you stay here we're going to have to start charging." You nearly jumped in your chair and turned to see one of them approaching you. He did chuckle after so you knew he wasn't being serious. His matching twin, aside from his mustache, was beside him.
"I-I'm sorry I don't mean to-" The other twin held up his hoof to stop you. "Woah, woah. There's no need to get nervous, my brother was joking. Though we notice you leave during the main acts then only appear during our times on the stage. Seems a little suspicious, hm? Don't you think, Flim?"
His slightly younger brother nodded his head. "Indeed, Flam. My brother and I aren't morons and are aware on why you keep coming back here."
You felt like you were shrinking in your seat as your face turned red. You had always denied the one idea on why you returned here and the fact the twins can read you like an open book on that idea was embarrassing. You didn't want to face this, you wanted to leave immediately. You stood up fast from your seat, causing it to knock it down and speed walked pass the twins.
"Wait!" Flim shouted out, trotting for you.
"Come back!" Flam followed.
You started running for the exit however they blocked your way, they were quick on their hooves you'll give them that. Almost as if they were used to running.
"We didn't mean to scare you off. Forgive us, we usually have our doubts about anypon- urr... well in your case, creature, that we confront. For the sake of our business. But it doesn't seem like you're here to 'seek out the competition' after all." Flim said sincerely, taking off his hat to further it.
You understood- ...
Wait.
"You thought I was working for another resort?"
The two nodded, "We had thought you already were aware of our act, trying to see how we sell this place and take notes of it. Possibly sell it better. " Flam said with a offended look. You sighed out of relief, putting a hand on your chest to calm your rapid heartbeat.
"I can assure you, I don't work for nopony of the sort." It was their turn to sigh out. Flim then stood proudly, "Nopony can touch us and our successful business venture."
"Hmm, that still doesn't explain why you keep coming back." Flam gave you a questioning glance, "We aren't strangers to recurring guests but you've been returning for the pass two weeks."
You felt the thumps in your chest again. The fact they counted your visits made you return to your flustered state, feeling exposed to the two. You feel like you should be honest with them, how you kept showing up to hear their showtunes. Their voices together always made you enthusiastic and persuaded, admittedly you'd join the audience with their singing. Whenever you did it made you feel special, as if you were alone singing in the room with the twins even with the crowd around you.
You didn't care for whatever they were selling or what the latest deal was, seeing them on stage made you feel warm from head to to. Not only were their voices attracting you, they were both quite the lookers. The twins were cute in a way, with matching pinstripe vests, their straw hats, little bowties and their cutie marks to top it off. They had different personalities from what you observed, Flim was confident and prideful and his brother Flam being charming and straightfoward. They caught your eye for being their enticing selves. Plus you had a thing for twins.
You gulped down the lump in your throat, "I.. uh.. enjoy your singing and I couldn't stay away.."
That last part was something somepony else told you. Twilight had talked about the twins in an ill manner and mentioned how they're scammers. You didn't listen to those warnings from her and all of her friends, those harmonizing voices blocked them out. After visiting Las Pegasus with her, you stayed but was going to go back after today. You just didn't know it would end like this..
"So you're a fan?" Flim asked and his brother put his arm around his neck to bring him close, "How could he not be? We are the world famous-"
"Flim Flam brothers!" They sang in unison, as if it was a natural instinct only they shared. You shuddered to yourself at it and you couldn't help it. They gave you a kind smile, "We are ab-sol-utely flattered! It's nice to see a fan for a change, do you want us to sign something or?" Flam said with a playful coy look.
"Ooo or maybe a little two-on-one performance? We always have a tune up our short sleeves! You can even give some feedback on some that are in a work in progress." Flim clapped his hooves together in excitement. You were eager at the idea yet there was something in the back of your head that gave you a reminder.
"That's a great idea, can't stay too long though. I have to hop on a train in half an hour." You went over to a chair in the middle of the front row and settled down. Flim put a hoof to his chin, "Hmm, not from here are you?" He exchanged glances with his brother.
"Where did you come from? We might have stopped by it for you to know about us." Flam gestured to himself and Flim.
"Ponyville." They gave groans and eyerolls, Flam gave a huff before saying, "Oh. So it was warnings. Wait, why did you stay anyways if you knew of our antics?"
You had a blush form across your face, enough for Flim to notice this time. "Oh I see.. fell for the ol' Flim Flam charm?" He said with a teasing smirk.
"Don't blame you, my brother and I quite the head turners. Well, since you're a 'special' fan we won't charge you for this performance. You won't get many of these we'll have you know.. That is if you plan to come back anytime soon, will you?" Flam asked with what you thought was hope in his voice? No, you don't want to assume that.
You did think to yourself for a moment, you're going to end up letting Twilight know your overstay went since you don't like lying to her. She'll possibly be a bit betrayed you weren't cautious about the con-artists, you can only think about it now.. yet she can't necessarily stop you completely from getting on the train back. She wouldn't do that. Applejack on the other hoof, no doubt.
You ignored that fact, you nodded your head to the brothers. They grew salesponies smiles before hopping onto the stage, Flam pulled a small harmonica out of his inner vest pocket, staring the first notes as his brother sang. He would join in on occasion and even danced with his twin. Somehow, you always grew more impressed by their talents.
They walked you out of the double entrance doors of the resort, "Come back real soon, Anon!" They saw you off, waving their farewells as you walked down the stairs then returned to their business.
"What a peculiar encounter, brother. I can't help but feel.. odd." Flam said when he stopped in his tracks to put his hoof over his chest. "And I know you're feeling the exact thing, I can tell your heart is beating as fast as mine."
Flim's cheeks were tinted a light pink then he did the same with his chest. "I don't like it when you do that, Flam. It scares me. However you're right I'm feeling some sort of warm.. sensation."
His brother heaved a heavy sigh, "Could be because it's something we've never experienced before? It was a nice change of pace that wasn't somepony wanting to kill us or run us out of their town.. Appreciation? Could that be it?"
Flim shook his head, "No. It's not even the liveliness we get from a whole crowd, it's something much more meaningful than that. I-I.." He gritted his teeth then he stomped his hoof on the floor. "I don't know. Look let's just get though the rest of the evening," He muttered as he talked towards their shared office.
"But.. Brother wait." Flam pleaded for him to stay, why the sudden change in his emotion made him concerned. He followed his younger twin, trying to stop him to talk.
"Now what's the long face for, Flim? We just had a nice time with a fan and you're upset? I thought you had felt-"
"The problem IS the good time we had, brother." Flim interrupted coldly. He was turned away in his desk chair, looking down at the main floor out the large glass windows. He didn't want to make eye contact with him. Not now.
"Why?" Flam took a step closer to his brother's desk, being careful of his boundaries.
"Don't you see? That feeling we had after it? It's.. It's the same one we had with Marian all those moons ago. This 'love' we had for her, the same emotion that tore our years together apart as if it were nothing. What if it happens again with them? Granny Smith isn't going to be there to help us this time.." Flim's sentences grew forceful as he continued. His voice getting louder, still refusing to look at his sibling.
Flam's heart ached to see his better half like this, scared and not wanting confrontation. He knew what to do whenever a situation like this happens, he got closer to the desk, placed his hooves on top and speaking sternly.
"Flim. Look at me."
"No. I won't-"
"Look at me now, brother. I'm not asking you."
"I don't want you to see-"
"FLIM, TURN AROUND."
His brother's desk chair swiveled around slowly, revealing his tear streaked face and him struggling to hold it in by biting his lower lip. Flam's eyes filled with sorrow, getting painful pings to his heart from feeling his brother's pain.
Though, seeing his twin like this gave him a memory of when they were foals. It was a fond one of him comforting Flim after he took a spill outside and scraping his hoof. It made him gave a warm smile to his brother as the memory faded away. He went around the desk to embrace him in his arms, patting gently his brother's back. He felt Flim's fast heart rate calm down.
"Listen, I know you're afraid of us splitting up again. But, I promise that won't happen this time. I'm not going to let it." He assured him, Flim had sniffled before asking, "How are you so sure?"
"Because I have a different feeling about this one."
You set your one suitcase down on the floor then turned back to shut the castle door. Spike heard you coming so you saw him running down the hall to grab your bag. "Hiya Anon! How was your stay in Las Pegasus? I was surprised when you didn't come back with Twilight."
"It was nice, bit too loud every night for me. It's worse during the day so I just spent most of my time at a cafe." You slightly complained and Spike gave you a confused look.
"If it was so terrible then why did you stay for so long?" You scratched the back of your neck in embarrassment, about to answer then got saved by Twilight calling out for you.
"Anon! You're back, did you have a good time?" She had somepony else right behind her, you moved your head to the side you could see who it was.
Applejack. You mentally rolled your eyes, great. The two ponies you didn't want to talk about this trip with, what are the chances? You decided to try to find a way to get out of this by putting it off for later without having to completely lie to Twilight and avoid Applejack. You motioned Spike to follow as you walked pass Twilight, "It was nice but I'm tired by the train ride so I think I'll nap for a while."
"Whooa hold on there, Anon. Ah wanna talk to y'all real quick about this here trip of yours." Even better, she knows. You forced yourself to stop in your tracks, to turn around at the country pony. Spike continued on to set your bag in your room, rather wanting to hear about your trip later.
"Ah know both visited Las Pegasus, you didn't come back for awhile. Was there a reason why?" Not only did you not like lying to these ponies, you were also a terrible liar. Applejack getting closer was not helping you feel confident in doing so, "I had enjoyed my time at the local resort so I stayed for it."
"Really now? Cause ya don't seem like the type to enjoy that sorta place. There had to be a specific reason for your stay." You tried not to sweat, she was slowly breaking you down to confess and it was working. You glanced at her then to Twilight who showed worry for you. "There was an act I liked."
"What was the act? Must've been sumthin' for the two week stay. Not to mention expensive by double the price of the tickets or you got a discount." Now you felt a small drop of sweat. You never stuck around for the main acts so you had no idea what they were and you can't make up one without tripping on your words. Twilight put a hoof on AJ's shoulder, "That's enough, App-"
"I didn't listen to you."
"What?" Twilight looked up at you, her head tilted at the statement. You had given in and it's best for you not to hold your honesty. Because from what you learned from Applejack was that the truth hurt.
"I went back to visit that resort just to see them. Those two 'con-artists' you told me about and you know what? They were nice ponies. Not the evil, money hungry charlatans you claimed they were. They gave me a wonderful personal performance when I told them I liked their singing and I didn't even pay for it! They didn't charge a single BIT out of me for every time I went to see them on the stage. If you just showed an ounce of kindness towards those two you'll see they-"
"Stop." Twilight commanded but you put your foot down.
"No! You spoke so awful about them it's no wonder they were so shocked to see just one creature being nice to them and not have to 'win me over by manipulation' as you put it. Just because you two had a bad experience doesn't mean-"
"That's ENOUGH out of you, ya hear? Those two bastards have nearly took mah family's home and barn, endangering Granny Smith with a fake tonic, run a scammin' resort, selling toys that broke a day later on Heart's Warming and ran a University that took money from the students!" Applejack yelled as her face grew redder. That last one confused you since it sounded normal to you back on earth, you didn't pay attention to that now. She huffed and stamped both her front hooves. "They are two good for nuthing, conniving and cunnin' salesponies! I want you to stop interacting with them."
"I don't.. I don't want to stop seeing them, I don't care what they've done. I want to see them again, I had planned to go back soon. There's just something about them that I see differently than everypony else. You can NOT force me to stay here and not talk to them, I'm not a foal for Celestia's sake." She groaned in annoyance, looking as if she wanted to throw her hat to the floor.
"FINE! But when you get your little heart broken by those two, don't say ah I didn't warn you at all. You're blinded by this false 'love' that they've possibly fooled you in because they ain't never gonna CHANGE, Anon." She stormed out of the castle doors.
Twilight wanted to go after her friend yet she didn't leave you, "Anon. You didn't listen to my warnings?"
You tsked to yourself, is that really the only question she's going to ask after your outburst? "No I didn't, I can think for myself. I stand by what I said about them and with that, I'm choosing to go back to that city soon. That's final. I'm sorry, Twilight." You turned around to leave to your room, she spoke up before you could, "You know I understand."
"..What?"
"You're right and I shouldn't tell you what to do, nopony should. You're able to think for yourself and if you want to go back then that's fine. It's something I have to explain to Applejack though, just know she does care about you and doesn't want to see you hurt. Know this, if anything goes wrong you're always welcomed to come back here." You sighed, feeling a bit like crap after yelling at the both of them. You glanced over your shoulder, "I'm not going away permanently, I don't know how the long the next visit will be. Could be longer than this one.. I'm going to go nap, okay? We can talk about this later." You finished as you pinched the bridge of your nose, you just wanted to be alone right now to think.
You heard her make a noise of agreement then going after her friend, you walked to your room in silence.
You really didn't deserve her friendship.
