"Come one, come all," called a dapper salespony.

"We've discovered the cure for whatever ails you," completes the second, quite similar looking one.

Applejack scowled at the two. "While ah don't like the Flim Flam brothers fer a few reasons, why are we here?" She looked to her fellow agents. "They're sellin' snake oil, as usual. That ain't 'xactly what we're supposed to be handlin', is it?"

Rarity waved Applejack down. "Calm yourself, dear. It's not snake oil. Would that it was." She smiled, eyes on the brothers as they enthusiastically sang about their miracle potion that could do much anything. "This time, they aren't lying. And there are side effects to go with it."

Luna snorted softly. "Well, then... I am loathe to suggest it, but why are we waiting? We could arrest them and seize their product and be done with it."

Bright squeezed Rarity, easy to do while being mounted stop her. "If we didn't do that, Rares knows why, and I bet it's a good reason."

"Oh, it is. We need to know how they are doing it, dears, or we're just kicking a can down the road instead of fixing anything at all." Rarity smiled up at Luna. "We do want to cure the problem, don't we?"

Luna hummed in quiet thought a moment, eyes on the song and dance, quite literally, being performed. "That would... be ideal, yes. You are thinking clearly, Rarity. First, I would see the issue. Are they--"

"I hope you're ready for--"

"--a demonstration!" The two salesbrothers were in perfect harmony, finishing one another's sentences. "We just need a volunteer from the audience."

They both raised their arms to shield their eyes, scanning dutifully for their happy volunteer, or unwitting victim, depending on how it went.

Bright waved a fuzzy paw eagerly. "Ooh, ooh, pick me!" Before the others could react, he had bounced up onto the stage beside the startled Flim Flam brothers.

"We have our volunteer!" proclaimed Flim smoothly, recovering first.

"Excellent, excellent!" Flam swept a top hat onto Bright's head with his magic. "Now sir, please tell us what ails you on this fine day?"

"Uh..." Bright screwed up his face exaggeratedly. "I'm feeling kinda...itchy all over?" He waved at the crowd. "My vampony GF says your stuff legit works wonders!"

The brothers both laughed uproariously. "A vampire's beloved no less!" chortled Flim. "Well, we aim to impress regardless of affiliation!"

Flam levitated a vial of glittering silver elixir. "One spoonful of our patented Panacea Potable will surely soothe that bothersome irritation posthaste!"

Before Luna or the others could voice caution, he popped the spoon into the grinning hybrid's mouth. "Now take a moment while the healing herbs harmonize with your unique essence!"

Both brothers and the crowd watched Bright expectantly...until he abruptly split into two identical Brights! "Ta da!" both exclaimed, ears wriggling in unison. "Double the value!"

The audience erupted into astonished applause as the brothers gawked speechlessly. Rarity dropped her face into both hooves while Luna and Applejack groaned. "That can't be right..." Sweetie muttered.

The two Brights looked at each other, just to doubletake and hop away from one another. "Hey, you!" They leveled their fingers at one another in perfect sync. "I was here first!"

The brothers casually slid in front of the two arguing rabbit-roos. "No more itching--"

"--No more irritation!" They bowed as if they had fixed the problem entirely.

"As promised. Now who'll be the first to step up and grab a potion while they last?" Flim gestured to a collection of six bottles with the same label. "We only have so many for the day. This is special stuff, and it takes time."

"--Dear, sweet time," cut in Flam gracefully. "Before we can offer a single drop more. So who'll be the first?"

Sweetie stepped forward, hastily grabbing one of the potion bottles and swapping it for a vial of similar liquid from her cloak while the brother's eyes scanned the interested crowd. "Allow me then kind stallions!"

The stoic mare hid her covert sample retrieval behind a saccharine smile. "And let me affirm your tonic's transformative testimonial with further demonstration!" She downed the Glamor Gleam potion in one long gulp, primly wiping her mouth. "My word! Aged joints already ease and I swear wrinkles recede by the second!"

Flim and Flam beamed, puffing up proudly at more resounding endorsement from such a discerning customer. "You don't look a day over fifteen, madam!" Flim gushed.

"I'd wager your actual age closer to forty." Flam nodded to himself. "Yes yes, another life renewed by the splendid Panacea Potable!" He turned jovially to the two bickering Brights beside him then back to Sweetie inquisitively. "Now then, shall I simply pour another dose to fuse our unexpected duo back into one happy hybrid?"

The brothers froze, only now recognizing the twin vampiric bunnies implied something had gone quite amiss with their usual infallible formula! "Unless that is, you prefer this...enchanting two-for-one state of being?" Flam offered weakly, dread dawning that their special case volunteer may actually be in dire straits!

Sweetie's eyes flashed in alarm as the still-arguing doppelgangers suddenly smacked into each other...and fused in a burst of crimson smoke into one very dazed, giant Bright almost twice normal size! "That's not right either!" she hissed.

Luna face-hooved again while Rarity hurried up onto the stage. "Guys? What's going on?" the giant hybrid mumbled woozily. "Whoa...why's everything lookin' kinda little all a sudden?"

Rarity grabbed her familiar in her magic, and discovered twice the size meant four times the weight. She still lifted him with some effort, huffing. "Darling, come along. These nice ponies have cured you of your itching, do you not recall?"

"Itching... right." Bright made the motions as if walking along with Rarity, even if that was impossible, floating as he was. "You still look kinda small, Rares. Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, dear." Rarity kept a serene smile as she hurried out of sight to put Bright down. "Everything is not alright. Did you forget what happened?" She waved up at his bulk. "Also, dear, you've grown... larger. I don't hate it, but I didn't ask for it either... Shrink down this instant."

Bright crouched down closer to her level. "Is that something I can do?"

Rarity waved outside of their alley at the crowd of ponies pushing in towards Flim and Flam. "If you were a normal pony, I'd lean towards no, but you aren't, are you dear." She fluttered her lashes at her embiggened familiar. "You are my talented little muffin. Dear, channel your power. Channel your love for me. Become the little rabbit I already miss so dearly."

Bright scrunched his face intently, floppy ears twitching. Closing his eyes firmly, the giant hybrid focused on mentally grasping the slippery nebulous vortex of eldritch power permeating his altered being. Love for beloved Rarity and longing to be once more her precious pampered familiar provided emotive channels towards that mutable core stabilizing his sense of "Bright".

Like plunging through deepening layers of scarlet mist, his consciousness dove guided by Rarity's soothing lilt coaxing crisp clarity of self-perception amidst the titanic welter of conflicting currents comprising his magical mutant physiology.

There! Floating silent and serene as moonlight on still waters waited the luminous seed that ever remained unblemished "Brightness" within despite drastic transformations without.

"Take that pure light and revivify its glow..." Rarity gently intoned. "Rekindling core radiance resplendent restores rightful reality..."

The brilliant spark intensified, its searing flash engulfing him within and without. As mystic fire receded, panting Bright found himself blinking up at relieved Rarity back to normal cotton-candy bunny-roo size.

He enveloped the smiling vampony with fuzzy hugs. "I did it Rares! And you were right - weird stuff kinda blurs my sense of me. But together we got through!"

Bright sighed happily. "With you by my side, nothing stays scary or strange for long!" He batted his eyes up at her playfully. "Because nopony centers me to shine brighter than my Rare and Radiant Lady fair!"

Rarity swept him up into a cuddle with a little squeak of delight.

"My dearest darling, ever do you flatter." She gave his cheek a smooch. "I have every faith you'll master your newer mystic might through such practice." She paused a moment, swaying, pressed against him, just gently swaying in a cuddle. "But for now... Let's get to work, hm? We must address those two Flim Flams."

Bright hopped to an alert readiness. "Right! We're still on the job." He peeked out at the ponies thronging the showboating brothers. "So how we taking them down for messing me up temporarily? Secret agent sneak attack? Magical duel at high noon? Hard-hitting hoof-icuffs?"

He grinned up roguishly at his gorgeous vampiric partner. "Or maybe just let AJ hogtie 'em while we sip cider and watch the fireworks?"

Sweetie slapped Bright over the back of the head as she passed him. "We'll do none of those things. I have one of their bottles." She swept her cloak just enough to let them see a hint of it. "Time for examinations, hm?"

Luna clapped in applause. "Sweetie! Excellent work. I didn't even see you move."

Applejack snorted softly. "That there's her specialty. Alright. We got what we wanted. If we ain't stoppin' the brothers right now, we should get goin' to do it, right?"

Luna frowned at the crowd. "It pains me... They won't be able to recover as easily as Bright did." She cocked an ear. "Excellent work. Did you truly chance a bottle?"

Sweetie snorted, looking self-satisfied. "I drank one of my own bottles. It just prettied me up for a little while." She patted her curls gently. "As you can see, there wasn't too much more for it to do."

Rarity slid up aside Sweetie. "Darling, dear... wonderful friend..."

"I'm not sharing." Sweetie stepped back. "That's a state secret, and not for sale."

"Hmmph." Rarity turned her nose up. "Why on Equestria would they keep such a marvelous thing hidden? Foalish, if you ask me. We should all look fabulous."

Luna nudged Rarity. "If we are all fabulous, how would we know? Fabulous would become average."

Rarity went still, processing that. "Oh... Oh dear... Perhaps... it is best that remain a secret, on further consideration. Let's be off to see what lurks in the brothers' brew."

They retreated from the scene, hurrying back to Canterlot Castle and their, recently brightened, base. Luna tapped at her earring with her magic. "Twilight? We have a matter for you."

"Hm?" came over the line. "Luna? Oh. Where are you?"

"We are in Canterlot Castle." Luna turned in place. "You know the room, where my agents gather."

"On the way!" The call ended.

Bright hopped up on the table. "Pity I can't go big like that whenever. It was kinda cool... I was just a little out of it the first time. Can there be a second time?"

Rarity patted at her familiar with her magic. "I'd prefer not. You are the right size right now. Still, it's your body, dear. Far be it from me to hold a creature back from expressing themselves how they want, but you are not drinking their potion. It could do something even worse, dear."

With a loud pop, Twilight appeared with Spike beside her. Both were trailing smoke and looking quite singed on the edges. "Teleporting from Ponyville is... difficult." Twilight let out a smokey sigh and flopped over.

Spike stroked over Twilight's recovering side. "She teleported six times as far as she could. It took a lot out of her, and me... Um, but we're here. How can we help?"

Luna nodded to Sweetie. Sweetie pulled out the mystery bottle and set it on the table. "This. This can do things it shouldn't be able to do. We need to know what's powering it. Is it laced with Poison Joke? Is it an ancient curse? Maybe some unicorn devised a mad spell. We need to know."

Author's Note

This is worthy of investigation, I should think. Hm? 29/29 The month long Ruuuuush is complete.

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