Nonpareil

by Flim Skim the Spinner

Rating: teen
Tags: Braeburn, Slice of Life, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity, Flim and Flam
Length: 6169

Flim and Flam find themselves in a dire situation as their only source of value in the world comes to a screeching halt. They'll just have to swallow their pride and patch things up with those they've wronged in the past to recover.

After the mishap at Sweet Apple Acres, Flim and Flam find themselves shunned far and wide by the extended Apple Family, who, as it turns out, control nearly all of Equestria's apple orchards. With no source of fuel to create their cider, the twins realize that the goal which they have worked for since they were foals may never come to fruition, forcing them to pursue other lines of work until they can figure out their next course of action. Unfortunately, it seems the two only have one place to go, where finding assistance may prove difficult unless they can swallow their pride and right the wrongs they created in the past. Rated teen for some more serious themes that may arise in the future.

Published 2013-03-28 14:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-15 23:47:11 UTC

A Slight Problem

"There it is, brother," said Flim to his twin, "Appleloosa, and its lovely golden orchards, ripe for the harvest."

The little town didn't look very impressive, but was still the only civilized area for miles around, occupying the small stretch of fertile territory in Equestria's western wastelands. Nestled tightly between two weathered mountains were its apple trees, a sight for sore eyes to the entrepreneur brothers.

"Looks promising enough," agreed Flam, running a comb through his mane, "If we can strike a deal with the locals this time."

Truthfully, the twins were running on a streak of failed attempts to sell their cider; after being kicked out of Ponyville, they had moved on to, and subsequently been ejected from, Hollow Shades, Galloping Gorge, and, most recently, Mareheim, forcing them to pursue business on the very edge of Equestria. There was actually a great deal of tension hanging about them, though they tried to hide it, even from each other. Both of them were very aware that if their profiteering in Appleloosa didn't go as planned, their options would be completely depleted.

"We need to be at the top of our game today," said Flim, straightening his bow tie. They were quickly drawing closer to the town, seated upon their life's work, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, which chugged and whistled as it drove along. "This is the last apple orchard of Western Equestria we haven't tried." Silently, he noted that if they failed here, it would mean going back to the drawing board, and wasting years of effort.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Flam began to rehearse his lines, despite the fact that they were practically second nature to him at this point. "I say, our mode of locomotiooon… mode of locomoootioooon…" Suddenly, he sounded unsure of his well-practiced routine.

"No need to be nervous," assured Flim as much to himself as to his brother. "As long as we play it safe, there's no reason they should turn us down." The twins had agreed on the way that, given the importance of their success here, they would be willing to haggle their usual division of profits with any local cider makers to a maximum of 50-50. They would still be making money that way, and wouldn't have to take the risk of angering the local farmers… or so they hoped.

As they rolled into the town, the citizens were immediately drawn to the strange machine, and by the time they came to a stop in the center of the dirt street, they had attracted a crowd of almost everypony in Appleloosa. The brothers could tell at a glance that these were very rural folk, as they had expected, and looked to be rather poor, as well; the kind of ponies that were likely to offer you two chickens in exchange for a barrel of cider. They didn't expect to make any sort of fortune here, but wanted to at least stock up on cider from their apples, squeeze as much profit from them as possible, then sell whatever was left in another town.

Stepping down from their automobile, Flim and Flam forced themselves to smile broadly at the surrounding Appleloosans. In addition to ponies, several buffalo were present, and Flim briefly wondered what sort of credit they could expect to receive from them.

"Well, look at what we got here, brother o' mine, it's the same in every town," he began melodically, barely needing to think of the words and gestures to the song they had thought up to sell their product, back when they had just begun to do so. "Ponies with thirsty throats, dry tongues, and not a drop of cider to be found."

The ponies in the audience looked as if they were confused by something, and they began to whisper amongst themselves. Stifling his nerves, Flim continued, "Maybe they're not aware that there's really no need for this teary despair." "That the key that they need to solve this sad cider shortage you and I will shaaare!" Flam was painfully aware that his voice had cracked on the last syllable, struggling to clear the doubt from his mind as the gathering of ponies continued mumbling to each other, more loudly at this point.

The crowd appeared to have gone from confused to angry, and the twins' smiles faltered for a moment before they continued to the chorus. Doffing their straw boaters, they began to step in rhythm. "Well you've got oppor-tuni-ty, in this ve-ry co-mmuni-ty…"

There was no doubt about it now, the crowd had grown into a mob, whose members were angrily advancing on the brothers, as they struggled to understand what they had done wrong. They hadn't even been here for five minutes, and so far had behaved as they had in every other town.

Swallowing loudly and struggling to maintain his uneasy smile, Flam pointed to his brother. "H-he's Fli-"

"Flim," came a stern voice from somewhere in the crowd, shattering the twins' façade of confidence. The Appleloosans quieted down as the speaker, a golden-coated stallion in a weathered cowboy hat, worked his way to the front, wearing an expression that made them cringe. "Flim and Flam, ain't that right?"

The duo exchanged a furtive glance. Flim attempted to salvage what was turning into a dire situation, grasping to a small hope that whatever this yokel knew of them was either misguided, or could be appeased.

"I see you've heard of us before," he said, yielding only slightly under the naysayer's glare. "No surprise that our award-winning cider has begun to garner a reputation, even in outlying communities like your lovely little hamlet."

Their challenger clearly wasn't impressed by Flim's attempted flattery, nor were his peers, whose scowls only deepened. "These must be those rascals AJ was telling' us about, Braeburn," growled a mare to standing his left; her coat and mane were almost exactly the same color as his.

"I fig'red as much, Marmalade," quipped the stallion, Braeburn. He boldly advanced on Flim and Flam, who couldn't help withdrawing under his steely eyes, and soon he had their backs pressed against the machine on which they had arrived. Despite them both being significantly taller than he was, they seemed to shrink as he drew nearer, unconsciously clinging to each other.

"Last time I went to an Apple family reunion, I got a chance to share some good stories with my beloved cous'n, Applejack."

The name triggered red lights in the twins' memories; they realized too late that they had chosen entirely the wrong town to stick their muzzles into.

"There was one she told in p'ticular that made me sick to my stomach. Apparently, some sweet-talkin' city boys just up an' rolled right into to Sweet Apple Acres one day durin' cider season and started makin' threats to steal their business."

He was so close to them now that they could practically feel the heat from his intense stare. "She gave us a real good description o' these two trouble makers, an' told us to watch our flanks just in case they went poking' around down here in Appleloosa." He gave the twins a once-over, sending chills up their spines. "You two seem to fit the bill just about perfectly, right down to yer cutie marks."

By this point, the other Appleloosans had stepped up to join Braeburn in a ring of angry ponies that began to close in on the twins, who silently came to the agreement that they had best remove themselves from the premises as soon as possible. Hastily, they scrambled onto their odd transport, and with a burst from their horns, sent it rolling as quickly as it would go. The crowd moved to allow them passage, several of them muttering things like "good riddance" and "yella-bellied scoundrels."

Safely perched on their transport, Flim and Flam's confidence quickly returned. "You're missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime," crooned Flam in a singsong voice. "My brother and I could have turned this backwater mud hole into Equestria's most prosperous producer of cider!"

"It's a shame you Apples have to be so very dull," added Flim. By the time Braeburn voiced his response, they were far enough away that it didn't reach them. "What's that? Sorry, couldn't quite here you over the din of all this ripe opportunity going to waste."

"Ah said," repeated Braeburn, "Maybe you two big shots should focus on where y'all are drivin'!"

By the time his words sunk in and the twins wheeled around to look ahead of their machine, it had already begun to nosedive into the ditch they hadn't been attentive enough to notice. Flim and Flam themselves pitched forward so rapidly that they cleared the ditch completely, landing face-first in the dirt as the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 crumpled behind them. Crawling to the edge of the gap, Flim took in the full extent of the damage, then gave his brother a worried look.

"Well, we've done it, Flam. Not only are we out of options, but now we're out of a reason to need options." Flam watched his brother pace tensely around the small space available in the cramped room. The moon, which shone directly through their window, offered ample light to make out the hopeless expression on Flim's face.

After they had failed spectacularly at repairing their transport, the twins had plead with the locals to allow them just one night to stay, promising to put themselves on the first train out of town. Fortunately for them, the Appleloosans were a fairly benevolent bunch, and Sherriff Silver Star had grudgingly agreed to give them lodging at the Inn, since it was always empty, anyways. Braeburn had even assisted them in hauling the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 out of the ditch, though when they questioned him on it, he simply stated that he didn't want its ugly bulk muddying up his town.

The remains of the machine now lay in front of the Inn; Flam gazed mournfully at it from the window. Not only were the automotive aspects damaged beyond anything feasibly repairable, but the all-important cider producing back end had become a useless, mangled wreck of wood and brass. This went beyond a temporary setback; it had taken Flim and Flam years to design and construct the contraption, not to mention every last bit they had, and it had been rendered completely inert because of one tragic slip.

Neither of them had any clue what their next course of action would be. They had barely any money, perhaps enough to feed themselves for a few more days if they ate sparingly, and nowhere to go. Their cider machine had basically been their home for over a decade, and they had always sought food and shelter wherever they happened to be peddling their product that week.

"Such is the life of a traveling sales pony," Flam mused quietly. He'd known, as his brother had, that they were already in dire straits, but the realization of how much they had to lose hadn't begun to sink in until now, after the fact. Without cider to sell, it wouldn't take long for them to starve to death.

Finally, Flim ceased his pacing and collapsed, defeated, upon the creaky queen-sized bed. Flam came shortly to join him, doffing his dust-covered boater hat which he hung from the bed's post, then removing his vest, and shirt, and draping them, as his brother had, over the headboard. As a means of occupying himself, he levitated the comb from his shirt pocket and set to cleaning the dirt out of his moustache.

"It's been a while since we've been on rock bottom," groaned Flim, not taking his eyes off the wooden plank ceiling. "I'd almost forgotten what it feels like."

It pained Flam to see his brother like this. The last time Flim had been this upset must have been well over fifteen years ago, and Flam could still remember his solemn vow to raise both of them out of the slums they had grown up in, for the sole purpose of never having to see him so dejected again. As of this moment, he had failed.

Flam curled himself up on the bed and proceeded to comb his tail, saying as he did so, "Do you remember when we were younger, Flim?" His brother's tired eyes shifted to lock with his own, but he remained silent. "Remember how, back at the orphanage, you always loved entertaining the other children? Even back then, you could always smooth-talk the adults into letting you get away with just about anything."

Flim returned his brother's smile weakly. "And you were always the quiet one. Took me years to convince you to come out of your shell. Then, when I finally got you to start performing with me, nopony could tell us apart." As colts, before their voices had changed and Flam had begun sporting his trademark moustache, the twins had been almost perfectly identical.

"Wasn't until we got our cutie marks that they stopped calling me by your name," recalled Flam. After a brief pause, he added, "Do you remember how we got our marks, Flim?"

"How could I forget?" was the response, and indeed, Flim still could still picture that eventful day as if it had just passed him by. "We looked everywhere for work in that slimy old city… had to shovel sludge out of the streets night and day just to earn our keep…" What had stuck with him more than anything at the time was the smell, the vomit-inducing odor of that foul place that clinged to your skin, and even though he had to smell it every day, it never got any easier to take.

"One day, I'd just had enough. I wanted to see what it was like in the rich part of town, where everyone got to eat at fancy restaurants and wear new clothes each day. I grabbed you by the arm and we just ran clear across the city, as fast as we could. The adults tried to stop us, remember? But we didn't listen to 'em. Just kept right on goin' until we found ourselves in the high-class district. And I'll never forget what we saw there."

Flam listened quietly to the familiar story, remembering along with his brother the events that had shaped their lives forever.

"There was an amazing sales pony standing right in the middle of the street, with a cart full of his fancy tonics and cure-alls. Everypony was crowded around him, cheering him on as he did his mesmerizing performance. They were showering him with bits, and it wasn't just the products, but the showmanship, so gripping to watch… I knew, right then at that moment, that we could be just like him, and never have to settle for living in squalor again. The very next day, we snuck a barrel of cider out of the cellar and carried it all the way back to that place."

Flam chuckled at the memory of their first ever cider transaction. His brother had begun spouting some lines he had thought of on the spot, waving around a mug of what he had called 'The Flim-Flam Brothers Amazing, Terrific, Stupendelicious Apple Cider.' Before long, Flam himself had become so impressed by the display that he joined in, and, to his own surprise, soon became perfectly in-sync with Flim, which made the crowd go wild. They had gotten their first taste of the successful life that day, unanimously deciding that they would spend the rest of their lives in pursuit of this craft. Later that very day, they had been surprised to find themselves graced with what had almost seemed like a divine message, emblazoned across their flanks for the world to see, the nature of which made it clear not only that they had found their destiny, but that they had discovered and would live it out together, as they had always known they would. At that exact moment, they had ceased to be the orphans Flim and Flam, and instead became the World Famous Flim-Flam Brothers, Traveling Salesponies Nonpareil.

They'd even found considerable success in the beginning. Their hoof-squeezed cider made them popular amongst the wealthy inhabitants of Manehattan during their late teenage years, and they had eventually found themselves with enough extra money to lead an ambitious endeavor to indusrialize, from which they had ultimately emerged successful. Finally, they could actually become traveling sales ponies. And travel they did, all over Equestria, seeing the most beautiful sights, and meeting the most intriguing ponies, all the while delighting their customers with their delicious apple cider.

The more they were able to taste their newfound success, however, the more they began to crave it. Eventually, this desire gave birth to greed; by the time the brothers had arrived in Ponyville, their lust for triumph had pushed them to overturn any opposition they came across. They had severely underestimated the Apple Family, and after being humiliatingly shown up by Ponyville's local cider makers, their increasingly profitable business had begun a spiraling plummet that ultimately resulted in their current situation. Unfortunately for the twins, they hadn't known that over sixty percent of the orchards in Equestria were owned by members of the Apples' extended family, and that causing problems for one would inevitably result in being abhorred by the others.

Cider sales had come to a screeching halt as Flim and Flam were unable to find an orchard willing to give them access to their apples, and as a result, they found themselves nearly destitute in a matter of weeks. Their dream had begun to deflate around them, and they had scrambled madly to preserve their sense of success, horrified of being plunged back into a world where they were forced to live in hardship and squalor.

Now, that nightmare was forcing itself into a reality. Unless they could figure out a way to secure a flow of income, they would find themselves no better off than they had been as children.

"I won't let this be the end of us, brother," said Flam, mustering up what confidence he had left. "We may have to settle for taking odd jobs for a while, but eventually we'll come up with a way to get back out into the world." He placed a reassuring hoof on Flim's shoulder. "Nopony can keep the Flim-Flam Brothers down for long!"

Flim couldn't even feign the conviction his brother was displaying, but he at least agreed with the notion that they couldn't simply sit back and allow themselves to be defeated.

"We dug ourselves into this rut, Flam. Now it looks like we'll just have to haul ourselves right back out of it."

The twins thought that by rising at first light the next morning, they would be able to avoid the scrutiny of most of the Appleloosans, and were alarmed to find that the locals themselves were clearly every bit the early-risers. They found themselves under the spiteful gaze of even more ponies than had confronted them yesterday while they crept as inconspicuously as they could to the train station.

After having given the scrap heap that had once been the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 a careful appraisal, they had come to the unfortunate conclusion that it was a lost cause, and abandoned any notion to taking even pieces of it with them.

"Take care that y'all never show yer mugs 'round here again as long as I live," threatened Braeburn, who was flanked by a rather intimidating pair of buffalo, as he saw the brothers off. He wasn't usually so rude to those that blew into town, but was a firm believer in defending family at all costs, and if these two had been causing trouble for Applejack, he wouldn't allow them anywhere near Appleloosa.

Flim carefully avoided eye contact with the large buffalo that was practically breathing down his neck. "We… will indeed do so," he offered weakly as a response.

They were thrilled to see the train approaching the station, all too eager to leave this place where they were despised so thoroughly. As they boarded, Braeburn reinforced his earlier statement by staring daggers at them until they were out of sight.

It wasn't until they had begun their departure that the twins were able to relax a bit, the threat of immediate physical harm having been liften from their shoulders. They were the only passengers on their car, as nopony else had been departing from little Appleloosa that day. Flim took the opportunity to call for the conductor and question him as to their destination, which had been a mystery so far; they had simply been forced onto the first train that appeared at the station.

"This here's mostly just a cargo train," replied the conductor. "We take supplies to and from Appleloosa, don't get much in the way of passengers 'cept for the occasional delegate or prospector. Anyways, this train's on her way to Ponyville, one of the loveliest little towns y'all could ever lay eyes on. Ever been there?"

"Ponyville!?" exclaimed Flim and Flam simultaneously, suddenly wishing they'd stayed behind and taken their chances with the buffalo.

Author's Note

I've been wanting to write this one for a while. This is going to be a lengthy romp with the twin brothers nonpareil as they struggle to become accepted by the ponies they once tried to wrong, and live up to the consequences of their past mistakes. I hope you'll stick with it, and please, leave me a comment telling me what you think. Your feedback is my greatest reward for writing.

Getting Friendly (Unfortunately Unfinished)

It felt lovely to have a special talent that one could take personal pride in, thought Rarity, carefully applying a cross-stitch to the garment which currently occupied her attention. No matter how dour their lives became, everypony could find comfort in the fact that there was at least one thing that they excelled at, a field in which they could call themselves an expert. Levitating a pair of scissors with her horn, she snipped the end of the thread, then took a step back to admire her handiwork.

Given that she found herself with few orders to fill lately, Rarity had decided to apply her talents to a matter which had been bothering her for months now: the state of the Gala dresses which she had designed for her friends. Currently, Twilight’s silky purple gown was about halfway through its reparation, following the disastrous turn of events that had transpired that night. Even if the event itself had been an utter disappointment, she still considered the clothes she had designed for it to be one of her most fabulous creations, and seeing them torn and dirtied had been almost as heartbreaking as discovering that her royal crush was actually a pompous headache.

She’d begun by patching up the most prominent holes and rips, if only to prevent her from weeping at the sight of it; even now, she was carefully avoiding casting her gaze over the far corner of the room, where the rest of her friend’s mangled gowns were teasing at her peripheral vision. Twilight’s dress still needed a great deal of work, but given that she was under no real time constraint, Rarity decided she had earned a break from her labors, which had already taken up most of her morning.

She had just retrieved a kettle to brew herself a cup of tea when she heard a knock at the door of the boutique. “Just a moment!” she called, wondering who could be visiting her, for as well as she could remember, she hadn’t set any appointments, nor was she expecting company until much later that day. Though she knew she shouldn’t, Rarity inwardly hoped that it wasn’t a customer, since she would prefer to wrap up her work on the Gala clothes before starting any new projects.

The moment she opened the door, Rarity’s welcoming smile disappeared. She almost couldn’t believe her eyes; even these two couldn’t possibly have the audacity to show their faces in Ponyville after the outrage they had stirred up at Sweet Apple Acres. Yet there they stood, looking slightly dirtier than she remembered them, wearing a set of false smiles that did nothing to alleviate her mistrust.

It was Flim who broke the awkward silence that had begun to grow. “Ahem… pardon me, miss, but my brother and I were wondering if we might trouble you for just a moment. We certainly hope you’ll hear us out, since…” He exchanged a quick glance with Flam, his forced grin faltering slightly, “… everypony else has slammed their doors in our faces.”

Rarity gave serious consideration to doing the same, but ultimately gave in to her curiosity as to what could have possibly brought the conniving twins back to Ponyville. “If you’re going to try to sell me something,” she said, making no attempt to hide the scorn in her voice, “I’ll tell you right now, I don’t want any.”

“We can assure you, that’s not why we’re here,” said Flam. “We simply wanted to inquire as to whether you have any rooms available for rent.”

At first, Rarity wasn’t sure whether they were being serious, or if this was some kind of trick. When their faces made it clear that they were actually looking for lodging, her confusion gave way to anger.

“Why in Equestria would I let you two swindlers anywhere near my shop? I’m not sure what kind of scheme you’re cooking up, but I believe my dear friend Applejack would be very interested to know about it!”

The brothers looked visibly stricken at the sound of the farm pony’s name, and Flim attempted to mutter a reply, before Rarity cut him off.

“You two have a lot of gall, showing your faces around here again! After that stunt you pulled during cider season, did you honestly think I would be friendly towards either of you? Such nerve!”

Flim’s heart was sinking; this was going downhill fast. From the moment the twins had arrived at the train station, it had become obvious that they wouldn’t be receiving anything close to a warm welcome. They were surrounded by angry glares before they had even entered the town, making their door-to-door pleas an extremely uncomfortable task. Any hope they had of laying low was gone almost before it had arrived, and everypony they appealed to responded with the same unbridled hostility. Until now, the twins hadn’t fully realized just how serious of an offense their previous actions had been. Enough to prompt complete alienation, apparently.

Seeing Rarity prepare to shut the door on them, Flim finally gave in to his despair, flinging himself upon her threshold and unabashedly letting loose an anguished cry.

“P-Please, my lady!” he stammered, practically weeping at her hooves, “We-we’ve got nowhere else in the world that will take us!” He reached towards her dramatically, while Flam’s face rapidly reddened at his brother’s display. “We promise we won’t be any trouble! We just need a roof over our heads, th-that’s all!”

His begging quickly degenerated into incomprehensible blathering, prompting Flam to step towards Rarity and give his attempt at convincing her. “You have to understand, ma’am,” he said over his brother’s sobbing, “We completely regret our actions the last time we visited Ponyville. Our behavior was inexcusable. The reason we’ve come back is that our cider business has run into the ground, and we’ve got no home to return to. We’d like to try our hand at being honest, hardworking ponies, and make reparations with the Apples, with all of Ponyville, if you would just let us. We promise you, there will be no funny business from either of us.”

Rarity was sure that Flam’s claims were at least slightly exaggerated, but still found herself softening towards the brothers. It wasn’t in her nature to refuse help to those who clearly needed it desperately, especially when those fellows sported such well-groomed manes.

“Well… I suppose you couldn’t possibly be that much trouble,” she sighed, giving Flam a little smile.

“Oh, you’re so kind!” blabbered Flim as his brother helped him to his feet. Wiping his eyes, he said, “I’m terribly sorry about that… It’s just that we’re quite desperate.”

There was no mistaking the sincerity in his eyes, which made Rarity wonder just how the twins had wound up in such dire straits. She was still cautious about offering her sympathy to the stallions who had attempted to run Applejack’s family out of town, and planned to keep her eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior.

“Well, come in, I suppose,” she said, stepping aside to allow them entrance into her combination house and workplace. “Oh, my,” said Flim, casting his eyes over the impressive collection of clothes, “What lovely pieces of work these are! Such refined elegance, quite a sight for these sore eyes!”

Rarity rounded on him immediately, thrusting her nose up to his. “Don’t take me for somepony that can be manipulated so easily,” she growled, narrowing her eyes, and Flim was reminded briefly reminded of Braeburn Apple’s piercing stare. “Flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere in this household. If you want to win me over, you’re going to have to prove that you’ve truly become better people.”

Flim attempted to speak, but couldn’t find sufficient words, simply nodding as a reply. When Rarity turned away from him, he exchanged a nervous glance with his brother, not sure what to expect from this mare. “We are prepared to do whatever you’d like to earn our keep,” said Flam, hoping his attempt at politeness wouldn’t be interpreted as schmoozing.

“I’m still considering what to do with you two,” said Rarity, as if referring to an old trinket that had lost any trace of its value. "For starters, why don't you go wash up in the bathroom upstairs? Both of you are covered in filth, and I don't want you mucking up my house."

She said this with no small degree of harshness, and upon examination, the twins saw that their coats were indeed streaked in multiple spots with dirt and a dark, oily substance, most likely the result of the tumble they took in the now-defunct Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. It had dried to the point that it would most likely take a significant amount of scrubbing to remove.

"It's the first door on the left," said Rarity nonchalantly, turning away from the twins dismissively. "Don't use up all my hot water."

After Flim and Flam finished showering (which they did separately, of course; say what you would about twins, but there were some lines that simply couldn't be crossed without creating a certain degree of awkwardness), they were surprised to find that their shirts, vests, hats, and bow ties, which they had left in the hall outside, had vanished in their absence. When they questioned Rarity, who had returned to working on the Gala dresses, about their missing clothes, she responded with, "Oh, I put those old things in the wash. If you're staying with me, you can't be wearing clothes that smell like they've been soaked in motor oil."

"But, if you want my advice," she continued, expertly weaving a sewing needle as she spoke, "You might want to go without those for a while. The last thing either of you want right now is to stand out."

There was obviously some wisdom in her words. Both the twins wanted nothing more than to lay low for now, and their signature outfits made them stick out like... well, like con artists, as had been evidenced by their immediate rejection upon returning to Ponyville. Even without their identifying clothes, however, they could still easily be singled out by their above-average height and unique hair coloration. As such, it seemed prudent to leave the boutique as little as possible over the next few days, which raised the question of how they would find new jobs while being kept indoors as if in exile.

"I don't suppose you know of any businesses that happen to be looking for employees at the moment?" asked Flam, his still-wet mane falling into his eyes a bit.

"Eager to get started," noted Rarity, "I suppose that's a good thing." She seemed to be warming up to the brothers already, perhaps due in part to the fresh, familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo that now wafted off of them. "But, I'm afraid I can't say that I know much about the other stores here in Ponyville. I keep my business to myself, and they do the same, for the most part. If you want to know who's hiring, you'll just have to ask around."

"Ask around?" said Flim, incredulously. "We stick our noses out that door and we'll be bombarded by the locals!"

His brother nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, it seems we're a tad limited in scope for the moment."

"Well," sighed Rarity, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, "I suppose I can find some way for you to make yourselves useful here in the meantime." She put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmm..." She glanced about the room for a moment, then levitated two brooms from the corner and presented them to Flim and Flam. "It's been days since I've given this place a good cleaning," sounding almost ashamed of herself, "So, you two can help by sweeping around the boutique."

They considered the brooms they'd been handed, supposing that they were in no position to refuse their help to the pony who had been generous enough to accept them into her home. Smiling in tandem, the twins each performed a slight bow and set to work immediately, to which Rarity responded with a roll of her eyes.

"What do you think?" whispered Flam, who rested his forelegs against his broom in a two-legged standing position, inclining his head towards the room where their host could be heard humming as she worked.

"Beats being out on the street," said Flim, using magic to move his own broom across the floor as he examined the various garments hanging from their racks. "Honestly, I didn't think we'd actually be able to find someone willing to give us a place to stay."

Flam habitually ran his comb through his mane, which had begun to dry, curling his front locks to either side of his horn as he always did. "How in Equestria are we going to find work here when everypony wants us gone?"

"It can't be the whole town that has a problem with us," said Flim, sounding doubtful of his own statement. He pulled a blue dress shirt from the rack, holding it against his body as he examined himself checked the mirror against the wall. "There's got to be at least one pony here who can appreciate the talents of two experienced salesponies. It's not like we're bad at what we do, after all. The two of us can make a sale in the blink of an eye, whether it be cider, sunhats, or celery stalks!"

Truthfully, the twins had never once attempted to sell anything other than their apple cider, but they assumed that their natural charisma could be applied to whatever they set their minds to. Provided, of course, that they were given the chance.

A knock at the door roused them from their musings; both Flim and Flam dropped what they were doing, bolting into the other room to avoid being seen by whoever was about to enter. Peeking their heads out around the corner, they silently prayed that whoever was on the other side of the door lacked any prior knowledge of them, and above all, that it wasn't any relation to the Apple family.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, don't be so dramatic," said Rarity, sauntering past their hiding spot to welcome her visitor. Easy for her to say, of course, since she'd never had to face overwhelming oppression from everypony at once, as the twins had.

Author's Note

It isn't finished, I'm sorry. But, let me explain! This chapter has been sitting here with no real progress made for a while now, and it's not because I don't want to work on it. The fact is that my writing style has been evolving rapidly, and I don't necessarily feel like this accurately represents my current level of capability. It would be hard to wrap this chapter up after leaving it dormant for so long (believe me, I HAVE tried), so I'm cutting it off here and picking up the slack immediately in the next chapter so that the change in writing isn't so blatant. Plus, you've been asking for more, and I feel like scum for not delivering. More soon, I promise!
Stay beautiful.