“Come one, come all! Headache? Feeling down on your luck? Bruises? Sores? Tired of life’s woes? We have just the thing for you!”

“Our newest product is sure to give instant relief from any and all discomforts and ailments, be they of the joints, the mind, the flesh, or the heart!”

Before Applejack even turned to look, she knew by the voices just what was drawing such a crowd to Ponyville Town Square. The nerve of those Flim-Flam brothers, showing their faces in town again, and with the exact same ruse as last time! It’s a wonder they can still find an audience, Applejack thought. But nonetheless, protecting the public from their own naivety was only her civic duty. Grumbling, she headed over to their wheeled stand and found a spot amongst the others where she could lay and wait to expose their hoax yet again.

The brothers had spared the tent and theatrics this time. Perhaps they had to rebudget their act after their last fiasco. From where she stood Applejack could see on display of what looked like ordinary soda bottles with their faces printed on the labels.

“Would there be anypony in the audience willing to demonstrate the wondrous effects of our new remedy?” Flam called, holding up a bottle for all to see.

Here it comes, thought Applejack. Any minute now Silver Shell would step forward, take a sip of their tonic, and throw away his crutches, miraculously cured.

Flim pointed his hoof off into the crowd. “What about you, ma’am?”

“Who, me?”

Applejack followed where Flim was pointing to see… Mayor Mare? How did they expect to rope her into their scheme? This couldn’t have been planned ahead. A politician would never risk her public image by associating with known frauds.

“Why yes, ma’am,” said Flim. “Pardon me for saying so, but you seem a bit week around the knees this morning.”

The crowd shifted to form a clearing around the mayor. Applejack could notice her swaying where she stood, as well as the dark areas under her eyes and her uncharacteristically matted mane. “Well, I admit the new tax adjustments have been rather distressing,” she said weakly. “I might not be as well rested as I’d like.”

“Say no more!” Flim beckoned her over. “A bottle of this will put you at ease.”

The mayor walked up to the stand with a slow, wobbly stride. When she received the bottle, she inspected it closely, turning it over in hoof. “Why, there’s nothing in here at all!”

Great sun above! Selling empty bottles? Were they even trying?

Nevertheless, Flim was undeterred. “Looks can be deceiving, ma’am,” he said, popping the cap off the bottle with a glow from his horn. “Try a sip and see for yourself!”

The mayor held the bottle to her mouth and hesitantly tipped it up as though to drink from it. After a few moments holding the position, she lowered the bottle and nodded to herself. “Hm.” After a few more “sips,” she began to smile. “That’s… heh… that’s nice, actually. Yes, I feel better already.”

Applejack gasped along with the crowd. What was going on here? What could an empty bottle do for anyone?

“Now hold it right there,” Applejack shouted as she stepped forward. “I don’t know what you two are up to, but I know it can’t be good and it can’t be honest, so why don’t you just give it up and tell us what y’all are playing at?”

The brothers exchanged smirks. “Ah, Applejack, just the pony we were hoping to see,” said Flam. “Who better to prove the legitimacy of our product than the biggest skeptic in town?” A glowing bottle floated over to her, and the cap popped of its own accord. “Won’t you try it for yourself?”

With a leery scowell, Applejack snatched the bottle and “drank.” She couldn’t taste, feel, or smell anything but air.

“Be sure to get plenty, now.”

This is absurd, thought Applejack. Do they really expect me to play along and—oh. Suddenly she felt… lighter. A little dizzy. It was not unpleasant. “Well, heehee, I’ll be darned,” she said. “I don’t know how, but it works!”

“You heard it yourselves, folks! Now get yourselves a bottle while supplies last!”



After their shelves had been cleared, the brothers closed up shop, hitched up their cart, and hit the road.

“So it’s true, then, laughter is the best medicine.”

“Yes it is, Flim. And laughing gas the best tonic!”