After having my lunch and cleaning myself up a little, I thought about what to do for today. I then heard a few hooves and chatter past my house outside and trotting into town. This got my attention, even though it contradicts what I said earlier about me knowing better than to follow a crowd, at least I've got wings to save myself.

I left my home and looked to see where the ponies were going to, I attempted to fly upwards and to my relief, they were not aching anymore. At last, I can now fly normal again. I flew up and looked ahead to see a huge circus tent pitched up outside of town...is there a funfair today or is it something else? I made my way over there and flew down just a bit away from the tent.

I then heard the apple family talking from behind me.

"Wow, Granny. Ah can't believe you were a high diver!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"The best one in Ponyville!" she replied.

"Do you think ah could be a high diver?"

"Nope." Big Mac replied.

"Absolutely not." Applejack added.

"But-"

"Now you hold your horse feathers, little seed! Ah never said bein' a high diver was a smart decision! It's incredibly dangerous!"

"Ah know, but-"

"But nothin'! It is the riskiest, scariest, darn-fool thing ah ever did do! That's not to say ah didn't wish ah was still young and spry and confident, but let's leave the flyin' through the air to the Pegasi."

"Wow, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound so fun."

They then began to notice the ponies walking past them and to the circus tent.

"Wow. Ah wonder where everypony's headed." Applejack pondered before they saw me. "Oh! Hey there sugarcube."

"Hi Applejack, I guess I was going the same way."

"Sure looks like it."

Fairground music began to play from the circus tent and Granny Smith and Applebloom walked on.

"Now where in Ponyville do you two think you're goin'?" Applejack asked.

"Aw, quit bein' such a worry-worm and follow your ears!" Granny Smith replied.

"Come on, Applejack, aren't you curious?" Applebloom added.

"I'm coming with you all anyways, this is something I gotta see." I said.

We walked towards the tent and inside to find a good place to sit. It didn't seem like a circus show at all, there was a machine of some kind on stage as the lights dimmed for a moment and there was silence until the wench on the side got moved and the machine pulled down a poster of two unicorns and there was silhouettes of the same two.

"Thank you, one and all, for your attendance, and we guarantee that your time here will not be spent in vain!" one on the left said.

"Wait a minute...that voice sounds familiar." I muttered.

"In fact, we think it will prove to be the most valuable time you've ever spent!" the other one added as the curtains pulled up to reveal...

"The Flim Flam Brothers!" Applejack gasped quietly, "This should be interestin'."

"Wait, the same brothers who tried to run your family out of the cider business?" I asked.

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.

"Welcome, one and all, to the demonstration of a lifetime!" Flim announced.

"A demonstration of a better life!" Flam added.

"A demonstration of a better time! And if we haven't captured your interest just yet, by the time we've finished, an unfortunate phenomenon practically guarantees that we will!"

"A phenomenon? What's that?"

"It's a circumstance perceptible by the senses, but in this case, it's the simple fact that..."

Background music began to play, guess it was time for a musical part.

There's ailments all around us in everything we touch and see

A sickness that lies waiting there in every breath you breathe

Disease will up and grab you as it crawls from land and sea

It's amazing how infected that the natural world and all its things can be

"Now I understand that some of you don't think you're sick."

"But twisted hooves and aching joints don't heal all that quick."

"Consider just how dangerous this world is! You might..."

Slip and fall, break or sprain something here tonight

But luckily for you, we've got the thing you need

And it's easier when all you need's the cure

The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Is just what the doctor ordered, I'm sure

"Now I know our claims seem fantastical."

"Impractical."

"Improbable."

"Impossible."

"And magical!"

"So we welcome every suffering pony to make their way up to the stage."

"Now don't crowd."

"And we'll prove our tonic's effectiveness before your very eyes."

"You there! Come up here, good sir."

One of them pointed to the pony who was on crutches with glasses and a hat and the stallion walked on the stage.

"I'll wager you're tired of those crutches, my friend."

"Try taking a sip of this!"

The stallion drank a small amount of the potion and then, he let go of his crutches as they dropped and he landed on his front hooves and was now walking fine, all the ponies gasped, except for me.

That's why you're so lucky we've got the thing for you

Just come on up, we've always got some more

Of the Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

I won't need these crutches to dance out the door! the stallion sang as he left the tent.

"Now how do ya like that?" Granny Smith asked happily.

"Ah don't. There's somethin' funny about this whole thing." Applejack replied.

"I don't like it either, but we'll just have to wait till we get a chance to talk to them." I added.

Now some of you may suffer from feelings of despair

You're old, you're tired, your legs won't work, there's graying in your hair

Just listen and I'll tell you that you don't need to fear

Your ears will work, your muscles tone, your eyes will see so clear

The crowd then joined in except for me and Applejack.

"Luckily for us, you've got the thing we need

The answer to our problems in a jar

The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Is the greatest ever miracle by far!"

"It cures the reins, the spurs, and the Clydesdale fur blight."

"Hooferia and horsentery cured in just a night."

"You've got swollen hooves and hindquarters or terrible bridle-bit cleft."

"Saunter sitz and gallop plop or give your tail some heft."

"Mane loss, hay fever, or terrible tonsillitis."

"You heard it here, folks - this is the only place in all of Equestria you'll find it!"

It can make you shorter, taller, or even grow old

But who'd want that?

When with one drink

You can be young again-

The musical part ended abruptly.

"SOLD!" Granny Smith yelled as she held out several bits.

"Congratulations, Granny Smith! You just made the purchase of a lifetime!" Flim replied as he brought over a tonic in exchange.

"Are you as worried as ah am?" Applejack asked her brother.

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.

"Allow me to go and check...I'll start by looking for that pony who drank that tonic a moment ago." I said.

"Good thinkin'." Applejack replied, "We'll just keep an eye on Granny Smith for now."

Soon the event was over and all the ponies and the apple family left...except for me, I stayed behind and around the circus tent to find anything suspicious. I then saw the stallion from earlier and he gasped as soon he saw me.

"Well, you seem to have healed up, quick." I remarked.

He then galloped away as I stayed in mid-flight and then cornered him as I flew down and landed.

"Now hold it right there, Mister...?"

"Shill. Silver Shill." he replied, shivering, "Ooh, what do you two want?"

"The mare who's named Granny Smith took some tonic and I want to know how it works. I mean, if the tonic cured you and all..."

Shill gulped.

"Wait a minute...your cure was all part of the act! It's time for you to tell the truth! You never needed crutches at all, did ya?"

"I, uh..."

Whistles then blew, making both of us jump, but he galloped away. I followed after him into the circus tent when I bumped into the brothers with Shill hiding behind them.

"Well, look who we've got here." Flim said.

"Wait a minute, brother, he's got wings and a horn." Flam added.

"Why...it's Prince Bond Racer!" they both gasped.

"Well, what an honour it is to finally see you."

"What brings you here to our humble abode?"

"Well, Granny Smith bought a bottle of that tonic, right?" I asked, "Well Applejack is worried that she may go off acting like a filly again."

"What's so bad about that?" Flim asked.

"She and Big Mac are worried that if she keeps galloping around like a free spirit, she may drop from exhaustion or worse! What's more, I know for a fact that your friend here is dressing up as a different pony every night so he can pretend to be cured."

"Well, well, well, that's quite an accusation." Flam replied.

"But let's say that it's true..." Flim added.

"Hypothetically..."

"Theoretically..."

"As I understand, Applejack's Granny was a famous aquapony."

"The star of the show, once upon a time."

"But hasn't set so much as a hoof in the water since."

I stood, looking at them and not amused. "Go on..."

"Well, then even if our tonic were nothing more than a mixture of apple juice and beet leaves..."

"Hypothetically..."

"Theoretically..."

"The fact is that Granny is happier now than before she tried it."

"I guess..."

"So, the question is..."

"Do you really want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away?"

I pondered for a moment, of course there was no way I was going to start trusting them, but I then had a cunning idea.

"Well...I guess I could get one for myself just in case." I said. "But I am a Prince and I have my standards, so this tonic better be as good as you say it is."

"That's the spirit! You have our word, Prince." Flim replied.

"Have one on the house and enjoy your happier days, our lord-ship." Flam added.

I then took a bottle from the case and then left the circus tent and when I was far away, I hid behind a tree and watched over the area, I could see that the brothers were setting up a diving area with a small pool and a very tall diving tower. I then saw thier friend Silver Shill getting something shiny and he placed it in his pocket. I then looked at the bottle of tonic and opened it. I took a quick sip and after a moment, nothing really happened, it did indeed taste like apple juice and beet leaves, but that was it.

Later that day, I went back to see a small crowd by the diving tower and a very small pool at the bottom. I looked up at the top to see Granny Smith in a swimming outfit.

"What on earth is she doing up there?" I asked as I joined the crowed.

"Granny's gonna break the Equestria high divin' record!" Applebloom replied.

"Where's Applejack?"

"Ah think she went after Granny and climbed up the tower for some reason."

We saw Granny Smith who dived off the board and was going down really fast, just then, I saw rope which lassoed onto Granny and stopped her from diving into the small basin, just a few meters away.

"Now what in tarnation did you do that for?!" Granny asked sternly as she walked back on the ground safely.

"That was the most fool-pony thing ah've ever seen anypony do in all my life!" Applejack exclaimed, "You can't do a dive like that!"

"Oh, quit your fussin'! Ah had enough tonic to do a dive ten times as high!"

"Twenty times, by my count." Flim corrected.

"Thirty, with a favourable breeze." Flam added.

"And besides, the Prince here approves of our product, right?"

I looked unsure but I knew what I was doing, I walked away from them and looked at the crowd.

"I hate to disappoint everypony, but the truth is that there's no way Granny could have made that dive, because this tonic is a fake!" I declared.

The crowd gasped as the Flim Flam brothers began to feel awkward.

"It's true ya'll." Applejack added. "Ah had my doubts about it but ah didn't wanna tell my Granny in case it'd hurt her feelings."

"But if the tonic is a fake, then how come Granny can swim again, and what about all that aquabatics stuff we just did?" Applebloom asked.

"Ah reckon sometimes you can forget what you're capable of, and it just takes a little extra confidence to remember that it was inside of you all along. But tellin' ponies your tonic can do things it can't is just wrong!" Applejack replied.

"But you agreed to us that it boosts confidence!" Flim said

"And that's not all it does, folks-" Flam added before he got cut off.

"Yes, it is!" we heard Silver Shill yelled, "In fact, it's not a tonic at all! I know, 'cause I helped make it! Watching Applejack save Granny and Prince Bond telling us that it's not right to lie, well, that made me realize I was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so!"

So he was the stallion who made the tonic drinks...I did not see that coming!

"Believin' in somethin' can help you do amazin' things. But if that belief is based on a lie, eventually it's gonna lead to real trouble." Applejack said.

"Thank you, Applejack and Bond." Shill replied as he handed out a somewhat bigger bit then the normal size, "I got this through dishonest means. That was a mistake I won't be making again! I'd like you to have it, as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth."

Applejack then took the bit and through my eyes, I saw the rainbow shine as I did with my pocket watch earlier in the morning.

"Ah don't know..."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one! Honest."

"Ah'm sorry, Granny. Ah hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin'."

"Why in tarnation would ah do that?" Granny asked. "Ah just can't believe those two sales ponies had me believin' ah could near fly! Hey, where'd they go?"

We looked all around us, but they were out of sight.

"Ha! Those cowards turned tail and ran...never mind, if they come back here and try to rob us of what's right again, I will make sure the Princesses will pay them a visit." I said.

It was sunset by the time we were done unpacking the circus stuff since they left without their equipment to our surprise. I was writing down what Applejack had learnt thanks to me.

"Bein' honest sure gets hard when it seems like the truth might hurt somepony you care about. But ah think believin' a lie can end up hurtin' even more. Maybe some ponies don't care about that - but ah sure ain't one of them." She wrote down.

"Great lesson to learn." I complimented, "I'll make sure to return this to Twilight."

"Now you take it easy there, Granny!"

"Oh, I plan to! Hoo, ha, ha-whee!" Granny yelled as she dived off a much short board and into a huge wooden pool with Applebloom.

"Right, I better get going and bring this to Twilight." I said.

"Okay sugarcube, have a good evenin'" she replied, giving me a hug.

I then left with the book and walked back to the town and to the library where Twilight was just going back inside.

"Oh hi Bond." Twilight greeted.

"Hi Twilight, here's the journal Applejack wrote in." I replied.

"Great, I'm going to be helping Rainbow Dash with her upcoming Wonderbolts History exam in two days time."

"Exam, eh? Could this be the one where she finally gets to be apart of the team?"

"Well, we don't know yet but we'll have to wait and see. Anyways, I'm sure I can help her out on this, have a goodnight."

"Same to you, Twilight, goodnight."

She closed the door behind her and I walked back to mine and couldn't wait to get into my bed. I looked back at all that happened in the whole day. It always fascinates me when one minute, Rarity and I were delivering dress to Sapphire Shores, the next, I see the Flim Flam brothers return and I end up putting them out of their scheming business.

Not only that, that gold bit is one of the seven keys along with my pocket-watch which reminded me, I never got around to asking Rarity what was inside the gift box that Coco gave to her, I guess I could ask her tomorrow... Next Chapter: Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3 Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 55 Minutes