Rock-and-Roll Hall of Shame!

The Flim Flam brothers were dressed in matching suits with blue-and-white-striped shirts and matching gray bow ties. They each wore a straw boater, askew on the top of their slicked-down hair. When the girls rushed breathlessly into their shop, they were just putting Applejack’s bass in the display case in the front window.

“Welcome to the grand opening of the Flim Flam Brothers’ Everything under the Sun Emporium,” they said together, doffing their hats with a flourish and bowing slightly to the girls.

“You want it, we got it,” said Flam.

“Need a pogo stick?” offered Flim. Immediately he produced one, hopped onto it, and began jumping around the store.

The girls, a little overwhelmed, didn’t know what to say.

“How about a bowling ball?” asked Flam. He took one from a shelf and sent it rolling across the floor, where it hit a stack of bowling pins and knocked them over.

“Want a stuffed clown?” Flim’s arm was around a giant stuffed clown with a red nose and curly hair.

“Want… whatever this is?” Flam couldn’t figure out what he was holding, and neither could the girls.

Applejack stepped forward. “I’ll take that bass.”

The girls all looked relieved as Flam took the bass out of the window and showed it to Applejack. It was a sleek, red, well-used bass. Applejack had been playing it for a long time.

“Excellent taste, young lady!” oozed Flim. “We can give you this bass for a nonnegotiable price of one thousand dollars.”

The girls gasped. “One thousand dollars!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “You only paid Granny Smith two dollars for it.”

The girls nodded in agreement. “That’s right, two dollars.”

Flim and Flam exchanged glances. Flim coughed. “Yes… well…”

“We have to cover our overhead!” said Flam.

“And transportation,” added Flim, recovering his composure. “And of course, there’s our stocking fee.”

Applejack stuck her thumbs in her denim shirt and prepared for business. “Listen,” she said. “This all boils down to a simple misunderstandin’. You bought that bass from my granny, but it wasn’t hers to sell and I simply cannot let ya keep it.” She nodded, satisfied that now everything was clear. But Applejack had a good heart, and she didn’t like to be unfair to anyone. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you the two dollars back, and we’ll call it even Stephen.”

Applejack reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of carefully folded bills. She held them out with one hand and with the other reached for her bass.

But Flam quickly stepped away from her. “Your bass?” he questioned her.

“Not your granny’s?” said Flim.

Flim and Flam winked at each other and laughed. “A likely story!” they said together.

Flam put the bass behind him, and the two brothers stood in front of it like a wall.

Applejack was dumbfounded. She was so honest, she was always flabbergasted when other people weren’t. “It is a likely story,” she tried to explain. “Because I’m tellin’ the truth. That’s my bass.”

The other girls nodded their heads in agreement.

“Is that so?” said Flim. “And can you prove that this is in fact your bass?”

Applejack smiled. “Yep. For one thing, my name’s Applejack, and my initials are written on the strap.”

For a moment, Flim and Flam looked concerned. They studied the bass and examined the strap. Just like Applejack had said, her initials were right there in bold lettering.

“See! See!” said the girls excitedly. Now maybe at last they could get started on practicing for their band.

But Flim and Flam weren’t going to give up that easily. “Come now,” said Flam, “that AJ could stand for anything… Art Jerks.”

“Alien Jones,” said Flim.

“Anvil Jokers,” suggested Flam.

“Why, I’ll bet you don’t even play the bass… Applejack… if that’s your real name.”

Applejack was madder than a bull at a rodeo at this point. “Applejack is my real name. And I do play the bass. That one.” What else could she say to convince them? And what would she do if she couldn’t get her bass back? There was no way she could afford another one. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t think of any other way to convince them to give it to her.

But that’s what friends are for!

Rainbow Dash knew exactly the move that would solve this problem. “Go on, Applejack. Show ’em what you’ve got.”

“Yes,” said Rarity to Flim and Flam. “Give her the respect she deserves, and let her display her talents.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes twinkled. “Seems like we’ve found the solution.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” agreed Pinkie Pie. “You’ll see how amazing and awesome and fantabulous she is! Let her play.”

“I think you have to,” said Fluttershy quietly. “It’s only fair.”

Flim and Flam looked from one girl to another. There was no way they could say no to so many potential customers. Reluctantly, they held out the bass to Applejack. Flim coughed nervously. Flam bit his lip.

Applejack strung the guitar strap over her shoulder. “You have an amp?” she asked. When Flim and Flam produced one, she plugged in her bass. “Hold on to your ears, boys. I’m going to let it rip!”

And she did. Applejack could play! Her fingers were flying, and Flim and Flam’s Emporium was rockin’! People passing by on the street stopped to peer in. This was great! What a solo! What a performance! Her rhythms were complex, precise… infectious! Everyone was tapping their feet and swaying to the music. Best of all, the Equestria Girls were singing along.

“Shake your tail ’cause we’re here to have a party tonight!

Shake your tail! Shake your tail!”

And that’s when the magic happened!

First the ears appeared, and then her hair began to look like a horse’s mane, and then her tail was swinging and dancing while she played! She was playing pony style!

All the girls in the store started to do the Pony Stomp! They lifted their knees and pranced. They crossed their arms and leaned from side to side. They jumped out and did the Canterlot Clap! They stomped their feet and punched the air in celebration with their hands. These girls could really dance when the music was right.

Even Flim and Flam were tapping their feet. What a beat!

As Applejack shredded one last triumphant riff, the girls all started jumping up and down. “See? See?” they said. “It is her bass!”

Applejack carefully removed her bass. She was a normal girl again.

All the girls were looking at Flim and Flam, who were still swaying to the music. Fluttershy cleared her throat.

“Oh yes, oh yes,” admitted Flim. “Well, well, well. Perhaps this is her bass.”

Relieved, Applejack reached back into her pocket and took out the two dollars again.

“But there are still the transportation costs,” said Flim quickly.

“Don’t forget the stocking fees!” added Flam.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” agreed Flim.

Applejack stomped her foot in frustration. Now she wanted to play her bass with her friends more than ever. “Just tell me how much you want for it already!”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “And don’t even think about saying a thousand dollars.”

Flim pulled Flam aside for a moment, and the two brothers whispered together conspiratorially. Finally, Flam turned to Applejack, an oily smile on his lips. “I suppose,” he oozed, “we could make some kind of… trade?”

Applejack looked at him questioningly. What did she possibly have to trade?

That was how Applejack found herself in front of the store an hour later, jamming on her bass, in a banana costume. A huge flashing neon arrow behind her pointed to the store’s entrance. Well, she was certainly drawing a crowd—and she’d have her bass back at the end of the day.

“Are those the costumes for your band?” snickered Trixie when she walked by.

“Just for practicin’,” said Applejack good-naturedly. After all, practice was practice, even if you had to wear a banana suit!