Chapter 9: Flurry's Luck & Sombra's Proposition
AN: Let's find out if Flurry Heart has better luck this time around. Enjoy!
Just as Flurry got into bed, Cadence came in and went over to her side and bent down to kiss her on the forehead.
"Are you okay, Flurry?" Cadence said.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Flurry replied.
"Don't lie to me. You don't sound fine," Cadence stated.
"Okay, I'm not fine. They found the fourth golden ticket today," Flurry nodded.
"I know, I saw it on the TV today."
"And now there's only one golden ticket left in the entire world."
"I wonder who the lucky winner will be."
"Well, in case you're wondering if it'll be me, it won't be. So in that case, you can go ahead and count me out."
"Why?"
"You know the chances of me finding one are very slim. Just like Grandpa Night Light said, I haven't got a chance."
"Flurry, there are over a hundred billion people in this world, and only five of them will find golden tickets," Cadence explained softly. "Even if you had a sack full of money, you probably wouldn't find one. And after this contest is over, you'll be no different from the billions of others who didn't find one."
"But I AM different from them. I want it more than anything! I pray every night for just a chance that things will change for the better!" Flurry responded on the brink of tears.
With that, Flurry rolled over so she couldn't see her mother and just stared at the wall with a sad frown. Cadence sighed and looked at the ground with an upset expression. She really hated seeing her daughter unhappy and knew that as her mother, it was her responsibility to make Flurry feel better. After a moment of silence, Cadence put a hand on Flurry's shoulder and gently rubbed it.
"Flurry, you'll get your chance. One day things will change," Cadence said.
"But when? When will they change?" Flurry questioned.
"Probably when you least expect them to. You just to keep your eyes open for them. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Cadence indicated.
Flurry gave a small nod, indicating that she understood what her mother was telling her.
"Good, now get some sleep, honey. Good night," Cadence gave Flurry another kiss.
"Good night," Flurry said glumly.
Cadence then stood up and walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Flurry's eyes started to droop until they shut completely and she fell into a deep sleep. Back out in the living room, everyone else was watching the TV and saw that an announcement was being made.
On the screen, Hooves Forecast was looking into the camera with a humble and serious expression. "Four down, one to go. And somewhere out there, another lucky child is moving closer and closer to finding the last of the tickets that will lead him/her to probably the most sought-after prize in history. Though we might envy that child, whoever he/she is, and we might be tempted to be bitter at our losing, we must remember that there are more important things in life at we should focus on. One of those things is remembering to be careful out there during these times, making sure that were keeping safe and helping others in times of crisis. And now for sports—"
Suddenly, the screen went black, indicating that the TV had been turned off. Cadence then stood in front of the screen and looked at everyone in the room.
"All right, everyone, it's time for bed," she said.
"Aw, but he was just getting to the good stuff," Patrick groaned.
"Bed," Cadence replied sternly.
The boy stood up from the recliner, grabbed his crutches and went into the bedroom to go to sleep.
A couple hours later, Flurry was gently shaken awake from her peaceful slumber. When she yawned and opened her eyes, she saw Bob standing over her, barely containing his excitement. On the other side of the room, Patrick was also woken up and was having trouble keeping his eyes open.
"Bob? Why did you wake me up?" Flurry asked tiredly.
"Well, Flurry, right now, we're going to make a little gamble," Bob smiled.
He then held something up for Flurry and Patrick to see and after focusing their visions, they saw that Bob was holding up a Wonka bar.
"Holy sweet tooth!" Patrick quietly exclaimed.
"Bob, you used some of the money you made today to buy that?" Flurry put her hands on her hips.
"Well, in my defense, this is for a good cause. There's only one ticket left and I have a good feeling about this one," Bob replied.
"I don't know. I really don't want to get my hopes up again. Can you open it?" Flurry rubbed the back of her head.
"No, Flurry, it has to be you who finds it. Now go on, open it," Bob shook his head.
Flurry reluctantly took the candy bar from her brother and began to slowly unwrap it. Both Bob and Patrick stared with anticipation as the wrapper was nearly all the way off. Flurry then closed her eyes and took off the wrapper, but when she opened her eyes, the only thing there was the chocolate. No golden ticket. Once again, Flurry's hopes had been dashed and her brothers stared at the chocolate with solemn expressions.
"Holy letdown," Patrick sighed.
"You know, I'll bet the golden ticket makes the chocolate taste terrible," Flurry said with a sad smile.
Bob made his way over to Flurry and wrapped her up in a tender hug. He felt terrible for doing this to his little sister again, even though his heart was in the right place. She returned the hug while Patrick somberly watched them from the side.
A couple days later, everybody around the world were growing more and more desperate since they were trying to get their hands on Wonka bars anywhere. Some establishments were selling cases of Wonka bars to the highest bidder, and at one point, criminals captured a woman's husband and ransomed him for the woman's case of Wonka bars, showing how insane and desperate people were becoming. In the evening, another newsflash appeared on the screen and Hooves Forecast sat there with a big smile on his face.
"That's it! That's it, ladies and gentlemen! It's all over! The Wonka contest is finally over!" Hooves Forecast smiled. "The fifth and final golden ticket has been found in the city of Manehattan by a little boy named Sylvester Sly. The boy is the nephew of the famous Flim Flam Brothers, famous for their apple cider and cure tonic. We are now ready to show the live report."
In the cottage, everybody, except for Flurry, were watching the news and really didn't have the heart to learn more about this lucky finder. If anything, the kid was probably just a sly weasel like all the other finders.
"Turn it off," Bob grumbled.
Cadence quickly went over and turned off the TV, while the others all hung their heads for the sake of Flurry.
"Well, that's it. No more golden tickets," Patrick sighed.
"The whole thing was still a waste of time," Velvet remarked.
"Not to Flurry it wasn't," Patrick reminded her.
"Exactly, a little girl has to have something in this world to hope for. She put a lot of faith into this ticket business, but what does she have to hope for now?" Bob said unhappily.
"Should I go wake her and tell her?" Cadence wondered.
"No, we should just let her sleep," Shining Armor shook his head.
"I'll break the news to her before I take her to school tomorrow," Bob stated.
"Yeah, let her have one last dream," Night Light nodded.
Unknown to them, Flurry was actually awake and overheard the whole thing. The information on the TV stabbed her heart like a knife. Tears poured down her face and she quietly whimpered mournfully. Any last ounce of hope she had was now gone.
The next day, during breakfast, Bob was about to tell Flurry about the bad news, but she beat him to the punch, stating that she overheard them last night. This made everyone else feel guilty and Flurry assured them that it doesn't matter anyway. At school, all of the kids were depressed, even though Ms. Cheerilee tried to lift their spirits with a movie day. After school was let out, Flurry was greeted at the bottom of the steps by Bob.
"Hi, Flurry," Bob said.
"Bob? What are you doing here?" Flurry asked.
"Well, given the circumstances, I thought I'd walk you home," he replied.
"Thanks," she said numbly.
The two siblings left the schoolhouse and walked down the street. Along the way, they passed by the gates of the factory. Flurry took a deep breath and could smell the chocolate cooking inside. She looked up at the factory with sorrowful eyes and then turned away from it. She couldn't bear to look at it. To her, any chance she had of getting into the factory was just a fantasy. Eventually, they came to a bench on the side of Sugar Cube Corner and Bob took a seat on it, making Flurry stop in her tracks.
"Flurry, come sit down. We need to talk," Bob spoke.
"Okay," Flurry said as she sat next to him.
"I'm sorry, Flurry," he declared.
"For what?" she asked in surprise.
"For getting your hopes up like this," Bob confessed. "For a long time, I've always wanted to get inside and see the factory. And I put my own needs before my family just to do so. Nothing should ever be worth more to me than my family. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better brother to you, Flurry."
Flurry stayed silent as she took in her big brother's words. She could tell that he genuinely felt bad for everything that he had an influence on. All of a sudden, the sadness in her heart was gone. The apology from her brother was probably all she needed in order to get past the whole thing. She put a hand onto his and looked up to him with a forgiving smile.
"It's okay, Bob. I actually feel better now. And you'll always be a great brother," Flurry said before she hugged him.
"Thanks, Flurry. That means a lot to me," Bob returned the hug.
"Well, I guess Patrick might be a little better than you," Flurry playfully teased.
"Okay, let's not go too far," Bob playfully pushed her off.
The two shared a laugh until they heard the sound of someone struggling with something. They turned around saw Pinkie Pie struggling to carry a heavy box filled with new candies from the Wonka factory. Out of impulse, Flurry got up from the bench an went over to the pink-haired teenage girl.
"Here, let me help you with that, Pinkie," Flurry offered as she grabbed onto the other side of the box.
"Hi, Flurry! And thanks!" Pinkie said happily.
They worked together to carry the box over to the entrance of the shop, while Bob got the door and held it open for them. once the two girls got inside, they set the box down behind the counter. Pinkie then turned to Bob, since she noticed that he held the door open for them.
"And thank you, Bob! You're quite the gentleman today!" Pinkie smiled.
"Yeah, I guess I am," Bob chuckled.
"Anything going on around here today, Pinkie?" Flurry asked.
"Well, things sure have quieted down here ever since that report last night," Pinkie scratched her head.
"At least you finally have some peace and quiet for once," Bob pointed out.
"Yep! Actually, I still have to stock up on this new shipment of Wonka bars. If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could lend me a hand in restocking them?" Pinkie said with big, puppy-dog eyes.
"Sure thing," Bob nodded.
"Of course," Flurry also nodded.
"Yippee!" Pinkie squealed as she jumped up and down in place.
With that said, the three began to unpack the box and stock the Wonka bars on the shelf. It was revealed that Cheese Sandwich was given the day off and Mr. and Mrs. Cake left early to go out to dinner. So, Pinkie Pie was the only one running the shop for the day. Even if there weren't a lot of customers, there was still a bit of restocking to do. It wasn't long before the shelves were restocked with Wonka bars and other delicious candies.
"That's probably enough Wonka bars to last the week, Pinkie," Bob remarked.
"We'll see. Anyway, I appreciate the assistance," Pinkie beamed.
"Happy to help," Flurry returned the smile.
Bob gave a nod before he and Flurry walked out of the shop. They were just about to head for home when Pinkie's voice called out from behind them. They turned around and saw that Pinkie was holding a Wonka bar out to Flurry.
"Wait; take this as a thank you for helping me," the teenage girl said.
Flurry took the Wonka bar and gave a grateful smile in return. "Thank you, Pinkie Pie."
"No, thank you for being a good little girl who is filled with love," Pinkie responded.
"Truer words were never spoken. See you later, Pinkie Pie," Bob nodded.
"If I don't see ya sooner!" Pinkie saluted before she zipped back into the shop.
Bob and Flurry shared an amused laugh before they were on their way again. However, as they walked through the marketplace, they looked ahead and noticed a small crowd of people standing around Grand Pear's newspaper stand. Curious, the two made their way over to the stand until they were standing next to Grand Pear.
"What's all the commotion this time?" Bob questioned.
"Didn't you hear the news? The Flim Flam Brothers made up a phony golden ticket!" Pony Joe exclaimed.
"That means that there's still one more golden ticket out there!" Grand Pear added.
"Can you believe the nerve of those guys? Trying to fool the whole world?" Lyra Heartstrings huffed.
"That means the contest could go on forever!" Sweetie Drops cried out.
After hearing this, a ray of hope suddenly shown down on Flurry. She then stole a glance at the Wonka bar in her grasp. A hopeful smile crept onto her face and she stepped away from her brother and the crowd until she was a few feet away from them. She then took a deep breath and stared at the Wonka bar as she began to sing.
[Flurry Heart]
On the one hand, you are just a bar of chocolate,
No differently from the rest!
On the other hand, you're the superstar of chocolate,
The golden key to Willy Wonka's treasure chest!
Whichever you are, I'm hoping for the best!
Think Positive!
Think Positive!
Think Positive!
She then began to unwrap the chocolate bar and she slowly but surely pulled back a corner of the wrapper. She continued to pull the corner down until a shine of gold flashed in her face. With an anxious smile, she tore off the rest of the wrapper and held something that made her smile even bigger. It was the last golden ticket! Flurry Heart had found it!
[Flurry Heart]
Look what happened!
See what happened?
That's what happens when you're thinking positive!
Think Positive!
She held up the golden ticket so she could get a good look at it. The sun glistened on the ticket, making it shine brightly. Suddenly, a hand grabbed ahold of Flurry's wrist and she turned to see Sweetie Drops looking at it with excitement.
"Hey, she found it! This little girl found the last golden ticket!" Sweetie Drops called out to the group of people, who then began to crowd around the 11-year-old girl.
"It really is gold!" Pony Joe hollered.
"Come on, let me see it!" Lyra Heartstrings yelled.
Flurry was getting very uncomfortable being surrounded by all of these people, but Bob and Grand Pear tore through the crowd and came to her aid.
"Hey, keep of this child! Keep off this child!" Grand Pear barked to the crowd.
"Enough! Get out of the way! Give her some air! Back! Get back!" Bob shouted.
Just as they got Flurry out into the open, Hooves Forecast stood there in front of the camera, ready to interview Flurry Heart while Bob remained at her side.
"This is Hooves Forecast reporting live here on Ponyville Avenue as a little girl has found the REAL last golden ticket! What's your name, sweetie?" Hooves Forecast said to Flurry.
"My name is Flurry Heart," Flurry answered.
"Well, congratulations, Flurry Heart! Your whole life is about to change!" Hooves Forecast declared.
"Now, hold onto that ticket, Flurry! Run home as fast as you can and don't stop until you get there!" Grand Pear happily ordered.
"Come on, Flurry! I'll race you home!" Bob laughed.
After Flurry tucked the golden ticket into her pocket, the two siblings made a beeline for home, with Grand Pear, Hooves Forecast, and the crowd of people watching them. The two ran down the street until they entered a dark tunnel, but they didn't care in the slightest. They were just so happy that nothing could ruin the moment for them, or so they thought. Just as they were about to reach the end of the tunnel, a strange man blocked their path, making them both come to a stop. The man was dressed in a black suit, a black top hat, a black cape, a black belt, black gloves, black shoes, and carried a black cane in his hands. It turned out that this was the same man who whispered something into the ears of the other four ticket finders. And now, he had the final ticket finder right where he wanted her.
"I congratulate you, young lady. Well done, you've found the fifth golden ticket," the man said in a voice that sent shivers up their spines.
"Who are you?" Flurry asked nervously.
"Oh, of course! Allow me to introduce myself; Arthur Sombra, president of Sombra Chocolates Incorporated," the man introduced himself.
That name instantly caused Flurry to gasp and Bob to become angry, resulting in him speaking next, making Sombra turn his attention to the boy.
"You! You're the one who sent those spies into the factory to steal Mr. Wonka's secret recipes for your own benefit! And that led to our grandfather losing his job at the factory!" Bob accused.
"Guilty as charged. Now, I have a proposition for the both of you," Sombra smirked.
"We don't make deals with the likes of you! Whatever you're selling, we're not buying!" Bob snapped as he grabbed ahold of Flurry's hand.
Just as he moved to the side, Sombra stuck his cane out, blocking the way. This made Bob and Flurry stop instantly, as the boy continued to glare at the man in black.
"But I will make a deal with you that can make you very rich by the day after tomorrow!" Sombra proposed.
This caused Bob and Flurry to exchange nervous and suspicious glances before turning their attention back to Sombra.
"We're listening," Bob said hesitantly.
Sombra's smirk grew as he stepped forward and kept his gaze on the two siblings. "At this exact moment, Willy Wonka is working on a fantastic invention: the Everlasting Gobstopper! If he releases it into the candy stores first, then I'll be ruined. All I'm asking is that you get your hands on one Everlasting Gobstopper and bring it to me so I can find the secret formula. Your reward will be $500,000. Think about it; you can get a new house for you and your family. They will have plenty of food and comfort for the rest of their lives!"
After hearing the proposition, the siblings were still hesitant. While the thought of getting a better home for the rest of the family was really intriguing, that would mean that they would have to betray someone that they idolize.
"But Mr. Wonka is a great man! We can't just backstab him like that! It wouldn't be right!" Bob frowned.
"With all due respect, my good man, I believe it's up to the ticket finder to decide," Sombra retorted.
"I...I...I..." Flurry didn't know what to say, since she was still torn.
"Clearly you need some time to think it over, but that's fine with me," Sombra said. "I'll approach you again after the tour of the factory and you can give me your answer then. And don't forget the name: Everlasting Gobstopper."
After that, he walked past them and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. They watched him leave before they ran out of the tunnel, wanting to get back home now more than ever.
AN: Man, Sombra really creeps the heck out of me. Again, HeySpike does NOT own any of the songs. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Now, it's time for Flurry to show the rest of her family her golden invitation. Until then, catch ya later!