Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

2 The Key Ingredient for Devil's Dust (2/7)

Wist flew over the branches and crawled through hollow logs as she scavenged for herbs and plants that she was positive her mother would need to cook another pile of devil's dust.

For years, Wist has played and explored the lengths of this forest. Through her countless journeys around these woods, Wist was able to remember the location of all the ingredients she ever needed to find for her mother. A convenience to Poison that saved her time from dirtying her own hooves. Regardless, Wist did enjoy this time of freedom. Her mother trusted her a lot to walk these woods on her own, confident of her daughter's skill to watch over herself after years of raising her.

Finding a small patch of fungi growing atop a tree and throwing pieces of it into her small saddlebag, Wist perked her ears upon a voice. "We're really going in far. You sure this is fine?"

Wist peaked below to a dirt road where she saw a group of four foals. There were two colts within the group that was a few distances ahead of two fillies as they appeared to be mouthing off at each other.

"Not until he admits that I'm the braver pony," one of the colts argued.

"Well that ain't happening," the other colt argued. "Cause I'm the bravest in the class."

"You guys are being a bunch of twits," said a pink filly that sighed at the colts' competitive conversation. "Can't you both just agree that you're both brave?"

"That won't cut it, Luster," one of the colts argued. "I need him to realize that I'm bravest of them all. You can go if you want, but I'm gonna show what I'm made of when we find the monster of the forest."

"They say that the monster of the forest is as big as an Ursa Minor," said the other mare. "It made this whole forest its territory and it gets really upset when some pony comes in when they're not welcomed."

"Don't worry," one of the colts voiced. "When that monster shows up, I'll protect you."

"Yeah right," the other colt retorted. "You're the one that's going to be chickening out while I'll be the one saving the day."

"You two are going to end up being its lunch if you keep this up," Luster groaned. "Come on, it's not too late to turn back now. I promise I won't tell the teacher."

"Will you stow it, Luster," said one of the colts. "I ain't leaving till he does."

"You two are impossible," Luster growled. "Are you really going to go that far just to look cool in front of her?" Luster pointed her hoof to the filly that swayed her sights around for the creature.

"I just want to see if it's real," the filly said.

"Even if it meant getting eaten?" Luster asked the filly.

"I'm not all that scared," the filly responded. "I have you with me. You know all sorts of magic."

"I-I know some too," one of the colts voiced.

Wist couldn't help but grin at the nervous colts that were clearly putting up a bravado. If they wanted to see the monster so badly, then she had no objection to oblige. Besides, it would be wrong of her not to put their words to the test, wouldn't it?

Wist placed her saddlebag aside atop the branch as a stream of flames enveloped the small changeling's body as she descended into the bushes. The group of foals paused at the rustle she made from the leaves.

"What was that," the filly asked as the colts gathered in front of her as a defensive line. Wist became giddy of the terror she would strike upon those phony colts trying to be heroes.

Wist emerged before the foals, horrifying them with her large body. As tall as the filly had described, Wist earned a scream from the foals in her large body as a black boar. The multiple black rings that surrounded her pupil was an added touch to really give those colts a fright.