Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

8 Paradoxal Bonding (2/4)

The door to the Sugarcube Corner opened with the bedazzlement of confetti and peppy pink blur. "I'm baaack!" Pinkie Pie announced herself.

"Auntie Pink," a stallion voiced from behind a counter. "I was wondering why I didn't hear any party cannons in the kitchen."

"Wait," Wist emerged from behind Pinkie. "You have a cannon? Can I see it?"

"Let's just focus on the task at hoof," Luster emerged from Pinkie's other side. 

"You must be Luster, right?" The stallion strolled around the counter and greeted the three. "We didn't get a chance to talk the last time you visited. I'm Pound Cake. I run this bakery with my aunt and sis."

"Pleased to meet you," Luster greeted with a hoof shake. "I'm sorry I didn't stay long enough for us to chat last time. The tour I had was rather melodic."

"Whoa," Wist voiced after she strolled off to observe the cakes in the glass shelves of the counter. "These cakes look crazy. How did you make them look like that?"

"Wist!" Luster voiced. "It's rude not to introduce yourself to others."

"Oh," Pound perked his ears. "So this is Wist. Auntie Pink has been talking about her a lot ever since the welcome cake was sent out."

Pound walked to Wist's side. The changeling's attention to the display of pastries was like a moth to a flame.

"Want a slice?" he asked. Wist plastered his face upon the glass display attempting to pierce through it with her forked tongue. Pound gazed at the moth-like changeling in confusion. "I take it, that's a yes?"

After gifting Wist with a pumpkin cake with rainbow frostings, Pinkie gathered the group into a room upstairs.

The moment Pinkie opened the door, a yellow blur pounced passed her and glued onto Wist pectoral. Already sensing the vigorous love coming her way, Wist had already hoisted her plate of pumpkin cake above herself with her magic. 

"We really need to stop meeting like this." Wist grinned at the small yellow colt that strapped his body onto her. His eyes sparkled anticipation as his tail wagged wildly like a pup.

"Lil' Cheese," Luster identified the foal. "You have to stay away from her. She's a deceitful creature."

"You say it like it's a bad thing." Wist rolled her eyes. Luster leered at the carefree changeling. 

"Auntie Pink." A yellow mare appeared at the entrance at the door. "There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared off to."

"I'm sorry Pumpkin," Pinkie gleefully apologized. "But I couldn't wait anymore to see Wist again. "She's been a real doozy for my little colt."

Pinkie stepped away from the door to give the mare a view of Lil' Cheese clutching upon the changeling. Wist lowered her neck to give the colt the reach he needed to climb onto her back. Lil' Cheese then proceeded to entrap his face into Wist's long leafy mane.

"He never did that with me," Luster mumbled. 

"Is that jealousy I sense?" Wist smirked. "Maybe learn to not be such a buzzkill and you'll have all the stallions flaunt over you."

"I didn't ask for your advice!" 

"Are they the new foalsitters you were thinking about?" the mare asked. 

Wist and Luster paused from their foalish argument and voiced in unison, "Foalsitters?"

"Oh well," Pinkie sighed. "I guess I didn't try hard enough to make it a surprise. That's right, I would like for you two to watch over Lil' Cheese for me."

"That's it?" Luster said. "We just have to foalsit Lil' Cheese?"

"She did say it would be full of whacks and joy," Wist said. "Were you not paying attention?"

"I know she said that!" Luster voiced. "I just didn't think it would be something so...simple."

"Simple?" Pound said. "Well, I guess you two will find out soon enough."

"I'm actually in a rush right now," Pinkie confessed. "Twi is asking everypony in for an emergency meeting. Can't pass up on another chance to see everypony together again."

"An emergency meeting?" Luster repeated. "Did something happen?"

"No idea." Pinkie confessed with a jovial voice. 

"The Princess has told me that the Council of Friendship gathers to discuss the nature of friendship around the lands," Luster pondered. "So, there must be a friendship problem of some sort."

"While I'm out," Pinkie spoke. "I need somepony keep Lil' Cheese company. I would ask Pound and Pumpkin, but they have a business to run. So, I was hoping that you two don't mind."

"Are you sure about this Auntie Pink?" Pumpkin asked. "Watching Lil' Cheese is a really big responsibility. A lot could go wrong if they make a mistake."

"It's okay," Pinkie chuckled and pat Pumpkin on her back. "I trust the two of them. Gotta have faith if you want success."

"That's what you said about the other dozens of foalsitters," Pumpkin mumbled.

"If you believe that this is the needed punishment for me, then I accept," Luster decided. "I promise that I won't let you down."

"You will," Pinkie's eyes sparkled and rushed before Luster to give her a big hug. Though, if Luster had to describe it, it was more of a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Hope those brownie points are worth a broken back," Wist teased.