Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

8 Paradoxal Bonding (3/4)

Their giggles and cheers rippled around the room. To Luster, it was a surreal sight that she had to question if it was reality or sheer fantasy. The latter would make so much sense, but the constant ringing in her ears provided an asinine deterrence.

The colt and changeling played a game of surprise. Lil' Cheese would count to ten while Wist would hide herself as an inanimate object within a room. It would always be the room they were currently in, which they would shift every few rounds.

Luster became more complacent to the game the more she realized how innocent it was. A word she wouldn't think to associate this wicked bug with.

At Lil' Cheese's room, Wist hid as a pony ranger in the colt's toybox. At the restroom, she latched as a mirror over the real one attached to a cabinet.

Each room, Luster would observe Wist's transformations and watch the young colt innocently stroll about for the intricate changeling. What made it so strange was how helpful Wist was. Always would she give hints with a sound. Always would she emerge with her eldritch flames and pick the colt in the air, congratulating him for his astuteness. Was this really the same changeling she fought with hours ago?

"Are you just going to stand there and watch all day?" Wist asked the pondering mare after placing Lil' Cheese back to the ground. Their current round ended within a hallway on the second floor of the building. "Why not join us for a bit? You could use the fun way more than him."

"Seems to me that you have soft spot foals," Luster surmised. "I doubt I would receive the same kindness if I dared to join."

"How astute of you," Wist said after patting the colt's head. "At least you're not spoiling the fun for us."

"The goal of foalsitting is to ensure that the foal is safe and well," Luster informed. "I'm surprised you haven't done anything to endanger him yet."

"You wound me," Wist dramatically said and mushed the cheeks of the colt's together. "How could ever hurt such a sweet and vulnerable creature as this?"

"After the things you've done at the school, I wouldn't think it would be beneath you."

"You're so quick to judge every creature," Wist gave a toothy grin. "Ever think that could be why you're so lacking at friendship?"

"What would you know about friendship?" Luster challenged. "You don't even want to learn it."

"Why bother when I'm already so good at it?" Wist shrugged. "If I can play creatures like a fiddle, then I must already be a natural at it."

"Manipulating others doesn't make you great at friendship."

"Bonds and friendship pretty much go in hoof together, right? I can't imagine changeling being the disguisers without knowing how to play into that value you creatures hold so dear."

"That's ridiculous," Luster voiced. "Princess Twilight and her friends defeated a changeling queen with the use of friendship. How do you explain that?"

"Simple, that queen was a dullard," Wist scoffed. "The whole nonsense of friendship is so easy to manipulate. If a changeling can't do that, they might as well not call themselves one."

"Is that kind of narrow mind that makes you terrible at friendship," Luster argued.

"Your desperation to clap back at me is so pitiful," Wist teased. "If I gave you a cookie, would it calm your feeble mind?"

"Don't you go treating me like a foal!" Luster voiced. "If any creature is one, it's definitely you."

"Clever deflection there," Wist sarcastically congratulated. "A fine argument to make as the awe inspiring hoof licker of the princess."

"What is your problem!?" Luster raged as she butt her head upon Wist's. The changeling only stirred her fury more with a toothy grin.

From the side, Lil' Cheese observed from the distance with a rubber chicken bouncing from his hoof. Growing bored from Wist's distraction, the colt went to humor himself by bouncing the toy boy, steadily drifting down the stairs of the building as he became enthralled by his game.