Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

9 Swiss Cheese (1/5)

The smell of berries welcomed the small colt downstairs as he bounced his rubber chicken about like a soccer ball. The growing number of customers assembling in the room masked the colt's presence, but he didn't escape Pound's eye. The rubber chicken constantly peaking out from the crowd exposed the colt as he sauntered away to the exit of the building.

Pound could only let out a sigh. "Well, that didn't take long."

"You know what your problem is?" Luster voiced before the impish changeling. Her voice etched out leaks of poison. "You lack empathy for others! You go around without the slightest care for the feeling of other creatures. It always has to be about you!"

"You can't care about other creatures without caring about yourself first," Wist stated. She shut her eyes and held a smirk that oozed of superiority.

"You're only committed to half that rule!" Luster argued.

"You know, I do not take this kindly to your tone of voice." Wist opened her eyes. Her smug grin still held bare. "I can't help but get the feeling that you don't want to be my friend."

"You have the gall to say that after what you've done!" Luster leered at the changeling. "I wanted to be fair with you, but at every turn you spit on every chance of my kindness. You're the one that's not looking for a friend!"

Wist gaped her eyes then shifted her sights around the hallway. "What?" Luster said. "You've only just realized that now!?"

"I thought something was strange," Wist said. "Where did my little Cheese go?"

"Lil' Cheese," Luster corrected. "The least you could do is remember—" Luster's body flinched and then turned about across her surroundings. "—Wait, where'd he go? He was just here."

"Must've gotten bored by your little tantrum." Wist shrugged. "I can't say I really blame him."

"Will you just stop already!?" Luster voiced. "This is serious. We need to find him."

"You're right," Wist nodded. "We should definitely find him before those two catch on that you lost him."

"Why is it only my fault!? You know what, I don't care! Let's just split up and find him already."

Before Wist could respond, to Luster's delight, the mare already ran off and entered a room. Had Wist been changeling that likes to have the last say, she would be appalled to a frenzy. However, some last says come best with action.

Wist strode calmly through the hallway and stopped before a window. After a sniff, she looked at the window and found the colt out in the open, bouncing his little goose toy like a dolphin.

"You're having so much fun with that toy of yours," Wist commented. "It almost makes me jealous."

Luster emerged from the door and regrouped with Wist. "Hey, did you find him yet?"

"I'm afraid not," Wist lied. "I'm starting to get worried about her. Who knows what could happen to her on her own."

"It's nice to at least know you care about him," Luster sighed. "But don't worry. We just have to keep looking. We'll find him eventually."

"Yes, you are quite right," Wist said. "It's too soon for us to give up."

"Okay then." Luster nodded. "I'm going to check the room from the other side. You should look through the ones here."

"Sounds like a plan," Wist concurred. And at that, Luster went off again to another room. The changeling held a proud smile and continued to observe the colt from afar.

Eventually, Luster would emerge from the door and note that Wist had not moved from the window. Befuddled, Luster approached the changeling again. "Why are you still there?"

"Me?" Wist said. "Oh, I'm just enjoying the view. It's so so bright out."

"What?" Luster narrowed her brow. "We're supposed to be looking for Lil' Cheese. Why are you through the window?" Luster basked in the sight before the window with Wist and there she realized the reason for the changeling's fixation. "He's right—" Luster glared at Wist. "—Why didn't you say anything!?"

"Now where would be the fun in that," Wist said as she strode passed the offended mare. "Now hurry it up, I still have more rounds to play with that colt."

Ignoring another session of Luster's scolding, the two foalsitters discovered the colt still skipping about at the front of the bakery. The colt's mastery of his menial game was an astonishing sight as he flipped and twirled beneath the rubber goose.

"He's a nimble little fellow, isn't he?" Wist commented.

"Let's just bring him back," Luster snapped and walked past Wist. When Luster drew close to the playful colt, a mass shadow mysteriously casted over them. Luster looked up to find the source and her eyes shrunk to see a massive figure descend upon them at swift speed.

It all happened so quick. A heavy wind blew and forced Luster and Wist to shield themselves. The next thing they knew, Lil' Cheese was gone.

They trailed their sights to the sky where a gigantic bird had apparently held the colt in its talons. A predicament that the colt seemed to take joy in as it waved its hoof excitedly at the two.

"Is that a roc?" Wist breathed with the lack of amusement from earlier. She shared in Luster's utter shock that a huge predator had just swooped past them.

"We," Luster started. "We got to save him!"