Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

9 Swiss Cheese (3/5)

The eerie shade of the bundled trees did nothing to calm Luster's nerves. Everywhere they went she could see an endless hall of trees, shrubs, dirt that hinted nothing to the whereabouts of Lil' Cheese. All she could depend on was Wist's proclaimed reliable nose to sniff the colt out. A fact that Luster grows to question more and more by the second.

"I swear if this is another of your tricks," Luster growled.

"You've still failed to explain to me how Cuddlebear ended in the middle of town," Wist reminded her.

"There's not supposed to be a Roc either," Luster said. "They're things you would usually find in the wilderness, not on the streets. It doesn't make sense."

"Hold that thought." Wist stopped Luster with a hoof. She then pointed to an opening from their path to a river. There, they discovered the Roc perched before a river with its head bent down to scoop the water.

Wist and Luster gathered within a shrub to peek from. Lil' Cheese tossed his rubber goose about with his forehooves while still trapped within its talons. His ears then perked to the Wist and Luster's direction.

"The element of surprise is on our side here," Luster whispered. "All I have to do is use shimmy Lil' Cheese out those talons and whisk him here for our escape."

"How practical," Wist commented. "And here I thought you would use another overly complicated spell."

"I wouldn't have to if all you knew were hexes," Luster sneered and then began her spell. Her yellow light shimmered across the colt's body and slowly she began to tug him. The colt giggled excitedly at his glowing body. "No Cheese," Luster whispered. "You'll give it away."

"He's way too carefree for his own good," Wist commented with a chuckle.

Luster carefully shifted the colt's body to slip through the Roc's hold. A movement too abrupt could earn the creature's undesired attention.

"Almost there," Luster whispered. Despite the colt's audible fascination, she was nearly there in freeing him. A feat that complimented the precision in her magic.

She was now near the yoke of success. However, to the sheer hilarity of her dismay, it was all stripped from by a single leap.

A large body had passed through the shrub that Wist and Luster hid in. It came at a blur of a moment and took Luster with it out in the open before the Roc.

Yet again, Luster's back was against the floor. When gaping upon her unknown assailant, she quickly shielded her face from the massive pairs tongue slathered upon her.

"Hey, stop it!" Luster protested, but the creature continued its ravenous taste upon her with its drooling tongues.

"An orthrus?" Wist said. "Seriously, where are all these animals coming from?" Wist observed the surrounding behind her for any other lurking creatures.

"What are you doing!?" Luster voiced. "Get Cheese before it goes away."

"Golly, what noble sacrifice you're making. But I think I've grown weary of this charade." Wist charged her horn in an ominous green light. "With a dab of a hex, I can simply made the dumb bird lose interest in him."

Wist shot a green wisp toward the Roc. Once it enters the Roc, it will toss away Lil' Cheese, proving Wist as his sole savior. Wist would love to use that clout for more cake if it didn't reveal the fact that they put him in this situation in the first place. Well, at least she could hold this victory over the know-it-all.

However, yet another unforeseen event had taken place. At a timing that Wist did not prefer, the Roc raised its head from the river and spread its wings wind. With only a few gusting flaps, it already ascended to the air.

"Oh come on!" Wist voiced and hopped out of the shrub. Her wisp are able to act as homing missiles that can act autonomously to reach her foes. However, the spell can only retain its existence as its caster within close range.

Wist chased after the Roc that has now risen above the trees and floated in the open sky. After she soars from the river, she will have to begin another chase for the bird. This time however, there won't be a random that will catch her off guard. And my how quickly she failed.

As soon as Wist hovered above the river, a massive jaw had emerged from the waters and snatched her from the air. A small moment passed before a large cragadile emerged from the river with Wist trapped within its jaw.

After a series of coughs, Wist attempted to push its jaws open. Unfortunately for her, she was left to the mercy of the creature's devastating hold. However...

"It's not trying to eat me," Wist said after noting it has yet to chewher. Looking through the openings of the cragadile's craggy teeth, she saw that the othrus has finally spared Luster of its wet tongue and has now cuddled around her body.

"You find this all weird too, right?" An unamused Luster asked.

"You mean how all these random creatures keep interfering with us?" Wist said. "Yeah, it's hard not to notice."

"It's like every time we try to Lil' Cheese away from the Roc, some unknown force brings these animals to stop us."

"Okay, but why exactly?"

"I don't know. But if we're going to rescue Lil' Cheese, we're going to have to change our approach here."

"I think I have an idea, but it hinges on one thing in order for it to work."

"And that is?"

"Our cooperation," Luster sighed.

"You mean working together," Wist said. "How cheesy."

"I know that you would prefer to do things on your own and you don't like me," Luster said. "But we're going to have to put our differences aside if we hope to—"

"What's the plan," Wist said.

"...really?" Luster gaped at Wist's sudden compliance. "You'll go along with my plan?"

"Luster," Wist said. "I've been treated like a plush toy from two random creatures I hope to never see again in my lifetime. I'm not going to risk a third. So, tell me the plan."

"Good enough for me," Luster resigned. "Alright, so here's how this will work."