*Knock* *knock* *knock* “Malty, are you home?” asked Whistle who looked rather down.
She waited patiently as she trotted back and forth past the door before she knocked once more. “Are you there?? Have you heard about Amethyst? H-e-l-l-o-!”
Whistle pressed herself up against the door and accidentally turned the knob, she fell but luckily her wings had flapped open and she hovered above the floor. As she hopped inside she immediately felt an icy chill that felt so cold her mind instantly reverted back to Winter. She trotted forward while calling for her friend who she hoped was home, but no answer came. She checked the kitchen and saw, to her displeasure, that the refrigerator was left opened.
“So that’s why it was cold..” she spoke closing it while rubbing her hooves for warmth. “Malty?”
She trotted back into the living room, looked under the sofa and gagged as never before had she seen so many dust bunnies. She then checked the bathroom, she kept her eyes barely open as she creaked the door open.
“Thank Celestia..” she whistled closing the door. “I hate walking in on ponies”.
Whistle searched and searched the whole apartment until finally arriving at Malty’s bedroom. It looked about the same as the last time had she visited, although she noticed that the candy chest was missing from behind the door. She figured Malty left to refill it but she quickly took notice the bed was untouched and, from what she could tell, for a long amount of time.
“I didn’t notice how---dusty, her covers were” Whistle whispered to herself.
Leaning in closer her nose suddenly took a big sniff of the dust and she immediately began coughing. Whistle fell onto her rear to think, as well as stop her coughing fit by holding her nose. She couldn’t find Malty anywhere, if she was still in hiding where else could she be? She found it rather odd, wouldn’t this be a good time to reveal herself?
“I know everypony seems to think she is Amethyst, and it’s worrying me that I can’t find her..what if---what if she really was Amethyst?” Whistle asked herself.
Whistle pondered rather or not to stay and wait or just head out and search elsewhere. On one hoof waiting here would be a good idea as it is Malty’s home, on the other hoof though she had no idea if Malty even intended on returning here anytime soon. For all she knew, she was Amethyst, who is now dead. She had hoped against hoped she wasn’t but at the moment she felt it wasn’t looking so good for her friend.
Whistle stood up as she decided to look elsewhere. “If I can’t find her, I’ll just come back here” she thought as she trotted to the door but had stopped short of it. She sniffed at the air and caught wind of an strange smell that gave her an extremely odd shiver in her veins. “What’s that? It smells like---I have no idea what it smells like”.
Whistle sniffed and doing the best that she could she followed the scent. It led her back to the bed and for a moment she was expecting another painful sneeze, but her nose had led her to the floor instead. She stared at the covers that hung down to the floor and wondered why her nose was pointing her at it, she ducked down and peered under the bed where she saw something she couldn’t quite make out.
“Isn’t that Minty’s jacket?” she asked reaching and pulling the object closer. “It is! Minty said she lost this a year ago..what’s Malty doing with it?”
As Whistle lifted the jacket into her hooves she thought it was heavier than it should had been, suddenly she realized it wasn’t the jacket, but something that was wrapped in it. As she began unrolling the jacket she suddenly stopped when something sticky had leaked onto her hoof. She held her hoof closer and immediately flinched it back, she furiously unrolled faster until the jacket’s secret content was revealed. She offered a scream as she tossed the jacket down and the broken remains of a cane fell onto the floor, a red substance staining them.
Whistle shook uncontrollably, the reality of what the substance was sunk in and she screamed again, only ceasing when she took in the details of the broken cane. Most notably, the round bump at one end.
“M-Malty’s cane..? She said she lost it!” Whistle shouted. She tried putting together pieces of a puzzle that ended differently than what she had hoped for, suddenly her eyes centered on the purple jacket and she held her mouth in an gasp. “Minty..”
She leapt up and galloped to the nearest window, opening and flying through it. She flew as fast as her wings would allow, she ducked and flew under other Pegasi that she had no time to go around. They called her a flying maniac but she ignored them. She flapped her wings faster, soon she felt that they were getting strained but she didn’t have any time to stop.
“Oh no...a cloud!!!” Whistle cursed as she couldn’t avoid it either and she cringed as she was forced to go through it.
Her fur became soaked as her wings instinctively clamped shut, she opened her eyes a few moments after to see she was skyfalling and with all her might came to a loud screeching halt. Her wings were dripping wet but she flew on. Some five minutes later she was flying at her top speed despite her wings wanting to give up and fall clean off of her body, at long last she came to Minty’s building and she dived to the empty street below.
She galloped and busted through the front door while shouting atop her lungs “Minty! Are you alive!”
No answer came and she hyperventilated, then suddenly she heard a noise coming from the grey hallway. She galloped down it and threw open the doors to Minty’s lab where she gasped. The room was a wreck, all of the tubes and beakers were smashed, by the sink were empty jars stained in orange, stretching half of the large table’s length were peppermints with blue and green coloring in various shapes and sizes. On the floor, curled up and rocking back and forth, was Minty, she was muttering something.
“Oh praise Celestia, Minty..” Whistle sighed in relief. She hovered over and suddenly noticed, to her horror, that Minty was in a state of shock.
She kept muttering and was unresponsive to Whistle even after she was rolled over, Whistle became so worried she didn’t know what she should do. She grabbed Minty’s shoulders and furiously shook her and shouted in her face but no acknowledgement of Whistle was given. Whistle was in such a state of panic she couldn’t helped what she did next, she slapped Minty clear across the face.
“Ouch!” Minty yelped and gladly returned the slap to her friend. “Whistle why di-why are you dripping wet?”
After rubbing her cheek Whistle looked herself over and saw she was dragging water, she began shaking herself dry and ended up making an even bigger mess in the progress.
Minty suddenly gasped. “Is that blood!?”
Whistle glared at her hooves which were still stained in red, she shook her head saying “Forget that, I thought you were dead Minty!”
“What? Why???” Minty asked agasped.
Whistle took a deep breath and Minty cursed herself for asking and prepared her ears.
“I went to Malty to see if she was alright as hadn’t seen her in days and with Amethyst I was worried so went to check her but what I found was her cane broken in half with your jacket covered up in blood!” Whistle paused and allowed herself to breathe.
She went to continue but Minty slammed a hoof over her lips, “Sorry I asked” Minty told her friend. Whistle mumbled something, rolling her eyes Minty removed her hoof while saying “Do me a favor Whistle, please, get far away from me”.
Whistle stared at her friend in confusion, much like a child missing something that was dead centered in front of them. She asked “Why?”
Minty answered, with a bit of a yelp. “Because I’m dangerous!”
Whistle blinked and scratched the inside of her ears before saying “Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? You’re the most unharmful pony I know”.
“Have you seen the place?” Minty asked. She pointed out her lab and Whistle, despite having already seen it, reacted as if she hadn’t even noticed the damage until now.
Suddenly Whistle had a realization, she stared at Minty with her mouth hung open. “Wait, you did this to your own lab?” She asked Minty. “But why?”
Minty’s lips wobbled, her eyes teared up and she shook her head furiously. “I---I---” She struggled to speak as she just couldn’t calm down. Suddenly, in a loud outburst that startled Whistle enough to jump a few feet backwards, she blurted out “I need to destroy my special peppermints!”
“Wha-why? What’s wrong with them?” Whistle asked confused.
“What’s wro-everything is wrong!” Minty yelled. She used the wall to pull herself up as she trotted at Whistle who trotted back to her forward. “I have a serious problem, and I can’t even fix it!”
Whistle tried speaking up but Minty kept drowning her out. “Minty---let me tal---Min---if you’d ju---” Whistle sprung her hooves forward and grabbed Minty making her still as she asked “What is going on?”
Minty had the utmost impression that she was about to cry her eyes out, but the tears never came. She acted out the motions of crying but it seemed as if her eyes were too dried up.
She gripped Whistle’s forelegs, took a big gulp, and with a loud whine said “I killed my mom!”
“What?!” Whistle gasped. She swore her heart had just stopped, staring breathlessly at Minty her eyes met the void of sadness that was her friend’s eyes. “But...but you couldn’t!” Whistle returned. “Minty, I know you would never hurt anypo---”
“Not intentionally, but you know how prone I was to disaster before” Minty interrupted her.
“Well, yes, but you would never ki---” Minty suddenly forced herself free, took up a broken beaker and tossed it at Whistle.
Whistle yelped as she jumped and rolled out of the way as it shattered. “You’re not forcing me out by-hey that was a chair Mints!” Whistle shouted. Her mouth hung open, unable to believe her own friend would throw objects at her in an attempt to force her out.
“Get out, the more you stay here then the chance of me hurting you gets higher!” Minty shouted back. She picked up a larger beaker but before she could throw it Whistle had flown over and grabbed her again.
“I’m not leaving!” Whistle spoke in a loud outburst that even startled her. “Even if you were a twister, I wouldn’t leave my best friend!”
Minty fought against Whistle’s grip but she knew all too well of her friend’s strength, yet she fought until her forelegs could no longer struggle. She gave in as she embraced her friend and her cries became muffled on Whistle’s shoulder.
“Tell me what’s wrong, please Minty” after Whistle had asked this Minty’s crying intensified, only briefly, until she lifted her head and spoke.
“You n-need to destroy the peppermints, I tried b-but…” Minty clamped her mouth shut but struggling to finish she forced it back open almost immediately. “I can’t..I simply can’t! I’m too addicted, I need them---need them---d-desto---des---oh for Tartarus’ sake, I need them to burn!” she finally said in a loud cry.
“What’s wrong with them?” Whistle asked. She was entirely lost and confused. “Is this like that one time where your tongue turned blue? And it gave you psychokinesis?”
“Oh Whistle..” Minty shook her head and would had facehooved if she could.
Minty managed to pull herself free by simply lifting Whistle’s forelegs upward, she trotted towards a table that once held her many notes. Among the burnt pile of parchment that now rested atop the table was a shiny new camera, the price tag still attached to the strap.
“Once you watch this, you’ll understaaaaaaaaaaa....” Minty trailed off into something like an trance. She looked dazed, out of her mind even, then suddenly she snapped back and stared at Whistle with her eyes widen twice their size. “Oh no---please Celestia---not now..!” Minty suddenly dropped the camera and hunched over, her hooves wrapped around her belly as she began gagging as if she was about to throw up.
Since Minty suddenly looked ill driven Whistle firmly declined her order to flee, she stepped forward but immediately took two steps back. Minty’s face had quite an unnatural and disturbing expression, her mouth widen as if she was really going to puke, her eyes shrunk and her overall demeanor changed. Whistle had no idea what to do, she wanted to rush over and help but half of her wanted to get help, the remaining half just wanted to bolt by how freaked out she was.
She watched, her own mouth fell open as right before her eyes Minty changed. Her face was no longer a disturbing mixture, instead it looked like she was screaming but her voice had muted. Her fur became darken, her mane broke out into what must’ve been a thousand split ends. The red veins visible in her eyes which were enlarging dangerously close to popping out of her skull. Then, as soon as this strange seizure had started, it ended. Minty, as if on a slow replay, fell to the floor.
The loud thud had snapped Whistle out of her frighten dazed as she rushed over and turned her friend over. “Minty!? What was that? Do you need me to---” Whistle trailed off as Minty opened her eyes, but they were no longer her usual color.
Whistle had jumped backwards with her back hitting against the large table which she then crawled under half a second later. Minty grinned as she started laughing, her bright yellow eyes sparkling with glee. But it wasn’t Minty who was laughing, the voice was different, it was the voice of Malty.
“Well, well, well…” She started. Brushing her mane aside she lifted herself off of the floor. She coughed before smiling at Whistle who was shaking just as much as Minty had before. “I wondered how long til the secret was out, well--now you know, are you surprised?”
Whistle didn’t answer at first, she was mumbling odd and weird phrases. “Oh, you seem to be in shock, my dear” Malty laughed. Taking a look around herself she saw the state of the room. “Oh dear, oh my...seems like Minty lost her mind and went just a tad bit crazy” she said with a smirk.
“Y-You’re…” started Whistle but she paused as Malty had turned her attention on her. “You’re Malty..? Minty---”
“Is not here” Malty interrupted with a shrug. “Minty left, shall we say---for a little nap?”
“W-Wh...what is going on?” Whistle asked. Clearly, she was going into her own state of shock.
Malty rolled her eyes and kneeled under the table and she giggled at Whistle’s frighten jump. As she outstretched her hoof she said “Do come out, I know this is a bit---hard, to take in. But I promise, it’s nothing to worry about, my dear” she reassured Whistle.
Whistle stared back and forth from Malty’s face to her hoof, her own hoof shook uncontrollably as she took it.
“See? I’m not going to hurt you” Malty gave a warm smiled.
“H-How---” Whistle stuttered.
“How is this possible?” Malty spoke finishing her sentence. “I guess Minty never got around to telling you, pft, see those peppermints?” Malty trotted over to the large table and buried her hoof into the peppermint pile. “Minty could never stop making them, if she did though, then I would had ceased to exist” She redrew her hoof and tossed a peppermint into her mouth, gnawing on it she added “I see she burnt nearly everything else, suppose she had no idea which experiment was the cause. So, she burnt them all to be safe. Yes, yes I believe that to be correct”.
Slowly calming down Whistle stared blankly at the peppermint pile completely lost, then a light bulb went off inside her mind. “You mean the candy, turns you into a different pony?” she asked and felt strangely stupid for it.
“Oh my dear don’t be so---” Malty laughed but suddenly fell silent as she noticed a ripped up piece of paper that was just barely hidden under the peppermint pile. “Her orange sauce, as she called it, didn’t you ever wonder what it did? I mean---look!”
Malty trotted over to the large cabinet, opened it and showed Whistle the many blue plants that laid within. “She grew a eatable plant! And this particular orange sauce only changes a peppermint’s color?” Malty laughed to herself. “Heh, for two years...two long years, and she never even knew. I suppose she didn’t burn these yet as she knew I was around before she made them, either that or simply put that she failed to before I took over”.
Malty casted a glare over and saw that Whistle still had her confused expression. “I’ll put it bluntly, my dear, I am not Minty. Never was, never shall.” she started to explain as she trotted across the room. I’m just---what you call it---sharing her body with her. Think of it like, a split personally”.
“You’re...not real then?” Whistle asked.
Malty sighed greatly as she made her way to the nearest closet which was directly across from the grey hallway. She opened it and reached up to the higher shelve. “I’m very real, luckily the side effects change her appearance, just slightly anyways. I dare say, if my eyes weren’t yellow then I have no doubt that me living in secret would had been impossible” she answered.
Malty stretched out onto her hind legs and pulled from a shelve what seemed to be a small box and dropped it to the floor with a loud thud. She lifted the top half off and took out her hat, Whistle wondered why in the world would her hat be in Minty’s closet and wanted to ask but she was scared of the answer.
Straightening the hat on herself Malty turned back to Whistle. “Live in secret, Amethyst thought as long as I kept my life separate from Minty’s, then there wouldn’t be any harm” she spoke, rolling her eyes.
“Minty’s mom knew about you?” Whistle asked and had to hold her head for it started to feel dizzy and quite light. She just couldn’t believe two of her friends were the same exact pony and that one might not even be real.
“And Tropical, you should had SEEN the look on her face when she saw the change. ‘Oh my gracious...Minty! Minty! Your eye is so bloody!’’ it still makes me laugh!” Malty held her chest and resulted to a cough in order to stop herself from laughing. “Do keep this a secret, will you? Wouldn’t want precious Minty to get hurt..” she added gritting her teeth.
Malty took from the box her overcoat and slid her forelegs through the sleeves. Shaking her head in an attempt to get her mind clear Whistle looked down at the floor, she noticed the red stain on her hooves and suddenly another lightbulb lit so brightly it had blew out.
“Y-You” she gasped. “It was you...you were the pony Tropical saw that night!”
Malty turned to Whistle again, at first her impression was blank but then it grew into a wide smirk. “Guilty as charged” she chuckled. “I have my own place, but I could never sleep there. The change is ever so random that I even woke up in Minty’s own bed once”.
Malty stepped forward out of the closet as her eyes peered down at Whistle’s hooves. It didn’t take much for her to piece together how she got the red stain. “You snooped under my bed, and found the bloody cane, yes?” she asked, looking quite uninterested.
Whistle took a step backwards, her wings outstretched to full length.
“Heh, Edward had followed me that night. Seems he had a secret crush, but when he wouldn’t take no for an answer...” Malty’s grin grew wider and Whistle became even more frightened as a result. “Well, our dear friend saw what happened”.
“What about the other two then!” Whistle unintentionally blurted out. All fear faded away as she stepped forward suddenly. “Why did you kill Amethyst!”
Malty just shrugged and brushed Whistle’s outburst off uncaringly. “Because Amethyst tried throwing me out, I went to her right after I killed Edward.” Malty answered. “I tell you, I never felt so panicked and scared in my whole life, which sadly is the span of two years”.
Malty’s face transformed into an angry and disgusting glare. “She thought Minty would be ruined, she didn’t even care about me!” she snapped, bucking the closet archway. “Just her daughter who she threw out years prior, and when I needed her more than her daughter ever even showed, she cursed me for even being..”
Malty’s teeth grinded and her eyes twitched, she looked like a bomb set to blow at any second. “I was still feeling the rush, the high, I wasn’t thinking when I killed her!” she shouted slamming her hooves. Whistle cringed at the sound of breaking wood. “I was distraught, I loved her as a mother and I had just killed her in rage…But, as my panic and fear subsided, I noticed...it felt good”.
Whistle took more steps backwards as Malty laughed in such an evil manner it chilled her to the bone.
“Oh the rush---the thrill---never in my two years have I felt so alive! I-I had to kill again, just to be sure! And it felt great!” Malty laughed as she lifted up onto her hind legs and swirled around in glee. “My life before that night was so boring, I always felt like something was missing but never knew what..now I know, I hated it. I wasn’t living as myself, the reason Amethyst even took me in was so she could get a second chance as a mother”.
“I-I-” Whistle started but fell silent as she was too frightened to even make her own legs move.
Malty hopped around and faced Whistle, she laughed. “Being fancy j-just wasn’t me, I am going to take a note from my own books and do something” as she threw a single hoof down she bellowed “To Tartarus with Minty’s life, from this point forward I live for myself! No longer being forced to lay low or hide my true nature” Malty trotted towards the door and Whistle cringed as she passed her. “ Whistle...I am going to live, and soon from now until forever, Equestria will remember my name! Malty! Today, I live for myself and myself only”.
Malty took a step through the door and savored the last moments of the air which smelt so much of sugar. “I’m sorry…” came Whistle’s voice as she took a second step. “But I can’t let you do that”.
Malty couldn’t help but chuckle, tilting her hat downward she spoke “Don’t worry, my dear. I made it a note to not hurt yo---” CRASH!
***
Minty groaned in pain, something was covering her face so she flicked it off like a fly that was annoying her nose. She leaned upward and felt the weight of a large coat.
“How did..” she spoke as she started taking it off but as her legs outstretched she felt shivers of pain down her spine.
She gave a silent yet very painful yelp as she felt the coat’s weight mixed with the severe pain.
“It feels like a carriage rolled over my back..” she yelped.
Taking the coat off was no easy feet, as she slid her forelegs out of the sleeves and the coat fell to the floor she rolled over and screamed in pure agony. Something soft ran along her face and it took only a moment for her to realize that it was one of her many clothes, she was in her closet. She fumbled at some boxes she had about the floor while trying her best not to bend her back in the progress.
“Socks, socks, so-oh hey my Discord sock---when did I get this?” She asked herself puzzled. She searched through at least three boxes until she found what she was after, she lifted an small black flashlight and flicked it on. “Ah! Too bright!”
Blinded she flicked the flashlight back off as she stumbled, her back had rammed into something and she held her mouth as she screamed again. She flipped over and saw it was the door knob and after fumbling with it she cursed quite badly.
“Ugh..I’m suing whoever stuffed me in here..” she grunted.
Making sure she held it right she flicked on the flashlight and peered through the keyhole. “H-Hey! Whistle! And she’s asleep..” she groaned in annoyance.
Whistle, who was laying on the floor with her back turned, was indeed sound asleep. Minty rolled her eyes and noticed the room was darken, sadly the clock was out of her view range so she could only guess at the time. She fumbled with the knob once more before she gave up in a loud sigh. She wondered why she was in this closet so she thought back to what happened before she had blacked out.
“Let’s see, I was yelling at Whistle to get out, I picked up the camera and-----ooooooohhhh...” sighing and facehooving she simultaneously face planted the door. “I must’ve turned into Mal--did Whistle attacked her?” Minty asked herself. She rubbed her throat and coughed.
She stretched her back, yelped loudly, and carefully laid flat upon the floor. “My back feels broken, Whistle must’ve hugged Malty and it went terribly wrong, either that or she hit her with something” Minty spoke as she pondered on this idea.
Minty felt the cold surface of the floor through her fur as she stared blankly at the ceiling. She ran through her head the best recreation on what could’ve happened and she felt scared that Whistle had seen her chance. She could only imagination the look of utter terror on Whistle’s face and it made her feel sad. Her best friend was likely forced to attack her and stuff her into a closet, she wasn’t even sure how Whistle had managed it other than a surprise attack from behind.
“Whistle had on occasions surprised hug me from behind, I knew her hugs were strong but Celestia...” Minty whimpered a little as she pictured the strongest that hug Whistle might had gave her.
Minty knew it was probably a bad idea to lay down, but she assumed that if she remained motionless and straight then there wouldn’t be any damage done. She probably couldn’t even trot, her back felt that bad, which if it was still in such pain then she must not had been out for long. She pondered on how long it must had been, she took in account that Whistle was asleep just outside the closet and one fact that she was sure of, if she had been out for a few days then surely somepony must’ve visited.
“No, I’m sure of it, it must’ve only been a few hours” she reassured herself. Suddenly there was a faint chime and Minty stared off in what she guessed was the direction that it came from. “That’s the bell tower, so by that chime and the lack of sunlight, it must be around two A.M”.
Minty tilted her head towards the door and focused on the keyhole, she was pondering again. “Wait!” she said suddenly. “I once took a class on lock picking, if I could just find something thin, like a needle or pin, then I might be able to---” Minty bit her lip as she attempted to lean up, it was a bad idea as waves of pain suddenly surged through her spine.
She became stuck, her hooves wobbling under her weight and she knew that she couldn’t sustain it for too long. She focused her strength on trying to push forward but her forelegs had slipped and she slammed hard onto her back. Uttering a scream so loud it could had broken glass she bellowed in agony. Tears running down her cheeks she cried, wishing for anything to take the pain away. Suddenly the door sprung open and her eyes rolled over to see Whistle brandishing a broomstick.
“Minty?” Whistle spoke mere seconds before kneeling down to help her.
“You broke my back you over strengthened induced filly!” Minty had shouted as she pushed her friend away. She immediately apologized and grabbed ahold of her friend’s hoove. “I can’t get up, you need to get--Whistle! No! Get somepony with magi---” Minty offered a silent scream as she was jerked forward and she heard a definite pop in her back.
“I---am---going---too---” Minty had started but suddenly fell silent as she flexed her back in preparation to stand. “For Luna’s sake on the moon, what did you do? Run her over!?”
Whistle awkwardly grinned as she said “I hit her with a chair”.
“A chair? A CHAIR!? It felt like my back is in pieces Whistle a chair!?” Minty yelled loudly.
Whistle flapped her wings and stepped backwards as her mane fell over her face in depression.
Minty bit her lip, took in a deep breath and ignoring the shivers of pain said “I’m sorry, but you see why I was trying to get you to leave before”.
“I’m sorry I broke your back” returned Whistle. She looked Minty square in the eyes before she nodded. “It is you,” Whistle gave an huge sigh of relieve. “Malty is quite a curser, you know”.
“You talked to her? Minty asked. Looking quite curious she added “What did she say?”
“Oh she wanted me to let her out, but I refused” Whistle simply returned. She whistled in a odd fashion before she said “She cursed bad, she was saying I’d never hurt you but I didn’t trust her”.
“Good, um Whistle?” Minty paused as she went to move but had ceased at once “How long was I---um---out?”
Whistle turned her gaze away and began whistling. On about the third time she was asked she finally blurted out “Three days, just abo--”
“Three days!?” Minty interrupted, she was dumbfounded. “B-But my back--it feels like it was just hurt..”
“Well apparently you had a secret candy stash in there,” returned Whistle. “Malty just kept eating and eating them..until yesterday when she ran out”.
“Right..my peppermints, what happened to them?” Minty asked. She managed to crawl forward enough inches to see her large table that was now charred with, a brightly red fire extinguisher laid atop its surface along side a water hose. “What---happened?”
“I burnt them, every last peppermint gone” Whistle smiled.
Minty nodded as she stared blankly at the burnt remains of her precious candy, her mouth watering at the memory of their taste. The flavor, the burning sensation in the back of her throat, the overall great taste she had spent years perfecting, now destroyed with no hope of ever recreating them. Suddenly she leapt at Whistle who had jumped back and Minty’s chin slammed against the floor as a result of the miss.
“Y-Y-You----how could you!” she bellowed as she tried to crawl.
“W-What’s wrong? Whistle asked hovering into the air and out of reach. “Why are you angrily?”
“I need them!” shouted Minty as she breathlessly tried to lift herself up. “I-I-I-I can’t---they were my greatest invention! The taste---the flavor---I-I-I-I-I must make more...I NEED them!”
Minty dug her hooves into the floor as she attempted to crawl and Whistle, not wanting to see her friend hurt herself more than she already was, flew down and clamped her hooves down onto Minty’s.
“No! They were bad candy! It’s good they're gone!” she shouted back.
Minty struggled until she began rolling from side to side in an attempt to get her front hooves free from her friends’ grip.
“Minty!” Whistle shouted as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders and firmly held her down. “You killed your own mom because of them!”
All at once Minty ceased her struggle as she stared into Whistle’s face, her eyes began filling up with tears and she broke out into a loud and muffled sob. Whistle broke out into tears as well, lifting her friend up she hugged her. Minty gave a yelp but was surprised the hug wasn’t tight at all, was Whistle holding back her strength? Minty embraced Whistle and cried in the spot just under her neck, their tears so plentiful they could had filled up two separate rivers.
Minty tightened her grip, breathing in her friend’s fur as she took a deep inhale. Sniffing she leaned her head up, seeing her friend’s face dripping with tears just made her cry even more.
Using her own mane to wipe Whistle’s face Minty said “Whistle, you’re right. But I still crave them..I-I couldn’t had done it myself..”
Whistle could feel Minty’s hooves shake uncontrollably as she wiped her cheeks dry, gripping them together Whistle spoke “I’m sorry too,” she paused and her lips started shaking. “it wasn’t you, it was Malty”.
Minty glared towards the floor and started to ponder, Whistle swore when looking into her eyes that she could see Minty’s thoughts progressing. Minty wiped her nose with her foreleg before placing her hooves atop Whistle’s.
“W-What are we doing to do?” Minty asked as her grip tightened. “Malty is a murder, and I’m her, even though I can’t remember a single thing she had done we’re still the same..and the guards will suspect something if she disappears, w-what if they find out?”
Whistle had no answer she that could had given, she was at much of a lost as Minty was. Everypony already thought Malty was a monster and going by the gossip and reactions she normally got, if she suddenly goes missing then what would the gossipers say? Whistle could say one thing though without any dread of doubt, when looking at Minty and her fearful face, she knew she was not Malty.
Whistle had thought Malty was just a pony who was misunderstood and a great friend, but she turned out to be a monster after all. She could never see Minty being her, they might share the same body but Whistle had years of friendship with Minty, and by her face she knew how much guilt she was feeling.
Whistle couldn’t bear this sight, she embraced her friend in another hug.“It wasn’t your fault” she whispered into Minty’s ear.
“Whistle, Malty was created by my---” Minty blushed as Whistle kissed her forehead. She blinked and wasn’t even sure if that had just happened.
Whistle smiled, and Minty returned it. Minty nuzzled under her friend’s head, looking quite like a foal being comforted by their parent. She shed more tears and had completely forgotten her back pains. The two must had sat there in the other’s embrace for at least three minutes before they spoke again.
“Can you take me to see a doctor?” Minty had asked. “My back is still killing me”.
Whistle giggled. “Sure, just don’t tell them that it was my fault”.
“What? I’ll say my best friend attacked me because I was acting strange?” Minty asked giggling.
The two mares laughed. Whistle wrapped her forelegs around Minty who held her mouth tightly shut as Whistle hovered upward. She started hovering towards the grey hallway when Minty had glanced once more over at the table.
She laughed, staring at the burnt remains of her peppermints with the faintest smirk across her face. “Ya know Whistle,” she started. “if I could trot, I would so dig through that burnt pile”.
Whistle jerked her head up in concern but ended up laughing instead of glaring at Minty. “What did you put in them though?” she asked in return. “They exploded like fireworks!”
“They did?” Minty spoke looking quite stunned. “Huh, never tested that sauce with heat, so it could had been a side affect I nev--”
There was a loud crash and the two mares flinched, Minty wormed and cried in pain as she was dropped. Storming inside the room must’ve been at most six guards, all of which were armed with magic.