“Stupid Sparkleworks, I’m a full grown mare, how could she ground me!” Whistle angrily grunted.
As she flew high above the towering buildings she kept a keen eye on the clouds and intended to avoid them, off in the distance she could hear a clock chime.
“If I wanna go meet a friend, how is that so wrong?” she asked herself before taking a rather sharp turn.
Ponies who were below saw her diving down and some were scared she was going to crash at the speed she was going, Whistle opened her wings wide and did somewhat of a roll as her speed slowed down and she safely landed. Breaking the laws of physics wasn’t uncommon for her, in fact every one of her friends were used to her breaking logic. The surrounding ponies, however, were not and some stared at her in utter surprise and more than a few scolded her for such a dangerous stunt.
She ignored them, trotted up to a door and stomped inside. It was a rather small restaurant, decorated to be fancy and immediately Whistle grunted a curse that drew more attention than she would had liked. Most of the ponies, at least the ones Whistle could see, were either Earth or Unicorn ponies. Being the only pegasus was the only thing that made sense to her because at the ring of the bell hanging over the door nearly every eye was turned in her direction and faint whispers and mumbling could be heard.
Giving a very annoyed sniff Whistle took to the nearest table which was vacant, in the center was a Reserved card that she didn’t pay any attention too as she gripped one of the three chairs and sat down. She propped her forelegs and then face planted the table for probably a minute or two before looking up and staring off into nothingness. She wasn’t sure what time it was, she knew it was nearing four when she snuck out of her room but nowhere in the restaurant could she find an clock to see the current time.
Feeling quite bored her eyes began to wander and she knew everypony in here were of the higher classes, she could just tell by the clothing that they wore. The clothing consisted of bland colors that made the ponies look rather bleak, dull pink and green mixed with an equally dull blue and grey, she wondered how they could possibly enjoy those colors and pondered on the possibility that they were all brainwashed.
She noted all of the butlers were Unicorns, one in particular she noticed had a cracked horn yet had little to no issue in levitating a tray to a table clear across the room.
“Huh, that’s interesting” she said to herself, she watched the butler for about a minute before her eyes drifted away in boredom again. “I swear Star Catcher had a horn once, maybe it’s hidden under her mane?”
Another minute went by and the feeling of being watched felt as strong as it had when she arrived. She wondered why they were staring at her, she doubted it was because seeing a pegasus was rare to them and if it was, then clearly they had never stepped outside and looked up. Moving her eyes about the room Whistle had caught ponies turning their gazes away whenever she stared in their direction, she looked once more for a clock that might be hanging in a corner somewhere.
Just then the bell chimed signaling the door had been opened, but Whistle was too much absorbed in her boredom to have even noticed it. When a cane was planted on the table every single thing had snapped back to focus and she jumped, her knees bumping the table quite hard. She looked up and to her relief saw Malty.
“Oh Malty, you scared me!” Whistle shouted as she rubbed her skinned knees.
“Forgive me for being lateth, that meeting took a bit longer than I would had liked” Malty replied as she slid her chair until her bottom legs were safely under the table. “I see thou waited for me, at least thee seemeth to be willing to taketh this seriously”.
“Well duh,” Whistle said rolling her eyes. “when me and a friend make a playdate I am always the first there”.
“Please don’t call this a playdate, Whistle” whispered Malty just before she noticed the abundance of stares directed at their table. “This is about teaching you how to be mature, playdate is for foals, I doubt thee will findth these lessons fun, but who knowsth?”
Whistle went to respond but paused at the first word as Malty offered an grunt, she had noticed the Reserved card and with a very low mumble she snatched it up and tossed it under the table. Whistle would normally ask why she did that but being bored she just wanted something to do already before it killed her.
“So, what is lesson one? Teaching me to build a snow fort better?” she asked and Malty grunted with an hard facehoove.
“No you stu---miss?” Malty outstretched a hoof and gripped a waitress’ shoulder. “If thou would be so kindth, would thou bringeth us some cider? Light, doubt our winged friend could handle the strong stuff”.
The waitress nodded and trotted away quickly, Whistle could almost swore she had whispered something. Malty stared after the waitress for a moment or two before turning back to Whistle.
“I shall first teach thee how to properly drink.” Malty paused, snatching a tray from a passing waitress. “Ah, thank thee for bringing extras m’dear. I have half a mind to tip thee, but not now”.
“Miss wait, they're not all for yo-oh alright. Then, I can get Table Two another set..” spoke the waitress who nervously trotted away, this time Whistle was sure she had whispered the words “I can’t work if she keeps coming here...”
Whistle was in the midst of saying “I don’t think that tray was for us, Malt.” but was interrupted as Malty pushed a glass into her hoof.
“Now, how do thou usually drink?” Malty asked her.
Whistle for a slight moment moved her eyes between Malty and the glass before she was furiously gulping down the cider. “No, no no! Stop that!” Malty shouted as she grabbed the glass from Whistle’s grip.
Cider drooling down her chin Whistle gave Malty an puzzled expression, she asked “You asked how I usually drink, how was that wrong?”
“Well, obviously I didn’t know it was gulping down the entire glass as if thee were drowning” Malty said, handing Whistle a napkin which she took grudgingly.
“Oh...I see what you’re doing now” Whistle grumpily replied, wiping her mouth clean she rolled up the napkin and tossed it aside.
Overlooking that she threw the napkin to the ground Malty handed her another glass. “Watch me, to properly drink you just hold the glass firm. Hold it to your lips, and gently sip it” Malty explained as she carefully sipped the cider.
Whistle watched but found her way of drinking was so slow it felt like her friend had transformed into an snail and all of her friends knew it was her least favorite critter of all time as when started she simply would not stop bashing the poor things.
“Nah, I rather gulp it down before it gets stale” she said with a smirk.
Whistle went for another drink but just then Malty had took up her cane and quickly placed it between Whistle’s lips and the glass, Whistle stared at her friend and wondered how she did that with her eyes close.
“How did you do that?” Whistle asked after Malty had laid her glass down.
“If you just gulp the drink down like a mad pony, thou lose the sense of your surroundings” Malty explained, she then wowed Whistle as she spun the cane in her hoof before resting it on top the table.
“Oooooohhhh...you mean like a ninja?” Whistle asked, and, as expected, Malty facehooved.
Over the next few minutes Malty went from drinking to eating, after her order of something Whistle couldn’t even pronounce she took up a knife and fork and told Whistle “You cut into the food, not plant your face into it like a mad pony on--no no, put the fork in the other hoof, yes like that”
As Malty began cutting a small slice off she raised the fork to her lips and without her teeth touching the fork, took the slice of food in and chewed it while keeping her mouth closed. Tapping a napkin to her lips she signaled Whistle to try it. She examined how Malty had cut and sliced but, as she attempted to copy her, she had mistakenly cut into the plate and had broken it in two.
“Whistle...” Malty started but had paused to look around them.
“I’m sorry!” Whistle whispered as Malty hid the broken plate under another.
“You’re suppose to gently cut, not forcefully push down!” Malty whispered through gritted teeth, she hid under her hat as she felt more eyes were on them.
Whistle nervously blushed and stared in all directions other than straight down at the table.
“Try again, but hold back your---surprisingly strong forelegs” spoke Malty as she helped Whistle in getting her hooves in the right position.
Whistle held her strength back to the point she was barely cutting at all and Malty facehooved once more. “Well that is slightly better, but you need to dig in deeper. For Tartarus’ sake, didn’t your mother ever teach you the basics?”
Whistle froze suddenly and her hooves began shaking. Malty wondered if something was wrong and if she had said something she shouldn’t have. As she asked if Whistle was alright she started to cut, then she cut faster, and faster until--CRACK--she pushed the plate away and slammed her fork and knife down so hard the table formed an small cracked .
“I can’t do this!” she shouted, if every eye wasn’t on them before, they were now.
“Yes, thou can” spoke Malty who nervously looked around while trying to put the dinner utensils back into Whistle’s hooves.
“No! I can’t!” Whistle took the fork from Malty only to throw it into the wall where it nearly struck a stallion clear in the head.
“Whistle!” bellowed Malty, her mouth fell wide open as she stared at Whistle. “Why did you just---”
“I just can’t do this mom, don’t make me try it!”
Silence immediately fell across the restaurant.
Eyes somewhere between widen and squinted Malty slowly shook her head, “Mom?” she barely whispered.
Whistle choked and held her throat as if something was stuck, then she face planted the table and proceeded to cry and moan. Whispering had started up again but this time Malty paid them absolutely no mind.
Uttering “Oh horse apples..” she lifted Whistle up and started to wipe her eyes but Whistle resisted, Malty gripped her leg and pulled it into an motherly hug of sorts.
“Why did you shout out mom?” Malty asked as she carefully tapped the napkin against Whistle’s eyes, the fur around them were soaking wet and made Whistle look like she had two black eyes.
Whistle yelped and said in a rather fast manner, “Becauseshetriedteaching-
-metheseonce..”
Malty asked her to repeat that but in a much slower fashion. Whistle took the napkin from her and blew her nose into it, again Malty ignored the whispering and her own desire to curse at them.
“She used to be a top class mare, Pearl was her nickname amo--” Whistle trailed off as Malty clamped her hoof tightly onto her shoulder, Whistle awkwardly stared between her her shoulder and Malty like she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Pearl? THE Pearl Ammonite?” Malty asked, Whistle nodded her head and the entire place gasped.
“Pfft, nosey high classes..” Whistle had cursed the eavesdroppers under her breath.
Malty’s mouth, which was hang open wide, had turned into a big grin as she fumbled with her words. “Whistle---your mother is---”
“A lost relic of a mare, I’m afraid” interrupted a low grumpy voice that instantly made both turn around with a loud grunt.
“By Tartarus’ heat inducing flames, Edward..” Malty gritted her teeth on the name.
The pony named Edward, who was dressed fancier than royalty and wore a large top hat and whose fur was a dark shade of grey, smiled at the mention of his name. By his sides were two other stallions who shared his grey fur but theirs was darker, one was short and the other was tall and both had similar facial features.
“Your forgot to add Horseluck, m’dear” added Edward in a voice that sounded sarcastic.
Edward, after lifting up his own cane to straighten his hat, trotted to the mares’ table and began circling it with his two buddies going the opposite direction. Whistle knew the other two stallions, having went to school with one of them she tried her best to not make eye contact with him.
“I dare say, did I? Must’ve slipped my mind, or it didn’t” Malty found them circling the table to be rather annoying but for Whistle’s sake she held her tongue before she went further.
“Oh you are always so lovely” Edward said with a terrible impression of somepony Whistle swore she knew. “What happened to your thou and thee phrases? Did you just give up on them?”
“No” growled Malty, she watched all three stallions closely as they took a second lap around the table.
“Ah, well I had hoped so” Edward sighed. “You and that failure of a excuse, Amethyst, are the only two I recall who still speaks as if time went backwards a few hundred years”
Whistle caught a glimpse of Malty twisting her cane, quite hard in fact, but she quickly loosened her grip as she took notice of Whistle staring at her.
“Thou shalt not speak to her like that” Malty snapped after Edward had made a crude comment. “Dhe is the mare that keeps your pockets filled with coin, after all”.
“I suppose so,” Edward drifted his tone off to be more soft but almost immediately reverted back to smirking as he added “at least until she retires”.
“That’d be the day Celestia herself retiresth” Malty returned, she didn’t bother to turn and face Edward who had stopped behind her.
The short stallion had uttered a small laugh, the tall one gave him a stern stare that had made him fall silent with an cough.
“Well, Pearl already retired” Edward’s lips curled up into a terrible grin as he turned his attention to Whistle. “Thistle Whistle, I never would have imagined you were her famed pride and joy daughter. Or wait, you're her spitting image!” His smirk grew and under a fake cough he added “If you close your eyes and forget she’s white”.
Malty’s head snapped to face him so fast it was a wonder how it didn’t break. “Edward, thou better not go there---”
“Why not?” Edward outstretched his forelegs into an Haja type of fashion, it was then that Whistle noticed his cane and she thought about how good it would feel to bash him atop the head with it.
“She acts just like her! Emotionally damaged, unable to cut a plate without---yep, as I expected, you even hid the plate!” Edward began laughing, he glared over to his two friends and they immediately started to laugh. “My my even the table’s broke! And, of course, she takes reserved tables for herself”.
Both stallions laughed and Edward took a moment to take it in as if he was an actor getting applauded.
“I’m warning thee,” started Malty. “don’t speak badly of---”
Edward pressed his head between the two mares and wrapped his front legs around their shoulders. “I get why you’re upset, considering she and Amethyst were together for a tim--”
Malty had heard enough as she jumped up gripping her cane high into the air and before he knew it, Edward was hit across the face and he fell backwards as glass dug into his face.
“You low scur!” Edward shouted as he gripped his face which had began bleeding.
Malty stared at Whistle who held an broken glass in her hooves, she gripped it so tightly it shattered.
“Whistle..” Malty couldn’t believe that Whistle had just assaulted a pony, she grinned proudly at her.
Edward’s two buddies had galloped over to his aid but he knocked them aside as he shouted atop his lungs “You shouldn’t have done that!!! I have many ties you can’t eve---”
“Oh put a corn in it!” shouted a voice clear from across the restaurant.
Enraged Edward turned to see who had dared interrupted him, he gulped a little as many of the ponies were now standing up and all gave heated stares at him.
“Pearl is one of the most respected mares in this town!” shouted another pony.
“If you insult her, you’re insulting everypony!” shouted a third, this time it was an dragon and Edward had to blink to make sure his eyes weren’t seeing things.
More were beginning to speak up and Edward tried spotting them out but there were too many to even count, his brow began to sweat and a visible knot had formed in his throat. He forcefully took his hat from one of his two buddies and turned his attention back to the two mares at his table.
“You can expect I’ll remember this, you’ll never work in this town as long as yo---” Edward trailed off as he, as well as Malty who was equally taken aback, saw Whistle attempting to eat.
Forelegs shaking she held the knife and tried cutting the steak, once she had felt the knife cut through she jerked it back just a itch as she felt the tip touch the plate. Carefully she turned the knife at an angle and started cutting quite a large square out, Edward was about to say something but stopped himself. He noticed the angry crowd was getting more in numbers so thinking it’d be best to leave he decided to just bolt out of the restaurant with his two buddies hot on his trail.
Malty watched as they ran like cattle out of the door, with a wide smirk she turned back to Whistle who was still struggling to cut the steak.
She placed a hoof on her shaking leg and said “Whistle, Whistle stop. Thou aren’t getting anywhere” and after a bit of struggle Malty managed to pull the knife away from her.
Whistle pouted and picked up her fork but Malty took it away as well, Whistle crossed her forelegs and cursed under her mane which had fallen over her face during the struggle.
Malty turned Whistle around and stroked her mane back behind her ears so she could see her face, “Thou don’t have to do this, I didn’t know---” but Whistle had pushed her off and turned her back to Malty.
She stared at the table and the steak she had just butchered, Malty had never seen a mare stare at food with such an angry glare.
“I want to learn this” Whistle uttered under her breath.
Malty was almost taken aback but she ended up shaking her head. “If thou doesn’t want too, you don’t have to pretend---”
“I want to!” Whistle slammed her hooves down and the table shook, Malty was glad it didn’t tip over. “I wanna show him! I gotta show I can be just as proper as my mom was, and then he can’t use me to insult her!”
“Ah---but Whistle..” Malty started, but looked away for a moment to think. She understood why Whistle wanted to show up Edward but she wondered if it was the right reason to be teaching her.
She admitted to herself that nothing would make her more happy than burning him at his own game, as she thought on she took something from her coat pocket and tossed it inside her mouth. This time Whistle caught a glimpse of whatever it was and thought it was something dark green, but she didn’t get a good enough look before Malty had swallowed it. A few things came to her mind with the most obvious being an small peppermint. She was just in the midst of asking a question when Malty interrupted her.
“Alright, if thou beingth willing, I shalt teach you” Malty placed a hoof on Whistle’s shoulder. “But I should warn thee, thou have to be willing to put thou all into this. Will thee be willing to devote all your effort?”
All of a sudden Whistle started to have second thoughts, she knew this would probably be the hardest thing she did in years. But she just couldn’t stand being used to insult her mother and she already hated Edward, being able to show she can be more proper than him made a passion burn brightly within her.
She faced Malty and nodded while saying “I will---” suddenly Whistle froze, her heart skipped a beat as an familiar white pegasus trotted over to them. “Star Catcher!?”
“Oh for Tartarus’ sake not now..” Malty uttered under her breath and wanted to be invisible more than ever.
Star Catcher’s mere presence had made the entire restaurant fall silent as she seemed to be very upset. She was giving the two mares a very stern and a I’m very disappointed type of stare, but to their surprise, she suddenly smiled.
“I think I can help you” the two mares stared at each other quite confused. “But, I will need to tell Sparkleworks of what happened here”.
***
“She what!?” bellowed Sparkleworks after being told what had transpired at the restaurant.
Whistle stood uncomfortably inside Star Catcher’s office with Malty by her side, Sparkleworks was trotting back and forth around Star Catcher’s desk while repeatedly shaking her head.
Steaming Sparkleworks said “You not only snuck out when I clearly told you not to see Malty---”
“But Sparklesworks, I---”
“But you also assaulted a pony!? By breaking a glass over their face!” Sparkleworks shouted, stomping her hooves quite hard.
Sparkleworks turned to face the two mares, she angrily took a deep breath so she could give the biggest and loudest scolding ever. *Cough* Came Star Catcher’s voice which had took her off guard and she began choking on the air she had just swallowed.
“Don’t---tell me---you---” Sparkleworks gasped.
“Breath, Sparkle, least you need to see a nurse?” Star Catcher interrupted her.
Sparkleworks blushed, pounded against her chest and emitted a big cough that had caused Whistle to jump.
“I’m glad you told me Star,” Sparkleworks turned her attention back on Whistle who couldn’t stare her in the face. “I can’t believe you would do that Thistle Whistle!”
Whistle’s head fell to her chest and she mumbled words that were too jumbled to make out.
“Give her a break,” spoke Malty who stroked Whistle’s mane out of her eyes for the second time today. “she was defending her mother’s honor”.
“I don’t care if she was fighting for Celestia’s sake, you don’t hit other ponies!” Sparkleworks again stomped and Malty growled in annoyance.
“Thou hate Edward as much as everypony, surely thee can imagine how---”
“Again, I don’t care, it was wrong to drop down to his level” snapped Sparkleworks.
Malty had the utmost impression of shock that had turned to anger quite fastly, her eyes burnt a deep hole straight across the room and into Sparkleworks’ gaze.
“His level?” Malty repeated in an heated but also calm tone.
“Malty,” Star Catcher stood up from her seat. “please reframe fro---”
“Stay out of this Wishy,” barked Malty making Star Catcher quite dumbfounded. “you think she dropped to his level?” she asked while trotting forward.
“Malty, don’---” began Whistle but she suddenly fell silent as Sparkleworks talked back, her tone raised to an high pitch and Whistle knew the worse was about to come.
“That’s a fine example,” started Sparkleworks as the two got within striking distance of each other. “who else would hit another in rage? Oh wait---”
“Oh hold thy tongue now, surely you don’t believe that gossip about me?” Malty snarled.
The tension in the air was getting high around the two mares and by the time Sparkleworks had said “Well you sure make it hard not to believe!” it felt as if the room was a heated oven set to the highest setting.
“Maybe you should look at yourself for Whistle’s behavior, instead at other’s who---”
“Enough!” bellowed Star Catcher with such volume the other three mares jumped as if the room had shook violently. “I didn’t bring you back here to argue, I brought you here to discuss Whistle wanting to be proper!”
Both Sparkleworks and Malty were frozen in place as they stared at her.
Star Catcher, at seeing the mares’ expressions, took a deep inhale and flexed her wings as she exhaled. “Now, if you would kindly drop the current subject and talk like civil mares for once”.
Malty and Sparkleworks turned to each other, scratching the back of their heads. It wasn’t too often for Star Catcher to shout but when she does it honestly felt as if she’s using the Royal Shout that was more commonly used by the princesses centuries ago.
“I don’t think she should” Sparkleworks spoke up and broke the cold silence that had enveloped the room.
“Do tell, why dost thou believe so?” Malty gritted her teeth together as she tried to hold back her burning anger.
Blowing the mane from her eye Sparkleworks answered “Because, she’s fine just the way she is”.
Malty gave a high laugh, “Yo----tho, can’t be serious! Surely, there must be another reason?” Malty tried her best but utterly failed in stopping her laughter. “Now, stop thou lying and be true?” she motioned for Sparkleworks to speak as she bowed.
Sparkleworks gave a heated sniff and stared at Star Catcher who gave another fake cough. She sighed and stared back at Malty, Sparkleworks’ expression was anything but happy as she said “...Fine, I don’t think she should get fancy lessons from a total stranger. I’d rather have Applejack teach her”.
“Well, if that be thou reason” Malty gave an obvious fake grin as she bowed once more. “But, Whistle is a grown mare, why not let her decide?”
“Because she isn---I mean, because---just cause!” Sparkleworks stuttered trying to say a straight answer and looked quite taken aback and unconformable.
Malty shook her head, straightened her hat and said “Tsk tsk, you seem to act as if thou were her mother”.
Malty’s words seemed to had struck a chord as Sparkleworks opened her mouth to shout. Whistle fell over and clapped her hooves against her ears but just as Sparkleworks was about to utter the first word Star Catcher suddenly stood up with such force her table jolted.
“Malty, Whistle, please leave us” Star Catcher kindly spoke.
“Again?” Whistle grunted in annoyance.
“Yes, but this time wait outside the room, if you please” Star Catcher said, pointing her wing at the door and gave Whistle the now you’re in for a timeout type of stare that she hated with passion.
Whistle didn’t want to argue and simply hovered out of the room with her head lowered. Malty stared after her and then at Star Catcher, straightening her hat again she gave a bow along with an mumbled reply and left the room. As the door closed behind Malty she gave a slight curse and immediately bit her lip in an attempt to calm down.
“Why must everypony think badly of me?” she finally blurted out.
“I don’t think you’re bad.” Whistle shrugged and flapped her wings as she sat down.
“Thou art appreciated, but unless thee can stop the gossipers, reactions like that are a guarantee” Malty sighed, pressing her back against the wall.
A few silent moments went by and the two mares looked about the empty hallway which was white with an red and gold encrusted carpet. Malty twisted her cane and took a deep inhale.
“Everything’s going to be alright, you know?” Whistle said, offering a friendly smile along with an whistle.
“How can thee possibly think thou friend will---”
“Because she and Minty are my best friends,” Whistle fluttered her wings, as Malty turned to face her she added “I trust them and I know they trust me”.
Malty didn’t reply, she seemed to be thinking on something else entirely and Whistle’s words had completely flew over her head. Whistle trotted over and poked her hat to make it crooked before she asked what she was thinking about.
Being a bit annoyed Malty rolled her eyes over to Whistle, “Sparkleworks seems otherwise different, I think she’s too protective. Yeah, she protected you for the last few years.” she said, straightening her hat and patting Whistle on the head.
“How would you know?” Whistle thought that was such an odd answer and she gave an odd glare as she felt like an little puppy by Malty patting her head.
“Ha, well---it’s obvious to anypony with eyes to seeth, I doubth she will changeth her mind.” Malty again rolled her eyes, sighing.
Silence fell again and Malty resulted to look over her overcoat in boredom, Whistle took to whistling and neither seem to know what to talk about.
“You ever met Pinkie Pie?” Whistle asked, she was so bored she was hovering upside down.
Malty was glad at the new subject and, after she had turned Whistle back rightside up, she said “I met a Twilight Sparkle, fine mare, though a little obsessive” Malty gave an chuckle and patted her own chest. “She took to reorganizing the entire library after a blue mare had knocked over more than a few shelves. Heh, I still laugh at that yellow mare getting completely buried under---”
“Oh! That must be Rainbow Dash!” Whistle interrupted as her wings fluttered and she hovered upward a few feet until Malty, by use of her cane, pushed her back down. “We grew up with her mom, she has her own boutique near Dragon Town”.
“Really? That beth...be-th...is it besth?” Malty said before pausing, if Whistle could read minds she would had overheard her thoughts trying to pronounce that word clearly before giving up with an profound curse.
“That’s surprising, considering Dragon Town has a strained relationship with us these days” Malty chuckled so much she bit down on her own hoof. “If the mare I saw had went there, thou can bet another feud would’ve sprung up”.
“Why can’t everypony just get along?” Whistle asked suddenly, she remembered one feud that had almost lasted an entire month over an simple billboard sign.
“Because m’dear,” Malty started, pausing to take out her pocket watch. “Not everypony can be friends. Some might liketh to think so, but dragons are different. They hold different beliefs and cultures than we do”.
Whistle already knew that as she had read many books on dragon culture. They had a very rich history and Dragon Town was the first real attempt to live alongside ponies, however feuds are still common and the relationship is very strained these days from what she keeps hearing. She couldn’t understand why though, she thought that friends should be able to overcome fighting quite easy and if anything the annual Farmer’s Market showed the two races can work peacefully together.
“I think anypony can be friends, if they try to be” Spoke Whistle.
“Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth” Malty sadly replied.
“It’s true!” Whistle said, flapping her wings she began hovering again. Malty wasn’t paying attention as she was checking her pockets quite furiously for something. “I know, why don’t I have you meet Minty? We missed the chance the other day, so---”
“Forgive me, but I seem to had f-forgotten something” Malty straightened her coat the best she could before turning around. “I must go”.
Whistle turned to the door behind them and fluttered her wings nervously. “But what about Star Catcher and Sparkleworks?”
“Tell them simply that I ran out of meds, I can’t wait and must return home before my heart acts up” returned Malty, she turned a corner and was gone before Whistle could even reply.
“So that’s why you grabbed your chest before..” Whistle spoke aloud and wondered whether or not to follow her.
Just then the double doors flew open as she was about to make her decision, hovering she nervously waited for her two friends to speak. Star Catcher was looking up and down the hall while Sparkleworks, from what Whistle could see, seemed to be distracted by something.
“Where’s Malty?” asked Star Catcher, Sparkleworks finally looked up and Whistle swore she had mumbled something.
“She left” Whistle told them, at seeing their reactions she quickly mentioned the part about her heart meds.
“I see, well maybe I should go find her?” Star Catcher asked, taking a step forward.
“Pfft, I don’t think she wants help Star Catcher. Probably be better to just leave her” Sparkleworks mumbled something through her teeth and immediately looked up at Whistle. Gritting her teeth like something was hurting her she said “Malty can help you”.
At first Whistle wasn’t sure she had heard her right, but suddenly she grew a wide grin and started to shake with joy and if Sparkleworks hadn’t jumped and held her down when she did Whistle would’ve exploded like fireworks.
“What made you change your mind?” Whistle asked, hugging Sparkleworks.
“Well, I don’t trust Malty, not at all. But..” Sparkleworks looked over at Star Catcher who gave her a soft smile. “I should trust you to make your own decisions”.
Whistle hugged her again but almost immediately Sparkleworks broke it, she shouted “But if you ever hit a pony again, for whatever reason, you will be grounded for a year!”
Whistle let out a yelp, nodded, and said “I Pinkie Promise I won’t hit anypony”.
Sparkleworks let out a small sigh, then said “I’m sorry Whistle, it’s just I don’t want you to get hurt and Pearl trusted me to make sure you weren’t”.
“Why do you have to be worried? Whistle asked, tilting her head quite curiously and wondered why she would be hurt. “You’re welcome to come with, if you like?”
“Oh no, I rather not spend time wi-I have stuff to do.” Sparkleworks paused, blushing she said while looking away “Besides, I would only hinder her”.
Whistle gave her friend a suspicious glare, when they had left two minutes later she was still pressing Sparkleworks for an answer that she clearly wouldn’t give.
“When did you tell Malty Star Catcher’s nickname?” Sparkleworks asked, hoping it would derail Whistle’s nagging questions.
“Huh?” Whistle asked, tilting her head and wondered what in Equestria was she talking about. “I didn’t tell her anypony’s nicknames”.
Sparkleworks gave a glare that had made Whistle flinch as if she was just slapped, it was the type of glare her mother would give whenever she got into trouble.
“Honestly Whistle,” Sparkleworks started, shaking her head. “the only ones who still call her Wishy are you, me, and Minty and even we hadn’t called her that in years”.
Whistle opened her mouth but trailed off almost immediately, how did Malty know a nickname that she herself hadn’t heard in years? It was very odd and it reminded her how Malty managed to find the picnic after failing to tell her where it was.
Whistle shrugged it off and just told Sparkleworks “I’ll ask her when we next meet”.
Sparkleworks sighed, she really didn’t like the idea of allowing Whistle to keep seeing Malty. But, Star Catcher made her Pinkie Pie Promise as well and if there’s one thing Sparkleworks would never do, it would be breaking a promise with Star Catcher.