08: Paradoxal Bonding
“Do either of you realize the trouble you two are threatening the cause?” Starlight’s voice ringed into the ears of Wist and Luster as they grounded themselves before the Headmare’s desk. “I chose to be lenient of your actions this morning due to Ms. Autumn’s handling, but this ignition to violence the two of you have for each will likely crumble my school to the ground. Literally!”
Luster felt small and pathetic as she endured a lecture from the mare that had placed a respecting expectation on her. She was never one to disappoint ponies at their tasks, but to fail so dramatically and blatantly left a horrid scar in her pride. What would the Princess think of her if Celestia heard that she picked a fight with the creature Celestia desired for her to befriend? And what of the princess’s school? Her conduct reflected poorly on all the staff and students of how they guided her
The thought of their shamed names hastened the cadence in Luster’s breathing. Her chest heaved out and in, having only a small chance to calm her now rapidly beating heart.
“Luster,” she jumped at the call of her name. She met her gaze with Starlight, who frowned at her. “Please, calm yourself.”
“If your nerves were this dainty,” Wist voiced. “You shouldn’t have incited the fight in the first place.”
“I—” Luster started and then slammed her hoof to the floor. “—No, you’re the one in the wrong here. You should have apologized to Ms. Smolder for cheating in your match.”
“You’re right about that,” Starlight concurred. “You shouldn’t try to deceive your teachers like that, Wist. However, that still doesn’t excuse all the property damage that the both of you caused. Two wrongs do not make a right.”
Luster rage smoked out into a cold melancholy at the reminder of her mistake. She would have loved nothing more than to point all the fault at Wist. That changeling was so unapologetically mischievous, it’s like she didn’t have a semblance of conscience in her mind. However, Luster knew she had one and even with it, she had allowed the creature to guide her along into her destructive path. She should’ve known better than to do that.
“The two of you toppled a large chunk of the second-floor hallway and bowed the walls in the first,” Starlight said. A sigh escaped the Headmare before she pressed on, “Just when I finally had the place repaired after Smolder’s incident, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about another reconstruction in the next few months.”
“You’re all knowledgeable with magic,” Wist pointed out. “Can’t you just put it all back together yourself?”
“Yes,” Starlight answered. “I could. I try to make a habit of not using magic to solve all of my problems. No, I think I’ll just call in the construction workers again. Hopefully, they’ll give me a discount despite the princess not being involved this time around.”
“I’m sorry,” Luster apologized.
“I can tell this is weighing on your heart,” Starlight said. “But mistakes are things that happen to everypony. What matters is that you take the opportunity to learn from it afterward.”
Her Headmare’s touching wisdom brought a gentle smile from Luster. However, the soothing wound to a complete halt when Wist joined the conversation again. “So, does that mean we’re off scot-free then?”
“Of course not,” Starlight answered. “You’ll get the consequences along with the lesson.”
“That’s a lame bundle,” Wist complained.
Luster eyed the mare. The ire she had for Wist was coming back. Just how uncaring could a creature possibly be?
“It will take me some time to find a fitting punishment for the two of you,” Starlight said. “I think it will be a good time for the two of you to finally get along.”
“What do you mean?” Wist feigned a smile. “I absolutely adore her. She’s just so full of lofty justice and honor. It’s nearly impossible to hold myself back from crumbling it all down for her.”
“Am I a joke to you!?” Luster asked in a demanding tone. Before she could realize it, she was caught into the whims of Wist’s influence, her head thrust upon the changeling’s.
“Knock it off you two,” Starlight’s horn lit with her magic pulling the two away from each other. “You two are roommates now. You have to learn to get along.”
“It’s an ongoing process,” Luster said when Starlight dropped her hold of both of them.
“Wait,” Wist chuckled. “Don’t tell me that she’s the one that every creature is expecting to convert me,” Wist emphasized her last words with flops of her hooves.
“I selected Luster because I believe the two of you can become good friends,” Starlight said. “The only conversion that will take place in you will be the result of your own volition.”
“The only reason I’m still here is because I was promised I’d be told about the findings of my home,” Wist said. “The idea that I may go under some personal transformation is an assumption that you are all banking on. However, I don’t see anything wrong with how I am now. So why not just give me the punishment already, and I’ll go on my way?”
“How can you say that to the Headmare?” Luster stood appalled by the changeling’s transgression. Deceiving a teacher was already one thing that she couldn’t forgive, but to be so disrespectful after Starlight was trying to be understanding was going beyond the apex of her toleration. “Headmare Starlight only wants to make you happy and you just sit there and mock her.”
“Guys,” Starlight voiced but was blurred by a rising voice from Wist.
“And her idea of making me happy is having me learn to tolerate you,” Wist rose to her hooves and approached the lecturing mare. “Tell me, without the influence of Starlight and no doubt the Princess, would you still try to continue this laughable effort of becoming my friend?”
“I—”
“You wouldn’t,” Wist snapped. “Because all you’re trying to do is get some dumb brownie points from ponies you admire like gods. You’re not in this out of the care in your heart, you’re in it for a reward.”
“That’s enough,” Starlight slammed her hooves on her table. The students met their eyes with the upset Headmare. “I understand that the two of you are not seeing eye to eye right now, which is why I want for the two you to find your own reasons to be friends. I’m not expecting it to be forced and neither do I expect it to happen anytime soon. But I won’t allow the two of you to have these constant fights. We just need to find something that can be a good start.”
“Ooh ooh,” Pinkie Pie mysteriously sprouted out from behind Starlight Glimmer. She dangled her hoof high in anticipation to be picked out. “I want to pick.”
Wist and Luster gaped at the suddenly appearing mare. They looked back at the entrant door but saw it had remained closed. How in Equestria did she get around the two of them?
“Pinkie,” Starlight gaped at the party mare. “How did you…What are you doing here?”
“I heard that Wisteria was having her first day of school, so I wanted to see her again,” Pinkie answered. “I was really worried about her when Wist and Twilight were in a deep sleep those last few days. So, I was thinking of making a wake-up party for the two of you. I had all the streamers and cakes ready, but by the time I came back yesterday, you guys had already woken up and left the castle. Hey Wist,” Pinkie announced the befuddled changeling. “Do you like chocolate mint? I have this feeling that you love those, so I made a whole four-layered cake for you to eat.”
“Why four-layered?” Wist wondered.
“Let’s move back to the important part,” Starlight voiced. “You were saying that you want to pick a punishment for them, right?”
“I wouldn’t call it a punishment,” Pinkie said. “More like a learning experience that the two could share. A really fun one with all its whacks and joy.”
“That sounds like fun,” Wist voiced.
“Are you sure that’s fair after the things we’ve done?” Luster asked, earning a snort from the changeling that she did not take kindly to.
Pinkie suddenly hopped over Starlight’s desk and wrapped her hooves behind the two students. The whimsy of this mare was pulling them out of their composure, however, their Headmare looked rather indifferent to the whole thing.
“Don’t you worry your wonderful mind about it,” Pinkie assured. “I’m super duper confident that the two of you will look back on it fondly as the start to a great friendship.”
The door to the Sugarcube Corner opened with the bedazzlement of confetti and peppy pink blur. “I’m baaack!” Pinkie Pie announced herself.
“Auntie Pink,” a stallion voiced from behind a counter. “I was wondering why I didn’t hear any party cannons in the kitchen.”
“Wait,” Wist emerged from behind Pinkie. “You have a cannon? Can I see it?”
“Let’s just focus on the task at hoof,” Luster emerged from Pinkie’s other side.
“You must be Luster, right?” The stallion strolled around the counter and greeted the three. “We didn’t get a chance to talk the last time you visited. I’m Pound Cake. I run this bakery with my aunt and my sis.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Luster greeted with a hoof shake. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay long enough for us to chat last time. The tour I had was rather melodic.”
“Whoa,” Wist voiced after she strolled off to observe the cakes in the glass shelves of the counter. “These cakes look crazy. How did you make them look like that?”
“Wist!” Luster voiced. “It’s rude not to introduce yourself to others.”
“Oh,” Pound perked his ears. “So this is Wist. Auntie Pink has been talking about her a lot ever since the welcome cake was sent out.”
Pound walked to Wist’s side. The changeling’s attention to the display of pastries was like a moth to a flame.
“Want a slice?” he asked. Wist plastered her face upon the glass display attempting to pierce through it with her forked tongue. Pound gazed at the moth-like changeling in confusion. “I take it, that's a yes?”
After gifting Wist with a pumpkin cake with rainbow frostings, Pinkie gathered the group into a room upstairs.
The moment Pinkie opened the door, a yellow blur pounced past her and glued onto Wist’s pectorals. Already sensing the vigorous love coming her way, Wist had already hoisted her plate of pumpkin cake above herself with her magic.
“We really need to stop meeting like this.” Wist grinned at the small yellow colt that strapped his body onto her. His eyes sparkled anticipation as his tail wagged wildly like a pup.
“Lil’ Cheese,” Luster identified the foal. “You have to stay away from her. She’s a deceitful creature.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing.” Wist rolled her eyes. Luster leered at the carefree changeling.
“Auntie Pink.” A yellow mare appeared at the entrance at the door. “There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared off to.”
“I’m sorry Pumpkin,” Pinkie gleefully apologized. “But I couldn’t wait anymore to see Wist again. “She’s been a real doozy for my little colt.”
Pinkie stepped away from the door to give the mare a view of Lil’ Cheese clutching upon the changeling. Wist lowered her neck to give the colt the reach he needed to climb onto her back. Lil’ Cheese then proceeded to enwrap his face in Wist’s long leafy mane.
“He never did that with me,” Luster mumbled.
“Is that jealousy I sense?” Wist smirked. “Maybe if you learn to not be such a buzzkill, you’ll have all the stallions flaunt over you.”
“I didn’t ask for your advice!”
“Are they the new foalsitters you were thinking about?” the mare asked.
Wist and Luster paused from their foalish argument and voiced in unison, “Foalsitters?”
“Oh well,” Pinkie sighed. “I guess I didn’t try hard enough to make it a surprise. That’s right, I would like for you two to watch over Lil’ Cheese for me.”
“That’s it?” Luster said. “We just have to foalsit Lil’ Cheese?”
“She did say it would be full of whacks and joy,” Wist said. “Were you not paying attention?”
“I know she said that!” Luster voiced. “I just didn’t think it would be something so...simple.”
“Simple?” Pound said. “Well, I guess you two will find out soon enough.”
“I’m actually in a rush right now,” Pinkie confessed. “Twi is asking everypony in for an emergency meeting. Can’t pass up on another chance to see everypony together again.”
“An emergency meeting?” Luster repeated. “Did something happen?”
“No idea.” Pinkie confessed with a jovial voice.
“The Princess has told me that the Council of Friendship gathers to discuss the nature of friendship around the lands,” Luster pondered. “So, there must be a friendship problem of some sort.”
“While I’m out,” Pinkie spoke. “I need somepony keep Lil’ Cheese company. I would ask Pound and Pumpkin, but they have a business to run. So, I was hoping that you two wouldn’t mind.”
“Are you sure about this Auntie Pink?” Pumpkin asked. “Watching Lil’ Cheese is a really big responsibility. A lot could go wrong if they make a mistake.”
“It’s okay,” Pinkie chuckled and pat Pumpkin on her back. “I trust the two of them. Gotta have faith if you want success.”
“That’s what you said about the other dozens of foalsitters,” Pumpkin mumbled.
“If you believe that this is the needed punishment for me, then I accept,” Luster decided. “I promise that I won’t let you down.”
“You will,” Pinkie’s eyes sparkled and rushed before Luster to give her a big hug. Though, if Luster had to describe it, it was more of a bear hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Hope those brownie points are worth a broken back,” Wist teased.
Pinkie Pie bounced through the gates of Canterlot Castle with a pair of guards to follow her. In her mouth, she carried the handle of a picnic basket that held slices of caramel creme pie that she intended to share with her friends. Twilight would especially appreciate the walnuts Pinkie accumulated for the Princess’s slice.
She wasted no time bursting through a door and giving her cheerful greeting to her friends. “I’m back!” Pinkie cheered after dropping the basket before her. Picking it with a hoof, she skipped to a table within the chamber where all of her friends had gathered. Each welcomed Pinkie with a warm smile.
“How’re you the last one to show up?” Rainbow Dash voiced. “You’re usually the first among us to be here.”
Pinkie took a seat on the table. Fluttershy and Rarity nodded at their friend. “Being the first all the time is so boring. We oughta give our entrance a change every now and then. Besides, I had to find myself a pair of foalsitters for Lil’ Cheese before coming here. He tends to run off when things sound serious.”
“Found some new helpers did ya?” Applejack said. “I sure hope you told em about your son’s special quirk.”
“I couldn’t do that,” Pinkie waved her hoof. “They wouldn’t learn the lesson then.”
“Wait,” Rainbow raised a brow. “You didn’t tell them? Oh man, he’s going to drive them insane when they lose track of him.”
“Pinkie, dearie,” Rarity said. The fashionista mare greeted her friend with a wry smile. “Don’t you think withholding the fact of your son’s unique gift is a tad sadistic?”
“We’ll come back to this discussion after our meeting,” Twilight voiced.
“That’s if they survive long enough,” Rainbow said.
After the Princess let out a sigh, she began the discourse. “First, I would like to thank all of you for coming so soon. I know this is sudden, but this matter cannot be ignored.”
“Oh my, then something has happened?” Fluttershy wondered with an anxious smile.
“Yes,” Twilight confirmed. “Through constant patrols and reporting from settlements across Equestria, it has been found that there has been a steady drop in incidents of magic discharges. I can only surmise from this that the use of Devil’s Dust has diminished.”
“Really?” Rainbow said. “Geez Twilight, I thought you were going to give us some bad news.”
“Does this mean that this whole thing is going to be behind us soon?” Applejack asked.
“That would be nice,” Twilight said. “But things don’t simply just go away. We still do not know how the Devil’s Dust is produced and where the Sisterhood produces it. Though I would like to think that their production has dropped as perhaps a matter of resources, I can’t help but think that maybe they are allocating them.”
“Allocate?” Fluttershy wondered. “Well that doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“Honestly,” Rarity sighed. “These witches have been bothersome to the harmony we’ve striven for. Everywhere they go, they test out forbidden magic and cause trouble for creatures everywhere.”
“We still don’t even know where they’re coming from,” Rainbow said. “Ever since this whole Devil’s Dust became a thing, witches have been coming out of the woodwork all over the place.”
“So what do we do now?” Applejack asked. “We still have no clue where they’re hiding, how they make the stuff, or what they will do next.”
“Pretty much how things have been for the past decade,” Fluttershy summarized and then sighed. “I feel awful that there’s nothing more we can do to help every creature.”
“Not necessarily,” Twilight voiced. “We do have a lead.”
“We do?” Rarity wondered. “Then haven’t you opened with that already? Come now, tell us.”
“It’s Wist,” Applejack guessed. “Isn’t it?”
Twilight nodded. “That is correct. All of you may have known this by now, but I was out of commission for a few days after an incident at the School of Friendship.”
“Wist is that changeling you caught, right?” Rainbow asked. “Whatever happened to her?”
“Yeah,” Applejack voiced. “I have been wondering about that. The last time I saw her, I was hoof-feeding her my apple soup.”
“Starlight and I decided that it was best that Wisteria attends the School of Friendship to establish bonds with other creatures. However, her attendance was possible only as long as I helped find her missing mother.”
“Her mom is missing?” Applejack said.
“She must feel so lonely without her,” Fluttershy commented.
“She does?” Pinkie wondered. “It looked to me that she’s having fun.”
“You’ve met her already?” Twilight asked.
“Sure have,” Pinkie confirmed. “She’s actually one of the foalsitters I have watching Lil’ Cheese for me.”
“What!?” Rainbow raised her voice. “Are you out of your mind! Why would you leave your foal with a creature that practically raided a school!?”
“It’s fine,” Pinkie assured Rainbow with a gleeful wave of her hoof. “She and Lil’ Cheese get along so well. Besides, I also have one of her friends to help her out.”
“This friend wouldn’t happen to be Luster Dawn, would it?” Twilight asked.
“It sure is,” Pinkie confirmed with a smile.
“If Twilight’s pupil is there too,” Applejack said. “Then I guess things might be okay…”
“No way.” Pinkie shook her head. “Those two can’t stand each other.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the room after Pinkie’s words. Each of them sat dumbfounded to the chaos that must be ensuring at Pinkie’s home.
“It’s gonna happen,” Rainbow spoke. “Isn’t it?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yupper-rooney.”
“I see,” Twilight said. “So you’re hoping for them to lose track of him. All so they can learn a lesson.”
“Well, I did promise Starlight to give them a punishment. And it wouldn’t be much of one if it doesn’t teach them anything.”
“Speaking of which,” Applejack interjected. “Twi, you were hinting something about Wist being a lead, right?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “I did. In two of my contacts with Wisteria, I have come to find that she was in possession of Devil’s Dust. She has used them to drug Thorax and Smolder.”
“You mean she’s a witch too?” Rainbow said.
“She has proclaimed herself as one,” Twilight admitted. “Though her definition of one differs greatly from the ones we have been dealing with.”
“So that makes her the second sane witch we have,” Applejack said. “All the others we managed to get our hooves on overdosed themselves and fried their minds.”
“I know that they’ve done bad things against other creatures,” Fluttershy voiced. “But I feel so sad that they threw their minds away like they did.”
“You must still be visiting them at the mental hospital,” Rarity said. “Why do you keep going there if it always saddens your heart?”
“Well, it’s just that they get no visits from their friends or family. There has to be some pony that comes by to check on them.”
“Sweet and kind as always.” Rarity smiled. “Discord is so fortunate to have you as a partner.”
“We’re doing a lot of tangents here,” Rainbow pointed. “How about we focus on the meeting before we get into all of this.”
“From what I’ve learned from Apple Bloom,” Twilight proceeded. “Wisteria appears to be knowledgeable in potion making. If so, then it’s likely that she may know how to produce the Devil’s Dust herself.”
“If that’s true,” Applejack said. “Then she can tell us where we could find all the ingredients.”
“Perfect,” Rarity said. “Then that would mean we can put a stop to the production of it completely.”
“Not only that,” Rainbow said. “We might also figure out where all those witches are hiding and round them all up once and for all.”
“That is all true,” Twilight said. “But it’s doubtful that she will simply tell us. She’s still distrustful of creatures in Equestria. So, what I’d like for all of you to do is to help prove to Wisteria that we are creatures that she can trust.”
“Basically be friends, right?” Pinkie concluded. “Ooh, I’ve been wanting to throw her a welcoming party.” Pinkie pie clapped her hooves excitedly.
“Not only that, but I also need for many of us to keep an eye on her. If she knows how to produce Devil’s Dust, then it’s likely she may have the eyes of witches on her.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said. “So that explains why there’s still so many guards in Ponyville.”
“Wist may be strong, but she won’t be able to last alone for so long without a group of friends to watch her back. That’s why I’m trusting the creatures of Ponyville to give Wist those friends she needs.”
“That’s if she survives the chaos that Lil’ Cheese must be giving her right about now,” Rarity said.
“Don’t worry,” Pinkie assured. “I’m sure it’ll bring the two of them together.”
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I look forward to the tor- I mean the punishment next chapter.
10461139
I'll be quicker next time. And I'll be sure to give all the horrific deets😈
10461146
*Cackles like a madman*
You’re late.
I’ve been waiting a while to say that
I cant wait to see what there faces when they find out devil dust is just her blood and some additive to make it look nicer.
Wist will learn of the witches sooner or later either from the witch themselves or rumors and insult at her, and for the punishment thing, I feel like it will backfire a bit in the end, with wist and Lil cheese being a bit closer and cause a bit of trouble here and there. I'm surprised that no changelings know of chrysalis being pregnant, then again she pretty much working hard in keeping that secret from her enemies from getting a bright idea, but surely some caretakers in the nursery would know the sign of a pregnant ling? And start to line the dot with wist having royal physiology.
So basically, "we want to become friends,so you will give us something you have and we want for free"
Ah, certified Mom-Brand Sadism. I'm excited.
Oh no Wist don't you even try that, ever since you got here you have been all but asking for someone to attack you
I think you meant to write Twilight.
I actually think your rampage earned you some points with Wist
I mean, you're probably one of their best customers
Because then they'll have to toss you in a cell due to your crimes against the citizen of Equestria and her allies
Because three is too few
What are you talking about Starlight, the cake is important
"That's it" she says, "just" she says, oh you poor naive soul
Which will become a problem in the future no doubt