New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

81 - Gentle Touches

Comforting appeared near the top of the cave. The rubble of the tree had been removed. It was clean and flat, and full of arguing students. "They've been doing that." Comforting twirled, but no Harmony was there. "I am tired. My voice alone will have to do."

She frowned at the thought of her orderly friend, tired and possibly in pain. "Having them argue next to you can't be helping... What are they arguing about?"

"They are united in purpose, and in pain. They all mourn the passing of my physical shell, but how to react to it is where they all differ. To meditate, to decorate, to glorify... These and other thoughts are common, when facing the end of a life."

"But you're not dead."

"But they think I am, and their decision must be made." Just a floating voice, speaking gently in Comforting's ears. "Don't make it for them."

"Right... right." She wanted to just zip up to them and stop the whole thing... But Harmony was hurt, and disobeying her felt deeply wrong. "Right..." So she watched instead and kept her chaos to herself as the students tried to enact their different plans, each grandiose in its own way, and right in the path of the others.

But she had been asked to not get involved, so she watched. They built, collapsed, and built again. They shouted at one another angrily when they crashed, their plans not working in harmony... or for Harmony. Comforting waved in the air, trying to somehow conduct them like some kind of symphony.

They couldn't see her, of course. She was invisible, at least to them. Hirrah chaos powers! Did Discord do that?

"Sometimes." Oh, there he was, floating next to her. "Points for trying, but that never works."

"Hoping?"

"The conducting thing." He twirled a finger in the air. "Been there, done that. Now, why are you wasting so much time on Harmony's problem? That's between her and her 'agents', isn't it?" He rolled his eyes with a low huff. "I thought she was good at that kinda thing."

"Dad!" Comforting waved down at the lack of tree. "She's hurt. You wouldn't want her to come make fun of you when you were hurt."

"I'd be impressed, if we're being honest." Discord patted his new daughter on the back. "They'll figure it out. It just takes longer than you'd want it to. Look, been there, seriously. I've watched Twilight and her friends lose all their marbles over something so obvious... But I couldn't just shake them until they stopped being dumb." He crossed his arms. "They're not me. They got there, in their own time. They were very proud and happy, and I was happy for them, in the end, even if they were being ninnies about it."

Comforting thought back to her watching of the ponies and their various adventures. "Some of them were pretty silly."

"Right?!" Discord snapped two fingers smartly, conjuring a screen in front of them that showed Twilight having a montage of her episodes. "Almost every time she has a panic attack, I swear..." He glanced aside at Comforting. "And you're taking after me. You really want to watch over them? You know they're going to do more things like this."

"Yeah..." She doubted they would suddenly stop being silly... wonderful... things. "Worth it."

"Then have a little patience." He leaned in closer with a grin. "I know that doesn't come easily for either of us. Still, since you're here... keep an eye out. A little touch may be just the thing." He casually popped from being.

Comforting waved through the space he had been in, finding nothing in the air then. "Thanks dad." It was kinda nice having a supportive father figure around. She returned her attention fully on the students. They were talking, that was good. They set off, but seemingly on a single project. They began gathering up bits of the fallen tree from a cart and assembling them with other bits and bobs from their various projects.

She floated in closer with building curiosity. What were they making? With building excitement and togetherness, the group was forming a... "Tree house?" Comforting inclined her head at the ramshackle thing, but it was a thing they were making, with their own hands and hooves. It was... wonderful, for that reason alone.

Comforting felt something. Something that was trying to push her away. Oh. Order. Orderly energy was trying to seep upwards, into the treehouse as the students cheered with their progress.

But Harmony was weak... Weak and sick and didn't seem to be able to do what she wanted to do.

Comforting reached out and grabbed that harmonious energy, burning her hands instantly. "Ow!" she yelped, though none could hear her. She didn't let go, pulling and tugging the force up. "C'mon! You got places to be!" It sizzled and burned at her, her chaotic nature and the harmonious power she was holding clashing violently, but she didn't fight it, instead trying to feed it. "C'mon..."

She was forced to let it go with a pained cry, her hands reduced to skeletons. She shook them out, sniffling with pain. Flesh, fur, and scales returning as she shook off the effects. "Not giving up that easily." She drew out some heavy duty cooking mittens and slipped them on. "You're getting in there." She grabbed the magic, the heat radiating to her even through her mitts. "I love you too much for you to give up."

Her oven mitts combusted, their flames licking at her as she heaved and huffed to get the magic to the clubhouse. "We're waiting for you... C'mon..." It was at that moment she realized she probably wouldn't have another episode in the hospital like the others. That was nice... "Don't get distracted!" she berated herself, redoubling her efforts to get Harmony's magic to the clubhouse.

The magic jumped free of her grip. She gasped with alarm, but it was going the right way, surging into the clubhouse that glowed with power. The students backed away with shock and awe as it erupted upwards. They scampered to follow after it and Comforting came along, suddenly becoming visible to them. "Good job!"

Yona squeaked. "When you get here?"

Smolder chuckled as she ran. "Chaos spirit, hello? She can be here whenever she wants to be. Hey Comforting!"

"Hey!" She waved back, shaking free her burnt mitts to dissolve on the way down. "Let's catch up to that clubhouse."

They raced up the steps to find their tree house in grand and crystalline glory, shining with perfection they never could have built themselves. Not-Twilight sat in front of it, smiling at them as they rushed for her and the new house.

"Hm." Comforting noticed something, but didn't speak on it just yet. "Harmony!"

"Chaos friend," gently echoed Harmony. "You have all done so well today."

Twilight appeared with a pop. "Are you all alright? I felt..." She trailed off, seeing... herself... "Oh..."

Harmony gazed on Twilight with her ears pinned back. "I should have seen this coming." Perhaps she would have, if her visions of the possible futures were unhindered. "Be not afraid."

Twilight inclined her head slowly. "The rest of you see this, I assume?"

The students looked between the two Twilights. "Yeah." noted Silverstream. "And it's kinda awesome. Hi Twi!" She waved at both eagerly.

Twilight crossed her arms. "That's Twilight."

Comforting raised a finger at that. "Professor Twilight." Twilight colored at that. "Um, so... I am guessing this wasn't in the plan?"

"Not exactly." Harmony. "Twilight Sparkle, this was not how I intended, but you are performing well." She turned to the students. "And you have shown the strength of friendship. I am tired." She closed her eyes, fading with it to vanish from sight.

Twilight rubbed at her cheek with the flat of a hoof. "I see..." Her lack of sight was not well hidden. "Comforting, I'm glad you're here. I have an idea that you probably know what's happening here."

Comforting squeaked, but Twilight had a hoof up. "And I will not force you to say it, but know that I would like to know. So, as your friend, not your teacher, please know that." She turned to the students. "As for the rest of you, congratulations are in order! Look at this." She waved that hoof at the treehouse. "Wonderful... It's like my castle. Not quite as large, but just right, for you all."

Gallus hiked a thumb at the new structure. "Not bad, right? So, uh, guess we won't be needing the dorm so much."

Ocellus wobbled a hoof. "Eh... This is far to walk to school every day. But as a special place, it's pretty great."

"Very good," agreed Yona with a firm nod. "Make together." She waved at all her friends, including Comforting.

Which surprised Comforting. "How did I help?"

"Yona sure you help." She thumped one of her large horns against Comforting's yak horn. "Know when yak smash something. You smash hard."

This made little sense to the others, but Comforting grasped it. "Thank you... I just did what felt right."

"Smash what need smash." Yona nodded, as if that just made sense, at least to her. "This ours." She pulled Comforting over to hug them and wave at the clubhouse. "You too! You help."

Smolder shrugged. "I have no objections. Besides, chaos spirit. I just went over this! Locking her out? Good luck." She smirked with a chuckle. "Not that we'd want to. Comforting's a cool creature."

Sandbar tapped at Comforting's side. "So, really, where were you? A few more ideas mighta helped us get there faster."

Silverstream pffted at the idea. "Nah. We had to walk on our own feet." She walked in place to nowhere. "She's a friend... but she didn't know that tree like we knew that tree." She reached to elbow at Comforting. "I bet you had a totally other idea about what to do and didn't want to get in the way."

"Actually..." Comforting inclined her head. "Basically that. You're clever."

"Ooo." Silverstream danced with excitement. "I don't get called that often."

Smolder waved that off. "Don't look that excited. Now, I'm heading inside to check this out. Coming?"

She led the way inside to scope out their new club. Comforting stayed behind, looking to Twilight instead. "I don't know what you know or don't know at this point."

"Obviously not as much as I'd like to know." Twilight sank to her haunches. "But I am listening, if you wish to share. I understand trying to force a chaos spirit is a good way to learn nothing at all."

"You bet." Discord casually patted Twilight on the head, riding her where once he was not there. "We have a space that we don't need you intruding on."

Twilight hiked a brow up at the intruder on her back. "That works for ponies too."

"Really? I never saw one." He casually enjoyed his mighty magical mount. "Anyway! Comforting here went and did what I never could. I'm not jealous or anything... but she broke the 'plans'."

"Plans?" Twilight twisted her head to look back and up at Discord. "What plans?"

Comforting nervously shuffled. "There was a plan, for everything." She waved at the clubhouse. "Harmony helped make sure it happened, and I kinda broke it. It was an accident, and I'm trying to help as much as I can."

"But it's still broke," taunted Discord. "Anything could happen. Dogs and cats, living together!"

"Dad!" Comforting smiled at Twilight as nicely as she could manage. "It's not that... dramatic... It just means Harmony can't really guess what happens next. She's on the same foot as the rest of us and has to do the best she can."

"Best she can." Twilight sat, Discord sliding free to float. "I see... And may I ask what she is exactly? Is this the harmony spirit? Why does she look like me?!" Twilight waved at herself, clearly rattled by the idea.

Author's Note:

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Comments

[redmar]

Chaos spirits aren't good at being patient or with plans.

[Emtu]

11438280
Except when they are.

I mean, Discord had that Grogar plan that lasted most of a season, until it backfired on him.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Comforting was willing to grasp energy that was, at the very least, harmful to her just to help Harmony.

I have to wonder if the treehouse will actually have some Chaos energy in its makeup, mixed in with all that Order energy?

[Prettypony]

"Oh yeah that's Harmony, the harmony spirit. She just looks like you because she's too orderly to be creative and also I'm going on a date with her but don't worry about ponies getting the wrong idea because she'll look like my mom while we're on a date so ponies won't think anything weird is going on."

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

There's the Treehouse of Harmony.

It's kinda amusing to finally see Twilight's reaction to Harmony's tendency to assume her form.

I also think it's interesting to think that Discord technically "watches" the ponies in a way that is similar to how Comforting would have watched them on TV while human. And now she'll be watching them in much the same way he does.

That was also very touching that Comforting was able to push through the pain of handling Harmony's magic to help her friend. The oven mitt conjuring was a clever touch, too.

[midnight arrow]

loved this chapter mostly i wanted twilight to meet the spirit