With books in her eyes, a chipper unicorn comes to the big city of earth ponies, certain that they would be more open to the idea of a grand library than the superstitious unicorns she was leaving behind.
With books in her eyes, a chipper unicorn comes to the big city of earth ponies, certain that they would be more open to the idea of a grand library than the superstitious unicorns she was leaving behind. She would maybe awaken ancient spirits, or just bring to Manehattan the joy of a good book.
A unicorn with blue eyes, a golden mane, beige coat, a cutie mark of a stack of books, and wearing large silver-rimmed glasses walked into Maretime Bay. Being a little bit shy, she ignored all the earth ponies and walked up to the first unicorn that she saw. "Um, excuse me, but is there a library in town?"
Misty shyly tilted her head. "Oh gee, uh, I don't know? But I know ponies that would, follow me."
Amber started walking after Misty. "T.thank you. Oh, where are my manners, my name's Amber Skyray."
Misty walked towards the Brighthouse. "A.and mine's Misty Brightdawn." Misty glanced over her shoulder. "That's a nice name."
Amber smiled at that, hastening to her new friend's side. "As is yours. What's your favorite book?"
Misty tensed. "Uh, hm..." She frowned, thinking of the few tomes she'd seen laying about. "I'm not really sure..." She pointed to the brighthouse they had arrived at. "But I bet some of them would know."
Amber glanced up at the lighthouse-shaped house before them. "Oh my, this looks lovely!" She clopped up the steps, her glasses slipping down her muzzle.
Pushing the door open revealed a batch of ponies coming to see them. Hitch, the stallion, tipped the hat he wasn't wearing. "Howdy! Welcome! If you're with Misty, you must already be a friend." His dragon rider squealed with joy at the meeting.
"Don't mind him." Izzy bounced forward, eyes wandering over Amber curiously. "He doesn't know how special it is to have a new uni-buddy!" She whirled on Misty. "You didn't mention you knew another uni-buddy!"
"Uni-buddy?" Misty angled her head towards Amber. "This is Amber Skyray. She's looking for a library. She, um, seems nice?"
Sunny stepped to the fore. "Welcome! This isn't a library, I admit... But there's nothing wrong with a good book. Hello, I'm Sunny Starscout." She began listing the names of the others, pointing as she went. "Nice to meet you."
Amber blinked in surprise at the enthusiastic welcome. "Oh my! It's wonderful to meet you all." She dipped her head politely.
"I'm so sorry to intrude - I was just following Misty, hoping to find a library here in town." She glanced around. "This home looks so cozy. Thank you for allowing me inside!"
Her gaze landed back on the exuberant unicorn. "And uni-buddy does have a nice ring to it! I haven't met many other unicorns since arriving in Maretime Bay."
Amber tucked a hoof self-consciously. "I'm traveling and researching myths and legends across Equestria. Your town looked so charming from afar that I simply had to visit."
She turned her earnest blue eyes back to Misty. "You have a lovely community here. Perhaps we could find a cafe to chat in? I'd love to hear any local tales you have to share!"
Misty shook her head. "She's being nice. She really wants a library."
Izzy nodded in sage agreement. "Mmmhmm. She's another unicorn thinking she has to change herself to fit in." She put a hoof on Amber's shoulder. "You're welcome just the way you are! Also, nice glasses." She grabbed Amber's face between her hooves, adjusting those glasses. "So chic!"
"You wouldn't know chic if it bit you, Izzy." Pipp bumped Izzy aside with a chuckle. "Really. Welcome! I do love the glasses. Silver? Very stylish. Are they ornamental or do you need them?"
Amber blushed, embarrassed by the sudden attention but also touched by the group's friendliness.
"Oh, no need to change a bit!" she reassured Izzy. "I'm quite content being my bookish self." She nudged her slipping glasses back up with a hoof.
"And I do need them to read, I'm afraid. Everything is just a blur without them." She went cross-eyed for effect behind the large lenses.
"A cafe sounds absolutely lovely," Amber added, turning back to Misty with a grateful smile. "And I would be delighted to hear any stories or legends from all of you!"
She paused, glancing around the room and taking in the eclectic decor and furnishings.
"I must say...this home seems to have great character. Have there been any curious happenings or supernatural sightings here in town or near this lighthouse? It looks like the perfect setting for a ghostly tale or two!"
Sunny looked ready to deny that, but... "Maybe once or twice," she admitted, deflating. "I really should get back to my stand though."
"The salon won't run itself." Pipp launched into the air. "Be fabulous!" And she was gone.
So soon, most of the ponies had scattered, leaving just Izzy behind. "They're like that." She thumped against her new uni-buddy. "Let's go get a snack!" She joyfully led the way away from the brighthouse. "You're from Bridlewood, right?"
"Sure am." Amber fell in behind Izzy. "But they were never big on... books, especailly a lot of them together... They have a lot of unkind terms for that."
"And more," sighed out Amber. "I was hoping the earth ponies didn't share those ideas.
She perked up as Izzy led the way. "It's quite refreshing to meet such a friendly group here! So open-minded."
As they walked, Amber took in the charming seaside sights. "Your town has such a cheerful energy about it. And perhaps, in a port like this, even earth ponies have encountered enough travelers to overcome old prejudices?"
She stroked her chin thoughtfully with a hoof. "In my research, I have found seaside towns often have the richest stories...sailors do love to tell tall tales! Have you heard any mysterious accounts from ships coming and going from your docks?"
Amber's eyes sparkled with curiosity behind her glasses. "Things they dare not repeat back home, but share freely over drinks in a dockside tavern here? I'd love to collect those stories as part of my work documenting folk legends across pony kind’s many lands and tribes!"
Izzy suddenly thumped against Amber from the side. "If we don't find books, sounds like you could just write some yourself."
Amber colored at the thought. "Nopony would want to read a book I just... wrote for fun..."
"Pfft." Izzy bounced around Amber, somehow going forward despite that. "All books are written because a pony just decided to do it. The reasons, are many, but in the end, we have a book. Most ponies have no idea why a pony wrote it. They just get to read a fun book! Isn't that good enough?"
Amber pondered Izzy's words as they continued along the seaside path. Gulls cried overhead, sailing on ocean breezes that carried the scent of salt and seaweed.
"I suppose you have a point," she finally conceded, a small smile playing at her lips. "Many great works of literature did start out as simple stories, shared organically between friends. Who's to say some tavern tale couldn't inspire an entire saga!"
She tapped her chin thoughtfully with one hoof, glasses perched atop. "In fact, I met a mare back in Bridlewood who spun the most fantastical stories off the cuff - tales of perilous journeys, mystical lands and fierce creatures. Ponies would gather every night just to listen!"
Amber chuckled softly at the memory. "Perhaps she did take some creative liberties with the strict facts. But her vision so transported us, held us utterly spellbound! Nopony cared what was strictly true or invented. We simply delighted in the magic she wove with words."
Glancing sidelong at Izzy, Amber's grin widened. "Rather like now with you! Just the enthusiasm of your company makes this new town feel like a wonderland full of possibility...who knows what inspiration lurks around the next corner?" She winked playfully. "Maybe that old tavern there has a masterWordsMare holding court inside this very moment!"
Izzy waved at the little seaside cafe they'd reached. "I doubt there are any masterwordsmares in there, but they do have this perfect seaweed toast, mmmmm." She hopped for the door. "Worth the trip," She sang, bursting inside with a giggle.
Amber hesitated. Did she see something shine? She wandered over towards the trash and danced slowly on her hooves. Searching the trash was not one of her first impulses, but she'd seen something.
Giving up against the urge, she leaned in over the can and peeked inside.
"Find something fun?"
Amber fell back with a squeak to find Izzy there, peeking too. "I thought you went inside?"
"I did, but you weren't there, so I came out, and here you were." She pointed at the trash. "What were you looking for? Ooo a shiny thing!" Izzy bounced over to peek into the trash can too. "Maybe it's a pirate treasure map! Or a magic jewel!"
She scrunched up her nose. "Though this trash is kinda stinky. We better go inside and get our snack before somepony else grabs the comfy seats."
Izzy headed for the cafe entrance but paused to glance back at Amber. "You coming? I bet if we ask nicely they'll bring your toast out here so you can keep digging for buried treasure!" She giggled.
Amber laughed tensely. "I don't... want to advertise this... Let's just... look really quick." She hurried up and almost threw her head inside, peeking. She found a book, with golden foil and a big bookmark. "Look at this." She fell back, book hovering in her magic. "It's..."
"A book!" Izzy threw her hooves wide. "Neat! And..." She sniffed at the book gently. "It doesn't smell, score. Let's take it inside and get that toast. It is to die for. And if you literally die, we found a story worth telling, yeah?"
Amber carefully examined the book her magic had fished from the trash. It seemed old but well preserved, its leather binding embossed with elegant gold detailing that had caught her eye.
"Remarkable!" she murmured. "What a lovely edition - and the binding is still so finely crafted after all this time." She gingerly opened it to the first pages. "Why, these illustrations are exquisite...hoof-painted, if I'm not mistaken."
She blinked in surprise at the sight of the bookmark tucked amidst the pages - it seemed oddly out of place given the age of the volume. Tracing a hoof gently over the lettering on the insert, she read aloud: "The Ponyville Chronicles: Tales You Never Knew."
Glancing up at Izzy, Amber raised an eyebrow. "Ponyville! Why, that's a famous town back in Ancient Equestria. But the bookmark looks so new..." She trailed off, flipping carefully through the fragile pages. "How curious to find such a token placed in this antique tome here, ages away."
Her stomach grumbled, reminding Amber of their original quest. With a laugh, she closed the book. "A mystery for later! You've quite got my appetite whetted for this famous toast of yours now. Let's step inside and continue our adventures over some well-earned luncheon, shall we?"
Tucking the volume safely into her bag, Amber headed eagerly for the cafe door, wonderings dancing in her eyes. What other secrets might Maretime Bay hold for a curious unicorn visitor?
Izzy was quite happy to introduce her new uni-buddy to that toast she had been hyping up. As it turned out, it was pretty good. No ponies died for it, despite her claims. Fortunately, they accepted bits instead of souls or sacrifices, so that worked.
"So, no libraries." Izzy chomped on her toast, humming happily at the seaweed coating. "Gonna give up?"
"No way," Amber flipped her new book curiously. "This is a sign... I can't give up. If there's no library... Then I'll just have to make one."
Izzy inclined her head. "If you were gonna do that, why not Bridlewood?"
"Because unicorns?" Amber pointed up at her own horn. "They don't like libraries. Earth ponies don't have them, but they don't mind them. I'll... build a library here, for the earth ponies. Think they'll like it?"
"Sister." Izzy slipped down some glasses she hadn't been wearing before. "I know at least one unicorn that'll stop by."
Amber smiled with radiant joy. "That means so much... I'll get started."
Another story began with eager hooves and open arms.
Amber turned to the next page with her magic. "Amazing," she sighed out, eyes scrolling across the text. "This is either a great fiction, or my mind is just... blown."
"Don't do that." Izzy landed next to her new uni-buddy. "You need that." She ruffled Amber's head, as if that might help that mind not explode. "What're you reading that's so amazing? Isn't that the trash book?"
"It's more than where I found it." Amber flipped to the next page. "It's filled with old myths, exactly what I was looking for! Look!" She tapped at the page where an ornate picture rested. The heroic six mares that protected the realm once long ago. Arrayed before them were other curious creatures, also taking a defensive stance, and a little dragon?
Izzy gasped with amazement. "What are those?" She began pointing to the creatures she'd never seen, which were most of them. "They look neat! Do they want to be friends? They look like they do."
"I think they would... But they're gone." Amber willed the page to turn onwards, eyes sweeping hungrily over the text. "This is from long long long ago. More moons than you could even count! But they did things, great things..." She sighed with the memory, tail swaying behind her. "I am blown away... What happened to all those creatures?"
Izzy's eyes went wide with wonder as she gazed upon the fantastical illustrations. "Whoooooaaa...they're so cool! Look at that one with wings and a horn - it's like just like Sunny!"
She bounced excitedly in place. "Ooo and that little purple one breathing fire - I bet they tell the bestest stories!"
As Amber explained just how long ago these strange beings existed, Izzy's excitement dimmed to disappointment. "Aww, that makes me sad they're all gone now." Her ears drooped.
But then she perked right back up again. "Buuuut if they were real once, maybe they could come back again! Do you think if we gathered all the uni-buddies together and combined our magics, we could zap them back here to play with us?"
Not waiting for an answer, she began hastily sketching crude depictions of the creatures in the dirt with a stick. "We gotta remember exactly what they looked like so our spell gets them right. Now which one was your favorite, Amber? Maybe we could bring that one back first to be our super special friend!"
Amber blinked at the crude and sudden magic work. "Izzy? I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm pretty certain it doesn't..."
But she never got to finish, as, with a flash and a scent of cinnamon, a creature was indeed summoned. They were a curious thing, as if someone took every part from a different creature and pressed them into place. She had the leg of a yak and a leg of a pony. She had the arm of a griffon and another of a dragon. Her wings, which she had two of, were also mismatched, with a changeling and dragon wing. She was quite the mess, and she was smiling at them in a kind way.
Izzy was clapping cheerfully. "I didn't even cast the spell yet! Wow, I did good. Look at it!" She waved at the new creature with amazement. "Hi there! I'm Izzy, nice to meet you. This is--"
"Amber Skyray?" Amber inclined her head at the strange creature. "Who, and what, are you? I.... am very scared right now... But also kinda curious."
"That's a good combination." The creature stood up, taller than any of them. She was an adult biped, her griffon tail curling behind her in slow and easy patterns. "I'm Comforting Shade, and I am so happy right now, I don't even have words. I was lonely for way too long. Hug?"
Izzy's eyes glimmered as she bounced forward. "Any creature that asks for a hug, politely, as the first thing they do? Yep, you're already great in my book." She pounced forward, caught by Comforting as the two twirled in a firm hug.
Amber watched with equal parts fascination and trepidation as the mismatched creature - Comforting Shade, apparently - embraced the enthusiastic Izzy. So many questions swirled in her mind! But manners won out first.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Shade," Amber began politely with a slight bow. "However unexpected our meeting may be."
She shot a wry glance at Izzy as the two finally broke their elongated hug. "I see you've already won over my boisterous friend here." Turning back to their strange guest, Amber adjusted her slipping glasses. "I must ask...that spell wasn't meant to actually summon anything! Just some whimsical notions on Izzy's part. So where exactly do you come from? What are you?"
She paused, not wanting to seem rude. "That is...you appear most unique. Part pony, part griffon?" Amber gestured curiously at Shade's mismatched limbs. "How did you...ah, come to be?"
The scholar in Amber was bursting with questions. But she waited patiently for Comforting to share whatever she was comfortable revealing about her origins, vibrating with restrained excitement.
Comforting approached, not on her mismatched feet, but floating over in front of Amber. "Good questions! First, I am a spirit." She waved over herself. "Not exactly alive, so I've been here a long... long.... long long time." She sighed, shaking her head as if to be rid of certain memories. "It also means I can come in crazy configurations like this." Comforting waved over her curious form. "Now, you need to tell me how you even know what a griffon is."
Amber grabbed for her book and flipped back to where the picture of the griffon was, just to pause, staring at it as if lost. She looked back at Comforting, the picture, and back and forth. "W-wait..." She tapped a hoof on the picture of the griffon. "You have their parts," she whispered with awe.
"I loved them so much." Comforting drifted over the book and its displayed picture. "They did so many good things... It's not fair I can't just... bring them back."
"Why not?" Izzy hurried over for a fresh look at the picture of the assembled old heroes of Equestria. "Is it a rule, or just too much magic?"
"Little A, Little B." Comforting shrugged with a faint smirk. "I bet I could make one, for a little while, but it'd just be a whimsy, a dream. They'd fade away pretty fast, and I'd just get sadder. Let's focus on the now, and not the before. You two, to start, are worth paying attention to."
Amber stared wide-eyed between Comforting Shade and the book's illustrations, her earlier questions fleeing her mind. It was all she could do to keep her glasses from slipping right off her muzzle.
"You...you knew them?" Amber finally managed, pointing a hoof at the creatures on the page that had so mirrored Comforting's own amalgamated form. "The ponies...and griffons...and all manner of wondrous beings in this ancient text?"
She took in Comforting's sadness, the haunting longing in this self-professed spirit's eyes as they lingered over images from eras past. Amber's voice grew gentle. "You still miss them after all this time, don't you?"
Tentatively, she reached out a hoof to Comforting in a comforting gesture. "As a pony who's devoted herself to preserving myths and lore, I cannot imagine how it feels to have actually lived through such ages that have now passed out of memory."
She hesitated, then added: "Were you...friends? You must have so many stories to tell, so much history most have forgotten. I can see why you decided to visit us."
Amber gestured around eagerly. "We may not be griffons or dragons, but Izzy and I would be honored if you'd share some of your tales with us! Bring the old legends back to life again, if only through words. It's the least we can do for one who clearly cares for those ancient heroes."
"You." Comforting poked Amber on the nose. "Are too excited. Listen to you prattle on and on and on." She giggled, not looking offended by it at all. "But I can't answer your questions if you don't give me a chance." Comforting swirled in place to face Izzy, tail lashing with a joy. "I say we take Izzy's example and be happy we made some friends today. First, I am so proud neither of you took off running."
Izzy sat up proudly. "I was tempted! But your glow is... nice."
Amber awkwardly smiled. "Sorry... It's just... It's not every day I get to meet a living legend. You could answer so many questions."
"And I won't," sang out Comforting. "Not all of them." She leaned in, touching noses with Amber, the rest of her body going flat, floating in the air. "But, nice to meet you! One of my mentors, back in the day, was a real book worm. I can feel some of those vibes. She was a unicorn too. How many spells do you know?"
Amber inclined her head, nose still touching with Comforting as if unsure if she should draw away or not. "Spells? Um... does grabbing things count? I have that one!"
Comforting hiked a brow. "Just one?" She drew away from Amber and landed properly, turning back to Izzy. "What about you?"
"Magic is more of an art for me." Izzy spread her hooves wide. "I just do what I need to know and it works... sometimes..."
"But you can float things?"
"I can float things." Izzy grabbed her cup and floated it over with a big chug. "Mmm...."
Comforting shook her head in disbelief. "Unicorns not knowing spells? That's just tragic!" She floated back over to Amber, placing a reassuring claw on her shoulder. "Not your fault, of course. But oh, the magic we'll unlock together!" Her eyes lit up eagerly. "I learned from the best back in my day. Starswirl the Bearded himself taught me a trick or two!" Comforting waved a paw, and a shower of rainbow-hued sparks rained down around them.
Izzy oohed and aahed, dancing among the glittering display. "So pretty! This is way better than that boring old book learning."
She struck a dramatic sorcerer's pose. "Teach me, master shade! I must know your ways of sparkle power!"
Comforting chuckled. "Patience, little one. We have only scratched the surface of what's possible." She smiled encouragingly at Amber. "But I sensed great potential in this new unicorn friend of ours. What better place to start our magic revival?"
Amber clapped her hooves to her cheeks. "Me?! Um... I just like books. Izzy seems way more excited... about everything."
"She is." Comforting nodded at Amber approvingly. "But magic takes book learning. At least, if you want to learn a spell or three. So! I say you learn a spell, then Izzy can see what one looks like and how it works and I bet she'll work from there pretty well."
Izzy trembled with an excited squeal. "Do it! Do. It." She grabbed the book in her magic. "You could be a big wizard, like the book." She pointed at the picture of Twilight Sparkle. "Master of sparkles! That's why she's called that, you know. She was the master of sparkles."
"Ma'am?" Comforting perked at Amber. "Are you the only one?"
Comforting smiled brightly. "Only spirit? No! No way! This world's too big for me to handle it all." She wriggled her fingers in the air. "Way too large... My bestest spirit friend woke up recently... We both took a nap." She considered a moment. "A lot of things took a nap, actually..."
Izzy bounced. "You know..." She leaned in, voice dropping to a conspirational whisper. "I bet Sunny would freak out if she knew you were here and knew so much about her heroes."
"I bet she would." Comforting put her hands a her hips. "Do you think we should tell her?"
Comforting beamed. "One moment, getting some mail." Unlike a generation ago, both ponies just nodded, as if that were a normal thing. "You have mail too?"
Izzy and Amber both pulled out their phone, waving them at Comforting.
Comforting casually pulled out a phone of her own. "Well, if I don't need to look at my mail in my head anymore, I'm not gonna! You two just made my day even better." Buoyed with the fact that checking messages wasn't an odd thing anymore, she pulled up the message.
Good Morning,
I can feel you moving around, and it fills me with joy. You've come back right as a test is happening. A challenge is being faced. I can't say I had much influence over it, but just enough that I feel confident it will be passed. You are already making friends!
Did I mention I was proud? Friend Comforting, please find a new happiness in this new age. Though your old friends are gone, there are so many new ones eager to take your hands and begin new dances.
Oh, speaking of that, be gentle with magic. Perhaps a single spell? We both need to learn the limit of unicorns in this age. It is small and intuititive, so far. Let's not throw it off balance with ideas of what it 'should' be. With Love, Together
Comforting inclined her head. "Together? Dear friend, why do you change names so often?" She hugged her phone anyway and tucked it into her chest. "Now then! That was one of my friends, who's alive and well. But she prefers to be as she is. Email only."
Izzy waved forward as she began a walk. "It's time to make Sunny's day, c'mon!"
Comforting floated after her, Amber trailing behind. They cut right through the city along the main road, a curious procession.
"What. Is. That?" Posey stares at Comforting, eyes darting to Izzy over and over. "And why aren't you panicking? Seriously... Look at it..."
Izzy darted over to tackle Posey. "That is our newest friend!" Comforting waved gently. "See? She's harmless, mostly. I bet she could do a lot of things, but she wouldn't, because she's nice."
Posey laughed tensely. "I wonder at times if you even listen to yourself... None of that was very encouraging, other than the nice part."
Comforting thrust a hand at Posey. "Hello. She's not wrong. I would like to make friends, not hurt anything, promise."
Posey eyed Comforting's outstretched appendage dubiously. "Riiight. So you just...magic'd yourself into existence to make friends. Totally normal occurrence in this town."
Despite her sarcastic tone, curiosity glinted in her eyes as she circled the patchwork creature. "Hmm, at least you have style, I'll give you that. The whole asymmetrical look is very bold."
Unable to resist, she reached out to scritch under Comforting's chin with the gentle rubbing of her hoof. "And you seem sweet enough. As long as you don't go full chaotic monster like the legends of old!"
Izzy bounced around the pair eagerly. "See, Posey, I told you she's the best! Amber found an old book with ancient creatures and I guess she accidentally zapped this one back to life with her mind!"
Amber flushed, scuffing a hoof. "I really don't think I can take credit for this. Comforting clearly has a whole history of her own."
Comforting gently nuzzled against Posey's chin scratching. "You have no idea how long it's been since I got a good scritch. I could tell you, but you wouldn't believe me, so why bother?"
She playfully nipped at Posey before floating higher. "I promise though, no monsters here. I'm made of nicer stuff than that." Comforting winked down at Amber. "Now, let's go make this Sunny's day! She was always one of my favorites."
Izzy gasped at the idea. "You know her?"
"Oops!" Comforting slapped a hand over her face, concealing her snout as they continued. "Forget I said that," she murmured through her fingers.
Izzy cocked a brow. "So you don't know her?"
"Nope, who's this Sunny character you keep mentioning?" Comforting laughed tensely, doing a poor job of concealing anything.
"Okey!" Izzy took it at face value, going along like nothing was wrong. "You'll love meeting her! This time of day..." She turned off. "She's gonna be at her stall!" She pointed to a juice stall with a small line of three ponies getting their smoothies on. "Let's hop in line."
Comforting grabbed Amber and carried the squeaking unicorn to the end of the line before setting her down. "There we are."
Amber's breathing slowed as she wasn't being held up. "You didn't have to carry me. My legs work... just fine, promise."
Comforting gave her new friend some gentle petting strokes as they advanced in the line. The mistake seemed forgiven as they got to the front.
"Izzy!" Sunny smiled brightly as they got up to her. "And friends?" She nodded at Amber, then craned her head back to look over all of Comforting. "Hello?"
Izzy waved to the large form of Comforting. "This is Comforting Shade. She gives good hugs, shook hooves with Twilight Sparkle, and knows all about the ancient past."
Sunny's jaw dropped. "I... Really? It's...." She tried to calm herself with varying levels of degree. "It's an honor to meet you."
Comforting rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks coloring slightly purple. "Oh gosh, yeah...about the past stuff. I may have embellished things a teensy bit." She shot Izzy a wry smile. "You know how legends grow with each new telling!"
Turning back to Sunny, she waved a hand dismissively. "I'm really no one special. Just a wandering spirit who found some wonderfully friendly ponies to keep me company today."
She leaned in to give Sunny's mane an affectionate tussle. "But Izzy tells me you're the real sunshine around here! Anyone who brightens days like you deserves the highest honor."
Sunny blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Oh my! Well, aren't you a smooth talker." She smiled warmly. "But truly, any friend of Izzy's is a friend of mine. Please, try my new blueberry blast smoothie - it's today's special!"
As Sunny set about whipping up creamy drinks for the group, Amber sidled closer to Comforting with a curious gleam in her eye. "So you really knew the historical Twilight Sparkle too? From my ancient texts?" she whispered eagerly. "You simply must tell me all about her!"
Comforting held up her paws with an awkward chuckle. "Ha, well, knew OF her is maybe more accurate? Like I said, I stretch the truth sometimes just trying to impress new ponies." She ruffled Amber's mane. "You understand, right? But maybe later I can share some tales of the old legends. Over something chilled and sweet from our new friend there!"
Amber's ears sagged, but she frowned a little with doubt. "Yeah..."
Sunny put down three blueberry blasts, one for each friend there. "Didn't we meet before?" She pointed at the brighthouse. "I remember you, you were looking for a library, weren't you?"
Amber brightened at that. "I still plan to make one myself! Oh! Oh. Comforting, please don't lie to me again, I don't like that... But magic. Please, please.... You weren't lying about magic, right?"
Sunny perked an ear curiously. "What about magic?"
Comforting smiled brightly. "I was not, but I forgot more magic spells than you remember, which is none... I will teach you a spell. Just one. We'll see how it goes from there, okay?" She laughed tensely as she grabbed one of those smoothies. "Now, I want to see how this is." She slurped softly, for a smile to erupt. "Wow... good! How much do I owe you?"
Sunny waved a hoof. "Oh please, smoothies are on the house for such intriguing new friends! Consider it a 'welcome to Maretime Bay' gift."
She eyed Comforting curiously as Amber pestered her about magic lessons. "You know spells then? Real ones from...well, whenever you might be from?" Sunny chuckled. "Forgive me, but you seem a bit of a mystical mystery yourself!"
Izzy slurped her drink loudly. "Oh she's gonna teach Amber allll kinds of awesome magic, you should see-"
A sudden thwap of a griffon tail across her mouth stopped the blabbermouth mid-sentence.
Comforting smiled brightly at Sunny. "Just an old soul with a trick or two still up my sleeves! But I believe magic learning is best done slowly, gently. Wouldn't want to overwhelm dear, cautious Amber here on her first try."
She leaned in with a wink. "But between you and me, if she has even half the talent I suspect? You'll have a truly gifted sorceress on your hooves before long!"
Amber blushed at the praise, scuffing a hoof shyly. "Oh gosh, I still have so much to learn first. But perhaps...." Her horn glowed softly as she levitated a flower over from a nearby stand. "I might finally bloom in my own way here. With a little guidance."
The flower wove its way into Sunny's mane as Amber smiled. "A small thank you, for being so welcoming to this stranger."
Sunny fluffed her mane where the flower rested. "Thank you, now, I have to get back to work. But! Why don't you three head up to the brighthouse, and I'll be along after my shift. I have questions." She looked between Amber and Comforting. "And I'd like to get to know these new friends better."
Izzy saluted. "To the brighthouse! Y'all don't even need me to show you there." She pointed to the rather light lighthouse with a rainbow firing up the top of it. "You'd need to close your eyes to miss that."
Amber giggled softly at the towering building. "Even I found that, and I'm about as new here as you are, Comforting."
Comforting zipped to the front of the group headed that way. "It looks wonderful..." She kept to herself thoughts of the elements of harmony, old relics those were. It was always on? What did that mean? She had a thousand questions, and few answers. "I'd love to visit it with you." She slowed to let the others catch up, walking along with them.
Comforting slowed her pace as they approached the colorful lighthouse, letting Amber and Izzy pull ahead. She gazed up at the rainbow beacon pulsing brightly atop the building, brow furrowed.
So much was wonderfully familiar here...yet changed. Modernized. Entire ages seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye. It was jarring for one used to a slower pace of life.
Glancing back to see her new friends waiting expectantly, Comforting composed herself and floated up to join them. No need to dwell on the past when there was so much future ahead.
"My apologies, got a bit caught up in memories for a moment there," Comforting said breezily with a dismissive wave. "Now, let's head inside and you can give me the full tour! I simply must know all about how this lighthouse works."
As Amber eagerly led the way in, chattering about possible library spaces within, Izzy dropped back to poke Comforting knowingly.
"Soooooo, things sure look different from your era, huh?" she whispered with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Go ahead, you can tell me allll your ancient secrets. I won't blab a word, feather's promise!" She drew a hoof across her mouth to mime sealing it.
Comforting just laughed, giving the exuberant pony a playful nudge towards the entrance. "Oh Izzy, let's just stay focused on the present, shall we? Plenty of fun to be had right here in your time without dwelling overly on history."
With an exaggerated gesture, Comforting waved Izzy ahead. "After you, my little tour guide! Show me all this lighthouse has to offer."
Izzy hopped forward. "You're not wrong, there is so much right here! Do you like building? Tell me you like building. C'mon!" She led the way to her workstation, where she could take any matter of junk and uni-cycle it into new wonders. "Ta da!"
Comforting clapped at the display. "Love it, love it." She took up a needle-nose plier. "You have so many little tools... Seriously, loving all of this." She put it down. "This is a new age, and I say hello!"
Comforting followed into each room and space. "This place is wonderful." She clapped at each one, marveling at the splendor of the brighthouse. "So different than mine, and not in bad ways."
Amber cocked an ear at that. "You have a home then? Can we visit it?"
"I'd love to see that." Sunny arrived, closing the door behind herself. "If you're up for it."
Comforting swayed in place, coming in for a landing. "Well... You showed me yours..." She spread her arms wide. "Come here." The ponies closed with her, Izzy, Amber, and Sunny. "Hug!" She grabbed them in a fierce hug. They could see nothing but her warm fuzzy embrace.
At least until they could, in a new place. They were in a large room, two stories tall, with an upstairs on that second floor running along the outside. Amber recovered first with a gasp of amazement. "What's that?!" She was pointing at a statue of a big wolfpony caught mid-snarl, though, somehow, one could imagine it smiling. Happy, despite its menacing look.
Comforting squeaked. "Sorry. I didn't think to hide my keepsakes... I don't want to forget the things I had to leave behind." She floated over to put a hand on the shoulder of the statue. "Dear friends who aren't spirits."
Sunny pinned her ears back. "We didn't mean to bother you, I promise... Is this a bad time?"
"No!" Comforting got out a bit forcefully. "Now is now, then was then. If I hide because of then, I'll never have a now, and that stinks. They were very... very good, but their time ended." She sighed with brewing emotions, but she pushed that aside. "We're here for new friends."
Izzy pointed to a different statue. "Same thing?"
Comforting cringed at the statue of the older female pony, perhaps in her late seventies. "I... thought she'd outgrow me, and we'd drift apart." She took a slow breath. "But she dragged me along instead. I became an adult at her hooves, but she kept right on aging, and I cared... I cared for her until the very end. My lovely Diamond..."
Amber grabbed some cloth on the ground in her magic and threw them over the statues. "I'm so sorry. You invited us over and we're just rubbing salt in old hurts. Don't pretend we're not."
"Then I won't." Comforting tapped Amber gently. "But I'm the one that invited you. I'm not mad, not even a little." She hopped back away a few steps. "This is my home, my place of chaos... I don't plan to spend a lot of time here. It meant a lot to me, as a child, to have a place that was mine. Now, It's just where I keep some things, and I'd rather spend time with you all."
Amber flushed, embarrassed by her presumptuous action in trying to cover the statues without asking. But Comforting's calm response put her at ease.
"I understand...we all have mementos from times and loved ones past," Amber said gently. "They can bring comfort, keeping those memories close. But also sorrow, for what is gone."
She floated the shroud back off the wolf statue, letting it gradually settle to the floor. "How beautifully carved...I can see real affection went into this piece. What was his name?"
Sunny moved to Comforting's other side in quiet support, giving her a comforting nuzzle.
Izzy piped up from across the room. "These boxes are nifty! Are they magic? What's in all of them?" Predictably, she had already grown distracted exploring.
With a watery chuckle, Comforting gratefully returned Sunny's gesture before turning back to Amber. "That is two, a wonderful pair of them. They were real friends." She trailed a paw fondly along the statue's cheek.
"They were lost in a new world of the future." Smiling softly at the memories, she added "And now... Now it's my turn." She touched her nose to the statue, just to twirl from it. "I can only hope you are just as kind to me as I was to them, and we can grow just as close together."
Sunny flashed a bright smile. "I love where you're going." She offered an arm. "A question, if I might. Alicorns... Did you know any, back then?"
Comforting perked an ear. "Well... Yes. I met several of them." She came in to hug Sunny. "But here's one right here. What a lovely alicorn you are. Are you a shining beacon of hope for your friends?"
Sunny colored darkly at that. "I, um..."
"She sure is!" Izzy grabbed her friend from the side. "She's not called Sunny for nothing!"
Sunny blushed deeper, scuffing a hoof self-consciously under the praise. "Aw shucks, I just try my best to lift everypony's spirits however I can. With a smile or a smoothie!"
She returned Comforting's hug gratefully. "Though it seems you already have the whole 'comforting others' thing down pretty well yourself!"
A thought struck her and she drew back. "Say, you clearly don't HAVE to hide away here in your little realm of mementos. Why not come join us properly in Maretime Bay? I'd love to have your sunny personality around the city."
Clasping Comforting's paws eagerly, she met the ancient being's eyes. "And not just me! I know Amber is itching for magical tutoring. While Izzy..." A loud crash drew all eyes to the unicorn standing sheepishly atop a pile of haphazard boxes. "...could clearly use some supervision," Sunny finished with a chuckle.
"What do you say?" Sunny coaxed with a hopeful smile. "Will you come out fully to play with us newcomers?"
Behind her, Izzy's head popped up from her messy pile, mane stuffed withtrinkets that she spat out one by one. "Pwleathe thsay yeth!" she lisped around the last gem before adding a pleading "Pretty please, new bestie?"
Comforting laughed richly at the sight and sound of it. "Silly ponies. I already came out. I don't plan to run back inside just yet, hm? I just wanted to show it to you, because I thought you wanted to see." She reached across the room to brush away some of the things Izzy had begun braiding, but not all of them. "No taking all of my things, please. Let's head back for now."
With a clap, Comforting escorted them back enough paragraphs to end up where they started, in the brighttower, minus some extra goodies Izzy had made off with. "That was nice, but my place is a bit quiet. Your place." Comforting twirled. "So alive. Yes, I like it better."
"Another day, another..." Hitch paused, seeing their guest. "Oh, um... hi?" His baby dragon babbled, reaching for Comforting curiously.
Comforting was unable to deny the little one, rushing up to nuzzle Sparky and dance with them in the air. "Who's a cute little dwagon?!"
Sunny came in at Hitch's side. "That's Comforting. She is quite harmless, and friendly. She's coming to live in Maretime Bay."
Hitch saluted at that. "Well! Then I'm your sheriff. So if you need anything, you call on me!"
Comforting snorted, nearly dropping Sparky in her mirth. "A sheriff? My, how times change!" She gave the baby dragon one last nuzzle before lowering herself and her scaly bundle down to Hitch's level.
"Back in my day, the sheriff was usually the pony you wanted to avoid!" she exclaimed with a wink to Sunny and the others. "All stern scowls and bluster about rules."
She set Sparky down and reached out to straighten Hitch's hat. "But you seem far too sweet for such gruffness. I look forward to getting to know the citizenry here...Sheriff." She threw in a jaunty mock salute.
Turning back to Sunny, Amber, and Izzy with a sweeping gesture, Comforting proclaimed "I officially declare this era the friendliest I've witnessed in ages! Such eager welcomes wherever I wander."
Clasping her paws together, she mused "Now, how ever shall I choose where to settle in and make my mark? A spirit could get overwhelmed by all the generosity and good will."
Pretending to swoon dramatically, Comforting allowed the ponies to catch her. Sunny and Amber held her up solicitously.
"Careful now!" Amber fretted. "We just got you here - no leaving yet!"
Sunny clapped her hooves. "Oh! Amber wants to start a library. How do you like libraries? Maybe..."
Comforting's eyes glimmered. "What a fantastic idea. If Amber agrees..."
"I agree!" squeaked out Amber. "That sounds wonderful... A library with nopony in it would be lonely, but it looks like I'll have company."
Hitch coughed into a hoof. "There is paperwork if you plan to start a business with a, well, physical business place. I'll help you get that sorted out, tomorrow. For today, I suggest our new guests stay right here."
"I'm telling you, that color is not working for you, sis." Zipp pushed into the brighthouse. "Woah, company." She nodded at Amber, then got to peering at Comforting.
"Company?" Pipp landed next to Zipp. "Wow, company..." Her attention went right to Comforting. "What is that? I assume friendly, since there's not nearly enough screaming going on."
Comforting blinked bemusedly at the twins' scrutiny. "Well, I should hope not for screaming!" she exclaimed, waving a friendly paw. "Not when there are introductions to be made and connections to forge."
Darting forward cheerfully, she pumped each of their hooves in greeting. "I'm Comforting Shade, wandering spirit and magical mentor extraordinaire, at your service!"
She gestured grandly at the gathered crew. "As you can see, your delightful friends here have already welcomed me most heartily into your fair community. So please, call me Comfort!"
When she leaned in conspiratorially towards Pipp and whispered, "Between you and me, I really could use some fabulous fashion tips from experts like yourselves," both twins perked up immediately.
"Oooh darling, fabulous is my middle name!" Pipp drawled, looking Comforting up and down. "And you have simply divine potential buried under all those...eclectic....layers."
"Leave it to us!" Zipp agreed, whipping out a small notebook and pen to start sketching enthusiastically. "I can look up what was the in style and pass it to Pipp. What age are you from?"
Comforting clapped her paws eagerly. "How fortuitous! And such impeccable timing. I was just searching for the perfect place to settle in and spread both snazziness and magic across this delightful town of yours." She casually didn't answer Zipp's question.
Izzy did it for her. "She knew Twilight Sparkle, so around there?"
Zipp nodded firmly. "That's surprisingly useful." She strode off to get her research done.
Pipp inclined her head. "Wow, that's a long time ago... You are... going to love when I do your nails." She reached up her hooves, running them over Comforting's many claws and talons. "These are just begging for attention, and I have the salon for you."
She backed a step with a hum. "Silly question... But do you have any bits? Do you have a phone? Oh, merry me, a creature without a phone... I could faint."
Comforting pulled out her phone. "I have one of those!"
"Thank glitter." Pipp wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Then let me see it a moment." She took it and casually installed the proper apps needed for the modern day. "And let's check..." She started the money app and passed it to Comforting. "Either log in or make an account, either way!"
Comforting blinked owlishly before pressing her entire hand against the display. It chirped, accepting that as a login. A large number appeared a moment later with a symbol of a bit next to it. "Never... underestimate the power of compounding interest."
Izzy leaned in from the side. "Wow! You gonna buy everything?!"
"No." Comforting swiped the app away. "I'm happy as I am. It's good to know I have it, so I can afford to pay a new friend for an even newer look." She wriggled her claws at Pipp. "I surrender to your care."
"This is going to be so amazing." She booped Comforting gently. "But not tonight. I'm done for the day! What's for dinner anyway?"
Comforting and Amber sat side by side in chairs made for pony haunches. Comforting was ahead in hers, so her legs could dangle down in a more bipedal fashion. "This... is nice."
Pipp was busily painting Comforting's nails as Amber's hooves were worked on. "Every time you walk into this salon, you will be pampered, primped, and made to look fantastic while you're at it." She dashed some purple on Comforting. "I feel like I'm totally working on a famous canvas. It's amazing." She snapped a quick picture of the event, sending it to her followers to see.
Comforting did her best to keep her hands still for the work. "Don't think of me like that. I'm just a friend."
"I doubt that." Pipp sat back, appraising her artistic work. "You're not a pony, and I don't mean that in a 'specific critter' kind of way. You..." She pointed at Comforting. "Are something special. I can feel it. Now, Amber, how are you doing?"
Amber held up her hooves, each painted with a bright flower on the front. "It's so cute!"
"Fabulous." Pipp clapped at the hooficure and picture. "Today's a good day! Most are." She laughed as she resumed her attack on Comforting's nails. "You give me a lot less space to work on each, but you have so many of them!"
Comforting flexed her claws gingerly as Pipp finished up, not wanting to smear the intricate swirls and glittering accents. "My word, this is such artistry! None of my old friends ever fussed so over the fine details of appearance."
She wiggled her yak cloven toes happily. "But I must say, a bit of pampering is a delight after eons of wandering wild places. You have elevated nails to a whole new realm of creative expression!"
Twisting to check her reflection in a nearby mirror, Comforting ran her paws over her neatly brushed fur. "A fine polish and a little attention truly bring out one's inner radiance. Why, I feel glamorous enough to attend one of Princess Celestia's grand galas!"
She reached out to draw Amber and Pipp into an effusive hug. "You are miracle worker. Such skilled attention on these old appendages...I may just shed a tear of joy!"
With a wave of her paw, Comforting was draped in a sparkling pastel gown embroidered with rainbows and butterflies. "There, that's more fitting for a spa day among friends!"
Amber slid down to her hooves. "Don't forget, we have to go to Hitch first. He said we could go over what we need for that library, and we both want that."
Pipp followed the two curiously. "Why are you two looking for a library? Oh! Touch your phone to this." She held out her own phone. A musical chime that happened to be the staring few notes of her series played with each touch. "There we go, all paid. Now tell me!"
Comforting gently ruffled the top of Amber's head. "For her, she wants to collect books, and help other ponies get those books too. A lovely notion. For me, I'll be living there, and helping her."
Amber bobbed her head at that. "It'll be great! But we have to get the library first... So, to Hitch?"
"To Hitch!" Comforting waved at Pipp on the way out and they hurried, floating and trotting, towards Hitch's station.
A few ponies shied away from the strange-looking Comforting, but they didn't scream at least.
Hitch, on the other hoof, tilted his hats at the visitors. "Howdy there. Me and Sparky were waiting for you."
Sparky waved with an excited babble from atop a desk. Comforting grabbed him and they whirled around with mutual delight.
Amber left them to the devices. "Alright, what do we have to do?"
"It's not big deal, but we do have to do it." He slapped down a small stack of papers. "Do you already know where you plan to set up the library?"
Amber considered the paperwork dubiously, then looked to Comforting. "Did you have a locale in mind for our bookish venture? I'm still rather new in town, I fear."
Comforting ceased her impromptu dragon dance with Sparky, giving his scaly head an affectionate pat. "Why, I think I shall leave that decision to you, my dear! This is to be your domain."
She gestured expansively, as if envisioning grand library halls already. "Simply lead the way once we've dotted every official 'T' for our persnickety paperwork pal here." Comforting winked at Hitch. "Somewhere central and spacious to accommodate your collection's inevitable growth, I'd imagine!"
Turning back to Amber encouragingly, she clasped the unicorn's shoulders. "Now don't fret, this isn't nearly as daunting as it appears. Why, soon you'll look back and laugh at how anxious a few forms made you! Hitch will guide us through. And just picture all the books that shall one day fill your own beautiful library!"
Amber took a deep breath, steadying herself with that hopeful image firmly in mind. This was the first big step towards making it real. She wouldn't let some paper stand in her way for long!
"You're absolutely right, Comfortin." Twirling her horn, Amber neatly arranged the documents before her. "Alright Hitch, let's get started! Tell me what facts and signatures we'll need. The sooner we get through these properly, the sooner books can line my shelves instead!"
Hitch was watching Sparky wander about the map of Maretime Bay. "Are you sure you trust him... for this? I mean, he's wonderful, but I'm..." Sparky fell down with an oof, his butt firmly on a vacant lot. "Well... Sparky has spoken. Do you like the spot?"
Amber tilted her head, tracing the vacant lot Sparky now occupied on the map. "Hmm, it does seem ideally situated - near the town square, open sites on either side for future growth."
She tapped a hoof thoughtfully. "Only potential issue may be foot traffic. Will ponies wander far enough down this lane unless given a specific reason?"
Comforting glided over to peer at their draconic guide sprawled comfortably across the prospective real estate. "Oh I shouldn't worry about that, my dear! Now that your curiosity shop is established and Pipp's salon draws fashionistas, visitors trickle this way steadily."
She winked down at Sparky, giving his head an affectionate scritch. "And dragons make wonderful PR mascots! Why, ponies will flock eagerly just to catch a glimpse of this handsome fellow blessing your library with his presence."
Laughing, Comforting lifted the cooing baby dragon into her forelimbs. "There now, no harm done. Back to Sheriff Hitch you go!" She deposited Sparky safely in his daddy's custody once more.
Turning hopefully back to Amber, she asked, "Well, does our scaly site specialist's selection meet your approval? If you'd prefer to continue reviewing options, I'm happy to scout about. But something about this vacant corner calls to me!"
Amber hummed. "It's really a nice spot, really... Not far from here..." She leaned in over the map. "Can I really have it?" She looked up at Hitch. "It's in a nice place..." She worried her hooves. "And city ponies are so... picky about that, aren't they? It's not like Bridlewood."
"No." He inclined his head a bit, considering. "There is a fee."
Comforting considered throwing bits at the problem, but that felt wrong. Good spirits did not fix things with fat stacks of cash... "How much are we talking?"
Hitch rushed off to start nosing through other papers. "And... carry the... Don't forget..." He kept mumbling to himself as he worked at a calculator busily. "This." He twirled the calculator around with Sparky giving a cry of joy. There was a number. It was not small, but it wasn't huge. It was still a very significant number.
Comforting huffed at it. Her number was larger than that. Still... Still... "Ah! Hitch, does Maretime Bay do home and property loans?" Ponyville had not, but Comforting knew of them, from a world behind that. "Please say--"
"--Yeah." Hitch inclined his head. "Most ponies don't have these kinds of bits laying around. Why? You need one? I can only point you at the right pony for that. I'm a sheriff, after all, not a banker pony."
"Excellent! A loan it shall be." Comforting turned to Amber eagerly. "What do you think, my dear? Shall we make this corner officially ours?"
Amber bit her lip, staring down at the map. "It's a big step. But I suppose the only way forwards..."
She met Comforting's gaze. "As long as we do this properly, no shortcuts. I don't just want you waving that fabulous magic to handle everything."
Comforting laughed. "Perish the thought! We'll have quite enough paperwork as it is." She squeezed Amber's shoulder reassuringly. "Consider this our joint effort - you handle design and book curation while I deal with the finances." Her brows waggled. "And a dash of magic."
"Well, alright." Amber smiled slowly. "Together then." She levitated the stack of forms. "Hitch, let's proceed."
Hitch nodded. "Right. Now the main thing you'll need is an initial deposit. The bank will want to see you're serious about this. Uh, you'll want to talk to them about that." He pointed out of his office. "There's one about three blocks that way."
Comforting tapped her chin thoughtfully. "No trouble. I can access funds presently. We'd better go ask them how much they want to start, and then." She faced Amber with a serious expression. "It'll be up to you to make those payments. But!" She hiked a thumb at herself. "You'll have a paying tenant! Wouldn't be fair if I didn't chip in for where I'm living. Really, so rude, even thinking about it."
Amber clapped excitedly. "That makes this a lot easier." One could imagine numbers floating through her own mind. "Let's get to that bank and get this rolling. I am so excited right now. Thanks, Hitch." She went for a hug, just to hesitate.
"Bring it in." He grabbed her in a warm embrace. "Now, good luck out there!"
Sparky squealed in support, waving goodbye to the two as they headed out.
Comforting had to restrain herself from simply swooping Amber up and zipping them both towards the bank in her enthusiasm. But she knew her grounded unicorn friend preferred to canter places in her own time.
So, Comforting settled for an eager hovering hop-skip as they set off down the road side by side. "Oh, I'm tingling with anticipation myself!" Comforting did a quick midair spin. "Your wonderful library shall soon be on the horizon. We're making it real, my friend!"
Glowing with optimism, she held the bank door for Amber. "I have utmost confidence they'll see our drive and dedication shining through. This is but the first step of many - onward and upwards, my friend!"
Amber walked past Comforting to join the line ahead of her. There were only a few other ponies with financial needs. Soon she trotted up to the teller. "Hello! I want to buy some land, to build a library."
The teller inclined her head. "Have you already worked out the price of the land, and the building you want to build?"
"Um." Amber pulled out the number she had written down. "This covers the land. Who would tell me what the library would cost?"
The teller examined the number. "More of a start than most ponies with dreams like that. Now, lucky for you, the bank has some fantastic contacts. If you can meet the down payment, we'll happily help you get the rest of the way." She clapped her hooves and turned her own calculator around. "Just this much."
Amber paled. That was a smaller number, but still more bits than she had ever held at one time. "Wow..."
Comforting held out her phone. "I'm covering that. That's my first month's rent."
The teller blinked with surprise. "I see." She peered suspiciously at Comforting's phone. "Well..." She directed to an electronic pad on the desk. "If you have that?"
Comforting held her phone over the pad and it made that friendly jingle. Her number decreased.
Amazed, the teller got to work, writing busily with her hooves. "I'll put you in contact with good ponies that know how to get things built. They know the local codes, so Hitch won't get on you for missing any of them." She winked at that. "Have no fear! You're one of our customers now, and we'll treat you right."
The layout of the library was easy to plan. Amber had dreams of what it'd look like, and working with the contractors, she soon had a lovely layout planned, and, with pony industriousness, the library took form as if on its own before her. "This is amazing..."
Comforting ruffled her friendly unicorn friend stop the head. "But! You're missing the most important part for a library."
"The books!" Amber clopped a hoof to the side of her head. "We do need those... Okay. Okay. Books..." She stroked her chin with a hoof. "I'd ask you, but you'd give me a bunch of very old books that'd be super amazing but also confusing to a lot of ponies. No, we need modern books."
Comforting smiled as she listened to Amber plan and worry. "Glad you realized that without me telling you. This is a library, not an antiquated book store. So, where do ponies sell books these days?"
"I have no idea." Amber hopped up to her hooves and circled in a panic. "But we have to find out, now!"
Comforting held up her phone. "Why not ask this?"
Amber blinked at it. "Who are you going to call?"
Comforting inclined her head. "We could call somepony, but..."
"But..." One could almost see the gears turning, and it clicked. "Oh! Right! I'm new to these things." Amber floated out her own phone and got to tapping away, searching the Internet. "If you ask, it can answer, um... If you know the right question."
Comforting zipped in behind Amber, watching her search curiously. Amber hummed and hawed. "Well, There are book stores."
"That's a start. So let's start?" Comforting put down a shopping cart she hadn't had a moment before. "Let's shop! And ask questions. Those book stores have to get books from somewhere, right?"
Amber brightened at the sight of the cart. "Oh yes, excellent thinking!" She eagerly took up position behind it, horn glowing as she levitated the handlebar. "Let us be off to the nearest bookshop and see what we can discover about the mysterious supply chain of literature!"
With an encouraging wave from Comforting, Amber trotted purposefully forward, cart trailing dutifully behind her. But they hadn't gotten halfway down the newly paved street before the unicorn was frowning in consternation, phone hovering before her as she attempted to access her maps app with limited dexterity.
"Oh fiddlesticks, how do I search for the location again?" Amber huffed in frustration. "I know the basics of using this confounded device but anything more complex still vexes me."
With an amused chuckle, Comforting gently extricated the phone from Amber's magical grip and tapped open the maps herself. "Worry not, it takes time. The ways of this modern age shall become second nature soon enough!"
A few more pokes and prods had the nearest bookstore pinned on the screen. "There we are! Just a few blocks yonder by the looks of it." Comforting traced the glowing route with a talon.
"Shall I transport us to save your hooves...or would you prefer the scenic route?" she asked with a playful eyebrow waggle. Amber just laughed.
"Let's walk - no shortcuts today!" the unicorn proclaimed, setting off once more. "We have books to find and so much still to discuss. Tell me what you remember of libraries and bookshops from your time. How similar do you think they shall be?"
And so the odd duo ambled on through town. "I am actually really glad I met you specifically."
Amber perked at that. "Me?! I'm nopony special. Why me?"
Comforting swam idly along beside Amber, even if the air was not something one normally swam through. "You're keeping me real. You say no to shortcuts. I appreciate that. After so long of a pause, I think I might have gotten way out of hand if I didn't have a nice pony balancing me out. So, thanks."
Amber colored faintly, but she was smiling. "Glad to help. Now, here's our first store." She turned towards what looked to be one dedicated to airport reading. Light adventure novels, romances, and other things to enjoy casually. "Ooo." Amber peered at a thrilling spy tale she was passing. "Interesting books already..."
The shop stallion stepped forward as if drawn by Amber. "We have all kinds of books for all kinds of ponies! What sort are you looking for today?"
Amber clapped her hooves. "Hello! I'm... I want books, a lot of books. I want to open a library, so I need so many books."
The stallion blinked in surprise. "That's a tall order! But I love it. Maretime Bay could use a real library. You should talk to the mayor."
Amber recoiled at that. "Mayor? Why?"
The stallion crossed his hooves. "I hear libraries are paid for by the town they're in. If you told her what it was, I bet she'd help. But, back to what you asked. I could give you a the contacts of the book suppliers I use, but don't go stealing all my customers." He looked not too worried about that as he fished up those contacts and held his phone out at the end of his hoof.
Comforting grabbed Amber's phone and touched it to the offered phone. A jingle played as contacts hopped across the divide and Comforting gave it back. "Modern conveniences."
Amber stared at the new contacts in her phone as if the stallion had just gifted her a treasure chest brimming with gold. "Oh my stars, this is tremendously helpful, sir! Thank you ever so much."
She clutched the device to her chest. "With these suppliers on our side, I can see the shelves filling already. Why, Comforting and I shall have this library bursting with books in no time!"
Thinking of that mayor, Amber nibbled her lip uncertainly. "I suppose we ought speak to her as well and make things official. Can't have the town funding a rogue book depository!"
She sighed but quickly bolstered herself with the thought of children happily reading storybooks. This was for them after all! "Very well, let's pay this mayor a visit after we've placed some orders. Need to show proper progress if we expect bits from the public purse."
Glancing sidelong at Comforting swimming circles around her, Amber had to chuckle. "And I should perhaps leave you out of that first meeting. We want funding approved swiftly, not endless questions about what manner of creature my benefactress might be!"
Comforting blew a raspberry. "But I like answering questions."
Amber winked playfully, then turned back to the patient shopkeeper with a smile. "We truly can't thank you enough for pointing us in the proper directions. Once open, the library shall send regular customers your way too!"
Bidding the affable pony adieu for the moment, Amber struck out once more down the lane, nose already buried in her phone as she began happily contacting potential suppliers.
Comforting put a hand over the phone, interrupting that. "I love the eagerness. Love it. But... if that mayor does help fund the library, you could have the bits to pay for those books. Otherwise, you're the one paying for it, and you're not rich by every word you've said so far."
Amber looked blank a moment. "Right! Right... I feel dumb today." She bonked her head with that phone. "Get the funding, then get the books... We're already serious, we have a library! An empty library... But a library! That's more than most ponies have when they start this, I bet..."
She offered spread arms and Comforting took the hint. The two hugged warmly with a little nuzzle. "I'll go see that mayor. You... Um..." She looked around the city. "Could go visit Sparky? You two seem to get along really well."
"He's adorable." Comforting twirled at the thought of the baby dragon. "But... I'd rather visit a different dragon. You go on and talk with the mayor." She waved Amber off. "I can handle myself."
With Amber wandering off towards downtown, Comforting pulled out her phone and got to typing.
Hey, Together!
Is Spike around? He's a dragon, so... I hope so?
Hugs and Kisses to the Tree That Refuses to Hug Back, Comforting
The reply was swift. "Wow." Comforting gladly hit the message button.
Hello, Comforting,
Spike is well. He is with the other dragons. I have sent a location to your phone. Those phones are very popular with ponies of this age. Do not share this information with any pony that doesn't already have it.
I'm Very Proud of You, Together
Comforting giggled warmly. "Aw." She kissed the phone for lack of having Together there to smooch. "Love ya!" She pulled up the map with the location sent. "Look at you, hiding way out there." She zoomed in and in and in so hard, she was there, popping into being on the island.
"Who are you?" And the dragons noticed her immediately. "This is the Isle of Scaley, and you... are only a little scaley?"
Comforting reached out her dragon arm. "I'm part dragon, and I'm here to see Spike. He knows me."
The she-dragon raised a doubting brow. "You know the boss? And he knows you? This is... unexpected... Still, if you're part dragon, I guess that's alright, this way." They took flight, and Comforting easily kept at their side. "I wasn't sure if those mismatched wings would get you off the ground."
Not that those wings were doing the work, but Comforting kept that to herself, just smiling. They came on Spike, lounging, and so much bigger than long before. "Spike!"
Spike looked up, confusion on his face. "Huh?" He sat up, peering at the chimera that was Comforting. "You... are familiar... Where am I losing it...?"
"Comforting?" She did a twirl before him. "Used to be a friend of Twilight's too, remember?"
"Wow." He sank to his belly. "It's been ages. How are you doing?" With his official seal of recognition given, the other dragons relaxed.
"Better, now that I see my Spikey-Wikey!"
Spike colored brightly. "It's... I thought that term was long gone." He huffed softly. "Like she is..."
"Sorry." Comforting awkwardly shuffled. "I didn't come to make you feel bad."
"And you didn't." He casually grabbed Comforting to nuzzle her belly, making her squeal and wriggle. "Old news is old. Let's leave that in the past."
"You are chill, and I like it." Comforting wriggled free of his grip to float in front of him. "But I wanted to see how one of my favorite dragons is doing. Oh! I ran into a baby dragon. He's so cute! Even younger than you were when I met you."
Spike snorted a little smoke, thinking back to such distant times. "I was a kid. They... If they're the one I think you're talking about, they're a hatchling. Cute... yeah, they pass that test." He touched his nose to most of Comforting's fronts. "Since we're talking about that, I see you stayed grown up. Chaos spirit, I know you could have done whatever you wanted, but you're still grown."
Comforting grabbed his snout, or however much of it her arms allowed. "Taking on other forms is fun... But my own lady friend left a mark on me, as she did for you. I don't feel right retreating all the way back to foal for too long. I'm an adult."
Spike wrinkled his snout. "If I had the option... Nah, I'm an adult too. No point trying to hide that." He sat up slowly. "The dragons around here depend on me, and I have to protect them... Speaking of that... We have somepony trying to steal our magic. That's a mess."
"What?! Oh." Comforting thought back to the test in progress. "You can handle it, I know you can." Getting directly involved in that felt wrong. It was her place to guide and build, not solve problems for creatures. "You're Spike! What can't Spike deal with?"
"You have a high opinion of me." He shook her off gently. "Keep it up."
The mare smiled at Amber, hooves together. "A few ponies have been whispering about you. You and that project you're working on."
"In good ways?" Amber forced her best smile. "Hopefully?"
"Fantastic ways." She tapped her hooves in a mild applause. "A library. Our lovely city needs those." She swept a map into view suddenly. "Which is why we have a few." She began tapping at points on the map. "Three, to be precise. Maretime Bay does not raise, or tries not to, raise illiterate ponies."
The mayor leaned in towards Amber. "We aren't Bridlewood."
"N-no." Amber glanced around with growing nervousness. "It's quite different."
"Quite different." The mayor smiled a slick smile, like a snake that had a mouse lined up for a meal. "But, here you are, assuming you know. You already built the library, I'm told. A bold step, for not reaching out to me. Did you reach out to anypony before you started this, or did you just... What did you do?"
Amber shrank back with a squeak. "I asked Sheriff Hitch!" she got out quickly. "And he pointed me forward and didn't mention you, ma'am!"
The pressure suddenly was gone. "Hitch, figures. I will roast him slowly, later." She smiled so relaxedly. "Not the first time he casually forgot the rest of the city exists. You poor thing, caught up in Hitch's flailings. Now, that actually explains things." She trailed a hoof along thin lines in the map. "Notice something? We have a library in each of these districts but that one." She tapped at it, but it was one big city that bedazzled Amber. "It happens to be the one Hitch oversees."
Amber perked. "Then--"
"--You got lucky." The mayor leaned back. "If you had put up your library in any of the other districts, I would have greeted you with an order to tear it down, and suggested you work at one of the other ones." She raised a brow. "Technically, still an option. Starting a library is no simple, or easy, feat. You could go work at one of the others." She moved her hoof to the other places libraries existed. "How would that sound? Since this was a Hitch boo boo, I'd even cover your loss in this case. We'd repurpose the property. From what I hear, it's not even furnished yet. We'll find a use for it."
Amber laughed nervously. "That would be the easy way out, ma'am. I'd rather do it right."
The mayor's smile somehow deepened. "I love hearing that. Very well." She brought over a paper and stomped it firmly with a hoof, leaving a firm mark before twirling it to face Amber. "Have a look."
Amber's horn glowed as she pulled the paper closer in her magic for a peek. The paper was an official decleration of a library, run under the auspices of the city. "Does this--" Amber swallowed, unsure how to proceed. "--What does this mean, exactly?"
The mayor sat up firmly. "It means your library belongs to the city, as all libraries do. We will take your mortgage. You will be a city employee. Your job is to operate that library to the best of your ability. You can request assistants, who will also work for the city."
Amber raised a hoof sharply. "Ma'am?"
The mayor inclined her head. "Something wrong? That was the sharpest move you've made today."
"Ma'am." Amber took a slow breath to steady herself. "I have somecreature who wants to help with the library and live there. We had an agreement. Is that still okay?"
The mayor perked a brow. "A live-in librarian? Unusual, but not unheard of. Are you both doing that? Do the plans include a dormitory area? Either way, it sounds like you've hired your first assistant. How forward-thinking of you. You'll need them, and likely more, if you want the library to operate properly. Have them visit this office, not me specifically. If they accept, they are also a city employee. Understand?"
Amber nodded slowly, comprehension dawning along with a smile. "I believe I do, ma'am. Thank you for clarifying."
She glanced down again at the official declaration, magic flaring softly around its edges. A library acknowledged and supported by the whole city - it was more than she had dared hope! Amber had to blink back the swell of emotions.
Looking back up to meet the mayor's gaze directly, Amber said "I cannot properly express how grateful I am for this chance, and for the trust placed in me. I know libraries require diligence and care. But the rewards..."
Her voice caught, imagining rows of foals discovering whole worlds within pages. With a deep breath, she continued "...Seeing young minds grow and thrive shall be the greatest reward. I intend to make this city proud, and further its noble educational mission in any way I can."
The mayor inclined her head approvingly. "Spoken like a true steward of knowledge. We shall see if you live up to those lofty words soon enough." But there was a glimmer of warmth beneath her businesslike demeanor. "Do keep me updated on your progress personally. I wish to ensure this endeavor succeeds."
Heart soaring as their meeting concluded on such an uplifting note, Amber made her farewells before trotting back out into the sunlight, official declaration floating protectively beside her. She couldn't wait to share everything with Comforting! Why, her exuberant friend would likely swoop her up and try dancing on a cloud from sheer delight.
Laughing softly to herself, Amber set off to find where her chaotic companion had wandered off to. She suspected this called for some sort of celebration!
Comforting appeared before the library, empty as it was, and darted inside. She flew around those empty large rooms and equally cavernous hallways. "So much space, but I need just a little." She paused, just in front of what could eventually become a supply closet. "Like this!"
With a great tug, she pulled her personal space over, pinching off a little bit and attaching it to the small space. "There." She opened and closed the door, testing the connection was solid. "I made myself at home."
When she walked out, clapping her hands together as if patting them dry, she saw Amber trotting along with a dazed but happy expression. "Things go well? That looks like a happy face."
Amber closed in with a little giggling squeal. "It is. You're looking--" She swept a hoof over the unfinished library. "--at the newest Maretime Bay library."
Confetti exploded around her with some fanfare with no obvious source. Comforting applauded, though it sounded like an entire audience was in on it, cheers included. "Amazing, fantastic! What does that actually mean though?"
Amber laughed, confetti drifting down to fleck her mane as the mysterious celebratory din faded out around them. "It means the city has officially endorsed my endeavor! The library shall be funded and staffed by Maretime Bay going forwards."
She did a giddy little hop, the declaration with its prominent hoofprint still trailing behind her. "Can you believe it, Comfort? We have their full support! Why, the mayor herself said she wishes to aid our success."
Amber gestured expansively around at the unfinished space, imagination painting in rows of shelving and cozy reading nooks. "Just think - soon foals from all across town shall be streaming through those doors, discovering new worlds between pages. And we'll be right here to guide them!"
Her enthusiasm dimmed only slightly as she met Comforting's gaze. "Oh, but I should warn you - as employees, we'll need to complete some administrative paperwork. Nothing too arduous," she added hastily. "But I presumed you would not object to being officially instated as my assistant?"
Amber scuffed a hoof sheepishly. "I apologize for assuming, but the mayor was quite strict that all staff must be registered with the city. It would grant you more freedoms as well, being an recognized citizen."
She peered up at Comforting curiously. "So what do you say? Ready to become an upright productive member of society?" Amber punctuated her gentle teasing with an playful elbow nudge, unable to contain her bubbling delight.
Comforting was rubbing her chin thoughtfully through most of that. "City employee? How interesting." She paced in place, as if that helped her brain chug along. "I don't need the money, you know that. But, I imagine, offering to work for free will just confuse them. No, we'll skip that part and save some arguments." She could imagine that scene already playing out. "I'll just take the bits."
"So that means--"
"--You're not my landlord." Comforting poked Amber gently on the nose. "--You're my boss, with equally terrifying powers."
Amber jumped up and the two hugged warmly a moment before she slid to the ground. "This is just too much. We need to, oh!" She pointed to the brighthouse, those lights in the short distance. "We should tell them, then, we party. We party like something happened worth partying about."
"Because something has, clearly." Comforting nodded with a smile. "You did such a good job today, Amber. I'm so proud I don't have proper words." She smiled, proud of herself for trusting her agent to handle things. Her griffon tail swayed with self-satisfaction. "Let's go see our friends."
Amber trotted eagerly along beside Comforting, their odd silhouettes dark against the setting sun. But nothing could dim her bright spirit that evening.
"I must admit, when I first arrived alone in this strange new city, success seemed a far off dream," Amber mused.
Comforting nodded sagely. "Oh yes, I remember how timid you were, my little unicorn waif wandering lost and overwhelmed."
Amber chuckled self-consciously. "More like clueless! Why, I fully expected to simply find some dusty backroom to stash my motley collection in."
"And now look at you - head librarian of the city's newest literary palace!" Comforting declared proudly.
Glancing sidelong at her exotic companion, Amber smiled softly. "But then you entered my story as the perfect supporting pillar, Comfort."
Waving off the praise, Comforting demurred "Oh pish posh, I just nudged a bit here and there. You're the real star author of this tale, my dear!"
"Maybe so." Amber nudged her friend playfully. "But every good author needs an insightful editor to tie their wild ideas together."
Laughing brightly, the odd pair crested the final hill up towards the brighthouse, hearts swelling at the new story shining before them.
Comforting knocked on the door lightly. Amber giggled. "They expect us." She went right past Comforting and opened the door to find a pony on the other side.
Izzy squeaked with a smile. "Hey there! I was gonna get the door, but you got the door. How's it going?"
Comforting hugged Izzy since she was there and liked random hugs. "We come with good news!"
"The best kind." Izzy hugged back, but only briefly. She dashed inside and soon had the others gathered in the lobby. "Hit us up with the good news, we wannt hear!"
Zipp inclined her head. "You finished the library?"
Pipp inclined her head in the other direction. "And are inviting us to the opening party?"
Hitch considered, only for Spark to slide down and start moving. "Get back here!" He dashed off to catch the dragon.
Comforting waved Amber forward. "I'm not taking this moment from you. You're on."
Amber swelled with the deep inhale she took. "As it turns out, libraries are community property, not any one pony's property. When I talked with the mayor, she filled me in. But... As luck would have it." She cast a wary glance at Comforting. "Where we built the library is where a library was needed. So... She took the library, and put me in charge of it."
All the ponies, and a little dragon, cheered for the good news. Sunny clapped her hooves with a big smile. "This sounds like a good reason to celebrate."
With no objections, things got underway to properly welcome their friends' good news.
With all the major roadblocks removed, and an actual budget given by the mayoral office, they could proceed at a lively trot. Reaching out to the other libraries, they stocked up on the utter essentials; educational cornerstones and timeless classics ponies enjoyed. Using the new index of sources, they ordered their own blend of interesting tomes for future readers to read and enjoy.
Amber danced in place, excitement overflowing. "And, if we don't have it--" She waved over the city. "--We can trade with the other libraries. So nice of them to share their book lists. We're a whole city of books! So it's good to have the basics, but our own collection, different than theirs, so we're expanding that collection, not just repeating it."
"Makes sense." Comforting floated behind Amber, watching her place her orders. "You don't need my help for this part. You have this under control."
"I do, but--" Amber twirled to face Comforting. "--I'll really appreciate your help when these books start showing up. We have to get them on the shelves." She pointed to where shelves had been moved in; a fact that made her giggle excitedly. "Our library's starting to look like a library."
Comforting floated over Amber to hug the unicorn as she passed. "It really is. It's just missing the books, and you're already working on that. One thing, what about not books?"
"Not books?" Amber squinted at the very thought of it. "Libraries are for books, right?"
"Mostly!" Comforting brought her hands together, floating along belly up. "But they're also community centers, where all kinds of fun things can happen. It's up to the librarians, that's us, to plan them. A movie night? We could host that. A book signing of a new book by their author? We could host that." She rotated to be belly down, tail swaying above her. "A library is as much a space that happens to have books in it as anything else, and it's a public space. We can do a lot with it."
Amber clapped her hooves together in delight. "Marvelous idea! Of course, it should serve more community functions than merely housing literature."
Her mind was already bounding ahead with possibilities, imagination painting vivid scenes across the blank walls. "Storytelling hours for foals, craft sessions making art from books, scavenger hunts investigating subjects...why, we must tap every organization that may benefit from this free venue!"
Comforting pulled out a sheet from nowhere, jotting down Amber's wandering thoughts.
Amber bounced on her hooves, suddenly gripped with urgency to compile a grand calendar of events. "The historical society, astronomy club, theater troupe - so many friends yet to make who could enliven these rooms. We shall curate a cultural hub welcoming all interests under our roof!"
Comforting put a big period at the end of each of those ideas. "Don't forget you're a little new. You're going to have to introduce yourself to the city. The whole thing, once this place opens." Not that she was being paid attention to, but she kept on writing with a smile.
Laughing merrily at her own racing thoughts, Amber drew Comforting into an impulsive hug, interrupting the jotting a moment. "However did I get on before you arrived to elevate my small visions into such dazzling dreams?" She squeezed tighter, voice thickening. "You make me believe anything is possible..."
Pulling back before she descended fully into sentimental tears, Amber dashed the shimmer from her eyes. There were calls to make! "Now, let us contact every creative spirit in town and start filling calendars. Our community literary palace awaits!"
Comforting smiled at her eager little agent, wagging the pad she had been using. "Need this?"
With a determined nod, Amber levitated the pad and a pen over to begin noting ideas, imagination already painting the coming days in bold strokes of joyful connection and discovery.
Comforting landed just behind the front desk. "Now, one thing! Computers. You'll want them, for us, for the visiting ponies, for everypony really."
Amber clopped a hoof to her head. "Computers. It's so easy to forget those, being so new to them. Don't ponies already have one?" She pulled out her own phone, glowing with her gripping magic. "I've yet to meet a city pony without one."
"True!" Comforting darted over to poke the phone. "But the phone won't know what's right here. Our computers will know which books are in, or not, by the moment. Also good for research, or typing, or..."
"Oh." Amber crashed to her haunches. "Computers do a lot of things. Yes, we should see how much they cost and try to get some if it'll help ponies get things done." She made a new note about looking into that. "There's so much to do to make a new library possible."
Comforting ruffled Amber on the head. "But it's being done."
"It's being done," sighed out Amber with a dreamy smile. "We're doing it."
Comforting laughed warmly, always delighted to see Amber getting swept up in her imaginings. "Yes we are, my friend! All those who said it couldn't be done should see what the power of determination and dreams accomplish."
Giving Amber another affectionate ear scritch, she zoomed over to perch herself atop the brand new front desk. Coincidentally, it was just the perfect height for her lanky frame to lean onto with an elbow casually.
Amber turned to keep Comforting in view, smiling so happily the whole way.
"I must say, this is shaping up into a positively splendid space already!" Comforting remarked sunnily, surveying their nascent realm. "Or it shall be, once all our grand visions materialize the way you have it so stirringly laid out in your mind's eye."
"Like magic, without so much magic." Amber tapped at her chin. "Still magic, certainly."
With an expansive wave of her paw, Comforting continued, "Oh, I can picture it already. Shelves packed with colorful spines, beckoning new worlds to explore. Tables humming with whispered discussions and scratching pens. Wide-eyed colts and fillies squealing in a quiet corner over favorite picture books."
Hopping up to stand on the counter, she declared "And a gallery wall here showcasing ravishing art made from repurposed pages, of course! Oooh, we could have monthly craft sessions for patrons to contribute."
Amber's ears danced, trying to imagine half of that and only partially succeeding. "I want that so much, for them."
Then soberly stepping back down, she placed a gentle paw on Amber's withers. "But most vitally, my friend - a sanctuary for any soul, no matter how meek or marginalized, to feel welcomed just as they are. Safe to share thoughts without judgment, and perhaps make a connection or three."
Her eyes shone with visionary zeal. "What greater legacy than fostering understanding between fellow travelers navigating this confusing life?"
Amber let out a soft gasp. "That is--" She paused to wipe a tear away. "That is such a wonderful thought. Yes! Yes, let's make a place where they can all feel welcome, and safe. A sanctuary of books."
The two met, paw to hoof in a firm clap. Their dream was unified, and the future was looking bright.
With overflowing hearts, the music couldn't be held back. The very first load of books arrived and they gladly accepted them. "Oh the shelves yet stand so bare, not a book to greet visitors there! But soon pages shall line the walls, heeded be our literacy calls!"
Amber's magic and Comforting's darting form soon started a little start to stocking those shelves as they sang right along, "Tra-la-la, fiddle dee-dee, hooray for Amber's library!"
Comforting drifted down an aisle, leaving books as she went. "With nails and hammers, we'll erect some fine shelves, Then courier some tomes to line them thar selves!"
Amber waved at new computers that hadn't been there a moment before. "Comforting's conjuring computers so nifty, Visitors can research most anything spiffy!"
Comforting waved at some open rooms off to the side with a pleased smile. "We'll host puppet shows, and costume balls, Magic lantern nights, then next moonballs!"
Amber made studious notes about the books they had received and visions for the future. "Story hours and crafting classes, oh such sweet bookish lasses!"
They crashed together in a brief but bright hug, singing together, "However shall we choose what fun to run? Tra-la-la, fiddle dee-doo, there's so much in store at library new!"
Amber smooched Comforting on the cheek and walked towards the front door. "We did good today. So many things on the way. We should be ready. Oh!"
"Oh?" Comforting floated along after Amber. "Oh what?"
Amber twirled on Comforting. "The mayor wasn't lying. We will need more librarians than just the two of us, as eager as we are."
Comforting tapped Amber's horn. "I think that's your side of things. I may scare a few ponies away if they come into a job interview and find me grinning at them."
"Stop that!" Amber reared up to paw at the floating Comforting. "You're the sweetest thing."
"If you know me." Comforting sat up, still hovering. "But, let's be real. If you don't know me, could be a little surprising."
"A little." Amber thought to when she first met Comforting. "But you're still nice, and wonderful. The whole city should learn to love you."
"In time, perhaps." Comforting casually swam away, looking unstressed about it. "But not while they try to interview to become a librarian. That feels mean."
Amber giggled, having to concede Comforting's dramatic visage may indeed be distracting during a formal interview process. "I suppose you have a fair point. We should ease anxious candidates in gently to our unique work environment."
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Amber mused "Now how best to recruit help without unduly startling applicants?"
She brightened, struck by inspiration. "Perhaps I could handle initial inquiries and interviews solo. Get them comfortable with me as supervisor first. Then, once hired, we can slowly acclimate them to your more...eccentric qualities."
Amber winked playfully to soften any unintended offense, well familiar by now with Comforting's theatrical flair.
Comforting rolled her eyes with a snort. "That's what I said."
"We'll bill you as something thrilling and mysterious to anticipate, rather than fear. Sort of the library's 'resident creative spirit and magical consultant!'" She punctuated the grandiose title with sparkling magical flares shooting from her horn.
Laughing at her own overblown performance, Amber added, "But yes, it may be wise to minimize anxiety starting out. I can gauge good fits, filtering for those open and adaptable to diversity."
Comforting folded her arms. "Much as I love a pony that can roll with the punches, we may want some that are just really good at sorting books. That is the first thing this silly place is about. Putting up with me is not top of the list."
She smiled fondly at her dearest supporter. "I, of all ponies, understand that true friendship begins by looking deeper than appearances. By that measure, what applicant wouldn't adore you once your inner light shines through?"
Bumping affectionately against the hovering chimera, Amber concluded, "Fear not, my friend. As word spreads of all the wonder we shall craft here, queues of potential allies shall soon be chomping at the bit to join our noble literacy mission!"
Comforting abandoned shaking Amber's mind on that one. Some lessons had to be learned directly. Repeating the point wasn't going to help. "We agree on the important part. It's up to you to get us some help." She raised a finger. "Don't forget, the city pays for them, not you. They'll be working for the city, like us. As long as we keep it reasonable, those aren't our bits."
Amber clapped her hooves with building excitement. "Let's get started. Um." She frowned with new thoughts. "How do ponies advertise jobs in the city? Do we just put up a sign? Do we do something with these?" She fished out her phone. "Do you know?"
Comforting chuckled softly. "Sweet summer child, that's a whole other musical number."
But it was one she felt ready and willing to sing for her dear student, agent, and friend.
"I'm.--" Her eyes darted around, working her hooves together slowly. "I'm not scared of books!" She forced a big smile.
Amber inclined her head slowly. "That's a good first start. Misty, was it?"
"That's me!" Misty tapped her hooves gently. "I really want to help."
"Why?"
Misty sank as if crushed by that simple question. "Oh, well, sheesh. I want to help because--" She trailed off with thought. "I want to help little foals. I want to help grown ponies. I want somepony to be less confused than I was, and this feels like a good place for that."
Amber smiled. "Thank you for being honest. What do you think you can do for the library?"
"I can organize books, and make sure they're all there. I can make sure the computer knows what's in the library, and what's not. I can be friendly to everypony who comes in. I can help them find what they're looking for, and I can help them find new things to look for."
Amber nodded along, making notes. "Very good. I'm glad you've given this some thought." She looked up with a smile. "Now, I need to ask you a few more questions. Do you mind?"
Misty perked, ears erect. "Of course not!" She laughed tensely. "Do you have, sorry, a drink of water by any chance?" When Amber slid a glass towards her, Misty grabbed it in her own magic and took a big sip. "Thanks. I never actually had a job job before. This is all new."
"It's okay. I haven't done this before either." Amber smiled warmly. "Let's learn together."
"Okay." Misty relaxed, just a little. "What do you want to know?"
Amber made a dramatic showing of relaxing her shoulders and leaning back. Even her tail went limp. "First, relax. This isn't a test. You seem like a nice pony. We've met before. I just want to see how good of a fit you are, and where you'd be best placed. I'm not even your boss, technically."
"You aren't?" Misty looked baffled at that. "Then who would be?"
Amber made a wide wave. "The city itself. We'd both be city employees. Sure, technically, I would be the one you report to and who could, if she had to, terminate you, which I hope is about never." She paused a moment. "Relaxed?"
"A little." Misty tried to mimic Amber's posture, but her legs didn't want to go that limp. "This is a weird interview."
"Oh yes." Amber smiled. "But it's also a weird library. I don't think we'll have many normal days. I want to know what you can bring to the table, but I also want to know what you expect from us."
"Well, I expect to work, and to do my job, and to help out. I don't expect a lot of money, but I do want to make enough to live on." She fidgeted. "I want to be happy with my job, and feel like I'm doing good."
Amber offered a hoof across the desk. "That much, I can promise. Now, experience. How much do you know about sorting books?" She nodded at Misty's confused look. "Can you lift at least ten pounds?" With the nod, she raised the stakes. "Twenty? Thirty? Fourty? That's your cap, alright." Amber made a dutiful note.
"Oh, I can lift forty pounds, easy. I'm not that small." Misty flexed a leg. "I don't think I've ever had to lift that much, but I can. I don't know how to sort books, though. I know how to shelve them, but not how to decide where they go."
Amber nodded. "That's okay. We'll teach you. It's not that hard. You'll be learning as you go, but we'll be right there with you." She smiled. "We're all picking this up at about the same time."
"Okay." Misty relaxed, just a little. "Where's Comforting?"
"You are a treat to interview that way." Amber brought her hooves together with a relaxed smile. "You already know her, and she doesn't spook you out."
With no further prompting, Comforting casually came to be, resolving like a low resolution art piece that became sharper quickly until she was all there. "Hello! If it isn't a Misty." She reached to ruffle and pet over Misty's head, teasing an ear. "I will love working with you. Something about you makes me want to--" She trailed off with thought. "I'm not sure, but I'd love for us to become even better friends."
Misty squeaked, then giggled, leaning into the ear rubs. "I'd love that too, Comforting. You're so cool."
Amber watched with a smile. "I'm glad you two are getting along. That'll make the job much easier."
"I can't wait to start." Misty smiled. "When do I start?"
"Soon." Amber stood up. "We have to finish hiring first. I'm hoping to have at least three more ponies on board, so we can cover shifts and have some extra help." She lifted a slip of paper in her magic to where Comforting could snatch it.
Comforting donned a pair of glasses she did not need and looked over the paper. "Hm! Hm. Looks like you're on the right track." She slapped the paper down in front of Amber. "Misty, one thing; this library is a safe place for all the ponies in it, staff or not. But it's up to us, staff, to make that happen and keep it that way. How does that sound?
Misty nodded. "That sounds good. I can do that."
"Good!" Comforting floated over to hug Misty around the neck. "I'm glad you're going to be part of our team."
Misty smiled as she was nuzzled against. "You are very affectionate, um, Comforting."
Comforting paused sharply. "Is it bothering you? I can stop."
Misty colored, worrying her hooves in nervous little motions. "It's alright, just surprising is all. A good hug between friends is good, but you're also kinda my boss?"
Comforting tapped at her chin. "You have a point, but only sorta." She pointed at Amber firmly. "She's the boss. I'm just an assistant." That she was an assistant with cosmic powers, she didn't bother pointing out or explaining. "So, I'm more of a co-worker. So if you're okay with it, all is good, and if you're not, then I stop, and that doesn't hurt your odds around here, super promise."
Misty snorted a laugh. "Okay. You're cool. I think we'll get along great, if you're like this every day."
"Oh, I am." Comforting floated away, smiling at Amber. "Anything else, boss?"
Amber shook her head. "No, that's good. We'll call you when we're ready to start. It shouldn't be more than a few days."
Misty stood up with a smile. "Thank you, Amber. I'll see you soon."
Amber made a hug gesture, but didn't actually touch Misty. "I'm looking forward to it. Now get out of here and think booky thoughts."
The two shared laughter as they headed their separate ways. Amber turned to Comforting. "Does that go for us? I'm your boss and all, but not sharing hugs with you isn't where I want to be."
"Me neither." Comforting tapped Amber on the end of her snout. "So we'll be extra special adults about this, who were friends before there was a business involved, and I'll keep hugging and being hugged until either of us decides they don't want that anymore. How's that sound?"
Amber smiled. "That sounds perfect. I can't wait to hug you again."
"Then let's do that." Comforting opened her arms, and Amber slipped into them, hugging back tightly. For a moment, the two were lost in the simple but warm act of the embrace, but Amber eventually slipped free.
"That was nice, but I should finish up the interviews." She smiled as she settled into her seat. "I'll let you know the moment we're done with those."
"Looking forward to it!" Comforting saluted and vanished as if being flushed down a drain with a loud sound to accompany it.
Comforting and Amber looked up with mutual delight at the big banner hanging over their library, declaring that it was a grand opening. There was a big ribbon in front of the library, but it wasn't either of their job to cut it. That's what the mayor was for, giving a big speech about the importance of libraries and their various functions.
Amber stood beside Comforting, holding her hand tightly as they watched the mayor speak. "This is it," she whispered. "Our library is open."
"It's amazing," Comforting whispered back. "And it's all because of you."
Amber snorted with a wrinkled snout at that. "You're lying. You helped at least as much as I did. We opened this library, together. Admit it."
"Okay, we did." Comforting squeezed Amber's hoof gently. "But you made it happen. I just gave you a little nudge."
Amber shook her head. "We did this together. I couldn't have done it without you."
Comforting abandoned that argument, instead hugging Amber with one arm and getting a happy giggle for it. Hugs were so much better than silly debates about nothing important.
"And so--" The mayor put the scissors up to the ribbon. "--I declare this library--" She cut down, allowing the ribbon to flutter free. "--open!"
The crowd clapped and stomps with approval, but neither Comforting nor Amber got to see that part, with Comforting whisking Amber into the library with a sharp tug between the pages.
Amber wobbled from the sudden meta movement. "That still feels odd, but why did you do that?"
"Ponies will wander in here, and they'll need all of us working, not gawking at the opening ceremony. Let's do a library!" Comforting giggled as she floated off quickly to do her part in things.
Amber smiled, shaking her head. "She's right. Let's get to work." She trotted over to the front desk, where Misty was already sitting and looking ready to greet visitors. "Looking good! Here comes our first." She shook her hooves with excitement before assuming a far more serious and 'dignified' stance.
That first pony, a stallion, wandered up to the front desk. "Hello."
"Hiya." Misty smiled nervously at the stallion. "How can I help you today?"
"Yeah, uh." He tapped at his chin as he looked around for something. "Where's the menu?"
Misty blinked with amazement. "There isn't a menu, sir, but if you know what kind of book you're looking for, I can, uh, point you in the right direction. We have lots of different kinds of books."
He squinted at her. "This is a restaurant, right? This is where I'm supposed to be?"
Comforting zipped out of nowhere to land beside Misty. "No, sir, this is a library. You're in the right place. Are you looking for a particular book?"
"Yeah, the menu." He looked around again. "I don't see one. How do I order?"
Comforting gave him a confused look. "You can't get food here, just books. Books can give you adventure, or teach you something new. They can give you a peek at ponies a world away, or maybe a whole new world all-together!" Comforting clapped her mismatched hands, dreaming of such places and wonders. "Books are wonderful, but they're not food, and don't have a menu."
"Oh." He looked around again, then back at Comforting. "Can I borrow some bits?"
Comforting sighed, floating back up. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't lend money here. You'll have to go somewhere else for that."
He grumbled, turning away. "This is a waste of time. I'll try somewhere else."
"Good luck," Misty called after him.
Amber clopped a hoof to her forehead beside her horn. "That went awkwardly. Misty, you were fine. That pony was just in the entirely wrong place. Oh, here comes another; look sharp!"
Misty nodded, smiling brightly as a filly approached the desk. "Hi! How can I help you today?"
The filly smiled up at Misty. "I want a book about flying."
Misty smiled brightly, examining the filly and her little wings. "Do you mean flying as in you flying with your own power, or a different kind of flying?"
"A different flying." The filly jumped up, her wings holding her aloft for a few seconds. "I want to read about ponies who aren't pegasi flying. Do you have books like that?"
Misty frowned with thought. "Well, that sounds like--" She swept her hoof a moment before finding the fiction section. "--right there! Comforting?"
Comforting leaned in from behind where she hadn't been before. "Yes?"
"Oh!" Misty jumped with surprise. "This is Comforting, and she'll help you find a specific book about not-pegasi flying around."
The filly giggled. "Hi, Comforting! I'm Sky. Can you help me find a book about flying?"
"Of course I can." Comforting floated over to Sky. "Before we go, I want to know, do you want to know about real ways ponies can do that, or make believe?"
Sky's eyes widened. "You have both?!" she squeaked out with obvious amazement.
"We sure do!" Comforting reached out to take Sky's hoof. "Let's go find you some books."
Sky bounced along after Comforting, both of them giggling and looking happy.
Amber clapped her hooves with joy. "That was way better. We've done it. Great job, Misty." She glanced at where Comforting had gone to. "Didn't know we had books on actually flying though."
Misty rubbed behind her head. "My friends fly sometimes with a crazy machine. I don't know how it works, and didn't know we had a book on it. I guess we do!"
"Huh." Amber shrugged gently. "We both learned something. Next up!" She pointed to where a couple of ponies were approaching.
Misty smiled brightly at the pair. "Welcome to the library. How can I help you today?"
"Hi!" The mare smiled brightly. "I'm looking for a book on how to be a better mother. Do you have one of those?"
Misty tapped her chin. "Well, we have books on parenting, but they're mostly for parents who are already parents. Do you have a foal?"
"We sure do," cut in the stallion. "But we didn't bring them. They're at school."
Misty brightened with understanding. "Oh, I see. That makes sense. You want these books." She rushed over to point at the section with the parenting tomes. "We have books for teeny tiny foals up to teenaged foals. They're very, um, different."
The mare nodded. "Thank you! I'll look through them."
Misty smiled, backing away. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
The stallion smiled at Misty. "You sure do know your library." Both eagerly approached the books to examine their spines, leaving a grinning Misty behind to return to her chair.
Amber pumped a victorious arm. "This is going great. Oh! I work here too, boss or not. If you need a break, don't feel bad asking me to tag in. That goes for the rest of you." She smiled at each librarian she could find. "We're all in this together."
The others smiled back, nodding with agreement.
"And now, we wait for the next pony to come in." Amber smiled at the front door. "I can't wait to see who comes through that door next."
Next was Sunny Starscout, a gentle smile on her face. "Misty! Amber!" She rushed up to the two. "Congratulations on your big day." Even her tail was swaying with happy energy. "Now, tell me, do you have books on ancient history? I'm talking things from back in Comforting's day."
"Oh, we do!" Amber pointed at the shelves. "They're right over there. Comforting put them all in place."
Sunny smiled brightly. "That's amazing! Thank you!" She trotted towards it, just to pause. "I don't mean to just rush past you like that."
Amber shook her head quickly. "We are librarians, and you asked for a book. Seeing you find what you're looking for puts a smile on all our faces." She and Misty gave a grin to prove that point. "See?"
Sunny giggled. "I do. Thank you again." She trotted off to the books, already starting to browse.
Misty leaned over to whisper to Amber. "She's so nice. I love having her around."
"Me too." Amber looked around. "I wonder if--" She paused as a small group of foals came in. "Looks like we're about to find out."
The first day was going quite well, at least so far.
Amber knew ponies would come. Ponies had always come to the library. Some came to simply browse and be social, while others came searching for new knowledge, seeking something they weren't certain existed. The ponies of that part of the city were curious and timid in about equal measures.
They didn't have a library before, but that had changed. Her computers had proven strangely attractive. "Maybe Comforting was on to something there." She tapped her chin, examining the occupied two rows of them with happy ponies. "They walk around with them in their pockets, why would they need another?"
One of the many ponies heard her. "Oh, that's easy." The stallion nodded as if it were quite obvious. "Phones are small. If you want to relax, you need something bigger that you don't have to squint at."
Amber blinked, mind adjusting. "Oh, that makes complete sense. Thank you. I didn't mean to interrupt your studies."
"It's alright." He waved Amber off and returned to his web browsing.
That left Amber with a new mystery. "If they can make screens this size, why wouldn't they?" She shrugged and walked over to where Comforting was, making a show of reorganizing books that hadn't moved. "Having fun?"
Comforting squeaked, books raining down around her despite the shelf remaining full and stocked. "You surprised me. Hi, boss." She grabbed Amber in a firm hug. "What's up?"
Amber took the hug, ignoring the stares. "I was wondering why the computers are so popular."
"Because people can use them in comfort." Comforting bobbed her head in a nod. "Now that they have tables and chairs, they're comfy. Phones are tiny, but they're meant for when you're walking around doing other things. Like talking." She pointed at where some ponies were chatting together.
Amber nodded, nuzzling Comforting briefly before pulling back to be 'professionally distant'. "That makes sense. I'm glad these have proved as useful as you thought they would be."
"Told you." Comforting crossed her arms. "Ponies love this stuff." She looked at Amber with a question on her lips.
"No." Amber held a hoof up. "You're not getting any books about that."
"Fine." Comforting vanished with a pop as if bursting into air.
Amber ignored the odd looks she got from ponies at that. "But I see a friend coming in."
She turned from where Comforting had been, casually noting all the extra books had vanished at some point. "Zipp, right?" She trotted towards a pegasus coming into the library. "Good to see you."
"Hey, Amber." Zipp was looking around casually, having seen most of the library in the construction phase. "Not a bad set-up." She glanced around casually. "I was hoping to find a specific series. It's a fiction, fantasy." She glanced nervously about. "But I love it."
Amber clapped her hooves excitedly. "Sounds wonderful. Let's get you and your favorite series together. Which series?"
"Chronicles of Chevalia." Zipp fidgeted, waiting to see if that rang a bell for Amber.
Amber thought a moment, then brightened. "Oh, I think I saw that over here."
She took off at a walk, weaving through the library to the fantasy section. With her eyes wandering over the spines, she went along quickly by author until--"Here you go." She pointed at a brightly colored band of books, clearly of matching theming in appearance. "Pretty sure this is it."
Zipp trotted up, grabbing the first one. "I just finished number five last night, and I can't wait to start six. So you haven't read them yet? No spoilers."
"Well, no." Amber smiled sheepishly. "I confess, I read a lot more non-fiction." She looked between Zipp and the collection of other books in the series. "Is it that good?"
Zipp nodded slowly. "I wasn't sure, but I had some time on my hooves. I liked them enough to keep reading." She tilted her head, smiling. "Each one has had me more glued than the one before it. I couldn't quit now if I tried." She laughed tensely, rubbing behind her head. "That's not strange, is it?"
"Not at all!" Amber threw a leg over Zipp, drawing the nervous pegasus in. "Books are portals to other worlds and ideas. Getting lost in that? Perfectly normal. You take this up to the front and then enjoy it."
Zipp chuckled. "You've sold me. I'll check this out, but I still have one from the previous batch to finish, and the big reveal is tonight, so..." She hurried towards the front. "This place is great. Maybe some other ponies will get into them after me." With a grin, she checked out the book and tucked it away safely. "Away!" She zoomed out on her speedy wings.
Comforting walked in the front door and closed the doubledoors. She leaned back against them, whistling softly and nervously.
Amber raised a brow and hurried towards her. "Is something--" She leaned to the left, spotting something behind Comforting. "What's going on out there?"
"Nothing you should get involved in, ha, trust--" A tendril of shadows burst through a crack in the doors. "Dang it." Comforting swatted at the tendril with a fly swatter. "Back, back! You leave them alone! Back!" Ponies began to panic as the tendrils went right past her despite her efforts.
Amber scrambled back with wide eyes. "What are those?!" And one reached her, brushing just once and that was enough. Her cutie mark peeled free instantly, lost to the grabbing tendril. "Give that back!" But she couldn't hurt the tendril, and it wasn't giving back her mark, already flowing away rapidly. "Hey!"
The entire library became chaos in an instant as ponies ran every which way, screaming with fear at the weird tentacle things that came in and snatched at them, only to steal their cutie marks and leave the ponies behind, dazed and confused. The things didn't seem to be particularly interested in the librarians, at least once it had their marks. They tried to calm the others, but that proves difficult to impossible in the middle of the mark snatching.
Things only calmed when the tendrils finished their looting run and withdrew back to wherever they had come from, outside the library. Amber snorted with frustration. "I don't know what that just was, but it's gone. Everypony, relax. You're safe."
That assurance proved not terribly convincing as many a pony was shivering with fear and shock, but at least the running and screaming stopped. "It's okay," Misty repeated as she approached Amber. "Amber, are you okay?"
"No." Amber looked back at her rump, bare of the mark it had sported for so many years. "But I'm still here. They look like they need help a lot more than me." She noticed something. "Oh, good job."
Misty glanced where Amber was looking. She still had her mark. "I got lucky. I want to help though. How?"
Amber pointed to the most shivering and least functional of the library guests. "Help them, they need a comforting voice right about now."
"You call?" Comforting gently ruffled Amber atop the head. "Sorry I couldn't keep them back."
Amber shook her head. "Don't bother. You'd have gotten yours taken too." She hugged Comforting. "We're all victims here, except Misty. Go help, I need a minute to think."
Comforting twisted her legs to bring her rump into view. "Um, I lost my mark a long time ago, I promise. You never saw it." She wrinkled her nose. "Silly things were no threat to me. But you go, relax. I'll help out around here." She rubbed her hands together, looking ready to hug ponies until they felt better.
Amber smiled. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're here with me. You are such a good friend." She sniffled with emotion, shuffling off to go do something else.
The day went on slowly, ponies recovering as much as possible. None of them were physically harmed, just startled and upset for the lack of their marks. Once they were all settled into place and the panic had ebbed away, Comforting snuck away. "I need a few answers."
She didn't have a library to go to, but she had other places, slipping out of context with the rest of the world back to her safe little hideaway of a home. She pulled out her phone. "Still love that this isn't even strange." She got to tapping busily. The reply came within moments.
Dear Comforting,
I did warn you that a challenge was already underway. The pieces are moving, even if you did nudge one. I know that was an accident, no apologies are needed. Though unpleasant, lessons are being learned, and ponies are growing stronger in the end.
I am trying something new and bold, for me. I have adjusted the justification strategy of my letters. I hope it is pleasing.
Moving onwards to your question, alicorns are not immortal. They are, at best, unaging. There is a difference, and it is of vital importance. Beloved chaos creature, you should know, if it can end, it will eventually end. You persist because you cannot end, at least not easily, even on dauntingly large scales.
Comforting huffed, imagining various ways her beloved princess ponies could have met their end. "Maybe I should have stayed awake." She stuffed the phone angrily into a pocket. "No, that's just me being sad." She flopped to her bottom. "Which I have a right to be. Dang it." She thought fondly of her distant, and passed, once-mentor. "Twilight, the world would be better if you were still here."
She snapped her fingers, conjuring Twilight. "Hey."
"Hello." Twilight looked Comforting over. "You look down. Are you experiencing a friendship problem?" She perked. "I'm here to help."
"No, you aren't." Comforting embraced the figment as they melted away, leaving her alone. "Okay, get it together. We have lovely ponies that need me right now, not the past."
She vanished back to the library and put on a brave face.
"Amber?" Comforting had a worried look on her face. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." Amber sighed. "The hard part is looking at my flank and not seeing my mark." She sighed, tail swishing. "And it's strange, like my talent is buried under a big pillow. Which is bad! What kind of librarian am I if I feel distant from books?"
"That sounds rough. Is there anything I can do to help?" Comforting offered a hug. "I know how it feels to lose yourself and who you were, what you can do, even for just a moment."
"Thanks." Amber allowed herself a hug. "This means a lot to me." She considered that a moment. "You got that lost before?"
Comforting laughed at Amber's confusion. "Oh yes, I have." She delivered that gentle hug. "But I came back. Friends are what help pull you back. I hope I can be that friend."
"You are." Amber nuzzled into Comforting, hugging her close. "You are that. Thank you." She took a soft breath into the soft and plush fur of her chimeric buddy. "Alright, let's smile and get ponies happy to be in the library."
Their efforts proved to be a mixed result. While some ponies were quick to get back to what they were doing, others were just as fast to wander off. For just being after a disaster, the librarians decided they were doing reasonably well.
"Alright, everypony." Amber nodded to her loyal helpers. "If any of you need a break right now, I get that. Just let me know, and don't feel bad about it."
Misty raised a hoof. "Maybe we should do something fun, for all of us, guests and us included."
Amber smiled brightly at that. "That's a great idea." She hopped up on a desk. "Everypony!" That got ponies looking at her. "We're hosting a pizza party." She pointed to one of the off-rooms. "We'll be enjoying it in there. No fee, just fun." Cheers erupted at the idea of free food. "Eat up and tell us about your favorite books."
She slid back to the ground and got out her phone. "Now if somepony could help me ordering that?"
Another librarian took the phone from Amber got to plugging in the order rapidly. "And--" They struck the final button firmly. "--on the way!"
As it turned out, the entire city had suffered the attack. That it hadn't been restrained to the library helped ease the minds of the visitors that day, at least. The library wasn't the problem, and most returned to what they were doing, even if many of them were missing their marks.
In most of the city, they had been quite visible rooty tendrils. Amber asked about that to the one creature she knew might have an answer.
Comforting rubbed a hand along a leg. "I don't want ponies getting mad at the tree. It's not their fault, I'm sure of it. I don't know what's going on, exactly, but don't be mad at the tree, please." She had hidden them, making them appear as shadowy tendrils.
"It is time." Comforting orbited around Amber, looking at her the entire time. "I've kept you waiting long enough. Are you ready to try something new?"
Amber inclined her head as she tried to keep turning to keep Comforting in view. "Whatever it is, will it be hurt because I'm missing my mark?"
Comforting went in for a firm hug. "I'm so sorry about that. But I don't think so? Only one way to find out."
Amber looked down at her empty flank. "What do I have to lose?" She gestured with her hooves. "Take me wherever we're going."
Comforting hopped back, letting gravity have a say for a change. "We don't need to go anywhere, but, let's get a little privacy." She pointed to one of the little offices to the side of the library and took off at a determined walk. "What I'm showing is for your eyes only, at least for now."
"That's a little scary." Despite that, Amber was smiling with a little anticipation. "What are we doing, exactly?"
"Did you forget?" Comforting casually placed a desk down. It was the same desk, at least in appearance, as the desk she had perched on, so many years before, when Twilight Sparkle had taught her in turn how to cast magic. "Have a seat, and be ready to learn something lost to unicorns."
"Unicorns, huh?" Amber settled down in the offered chair, smiling. "I like where this is going. What can I do, magic wise?"
"You can't." Comforting flicked the lights out, standing on the desk across from Amber. "I will teach you how to cast magic, the spells everypony used to know, but are forgotten." Comforting went over to the chalk board and began making marks. "These are the old letters, each one dripping with meaning and magic." She tapped at them, "But they also have a very specific meaning, physically, for you, up here." Comforting tapped at Amber's horn, despite being across the room.
Amber leaned forward in the desk, examining the markings. "Wow." She smiled at the drawings. "Those are pretty."
"Aren't they? With practice, you'll be able to see the meaning of a spell in that picture." Comforting clapped her mismatched hands with a grin. "But we have to start up here." She pointed to Amber's horn anew. "You have to be able to make each of these inside."
She pointed to the first. "Simplest one. Imagine your horn is a flute, a magic flute. Imagine the sensation you feel when you float things. There's a little buzz, right? Something's vibrating in there, and you're doing it."
"Yeah?" Amber grasped an abandoned pencil and picked it up in her magic, eyes closing the moment she had a grip. She focused on that sensation, that mild effort. "I can feel that. How does that relate to that symbol?"
"Everything." Comforting grinned, already seeing the potential ahead. "Take that vibration, that shiver, and try to push up in the middle, clench it. Just like any muscle, or, oh, your eyes when you force the focus a bit. Imagine you're focusing on something really close, but with that shaking."
Amber started with surprise. "Like my eyes?" She hadn't thought of any part of her horn like an eye before. The idea felt so alien and new, and a little exciting. "I can do that?"
"Try." Comforting relaxed into floating on her back. "I have every confidence that you won't get hurt trying. Magic isn't complicated. It's you, channeling energies already there." She twirled with a giggle. "So try. I'll tell you if you get it right."
Amber did so, squeezing tightly. "Oh. That feels funny." She shuddered and shook. "I have a headache now. Did I do it?"
Comforting pointed to that first letter, the rune glowing gently, though fading away slowly. "You had it, but you let it go. This is going to take practice, but you did it, and that's the really important part. You did your first unicorn letter. The first letter in who knows how long."
Amber took a slow breath, the weight of that sinking on her shoulders. "I did do that." She stared at the board. "I can do it again, I know I can. Show me the next one."
Comforting felt the urge and surrendered to the heart song with a peaceful expression. "Oh Amber, dear, you have been so smart." She made notes for Amber's personal reference. They worked together, getting about one fourth of the way through the alphabet, one letter at a time. "You are soaking this right up." Comforting zipped in for a fresh hug. "Learning the secrets of the ancient art," she sang, continuing the lines with a smile.
Amber hugged back, giggling. "That's high praise. I'll make you proud of me more often." She broke the hug. "Where did this all go? Why was it lost?"
"Big questions." Comforting put her hands on her hips. "and I was sleeping for most of that. So, couldn't tell you exactly even if I wanted to." She shrugged. "Besides, learning is half the fun. I don't want to deny some brave archaeologist pony. But, for whatever reason, maybe related to magic being gone for a while, unicorns forgot how to cast spells. It's terrible, and we're fixing it, at least for one special unicorn."
She leaned in with a grin. "You may not think you're ready, but you're here." Her song, sung for nopony. It wasn't like even Amber seemed to hear it, at least not consciously, but Comforting kept weaving the lines in.
Amber wiggled her ears with a smile. "At least this explains why I couldn't find any books on this. I did look, even if it wasn't specifically this." She turned to look at the chalkboard, smiling warmly at the runes. "Will those stay?"
Comforting considered the letters. "I could leave them, but then this has to be a secret room. No peeking!" She did a twirl, finishing the song with, "And the time to strike is just so clear."
Amber snickered. "Okay, okay." She hopped off the chair and stood beside Comforting. "And the more I look, the more they look like you. Huh."
Comforting blinked at the squiggles, then pulled out a mirror to look at herself. "I'm not a rune."
"Not literally." Amber reached a hoof up to rub at Comforting in ticklish way. "But you are a mysterious and wonderful thing of the past."
Comforting danced away from the tickle with a giggle. "Alright, leaving this here. Thinking on it, I doubt anypony could figure much out, just looking at these random marks without some instruction to go with it. But, be proud! You're learning magic."
"I can't wait to use it. Maybe not today." Amber flexed a leg. "I've had enough brain time for today. But soon." She paused, considering that. "Could you have shown Misty this?"
"Could, sure." Comforting rolled to her belly, floating along. "But she's dealing with things, her own things. It'd be unfair to dump this on her while she's in the middle of those, to start."
"Oh." Amber perked, processing that. "Does she need our help?!"
"Maybe." Comforting headed for the door, walking for a change. "But that's up to you, and asking her directly will probably make her nervous at best. Trust in her to figure through it."
"Okay." Amber followed behind Comforting, the two of them leaving the office. "But if she needs me, please tell me."
"Of course I will." Comforting reached to grasp Amber's hoof, holding it. "But I'm only working on hunches. Misty has to choose to open up to us, or not. I won't shove my nose into her business without permission." She drew Amber closer. "You wouldn't want me prodding into your affairs, would you?"
"No. I don't. But Misty isn't you." Amber snuggled in with Comforting, sighing with a faint wistfulness. "She's not a great mystery, and she's not as affectionate." For a moment there was nothing more pressing than their shared snuggles, but she did slide down to her own hooves eventually. "I should get back to work, and that goes for you too."
Comforting floated just over Amber. "Aye aye, boss. I'll get the returns put away." She promptly vanished, doing just that, one hoped.
She appeared elsewhere, the books put away. She had to finish the song, so she did. "Just believe in yourself, that's all you need to do." She conjured an image of Amber and blew a kiss their way.
"I'm teaching you all I can, and now it's up to you." She waved towards the board, still burdened with all the letters.
"Your path is not a straight line, but I'll be there to guide you." Comforting gestured to herself and let out a gentle sigh for the final line, "And no matter what happens, I'll be right beside you."
With the song properly completed, Comforting nodded, feeling the tension fading. She had completed the song and fulfilled that little harmonious urge. "Thanks, Together." She hugged nothing, hoping it'd somehow reach her distant friend. "I think I needed that reminder."
"Your sparkle..." Izzy inclined her head left and right. "It's different."
Amber started at that. "It is? How?" She examined her fellow unicorn curiously. "You're good at seeing sparkles."
"It's one of my specialties." Izzy buffed her chest with clear pride. "And yours is kinda funny. Also, different. I saw it before, but now..." She squinted at Amber suspiciously. "Did you do something?"
Amber snorted with laughter. "Yes. I did. But that's a secret for now. At least until I master this." She closed her eyes to imagine that hum, the little pulse of her magic flowing from her horn.
Izzy pointed firmly. "There! Whatever you're doing, that!" She pounced forward, just short of tackling Amber. "What are you doing?"
Amber giggled. "I'm doing a trick I learned. It's a secret for now, but it's amazing. I can do what you do. Well, maybe not as well, but I can do it."
Izzy recoiled. "What I do? What do I do?"
Amber laughed, reaching out to steady Izzy. "Relax! I've seen it before, in another unicorn. When we cast a spell, the results light up, but yours is so strong and unique, it glows instead."
For many, light up and glow would be the same, but Izzy seemed to understand the difference. "Oh, okay." She tapped at her chin. "So you learned a new way to uni-glow, and it's making your sparkle funny. That's neat! I wanna know how too."
"Secret," sang Amber, booping Izzy on the nose. "You already have so much magic of your own. You're the most magic unicorn I know. Let some other unicorns have some too."
"So not fair." Izzy stamped a hoof with a huff. "If it's so secret, why'd you show me?"
"Because I want to." Amber tapped at Izzy's chest. "And because I'm practicing. And, well, you did ask."
"I did." Izzy deflated a moment before recovering. "Well! We are friends, so when you're ready, you'll share." She winked."And I'll trade a secret of my own. Only fair."
Amber brightened. "Sounds like a deal to me. Oh, what are you working on today?"
"You haven't noticed?" Izzy held up a small, rounded tool. "I'm making more toys. My goal is to fill this place with all sorts of colorful trinkets. Now, if only I could get them to stay together. Anything you have to offer?"
Amber blinked softly. "This place is for books, not toys."
"But my toys are about books." Izzy gave a manic grin. "I'm hiding toys that go with the books they're next to. Ponies will have even more fun reading!"
Amber sank onto her haunches, stunned. "That is--" She put a hoof to her cheek. "Amazing. Um, but ask next time before you go putting things all over the library, okay?"
Izzy blinked owlishly at Amber. "Oops. I thought I already had." She patted her forehead. "My bad, I thought I asked." She gave a salute. "But if I didn't, then I sure am now. Can I continue?"
Amber giggled, pushing to her hooves again. "I'd love that, actually. Mmm, can you make a list of what you've made? We should add them to the things ponies can check out if they want."
Izzy perked. "Oh, that sounds like fun. I'd be happy to." She rocked her head to either side, her blue hair bouncing around with the motion. "Oh, um, how many is it okay to make?"
Amber blinked at that. "So long as you aren't--" She paused with a new thought and a faint cringe. "No more than one per two bookshelves to start. We'll see how popular it is after that."
"Are you sure you don't want to come back?" Comforting was gazing up at the starry sky. "Things have gotten way more interesting. There's so much trouble I bet you could cause." The stars gently twinkled in return, not speaking a single word in reply. "Yeah, I figured. I'm fine though. Don't worry about me." She flipped over onto her back. "It's just been something I've thought about from time to time. Mostly because I miss you."
She reached up towards those distant twinkling objects. If she wanted, she could actually hold one, but she resisted that. She had already tried that once before with, at best, mixed results. Grabbing a sun without keeping things vague did bad things to the poor sun. She giggled at the memories of her past mistake. It had been quite a spectacular show, looking back on it. Very chaotic, but not the good kind of chaotic.
The hatch leading to a ladder popped open, glowing with a unicorn's magic. Amber climbed up until her head poked free. "There you are! You weren't in your room, or anywhere else that I could find. What are you doing up here?" She climbed further until she could wave a hoof over the rooftop in general.
Comforting gestured at the moon. "I was just talking to the moon and the stars. No worries." She stood up facing Amber. "I haven't jumped into a pony's body and messed with things, have I?"
Amber blinked at that sudden question. "N-no? That sounds like a bad thing. Is it a bad thing? I trust you, should I be trusting that?"
"Oh no." Comforting trotted over to comfort Amber. "It's only bad when somepony gets hurt, or the pony isn't willing, or it's something they can't come back from. But if it's something that doesn't affect them in a permanent way, and they consent, and are expecting it, it's all fine." She went in for a gentle hug. "That's why I'm asking." She gently lifted Amber off the ladder she had been on, placing her to join her on the roof properly.
Amber adjusted her glasses a moment. "Being actually inside somepony sounds very--" She rolled a hoof, struggling for the word. "--personal, and maybe painful? I've seen you do things, so maybe it wouldn't be painful? What brings this up?"
"I was asked something that made me wonder. Nothing happened. Yet." Comforting giggled into hoofed palms. "Oh boy, someday we're gonna have so much to talk about." She shifted, looking a little more serious. "But for now, we just have each other." She opened her arms up. "And that's plenty good, isn't it?"
Amber smiled brightly, wrapping Comforting up in a big hug. The two enjoyed one another's warm against the chilly breeze of the night. "I'm just wondering why you're up here. You could be someplace far warmer." She nuzzled warmly against the plush fur her friend provided. "Am I overwhelming you?"
"No." Comforting shook her head. "Well, you are, but it's not a bad thing." She curled around Amber, basking in that contact. "I just came up here to think and enjoy the weather. I'm all done with both, so I was about to go back in. You know, where it's warm."
"Sounds good to me." Amber leaned into Comforting. "Before that, though, what did you think of while you were up here?"
Comforting considered how much of that would be safe to share. In the context of the world, it was largely out of any scope. She may as well ramble about the small dogs on the moon. "My father was a great spirit of chaos, better than me by a few steps."
"Was?" Amber inclined her head slowly. "Did something happen to him?"
"Nothing like what you're thinking." Comforting tapped Amber on the nose and went in for new nuzzles. "He just wandered off to find new places to be chaotic. He had a dear, dear friend, and when she passed, he just couldn't hold himself to the ground, so off he went to find a new ground."
Amber sighed. "That's kind of sad."
Comforting shook her head. "No. He didn't like being tied down. And she was the main reason he allowed it, lovingly and willingly. For her, he was ready to be tied down forever. But she wasn't forever." Comforting considered Amber. "Neither are you, or any of the other dear friends I've lost."
Amber sank back as that reality finally landed on her. "I'm mortal," she breathed with a mixture of wonder and trepidation. "That's going to happen." She took a deep breath to calm down, looking into the distant distance. "That's weird."
Comforting rubbed her chin. "Would you rather die today than live for many years? I mean, that would be pretty chaotic."
"No." Amber thwapped Comforting. "Stop that. I don't want to think about it, at least, not that."
"Too late." Comforting cuddles around her dear friend. "But it works the other way around, for me. I'd rather have you for now, than lose you right away, so I'm staying. It's as simple as that. Having you, right now, is worth later pain." She released Amber, standing as tall as she could, which was pretty tall. "But I feel like I'm just encouraging you to be chilly right now."
"Oh, you." Amber nudged Comforting gently, but then slipped into her embrace with a happy sound. "You are something else. Thank you." She rubbed her cheek against Comforting, the pair of them lingering there a moment. "Not chilly anymore," she mumbled into Comforting's warm furry coat.
"At least I come with a built in solution." She casually turned up her internal heat, cuddling Amber and keeping that chill away. "There's a lot out there." She waved an arm up at the sky. "Too much for any one pony, really. Let's worry about what's right here."
Amber nodded. "Yeah. I can do that." She nodded up at the sky. "Are all the stars your dad's kids?"
"Hah, no." Comforting shook her head slowly. "I don't think--" She squinted at the stars as if they'd give an answer any moment, but none of them spoke. "I don't think so. None of them are him either, I don't think. But he is out there all the same. I hope he's happy, wherever and whatever he happens to be right now. My wishes are with him, for what that matters."
She leaned in to nuzzle Amber once more. "But, yeah. The stars are born, they burn, they go out. They're still stars. Just like ponies, just like everything. It's a big cycle, but it's not really that different from what happens when I'm around. And, hey, they have you too, at least for a bit."
Amber smiled brightly. She hopped in a start of a walk towards the ladder. "Come on. Let's head inside. Looking at those stars is sending your thoughts out of orbit, and I think you need to be more here and now and less way up there."
"I think you may be right." Comforting swooped over Amber, grabbing her on the way. She threw herself past the hatch, which closed without her touching it the moment she was past it. She put Amber down once they were safely inside, releasing the startled unicorn. "Inside. Now, today's been a busy day. Shouldn't you be catching some sleep about now?"
"Shouldn't you?" countered Amber, sticking her tongue out playfully. "It's only late if you're tired, and I'm wide awake."
"Right." Comforting considered a moment. "Sleep is optional for me. I do it mostly because it's a comfortable way to pass time when everyone else is sleeping. With the Internet back to being a blissful thing, it got even more optional, for me." She leveled an accusing finger. "But you're not a chaos spirit. I don't want you getting worn out and miserable."
"Fine." Amber grumbled a bit but started making her way towards her bedroom. "But when I get back from a nap, I want you ready to listen to me and tell me why you were being so cryptic about magic earlier. No more evasions, especially not for my sake."
"Oh." Comforting felt a momentary pang of guilt at that. "Well, to be honest, I didn't expect you to catch on so fast. And I'm not trying to be evasive. We can't get to actual spells until you finish getting the basics locked in. The alphabet forms the good stuff. You're doing good, I promise. We'll get to the magic soon."
Amber stared at Comforting blankly. "You lost me halfway there. Maybe a little before that. So what does that mean for my questions about magic?"
"We'll be covering it all soon enough, promise." Comforting smooched the end of Amber's horn. "So eager, I love it. But you have to finish learning the alphabet before you go reading a book. Yes, even Z. What if they bring up zebras and you'll feel silly, won't you?"
Amber started. "That would be awkward. Ugh, but fine. Sleep time for me. Since you aren't sleeping, keep an eye on things?"
"You didn't have to ask that." Comforting gently nudged Amber towards her room. "Go on. I have things under control for the moment."
"Thank you." Amber wandered off, her voice trailing. "Gonna have so many questions for you. Starting with your name. Comforting sounds so nice, but it's not you, is it?" She closed the door, cutting off any possible response.
Comforting just shrugged at that. "I think it's a nice name." The one before it was so far in the past, it was another world entirely. Its relevance to her felt not even minimal at that point. She was Comforting Shade. "And that's a nice thing to be." She hugged herself before flying and flowing to one of the computers. "Let's see what ponies are chatting about tonight."
***
The foals giggled and gasped with alternating awe and wonder. They gazed on Comforting as she turned and flexed, sometimes in ways a pony couldn't hope to replicate. It was all amazingly confusing and just amazing. They clapped at the demonstration though, showing no fear of the strange creature before them.
Comforting bowed low before them. "I saw, online, that you all were wondering about me. I figured I should come out of the library and give you--" She cut off, a colt dangling from her left arm. "--a chance?" She lifted the arm, and the colt, closer, just to have a filly on her right arm. "When did you get--" The rest of the foals joined in, tackling and climbing her tall form like the fuzzy and scaley mountain it was.
Comforting melted to the floor, sinking in slowly as the pile of foals clung to her. She remained on her knees, allowing them to cling and hug her. "You little monkeys. Where did you learn to climb so well? I was just trying to be friendly."
A colt got in close, face to face with Comforting. "That is all just so cool!" The others cried in agreement. "What's your name again?"
"Comforting Shade. Comforting, or even Comfort or Comfs also works." She casually shook off the foals, sending them to the ground unharmed. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm not a pony, as you likely noticed."
Another filly walked around her, peering with wonder. "How did you get all those parts?"
Comforting flicked an ear. "They came in handy, so I kept them." She giggled to herself at the joke. "Actually, they were a gift from my dad. I bet your dad helped give you your parts too, come to think."
Some of the foals seemed to catch onto that. Others didn't. This prompted conversations between them. This distraction left Comforting free to stand, adjusting her fluff and ruffling her wings. "Any other questions?"
One of the bolder fillies raised her hoof. "What are you?"
"I am a chaos spirit." Comforting clapped her hands, causing the little foals to be standing with her in the middle of nowhere, floating on an island in a sea of chaos, before they weren't just as quickly. "A nice chaos spirit."
The foals took that in. "That's so cool." They scampered around her, tugging on her tail and testing her mismatched legs.
"Do you have any real magic?" A colt stared her down, grinning. "If you're just some weird pony with weird parts, then you're not that special."
Comforting tolerated the pulls and explorations, smiling at the eager energy of the little ones. "I just showed you one. I can do whatever I want, but, sorry, I try to be responsible, so no asking for a mountain of ice cream. I tried that once, it didn't end well." She snorted with laughter. "I know you have lots more, but how about we just spend this time enjoying each other's company?"
She allowed herself to be dragged into a game of tag, darting and swerving between the foals, the entire group playing. Her self-given goal had been completed, introducing herself to more ponies and becoming a little less 'that strange mystery that hides in the library.'
The afternoon sun blazed hot above them, but neither one paid any mind to the warmth. They had settled under a large umbrella for their day's excursion, watching as the gulls and birds flew overhead. Seagulls called out from the sand and water, apparently intent on announcing their presence to one and all.
Amber sat beside her new companion, humming softly at the gentle sea breeze that wafted through. She took a deep breath, eyes closing for a moment.
Comforting jumped up to spike a ball, but an opposing pony thumped it back up over the net. They were laughing and having a grand time of volleyball in the sand. Some ponies liked to play frisbee on the beach, or collect shells. Other ponies spent their time building sand castles. They were all equally valid pursuits of fun.
"Amber?" Comforting jogged up, having ditched the volley ball court a moment, letting the others get back to their games. "Are you doing okay?"
Amber looked up to Comforting. "Better than okay." She crossed her arms as her magic grabbed some sun cream and began dabbing it over herself. "Here I am, on a beach, knowing my library's bringing joy to ponies. I couldn't ask for too much more." She paused. "Well, okay, I could finish learning magic, on second thought."
Comforting nodded at the librarian that had accompanied them, next to Amber. "You look relaxed."
"I am!" assured the stallion with a flick of the tail. "Thanks for inviting me. This is the best day off I ever had!"
Comforting hugged Amber from the side. "And you, my friend, are making great progress, but that's kind of a secret, hm?" She let out a little giggle, snuggling around the smaller librarian. "You seem to have gotten quite a bit of this done yourself."
Amber pushed a hoof against Comforting's muzzle. "I could do this part myself. Not all of us need a sunscreen buddy."
"You said I was the perfect sunscreen buddy!"
"I meant that you can turn invisible."
Comforting grinned at Amber with an insincere innocence. "I also have fingers." She splayed them to show them off. "Great for sunscreen." She looked past Amber to their stallion companion. "Offer's open for you too."
He cocked an ear. "Huh? Oh, thanks, but I'm fine."
Comforting zipped over Amber to peer at the stallion. "You don't have screen on. It's your choice, but I will laugh when you're walking funny tomorrow."
Amber peeked up over Comforting. "Is she right? Did you forget to put something on?"
"I'm good." He held his head high. "I never forget this stuff, so it's fine." He paused with a curious look. "Is that what you guys call sun screen? I guess I see what you're getting at."
Amber stared at the stallion with amazement. "It being in your bag isn't going to help you." She swatted gently at him. "Get it on, or let Comforting get it on. She is pretty good at it, and she offered."
"I'm fine," he insisted firmly, backing away. "Really. No need."
Amber shared a look with Comforting, but nodded, accepting that. "If you're sure, we won't bother you about it."
Comforting returned to Amber's side. "Some ponies are stubborn like that. It's not my job to rescue ponies from their own decisions. Say, want some ice cream?" She pointed to a vendor offering up the stuff. "Or I could soar over and grab one of Sunny's smoothies if you prefer?"
"Ooh! A smoothie sounds delicious right now." Amber giggled to herself. "I'm trying to get used to not wearing glasses now. It's just so different without them on."
Comforting nodded. "Be careful with that. If you can't see, don't feel bad. It's not a 'tough' thing to stagger around blindly." She lifted into the air, wind tussling her fur. "What flavor are you hoping for?"
"Strawberry. Any strawberry thing, really." Amber waved as Comforting lifted into the air.
"Coming right up!" Comforting waved with a smile as she zipped off to the Sunny's Smoothie stall. "You keep enjoying those golden rays while I'm gone."
She soared over the city, enjoying the sight of ponies going about their business on the warm day. Most of them weren't enjoying the same day off that the library happened to have a day off. A bird called sharply to her right, annoyed she was taking its air space. "We have to share." She stuck out her tongue at the critter and arced downwards to land just in front of Sunny's stand. "Sunny!"
Sunny gave a smoothie to the next pony in line. Comforting was the creature next to be served. "Comforting, nice to see you. What uncanny timing." She tapped her chin but once. "What can I get for you today?"
"Strawberry was the order, what orders do you have with that?"
Sunny considered. "Strawberry Sunrise, coming up." She got to throwing fruit into her trusty blender along with some ice cubes. "Enjoying the day? It's been quite warm, all things considered."
Comforting nodded. "Oh, yes. There's a lot to be done, but we're relaxing for a change, me and Amber and one of our new friends." She pointed back in the beach's direction. "A librarian's day out! Can you make that two?"
"Two it is!" Sunny got more going with little hums of a song. "Banana," she sang softly to herself. "Slippin' on a peel."
Comforting blinked at that. "What song is that?"
Sunny dug out her phone. With a few presses, she got the actual song playing out for anypony around to enjoy. "It's a silly thing I accidentally inspired." She laughed with a little blush. "I was bent out of shape at first, but I've gotten over it. It's funny, looking back at it."
She poured out two cups and sealed them up. "Two strawberry sunrises! Tap your phone here." With a soft chime, she knew she was paid. "Here you go!" She handed them over to Comforting. "Have fun with your pals on the beach."
"Will do!" Comforting hopped up, letting the magic carry her and the drinks. "And have fun selling these juicy smoothies." They shared a parting wave and Comforting soared back to Amber and their fellow librarian.
Amber sat up with a delighted grin. "Mine?" At Comforting's nod, she took her drink. "You're so good to me." She leaned in to bump noses with Comforting, the two sharing a moment.
Comforting reached over Amber to nudge their friend. "You want one? I got two," she sang out, jostling the smoothie temptingly.
The stallion sat up at that. "Huh? I figured the second one was yours."
"Pfft, I have more." Comforting casually brought out a third one out of nowhere. "Take this one." She offered up that second, the real one. "If you want?"
"Sure!" He gladly touched a hoof to it and pulled it back, showing once more than ponies that day had strong hoof grabbing powers. With a big slurp, he smiled. "That really hits the spot. Thanks, Comfs."
Comforting paused as if frozen a moment. "Wow, it's been a long time since anycreature called me that." She giggled with a happy twinkle in her eyes. "That feels wonderful hearing that again."
"Huh?" The stallion tilted his head at her. "Your friends don't call you that?"
She booped the stallion on the nose. "One just did! Enjoy your smoothie." She sipped from hers, enjoying the chill even if the flavor was never exactly right, when she just conjured food from nowhere. "Now, going to guess, but you--" She was facing Amber again. "Are the kind of pony who will gladly spend the day at the beach reading a book."
Amber nodded with a giggle. "Most places, that's true. But on a sunny day like this, it feels like a waste."
Comforting snapped her fingers, producing a parasol from nothing. She plunked it down and parked herself under it. "So, if not reading, what would you like to do? I'm here for it either way."
"Um." Amber glanced at the water. "Swimming? That seems to be what some ponies are doing."
Comforting lit up with a bright grin. "That's an idea I can get behind." With a clap, she and Amber were garbed in a one-piece suit that covered their torsos nicely. "Let's get into that water!"
Amber scrambled up to her hooves. "And I guess it's now." She took one final sip of her smoothie and set it on the towel. "Alright, let's do it!"
As one, they raced to the water, Comforting actually using her hooves properly with great stomps each time a yak hoof came down.
Amber slowed, watching Comforting. "Why is that leg so much stronger than the other?"
Comforting came to a slow stop when Amber did. "Huh? Oh." she waved down at her mismatched legs. "I carry a gift from each of my old friends. This one." She pointed to the yak leg. "Came from a huge yak with a warm heart. She was powerful! And so is her leg."
"I never saw a yak before." She rubbed behind her head with amazement. "I bearly heard of them, in an old book. You are the most ancient book of knowledge we have."
"Gasp." Comforting was a book, just like that. "You read me like a book." She was back to 'normal'. "Now, about that swimming?"
Amber nodded, returning to the ocean waves. Comforting joined her and both dove in together. The stallion, as he did, didn't get into the water, sitting on the towels. "He can keep an eye on things." She bumped into Comforting as best she could with the water tossing her. "Let's swim!"
Comforting gladly followed her into the water, the two paddling out until their hooves didn't want to reach the ground, at least if they wanted their heads out of the water. Well, it was that deep for Amber. Comforting was taller, but played along, keeping all her limbs off the ground.
"So, what do you think?" Amber pointed towards the stallion. "You have a sense for this sort of thing. Is he in love with me?"
Comforting gave Amber a little head pat. "You are jumping to conclusions. You are his boss, his bossmare. He respects you, but keeps those feelings at home. Now, better question, are you looking for a stallion?" Comforting leaned in close. "I could start looking. We could find a lovely pony to trot at your side." She giggled with anticipation.
Amber turned a deep red. "Comforting! That is--" She shoved a hoof towards the water's surface, splashing it around. "None of your business!"
"It wasn't, until you just made it mine." She grabbed Amber in a brief but firm hug. "So tell me, should I be looking or not?"
Amber sank down into the water, getting her neck wet. She came back up, smoothing her mane back. "I don't think so. Having you look for me feels odd." She considered a moment before it clicked. "What about that mare? She was your special somepony, wasn't she?"
Comforting winced at ancient memories. "She was, a long time ago." She raised a hand from the water to properly wave to the distant past. "I loved her quite a bit. And she loved me back just as hard."
Amber inclined her head. "So, you like mares then?"
Comforting colored brightly in her cheeks. "Um, well, I guess I'd be lying if I tried to claim I didn't. But, at this point, I don't think I mind too much what a creature's hiding back there. It's what's on the other side." She tapped at her noggin. "That's the part I have to talk to, and I could change the other part if they're adventurous enough."
"You're like that." Amber considered that a moment. "I'm not ready for that."
Comforting blinked with surprise. "For me to change your bits, or you changing a partner's bits? Because I can't do that for you, if that's what you're hinting at."
"No." Amber frowned deeply, a slight pout on her lips. "I wouldn't ask that, and if you could do that, please don't. Ever."
Comforting chuckled sheepishly. "I was kidding! Kidding. Really! I wouldn't even if I could." She cleared her throat. "No, I mean, I don't mind a stallion." She suddenly winked. "And I could do that, but I wouldn't. Not unless--" She trailed off a moment and shook her head. "I doubt that. I haven't seen that yet. Ponies just don't do that, I think?"
"Do what?" Amber grabbed Comforting for a change. "I'm listening, promise."
Comforting held Amber as they bobbed on the waves. "Most ponies are pretty happy the way they are, and that's not bad. I haven't run into a stallion that wishes they were a mare or a mare that wishes they had been born a stallion. For that, I'd go ahead and make their dream come true." She let out a happy sigh, wistful in tone. "Without any regrets."
Amber nodded at that. "That sounds nice. I mean, if you can do that."
Comforting kissed Amber on the nose. "I can! You just ask. But, well, I don't want to take things too far for most ponies. That would be rude, to force my magic on somepony, to change things so permanent, and I think that's crossing a line for some of you. Or all of you? I don't know." She shrugged with a smirk. "Maybe for you, but I know you pretty well. Anyway! Back to the point, I'm not looking right now, are you? That's all I'm asking."
"N-no." But Amber sank, blushing. "I'm fine."
Comforting hugged her bashful friend. "If you change your mind, I'm listening."
"Sorry for such short notice." Misty was trembling and distraught. "But I have to go, now. I won't be back for, um, I don't know."
Amber cut off her speedy retreat. "Hold on! Are you okay? Misty, you're a part of this little work-family. If you need help, please tell us."
Misty took a shaking step back from Amber. "N-no, it's just—" She glanced fretfully about. "—I have to go." She galloped in a circle around Amber, charging under a floating Comforting who wasn't trying to stop her, and out the doors.
Comforting swooped in to land next to Amber. "She'll be back--" She paused a moment. "Hopefully."
Amber was quivering now. "What happened? She's so sweet. What did we do to her?"
Comforting's ear and feather drooped. "She has things she has to work through, and we can't help her with that." At least, not without possibly bothering Together's plans. "Let's trust in her, and get back to what we were doing. Fussing over her is actually what she's hoping we won't do." She went back to putting books away. "You just have to believe in her."
Just to be sure, she sent an internal email to Together about what just happened.
The reply was swift. It was all according to plan, and nothing had been done wrong. It also included a heart emoji, which made it double worth reading. Comforting giggled with joy at the little touch and redoubled her stocking speed.
Amber finally put her hoof down, hurrying to catch up with Comforting. "What was that about? Comforting, she's a member of my team. I have to keep track of them."
Comforting turned away from the shelf she had been inspecting. "There are things you can control." She placed a finger on Amber's snout. "And things you can't. Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do." Amber shrank a little. "You're the reason I have all of this." She raised a hoof to wave over the library. "I owe you a lot, but what does that have to do with Misty?"
Comforting sighed. "It has nothing to do with her. Like I said, she has to figure something out on her own." She stood tall, which was quite tall compared to Amber. "And when she gets back, she'll be ready to discuss that with you if it comes up. That's up to her, not us, right now."
"I just want to do better." Amber lowered her head. "I don't know what I can do, but I feel like I should do something. If there was something I could be doing for my team, I should be doing that, shouldn't I?"
Comforting reached out her hands in an offer, soon gently drawing Amber in for a soft embrace. "You're doing your job, I promise. Misty just needs to face this alone. Any chasing we do will just make it harder for her. Let her face her problems." She leaned her cheek on Amber's head, the shorter unicorn staying close. "I'm proud of you for caring so much, but sometimes, you just have to accept you can't do everything for your friends. We'll all be happier that way."
Amber closed her eyes. "I know you're right. You always are. I just hope she's okay, whatever's happening."
"She's tougher than she looks. You really have no idea. Let her go, and wait." Comforting rubbed at Amber's back, easing her nerves. "But if you still want to do something, how are you feeling about your letters so far?"
Amber perked her ears and hopped back. She took on a firm stance, horn glowing as she began running through the letters one by one, her glow shifting subtly as she went from one to the next to the next, proudly showing off her progress.
Comforting clapped with joy at the sight. "You're doing them so well! I was starting to think I'd never see a unicorn doing their magic again. So good, so good." She ruffled Amber's mane with a giggle. "You're about ready to learn your first spell. It's not a huge one, but it's a spell. You'll be about the only unicorn using one. Excited?"
"Very much so." Amber rubbed her chin. "But why haven't I seen it before? Hasn't anypony else picked up on anything magical?"
"Sadly, no." Comforting put her hands at her hips. "They forgot it during my nap. How and why, I couldn't tell you, I was sleeping. But there was that time when there wasn't any magic, so they couldn't practice it, and if they couldn't practice it, they couldn't teach their foals, and they grew up never casting it, and they sure couldn't teach their foals, even when magic came back, and on and on." She sighed with a shake of her head. "It's been a mess."
Amber had to stop and take that in. "That sounds awful. That must have been horrible for them, er, us." She smiled back at Comforting. "But we can fix it now. Speaking of that." She raised a hoof at Amber. "Why is this a super secret? Shouldn't we be shouting this at every unicorn that is ready to listen? There's a whole world of unicorns waiting to learn this!" She danced giddily in place, eyes shining with images of uncountable unicorns learning such things. "Can we do that?"
"Sadly, no. Um." Comforting ran her hand down her face. "I don't even want to try explaining why that's a bad idea." She took a soft inhale. "But that's rude, sorry. Easy, slow and easy. You're the trial run. If it works out for you, maybe I'll let you share it along. So do well, and responsibly."
"I promise to be responsible." Amber rolled her eyes but then smiled. "And I know you don't want to talk about it, but I wish you would. It sounds like something really serious and important. If you tell me, maybe I can help. I want to help."
Comforting wiggled her fingers at Amber. "Ah, but then I would have to snatch you away, and you'd be stuck in my room forever. You'd have a great cuddle buddy, but you don't want that."
Amber laughed at the nonsense. "No, I do not. If I don't get to cuddle with you, I want to go back to cuddling my bed at night. I actually sleep, which you're missing out on, you know?"
Comforting leaned in, touching nose to nose. "I do know that. I miss her, come to think."
"Miss who?"
Comforting stood up properly. "Just an old friend. She knew how to chase nightmares away." That it was done in person, Comforting left out. "Back then, I had dreams. These days, not so much. Now! Since you made so much progress." She snatched a book from the shelf. "After work, it's time for that first spell."
Amber bounced up and down. "Really? Right away? This is going to be so amazing."
"It will be." Comforting gestured to the nearby shelves. "But remember, you don't get to show off just yet. You're the pilot run. Show that unicorns are ready for this." She vanished without pause, simply ceasing to be there in a casual editing error of the universe.
Later, with the library closed, they were in their learning room. The board was covered in runes, which Comforting was directing a pointer at. "Follow along, with your horn." Each rune she pointed at, Amber glowed with that one's signature. "Good, good, so good, mmm, practice that one, good, good."
When they reached the last one, Comforting folded the pointer up into a little wand. "Good! Not perfect, but quite enough to learn this first one. You know the innate spells, picking things up, and moving things. What sort of trick did you imagine, on your wildest days?"
Amber stopped and considered that. "Something, silly. Something simple, but interesting. I don't need to fly or, or, or do big things. I just want to do something I could impress little fillies with."
Comforting ruffled the top of Amber's head. "You are adorable, but I was hoping for a direction, not a magnitude. Small is already for sure."
Amber frowned with thought, tapping her hooves as each thought came and fled her. "What about making a pony feel better? Like if they got hurt?"
Comforting winced even as she smiled. "That is a very lovely and caring magic you want to cast, but I actually don't have a spell for that. The unicorns of the past never had a healing spell, as nice as that'd be. But yes, that's the kind of idea I meant. Try a different direction."
"Ugh." Amber slumped with disappointment. "Okay. Something useful. How about an umbrella, or rainmaker? I bet I could do that."
Comforting hummed a little as she considered that. "Conjuring? Sure! Prepare to be a master conjurer." She drew a special book from the air. The cover showed a smiling unicorn with a cloud over their head. "What's in that cloud?" Comforting gestured over it. "Whatever that unicorn wants."
Amber giggled to herself, gazing on the cover. "I like that." She traced her hoof over the design. "A pony with control over the clouds. They have the power to change the weather."
Comforting inclined her head. "You're taking this too literally. You could, with a lot of study, summon up whole clouds, but today, we're just popping new things into being, small things." She popped open the book and it flipped obediently to the right page. "Right here, a foal's guide to their first spell!"
She waved at the board and most of the letters vanished, the others taking a specific order and redoubling, creating a string of runes. "This is your first spell. The trick is that you have to play this spell while keeping a firm image of what you want to summon. Up for trying it?"
Amber focused. She remembered the feel of her horn in use. She thought of what she wanted to summon, a small and cute umbrella, one that would protect her and any that she used it on. She played each note faithfully one after the next, her eyes trailing along the board as she went. With a strange, new, tingle, the spell completed with a rush. Something landed on her head.
Amber reached up to find a small umbrella, fit only for a small doll. But it was an umbrella, looking just like the one she imagined. Her eyes widened, struck speechless a moment at that tiny umbrella that meant so much. "I did it." She hugged it close. "I did magic. I'm a real unicorn. I'm..." Tears slipped from her eyes as the reality settled in.
Comforting patted Amber on the head, reaching then for the umbrella. "Cute little thing. As you can see, this spell will only make little things. They won't be very durable either. It's a practice spell, so you get to practice with it. Still, neat, right?"
Amber nodded weakly, sniffling and rubbing her nose. "Yes. Thank you. Can we do more?"
Comforting folded her arms. "Your job for today is to practice this spell, and get the rest of the letters mastered. Show you can use that spell responsibly. It looks small, but you could do a lot with it, good or bad. Be a good pony." She grinned at Amber. "Which you already are."
Amber applauded as her horn glowed, already trying the spell. The umbrella suddenly vanished and Amber squeaked in surprise. "What happened?!"
Comforting waved at where the umbrella had been. "Limitation of this spell. If you summon something else, or start to, the magic of the first one comes loose. On the bright side, that magic helps fuel the next thing if you keep going. You stopped, so that magic is free." She spread her hands, fingers with them. "Back into the air, recycled into the world."
Amber tried the spell again, a determined expression on her face. She failed again, but managed it on the third try. She got a second umbrella.
"I have to show my girls this." She thought better of it almost as soon as she said it. "Right, super secret. Um." She tapped at her cheek. "If I don't show a unicorn the spell, can I show them the things I make?"
Comforting considered that a moment before nodding. "Just say it's a trick you have, and don't explain past that."
With a smack of the door, Amber hurried back inside the library, the early evening air giving her a brisk greeting. "Comforting?"
Comforting flowed from a shadowed corner. "Hello, Amber. Shouldn't you be heading home now? Your shift's done. Did you forget something?"
Amber took a moment to catch her breath, walking with Comforting. "Not exactly. It's been weeks, and I have good news. I have my full alphabet down now. Every single letter, practiced all day, and I'm certain I know it." She spun in place before Comforting.
Comforting clapped with a big smile. "That's great news." She tapped Amber gently on the snout. "But you're not getting any other spells. Practice the one you have. Speaking of that, how have you been using it?"
Amber fidgeted a bit. "Oh, you know, just as you suggested." She tried to look innocent. "I have had fun with it, but I want more than just playing with one spell."
Comforting ruffled Amber's cheeks, enjoying the feel of their full roundness, and a little of the gentle control in holding Amber like that. "I need to see you using it, well. What's been the most significant use you've found so far?"
Amber shrugged. "I got caught out in the rain once. That helped a lot. It kept me dry." She peered closer at Comforting. "How do you want me to be using it?"
Comforting wagged a finger. "This is a pony test." She drew her other hand away, a little smile on her face. It had been so long since the last time she got to give a test. Hers was far gentler, she figured, than the one Together was doing. "I need to see what you think of, not my ideas. If you only use the spell for the one thing I showed you, that is a result." She pulled Amber close for a hug. "I want to see you go beyond."
Amber squirmed. "Well, I do have an idea that goes a bit further."
Comforting let Amber go, beaming. "Do share." She floated backwards, eyes on Amber intently.
"It's a bit silly, but I love taking walks at the park. I usually bring a friend. And you know, it started raining, right when we were together. The sky got dark, the thunder roared, and it all started coming down, hard."
Comforting inclined her head. "Are you about to make another umbrella?" she asked, hoping it was not the case.
"No." Amber giggled as if thinking of that was funny. "I was panicking, but I had this new magic and I started casting the spell. It was a struggle. The lightning flashed, and my friend was there, looking scared, and I knew I had to help her. The first time I summoned up an umbrella, but that just got ruined by the rain. She looked at me and I realized I couldn't just give her the same. She deserved something unique. Something I didn't get, not right away."
Comforting drifted closer as she listened to that, hovering upside down and then sideways as the story progressed. "Did you fail again?"
"I did." Amber laughed it off, happy despite her failure. "The second time, I cast the spell, I pictured one thing, and it didn't come out right. I thought it would be fine if I changed the image, so I tried, and the magic collapsed. But I hadn't lost the magic I spent before, and that reminded me of what I'd done with the little umbrellas. I used it again, and then a third time, and a fourth.
Comforting began to clap along with every attempt being recorded. "But you didn't give up," she sang, watching with fascination. "Then what happened?"
"Well, the fifth time was the charm. I knew what I wanted. I held it all in my heart. I cast the spell, and she got her present, perfect and true. I summoned a flower, and it was the best umbrella I had ever given." Amber's horn lit with magic, and then, a little yellow flower was in her grip. "It was the best umbrella I had ever made, but it was also just a flower, because I didn't know any other way to put all my feelings into an object."
Comforting reached for the flower to study. "It was another umbrella, but in a curious shape." She turned the flower about slowly in her hand, sniffing it, even licking it for taste. "And it stood up where the little plastic one kept failing, so I have to give points for getting the job done." She tickled the end of Amber's snout. "But it's still an umbrella. Is magic just umbrellas to you, beloved but silly mare?"
Amber giggled at that, pushing the flower out of the way. "That's what I was hoping to ask about. What other spells are out there? What sort of things can I do?"
Comforting tucked the flower beside her ear. "The spell I taught you can do so many things. It's a spell that has only the limits of the caster's imagination. It can summon almost anything, if you have the imagination and power to see it through, and it isn't too large. Really, considering how small it's limited to, umbrellas aren't even that good of a use." She held a hand to her heart, sighing softly. "My first student, and I still have to help her. I'm just not worthy."
Amber groaned and pushed Comforting's hands aside. She went in for a hug, the two pressing into a warm exchange. "Don't feel like that. I'll try harder!"
"It's not about trying harder." She nuzzled into Amber's neck. "It's about letting go a little actually. Be creative. Think outside the box you started in."
"I will try my best." Amber squeezed her friend. "I don't want to let you down."
"I know." Comforting felt that emotion from Amber, warm and real. "You are a twinkling new star. You just don't know how to do it just yet." She plucked Amber up suddenly, lifting her up over her head. "But I can feel it. I know you can shine, so I'm not giving up on you."
Amber hovered there, suspended from Comforting's hands. "Are you talking about the spell or, uh, me?"
"Both. This spell is in your head." She poked Amber's snout before nuzzling the same spot, rubbing noses warmly. "But there's no point teaching you a new spell if you aren't really using the first one I gave you."
Amber smiled at that. "So, if I figure out something new, something crazy with the umbrella spell, you'll let me learn a new one?"
Comforting gently set Amber down. "It's not an umbrella spell. It's a creation spell. You can create almost anything about this big." She moved her hands to pantomime a small box that one could easily carry, width and depth wise. "You just have to imagine what you want as you cast the spell."
Amber huffed at that. "But I have to imagine the thing I'm creating." She tapped her chin, looking away. "Which I suppose means there is a lot of leeway, but it also sounds tricky." She looked back to Comforting. "For example, it seems like you wouldn't be able to make an actual umbrella, but you could make a waterproof cloth."
Comforting shrugged. "There's ways, but sure. What if I were to tell you that this is the wrong direction to be going? Umbrellas are a start, but they don't open the doors of magic. They're a way to hide from the elements." She rolled her shoulders back, standing proud. "If you want to really be a wizard, you have to go beyond silly tricks like that. It's time to unleash your imagination." She spread her hands with a visual explosion of colors around her own head. "Free your mind. I'm sure there are many things that big, or smaller, you might want to have besides tiny umbrellas."
Amber pouted at that. "I have been trying to think of other uses. I just keep going back to wanting to use my magic to make others happy, or at least better off than they are right now." She suddenly perked. "Oh, what about--" She frowned with concentration, horn glowing as she played the magical song across it. With a little pop, several candies appeared in the air, each brightly striped. They fell a moment later, just to be caught in her magic with a squeak.
Comforting reached for one curiously. "This is new. May I?" She waited for permission, which came in the form of Amber releasing them to her. "They look edible. I can smell that." She popped one into her mouth, sucking on it thoughtfully. "Tastes alright too. Knowing it came from you makes them even better." She swished it from one side of her mouth to the other, long tail swaying with delight behind her in lazy swirls. "Very nice."
Amber grinned, blushing. "Thank you. It's not much, but I thought if I could make sweets, I could make whatever my friends needed or wanted. I'd never run out." She blinked with a new thought. "You said when I make a new thing, the old thing goes away. What happens if the old thing was already eaten?!"
Comforting rolled a hand with a grin. "Do you want the technical answer, or the good enough and easier one?"
Amber hung her head. "Good enough. Please."
"It doesn't happen." She flicked her fingers. "Like I said, this magic recycles itself, so whatever you made was already gone when the pony ate what you gave them. Their energetic insides tore it apart and let the magic out." She belched, releasing a colorful burst of mist in a dramatic display of the effect, overdone for the fun of it. "So you can cast it again, after it's been eaten, and nopony will be hurt."
"That's a relief. And also," she flicked Comforting on the snout, "stop being silly."
Comforting rubbed her nose. "Ow. But yes. Magic can do so much, and I haven't even begun to teach you. Well, besides that one spell, which you're still learning the limits of." She wriggled her recovered snout. "I want to see what you do when you get past this little bump."
"I'll show you." Amber leaned into Comforting's body, resting her cheek against the taller creature. "I just need a little more time, to really think it over."
"That's all I ask." Comforting returned the cuddle with a grin. "You are--"
"Uh, what exactly is this?"
Amber turned quickly, with a bright smile. "Oh, hey, Crystal! I'm just hanging out with my good friend, Comforting."
Crystal tipped her head, looking from Amber to Comforting. "The head librarian?" Her gaze fixed on Comforting. "I was just going to say that you forgot to lock the front door."
Comforting clapped her hands in front of her. "Aww. You heard about me, but I'm not the head librarian. That's Amber's position. What have you heard, by the way?" She floated back and forth in front of Crystal, who leaned back away. "Nothing bad I hope."
Crystal stepped around Comforting and towards Amber, eyes darting between the two. "You're good friends?"
"Sure are!" Comforting floated in behind Crystal and threw her arms around the pony. "Best of friends! Best of best of best!"
Crystal blushed hard, leaning back into the hug. "Uh, you're kinda touchy feely, ma'am."
Amber snorted at the image. "She is, and it gets worse if you tell her you like that. But she'll stop if you say you don't."
Comforting rested her chin on Crystal's shoulder. "You do, I can feel it. I can read a creature in seconds and I can see your heart."
"Wow." Crystal turned redder than her coat. "Um, I don't hate it? But, you know, we just met." She gently wriggled free of the grasp. "Hello, I'm Crystal. Nice to meet you, but I should get a trotting."
"Go ahead." Comforting stepped back to allow her access. "Amber's doing very well here. I can tell she likes this job. Thanks for asking."
Crystal blinked rapidly at that. "I hadn't asked, but good to know. It's nice having a library so close at hoof." She stepped towards the door. "Remember to lock it this time." She left with a final wave.
Amber shook her head at the sight. "You are such a flirt, you know that?"
"I do!" She stuck a tongue out at Amber. "Hugging ponies feels nice, not going to argue that. You're all so soft and squishy and lovely."
Amber took a few steps towards the door, waving towards it. "You get hugs from everyone who visits, that you put your eyes on. They come for knowledge, but they get you."
Comforting hopped to land beside her, arm over her back. "I don't go around hugging ponies for no reason." She smirked softly at the thought. "But she was looking especially huggable, and I think she needed one good hug."
"Did she?" Amber trotted out the door, Comforting stepping after her. "Why do you think that?"
She sighed and shrugged. "I was raised by a pony who had a special sense for these things. Some creatures have emotions that flow off of them, and it was a specialty of theirs. They could just feel the pain in ponies, and how much they wanted a friendly touch, a shoulder to cry on, or even just someone to share their joy with." She smiled warmly. "I miss her." She shook herself out. "But there I go, looking backwards."
Amber softly ran a hoof down Comforting's side. "It's alright to feel things. I'm here for you." She suddenly paused. "And, um, are you saying I was hurting? That's why you hugged me that first time?"
"No!" Comforting slapped herself on the forehead. "No, you weren't suffering at all. You get hugs, a lot of them, just because we're friends." She smooched Amber on either cheek. "And it will continue for as long as you enjoy them, and me. Don't worry." She glanced away, searching the shadows. "But she wasn't in distress, no. Just lonely, a little lost, but a pony on the right track. The sort of pony that comes in, asks for something, and then finds their heart in the library." Comforting hummed softly. "If we had still been open, I would have invited her to stay."
Reaching the door, Amber made to slip through it. "Lock up behind me, okay?"
"Of course." Comforting flicked the lock with a heavy internal thunk of the metal involved. The library was in all ways closed for the evening.
"Excuse me?" The young voice pulled Amber's attention. "Do you have books for foals?"
Amber glanced around the shelves for a moment before locking eyes on a little filly. "We have quite a few." She lowered herself to be closer to the foal's level. "What kind are you looking for? Something cheerful, something adventurous? There are so many kinds."
The filly grinned with excitement. "Adventurous!"
"Hmm." Amber stroked her chin, pretending to think. "I just happen to know where one is." She got up, extending a hoof to the little one. They met with a gentle clop and Amber led the foal towards the fantasy section, specifically to where some foal-grade books resided within. "I would say that one right there." She tapped a free hoof on a book's spine. "You—"
She didn't get to finish, the filly having pounced the book and started to flip through it quickly. "Wow! This looks amazing." She held the book up. "Thanks! Uh, you are?"
Amber reached up, pointing to a little golden name tag on her chest. "That says Amber, your friendly librarian." She guided the filly towards the front desk. "Let's get you checked out so you can enjoy that book at home. Then all you have to do is enjoy yourself and bring it back within the week." She dug out her phone. "If you get the city library app, you can ask for more time with it, and not even have to come back until you want to." She showed the app.
The foal touched her phone to Amber's, causing the app to jump into hers. "Thanks!" She raced off to that desk to check out her new book.
Comforting casually pet Amber once down the back without warning, which Amber seemed to somehow expect, or at least she didn't jump with shock. "Are you proud?"
Amber leaned against her unusual friend. "Very. I only have one complaint, and it's not even a big one."
"Do tell." Comforting plucked up Amber in a warm hug, nuzzling against her with an almost purr. "I'm listening."
"This is lovely, fantastic." She waved with each word. "It's everything I want, which is the problem. Did I win life? Is this the very top? I'm not an old pony yet. There has to be more for me to climb, but I feel so happy when I look at all this. So I feel like there should be more for me to reach for, but also very happy with what I have. Is that normal? Am I being a bad pony?"
It was at that moment that Comforting reconsidered her own actions. "Oh." She put Amber down gently. "I thought I had this worked out."
Amber blinked at the sudden lack of verve in Comforting. "What's wrong? I thought I was the one being all strange. You didn't do anything."
"Now that's not true." Comforting tapped Amber on the end of her nose. "I did a lot of little things, what seemed like tiny things, but, looking back, they were huge things. I picked your cute little self up and carried you right past a dozen things that might have taken you years, if ever you were going to get past them."
"Thanks?" Amber rubbed at her cheek gently. "That doesn't feel nice. I thought I was trying too?"
"You were! You were." Comforting nuzzled at the same cheek, half-tackling Amber to the ground and flopping with her. "Sorry, I'm not trying to even kinda imply you weren't. But I was right behind you, pushing you along so fast, you didn't even notice you'd reached a finish line that you'd barely started running towards and that's all on me. That's my fault."
"Excuse me." A stallion stood next to the two, looking down at them in their playful struggle. "I was looking for the head librarian?"
Amber squeaked, extricating herself up to her hooves in a hurry. "Yes, that's me. How can I help?"
Comforting left them to chat, rubbing her own chin thoughtfully. "Messed that up, so hard. It was supposed to be so easy, so simple. Amber was just a kind little pony, so cute and ready to learn. She just needed some guidance, a little help, and I messed that up so bad." She snapped her fingers in frustration. "There has to be a better way. There just has to be."
Comforting settled down into the water, pondering over the issue. "We've avoided the test." She started at that. "Avoided the test. That's it!" She stood up in the bath so quickly water sprayed in all directions. "I need to give her a test or three. She's unstimulated. She's at the top, so she needs something to threaten to push her, so she can appreciate it."
With a cocky smile, she stepped through her room, nodding at the statues of her long-passed friends along the way. "You all faced countless tests. I was a ninny for shielding Amber from them, when I should be making them. What kind of universal force am I?" She snorted at that. "A chaotic one." Chaos felt like a fine reason to mess up once in a while.
Settling onto her bed, she began to doze as she thought. "First test, the simple one. The obvious one. One that is both simple and obvious." She reached over to her nightstand, taking up a mirror and checking her teeth. "A friendship problem? Ooo, maybe a responsibility test." She rolled over onto her belly. "She is the head librarian. That has a lot of responsibilities." She kicked her legs behind and above her. "A responsibility test or two would be fitting."
Giggling to herself with wild ideas of how the red tape of the city, or needy library goers, could bring twists and turns to Amber's life played in her mind. "Ugh." But she was also working at that library, and loved Amber. She didn't want to see Amber suffering. "It's for her own good! Ugh, this is why Together kept a distance from her ponies."
A soft chime played only she could hear. An email had arrived. Comforting almost reached for it in her vision before she dug out her phone instead. "Get with the times," she chastised herself, pressing the email button on the phone instead.
From Together@Together.org. It was a single message from Together, who had been out of contact since Misty had run off. It read simply, 'Here.'
Comforting had to blink twice at that. "Here?" Comforting tapped at her cheek as she sat up, then floated into the air. "Here? That could mean anything, or nothing. She hit the reply button. "Also here, also sending love. Was that an odd way of gloating?"
She sent that off to Together and continued drifting along. She couldn't help but wonder, did that mean that she'd failed, and it was time for Together to do the job, and take care of Amber, or had it all worked out according to her plan.
Comforting's thoughts turned back to her plans. "Okay, still planning this test out. We need something simple, and something stressful, but something she can do." She let out a tense breath. "Together hasn't told me I'm off the case, so I'm not, yet. I can still recover!" She vanished from her pocket realm back to the library and looked around from where she floated near the ceiling, invisible and unnoticed. "One of you is about to be a problem." She glanced from one pony to the next.
At one table, a pair of older mares were chatting, laughing at jokes, and passing pictures back and forth. At another, a filly was reading through a series of picture books. Around the corner, a larger group, and she couldn't quite make out what was going on, but they looked like they were enjoying themselves. "Those don't seem right, but what about those?" She moved over to where Amber was helping a young unicorn put a book on hold, typing up the request and clicking submit.
"You can see it in your account tomorrow. Have a nice day, little one."
"Thank you! See you later." The filly joyfully fled from the library.
Amber giggled as she watched the little filly go. "I love seeing that sort of thing, and I get to do it every day."
Comforting shook her head, but a lightbulb only she could see popped into being over her a moment later. "Of course!" With a clap, a new pony arrived with a scowl on his face.
He walked right up to the counter. "Excuse me. Did you give this book to my daughter?" He slapped down a fantasy book, harmless in the eyes of most.
"I might have. Did she enjoy it?" She picked it up, tapping the cover gently. "This is one of my favorites."
Comforting zipped back to the counter in time to see Amber put the book down.
The stallion's anger only grew. "Your favorite? That explains some things. This filth should not be in the reach of any foal! Especially not my daughter. She was babbling on about a talking snake that called a bunch of weirdos its friends. Why would you show my child that?"
Amber looked at him with growing confusion. "Why wouldn't I? It's a wonderful book, about a young mare who learns that being different is what makes her special, and that all of us have our own gifts, so we should treasure one another, not judge or hurt."
"It's a depraved book." He flipped through it quickly to stomp down at a particular page. "It has two ponies giving each other—" He paused to glance around, cheeks warming. "A big kiss. How is that proper for a little foal? What life are you trying to prepare her for?! This is completely unacceptable."
Amber blinked a few times, not sure how to respond to that. "I have no idea what you're getting at. The whole point of the scene is to show that sometimes we do silly things when we're excited, but it's okay." She smiled at the father. "Sometimes, ponies kiss each other. You kissed your wife, didn't you?"
His blush only grew worse. "Not in the middle of the street," he squeaked out, trembling. "And that was hardly the only time that book went into lurid details about ponies getting all physical with each other. She's not ready for that sort of thing!"
Amber looked at the pages pointed out, which did show two ponies sharing a kiss. "I have no idea how you get any of this. It's a picture of a loving couple kissing. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but it's an important scene." She held out a hoof, moving the book back towards her. "Can we talk about this somewhere private?"
"Why?" The stallion huffed angrily. "Everypony deserves to know what downright filth is being offered here to unsuspecting foals. It could be their child next! They should know all about it. I want them to know!"
"Calm down," Amber replied, horn glowing softly. "I'm sure we can figure this out if we can just—" She winced as a small magical pulse emitted from her horn.
"How dare you try to control my mind! You're just like the rest of them, trying to warp the minds of everypony around you." With an almost trained grace, he slapped a tennis ball down on Amber's horn. "There, that'll stop you from casting any spells! No mind melting on my watch." He crossed his arms, standing up and looking smugly proud of himself for his quick thinking.
Amber stared at the tennis ball for a moment. "What the hay is this?" She flicked the ball up, a minor glow coming to her horn. "Magic? I don't think that works quite that way, but good luck, I guess."
"Oh no." A few heads turned towards the noise, wondering what was going on.
Part of Comforting wanted to hop in there, to help soothe the stallion, but it was a test. She could but watch, if she wanted growth to happen. "You have this," she whispered instead, watching the conflict.
The head librarian of a local town's public library had been shoved by the most recent arrival, and then a tennis ball was on her horn. The ball did not stop the magic of a pony, but it certainly made a clear point that a pony had tried. "Sir. Sir." Amber clapped her hooves together. "Sir. If I remember correctly, tennis balling unicorns fell out of favor when the tribes reunified. Not a single instance of brain melting is on the record." She let her horn glow, as if for a point. "It is a rule at this library that you can't touch other ponies without their permission."
She inclined her head faintly, letting the tennis ball drop to the ground. "Is this the sort of message you want given to your foal?"
He started at that. "W-what? No! My little filly knows not to do that."
"Then she learned it from somepony else." Amber clopped a hoof down flat on the counter. "The book is safe for ponies of her age, or much any age that can read well enough. If she wants to, she can check it out, which she did. If she doesn't like it, she will return it. She may tell me about why she didn't like it. That hasn't happened often, but is allowed. A third pony's opinion, even their parent, doesn't factor into this."
"She is my daughter! I am the one that raises her!" He stomped and fumed, glaring hot anger at Amber as other librarian clients watched on with curiosity. "I will decide this."
"If it bothers you what she chooses to read." Amber brought her hooves together. "Have you tried talking to her about what she's reading, instead of picking up her book when she wasn't around and sifting through it on your own?" She didn't know for a fact that is what happened, but she was guessing, and she hoped it was the case.
That he shrank back, ears wilted, implied she wasn't that far off. "She's just a filly..." he weakly sputtered, tears brimming in his angry eyes.
"Then you know what she reads. Or, if you don't, you can ask her what she enjoyed. I can find other books like it, or better, that she would likely enjoy." Amber gave the saddest dad a soft smile. "I bet, if you came at her curiously, instead of ready to judge, she would gladly share all sorts of interesting things about her books. Or, let me put it another way." She leaned back a little. "If you stop her from reading it, she will get angry. That will make her want to read books like it even more. You'll teach her to be more careful how she reads and who sees what she reads. You'll be raising a more cautious daughter. Is that your goal, to raise a paranoid filly that is certain her caretaker is ready to take away what she likes?"
"No." The stallion collapsed with a sob. "I just don't want her to grow up thinking it's all like that. Two colts can't be together, or they shouldn't, anyway." He pressed his hooves against either side of his head. "The kissing!"
"Ponies kiss, sir." But Amber was smiling gently. "Sometimes they hug. Speaking of that, your daughter could use one of those. A hug, maybe a kiss? That is an arena I entirely defer to a parent to decide." She giggled at herself. "Even if I didn't, that would be your call." She spread her hooves out in front of her. "I'm just the head librarian that has to remind ponies that they cannot attack other ponies." She glanced up at where the ball had been. "Is there anything else I can help with, sir?"
Comforting clutched her heart, tears stinging at her eyes. The test had been passed, with flying colors! She felt so proud she wanted to rush at Amber and tackle her to the ground, but the timing felt bad for that. She wrenched her phone out instead and got to typing an email to Together. "I just ran my first test in what feels like forever, and she passed! Such a lovely little pony. She was scared at first and so confused, but she rebounded and it was just kinda perfect."
Comforting let out a happy sigh, watching as the test, that stallion, walked off with new things to think about. "You learned something too, didn't you?" She could but hope that father got something out of it. A happy ending with him and his daughter growing closer over books felt like a nice potential outcome.
She almost dropped her phone when it buzzed and jingled. Together had replied. "I'm very proud of you. Won't you visit? I'd like that. Trees don't talk, but they can like being visited."
"Visit?" Comforting frowned with thought. She didn't know that was an option! "Amber!" She rushed over, soaring just over the ground to Amber's side with a twitching tail. "Do you know a Together Tree?"
"Yeah?" Amber pointed outside. "It's that big tree. You can see it from outside. Why?"
"Be right back," called Comforting, voice dropping with her speed as she zoomed away. She burst through the doors of the library and twirled around. There, the biggest tree in view, by quite a few steps, considering most had to be happy existing alongside the edge of a street.
That one was in a little park, devoted entirely to it. "You were right there!" Comforting hit the ground to run, racing towards the treet. "Together!" She hit the tree with a great big hug, though the tree was even larger, only letting her hug some of it. "Hello there."
But it was a tree. It didn't reply to her eager greeting. "I didn't know this was you. I thought you were further away." Comforting nuzzled against the bark, snuffling the tree for all it was worth. "So happy to see you."
Her phone chimed. Comforting considered ignoring it, but she fished it out and was glad she did. It was from Together. "You remain quite silly, Comforting. I am a tree. I can't talk that way, but I am happy that you're so excited to see me, and to be visited by you. You work in a library. You could read a book under me. That would be nice."
Comforting trembled with a whimper. "That would be adorable." She flopped to her bottom beneath Together, tail brushing her arboreal partner. "I love you a lot, just so you know. You may not talk, but I know you can hear me."
A text arrived. "You are such a gentle force of chaos."
"Are we just meeting?" She leaned back, head resting against Together. "I am the Comforting change. The growth you wanted to reach for. The change you didn't expect, but are glad to see. I am the helping hand you didn't know was coming." She snickered softly. "I am sounding like a bad reference." She tapped her chin with new thoughts. "What can I get as a treat for my tree buddy?"
"Nothing," replied a text. "I only need gentle sun, not too much or too little, and water, and rich soil. The city gives me two of those. The sun is no longer something ponies control. It has been kind to me so far."
"Maybe something for the ponies around you." Comforting hummed softly at that. "They wouldn't believe my stories if I just bought a huge statue to place among you." She ran a finger across the phone's screen, but received no answer. "But you like company, and you like ponies."
"They placed benches here." In Comforting's eyes only, arrows appears, pointing at those metal benches. "They can read or just relax, safe under my branches. This pleases me."
Comforting frowned at the benches and reached out, her hand passing right through the bench as if it wasn't there. "Together, I love you, but am I seeing what you want instead of what's there?" The benches vanished, along with the arrows. Togther had a ring of stones, but no benches. "Well, that settles that." She crossed her arms. "I'm getting you some benches, so ponies can hang out with you."
"That is not necessary, but it is lovely of you to offer."
Comforting grinned with glee at Together. "What do you want as a gift then?"
"You."
Comforting colored even as she burst into fresh giggles. "You got me, you always will, for as long as either of us are haunting the place." She spread her arms out. "But, besides me, some benches. Yep, you're getting some, and you'll like it, for when I'm not around, and even when I am, I can sit on those benches too."
"Whatever you wish to do is perfectly fine, but I won't make use of them. I'm a tree. I will say, however, that my ponies do enjoy resting near me. Sometimes they like to eat nearby, and think their thoughts, large and small."
Comforting clapped her hands with growing excitement. "Now I'm not even sure if you're arguing or just trying to be slick about how you ask for something. Stop that! Just ask. I'd reach up and flip the sun upside down for you, and you know it."
"Which is why I try not to request things."
Comforting raised a brow at that text. "I'm not my dad. Trust me to show a little restraint." She glanced up at the sun. "It's doing a fine job on its own, looks like." She put her hands on her hips. "Now, I have the power of compounding interest on my side. Some benches shouldn't be hard." But one problem came to her mind. "Is that allowed? Do they have rules about where you can just put a bench down?"
Fortunately for her, she knew just a pony to ask about that. She walked with purpose to Hitch's office with a big smile. "I need legal advice from the most law-adjacent pony I know! Is he in?" She peeked in the door to see Hitch seated at his desk, studying a series of papers in front of him. "Awesome."
She breezed in, pulling a chair to the other side of his desk and flopping into it. "Hey!" She saw Sparky playing on that desk and waggled her fingers at him. "Aw, look who's being adorable as usual. Hitch?"
Hitch blinked a few times before looking up at her, then he chuckled. "Hey there." He pushed back from the desk, looking at her. "What sort of trouble are you making this time?"
"Me?!" Comforting gestured with both hands. "You haven't had to write me a ticket even once. Is this a chaos spirit stereotype?"
"A little." Hitch gave Comforting a little hug. "Seriously, how can I help? Officer Hitch is on duty."
"Do you know the code for putting a bench anywhere that isn't part of the sidewalk?" Comforting pointed back over her shoulder. "I know a lot of places put in trees, so they have to have a spot for benches. I want to put one of those in a little spot I know, but I have to get permission from the city, or something."
Hitch headed outside so he could see what tree Comforting was pointing at. "That's a nice idea. So long as the benches don't get in the way of traffic, it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for checking though. A lot of ponies would just get an idea and I'd have to yell at them afterwards." He went back in, looking at Comforting. "Was that it?"
Comforting waved a hand with a snicker. "It was, but thanks for making sure." She stood up and leaned over the desk to give Hitch a warm hug. Being so close, she took the chance to ruffle Sparky's top and nuzzle the little dragon. "Have you met Spike?"
Sparky babbled nonsenically, but looked happy enough.
"Right?" Comforting nodded with a chuckle. "All the dragons I know are pretty great creatures." She pointed outside. "Time for me to buy a bench or three!" With determination burning in her eyes, a bit literally, she began her trek to make Together's day a little happier.
The week rolled on towards the end. Amber kept doing her best to learn her library magic, while also fulfilling her duties as head librarian. But also, she practiced cooking a lot more than usual. How did these things go together?
Amber's horn glowed as sprinkles appeared and fell into the pot with a happy giggle. "This is going to be great."
Misty leaned in over Amber's shoulders. "Why are you in here?"
Amber jumped in surprise. "Oh, Misty! When did you get back?"
"Just now." Misty hugged her superior gently. "I didn't expect to find you in the kitchen. I figured you'd be out there, doing, you know, book stuff?"
Amber chuckled with a shake of her head. "I'm off duty. I'm making myself a lovely dinner."
"And, what are you making exactly?"
"Something new," Amber stated, voice ringing with pride. She conjured a few more spices to let fall into her pot. "It has a touch of magic in it."
Misty smirked. "That's nice, but what is it? The book part of me says to have ingredients before the cooking starts."
Amber laughed loudly at that, waving a hoof at herself. "I know what I want, but I don't have all the ingredients, but I can fix that, and it's getting easier. Trust me, it'll be so tasty." She bumped her hips against Misty's. "Want a taste?"
"Nah, it's alright. I already ate." She nudged Amber back. "So what are you making, or do you actually have no idea? Do you really know what you're doing or just having fun with magic?"
"I can do both." Amber pouted, her magic lifting her pot to the side as she ladled out a bowl of the stuff, sniffing at its rich scent. "It's a stew. I wanted to make a lovely potato soup, so I started with that, and then made a special magic version of the veggies for it. That was a lot harder. I really have to focus, but it's so worth it." She picked up the spoon and lifted a bite to her lips.
Her face turned to rapture as she savored it. "And so good. Mmmm!" She held up another spoonful, which was again accepted by her mouth, with moans of delight.
"Sounds like you really love it." Misty inclined her head. "Is it really that good?" She glanced away and back. "Maybe I'll try just one spoon?"
Amber giggled at that, offering up a heaping spoon towards Misty. "It was a theory of mine. Once something melts into the soup, it stops counting as something I made, so I can make more, and it won't vanish from the soup."
Misty had no idea what Amber was talking about but, before she could say anything, Amber shoved the spoon past Misty's lips, smearing her with the creamy substance.
It tasted like melted cheese. So very, very much. And onions, garlic, and something else, maybe mushrooms? There was also a touch of other veggies, with all of it layered on a layer of mashed potatoes that had been there for hours. Misty blushed slightly as she swallowed it down.
"See?" Amber clapped with obvious joy and pride. "It's so good, right? It worked exactly how I'd hoped. So now I can keep adding all sorts of things to it. Potatoes are so filling, you know. That's why they're good to put in soups like this. But I also added extra to mine."
Misty swallowed thickly. "Wow." That was all she could get out for a moment, processing the complex flavor. "Wow! That is actually pretty good. Is this how you used to make soup?"
Amber shook her head rapidly. "No, not at all. That's the funny thing. I always made soup with some simple stuff and not a lot of prep. And, of course, I had to use ingredients I had laying around, which weren't many, so, right?" Amber danced in place, taking another thick slurp of her soup. "Mmm. Comfs!"
With a soap bubble pop, Comforting appeared. "Yes? Mmm." She sniffed at the air curiously, nose twitching. "Soup, delicious." She peered in, taking in the sight of Amber's creation. "How did you make this?"
Misty grinned with a shrug. "She has no idea, but it's delicious." She stepped back, waving a hoof at her boss. "Tell her about your experiment?"
Amber glanced between Comforting and Misty with growing confusion. "I made food for myself to enjoy. We started with soup, then I used that spell, and added some chives, but once the chives got all mixed in there, I stopped feeling it, so I made more, and added that, and more, and more, and, pow, this great soup! Want some?" She willed a new bowl down from the cupboard, glowing with her magic. "Nice and fresh. You can try some. I really do think I figured this out."
Comforting plucked up the bowl with a warm smile. "Don't mind if I do. Thanks, dear. So, what have we learned about what spells do and don't do?" She grabbed the ladel sitting there and got herself a serving to enjoy. "Poor Misty."
Misty jumped. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
"Not at all." Comforting went in for a nuzzle before trying the soup with a loud slurp. "This is amazing, by the way. Wow, you really have improved!" She drank down a little more before turning back to Misty. "I just mean that I'm going to give this to you." She drew out a bookmark and offered it to Misty. "You'll need this, later."
Misty accepted the bookmark, though confused. "If you say so. Amber, I'm going to get to work, okay?"
"I'm so glad to have you back." Amber threw one arm around Misty before letting her flee. Amber turned back to Comforting, humming with pleasure. "It's nice to have her back, huh?"
"It is, indeed. So, that was your test." She smiled proudly at Amber. "You are so smart. It's been a busy week for you, hasn't it?" She sipped a bit more delicately at the bowl. "And I can taste the results. You thought outside the box, and tested where the limits were. And! And, you did it in a responsibly safe way, cooking some yumyums for everypony around you. Very thoughtful."
Amber giggled in a rush, blushing as she dipped her face to the side. "Aw, shucks, you're gonna make me blush."
"That was my plan, yes." Comforting set the bowl aside, floating in the air. "And seem to have succeeded. Now! I've been stuck."
"Stuck?" Amber looked at comforting with wonder. How did a godling get stuck?
"I want to get some benches, but I'm not sure which to buy. Shop with me?" Comforting unfurled a brochure full of choices, spreading out so that Amber could see. "There are so many options. What would be best? I'm very sorry to ask for so much after your test."
"A little shop therapy is just what I need." Amber looked over the options curiously. "But why are you buying a bench? We have plenty of seats in here."
"It's not for me." Comforting crossed her arms under her chest. "It's for ponies enjoying themselves by the tree. I want them to be nice and comfortable and it should fit the vibe already there. Don't you think?"
Amber clapped her hooves together. "Of course!" She motioned over to the door. "Let's go take a look." She trotted out of the door and Comforting followed close behind. The two headed out of the library where they could see the tree to be decorated. "Hm! I think." She pointed to a model. "This would look lovely under that tree. The colors match, the wood is a similar shade. It would just look like it was meant to be there."
"Hmm." Comforting tapped her chin. "Yes, I do like that one." She folded the brochure so just that one was displayed, holding it up as if to imagine the real bench right there. "Together will love it." She sighed with happiness at her future present. "And I hope ponies use it." She shook a finger. "And don't litter! The whole point of these things is to be nice to the earth, so she will be nice to us in turn." She flashed a wide grin to Amber. "But you don't litter in the first place. I'm talking to nopony."
Amber reached up to tickle at her friend. "You are very silly, but I did it! You said I did it. I mastered a spell, even past the obvious thigns. Does that mean I can learn another spell?"
Comforting stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Mmm, well. You said you were a conjurer, do you want to have another conjuring spell? Let me give that some thought. I'll see what I can cook up for you."
"Take your time." Amber was just giddy to start. "I've been practicing so much. I'm not as fast as you, but I'm sure I can figure something else out." Amber considered Comforting a moment. "You've been at this a lot longer, maybe it's not really a 'speed' thing." She shrugged, then blinked. "Wait, I don't mean to call you old. you're not old!"
"Yes I am." Comforting ruffled Amber's head, mussing her mane. "Ancient, but I'm okay with that. When I ruffled the mane of a grandma who'd I'd swapped diapers for, I had to just let that go. I'm old."
Amber smiled gently, reaching up to catch the hand of Comforting's that still rested on her head. "Does it bother you that you aren't aging?"
"Eh." Comforting took her hand back. "I'm exactly as old as I want to be."
Amber puzzled over that a moment. "So you could be my age?"
"I could be you." And thus Comforting was, a copy of Amber with only tiny differences that made it clear she was Comforting in disguise.
Amber jumped in surprise, taking a step back. "A little warning." But Amber was also curious. She reached up to stroke along her doppelganger's cheek, seeing how smooth it was, and how soft, yet strong. "Wow, it really is me." She reached over to take Comforting's hand in her own and was surprised to feel the magic aura there. "Oh, you felt like me. I'm impressed."
Comforting winked. "I know, right?" She took her hand back, twirling herself back to normal. "But I should be me." Comforting returned to appearing as herself, hugging Amber easily. "This me has hands, which are great for hugging you with. I also feel more like me. This body is yours, and it's perfect for you." She kissed at Amber's cheek, nuzzling gently. "We are both amazing ponies, just in different ways."
Amber pulled back with a sigh. "You're more than a pony." She nuzzled Comforting's belly. "And I love you. Now, you wanted a bench?"
Comforting perked. "Right!" She dug out her phone and got to dialing. "Better order that before they close. Oh, hello! I'd like to buy a bench, uh huh, 2839-a. Yep, uh." Comforting swiped at her phone, finding her number and reciting it. "Yes, I authorize that charge. Mmmhmm. Three days? Not bad. Thank you! Just park them around. Them. Yes them, I want more than one of them. Uh, three, make a circle around the tree for ponies to enjoy. Uh huh. Yeah, thank you."
Amber inclined her head with curiosity as Comforting hung up. "So you like to do things the old-fashioned way. You could have just zapped it into existence."
Comforting nodded. "I could have. It'll arrive in three days. When they bolt it down, it'll stay there until it falls apart, or something smashes it." She snapped her fingers, causing a copy of the bench to appear before them. "This will last until we stop looking at it, or the chapter ends, whichever is first."
"Chapter?" Amber blinked, only growing more confused. She looked back to the bench, but there was no bench, already gone. "Oh."
Amber woke up with a gasp, like any other morning. She rolled to her hooves with a yawn and stretched out. She could smell her own sweat, the sharpness of her hooves as they moved. She shook herself as she rolled out of bed. Her ears flicked towards the little sounds in the library that she could identify. The tap-tap-tap of a raccoon on the roof. The click-click-clack of a squirrel in the walls.
They were quiet noises, but felt oppressively loud with nothing to compare them to. She shook her head again, going to the window and peering outside. The world was lit in that early-morning grey. She could see the familiar streets around the library, mostly empty save for a pair of joggers that passed each other with a wave.
"Get it together." Amber reached with her magic, getting the water going and soon hopping into the shower to be doused with the stream of heated water. The warmth, the pressure, all of it brought a comfort to her. She cleaned herself with an equal desire for self-care and to finish, stepping out into the open air of her room and beginning to dry.
She stepped out of her room with a smile, ready to crash into Comforting. Comforting hugged Amber warmly. "Good morning! Now, who's ready for lesson number two." The number two exploded all around Comforting in a wild display of the digit. "Ooh, fancy."
"I'm ready!" Amber beamed in a rush, hugging back Comforting and picking her up to spin around. "I've been waiting for this."
Comforting landed gently. "You know, I'm larger than you, and you still pick me up." She giggled at the idea. "I love it."
Amber waved a hoof at Comforting. "That only works because you want me to pick you up. If you didn't, I bet I couldn't." She considered that thought and rolled her eyes. "Obviously you could still toss me around, but you don't do that. But, I'm ready for the next spell. Am I making sense?"
"You are." Comforting rolled a hand through her hair as she picked Amber up in her arms, cuddling her as they floated along. "Have I mentioned how adorable you are? Not today? Well, easily fixed." She smooched the top of Amber's cheek and placed them in the magic room, runes still on the blackboard. "It's time for a new spell," she sang, drawing her book of spells from nowhere.
Amber bounced in place with excitement, just watching, eager to see. "I'm ready."
"Ahem!" Comforting held up the book. "This one is a little more complicated." She winked at Amber. "But I think you can do it. This one's trickier, because it's really the start of a spell, and you have to make up a bunch of spells out of it. You liked summoning things, but only summoning one thing at a time, and only for as long as you focused on it? That's a drag, right?" Comforting opened the book and showed the first page.
The runes read 'creation', but that was hard to read from Amber's angle, though it could be guessed.
"So!" Comforting hopped back down, dancing behind Amber with a grin. "If you have enough energy, this allows you to create anything you can dream of, including copies of ponies, even yourself." Copies of what she was speaking of appeared around her, but only for a moment or two. "Trick is, you have to finish the spell with what you want. That means you'll have to make a 'summon pizza' spell to summon pizza, but the pizza you make won't have the limits of the starter spell. With me? Make sense?"
"Uh." Amber shook her head slowly. "I don't think I can do that. That's not simple, at all." She held out her hooves in front of her, watching her legs tremble.
"Don't be scared." Comforting took Amber's shaking hooves in her hands, rubbing gently. "I'll be here. Let's start and see how it goes, hm?"
She darted to the board and got to scribbling runes. "Here's the start of it. It's not that super long." She paused when she was done, writing 'pencil' on the board. "Got that?"
Amber watched carefully, trying to memorize it as she approached. She was pleased to find she could remember it well enough to try it again. She played the magical music over her horn, but nothing happened. The magic just lingered a moment, then faded away, leaving her with nothing. "I thought I did it right."
Comforting wagged a finger. "I said it's not done. You have to add what you want to make on the end of it, and that's the tricky part. Each thing you want to make has its own magical word. The more complicated the thing, the more complicated the word." She hiked two thumbs at herself. "Want to make another me? That's going to take you too long to figure out."
Amber considered Comforting with clear doubt. "Is there even a word for you?"
"Sure!" Comforting revealed it in an electric ticker over her head, moving far too quickly to memorize as all the runes involved scrolled past in a hurry. "See? Super complicated, which is why I'm so proud of you for trying it out."
"Right." Amber shook her head with a grumble. "Okay, let me try." She tapped her chin with a frown. "But how do I start? I don't know the word, the magic word, for anything at all."
"This was easier in the old days." Comforting put her hands on her hips. "They used to have libraries of this. What you need is to learn to see, magically, so you can start examining things around you and sussing out their words."
"How do I do that?"
Comforting smiled at Amber's eager question. "Easily enough, once you're willing to try, which, of course, you are." She waved a hand across Amber's eyes. Amber's vision was pushed to a new place, seeing things in a whole new way, magic flowing through all living things. Even things that were not alive had magic, but that magic was still. The life of the object gave it an edge, a flow that was, at the same time, stationary.
"Your eyes are glowing." Comforting poked a finger against one of Amber's eyelids, pulling it back. "But there you go. Now you've felt that. Get it?"
Amber scrunched her eyes shut, shaking her entire form before she blinked them open, normal vision returned. "Wow. So, um." She focused on the feeling she had just experienced. It took several tries, but she eventually pushed herself back into that strange space, to see magic around her. "I love it." She wandered away, magic in her eyes, literally.
Comforting inclined her head. "Guess this lesson's done." She zipped to the door and closed it behind her. "Have fun experimenting."
Amber kept her head lowered, trying to process what she was seeing, but it wasn't easy. There were a lot of things all around her, and they all seemed to be made up of so much. It seemed the deader and simpler something was, the easier it was to get a grasp of the magic in it.
Which is why she was drawn to a little ball. She couldn't pick it up, it seemed stuck to this big sheet of magic that was more complicated. So she ran her hooves over the ball instead, inspecting it. It had a few streaks of magic, all the same. "Comforting, how do I turn this back into runes?" But Comforting wasn't there. Or at least she didn't respond. Amber continued anyway.
Flipping back to normal vision, she could see she had been examining a doorknob, all made of iron. "Not alive, never was." This made sense to her.
She pushed herself back into that other mode of seeing, the magical one, and noticed all those lines were doing a sort of loop. "That's neat." She reached out with her magic, pushing against a point on that loop, where she saw something more complicated happening. She tugged a little on that bit, and that did something. A hole grew around it, and a string of runes started to twirl out.
"Oh, awesome!" She was so excited, she felt she could squeal, but that wouldn't do. Instead, she kept her magic on the thing, seeing what else happened as she turned her magic on, and off, and on again. "It's like a program."
So it was that when the first customer came in, Amber was ready to greet them with a smile, and offer a doorknob.
The pony was quite baffled at this offer. "What door does this go to?"
"None, anyone you want?" Amber giggled a little. "Your choice, but it's yours now. Enjoy! Can I help you find a book?"
The pony hefted the knob in their hooves. "No. I got it. I can read just fine, but I don't understand why I have this. Did I win a prize?"
Amber shook her head, clearing her mind of the wonder of the moment. "O-yeah! Yeah. Congratulations. You're at the library. That knob is like the books you'll be reading, opening doors. Get it?"
"No."
Amber gave a softer smile, raising the knob with her magic. "It's the sort of thing that doesn't make sense until you see how it is." She got up from the desk, and trotted around the side of the desk. She tucked the knob away, laughing tensely. "Now, go ahead. Feel free to ask if you have any questions. We're here to help."
Comforting put her hands on Amber's shoulders from behind, almost getting kicked for it. "As you just learned, shoving your head into the magic too eagerly can leave you thinking magically, and not very normally. Keep that up for too long and too often and you'll be like Screwball. Don't do that."
Amber paled with horror. "I didn't think that was even possible!" She turned and hugged Comforting around the middle. "But you helped me keep from going down that path."
Comforting ruffled the top of Amber. "You did that yourself. Feel free to look, but only a little. You're not here to rediscover all of pony magic all at once. Today, you figured out doorknobs, and I think that's pretty neat. More importantly, you know how to learn, so you can do more, later, a little at a time."
"But," Amber squeezed more tightly, "I wanted to learn about that."
Comforting chuckled with a knowing nod. "You want to know everything, but you can't. For one, that would be boring, and two, your brain isn't big enough for that." She grasped Amber by her temples, rubbing gently. "I want that brain to keep working if we can, hm?"
"Yeah, yeah." Amber blew a raspberry, rolling her eyes. "I get it. I need to learn one thing, then move on to the next thing."
"And how you handle each of those things matters." She tapped Amber's nose. "And no hurry. One thing a day is already a brisk trot. Now, truly, we're past the point you had one of these." She dug about in her sides and found a book. "Here we are." She shoved it against Amber's front.
Amber took it in her magic, lifting it up and flipping it open, but it was blank. "What is this? Why's it so heavy?"
"Because it's important to you, and it's what you chose." Comforting twirled, dancing away, waving as she vanished into the bookshelves.
Amber squinted at her new tome. "Uh." But it clicked a moment later. "Oh!" She pulled out a pen and got to working busily, jotting down the spell for a doorknob, just the doorknob part. "There we go." With satisfaction, she got to work, being the head librarian.
Comforting popped into being with a name badge on her chest. Clearing her throat, she approached one of the ponies looking lost. "Can I help?" She did work there, and was ready to do her part to make that library a success.
Comforting walked leisurely through the streets of Maretime Bay, enjoying the sights and sounds of the pony metropolis. There was so much going on around her. The city itself was always filled with activity. Everywhere there was something to see and do. Ponies were heading out of the city for the day, going to jobs, going to school, or just going to visit someplace else. There was a special joy to that.
Ponies greeted each other as they passed. Comforting made an effort to meet the eyes of the ponies she passed. "Hello there. Good day?"
"I'm good. You?"
Comforting winked at the pony. Her efforts were paying off, as most of them seemed alright with her strange presence among them. "Excuse me." A rounded stallion with an unsure smile stood before Comforting, bouncing a bit in place. "Um, ma'am? Could I ask you something?"
Comforting inclined her head. "You sure can, and you just did, but let's go for two." She curled her long tail behind her, considering the stallion. "What do you need? Are you okay?"
"Yeah." The stallion patted at his shirt. "I'm just wondering if you'd like to join me for a walk? I have the day off and I wanted to spend some of it with a pretty mare."
Comforting colored and laughed, but she stifled the laugh as quickly as she could. "Sorry, sorry! That's not at you, just, I wasn't expecting that question!" She curled a hand to her chin. "Also, I'm pretty?" That wasn't the word she expected the random pony to assign to her.
"Yeah, you are!" The stallion pointed at her mane. "I like the style. You seem interesting, so, is it weird that I want to walk around with you? If so, that's fine."
"Don't be so quick to give up." She reached to gently tap the stallion on the nose with a draconic finger. "You were already brave enough to walk up to me and ask me out. Don't collapse this far in. Now, the only thing in the way is I have no idea who you are. She flashed her teeth in a bright smile. "So tell me a little about you."
"So hi!" Toots rubbed behind his neck, grinning sheepishly at his outburst. "I'm Toots. I've lived in Maretime Bay uh, since forever ago." He leaned left and right a little. "I've been watching the library. You're, um, doing a good job."
Comforting reached for his cheeks, not finding resistance as she cupped them. The chubby stallion gave her even more pony cheeks to ruffle. "Thank you, but Amber is the head librarian. I'm just an assistant."
"Y-you don't fool me." Toots looked away with a tense laugh. "You do a lot. Um, so, hi? Can we walk?" He walked in place and tossed his head in the direction down the street. "It's a nice day."
Comforting followed after him. "It is. So, what do you do?" She smiled with interest at this little pony. "For a job? Do you like it? Is that why you're off work on a Tuesday?"
"Oh! Um." He struggled to recover from the shock of the questions rolling in, but began to leak details as they walked along, enjoying the day and the company. "I had a question too. Are you a pony?" He lifted a hoof to make an upward slash on the same line as Comforting's midsection. "Your middle looks like a pony, and your head. If this isn't an awful question. Sorry if it is." He raised a hoof in front of his mouth.
"It's fine. I get that question a lot." Comforting snorted at her little joke. "But I am, if you mean spiritually." She shrugged as she lifted a few inches, floating along with Toots. "I was a pony, a long, long, really long time ago. Those are the parts you can see now." She grasped her own cheeks, making a smooshed face with a giggle. "And I still love them, ponies that is. They're so cute!"
"I'm cute?" Toots blushed brightly, glancing at the ground. "You don't have to say that."
Comforting put a hand to her own chin. "But I do. I don't lie, it's bad for business and friends, so I'd only call you that if you were." She suddenly zipped in. "Yep, a cute little pudgy stallion; I love it." She landed on her own feet gently. "Now, what's your favorite ice cream flavor? I think I owe you at least a treat."
"What?! No!" Toots gasped and hopped in a little circle. "No, you don't."
"Okay, I don't owe you." Comforting crossed her arms. "But I want to get you an ice cream anyway. Or a smoothie? They're popular, and I don't mind giving a friend business." She giggled as she gave her hip a gentle push to the side. "It's nice to see the local ponies I can give a good word to, for sure. And you've earned it."
"You're the one doing me a favor." He sank to his haunches. "Today's been a busy day, but the good kind! Um, I'll take this over disasters anytime. You're way nicer than cutie-mark stealing vines." He shivered at the memory. "So, why ice cream? Like, I know what it is, but that's a little forward of you, isn't it?" He glanced nervously at her. "If you don't mind me saying so."
Comforting started with clear surprise. "I'm a little out of date on things. Is giving ice cream part of the pony mating ritual these days?"
That had Toots looking ready to pass out. "N-no! Sorry. Um." He rubbed at his cheek furiously. "I'm messing this up. Look, you don't have to give me anything. I'm just glad to have your attention for a little while, it's been a crazy couple of weeks." He wiggled with obvious joy at that thought. "So let's get to that intersection, and we did it." He pointed ahead of himself down the street. "Right there."
Comforting reached to muss the top of the flustered stallion's head. "Sure." She resumed her steps lightly alongside him. "Your tie, by the way, is adorable." Even she didn't know why some ponies sometimes wore tiny bits of a shirt like that, but it never failed to make her smile at the absurdity of it.
Toots beamed proudly at that, adjusting the blue fabric. "I can show you more of my collection sometime, if you like." He offered her a grin. "It's more than just ties, and I like to dress up. They say a pony is what they wear, and I happen to agree with them." He reached up a hoof to adjust his tie in a moment of self-conciousness. "It hasn't failed me so far."
"What's this?" Comforting chuckled. "Is that a little pride I hear? Good for you. I mean it. There are a lot of things I enjoy that I have to hide, so it's so important to share the things that you are, no matter who you are. Or what you are, come to think." She did a sudden loop around Toots. "I'm not a pony, not anymore. I'm a spirit."
Toots recoiled. "You're dead?!"
"Sorta?" Comforting shrugged. "But not that kinda spirit. The kind that keeps the world spinning properly. That sort." She winked at Toots. "You don't believe in spirit?" She floated up with a silent woosh. "What do you think I'm doing? Gravity is optional with spirits, especially chaos spirits, which I am."
Toots bounced back from that idea. "Chaos? As in the queen of chaos?"
Comforting smiled a bit too wide. "You could call me that. I don't have too much competition." She curled her tail around to tickle Toots under his trembling chin. "Stop that, we're already friends. I wouldn't hurt you, or anypony else in this lovely city. It's my city too. I want everypony to be happy." She turned and flashed her most winning grin. "Wouldn't that be great? To be happy, all the time?"
"Ugh, yes please." Toots finally seemed to calm down after that proclamation.
"But only for a little while." Comforting held up two fingers close together. "Being perfectly happy all the time would get a little boring after a while." She slapped her hands on her hips. "Tried that before."
Toots perked. "Before? Like, recently?"
Comforting scratched at the tip of her chin. "Centuries ago. A good chunk of that time, I wasn't quite myself, but that's a whole different story. Don't you worry about it. Still, bad idea, avoid that." She took a firm last step, reaching the end of the block. "Even a happy life has little moments in it if you let it, excitements, and that's alright."
"Oh, that's true." Toots nodded rapidly. "Like today? I didn't expect this." He gestured back towards the library. "I mean, um, thank you; for the walk, that is." He offered a hoof towards her. "Maybe another time?"
Comforting grabbed his hoof and gently shook it. "Sure. Nice to make a friend." With that, she darted away, sailing through the air back to the library.
That left Toots rocking a bit in place before he snapped to the present with a rush of clarity. "Wait, we didn't exchange numbers!" He leaned and swayed a little, realizing there was nothing to be done about that now. "Well, um, okay. I know where to find you."
The sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting the sea in a soft red glow as it filtered through the light haze over the water. Amber strolled down to the beach with a few others. She spotted Hitch as they approached. "Hitch!" she called out, waving at him and Sparky on his back. "Enjoying the beach too?"
He waved back. "Hi, Amber! Yes, we are." Sparky beamed at Amber from his perch on Hitch's back. "We're here to see the sunrise and maybe catch a wave or two."
Sparky made excited noises, bouncing atop Hitch with a giggle, though none of it approached a word.
Amber smiled at the little dragon. "Sounds like he's ready to tame those waves. Guess you're the lucky pony." She tilted her head back as a cool breeze ruffled her mane. "It's nice to take it easy, huh? Have you seen Misty?"
"I know, right? Misty? I walked past her coming out of the brighthouse." He pointed to the towering building in the distance. "She looked busy, but I didn't hear what with."
Amber perked. "Hmmm. Did she seem happy?" Amber considered Misty's recent troubles. "Or even busy?"
"She was carrying a clipboard." Hitch nodded to Amber, putting a hoof to his chin. "Busy, but not unhappy. She's, uh, it's an awkward time."
Amber started at that, glancing back at the other librarians with her. They also looked concerned at the news, so Amber pressed on, "Do you know why? Can we help? She is a member of our little family, so if we can help, we want to."
"I'll let her know. But it's not simple." He reached up to pet Sparky. "She used to live with Opaline, and we just, uh, defeated her, so, you know, Misty's feeling things, a lot of things." He shrugged with a sigh. "All we can do is be good friends."
Amber nodded firmly at that. "Poor thing! I'll give her an extra hug and offer a shoulder when I see her. I won't keep you though. Sunrise is getting started for real."
The two shared a wave, going their separate ways along the coast. Amber made her way down to the shoreline where the librarians already started to lay out a blanket. The first rays of sunshine pierced through the cloud cover. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.
Laughing and trading snacks, they enjoyed the cool wind before a pony pointed. In the water, Sparky was riding Hitch like a surfboard, doing remarkably well at handling the wave they were riding.
"Isn't that sweet." Amber inclined her head with their motion. "But I hope they don't get hurt."
The wave broke, sending both Hitch and Sparky into the water with a yelp, but they surfaced a moment later, laughing.
Amber stretched her back legs, waking up with a yawn. She was eager to start her day, even more eager to be spending it with Comforting. She bounced to her hooves and galloped out of her room, not even bothering with her usual routine. "Comfs! You know what time it is."
"Hm?" Comforting rubbed her sleepy eyes, wearing a full set of pajamas and looking appropriately stirred from slumber. "What time is it exactly?" She flopped out of the chair she had fallen asleep in, and crawled across the floor, shambling to her hooves like some sort of zombie. "I don't remember what the plan for the day was."
Amber swatted at Comforting. "You're playing with me." With light buffets, she knocked Comforting's pajamas away, proving they weren't attached very well. "Seriously, you said today would be special."
Comforting grabbed her excitable friend by the cheeks. "And I meant it. But the source of that specialness isn't me." She dropped her hands to her sides. "It's you."
Amber stared at her, blinking. "Huh?"
Comforting went to the nearby fridge and pulled out a cup of yogurt. "Somepony should be stopping by, and only you can help them."
"Me?!" Amber shook her head firmly. "Oh, are they needing a book?"
"Maybe," sang out Comforting, floating along with her treat, "Something to look forward to."
Amber would get no more answers, so she got to work. She welcomed the other librarians and threw open the doors for other ponies to come in and get their books. But there were some regulars that needed something more.
She soon spied the pony she knew Comforting had been hinting at: a dazed-looking stallion staring into the shelves with many curious features. For one, he appeared at first glance to be a unicorn, but his horn was like a slab of crystal. His legs began more glittering and crystal-like as you went until terminating in crystal hooves.
Amber wasn't sure what kind of pony they were, but they were looking for a book, so Amber stepped over. "Good morning. It seems you need some assistance. Let me be the one to help."
The stranger jerked in place. "Muh." The noise was hardly more than a grunt as their mind raced to catch up. "Oh, hello!" He smiled just as brightly as he had been confused a moment before. "Nice to meet you. I'm Comet."
"Hello, Comet." Amber looked over the slender stallion curiously. "I'm Amber, and I'm the head librarian of this library, so I'm here to help however I can." She smiled and opened her hooves to invite them. "So, let's start with what you're looking for, and go from there."
Comet thought hard and long, scratching at the bottom of his jaw with a hoof. "Well, I'm new. I mean, around here. I'm not new in general." He turned in place. "I'm an adult, but I only recently arrived in Maretime Bay and there's so much I don't know about it." He put a hoof to the side of his face. "I need a book. A big one that I can read so I know more."
"An encyclopedia. Easy enough." Amber waved for Comet to follow her as she worked her way through the collections of books with practice. "The sort you're looking for is, hm." She ran her magic across the spines of several before settling on one, yanking it free. "Here you are."
Comet accepted the thick volume into his own magic. "Wow! That's perfect, but," He considered it, turning it over in his magical grasp, "A lot to read at once."
Amber smiled at that. "You did ask for a big book. Would you prefer something a little smaller to start and we can work up to this one?" She gave a little pull of the book to signal she was ready to put it away. "It's just as useful. I'd recommend you look up all the places and names in the book, and then go out and visit them."
"Ooh! That makes sense." Comet giggled at the idea, letting the book go with a wave of magic.
She tucked it away and led the way onwards to a shelf full of much more slender articles that were scarcely more than tourist brochures. "They don't go heavy into the details here, but." Amber snatched one up with her glowing magic. "They give a great list of places to visit and why you'd want to. More than enough to start."
Comet accepted this book eagerly. "And it has pictures!" He flipped through the pages with a smile. "It's so shiny."
Amber giggled at the delight displayed on the face of her new acquaintance. "We have a reading nook right there by the window where you could read that without straining your eyes. The sun's nice and bright and we keep the lights just right for enjoying a book."
Comet was already trotting over. "Thank you!"
Amber turned away with a confident grin. "Why did Comforting make that sound so dramatic?" Sure, Comet was interesting looking, but they were still a pony in need of a book, in the end. That was what she did! "Silly girl."
Elsewhere in that library, Comforting was talking to a pair of ponies. "We'll put each volume, starting from the first, working up to the latest." She made a grand swoosh of a motion forward with both hands.
The mare clapped joyfully. "Yes, exactly. We'll go down the middle."
The stallion of the pair nudged against her. "And be dressed out part. This will be so romantic." He sighed with a dreamy smile. "I've heard the bards sing of the wild adventures of adventurers, but I've never actually seen one.
"See one?" The mare gushed a moment with excitement. "We'll be one!" She pranced in place with a happy whicker. "And I can't wait. Yes, thank you." She grabbed Comforting in a firm embrace.
Comforting ruffled the head of the mare gently. "I just hope you two are happy forever." She grinned at the thought. "It's so exciting. I'll see you three days from now." She watched the pair go with a spring in their step, chuckling softly. "Hope they don't get caught."
"Get caught with what?" Amber approached at a light walk. "You look excited."
Comforting squeaked at the timing. "Oh, um." She rubbed behind her head. "I was just helping someponies."
"Yeah? Good job." Amber nodded, watching Comforting. "But you don't look like that's what you're worried about. Why are you worried about some ponies you just helped? Why are you blushing?" Amber snapped her hooves. "It's a romance, isn't it?"
Comforting colored all the darker, shrinking in place. "I can't deny it." She danced away. "But it's not mine, promise."
"So whose is it?" Amber trailed after Comforting curiously. "Is it somepony I know?"
Comforting hid her mouth behind her hand. "You could say that, but I don't think I should spread rumors. It's private. You could ask them." She bobbed her head left and right.
Amber reared up to put her hooves on her hips. "I would, if I knew who to ask. You're not giving me a lot to work with." She turned her eyes to where the two had retreated off to, then to the cart full of books from a single series. "You're hiding something from me."
Comforting grasped her chin in her hands. "I could say that, but I could say that about a lot of things, and I don't like lying. You're being sneaky, trying to get me to give away my secrets." She dramatically zipped her lips with an actual zipper. She said something, but it was impossible to hear around that zipper, just mumbled noises.
Amber rolled her eyes with a grumble. "Fine, be like that. I'll ask around, and see who's going on a date, or planning on one. I've got your number." She walked away with a thoughtful frown.
Comforting undid her zipper and tossed it aside. "A little secret between friends isn't so bad." She floated up and away with a skip. "Let's have lunch."
"This conversation isn't done," grumbled Amber, looking over her shoulder.
"Okay, Amber," singsonged Comforting. "You think that." She vanished with a pop, making it clear her side of the conversation was complete.
Amber glared at where Comforting had been a moment ago. "I love you, but sometimes, I swear." She thumped down a hoof. "Reveal your secrets!"
Misty poked her head out from around the end of the aisle. "What secrets?"
Amber jumped, landing facing Misty. "Oh, hello. I'm actually glad to see you." She rushed up towards Misty with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Um, alright, I guess." Misty rubbed along one leg with the other hoof. "Sorry for the days I took off."
Amber shook her head. "It's fine. We get it." She considered Misty. "If you're willing to talk about it."
"It's complicated." Misty perked a little. "But I feel better today." She let out a nervous laugh. "But I'm here for a book." She reached up to rub behind her ear with a small shake of her head.
Amber hiked a brow at Misty. "No need to fib to me. I had enough fibs today."
Misty smiled a bit too wide, laughing in her tense way before she slumped. "I want to help, um, but I also found something."
"Found something? At the Brighthouse?" Amber's curiosity was piqued. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
Misty nodded sharply. "I found a book on magic. Real magic." She curled on herself and drew out a tome. "And you're studying that, right? With, um, Comforting. Right?"
Amber reached for the book, opening it to reveal a complex series of runes, symbols that made no sense, and pictures. "I've only gotten the basics from her, but yeah, this is, um, neat?" She flipped forward, eyes wide in amazement. "This book has so much in it. Have you started reading it? Is that why you're here?"
"Uh-huh." Misty took out a journal and a pen. "I want to do magic too." Her ears drooped a bit. "I know I can do it. But I don't know how." She sank to her haunches. "So, I have a friend that's curious about that. I thought I'd ask her."
Amber eyed Misty. "You need to take this slow." She flicked through the book, taking a cursory look at each page. "I don't even understand half of what's written here. But that's not a no." She closed the book with her magic. "Misty, I would be happy, no, delighted to help."
"Thanks, Amber. You're so nice." Misty raised her eyes and locked them to Amber's. "I have a question. Who is that pony?" She pointed.
"Hmm?" Amber turned to see Comforting in a mediocre disguise, lurking and watching them quietly. "Yeah, don't mind them." She waved that away with a giggle. "I have a specific room for magic stuff. We'll be magic buddies, okay?"
Misty hopped to her hooves. "Magic buddies, okay! Just between us."
Amber raised a hoof, ears flat to the side. "Comforting's already in the know. If you see her, don't panic. She knows more magic than me, but she's not quick to share, so don't expect tons of answers out of her. She loves her secrets."
Misty perked. "She does?" Misty glanced past Amber, seeing the disguised chaos spirit was gone. "Where did they go?"
"Who knows?" Amber shrugged, smiling all the same. "Today, it's about us, magic buddies."
Misty went in and they touched horns together with a sparkle of agreement. They were unicorns with a unified mission. They were going to learn magic, and start with a trip down the path of runes.
Comforting giggled from her nowhere place. "Coming together just fine." She dug out her phone to update Together on what was happening. "Bet she already knows; clever girl."
Misty glared with a soft groaning noise, her horn glimmering fitfully as she rocked in place.
Amber watched with slow nods. "Almost, almost." She gave a single clop of her hooves. "I know this isn't the most fun part, but I needed to get the runes down before I could do too much else."
Misty flexed her magic. "I feel it. I want to do it." She perked up, eyes wide. "I can do this, I know it!" She leapt at the sphere of energy she had made with her efforts with a snarl, her magic crashing into it with a splash of sparks and ribbons that danced around the room with the release of that magic. "Thank you, again. I feel like I'm putting a hoof forward. What'd I miss?"
Amber sat back, raising her horn up as she started through the letters with slow precision, showing each rune clearly before Misty's fascinated eyes. "Good practice for me too, if we're being honest." She hung on the last one, forming it into scintillating light a moment before it all faded away. "See what you missed?"
"Yeah." Misty perked when she realized what she was missing. "Oops, no 'z'." She hunched herself down, covering her mouth with a nervous giggle. "Guess that's why it's still falling apart." She got right back to work, forming the missing rune, then restarting from the top through the alphabet in concentrated glows. "How did unicorns forget this?! It was a huge part of, uh, unicorn'ing, right?"
"Excellent question." Comforting was there, with no warning or sound, just there as if she had been there from the start. "I'm fairly sure it has to do with unicorns having no magic for over a generation, giving them plenty of time to forget how to use those horns of there's." She reached up to feel along her larger yak horn. "Glad to see it coming back. You two are so diligent."
Amber lit up with a blush. "Aw, shucks. It's easy when you have such a great teacher. I know the language now, I just need to do it. Easier said than done." She directed her horn at Misty. With a twinkle, a doorknob appeared before Misty's surprised face and fell to the ground.
Misty blinked, reaching with unsure hooves. "Where did you pull this from?"
Amber flashed a wicked smile. "That's the best part, I didn't. I just made that. It came from nothing but magic itself." She looked quite proud as she closed her eyes. "My first not-starter spell. Um, though it's not specific to doorknobs. I should learn more variants." She looked at her hooves. "And keep it to nonliving things. I'm still not good enough to do living creatures safely."
Comforting reached down to pick up the doorknob and drop it in her pocket. "Good idea. Living creatures and critters opens up whole new libraries of ethical red tape. If you make a bird, are you responsible for that bird now? Is it like adopting the bird? What if the bird gets hurt, or just flies away? What if you summon the wrong kind of bird? Do you take care of your mistake or toss it out and try again?" She counted on her fingers as she went, resulting in having too many fingers briefly as she went. "You're better off avoiding that for now."
"Yeah, I think I'd like to figure out the doorknob trick a little more." Misty stood up. "It's such a simple thing, but it's something I can do."
Amber threw an arm over Misty. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Step 1, get the runes." Her horn glowed with a few of them. "Step 2, Comforting will ask you a question."
"I will?" She perked. "Right, I will." She zipped over to Misty, curling around her with her long form. "There are different kinds of magic, and I'll show you a simple one of a kind you like. Amber's a conjurer, but you don't have to be. You could be something else entirely. Let's wait until you have those letters first though." She squeezed Misty from all around, looped on the unicorn in a warm embrace. "It will be fun. You're already such an eager student."
Misty leaned into that squeeze, seeming to get some comfort out of the attention. "I want to do better, do more with my life than the nothing I had with Opaline."
Comforting nibbled on Misty's ear. "I am so very happy to hear that." She nuzzled into the twitchy little thing. "Which is why I'll get out of the way. Call when it's my turn!" She evaporated into a field of bubbles, popping rapidly.
Amber threw a hoof against the board with the runes on it. "From the top!"
Misty chirped and moved to join in that task. "Aye-aye, boss."
They practiced the runes and then practiced more with Comforting once she reappeared. When she finally stopped, Amber let out a soft groan. "I need a break, but I want to keep working too. I'm burning with the desire to do more, learn more." She danced fitfully in place. "But balance. It's time to take a break, yes." She moved for the door, waving Misty along. "Want to join me?"
Misty trotted along happily. "Yeah. Are we going to be librarians, oh! Or get a snack? All that work made me hungry."
Amber paused with a hum. "Good idea, actually. To food!"
The two cut through the library, waving to other librarians. Amber collected a few other orders on the way, promising to bring them back some food for later breaks.
Amber and Misty walked down the street. They were going to get food together. With the growing friendship between them, that was a step forward. While Amber wanted to walk with Misty's shoulder bumping into her own, she didn't want to spook Misty by going too quickly. "It's so nice, having a proper magic buddy."
Misty smiled at that. "It really is. Um, but right now, it feels more like you're my magic teacher."
Amber waved that away, stepping up onto a sidewalk. "That's just for now. You'll catch up with me and start your own journey. I can't wait for that." She held open the door with her magic to let Misty step inside. "We're gonna be a force to be reckoned with."
"Reckon that," challenged an aged stallion from the counter of the café. "I'll reckon you two some goodies."
Amber and Misty both jumped at being talked to outside each other. Misty recovered first. "Oh, um, hi? Goodies?"
"You two." He waved a hoof at Amber and Misty. "I can feel it, and I trust those feelings. Two good unicorns. Good. Good. We've been missing some really good ones."
Amber lifted her brows at the stallion. "I've never been called a good unicorn before." She rubbed the side of her head. "Maybe 'good pony' at best." She giggled at her own joke.
The stallion fixed her with a glare. "I know a good one when I see one." He got a little smile. "Why don't you show me your sparkle?"
Misty inclined her head. "I didn't know a sparkle was something you could 'show'."
Amber nodded firmly. "Yeah. Sparkles are just what a pony are. You can already see that." She trotted up to that counter. "Sorry to bother, but we do have some orders." She handed over a slip of paper.
He grabbed the note from Amber's grip, tapping it lightly against the countertop as he considered the two mares. "Well, let's see who has placed orders." His eyes wandered down the slip. "More than you two, obviously." With a glowing horn of his own, he doodled out a few new bits of paper and hung them up in front of the kitchen. "There we are, they're on the case. Now, about that sparkle."
Amber considered that. "Sparkles."
"Sorry, yes, sparkles." He chuckled and leaned over the counter, ignoring the cash register. "Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."
Misty burst into giggles as her horn glowed softly. "Like this?"
"Close." The old stallion tapped his hooves. "But I feel there's more. Go on."
Amber lifted an ear. "Alright." She played a few runes across her horn, fast and loose just to show them off. "Like that?" To most ponies, her horn just glowed.
The stallion saw things differently with widening eyes. "I was right. That's the sparkle I was talking about. I haven't seen that, in, um."
"Orders up!" came a sudden cry from the back.
Forgetting what he was talking about, the stallion gathered Amber's orders and placed them with his magic down on the counter between them. "Enjoy."
"Thank you?" Misty stared at the stallion. "It was nice meeting you, but uh, we have to go." She collected a few bags in her arms, leaning down to put her shoulder under them to get them all.
Amber also loaded herself up, but kept her eye on the stallion. "I'm glad you liked our sparkles."
"Sparkles?" He looked a bit blank a moment before it came to him. "Sparkles! Yes. Not seen anything like it for moons. Good unicorns, you two take care of yourself now, okay?"
They made their exit, transferring their bags to their magic to hold them in the air between themselves. Misty glanced back at the place curiously. "He knows about magic?"
Amber fidgeted even as she walked. "I don't think he does. I think it's a bit sadder than that."
Misty flipped an ear back. "Sadder? What happened?"
Amber glanced about to be sure nopony else was listening. "Comforts said it'd been over a generation since unicorns had magic. Maybe he was just old enough to have seen a little, or even just had it described to him. He doesn't know what he's seeing, just that he remembers it." She frowned slightly. "And that's so sad to me."
Misty opened her mouth and closed it. "Wow, that's... sad. But it's good now. Right?"
"I'd like to think so." Amber perked an ear at Misty. "We're doing our part. If we can show we're doing it right, then we can start showing other unicorns. We'll get our magic back."
They met, hoof to hoof, in a nice firm clop. With shared smiles, they dashed back to the library with their goodies.
"You like them," came in an email on Comforting's phone from Together. "It's okay. I already said I wouldn't be bothered. You are a living creature. You desire the physical contact of other living creatures. That is normal, and not something I can provide, as a tree."
Comforting swiped away tears. "You are the most wonderful person."
"I am a tree," corrected Together patiently. "Not a person."
Comforting wiped her tears. "You're a living being." She rolled over onto her back, holding her phone above her in both hands. "With feelings, who I love so dang much."
"I love you too, but I am a tree. My love is a sedate thing. It takes decades to ripen for me, as I am a tree." She giggled, sounding like wind through the branches of a forest. "Unlike you, I don't have to have it all right away."
Comforting sat up, looking around sharply, but there was no tree there, just her imagination? She continued tapping at her phone. "We've been together for a long time now, you. Don't act like we just met. Living ponies are all younger than our relationship. Oh! Like the benches?"
"It is nice to have ponies spending more time beside me, where I can see, listen, and watch over them. Thank you." A smile emoji followed afterwards. "Now, back to what we were talking about."
"I am in a healthy relationship," insisted Comforting. She twisted this way and that as if someone could overhear her. "I'm just friends with these cute ponies." She huffed gently. "One of whom is clearly hoping I'll give more than that."
"Do you want to give them that? If you do not, drive them away. I know you can. They would be powerless to stop you."
Comforting wailed into a laugh. "I will not blast Toots into next week, that'd be awful. He's just a guy that asked a girl he thought was neat out on a date. No crime there." She scratched gently at her cheek. "I'm just feeling things."
"Have you considered being a tree? Our roots could intertwine. We could patiently watch centuries pass."
Comforting blinked at those words on her phone. "Together..."
"I know that's not what you want, but it doesn't hurt to suggest. You are an animal, my dear Comforting. So do your animal things. I will wait patiently. Trees are good at that."
The sun beat down on Maretime Bay. Toots was bouncing around like a puppy with its tail wagging as Amber and Comforting approached.
Amber adjusted the straps on her dress with a wiggle.
"Good afternoon, ladies." He nodded to both with a big smile. "Today's a big day!"
Comforting swooped in to grab the stallion by the cheeks. "It sure is. I didn't know they had dances in the middle of the day, but it sounds fun."
He giggled at that, swaying this way and that. "Oh, you tease, Comforting." He glanced at Amber. "So, who's driving?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I thought we'd walk." She pointed further into the city. "It isn't that far, and I don't have a car. We can enjoy the sights on the way."
Toots turned to face the direction Amber was pointing. "Sure, or I could get my car if you like? I don't mind driving."
"How about that?" Amber pointed out a massive pile of crates that seemed to have been dumped there. "That's interesting. I wonder what that is."
Comforting giggled and gave Toots a little push. "Amber wants to walk, so we're walking." She landed on her feet instead of floating. "She doesn't get to explore this big city very often." She started to bounce and bound down the street in a sudden flurry of motion.
Amber squeaked. "Comfy! I'm wearing heels!" She chased after, trying to keep up but not exactly failing to do so either.
Toots sped up to keep up with them all. "If we're admiring the sights, what's the rush?"
"Point." Comforting slowed herself. "Sorry, got excited." She swiped at her shoulders, dusting off. "Nice and slow."
Amber managed to get up alongside Comforting. "We've been working so hard. It's nice to just do something nice." She cleared her throat. "We should take the scenic route. It'll be lovely."
"No one else is complaining about going straight." Toots tried to hurry the trio on, but the others ignored him, so he shrugged and dropped his pace with a grumble. "So, uh, either of you two danced before?"
Comforting glanced back. "It's been ages! But yes." She almost gave more info, but thought better of it. Discussing exes with modern prospects could be awkward for all involved.
Amber shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, no. I'm just along to relax, maybe eat, and have some fun." She shrugged a shoulder. "But if I find a dance partner, I can see myself dancing a little."
Comforting ruffled Amber's back gently. "Keep your eyes open. You won't see a dance partner if you're not looking. The enchanting local head librarian? They'll be lining up for a chance."
"Oh!" Amber waved that off with a roll of her eyes. "Like anypony is going to be interested in that."
"I am." Comforting propped her head on Amber's shoulder with a sly grin. "Which is me asking for at least one dance."
Toot's ears fell, but he forced them up. "Um, Comforting, I'd like—"
"—You're on my card." Comforting looped around Amber with a smile. "You'll get your chance, promise." She pointed off at a group of ponies enjoying a lunch at the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. "Should we sit with them?"
Amber dug out her phone to check the time. "As tempting as that'd be, we're already kinda perfectly on time with walking on this route, so let's not stop." She started moving again, cutting across a road with a pleasant smile for the others. "C'mon, the party's not waiting for us."
"The party would wait forever if you asked." Comforting followed with a sly grin. "But you wouldn't, and that's good."
Toots looked aside at Comforting. "What do you mean by that?"
Comforting gently patted Toots along the back. "It means I could do a lot of things. I mentioned it before, but I am a spirit of chaos." She leaned in close. "If I wanted to, I could make a big mess, but I really don't want to. I like things as they are, growing, changing over time, and not all at once everywhere."
"Well, I know you're not like that. I can see that." Toots straightened himself up with a smile. "And I like things the way they are too." He stepped up to walk on Amber's opposite side. "I can see other ponies making the journey." He tossed his head at other travelers hiking towards the dance hall ahead of them.
Amber smiled brightly. "This is such a fun thing. I can't wait to get there, and see everything, and then to go home and tell Comforting and Misty all about it."
"Whoa!" Toots bounced in place, ears high. "You three live together?"
Comforting swirled ahead of Toots. "Me and Amber live together, at the library. Misty doesn't. We've offered, but she's happier at the bright house."
"We are trying to be her friends, and respect her space. She's been through a lot, and it's up to her to decide what she needs." Amber nodded as she spoke, keeping her voice even as she watched the other ponies they were approaching.
Having gone deeper into the city, there were great clumps of ponies, waiting their turn to cross streets that had a lot more vehicles trying to cross them, some of which beeped impatiently.
Comforting took a deep breath and put on her most convincing smile. "So, um, let's stick together." She slipped between Amber and Toots and put an arm around either. "I don't like cars, and I don't have a good sense of how to dodge them." She blinked up at Amber. "Do you?"
Amber let out a slow exhale. "Just follow the other ponies, nothing to it."
They wandered up to the edge of the sidewalk and waited with mild rocking until the rest of the crowd began forward, a hint for them to move. They cut through traffic at a brisk trot. A light turned red. An alarm blared. Ponies jumped into a run, leaping across the street. They got across before the next batch had started to press forward, ending up safe on the other side.
The trio staggered a bit before recovering. Comforting sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."
"That happens every day." Toots waved back at the cars. "Usually, I'm one of the ones in the car." With a chuckle, he started ahead. "We're almost there."
Comforting peeked over at the shops and other buildings they passed. "Hm, the city really changes as you get into it. I should stop by when I'm not in a specific rush. Take it all in."
"That would be a great idea." Amber pulled out her phone with a hum. "Maybe we could make this a weekly event? Work, chill, lunch, or dinner, and a stroll around the city?"
Comforting bumped against Amber. "Don't leap at the idea just because I said it." She whipped her tail to brush against Toots. "Besides, I want to look on my own too."
Toots started to reach for the tail touching his side, then dropped his hoof to his side. "I'm pretty familiar with the city. If you ever need a guide, I can be free."
Comforting tilted her head at Toots. "Have you been all over the place already?"
"It's my home city." He walked with pride in each step. "I know every alley." He peered down one they were passing. "And I'm willing to go anywhere for you."
Comforting giggled at that. "Thank you, kind stallion, but I don't want to ask that of you." She suddenly leaned in close. "Even if you're looking like you'd rather I asked."
He recoiled in place a second with a nervous laugh. "Uh, well, you're, um, interesting?"
She bounced, nearly leaving the ground as she turned towards the large building they were nearing. "Today, we dance!" With an arm around either of them, she encouraged them up towards the thumping music of the hall. "Gonna get it on like it was the fourth!"
Toots inclined his head. "Fourth what?"
"Inside joke." Comforting darted ahead suddenly, leaving the ground. "C'mon!" She disappeared through the front door in a blink, leaving it wide open and swaying back and forth.
Amber and Toots shared a glance. She shrugged and pushed forward with a shy smile. Together, they pressed inside the hall full of energetically dancing ponies and lively music to go along with it.
The music was a thrumming beat, pulsing through them and demanding a response. The hooves of ponies rose and fell in a wave of motion as they danced across the floor in the center. Toots grabbed Amber by the hoof and tugged her deeper in.
She gave a playful yelp of surprise, stumbling after with a gasp. "Ow!"
"I'll show you a dance!" He looked over her quickly, as if measuring her up. "It'll be fun, promise." He kicked a foot out, slapping the ground and throwing a hoof up.
Amber hesitantly took his hoof. "I, okay, I'll try?" She copied the hoof and kick, almost getting his hoof when she swung hers up.
They danced together in slow, practicing, motions, his eyes locked to hers. She smiled, looking back. He opened his mouth. "I don't know how to say this, but, you look, really, um, yeah, wow."
Amber went dark at that, laughing nervously. "I thought you were interested in Comforting?"
"Um! I, uh, am? But I can see a pretty mare." He rubbed behind his head awkwardly. "And I can tell her."
"Aw." She bowed her head. "Thanks, but, I'm not interested in that, at all."
"Oh, cool. Then we can be friends." He grinned, reaching to offer her his hoof. "I can swing?" He spun her about slowly, with a laugh. "You look great, but if you're not into me, that's fine." He snorted into a laugh. "Besides, like you said, my eyes are on Comforting. Speaking of which, have you seen her?"
"Yeah." Amber craned her head, looking around. "She's probably—"
"Here." Comforting swooped in from nowhere in particular to snag Toots by the hoof. "Dance time!" She yanked him in to hop and spin around him. She went in a tight circle with him, flashing in and out of view with how fast she moved.
Amber blinked and missed a great deal of the proceedings as they whirled away into the crowd. "Wow." With her dance completed, she went to check out the refreshments.
Comforting lifted Toots into the air easily, rubbing cheeks with the stallion before spinning around to face the DJ. "Yo, play the new tune, the one about the forest! I love that one. It makes me want to skip and hum."
Amber trotted up to the snack table with a groan of delight. There were so many sweet and delicious treats to choose from. "Hey, did you want anything?"
Toots, still clutched in the arms of Comforting, giggled like a lovestruck fool. "I, um, whatever you want?"
They could barely hear one another over the music, then playing that forest beat that Comforting had requested. She touched nose to nose with Toots. "I'll be blunt. I am a goddess. Are you up to dating a god, however friendly they may be?"
"Um?" He blinked several times as if coming to himself. "Wait, what?"
"Comforting, don't," shouted Amber from the distance.
Comforting floated up out of hearing range. "I have more power in my pinkie than most have in their entire body." She nipped at his shoulder. "That isn't a threat, but it is reality. I can't promise we'll ever be an 'even match' like you'd get with another pony. I just can't. Is that what you want?"
His ears twitched, his eyes focused on hers. "Oh! I see. You're serious." He swallowed. "I don't know. Uh, wait." He waved to Amber, but she was busy talking to other ponies. "You're friends with Amber. You two get along, even if you're a, uh, 'god'. If that's how you two can make it work, that's what I want. You can't help what you are."
"Are you sure? Because you aren't. I can tell." She bobbed her head slowly. "I think." She suddenly grabbed Toots, smooshing him against herself. "You're almost hoping I overpower you, in the best kinds of ways."
"No, I don't! I swear!" He squirmed in her arms, pushing her away. "You're scary, you know that? Just a little, but I really didn't expect that."
Comforting let him push her away, but kept him floating alongside her. "Good, I should be a little scary, but I do think you're neat. If you want to try this, seriously, I'll put my all into it, but you'll have to do the same." She released her grip, letting Toots float down to his hooves.
He nodded, seeming to mull things over in his mind.
Ponies laughed and danced at the party. The music filled the air with excitement. Each pony stomped and cheered. Togetherness felt a similar kind of energy. As her friends explored and had fun, she remained a patient observer. The test had been completed, and they were rejoicing in a time of peace until the next one. This pleased her.
She had even given a gift, a reward. Misty was cherishing it, and would, perhaps, use it in the next test.
Elsewhere, Allura trotted along the beach with a thoughtful tilt of her head. The sky was dark with clouds, hiding the moon from her sight. The gentle lap of the waves upon the sand was a quiet caress of sound in her ears. "Miserable ponies," she growled out, tail lashing behind her. "You're weak, useless, and yet, they cling to you. Why do you let them, Allura? Do you have a weakness for them? Do you?" She shook herself, calming herself down.
Her eyes swept the shoreline with a low snort. "I would know if you were here." Her gaze locked forward. "Wouldn't I?" She shook herself out with a huff. "At least, it's not so blastedly hot during the night."
***
Comforting swatted the door shut behind her. "You okay?" The statue had no response for her as she wandered up to place her hands on the cold stone remnant of her pony wife. "I miss you." But the statue could not respond. It was just a statue. Her eyes flicked down to the base, reading the inscription over and over. "For my friend and her bond, may this memory last a thousand years." She dragged her fingers down the chilled stone.
She shivered with clenched teeth. "I won't do that." She turned from the statue. "I have to accept the new day. He isn't nearly as captivating as you were, my dear. He's very straight forward. You were always so scheming and cunning." She sat herself down and curled up with a sigh. "You'd find a way to talk me out of it if you knew what I was thinking." She closed her eyes. "You and Together."
There had been a time she could hug both Diamond and Together, once Harmony. They had been great times, but, like all times, that had passed. "It's not fair to judge him like that, based on other people who aren't even around anymore." She huffed gently. "I'm sure he has a deeper side, but I'll have to dig a little instead of just looking at the surface."
She smiled to herself a little. "He is cute, in a rolly-polly way that makes me want to squeeze him." She giggled, shaking her head. "I am not into that kind of thing, I swear. I just like the shapes and sizes of bodies."
There was nothing. No answer or reply. It was just her, and she was used to that. She gazed up at the unblinking and eternal gaze of her old girlfriend. "Yeah," she sighed out. "It's like that." She stood up, stretching. "Crying at your statue won't get me very far."
She floated up to touch the muzzle of the statue. "I hope you're happy, wherever you are. You deserve to be happy. I love you." She floated away from the statue with a sad little smile. "Goodbye, for now."
Comforting waved the door open and departed from her home, back to the living world to meet its challenges.
She did not expect to run face-first into a wall of soft fur on doing so.
Allura took a step back with a grunt. "You, what?"
"Flying without looking, sorry." Comforting zipped upright, hovering in the air. "Aw, look at you." She circled around Allura curiously. "A pretty kitty cat! Hello!"
Allura considered the strange creature that was Comforting. "What even are you?"
"I'm a spirit, of chaos. Nice though, promise that." Comforting touched down with a hop, leaning in to tap her larger yak horn against Allura. "And what are you?"
Allura growled low and deep in a very feline way. "I am—I don't have to tell you! Why should I? A spirit? What even is that?"
Comforting blinked at her with her golden eyes, their shape foreign, and her pupils slits. "You really don't know? Who are you then?" She reached out, feeling along Allura's soft fur gently. "I like it, but I don't know it."
Allura swatted Comforting's questing fingers away. "Are you so touchy with every creature you run across?"
"Every one that lets me." Comforting laughed at herself, rocking back and closer to Allura. "But I'm serious, at least give me a name so I don't say 'hey, cat.' That feels rude."
Allura straightened up and puffed out her chest. "I am Allura." Her ears twisted in place, listening to the surroundings. "You have to be able to tell I'm not a real cat. No housecat am I." She lashed her tail, glaring at Comforting. "Don't you know fear?"
"I try to avoid it." Comforting shrugged. "Not too much comes along that gives me a reason to be scared. Should I be scared of you?"
Allura purred, a soft vibrating noise that penetrated all through Comforting's form. "I could hurt you, quite badly, if I wanted."
Comforting laughed softly. "Yeah, you could. I'm a spirit of chaos. It's not the first time a being has tried to hurt me."
The purring only grew louder. "Or I could tell you to sit."
Comforting felt it, the urge to sit. She decided to play along, sitting down in front of the large feline.
Allura nodded. "Very good." She patted Comforting on the head, still purring. "Now, do you know where the Nova Charm is? Tell me, little strange creature. Tell me."
Telling her felt like the right thing to do. Comforting internally batted away the forced command, but played along despite it. "I don't know what a Nova Charm is, tell me about it?"
Allura rolled her eyes. "I swear. It's a rock that can open a portal. It's how I escape this heat! If you don't know where it is." She leaned in close enough to touch her nose to Comforting's front. "You can help me hunt for it."
Comforting's tail curled. "You want to leave, eh?" She shrugged a shoulder. "I don't see why I can't help with that. I need to get a certain pony her magic back anyway, and it's somewhere around here, so why not?"
Allura sat with a confused expression. "A pony their magic back? How did they lose it?" She shook her head slowly. "Did their horn fall off? That would be funny to see."
"That is not how it works." Comforting reached up to adjust Allura's fur casually. "If you want to stick around, you're going to have to learn about the place, and its history."
"Who has time for that?!" she almost roared out, but she forced herself back into her gentle purring, sure she could control Comforting. "Go into that city of theirs, find the charm, and report back to me."
Comforting found it harder to resist this command, but still she did. She raised her arm and her yak horn glowed. "You need a guide. Come with me."
Allura jumped back, landing on her haunches and staring in horror at Comforting's glowing. "What are you doing?"
Comforting waved a finger. "Spirit. I can glow if I want to." She lifted into the air. "I can be the best friend you ever had."
A rabbit approached rapidly and began yammering something at Allura.
Allura huffed. "What? Twitch, speak clearly."
He repeated himself a bit slower, speaking in his strange rabbit way for her.
Comforting pulled down some goggles out of nowhere, enabling the closed captioning on the conversation.
"You've been gone all day," translated the text on the goggles. "How dare you! We've got stuff to do! I have stuff to do! I saw an abandoned, broken cart and wanted to see if there's anything worth salvaging!" He clapped his paws and threw his arms in the air. "Then you didn't come back." He slumped into a miserable heap, kicking a paw weakly.
Allura huffed gently at Twitch. "You're this excited about a broken cart? Why should we care about a broken cart?!" Her words were clear without subtitles, though they came anywhere.
Twitch pointed off into the distance. "Because the cart started moving!" The rabbit's sounds were gibberish, but the words were clear. "And I saw it! I saw the Nova Charm! A pony had it!"
That had Allura's attention. "Did they? Then we need to be there." She jumped forward and Twitch hopped on her back. Without even glancing at Comforting, she raced off to get the Nova Charm, whatever it was.
Comforting watched them go with a hum. "I feel a test approaching." She flashed a growing smile. "And it has a mean, but cute, kitty in it. I like it." She turned back to face the forest, putting her goggles away. "Alright, we need to get ready."
With a burst of magic, Comforting vanished away from the world and into the chaos between dimensions.
She popped back into the world back in the library, touching down on a desk in front of a surprised pony. "Oops, sorry." She gave them a gentle pat and hopped over their head to leave them to their reading. She floated towards the section of the library dedicated to her.
"What a lovely young man." She grabbed a book or two that had been placed on the shelf incorrectly and returned it to its proper spot. "Now, hm." She looked for her usual suspects. Amber was at the front desk, chatting animatedly with somepony else. The usual librarians were about doing their job.
Misty wasn't there. "Sometimes it's the one that's missing that gives you the best clue." Comforting clapped her hands together and brought them apart, forming a window in the air. The window displayed Misty with Sunny and the other ponies of the Bright house, enjoying themselves at a new carnival. "Where'd that come from?"
Misty giggled with Pipp. "This is amazing! I've never seen so much fun at once before."
Sunny bumped Misty softly. "Isn't it? Izzy, you did a great job!"
"And I got rid of the blocky wockies!" Izzy danced as she capered about the carnival. "I hope everypony has a great time here!"
Misty marveled at the beautiful colors of the park and the decorations, so alive and vivid. "I've never been to something this nice before. Thanks for inviting me."
Sunny looked aside at her with a small smile. "Izzy bounced back, and it's amazing." She hopped at Izzy, hugging the unicorn. "And what an amazing thing you've made for us all."
Izzy patted Sunny's back. "We all work together! We make it possible!" She gestured all around with a grand sweeping of her arms. "We did this!"
Misty inclined her head. "But you were the one that did it. We only got here after you made this."
Izzy threw a hoof with a ripe raspberry noise. "I only could do that because I had you all as friends to inspire me." She tapped at her temple with a grin. "It's in all of us, to make something wonderful, or even just a little better."
Misty gave Sunny a quizzical glance.
Comforting turned, moving the window with her. She spotted Allura skulking off, looking displeased. "Didn't find that charm? Hm." She closed the window on the scene, pondering what it all meant. "Together, you are a tricky tree!" She crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine, fine. I get it."
She looked all about. "Well, the future is secure. That's good. I should check in with my coltfriend." She colored, realizing what she had just said. "With me friend, who is a stallion. We didn't go that far just yet." She glanced in a nearby mirror, giving herself a bit of a wink. "But I know he'd like to. Maybe soon." She zipped over to her books and flipped through them. "What section would have what modern ponies expect when they're dating anyway?"
The streets were peaceful at this time of day. Ponies, and other creatures, drifted along their paths. The wind blew in a light breeze that was so often present in Maretime Bay. Sunny smiled, stepping lightly. Her stand was closed for the day, and she was free to enjoy herself for a moment.
Sunny headed to a large board in the center of town, looking up at the poster tacked to the top. There was an image of the three of them, Izzy, Zipp, and herself, all with smiles. The title of it was 'Harmony Is Coming Back' in bold letters. Below, it detailed the plans for the park and a reminder for anyone with good ideas for what else to do to send in an application to Izzy Moonbow.
Sunny let out a little giggle, hooves trembling before her as she considered the future park. "This will be so nice."
"Yes."
She jumped back, spinning in place. She caught sight of Comforting with a relieved sigh. "You! You've got to stop doing that. I don't know how you do it, but I've seen you just pop up sometimes. One second you're not there, the next you are."
Comforting swooped in on the recovering pony and gently touched noses. "I don't mean to scare you, but yeah, bad habit of mine. Forgive?" She placed a gentle kiss to Sunny's forehead, smiling in her eyes.
Sunny found her heart rate slowing from the touch, the closeness. She gave a quick nod and smiled softly. "Of course. You can't help your magic, and you haven't done anything bad with it." She sighed with released air as she turned back to the board. "It'll be so nice, fixing up the park. Do you know about it?"
"Only what that poster says." Comforting lifted up to tap at the new poster, hanging there. "Did you make this?"
Sunny's ears fell back, her head lowering with them. "Yeah, it's my big idea. I wanted to do something, but I'm not an artist like Izzy." She lifted a hoof.
Comforting waved that away. "It's a delightful poster. Love it." She zoomed back down to be at Sunny's side. "I have not spent enough time with you."
Sunny blinked at that. "You don't owe me anything. We barely know each other, though what I do know is nice."
"I'd like to know more, get to know you better. Maybe even become good friends, eventually." She offered a hand with a smile. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a connection, at this point in my life? It's not easy. Ponies can't be themselves in front of me."
"Why not?" Sunny took an offered hand, cradling Comforting gently. "You seem like a nice enough creature, minus the surprising entries at times."
"I'm a chaos spirit. I am a force of nature." Comforting gave Sunny's hoof a gentle tug, drawing her towards a path out of the city. "I can't blame them for being cautious." She started them both down the path towards the forest. "But I can't say everypony." She snorted with an almost fond smile. "One little rolly-polly stallion is pretty sure he can win my heart."
"Win your heart? He likes you? Has he asked you out?" She bounced slightly, feeling a bit bubbly. "You should go on a date with him if you want to!"
"I sort of already did?" Comforting twirled a few inches into the air. "And we both had a great time. It was dancing. No big accidents, just fun." She giggled and grinned at Sunny. "But that's not a great story to tell when you're talking to a potential new friend."
Sunny laughed in return, unable to resist. "We should all get together then. I'd love to hear it."
"And I'd love to tell it. I was an amazing dance partner!" She whipped her tail about, grinning at Sunny. "And he kept up, points to him." She zipped in to grab Sunny's cheeks. "But let's put him aside a moment. I'm trying to make a new friend, a real friend, out of the pony in front of me."
Sunny couldn't help but laugh at the odd way that Comforting held her, but she managed to continue the conversation. "Okay, fine. I don't have to go to the forest, right?"
Comforting looked over her shoulder to the forest they had been going towards. "You don't have to! I don't like forcing creatures. I just thought a nice scenic trot would be nice." She shifted her hold on Sunny's cheek to just take up one cheek as if they were holding hands. "Though, I am interested in what you were saying about the forest. Have you been to the woods before?"
Sunny pointed ahead, to the forest. "Of course! That's why I want to make a proper park in it, for ponies to enjoy safely. We haven't built that park yet, so it's all wild and full of things, wild things." She glanced aside at Comforting, finding an innocent smile and curiosity in the other's gaze.
"I'd offer to help." Comforting released Sunny to consider the forest herself. "But if I did, it'd be a lot of cheating, and that takes some of the point out. Hm." She raised her tail to tickle Sunny under her snout. "You don't want me just doing it for you."
She flinched and giggled at the same time, playfully shooing the tail away. "Stop that! But no, I don't want you to. I want to make it on my own, or, well, with the rest of my friends."
"Which I still want to be one of." Comforting turned back to Sunny. "So, if you don't want to trot out into the forest unknown, what do you like to do for fun?"
"Oh, well, there's lots of fun things to do." Sunny swayed on her hooves, considering. "I really love working on the stand, and making sure the customers are having a great time."
Comforting rolled a hand. "That's work. I love that you enjoy your work, but that's work. That isn't something you do with a friend for the fun of it." She floated up to look at Sunny from a different angle. "When was the last time you did something for fun?"
"It was yesterday." Sunny glanced aside with a wince. "Wasn't it?"
"Did you have any fun with Izzy, or Zipp?" She folded her hands in front of her with an encouraging smile. "That might count."
Sunny was about to say, yes, it had been the three of them together, but her mind drew a blank. "It... It must've been." She struggled for a memory of the time with her two friends.
Comforting zipped in, nose to nose with Sunny. "It didn't leave much of an impact on you, it seems. Are you sure it was fun, rather than some chore?"
"It had to be fun!" Sunny swayed from side to side, but the more she thought, the more that thought sounded hollow. "I just, we had to do stuff, didn't we?"
Comforting nodded slowly, still nose to nose with Sunny. "And you got it done, with friends. Very nice, lovely even, but I want to know about you just having a good time, doing something that didn't have to be done." She flicked a hoof to one side. "What was your last fun activity?"
Sunny's mouth opened, and closed. She frowned, looking aside as she thought hard. There was that time she went to the movies with Zipp. "That had been a good movie, not my usual genre, but Zipp was sure it'd be great, and it was good."
Comforting picked up enough clues to put together what Sunny was mumbling about. "You like movies? What genre?"
"It's the action ones with big stakes and—"
"No! No, no no no no no." Comforting shook her head a bunch. "That is what you watch because they are interesting, not because it is fun."
"Fun." Sunny curled a hoof to her chin with thought, then dug out her phone and pulled up what movies were playing. "Fun, hm, let's see." She scrolled through the listings of what was playing before stopping. "This one looks like fun. I'll take a look and let you know."
"Is this how you always find a new movie? Just, scroll through them until one grabs you?" Comforting examined the phone screen curiously to see which movie Sunny had landed on.
"It's worked so far." Sunny poked a button on her phone to request a ticket. "I guess I could see what my friends want to see."
Comforting folded her arms across her chest. "Sunny! That's mean. I'm right here, asking you about fun things you like to do. I'm asking about you, your preferences, and you're ignoring that?"
Sunny squinted. "So?"
"So?" She threw her hands in the air. "I want you to have fun. Nopony else just you, having fun. You deserve to have fun on your own terms. You're a great friend, clearly, willing to do what it takes for everypony else to have a blast, but this time, I want you to enjoy yourself, just for yourself."
Sunny bowed her head, fiddling with her phone. "You really want me to have fun?"
"I do. More than you know, I want that." Comforting patted Sunny on the shoulders. "You're a sweet, kind, wonderful, pony." She ruffled Comforting's shoulder. "The only alicorn around these days. I want you to have fun."
Sunny's ears flattened back. "Am I special, because I'm the last alicorn?"
"You are not! You are a person, a unique pony." Comforting rolled her eyes and touched a finger to the end of Sunny's nose. "Who happens to be an alicorn too, but I'd want you to have fun even if you weren't. Now, lovely friend of mine, what movie do you want to see because it's a kind of movie you'd watch even if you were alone?"
Sunny's mind raced, scrambling to find an answer. "I've never really thought about it! I just pick the ones that sound the most appealing."
Comforting chuckled, nodding slowly. "If it makes you feel better, I have no idea about movies." She hummed gently, floating backwards. "It's been so many moons since I last watched one, a lifetime ago." That was more literal than she cared to explain. "But I'd like to try one, with a friend, that she wants to see."
"Um." Sunny hunched in on herself a little. "I don't know?"
Comforting gently pulled on Sunny, leading her down the street. "Let's walk around and talk." She grabbed for Sunny's phone, sliding back to the top. "Let's review these, carefully. We have time, and talk about which ones sound interesting and why. Which one you want to see should pop up naturally."
They wandered, Comforting flipping the phone as she listened to Sunny talk about the movies she liked. None of them jumped out at either of them. They were interesting, or dramatic, but not exactly 'fun' as it was put. Comforting eventually surrendered the phone back. "Hm, maybe it's just bad timing. Alright, no movie then. What else do you like to do, just for the fun of it?"
Sunny perked. "Oh! Rollerskating when I don't have somewhere to be. That was fun for me since I was a little filly! My father taught me."
"Roller skating?" Comforting looked down at Sunny's feet. "Do you have those? They should be simple enough to make." She blinked, tilting her head. "That does sound fun." She clapped her hands, suddenly wearing a seat on her mismatched feet as she thudded to the ground, gravity important for that sport. "Let's skate."
"Comforting! Where did you get those?"
Comforting flexed her legs with a smile. "I created them, that's what I do." She trotted in place before leaping forward and gliding along, circling around a stunned Sunny. "Where are yours? Let's get them!"
Sunny pointed at Comforting's skates. "I can't just do that, like, snap, they're there."
"You can't, but I can. I'll just make a pair for you." She clapped with a giggle, and Sunny was wearing skates, just as Comforting had done for herself. "Where to, skate-buddy?"
"The rink." Sunny's ears flattened in excitement and anticipation. She swung a leg and pushed off the ground. She immediately slid forward, feeling the wind brush her mane. The freedom of it was almost addictive.
Together, they powered down the street to just have some fun.
Misty burst into Amber's office, sides heaving and eyes wide. "You will not believe this!" She slipped in and flopped onto the nearest cushion, wiggling up against Amber. "I just found something incredible in the forest!"
Amber blinked, the unexpected intrusion by her student leaving her blinking at the papers in front of her. "Uh, did you finish all your assignments?"
"Of course!" She lifted up with a giggle. "What can I say, I was motivated! But it's not about that." With a glowing horn, Misty set down her book. "I think I understood a spell in here!"
Amber turned her gaze to the book. "Which one? Show me."
Misty grinned and flipped to the page. "It's a very useful one! You should see."
Amber read through the instructions. "A cleaning spell?" Rather than being disappointed, she only brightened. "I want to see!"
"I want to show it." Misty looked over the spell one more time, tongue poking out a little as she cast it, eyes on Amber's bed. The bed glowed the same color as the spell took hold of it, shaking softly, then brightening as it was cleaned from deep within to the surface, then it started to fold neatly until it looked like a trained maid had come and tended to it.
Amber rose to her hooves, stumbling over to it. "Misty, that's, that's incredible!" She looked over the now pristine and folded bedding. "It's, so clean! Can I touch it? Do I have to? I want to." She looked to Misty. "Can I?"
Misty waved at the made bed. "Please," she almost squeaked out, barely holding back her giggles.
Amber reached out, feeling the crisp blanket and clean sheets under it. "That's so cool! Does it work on things besides beds?"
"I don't think it'll break that difference. If it can wash a bed, why can't it clean the floor or wash dishes?" Misty kicked a hoof softly against the ground as she sat back down.
Amber imagined how that could go wrong with a nervous laugh. "We should test that before we assume. Hm, oh!" She grabbed a small trophy off a shelf and placed it before Misty. "Try that. It could use a polish, and if it gets hurt, I won't be super sad."
"Oh, alright." Misty went to work casting the spell once more, pointing at the little trophy. It shook and glowed in its same pattern as it did to the bed, then it shone brightly to reveal a sparkling, pristine, award.
Amber squealed as she clapped at the sight. "Perfect! I love it. Now, how many hugs do I have to offer before you teach that one to me?" She leaned in, giggling. "How quickly the student becomes the teacher."
Misty's horn shimmered. "I could write the whole thing down for you now, if you wanted, but I thought it'd be better to practice together. That's how you did it with me and all my other spells."
"I accept," joyfully cried out Amber. "It's nice being a wizard, but being a wizard with a buddy? Even better."
Elsewhere, Comforting smiled at the image of the two working with equal delight at sharing and practicing their magic. "It's so nice to see unicorns doing what unicorns do again." She let out a soft sigh, rubbing her chin a moment. "Should I do it now? Would that be weird? I don't want to interrupt their bonding time."
Sunny leaned in, nosing at Comforting's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Comforting jumped, only then remembering that she had company, and was not in one of her safe secret places. "Oh! Yes. I just had a feeling some ponies were having a good time, and it made me happy."
Sunny laughed at that. "You can feel that? Must be nice. I was about to head home." She pointed to the bright house. "You're welcome to come along?"
"I think I'll pass, tonight." Comforting adjusted herself, drifting up into the air to better stare down at the inviting, and also foreboding, structure. "I still have a job to do."
Sunny put out an arm, soon getting a Comforting in it to hug gently. "Then I'll see you later. You know where to find me." She lowered her gaze to her hooves. "By the way, how long will these skates last? You were implying not forever?"
"About a week if we got really lucky." She waved to the skates, and they vanished back to the chaos, wherever they came from. "If you need them back sooner, just call for me and I'll bring them back."
"It's alright, I do have some at home. I need them for deliveries, or just having some fun." Sunny shook herself lightly and broke into a trot towards the bright house. "See you later!"
Comforting waved her goodbye, and then turned back to the bright house, drifting up to hover higher in the sky. "You're waiting for something." She rested a finger on her chin, watching the building, and its surroundings, with an idle gaze. "But not today, not right now, and not from me, right now." She nodded, sure with her thoughts and twirled to face the larger city instead. "No no no. What this city needs is—no." She rolled her head and eyes, moving a little farther from the bright house.
Her head tilted to the side. "Ah, there you are, little bunny." Spotting Twitch darting about, looking for something, Comforting swooped in for a closer examination of the rabbit. She drew down her goggles, ready to understand the gibberish that the bunny might speak.
Twitch, with no sense of being observed, ran along his usual path, keeping to the shadows and hiding away from the eyes of ponies. "Come on, where did it go?" He hopped off a cart, dashing over to where he had seen a shining red object.
Comforting shadowed the rabbit curiously, making no noise as she faded entirely from sight. She watched as Twitch scrambled to get his paws on something that glittered and sparkled in the night, something he finally managed to dig up.
He wiped away the dirt with a triumphant smile, only to toss it aside with a whine of distress.
Curiosity burning, Comforting returned to visibility behind Twitch. "Looking for something?"
He jumped and spun on her, letting out a shrill noise, but he still answered. "My treasure! It's gone, but this is where I found it. It was a shiny, pretty, thing."
Comforting's eyes swept over the subtitles that translating Twitch's gibbering into understandable words. "What treasure? Maybe I can help find it."
Twitch eyed her suspiciously. "What's in it for you?" they demanded with a thump of one of their large feet. "And why can you even understand me? That's Allura's thing!" He paused and took a step back. "Are you Allura? Did you turn yourself into a strange new creature?!"
Comforting raised her hands. "No no no. I'm me, but I can just understand you." She glanced about, leaning closer to Twitch. "Let's find this treasure of yours. What does it look like?"
Twitch wasn't certain about this strange creature that appeared before him, but they were desperate enough to give it a shot. "It's shiny! It's beautiful and so precious, so perfect. It's just for me!"
Comforting's head tilted to the side. "All good things to be, but let's start with its color."
"Shiny!" Twitch bounced from foot to foot with obvious agitation.
"What part of it is shiny? The inside or the outside?"
"Both! It's perfect. It's round, and smooth, and just right in my paw." Twitch held the imagined thing in his little paw.
Comforting smiled. "Alright, we have a hint, it's rabbit-paw sized. Still, what color is it, really, besides shiny, or is it just shiny and no other color?" She imagined a chrome finish in her mind. "Do you mean reflective like a mirror, or dull, but just glossy?"
Twitch tried to remember, but they were caught up in the desire to find it. "I don't know, but it was pretty."
"Round, and bunny-paw sized." Comforting nodded to herself as she looked around. "That's a start. Let's see if we can't find that." She sniffed the air, raising up into the sky and examining the streets of Maretime Bay. She heard Twitch complaining below, and she let out a sigh. She scooped up Twitch with magic and drifted him up to her level.
The higher vantage point let him peer in all directions, one paw over his eyes as he glared at every possible hiding place he could spot from there.
Comforting brought her goggles up. "I have an idea, but I need you to listen." She waited a beat for Twitch to nod. "Good. Close your eyes and focus on this thing you lost. Just imagine it, and keep a nice clear image in your head. Don't think of anything else."
He obeyed, closing his eyes and envisioning that thing, his perfect treasure.
Comforting reached up to her goggles and clicked them, rotating their lenses to no longer show the subtitles of bunnies, but instead offer a peek inside their thoughts. She wasn't planning on taking the words, but rather just borrowing them.
The first word was 'shiny'. Then a perfect round shape followed it. It was about as big as Twitch's paw, though not about the exact size, that detail was left open. She leaned in closer, trying to get a good view of what Twitch was imagining. It was a bit cloudy, but she could just make out the curve of it. It was a metal sphere, the very tip of it bent and broken off.
She nodded to herself, and turned the goggles back to their default mode. "Okay, I think I know what we're hunting for now." She clapped her hands gently. "And I know who took it."
Twitch perked at that. "Took it?! Who took it?!" he roared out with a furious stomp of one of his powerful back paws.
Comforting grimaced. "Not here." She wrapped Twitch in a cocoon of magic, giving him a little squeeze. "And I don't think they were trying to be mean, but that shiny, that metal, that shape? Yeah, only one pony comes to mind. Let's go!" She soared through the air, carrying Twitch along as they zipped towards the brighthouse. "Have you met Izzy before?"
Twitch twitched in her magic, unable to break free, not that he seemed to want to, seeing as they were flying towards where he suspected the thief was. "No, not that I know of."
"She's nice, but she loves collecting shinies, especially if she thinks she can 'unicycle' them into new and wonderful things. What you're missing? That looks like something she'd grab if she saw it laying around." Comforting landed just in front of the brighthouse and set Twitch nearby. "So let's ask her, nicely, and she'll give it back if she has it."
"What if she doesn't?"
"Well, then we have a problem on our paws." Comforting knocked on the door with a frown. "But it's the polite thing to do first, right?"
Twitch crossed his arms with clear disagreement on that point, but he waited, impatiently, for Comforting to give it a try.
The door opened from within, revealing Sunny. "Oh! I didn't think you'd visit quite that quickly." She looked past Comforting to Twitch and cringed. "Um."
Comforting smiled gently. "We were wondering if we could talk to Izzy a moment? Is she inside?"
"Yeah! Come in. It's about time for dinner anyway. We were just figuring out what to do about it." Sunny stepped aside so that they could enter and shut the door behind them. Once Twitch scurried past, Sunny leaned in closer to Comforting. "That's Allura's little minion. Why are you walking around with him of all creatures?!"
"He's not so bad, he's just looking for something, and I might have an idea of where it is. He's not here to hurt anyone." Comforting lifted just to swoosh around the corner in search of a certain unicorn.
"You'd better be right, or he'll have to leave." Sunny trailed behind, keeping a skeptical eye on the rabbit.
Comforting led Twitch towards the kitchen, and once she rounded the corner, she was greeted by the sight of Izzy hovering above the counter with a basket of eggs, and a grumpy Hitch in front of a pot, staring at it with suspicion. There, attached to the basket, was the metal shiny bent ball.
Twitch broke in a hopping sprint towards it, a stream of not entirely pleasant words spilling from him that only Comforting could understand.
Izzy looked back to see what the fuss was about. "Huh? Oh!" She floated down with a happy grin. "Comfort! And Allura's buddy? I didn't see that coming."
"Me neither." Hitch squinted at the small rabbit, but looked onwards to Comforting. "Can you explain this?"
Comforting slid between Twitch and Izzy, blocking Twitch from jumping at Izzy. "That." She pointed at the shiny bauble. "That belongs to Twitch here. He's been searching everywhere for it. Could we have it back, please?"
Izzy blinked, glancing at Twitch and then to the little ornament. "Um, this is just a cute trinket I found. It really finishes the basket, doesn't it? All super sparkly perfect." She brought the basket over in her glowing magic. "Perfect!"
Hitch held out a hoof for a hoof-bump, and Izzy obliged. "That is pretty nice looking, even though it was just some old chunk of metal somepony tossed into the woods. Might've been the unicorns at some point, hard to say."
Comforting waved to Twitch behind her. "Or it might have been a certain rabbit?"
Twitch huffed at her. "My treasure, not theirs."
She winced at his lack of manners. "Sorry. He wants it back. He's been looking for it, and we got a clue that you might've picked it up."
Izzy sighed. "Well, if it was his first." She reached up both hooves and wrenched it free of her basket with a twang. "Here ya go."
The moment it was held out, Twitch grabbed it with a triumphant expression, hopping in place with sheer joy at seeing it back. "Yes!" He hugged it close to his chest, whispering gentle words of reassurance to it.
Sunny raised a brow as she slowly drifted into the room, having heard the commotion. "Is that all he wanted then?"
"I think so?" Comforting gently tapped Twitch on the back. "All good? Is everything taken care of?"
Twitch rubbed his nose over the top of the metal ball. "Yes."
Hitch walked to the door to see him out. "If that's all, then you should be off."
Twitch darted out the door in a blur, laughing in his rabbitish way.
Comforting trailed after. "It was nice bumping into you all. How's Zipp and Pipp doing? And where's that cute widdle dragon?"
Hitch smiled at his mention. "He's taking a nap right now. Zipp and Pipp are watching a concert they both wanted to see. I'll tell them you swung by though."
Sunny wandered out to see the other two off. "Zipp'll be sorry she missed you. She'll probably go see you as soon as the show's over. That's how she is."
Comforting flew out of the brighthouse. "She deserves some hangout time too. It's nice getting to know all of you." She shared a final wave and left them to their original evening plans, minus one specific metal bauble.
It was the next morning, and the ponies and dragons of the brighthouse were enjoying a quiet breakfast together. They each had a stack of pancakes that Izzy had helped with, but for once, nopony was eager to discuss the delicious meal. Instead, each of them kept casting furtive glances at each other, the atmosphere tense with unspoken questions.
It was Izzy who broke the silence. "So, is anypony going to talk about how we had Allura's rabbit friend in our house yesterday?" She snickered suddenly. "I mean, I'm not against making new friends, but are they, or Allura what anypony here would call a 'friend' yet?"
Zipp threw up her hooves. "I wasn't even here! I would have had so many questions for that little menace if I had been. What do you even talk to a bunny henchman of Allura's about?"
"That's not even the good one. The question is, why was Comforting hanging out with it?" Sunny listed onto a hoof with a sigh. "Seeing the two of them together really knocked it out of me, I wasn't even sure what I was looking at."
Pipp bobbed her head back and forth with a half-shrug. "Sure, that's weird, but, compared to the other stuff we've seen? A little weirdness is actually normal." She waved her cellphone at the others. "Now, the important question, I don't suppose any of you happened to catch that on video?"
Hitch scowled. "Absolutely not. You're about the only one that makes it a habit to record her entire life."
"Seriously, how am I the only pony in this household that is addicted to social media? None of you would ever have to worry about this sort of thing if you posted pictures and videos every day." Pipp made a kissy face at her own camera, snapping a selfie, then a shot of what she was eating. "There are benefits at times. Now, I remind, I wasn't there either. Me and sis were enjoying a rocking concert." She swayed to the remembered beat of the show.
Pipp twirled up, stretching her wings out wide. "It was an awesome time! But I can't help but wonder what a bunny and a chaos spirit might be talking about." She gasped suddenly. "It must be a mystery! The story of a mysterious meeting between the two." She slapped her hooves to her cheeks in mock surprise. "No, that's even too weird. There's no way." She lowered onto her seat. "Comfort's a nice creature, right? She wouldn't bring over the bunny without a reason."
Izzy pointed over towards her creation area. "All they asked for was a little shiny thing. As soon as the bunny had it, he was happy and he was gone, zoom!"
Hitch shrugged, folding his hooves across the table. "I guess that means it's fine? He didn't come here to cause any trouble, or even to hurt anypony. It was just about that one thing."
Soft noises arose of general agreement. However odd it had been, nothing had actually been hurt. It was all rather anti-climatic in a way.
Sunny, however, shook her head with a chuckle. "Still, I'm glad Zipp and Pipp weren't here for it. They had a far nicer time at that concert from the sound of it. Glad you two had a nice time."
Zipp raised her phone. "I got some sweet pics and a video."
"Send it to me! I want to see how the fans react." Pipp stretched her hoof out for Zipp's phone, smiling widely. They exchanged videos quickly and Pipp got to working her magic with a smile.
Zipp glanced over to Sunny. "Did anything happen here, that isn't super top-secret or dangerous?"
Sunny tapped her hooves together idly, smiling back at the memory of the previous day. "That was the most noteworthy thing. Oh! Comforting said she wanted to hang out with you two." She waved a hoof between Zipp and Pipp. "She really wants to be all our friends. I don't mind, she seems nice enough, but it's almost unusual to have something putting in the effort to be our friend instead of the other way around."
Zipp gave a hoof bump to Hitch, who eagerly reciprocated. "You don't need to convince me, that's great! I want all the friends."
Izzy piped in. "I guess that's another pro to going back to how it used to be? Being friends with lots of creatures?"
Sunny sighed wistfully. "And also, having more adventures to tell stories about." She twirled a hoof gently. "Speaking of that, she's from ancient times, with ancient magic. Part of me's a little worried about that, but the other remembers she's literally a bag of rainbows and smiles." She blinked and looked at Izzy. "Actually, you haven't told us anything more about her, do you know anything? She's clearly some kind of pony."
"Well." Izzy popped the last bite of pancake in her mouth. "She knows magic. She's tutoring Amber, who's tutoring Misty. They're magic buddies!" She clapped her hooves together. "It's really nice. I wish I could have a magic buddy too, but they won't invite me to their secret magic games." She sighed with dreams of new magic playing in her mind. "But! Comfort is a special case."
Sunny leaned on her hoof, her other pointing to the air as she gestured for Izzy to continue. "How so?"
"She isn't a pony." Izzy shrugged a bit. "Most of the creatures we meet are ponies. How many not-ponies do we know? There's Allura, that sea pony I ran into, and Comforting, and a sea pony's still kinda a pony, right? They got pony right in the name!" She rolled her hands forward. "But she's not one."
Pipp looked over. "How can you tell? She looks just like a pony. Well, part of one? The central bit." She waved a hoof up and down to encompass the imagined torso and head of Comforting. "The rest is a hodge podge."
Sunny raised a hoof, and then let it drift down as she mulled over that last detail. "Yeah, now that you say it like that, I don't know how I never realized." She hopped to her hooves down to the ground. "You're right, she's not a pony, but she shines with all the elements. Whatever she is, she feels like a force of good."
Izzy nodded in agreement. "And she loves hugs. She's always quick to offer, and she's warm and cozy." She wrapped her arms around herself in a pretend hug. "A fuzzy friend with a fuzzier heart. Even if she is a bit stingy on the whole magic thing."
Pipp looked up from her phone. "Speaking of that, the talk around town is she may be getting a boyfriend, and you'll never guess who it may be!"
The group crowded together, Pipp fluttering up to show them her phone.
They all leaned in, save for Sunny. "Isn't that—"
"—yeah."
"—wait, really?"
There, on the phone, was a captured moment of Comforting caught mid-dance with another pony, with the most gentle and loving expressions on their faces. "I'd been hearing rumors, and I wanted to check it out for myself, and I got the goods."
Izzy dropped her fork with a gasp. "I can't believe it! Also, I don't know who that is. Seriously, who is that?"
Sunny waved at the image. "That is clearly Toots. Toots? Seriously? I mean, nice enough stallion, Toots?!"
Zipp narrowed her gaze at the image. "It is? Huh. I don't think I've ever seen him before, and I don't know, it just doesn't look like him."
Pipp swiped on her phone and tapped a moment before pulling up a collage of different Toots images. That they were the same pony was hard to argue. "The Internet doesn't lie, Sis."
Sunny put her face in her hooves. "This can't be real. That can't be what I think it is. She's so much older than him, right?"
Izzy patted Sunny's shoulder. "Well, yeah, but Comforting's, what, immortal? She can date young, or just not date at all. There's not of other options there."
"Oh, I don't mind that at all. I like them, or her, or him, or it." Sunny groaned and buried her face further against the table. "It's just, ugh." She buried her face in her hooves. "I'm being unreasonable, sorry. I should be wishing them both good luck and congratulating them. Finding a special somepony, or somecreature, is lovely."
Hitch looked to Pipp. "So, what, your plan is to bug them about it when you see them next?"
"Oh, absolutely. My fans will want all the deets, and I plan to serve them up." Pipp giggled with thoughts of the future. "Besides, it'll be fun! And Comforting wanted to hang out anyway, so it's a win for everypony involved."
Zipp pushed back from the table. "Alright! That was a breakfast I'll always remember, but now that we've discussed the mystery of Comforting and her bunny guest, we need to get moving." She cracked her hooves and trotted towards the front door. "Let's go have fun. We can come back to this later, or maybe just let Comforting know that we know about her new beau."
Sunny went after Zipp. "I'd like to know. We have to assume it's serious if it's already online, but, it could be something casual? I don't want to pry. Either way, work calls. Who else is going to get smoothies to thirsty ponies?" With a final wave, she scurried off.
Izzy followed the line. "And I'm ready to go put on a show with my latest creation!"
Pipp glanced to the others. "We should keep an eye out for clues on when Allura will strike. She's a bad kitty, and serious trouble." She zipped out the front door, looking ready to hunt down clues on that case.
***
Zephyr Heights was a bustling place of air and movement, with colorful and friendly pegasi floating throughout it, enjoying the high winds as the world drifted beneath them.
The population of pegasi, once all hiding from the ground-bound races, was beginning to change, with some of those once-terrified fliers leaving their homes and venturing down to the surface. While it was still a minority of their kind, it was becoming easier to see the ones leaving to enjoy the grass or water, or anything else.
There was also a friendly chaos spirit, visiting casually as she wandered down one of their streets with a smile. "Look at this place!" She threw her mismatched arms wide. "I feel like I'm in a real city." So very distant memories of huge places like New York danced in her mind as she watched the huge billboards dance with images and sounds.
Nearby, a few children giggled and whispered behind their hooves, pointing as they wondered about this strange stranger in their midst. She heard them giggling, and turned to them, waving. She made faces at the ponies and they giggled even louder with excitement.
Comforting continued on her walk with a smile. "Foals don't change wherever you are. Now, mmm." She looked along the long line of various stores going on either side of the street. "Which one should I try first?" She ambled along, glancing back and forth at the storefronts.
Then she felt something she hadn't expected, and stopped to find the source. In her experience, unexpected feelings were usually due to a good reason.
The building in question was a candy shop, with large windows for display and a pair of doors swinging back and forth to reveal a busy interior.
"That looks like it." She trotted along to the entrance, pausing only briefly to listen to the advertisement outside the shop, talking about the many wondrous sweets that could be found within.
A bell rang as Comforting opened the door. "Hello?"
A cheerful pegasus wearing a green apron, her mane tied up, poked her head from the counter. "Hello! I hope you're ready to tease your tastebuds. We have things to make you pucker, sweeten your day, give you a jolt, or almost anything else." She flew closer. "What are you searching for, curious customer?"
"Oh, I just had a feeling about this place. What are you most proud of having here?"
The store owner put a hoof to her chin as she considered. "My best seller, that'd have to be my sour apple taffy, but that's not for everyone." She waved a warning hoof. "Only the strong of will can withstand the powerful punch it has, like a kick to the teeth!"
Comforting looked around at the many shelves of candies. "You're really selling that." She giggled, imagining a literal mouth-punching candy. "It can't be that bad. Let me try one."
"You think you can handle it?" She led the way to the correct section, showing off a tall stand of twisted apple treats, a variety of shades of green, from minty fresh to electric neon. She waved a hoof at the bright neon strands. "The brighter it is, the stronger it is. Only a select few reach for the end."
Comforting giggled, reaching for one of the less vibrant ones. "I'm sure it's great." She examined it carefully, rubbing her thumb over the wrapper, feeling the soft material that covered the treat. Was it plastic? It felt like plastic. She held up her phone and the shopkeeper swooped in to touch her own to it. A soft chime confirmed payment had been made.
She pulled back and gently tugged at the sides, trying to find a spot that'd allow her to unravel the twisted confection.
The shopkeeper circled behind her, tilting her head with interest. "Pull from the pointy edges there."
Comforting nodded and pulled at that point. The wrapper came loose easily enough and began to peel away, but a soft clack emerged from within. "Oh, is it, um, bubblegum?"
"You should chew it like that, yeah. First you have to bite off some of it." The shopkeeper cycled her hooves. "And be ready for that sour taste explosion to knock you back."
Comforting chuckled nervously as she removed the entire wrapper. She peered in at the deep green treat inside, smelling the tart sweetness within. "Um."
"Bite, and then chew it, or just pull some off with your teeth." The shopkeeper waggled her brows. "If you're scared, just scrape off some of the sugar a little at a time."
"I can handle it!" Comforting chomped a nice big bit off and discovered her mouth was full of pure sour. She made quite the face, to the shopkeeper's amusement, but it passed by quickly, allowing her to chew at the gummy confection with a growing smile. "Not bad," she got out when she could.
"You barely made it halfway!" The shopkeeper laughed gently, holding a hoof to her lips. "You really need to go all in! If you just nibble on it, you're missing the true power of the flavor." She flew over to wave at the brighter hues. "Or you can just throw all caution to the wind, if you're that brave." She waggled her brows at Comforting. "Always nice to see a real thrill seeker."
Comforting rolled the sticky mass from cheek to cheek with a smile. "Maybe." She rubbed her chin. "Do you mind if I take a picture of this to show my friends? They love candy too."
The shopkeeper had no complaints, even striking a pose to get a snapshot of the sour candy display with her in it. "Perfect." Comforting sent it flying to her friends with a few taps. "Visiting this city is already paying off, so many things to see!"
Zipp was sitting on the roof of the brighthouse, lazily relaxing and watching the clouds, when her phone buzzed with a message. She looked at the image that had arrived. "What's this?"
It was a text, from her mother. It had her smiling face on it, of course. "Dear, how are you? Your friend was seen wandering around. Why didn't you tell me she was stopping by? Ponies tell me she was very happy all on her own, so I let it go."
Zipp inclined her head. She mentally counted through all her friends, unsure which one would be around Zephyr Heights. "Curious..." She started tapping at the phone. "Which friend are you talking about? Glad they're having fun."
"Comforting! You know, your tall, strange, multicolored, not-a-pony friend? That's the one ponies have seen, so I think it has to be her, right? I can't imagine who else it'd be, she cuts a very distinct profile."
Zipp tapped a hoof on her chin, but wrote her reply. "Comforting didn't tell me she was going. I didn't even know she knew about the place! Or how to get to it. She did make a lot of noise about being an all powerful spirit, so, you know?"
Things were quiet. Rather than sit there waiting for the reply text, Zipp spread her wings and soared down to the entrance of the brighthouse. She burst through the doors, hovering over the living room, where she spotted Izzy just to the side, working on some project. "Izzy!"
Izzy glanced over with a happy expression. "Zipp? What's going on?"
"When you and Comforting were hanging out, did you say anything to her about Zephyr Heights?"
Izzy shook her head quickly. "Noperooni! We were talking about that bunny and their need for specific shinies. Why? She wanna visit?"
"Not just yet, she's there already." Zipp paced back and forth with thoughtful muttering.
"Who's where?" Hitch strolled in, having caught the tail end of Zipp's words. "Is someone having fun without us? You know I hate being left out."
"It's not that!" Zipp waved off his suggestion. "And it's not one of us. Comforting showed up at Zephyr Heights. She's, uh, allowed to do that, but I wasn't expecting it, you know?"
Hitch hummed a note as he leaned back, thinking that over. "Huh, that is odd. Why do you think she'd be there?"
"I don't know! Maybe it was random? Who can guess with her." Zipp smirked at the idea. "She has been telling us she's a 'chaos' spirit and all. Maybe she can be wherever she wants to be?"
Izzy set down her tools. "But you're sure it's Comfy? Maybe they got confused?"
Zipp laughed at the idea. "Who else looked kinda like Comforting? Seriously." She stalked past Izzy. "If they think they saw Comforting, it's probably her, unless somepony was out there enough to make a Comforting disguise." She paused. "Why? Should I check and be certain it's her?" She grumbled to herself and dug her phone from her pocket, preparing a new text to send to her mom. "Just in case."
She tapped at the phone with a hoof. "Mom, just double-checking, any chance that Comforting was somepony being silly in a getup to look like her?"
"I doubt it though." Zipp stuffed the phone away with a huff. "Am I overblowing this? Not like she caused any problems. Mom said she was happy and everypony involved was happy and all." She hung her head a little. "Maybe I'm just bored?"
Hitch glanced towards the front door. "When was this, exactly? If she's back, she's probably hanging around the library. She does work there. You could just talk to her directly, instead of worrying about it." He leaned in with a little smile. "Or, I could. It'd be a nice walk, and she's a pleasant pony." He leaned back with a sigh. "Even if I still can't decide how I feel about her."
Zipp patted Hitch on the shoulder lightly. "I get that. If she can do half the stuff she implies, she's a public menace, and you're a sheriff and all. Still, pretty nice as potential dooms go." She grinned, lolling her tongue out. "You'll figure it out."
Hitch frowned at the idea of it all. "I just worry about her. She's so nice and friendly, but..." He rolled a hoof along with that thought. "How do I even prepare for that?"
Izzy giggled, missing any gravity. "You don't, silly. If she does something wrong, you grab her!" She circled her arms as if hugging something. "Pull her close, and tell her not to do that again. Bad Comfy! Bad!" Her giggles only increased in volume. "That'd fix it."
"What if it doesn't?" Hitch folded his forelegs across his chest. "She's so big, and not really a pony." His eyes traced Izzy up and down. "Could you grab her? Really?"
Izzy took on a more determined expression, looking like she was about to run off into battle, though she remained sitting. "I got this! I could totally wrestle Comforting." She took on the best fighting stance she could manage while remaining seated. "Take that!" Her attack moves all consisted of various grabs to hug Comforting back to the good side.
Zipp chuckled gently. "Thanks for being ready to go. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing how much we care, especially since she cares a lot about us." Zipp slid in her seat and got into her own attempt at a fighter's posture. "I'd help. Between us, Comforting's going down. Then we'll tickle her until she stops feeling evil."
Izzy and Zipp laughed together at the idea, but Hitch raised his hooves to intercede. "Please, if we have to do that, I want to be on the winning team." He took a deep breath. "Which I already am." He hugged the two battle-ready mares. "Thanks, I feel better. Uh, so, Zipp, go on." He tossed his head towards the door. "See if she's at the library."
Zipp bobbed her head up and down. "That is the place to start. Thanks, Izzy, you're the best. Don't mention this to her. I want to be sneaky." She zipped out the door, leaving a waving Izzy behind.
Soaring over the roads of the city, she waved at a few pegasi sharing the airspace, but made her way smoothly to the still new library. It was a nice sight, seeing the library in action, full of books and eager readers.
She entered, eyes sweeping over the bookcases. "Comforting? Hello?"
The chaos spirit herself was just exiting the storage area, holding a handful of books and chatting with a pony in a mask. She squeaked in surprise, throwing the books in the air. "Oh, hey Zipp." The books, somehow, landed exactly where they needed to be on various shelves. "What brings you by?" She waved at the masked pony, who trotted off.
"Where is that pony off to?" Zipp tried to catch the retreating pony's attention, but they were gone in moments. She shrugged and returned her attention to Comforting. "Somepony just told me they saw you up at Zephyr Heights." Zipp inclined her head towards the distant home of pegasi. "That's quite a distance from here."
Comforting hummed gently. "Well, when you're a grown one of mes, distance takes on new meanings." She casually tapped Zipp, but was doing it from the wrong direction, somehow getting her back despite standing in front of her. "I heard Zephyr Heights had all sorts of things to see and do, so I stopped by for a visit. It was fun! They knew how to make a guest feel at home, and never bored for a second."
"Did they now? Sounds like quite the adventure." Zipp rolled a hoof across the counter, drawing gentle circles. "What was the most exciting thing? Did you talk to anypony? The natives are still a bit on edge with outsiders, but they're getting better."
"Lucky for them." Comforting directed up to her mismatched horns. "These never glow, usually, so that didn't panic them. Sure, the first pegasus was a little nervous, but as soon as I started going around and buying things, they warmed right up."
Zipp burst into laughter at that. "Wow, money, breaking barriers. You should consider a career in politics."
"I prefer librarian." Comforting rested her hooves on her chest. "It's peaceful and quiet. No pressure on me to make any real decisions, I just put books where they belong and pass the time. Make sure ponies are finding what will lead them to new places." She leaned in over Zipp, looming really. "Speaking of that! What tome are you looking for today?"
Zipp considered Comforting carefully. "What if you're the book I'm trying to figure out?"
"Oh." Comforting stood taller with a sheepish expression. "You'd rather talk than look for a book then? I suppose that's fine. I do have to watch the library and all, but I'm here for you." She turned away, but lashed her long griffon tail around Zipp, hugging her and drawing her along as she retreated deeper into the library.
The pair ended up in the small lounge meant for those taking breaks from reading, or in need of a place to nap. "So, what's going on? Did I do something that made you upset?" She sat on a couch near a low table, patting the empty seat next to her.
"Not quite, I just wanted to chat." Zipp hopped onto the couch and scooted over closer. "About you. You've made it pretty clear that you're no small thing, and now you're casually hopping a day away for the fun of it." Zipp folded her arms over her chest. "I want to know what, or who, I'm dealing with. I'm not accusing you of anything, you didn't do anything wrong."
"I did not. Thank you." Comforting crossed her arms. "I think I understand. You're a curious little pony. I'm glad, because I want to get to know you as well. It's not easy for a creature like me to make friends. So, you ask, and I will answer, if I can." She unlashed her tail from around Zipp, letting it sway freely as she relaced in her seat.
Zipp nodded slowly. "First, wow, I'm not used to my investigations being this easy. You'll just tell me what I want to know?"
"I'm not hiding things." Comforting rolled her hands together. "I'm the new creature on the block, hit me with your best shots."
Zipp squinted with suspicion, but had no way of disproving her claims. "What are you then? You aren't a pony. It's weird saying that, seeing as it's what we are, but you're not a pony, and not a griffon or dragon or anything else I heard of, but you are a lot of bits of basically all of those."
"Guilty." Comforting fell apart suddenly, as if her composite body lost the glue that held its various different species together. That didn't stop her from talking, "I am a spirit, a chaos spirit. I know I mentioned that before. My dad was a composite critter like me, but had different creatures in there. My mom was a lovely pegasus. I bet Sunny would know her."
Zipp put a hoof to her chin. "The Princess of Love?"
"No, but nice guess. Nope! A nice humble pegasus that lived in a sleepy town." Comforting sighed gently with the distant memories of Ponyville. "It was way before your time, of course." She began to slowly gather herself together, starting with her equine half. "I grew up with friends, family, the normal stuff."
"Yeah, normal's a word I don't see you using often." Zipp passed over the griffon tail that had fallen further away from the rest. "Okay, pegasus for a mom, chaos spirit for a dad, and we get you. So, are you a girl spirit or a boy spirit?"
"Yes." Comforting gave a serious nod, with a face equally as stoic.
"What?" Zipp blinked at her, dumbfounded. "Seriously?"
"Yeah!" Comforting flashed a bright smile. "You get as old as I am and the question loses the bite it used to. I'm whatever I want to be. That can change. Right now, lady spirit. Pretty happy with how that's worked out so far, dating a stallion, the works." Comforting tapped her chin. "I suppose it's possible I'll change that decision at some point, but it hasn't happened yet. I really like him, so I think I'm staying as a her."
Zipp sank into the cushions. "How can you just shrug that off?" She burst into nervous laughter. "I'm a her, and happy staying that way, forever, thanks."
Comforting tapped Zipp on the nose. "But you won't. Nothing stays the same forever. Such is the regrettable fate of mortality." She threw her hands up dramatically. "Woe unto them, for their days are numbered, even if they can't see them." Her eyes became Roman numerals. "I can, but I make it a point not to stare at that. It's rude, and not fun for them, or me." She laughed gently. "Besides, sometimes that leads to awkward conversations like this, which, fun, but you have better questions I'm sure!"
"That's, wait, that's what you're going to use to cheer me up?" Zipp cringed with nervous chuckles at the sudden turn towards the topic of mortality. "Don't tell me what number you see, thanks. I'm happier not knowing." She shook herself out, trying to release the tension of that topic. "So, uh, back to the topic at hoof! Yes. Chaos spirit for a dad. He's, like, the entity of chaos itself?"
Comforting tapped her fingers together. "Now that's a tricky one. I'd say yes, but not the way you're thinking of it. He was pretty bad in his youth, but he mellowed with age, and the influence of my mom. He became a nicer person, bit by bit. Still chaos, just a gentler chaos, more like me!"
"Uh, huh." Zipp waved her hoof. "I'm not sure how much of that to believe. So, your father is chaos? I'm just going to trust he's not a supervillain like Allura."
"No, he's a perfectly ordinary villain like Allura. Dad was definitely a supervillain, the baddest of the baddies back in his day." Comforting rubbed along her chin. "But he left. You don't have to worry about him anymore." She lashed her tail gently. "I miss him sometimes."
Zipp shifted closer. "He died?"
"No." Comforting lowered her voice with a little wince. "Dad's out there somewhere. I haven't seen him in years." She waved a hand upwards. "Look out into the stars and you may spot him if you look hard enough. He may even give a wave if he feels like it. You never know for sure with him." She giggled with rising spirits. "Dad..." She sighed gently. "But you had more questions, about me?"
Zipp kept her comments to herself about the apparent immortality of the pair. "Sure, sure. So, you're a chaos spirit, and the embodiment of friendship, but you were a normal pony for a good long while."
"Until I wasn't." Comforting threw her hooves wide, doing her best to convey that event, without giving the details. "But I'm me, and I always was. I am a gentle chaos, a push towards growth, change that helps, if I can." She leaned in, putting a finger under Zipp's chin. "But that's me. So, still feel threatened?"
Zipp kept eye contact with Comforting as time passed slowly. "You like touching ponies," she broke the silence with.
Comforting laughed at the choice. "That's what you notice?" She drew her finger back with a sway of her long tail. "But it's true. If ponies let me, I will touch. When I had a cutie mark, it was a big warm hug." She draped her arms across herself, pulling herself in for a gentle embrace. "Now it's a warm fuzzy feeling. That's why I try to hug everypony, everywhereness I can, to help with the warm fuzzy feeling." She wriggled her snout. "I may not have the mark itself, but it was a reflection of me from the start, not a forcing thing."
Zipp snapped her hooves. "Hey, that reminds me. I've noticed you seem to know a lot more about magic than we do, and that's just weird, given that you aren't even a unicorn." She looked up towards Comforting's mismatched horns. "I mean, you have horns, but even you admitted you don't use them, so how would you know anything about making them do magic?"
"You want to hear how?" Comforting stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I'll tell you." She leaned in, whispering. "Ponies need to work harder with their magic. They have it, and plenty of it." She flashed a grin, zipping in to curl around Zipp. "Earth ponies are off to a great start! They've pulled out magic they never fully realized before with their plant magic, so proud of them all." She sighed with contentment. "Now they can do so much more! One day, I hope they can call on that power the way a unicorn could, and the world will be richer."
Zipp laughed softly, trying to brush off her discomfort with the closeness of the other. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you can see all of that." She curled a wing to point at herself. "But, one thing. You seem interested in unicorns, and proud of earth ponies. What about us pegasi? What sort of clever dreams are you hatching up for us that I should be keeping an eye on, hm?"
Comforting smiled over, drifting back into her own personal space. "What would you like to hear?"
"Hmm." Zipp tapped her hoof on her chin. "Wait, you're avoiding the question." She slid to her hooves, glaring at Comforting. "I don't want to hear what I want to hear. I want to hear the truth."
"Of course!" Comforting floated upward with a playful smile. "But the question was too open. Too broad." She swept a hoof through the air in a lazy circle. "Unicorns have a simple trick with their magic, which they forgot, but are remembering. The earth ponies learned something they never know. The pegasi, hm, they already remembered, and can fly and dart." She made flying noises, arms spread wide. "It's lovely, but is there a second step to it? The only thing that comes to mind, you're already doing very well without."
Zipp perked at that. "But you know it! Admit it."
Comforting fluttered her lashes. "I do indeed. Do you want me to spoil the surprise?"
Zipp slumped back. "What is with you and surprises?" She patted at Comforting's muzzle. "Yes, kindly. Spoil me. I'm an investigator. Spoiling surprises is what I do."
Comforting drew back, lifting into the air through no effort of her tiny wings. "Alright. I'll tell you one thing, which is more than I usually do. Long long ago, pegasi were the masters of the weather. These days, ponies are happy with whatever weather comes along as it comes. A rainy day? You change plans around it."
She rushed in, snout almost touching Zipp's. "But, in the old days, it rained on a schedule the pegasi kept very strictly. That was their job. Earth ponies grew, unicorns did spells, and pegasi controlled the weather. Three legs to the tripod." She backed up again. "You wouldn't want to spend all day micromanaging the clouds instead of investigating, I imagine."
Zipp stared at Comforting as thoughts ran wild through her head. "Huh. That is interesting, actually." She reached for the ceiling. "Is there a secret to controlling the clouds?" She tilted her head, raising her ears. "A magical key?"
"Not a literal one." Comforting played with a key that hadn't been in her hands just moments before. "It's like what was keeping earth ponies from doing what they do now, a matter of will, and perspective." She backed towards the door. "Now, I am a librarian, and on the clock. I really should get back to helping ponies find their books."
"And I should get back to helping ponies by hunting down troublemakers. This was fun, though. We should do it again sometime." Zipp left, fluttering through the halls as she pondered on Comforting's words. It wouldn't be until she got home that she realized she had a new contact on her phone. "When did she get that in there?!" She had Comforting as a contact, ready to call at any moment.
***
"It's good to see you." Toots bowed properly.
Which only brought Comforting gently encouraging him back upright. "We're dating. You don't need to bow to your date."
Toots considered that, leaning to the side slightly, but then bobbed his head firmly. "Yes I do. You're royalty. I'm not, so I must show proper respect to those of greater status."
"Aww, but not technically right." She hiked a thumb at herself. "I'm a spirit, not royalty. Appreciate the idea." She smooched the top of his head. "And, tonight, I'm all yours."
"Really?" Toots cleared his throat, recovering his composure. "That's wonderful. I had a plan for our date tonight." He pulled out a small scroll of paper. "This is what I had planned for us to do."
Comforting ogled the amazing list of things Toots had prepared. "That's a lot for one evening, isn't it?" She curled around the scroll to peer at it from Toot's side. "Ice skating? That's fun!" She distantly remembered doing that with a whole class of young creatures and smiled at the warm memory of it. "But almost any of these could be the whole night. Do you plan on doing each of these for a few minutes?"
Toots had a quick checklist in his head to make sure everything was in order. "No, I budgeted five hours for the activities I put down here."
Comforting waved over the list. "That's a long time, and still isn't much to get every single one of these done. Maybe we should focus a little?" She looked the list over, taking a few items and putting them aside. "Maybe these can be for next time?" She added a few other notes as she went. "This should be a good compromise, I think."
That she could edit the paper so casually wasn't missed by his wonder-struck eyes. "Wow, um, okay?" He tried to order the words like Comforting did, but he was no chaos spirit. "We'll do these then?" He pointed to the ones she hadn't brushed aside.
"If that looks fun." Comforting contorted around him to be floating above him. "Let's go!" She lashed her tail around his shoulders and lifted him off his feet to float up into the air.
The pair were soon rocketing away, towards the nearest venue. Once there, she set Toots down gently in the designated drop-off zone. "See? Nice and easy." Of course, there was no designated spot for chaos spirits to do drop offs, but she made one before she got there, and it vanished as soon as Toots was put down.
Toots fixed his tie. "Yes, I guess that does work." He chuckled softly as he offered an arm. "Shall we?"
She took his arm, sliding her own into it as they sauntered together inside to enjoy the evening. She didn't nudge him forward or back, at least any more than she already had. They ran by his revised schedule.
They went to the movies. They both agreed the film was fantastic. Comforting found herself wiggling and hugging Toots from behind as the hero struggled against their own weakness to become their best self.
During the scene where the protagonist failed, she nearly squealed, but managed to keep from ruining the movie for anypony else. She buried her face into Toots, taking advantage of his soft pudginess to muffle her sounds. She sniffled softly. "He's doing his best! Come on..."
Toots stroked her hands. "It'll be fine. He's a strong character. He can handle this."
The moment the show was over, Comforting was back to her usual self, joyfully chatting about the merits of the movie. Toots perked an ear at that. "You were just sobbing, um. Were you faking?"
Comforting gasped with outrage at that. "Of course I was serious! How could I not be? I like emotions. It was an emotional film, and I responded in kind."
Toots smirked at the idea, leading her along for the next activity.
Their next stop was a walk along a beautiful pier that stretched over the nearby bay, offering a marvelous view of the setting sun.
Comforting and Toots both looked out towards the sunset, enjoying the golden rays, with the blue waters reflecting them back. "I never get tired of this." Comforting wrapped gently around Toot, proving to be a serviceable blanket against the chill of the evening. "Simple pleasures don't get old."
"I can't see it getting boring." Toots turned away and fidgeted in her grip. "But, uh, ahem."
Comforting turned back to him, curious. "Yes? Did you want something?"
He nodded quickly, fixing his tie. "I had something else to add to the evening, if it'd be alright?"
"A surprise! Sure!" Comforting wriggled her hands before her. "I would love a surprise, so lead on, and I'll close my eyes." Not that she seemed to need her eyes to keep up with Toots.
"Very well." He trotted to the edge of the dock. "Follow my lead."
Comforting scooted along behind him, following like a puppy, until they found a small rowboat. She watched as he slipped in and she followed inside, squeezing into the boat to sit across from Toots, and they shoved off from the pier, going out into the calm waves. She giggled gently, as if amused by the lapping of the salty water against their vessel. "I haven't been sailing in just forever!" She clasped her hands. "What inspired you?"
Toots blushed. "Well, it's nice here, and, I thought you might like the water, considering, ah, I remember you mention enjoying the ocean, and, yeah."
Comforting looked over the side of the boat with a wistful gaze. "It has been a while since I've visited the beach. I liked digging for clams with my hooves, and all the little crabs, and fish!" She burst into giggles. "Lucky for me, you ponies decided to put yourselves right on a beach this time." She curled and lashed out, pressing her snout to Toot's cheek in a gentle kiss. "Thank you."
Toots blushed deeply as he stroked her hand. "You're welcome. I wanted you to have a nice time, and I could see that you'd enjoy it." He looked around, noticing how they were already away from the shore and alone on the open sea. "Maybe, if we're lucky, we'll see a whale or some dolphins."
Comforting cheered loudly with a whoop of celebration. "Maybe, that'd be nice." She imagined a few ways to tilt the odds in their favor, but pushed them gently aside. It was a time to just enjoy the wonderful evening and let the dice of fate land where they wanted. "This is so very nice. But, are you having fun too? This isn't just about me, hm?"
"Yes!" Toots laughed gently as he worked the oars to guide them along. "I've had fun. It's been a good evening." He considered a thought that had been brewing for a while, but worried it was too soon. "So, um."
Comforting gently interrupted, "What are you thinking?"
He coughed, looking away, but Comforting was on the other end of the boat. "Well, I was just wondering if you might like to come by, uh, my place, for—"
She interrupted him with a finger to the end of his snout. "Just to be clear, I don't owe you anything for a nice evening, but it was nice, and I think you are too." She rubbed noses gently with the squirming Toots. "But, that disclaimer aside, I have no objection with visiting you." She giggled gently at the idea. "It could be nice, spending the evening with somepony like you." She slid closer, still on her side of the boat, but within a breath of the flustered stallion. "No kissing and telling though. I have an image to uphold!"
"O-of course!" Toots laughed, a nervous chuckle as they returned to the harbor. "Nothing like that. Just a friendly visit."
A sudden low haunting call had them both looking as a whale surfaced with a great splash, fin slicing through the air. One could imagine it was a wave at them both, but the whale was just doing a spin, likely not even thinking about the two specks in its vast ocean.
Comforting, on the other hoof, waved back, earning a great glug of air from the massive creature's blowhole. "Wow!"
As they came to the shore, she bounced from the boat. "That was perfect!"
Toots climbed out more carefully. "So, um, yes, the rest of the evening is back at home. You'd like to, uh, do that, I guess?"
She nodded quickly. "I can't wait. Take me home!" She hopped into his arms, forcing him to go on two legs. She was surprisingly light for such a large creature, easily held aloft.
"Look look look!" Misty danced from hoof to hoof as she read over her book of spells. "This is the best spell so far!" Playing the notes properly, she conjured the immense magical power of a butterfly, fluttering around the room.
Amber applauded wildly at it. "Ooo, look at that." She reached out a hoof for the butterfly to land on gently. That close, she could see it was no living creature, just magic itself, in a butterfly'sh shape. "It's pretty, and colorful." She tossed it into the air. "Go on."
Misty joined Amber in watching as the illusion slowly faded from existence. "That was awesome!" She rocked back onto her barrel with a laugh. "But I did that! I read a spell, and practiced, and I cast that." She wriggled with joy, barely keeping her giggles down. "Unicorn magic."
"Magic buddies!" Amber offered a hoof and they met in a triumphant clop. "That was a great spell. Low on the utility end of things, but very pretty. I like it." She sat, tail swishing across the ground behind her. "My turn? Teach me your spell, oh wise teacher."
Misty blinked at that. "Wait, what? I thought you were the teacher."
Amber laughed gently. "And now you learned something I don't know, so we get to swap jobs. Please instruct me, so I can be as awesome as you are, magic buddy."
"Oh, well, it's easy!" She pressed her book of spells into Amber's hooves. "Just read it, and, boom! Magic happens. You'll see."
Amber frowned at the book, opening it with a sigh. "Not as fun as learning from an actual pony." She stuck out her tongue at Misty. "Besides, we want unicorns to eventually learn past us, so learning how to teach is important too. See?" She leaned over to Misty's side of the table. "See how I'm explaining things, and not just telling you to try it and do it and stuff?"
Misty sank at the admonishment, which just made Amber flinch. "Sorry! I didn't mean to crash on you. You did really good today, Misty." She scanned her eyes over the book. "I do know how to read magic now, so, this, and that, mmm, and then, okay." She took a slow breath. "This will take practice."
Amber trotted up to the blackboard and doodled out that butterfly spell. "So I can keep practicing it."
Misty bounced to her hooves. "Can I go show Pipp?"
"Oh, uh, sure?" Amber gave her a nod. "Tell her to tell Sunny for me, that I'm doing this. They'll love it, I'm sure."
Misty raced off, about to have an entirely new adventure one could only find in a good book.
That left Amber scanning over her scribbled spell. "Let's try." She worked carefully from rune to rune, just to repeat a bit faster. When she started going fast enough, she felt warmth in her horn building, the shimmer growing as she formed the spell in her mind. She cast it, releasing a small glowing butterfly. It wasn't quite the same as Misty's, but it was close. "Good, but, what if?" She changed the colors slightly, altering the pattern on the wings.
Clapping with joy, she created about half a dozen flittering magic-butterflies in the room. She capered and danced with excited cheers. "I did it!"
She was soon dancing with the butterflies and practicing her magic to do more. Before long, she was exhausted from the mental strain.
She sprawled on her couch. "A good day's work." Her eyes slid over to her window. "Hm? Oh, visitors."
She unlocked the window, but the visitor, a hummingbird, flew away. "Aw, little critter." Alas, not every critter wanted to hang out. "I'm not Hitch." She thought of that stallion and their critter empathy trick. "How does that work?" She gazed out the window after the bird. "One day, I want to figure it out."
The sudden knock at her front door made her jump up in surprise. She rushed for the front. "It should be open!" She shoved the doorway to the library open, revealing an apologetic Pipp.
"Hi there, I'm sorry, but you have a visitor." She stepped to the side, revealing a hovering Comforting, holding a very sleepy Hitch. "He was found sleeping at the docks, and someone was nice enough to let us know about it."
Amber blinked in amazement at the collection of friends that had appeared. "Oh, well, bring him in." She turned back for the inside, waving them along to the breakroom of the librarians. "He can finish his nap here. Why was he just sleeping outside like that?! The poor thing."
Pipp placed him down on the couch. "I don't know. He was just zonked out. I thought about leaving him, but that's not good."
Hitch grumbled sleepily as he pulled the provided blanket up over himself. For as worried as the others were about him, he seemed quite content snuggling into the couch.
Comforting leaned in over Amber. "Pipp found me, and then I ended up being the one carrying him. Curse me and my hands." She glared at her hands, which had the etiquette to look guilty. "He doesn't look sick, just tired. Odd place to nap, but eh? Everyone's allowed a bad decision now and then." She chuckled, tail swishing through the air behind her. "What if I told you a story to cheer you up?" She dropped her voice to a stage whisper, "It'll be silly, just to warn you."
Amber pushed Comforting away with a laugh. "Thank you for the warning, but I have news for you."
Pipp perked at that. "Ooo! Share that hot goss!" She fished out her phone, ready to snap pictures.
Amber stiffened, just to relax. Misty had run off to show them it. It could hardly be called a secret. Speaking of that. "Misty wanted to show you herself. Go home."
"Home?" Hitch sat up suddenly. "I should get home." He hopped down and walked off.
Pipp darted after him. "I'll make sure he actually gets there. I swear."
"I have complete faith in you." Amber waved after the departing pegasus and the half-asleep stallion. "Thanks for bringing him in. It was kind."
Pipp waved, still trailing along after Hitch.
Comforting poked Amber. "So, you have news I hear?" She drifted along behind her. "Any good? It sounded fun."
"I suppose. I learned a new spell, a unicorn spell. I'll show you." She hurried to the back of the library and into the classroom. She scanned the blackboard with her notes. "I just need to refresh, and then, ta-da!" She struck the pose as she finished the spell, letting the butterfly flutter around the room.
Comforting's eyes went wide, following the fluttering magic. "A spell I didn't teach personally?" She poked the construct, sending it fluttering in a new direction. "I love it. Where'd it come from? Oh! From that book you found!" She tugged Amber in for a hug. "Congratulations!"
Amber sank into the embrace. "Yes! Misty brought it earlier today." She waved her glowing horn with a big smile. "And I learned it. Operation magic buddies is going full speed." She clapped with overflowing joy. "But only she has a magic book. I feel like I need a spell to give to her. I don't want to be a magic moocher."
"There's plenty of options, but I suppose a book is a bit hard to come by." Comforting mused on the idea. "But, no, really, it's fine. I'm glad you're helping her." She lowered her voice, but her sincerity was no less profound. "But I think you're asking if I'll help you more." She lunged at Amber, the two falling to the ground with squeaks as the tickling began in earnest, dancing fingers along the unicorn's ribs. "And, well, I can't refuse a friend!" She let Amber squirm, but always kept her laughter up.
Amber broke free, backing up with a pout. "I give, I give." She huffed for slowly regained breath. "Not even fair. You have fingers, way better for tickling." She wobbled a hoof at Comforting. "So you'll share a new spell? I promise to get my magic buddies to use it."
Comforting tapped Amber on the nose. "That is, in part, what I'm scared of, but you should share. So here's my thought. For every spell Misty learns all on her own, with a book, I'll teach you one too. How does that sound? Even trades, a mutual benefit." She wiggled her fingers in front of Amber. "It'll be fun for everyone, and it will encourage them to study independently and grow their skills."
Amber leaned in slowly. "Okay, yes, but one thing?" She was face to face with Comforting now. "What happened to 'I'm not a teacher'?"
"I'm not." Comforting burst into laughter. "You've seen what I can do. I'm not a unicorn." She winked. "But I did learn from a unicorn, a very special unicorn." She tapped her fingers together, thinking of Twilight. "I won't tease you more, you want to know what sort of sorcery I plan to share, I bet." She closed her eyes and wiggled her fingers through the air as if searching for a prize.
Her fingers froze as she found something in that curious non-space and she pulled free one of her many hidden tomes. "You and Misty both seem to like conjuring things, it seems. You make doorknobs, and she makes butterflies, but I saw that butterfly, it has other tricks in it. I wonder how long before she or you notices it." She held her fingers to her lips with a knowing smile. "But, anyways, I won't spoil it for you." She gave the cover a gentle pat. "No, I know exactly what to give you, a spell of transfiguration. You'll make Pipp glow green with envy, or purple, or yellow, your choice." She tapped the book. "It's all in here, just waiting for you. When you're ready, I'm sure you'll be able to teach yourself." She rose and left. "But be careful!"
The book flopped to the ground, landing and flipping to that specific spell without any touching.
Amber blinked at it, trying to piece together the meaning of her cryptic words. "Did she say yellow? Who would pick yellow? No, nevermind that." She stroked her chin and leaned in over the book and its many displayed runes. Her mouth worked as she ran through it once just in speech, then again with her horn slowly. "This isn't too complicated, I think I can do this. I mean, I want to."
She traced the motions and the steps, seeing the potential in the magic. "Transform. Change. It's all one thing, and this is all a matter of perspective." With a glowing horn, she threw the magic at the black board, transforming it into a purple board. "Woah." She blinked at the colored board. "Neat." She broke into giggles. "Purple, though?"
Comforting smiled to herself. She knew all about the randomizing nature of that spell. It didn't choose the color. It took the feelings and made the judgment. She'd have to have a bright feeling for a bright color. "But you didn't just give me magic paints." She worked through the spell from the start, staring at the purpleboard. "I refuse to believe that."
She kept the image of a dog in her mind as she finished the spell, her magic wrapping around the board as it warped and bent, becoming in the shape of a poodle, though still a purpleboard. She clapped with excitement. "Wow, this is fun, but why did it change just the shape?" She laughed to herself. "Maybe it can't fully transform because I don't have enough skill yet, but, if I could get that to work, wow!" Maybe the spell was only for shapes?
She wasn't entirely sure, but she did know she had a new spell, and it was worth checking out. "But it's been a long afternoon." She slumped over at her desk, looking out the window at the evening sun. "I'm beat. I'll explore tomorrow. Tonight, I just need to close up the library, then I can get a snack, and..."
A familiar pair of figures in the distance caught her eye, Zipp and Comforting. "They seem to be having fun, just going out together." She cocked her head, finding the idea interesting. "Rest time."
