Comforting hurried towards the first class of the day with a bright smile. "You look happy." There was Gallus, looking less super happy about the entire world. He was just closing his locker. "Something happen, or just 'pony happy'?"
Comforting came to a halt at that. "Oh... no, I don't think so. She looked Gallus over curiously. "What's 'pony happy'?"
Gallus smirked at the question, reaching to casually ruffle the filly's mane. "Ponies like to wear their emotions on their sleeves. A happy pony looks really happy. If it helps, goes for a sad pony or a mad pony, or most of the other kinds. They don't hide what they're feelings is all." He shrugged at that. "Open books, all of 'em."
"Is that bad?" She looked past him to the locker. "Do I get one of those?"
"Why would you?" He shrugged all the more expansively. "You live near here anyway. What would you put in it that you couldn't just take home?"
"Huh... You have a point." Comforting set that idea aside. "But is it bad?"
"Nah." Gallus shrugged softly. "Takes a little getting used to, as a not-pony, but it's not the worst thing I've seen." He leaned in over Comforting. "For a foal, you sure don't mind hanging out with a griffon."
"Should I?" Comforting raised a brow. "You don't seem like a bad person."
"And that." Gallus tapped her little quivering nose. "Like every other pony would say 'creature' or 'pony', not 'person'. You're kinda funny."
Comforting began to flush bright red, called out on her strange behavior. "A good funny?"
"Yeah, guess so." He began to turn away. "I should get to class, and you too if you want to avoid being yelled at."
"They wouldn't!" gasped out the filly as she got to walking herself. "The teachers here are very nice."
"Yeah." Something about the way he said it caught her attention, as if being nice just... wasn't the default, by far.
Comforting scootched in a little closer. "Are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" he snapped at her. "I'm fine." His wings snapped out and he flew away without another word.
Comforting was left behind. "Oops." She had said the wrong thing, clearly.
"Nah." A new hand descended atop her head, mussing her mane. "He's like that." Smolder was there, delivering the gentle pets. "Morning."
"Morning!" chimed Comforting with a smile. She had made friends! "Are you feeling good today?"
"We get to go outside today, so, yeah, I'm looking forward to that." She fired a thumbs up at Comforting. "You look happy too. Like getting out?"
"That can be fun." She hadn't seen too much of the outside of Equestria. The chance wasn't something to miss. "Um, do happy ponies look really happy?"
Smolder hiked a scaled brow. "What a question. But yeah, happy ponies usually look kinda really happy." She shrugged at that. "Kinda silly, but happy. Now, happy dragons. we come in more varieties." A smirk spread. "Depends why we're happy. Now, this second, we should get to class."
So school began properly. Pony school, Comforting noted to herself, was a lot more worried about broad concepts rather than specifics. Who did what exactly when was far less important than the general order of things, for example. Not that history came up all that often.
It was more about the present and the future. As promised, they went outside to do a group project. They were to build a house, a real house. "Now, y'see, we gotta make houses fer ponies." Applejack waved towards town. "We get new ponies, an' they need someplace to set down their head. The house we make today will become somepony's, or somecreature's, home. So let's do it right."
Comforting was a bit dazzled at the idea. She did her best to lend a hoof, but she was a small thing, and her horn wasn't up for grabbing big heavy things. But she could hold a nail in place! That helped! "Is this how all those houses got made?" she asked, waving at the town as a whole.
"Some of 'em were made by the ponies that are inside 'em," explained Applejack with a slow nod. "Like mine! Some of 'em paid other ponies to make 'em, but a lot of 'em were made by other ponies, like this one." She nodded to the house they were working on. "Now, it ain't a one day job gettin' a house up, so don't feel bad if we don't finish it. Ah got other ponies ready to take it from there. It's more about learnin' what goes into a house. Lotta ponies ain't got a clue what's really involved."
It was a practical lesson in what effort went into making a house. It was also a team building thing, which Applejack encouraged with calls as things got done or creatures needed to lend each other a hand. Comforting was doing her little part. "Thanks." Smolder appreciated that little help. "So much easier when you don't have to worry about hitting a finger." She could swing her hammer with all her might with only Comforting's sputtering magic to hurt, and it had no feelings to abuse.
Not to say she couldn't feel it, a little. It was an odd little thing, a pop as the field she made was collapsed on itself when the nail was shoved into the wood. It didn't hurt, it just felt odd. "Glad to help!"
"Heard you were asking about happy ponies." Sandbar sat next to her. "Do I look happy?"
Comforting considered the other pony member of their social circle. "Hm. You look happy, but not super happy? How do you feel?"
"I'm doing alright." Sandbar reached to pet her, but drew his hoof back. "You must be getting tired of that. I think everycreature here has wanted to give you a patting."
Comforting burst into giggles. "That's alright." Was it wrong that being petted felt kind of nice? A friendly ruffle from a friendly creature was just a positive note in the day, she had decided. Since arriving in Equestria, nothing had abused the sacred headpat. "You're Sandbar, right?"
"And you're Comforting." He offered a hoof instead, allowing a clop. "Nice to meet you, again."
"Right happy you two are gettin' 'long." Applejack had found them. "But chattin' won't get a house built." She tossed her head at the partially constructed building. "Yer friends are countin' on ya."
Both ponies saluted and hurried back to work, lest they get more than a gentle reminder. Sandbar was still next to her, working as he talked, "No offense or anything, but you really are kinda... young, aren't you?" He worked two pieces of wood together with a grunt of effort. "Like... you're still working on your horn, let alone... building houses."
"I can do both," insisted Comforting with a big smile. "I'm getting good practice with my horn right now." She lifted up a nail and set it before Smolder. All the cue she had to give to inspire the dragon to smash it into place. "And it's fun!"
Smolder chuckled softly. "You're getting better. Now we gotta be a little more careful." She struck the next nail in with about five firm, but not brutal, swings, knocking it into place. "Right tool for the right job."
Sandbar laughed at that. "Well, can't argue the results. Still, if you need a break, don't feel bad asking. You are a filly, even if you're, um, advanced?"
Applejack nudged Sandbar with a hoof. "Now that's thinkin'. He ain't wrong. Yer a little thin', an' ah don't mean that as no insult. Yer doin' great, but if ya feel tired or somethin', tell us."
Comforting frowned a little. She felt fine! "Alright," she said a little more testily than she planned on, going red on hearing herself. "Um! I appreciate it, really. You're all so nice... But I'm alright..."
She turned and squeaked, looking directly into... her own face. The other her inclined her head. "It's funny being so small," the other her noted with Ocellus' voice. "Um, sorry, if this is bothering."
"I look like that?" Comforting approached, the shock wearing off. "Wow." She began to poke and feel at the changeling that was assuming her form. "Wow..."
Ocellus smiled gently. "You're not upset?"
"Wow!" Comforting threw up her hooves wide. "That's so neat. I'd never get a good look at me otherwise." She dropped down, looking at her belly, as displayed by Ocellus. "Can you do anyone?"
Applejack clopped her hooves. "Yer gettin' distracted 'gain. Ocellus, cut that out."
"Yes'm!" Ocellus returned to her usual self with a rush of green flames, fluttering off to another job on the house.
Applejack nodded at Comforting. "Changelings are funny creatures, an' ah bet yer mighty curious, but save that fer after class if ya would?"
"Sorry." Comforting dipped her head. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"Ya didn't." Applejack rested a hoof on Comforting's back. "Just focus on the task at hoof, hm?"
No other significant distractions kept them from finishing up the period with teamwork to get the house not completed, but still an impressive amount of progress for a day's work. "This is what ya can get when ya put yer heads together and yer hearts on one task," called Applejack. "Right proud of all'ya."
"I was surprised." Twilight was seated there, smiling at Comforting. "Did you have questions about something in the book?"
"Yes, but also no." Comforting worried her hooves together. "I'm making good progress! I can turn it on and off whenever I want." She got her horn on, flickering and pulsing in that unsure way, but she could do it without thinking too hard about it. "But it's so weak... I can make light, but only I can see it."
"Only you can..." It clicked and she clapped her hooves. "Because you can see magic? And you can see by that light?" Comforting nodded. "Remarkable! That could be quite a useful talent, when you want to see discreetly. Say if you were sneaking around and didn't want to draw attention."
Comforting blinked at the idea, imagining herself in a ninja suit, her little horn sputtering in the darkness that only she could see through. She giggled wildly as the image sank into her. "I don't want to do that! How do I get stronger, to make real light?"
"It's probably not the answer you want." Twilight leaned closer. "But practice is really the only answer." Comforting deflated, but Twilight went on. "It's a muscle, like any other. Even if there was a spell that'd do it, the side effects would likely be terrible. Do not use spells that alter how your horn works." She pointed at her own. "I've yet to see one that wasn't tricky, at best, in regards to what it does besides what you're aiming for."
"Yes, ma'am." Don't do drugs, unicorn edition. Comforting smiled a little at that thought. "I'll keep practicing, promise. But are there really good exercises? Lots of muscles need training, but there's good training and bad training."
Twilight was still a moment. "Huh. You keep surprising me." She shook her head slowly as she turned towards her green board. "But you aren't wrong. There are proper training regimens shown to have the best results with the least chance of self harm. I just thought they were a little... Most fillies your age would lose patience, being told to..."
Comforting was giving Twilight a deadpan.
"Right." Twilight tapped at her chin. "You are not a normal filly. Very well. In the book, go to chapter 6. Routine... 4 I believe. Follow that, to the letter. Do not deviate. Do not improvise. You don't want to hurt anything up there." She thrust her hoof at Comforting's little horn. "And you're still growing, so take it easy and slowly, even if you're mature in there." She set the hoof on Comforting's head. "Your body is still growing."
A lesson. She was a filly, no matter how old her mind was. "I will, Miss Sparkle. Thank you so much." She flashed a brilliant smile. "I really appreciate your help."
But another question remained. "Why does God look like you?"