//------------------------------//
// 118 - About Time 
// Story: New Endings, Old Starts 
// by David Silver 
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Comforting hugged each of her grandparents, nuzzling into their warm and soft forms. "It's been real fun meeting you two! I shoulda visited a while ago." That she only just recently figured out how, she left off the table.

Missus Shy released her. "A cookie for the trip?" She has that tray of them, and offering them to a filly seemed like a fine end to them for her.

Mister Shy chuckled softly. "I'm still getting used to it, but I'm not sure her trip will be a long one. Still, if you'd like some?" He waved a hoof at the platter. "Go ahead."

Invited twice over, Comforting snatched a last cookie for the road. "Oh! You said mom's brother was moving in?"

Missus Shy shook her head. "A bit of a mis-phrasing. He's not 'moving in'. Stopping by for a stay is more accurate. The dear's getting a new job, in Canterlot."

Mister Shy perked up at that. "Oh, yes, with the royal guard. I'm quite proud. Hopefully, this one will stick." He glanced outside. "I hope this stay is a bit more... peaceful."

"Peaceful?" Comforting looked where he was looking, at the cloud collection house. "What happened?"

He sighed. "Last time... he demolished my collection. He was... finding himself. Thankfully, Rainbow could, and did, lend a hoof getting things back in order. A real dear, that one."

"And such a loyal friend to Fluttershy," added Missus Shy with admiration. "Next time you see her, give our well wishes and thanks."

Comforting imagined all the clouds escaping in a moment of liberation. A pity she hadn't been there to see that... Still, attacking Mister Shy still felt more wrong, so she waved and made her way out of the house, cookie tucked in a pocket. "See you next time!"

She fell through the clouds, vanishing in a puff of fluff and emerging on the bottom side of Cloudsdale. "Now..." She darted off, with a mission in mind.  Rocketing with great speed, she darted about to orient herself and homed in on Ponyville, her home, and the location of her target, unless things were going oddly.

Comforting landed on something warm. She was being held. "What?"

"Welcome back, kiddo." Discord set her confused form to the ground. "Enjoy Cloudsdale?"

"I have two very nice grandparents." She scratched at her neck in thought. "I have a really nice family overall, come to think of it. A mom and a dad I love, and grandparents! Living the familial dream right there."

"Even if your grandfather has macabre tastes?" Discord snorted softly. "Oh well, they can't all be perfect..."

"Nope." Comforting was sliding away though, shuffling away with all the stealth she didn't have.

Discord noticed this. "What's the rush?" He floated in over her. "You just got back."

"Amity asked me to check on the crusaders. I was going to go peek really fast."

"Well!" He put a hand on his chest. "Far be it from me to stop somecreature from checking out a bunch of foal posteriors."

"Phrasing." Comforting stuck out her tongue at him. "I'll be back after I check if they have their marks or not." With things out in the open, she launched off speedily.

Discord shook his head. "Could have just checked from here." He shrugged. "But what's the fun in telling her that."

Comforting looked up towards the sun. "Maybe?" She landed near the schoolhouse. The sound of Cheerilee's talking wafted out, trying to impart knowledge on her students. Fortunately, it had windows. Comforting darted up next to one and leaned over for a peek inside. Ponies! Lots of little ponies, seated at their desks. They were far closer to her size than most ponies.

Oh, there was Diamond and Silver, seated side by side, taking notes along with the rest, aw...

Crusaders, crusaders...

"Can I help you?"

Comforting squeaked, jumping back to see Miss Cheerilee watching her. "You're Comforting, aren't you?"

"Um, yes, ma'am." She squirmed in place, in the direct headlights of the matron of the school. "I wasn't trying to make trouble, honest."

Cheerilee poked the little chaosling. "I've heard a lot about you. You've been at the advanced school." She tossed her head towards what could easily be called more of a college experience rather than a grade school like the one she ran. "I need to get back to running class, but you need to not haunt the students here. If you want to talk, wait until after class."

"Yes, ma'am..." Comforting backed away slowly, ears wilted. "Sorry..."

Cherry closed in and delivered a head ruffle. "Don't sound so miserable. I'm not angry, but it is my job to protect them, even from distractions. Now, talk to you later, if you'd like." She set off at a trot back into the classroom. Other foal faces were peering out at Comforting, clearly noticing the exchange.

Having mucked that up, Comforting vanished into the nearest bushes, to find it was occupied. "Tough break." Discord had his arms folded. "But, I did try to warn you. Going to school to check out back ends will draw attention, even here in pony land."

Comforting tossed her hands up, which Discord was polite enough to catch and pass back to her. "I just want to know if they have their marks or not, nothing more than that."

"Don't have to convince me." He ruffled her head. "But that won't get you past Cheerilee. So... You could wait for them to come out, or...?"

"Or..." Comforting scowled. "I dont' want to use chaos for this one, since that might be why this is all confused for Amity. Let's just wait."

"Your choice." Discord rose to his full height, popping free of the bushes as a result. "I should go. My goldfish won't feed themselves." He vanished in a puff of magic.

"He has goldfish?" Comforting imagined Discord sprinkling feed over a goldfish bowl. "Aw... cute..." But that didn't get her any answers, so she sat to wait for school to be over, or at least lunch break.

Lunch break came first, all the foals exploding out of the school, rushing to get their food or just play. The crusaders were among them, chatting with each other and getting lunch out to enjoy.

They had cutie marks. Three different marks, though all related. They were the crusaders. They were united, but they were three different ponies. "Huh..."

"Huh, yourself."

"Stop sneaking up on me!" It was a bad day for ponies doing that to her. It wasn't Cheerilee that time. It was Diamond Tiara with her trademark smirk. "Hiya."

"Hey." Diamond sank down next to Comforting. "Why are you spying on everypony? Kinda sketchy, which isn't your usual MO. Something going on?"

"Sorry." Comforting blinked, realizing something. "Wait a moment. Um, did the crusaders getting their marks... affect you?"

Diamond frowned at that. "Sorta... But it wasn't some magical cure for my problems." She tapped at her chest. "Ugh, let's not talk about that."

Comforting wanted to pry into her and get more details... But it felt like the wrong time for that. "Sorry. Um. You know I'm here, right?"

"I'm the one that found you." She poked Comforting between the eyes. "So, yeah, I think I know."

"More than that." She swatted at Diamond's hoof. "I mean as a friend, and someone who cares about you a lot. I want to help."

"You can help right now by cutting out the whole spy angle." She leaned in with a chuckle. "You're awful at it, anyway. Way better when you're being upfront about things."

"Diamond?" Silver poked her face into the bushes. "There you are. Why are you, like, over--Oh, hey Comfie!" She waved eagerly.

Comforting returned the wave with a smile. "Hey Silvie." Nicknames worked both ways, right? "You two are very fancy foals. Ever had meat before?"

Silver inclined her head slowly. "Sure. There are, like, tons of super fancy dishes that have some meat in them. Why?"

"Fish?" asked Diamond. "That's the most common, but not the only one. In the name of prestige, ponies will put a lot of things in their mouth." She pointed at her snout with that. "You don't want to be the only pony not eating something. That looks bad!"

"Way bad," agreed Silver with a nod. "Why?"

Comforting grabbed Diamond by either shoulder. "Because I want to talk with you, girl to girl, about serious stuff."

Diamond brushed off one of those hands. "After school, maybe. Speaking of that, we should get back to it." She rose and walked free of the bushes.

Silver angled her head at her fleeing friend. "You know how it is." She fled after Diamond.

Comforting flopped back on her bottom. "Alright..." The crusaders had their marks. Diamond seemed like she could use some help. There was nothing stopping her from getting involved. But... She vanished.

She appeared, pulling back a blind to reveal Amity-tree. "Amity!"

"Comforting." Amity stepped into view with a mild smile. "My sight was wrong."

"You sound happy about that..."

"I am displeased at being wrong." Amity inclined her head at her discorded self. "But I am pleased you can now act. You want to, do you not?"

"I do!" Comforting grabbed Amity by the cheeks. "But are you alright?"

"No." Amity rubbed at her cheek. "One sense has dulled... but another has appeared. You serve as more reliable eyes. Are you alright with that?"

"What about my glasses?" Comforting snatched them from Amity's side and plonked them on the filly's face. "Don't they help?"

Amity adjusted the glasses on her face. "Wearing them is a reminder of your care and affection. I adore them. When I awake to a headache, they banish it." She left the glasses there on her face. "But that I missed their marks means my sight is not entirely restored. It is not my eyes, but myself. I am changing. Perhaps the world has changed. Friend Comforting, will you be my eyes? Your vision is unclouded. I once had many agents, now, just one, and I must ask them, and they must say yes."

Comforting recoiled at that. "What about the others?!"

"I can ask, or command, but they will act on what I know... and what I know is... I can't rely on that." She pawed at Comforting gently. "Friend Comforting, will you be my agent, even if I must ask before?"

Comforting grabbed up the filly and did a twirl, holding Amity close. "Silly, I already was one of those. Just one you have to ask, like you said." She tapped Amity on the nose. "An agent you have to ask, who tends to say yes, because they like you and not for some other gain, there's a term for that."

"Is there? Friend Comforting, what term is that? I will use it."

Comforting burst into fresh giggles. "You just did. We're friends." She set Amity down carefully. "As friends, you care what happens to me, and I care what happens to you. If either of us could help the other, well, we would, because we care."

"I do care." Amity was quiet in thought a moment. "I care about a lot of things, you included... Please help me, to help them. The Harmony that turned away from you, she is unburdened. The one that turned towards you, she has your loyal assistance, and can see clearly. I chose the most difficult route, I feel... But also the only route that leads to Friend Comforting."

"Worth it?" Comforting proposed, uncertain.

"I have accepted this price. Will you be my eyes?"

"I should answer that." Comforting tapped at the side of her head. "You can peek whenever you want, unless I tell you to stop, then you stop until I tell you it's alright. You can send me a message."

"Why do you never reply?" 

Comforting blinked. "Reply?"

"To the message." With a ding, a new message appeared. "Like that one. You rarely send one back."

"I don't think of it?" Comforting tapped the icon in her vision and typed at the air in a quick reply. She mashed send and the icon went blank.

Amity smiled gently. "I understand that joke."