"I had to talk to you first."
Cracked inclined her massive head. "Why? You are moving. I will follow you. We discussed this."
"Yes, right." Comforting pointed past Cracked, then around slowly. "But! I'm actually taking you up on your offer."
"You're moving in?!" She sat up at that. "How lovely. There's enough room for you, my small alpha."
"There will be even more room." She clapped her hands, summoning the glimmering outline of lot 2871 to appear around them with a sparkling 2871 hovering above it to make it clear. The area included Cracked's den. "I'm going to build a house here, but this is your land first. I want the house to either be out of your way, or I want your den to be part of the house. Your choice."
Cracked turned in an almost spin to see where the line came down around them. "This is yours? You are so small. But you are claiming more den space than I, and I'm larger than you." She leaned in at Comforting. "Greedy."
"A little." Comforting smiled brightly, not upset at that. "It was the smallest single lot they had actually. So, really, you get to make that call. I stay out your way, or we make your den part of things. Which would you prefer?"
"If you own this land, then, by pony laws... You could demand I leave, could you not?"
"Technically..." Comforting rocked in place. "But you're also a super friend, so I wouldn't do that because that would be pretty mean. Also, not even kind of nice, since then I'd be taking advantage of just being the first to ask to make it official. I'm not like that! So, stay away, or be a part?"
"You are too nice, my little alpha." Cracked licked Comforting across her front. "It would not be that strange, for a parent to eventually chase their child away. Still... I'm not going to resist you any further. If you wish it, I would be glad to be part of your home. In return, I will defend it, as it will be our home."
"Fair." Comforting darted up to hug Cracked about the snout firmly, the two coming to an easy accord. "One warning, you'll probably have to move out while they build the house around you, but it'll be nicer when they're done. I'm going to get the others, all of them, to help pick the style of the new house. Wanna come?"
"I get to help pick what it looks like?" Comforting began to wag her tail like an excited dog. "How delightful! Let's get the others."
Comforting darted up atop Cracked and held on as the wolf-pony charged around town towards the school the others were likely hidden at, at least most of them. "Wait here." Comforting didn't imagine Cracked would fit well in the school itself. "I'll be back with them." She dropped to the ground and jogged inside energetically towards the dorms. "Everyone here?"
"A lot more than one," called out Silverstream. "Why do you say that?"
Comforting slid to a stop just in front of the confused Silverstream. "Oh... old habit? I meant everycreature. Hi!"
"Hiya!" Silverstream waved past herself. "Most of us are here, enjoying our time off. What's up?"
"Comfort." Yona lumbered over to grab Comforting in a firm but loving embrace. "Hello."
Comforting took a moment to greet each of them, even if they were missing a pony. "Oh, right. He lives in town?"
Smolder nodded from her bed, laying on it backside down. "Yep. He's not even away from home, so he doesn't have to sleep here if he doesn't wanna. Sometimes he does, sometimes he don't. What's up? You come 'cause something's up, every time."
Comforting wanted to argue that, but she couldn't that day. "You're looking at Ponyville's newest landowner! I wanted your input and help picking the style of the new house."
Yona looked properly confused. "Land owner? You own land? How?"
Silverstream burst into giggles. "It means she picks what creatures build on it. Neat! I wanna help!"
Smolder threw herself off the bed to her feet. "We have the clubhouse, you know. You could live there, if you're moving out on your own."
"True... But I want someplace to put Cracked too, and she's way too big for the clubhouse." An image of Cracked hanging from the side of the tree house, bending poor Amity over from the weight. "No, that'd be bad... Oh! You all know Cracked, right?" The predators in the room nodded at that. "She's with me." Comforting pointed outside. "So let's go pick a house!"
With a communal cheer, they all charged out to rejoin Cracked.
Cracked smiled at the sight of so many young creatures, some new. "A yak." She leaned in closer to Yona. "Your people were very strong. One of the few we didn't hunt."
Yona looked properly proud of that, but it hit her. "Wait. You try hunt yak?"
"Not me, personally... But others like me. They regretted it." Cracked wasn't subtle in her snuffing of Yona. "Long long ago. I have been taught. I will not hunt what asks me not to hunt it."
"Not hunt," ordered Yona, scowling.
"Then I will not," agreed Cracked. Such a simple system. "Not you. Today, hunt den. Den for me. Den for Comforting. Our den. You will help?" The students all gave sures and thumbs ups, where they had thumbs, at that.
Silverstream waved excitedly. "Let's get Sandbar first."
So they did just that, possibly alarming his parents with a big smiling wolf-pony wagging its tail on their lawn. But they assured that Sandbar was entirely safe, and secured him for the venture off to the original mare Comforting had started with. "I'm back!"
The real estate agent of a mare sat up, surprised as her office filled with creatures. "I see! Welcome back. How can I help today? Did you change your mind? I have many houses to offer."
Comforting pointed outside. "We want to tour the styles of houses. I'll be making a brand new one though."
The mare calculated. "Then you'll want contact with some quality construction ponies. I know a few! We'll get that house built in no time at all." She circled her desk and headed for the outdoors. "Let's start the tour!"
"Oh, before you ask, I do own the lot it'll be on."
"You went to town hall then? Goo...d?" Her words failed as she emerged to find Cracked there, smiling at her. "Am I going to be eaten, or is that... a friend of yours?"
"Do you want me to eat you?" asked Cracked as if a yes or a no were equally fine as answers went.
"No... please?" She swallowed thickly, but the wolf-pony sat back, seemingly accepting her answer. "Good..." She turned back to the others. "You all see this too... right?"
Comforting darted out past the others. "That's Cracked. She wants a good house too. She won't hurt any ponies. I want my house to include her den."
"How interesting." The mare tapped her chin, mind going towards consideration rather than dread. "You'll want a house wider than she is, at least. Though most ponies want a house wider than that, so that shouldn't be hard. Do you want her to be able to enter the first floor?"
"Please!" Comforting bounced in place, excitement building. "Oh, wanna see the land it'll be on?"
"That would be helpful, to--" She was there, in front of the glowing lot. "--know how... large?" She sat, stunned. "Chaos spirit... right..." As the shock diminished, she took on the size of the land with soft hums. "Alright. I think I can work with this. Let's--" She was back in front of her office. "Please don't do that without warning me!"
Silverstream giggled into her talons. "She does that. I don't know how exactly, but she's pretty good at it."
The mare took a few notes on a pad. "You... aren't going to need those construction ponies, are you?"
"Need is a strong word... Let's look at some houses!" Comforting pointed ahead, though that direction changed with the real estate mare's direction. "This way!" They toured houses, looking at big open spacious designed that could fit Cracked without needing them to wriggle about to take it up. They were two stories tall... but only had one story in them, making for a spacious cavernous interior. "Wow..." Comforting was enjoying what she was seeing, but.., "What do you think?"
Her companions had many votes. Each house had a whole new set. So long as it was easy to get into and not be squished, Cracked was easy to please. But she also provided the least advice on what else might be nice outside that.
"This one's a studio," noted Sandbar. "I think you'll want a bedroom, not just part of the living room."
Yona stomped on the floor and shook her head. "Not strong enough," she decided on another.
Smolder chuckled as she flew over the top of another. "Loving the gem studs... Is this your style though? I'd eat them..."
The real estate mare kept notes as they were given, filling her pad with them as they went. "I see, hmm... Yes..." She only went over the details of each, showing off its features, but not trying to sell them one. Not like they'd buy any of them. "I think..." They all turned to her. "This is the right one.." She led them on to a house that seemed unfinished. "This is the front part of a place Mister Rich has in process. You can see it's not complete, but, have a look. I think the layout will be just what you're aiming for."
They all headed inside. Cracked quickly confirmed that she could fit, and was thus pleased. Yona tested the flooring, which stood up to her stomps. It had space for rooms that could be bedrooms, or something else. It didn't have any gem adornments, which Smolder shrugged off.
Ocellus clapped lightly. "I like it. It could become anything. It's up to you what you turn it into."
Comforting nodded at her changeling pal. "That is a uniquely changeling way to look at it... and I like it." She turned to the real estate mare. "Do you have the plans for this? Or should we just... look really hard?"
"Filed away," sang the mare. "I'll have it sent over to Fluttershy's house. Will that do?"
"Perfect! I'll be there until I get the new one." She spread her arms at her friends. "Thank you all, for helping. When it's done, you'll help decorate it?"
Yona bounced in place. "Yes! Never decorate pony house." She paused, considering. "You not pony, exactly... Hm. How want decorate?"
Sandbar chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're overthinking it. Comforting likes pony stuff. Pony decorations would be probably pretty good."
"I do like pony stuff..." Comforting nahed loudly with only a brief thought. "But, I think, what I want, is a little of each of you. I want some Yak stuff, and changeling stuff, and pony and dragon and hippogriff and griffon stuff!" She waved a hand at the unfinished house. "The house already has a bit of Diamond in it, but she didn't plan it. I'll ask her to put something in that screams her and Silver Spoon. This'll be my friendship house."
They all cheered, and at least one howled, in victory, as things were decided on. The mare started back towards her office. "I don't need a teleport, but thanks."
Comforting lowered a hand. "How did she know I was...?"
Silverstream clapped her hands together. "Ooo, me! Do me! I wanna be that! Send me--" Comforting tackled her with a cloth, hiding her from view just long enough to fall on top of the nothing.
"She's back at the dorm," she assured the others. "Thanks for helping me today. This is going to be great."
Gallus buffed at his chest. "Me, I'd prefer something higher up, but that's hard to do, considering." He eyed the bulk of Cracked. "So this'll do. It's not bad... I'll get you something." He flipped out his wings and took off, the rest scattering in their own directions, chatting about what they'd get to add to Comforting's friendship house.