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// 142 - Discord Solves It 
// Story: New Endings, Old Starts 
// by David Silver 
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"Oops, I hear my call." Discord stepped halfway through a sudden portal, just to be grabbed by his daughter. "I really gotta go, kiddo."

"Go where?!" She glared at him, fire in her eyes, more literally than she planned. "You made this mess."

"And I'm going to help." He popped through the portal, gone.

Comforting waved at where the portal had been. "Why does he get to help?!"

"He won't help." Amity seemed sure of that. "He's acting as a guide. The rule of watching will not be broken."

It was then that Comforting stood up straight. "Wait. I thought your future-seeing was broken. Did something happen? Are you feeling better? That'd be nice at least."

"Sort of..." She brought up her hooves to touch them gently. "This event, I knew it before. Its reasons have changed, and its order has changed... But I saw this event before. I thought it might have changed more, but it has begun."

Comforting pulled up a window on her father. He was talking quite dramatically to the Mane Six. Then he got shot by magic and flopped to the ground, equally dramatic. He even had dramatic words to say. "Wow... faker."

"He is only a passable actor." Amity nodded in easy agreement with the skills being displayed. "But it is enough."

The Mane Six were rallying around Discord, but ultimately they didn't get any help from him. They had to defeat Sombra on their own, and they did. Comforting suddenly pressed the rewind button that hadn't been there.

"We could really use some--" Twilight was speaking, arms curled and eyes desperate. "--all powerful Lord of chaos power right about now!"

"Moi?" Discord placed a hand on his chest. "Oh, I couldn't possibly..." He waved it off as he turned away.

Amity reached past Comforting to pause the display. "See? He is a watcher. Though he set up this Problem, he is still watching. It is not the way I would have done it... but I accepted him as a Watcher. If any is to be blamed, it would be me."

"What?" Comforting waved grandly at the screen. "You made him a Watcher? I thought he was... He's immortal, isn't he?"

"He's unaging." The two were not the same, and Amity knew the difference. "Am I immortal? A new me will almost assuredly replace me. The old me will be gone. Amity, the force, will endure, but I, as a person, as you like to say, will not. The universe abhors permanence. Even it won't abide it in itself, but that is at a scale far too long for any of us to even start to worry about."

Comforting waved as if she could erase the words. "We're getting distracted."

"You are." Amity bid the video forward, showing Discord assisting in the defeat of several guards. "See how guilty he looks. Even he understands he has weakened them. He hoped they would act without him."

Discord swatted aside Sombra's magic with ease and the little snaps as he talked with the Mane Six, chastising them for relying on him. But maybe that was what friendship was? A final blast that would have hit Fluttershy instead hit him, sending him flying. They had arrived where they started, with the Mane Six gathered around the fallen Discord, poorly acting his defeat.

"This would not have gone the same, had you been there. Your relationship with them is different. They would not expect a guardian role."

Comforting folded her arms. "And that'd be good, right?"

"If you were going to not directly do their work for them." Amity inclined her head. "I cannot say entirely for sure, but I think you would have, if you were there. Ah, the students are passing."

"What?" Comforting whirled in time to see the Mane Six gathering their power to blast Sombra away. They didn't have the Elements, only friendship. But wasn't that magical enough? Acting with Twilight as the focus, Sombra didn't stand a chance before their unified presence. He was but one creature, and they were many.

"Test passed," breathed out Amity, sinking to her belly with a tired sigh. "But another Test brews." She waved a small hoof at the image, flickering to another place, a cave, where an angry goat shouted at other villains of the girls' past. Evil laughter was shared among them as they promised to face down Equestria as a team, later.

Comforting frowned at the collection of jerks, turning away from them. "So... Not going to do anything about that, I gather?"

"I will do a lot about it." Amity stood up. "But I will not fix it for them. We are watchers, teachers, and guide. Friend Comforting, will you guide alongside me? We have so much to do, if my memories of this are true..." She took a sudden step back. "Harmony forfend," she gasped out, little eyes wide. "It makes sense now..."

"What does? And..." She rolled a dragon's hand slowly. "Weren't you Harmony?"

"I was. I still am. A different name." Amity sank to her haunches. "Your form. It is perfect for this. It is entirely perfect. We will need to work with every part of you, all the creatures that Twilight and her friends has forged friendship witrh. This may test your friendship with yours. The students will need you. You can't fix this for them, but..." She was focusing on Comforting, eyes sharp, recovered from the Test. "Will you, Friend Comforting?"

"On one condition." Comforting held a finger high.

"That is?"

"Date." She tapped Amity on her nose with the same finger. "You asked, I'm just saying yes."

Amity jumped, leaping right into Comforting's arms. "Today has been a wonderful day, in hindsight. Do you know what manner of frivolity we will take part in?"

Comforting considered the little pony in her arms. "You asked, which usually means you get to decide. Be romantic, or we can just chill. Either's alright by me." She squeezed her future-date. "If it involves you and me, it'll be fun. No Watching business, just us being us."

"That does sound... relaxing." She sprang to the ground. "Today has been tiring, even with its good parts. You will want to check on your friends and family. I will leave you to it. Expect a message when the date has been decided on."

"Right!" Comforting turned for where her house would be, but went right past it. "First step, Screwie! I know mom's alright." She had seen Fluttershy, being quite fine. "See you later." She jumped forward into a dark and tight space. "Screwie?"

"Comfie!" An unseen object crashed into Comforting, knocking her a step as Screwball hugged her tightly. "Are you here to fix things? Is it already fixed? Was it broken? Did I break it? I didn't mean to break it. Sorry!"

Comforting drew a flashlight out to light the little hideaway of foals, looking up at her with hope and fear. "It's alright." Many of them relaxed. "Twilight and her friends took care of it." Cheers rippled, easily accepting that Twilight+pals could pull off something like that. "Is everypony here alright?" She didn't see any not-ponies among the crowd.

Screwball gave the biggest smile. "I kept the safe. All safe, not one ouchie." She wagged a hoof at Comforting, bouncing with excitement. "Did I do good?"

"Very good." She smooched her sister on the forehead. "So good. Alright, let's head out." She led the swarm of little ones out form beneath the school. The school was quite heavy, being an entire building, but one of them could just... lift it, like it was no big deal. "Wow."

Prickle Berry blushed vividly at the attention. "Sorry!"

"Why are you sorry? That's amazing." Comforting reached up to help hold the building up, drawing a jack with her other hand to keep it propped at least for the moment. "I don't think we met."

"No..." Prickle sat back down, the building holding itself up with Comforting's help. "I'm Prickle Berry..." She considered Comforting a moment. "Why aren't you at school?"

"Prickle Prickle Prickleberry!" sang out Screwball, dissolving into giggles a moment. "My sister." She waved at Comforting excitedly. "She goes to big pony school. She's small, but she has big thoughts." She threw her hooves wide, trying to encompass the bigness of those thoughts.

Prickleberry climbed out from under the school, the last aside of the two chaos sisters. "Um, nice to meet you."

Screwball darted out next, and Comforting last, taking the jack with her and letting the building down carefully. Comforting ruffled the floating Screwball. "Very nice. You... feel like my mom, and I mean that in the best way possible."

Prickle darkened at the curious praise. "We're both fillies..." Neither were going to be the other's mother, at least. "How do I remind you of her?"

Comforting dropped to her bottom, putting her on Prickle's level. "You're shy. You have  so much inside you, potential for days, years! But you feel like you don't want to share it."

Prickle awkwardly danced in place, which only got worse, seeing what pony was approaching.

"Hey, Comfs." There was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "Didn't expect you to drop by."

Silver Spoon looked between Comforting and Prickle. "Why are you hanging out with her?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Comforting countered. "She'd odd... Just like me." She reached for the confused Prickle Berry, who offered little resistance to being snatched and hugged. At least, until she did, and it wasn't even a contest. Blushing wildly, she casually shoved Comforting back as far as her arm could extend with not even a bit of effort in the motion. "Sorry?"

"Sorry," echoed Prickle. "You... made me nervous..."

Comforting clapped gently. "That was my fault. I don't like being hugged without warning either. So, sorry, from me, and it sticks this time. That was all me."

Diamond shook her head slowly. "Prickle's like that. Super strong, super shy. It's just her...thing." An idea came to her. "Say! You still have that 'get better at things' spell? What would it do to her? Can she get even stronger?"

Comforting did remember that spell. "I don't think she needs it." She held out a hand. "Put your hoof here, please."

Prickle touched hoof to palm. "Like that? Why?"

Comforting pushed gently, and Prickle's arm bent easily. "Push back, try gently."

Prickle pushed, and Comforting could not deny it. It didn't feel like she was being punched, just that the hoof was moving, and she was entirely helpless to stop its motion. It was an inevitable motion, and she was just in the way. She tried pushing against it, harder and harder, but that hoof was moving, and it would not be stopped. "That is so amazing... Prickle, you have a real talent!"

Prickle drew back her hoof, looking quite uncertain. "It's... odd. Little ponies shouldn't be that strong."

Diamond rolled her eyes. "They shouldn't, but you are." She threw a hoof towards Comforting. "And I know that look. Unless you're against it, you're being adopted by another thing that shouldn't be, but is."

Prickle waved her hooves wildly at Comforting. "I have a mom! She's really nice. Um... You can't take her place..."

"I wouldn't want to." Comforting put a hand on her chest solemnly. "I hope you two keep getting along. But, I'd love to be a friend."

"Oh..." She was quiet a moment. "Why?"

Screwball came in as close as she could, the ground repelling her. "My sister loves making friends, and being nice. Be her friend, and be mine!" She bounced in the air. "That sounds fun! Ooo, she has a house, did you know that? It's really hers, not her mom's! Who's my mom. We share moms, being sisters. But it's her house!"

"I do... But I don't want to brag about things. I do want to make a friend though." Comforting offered her mismatched hands. "I think you're pretty neat. I'd like to learn more about you, if you want?"