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// 37 - Printing Trouble 
// Story: Amber Starts, Comforting Endings 
// by David Silver 
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"For too long!" Comforting paced back and forth before the other librarians in the darkened room. "For too long have I hoarded the wonders of raw creation to myself. It is time, past time, that I shared these gifts with the world."

Amber watched Comforting from the corner of the room, secretly recording Comforting on her phone while she ran this little experiment of hers that Amber didn't really understand. They had organized themselves and carefully placed their collection of various little art and crafting supplies throughout the entire floor.

"I bet many of you have never stood witness to this before, but fear ye not! I will guide you, and others who come to our humble library." She reached over towards a light switch, not quite reaching it, but also not caring as she flicked it on anyway. With sudden light, the room was visible.

Misty inclined her head slowly. "What am I looking at?"

"The future!" Comforting zipped over towards one box with strange gadgets inside. "You tell this funny machine what you want made, and it makes it. Simple as that. You give it instructions with the computer right next to it." She patted the tower next to the machine. Each machine had a tower and a monitor, waiting for a pony to play with it.

One of the other librarians raised a hoof. "Are those 3-D printers? I heard of those! I never used one myself."

Comforting smirked darkly at that reply. "They are very fun toys." She lifted one up to show off it's little build plate, before setting it down gently in the center of it before firing up the computer connected to it. "And I loaded it up with all kinds of fun shapes to get ponies started. Their creativity will be unleashed!"

Misty gazed at the printer. "What can they make with it?"

"Almost anything." Comforting let out a long laugh of glee at the thought of that. "Of course, plastic is just one material, and these things can be finicky little monsters, but as long as ponies are willing to learn about them, the options will only grow over time." She clapped her hands, imagining the things that may come out as skill grew.

Amber rubbed at her chin with a hoof. "Interesting, but why do they belong in a library?"

Comforting's smug aura was sucked right out of her as she staggered at that question with her wings flapping rapidly to catch herself. "They're machines! Like you said! They're creating! But it's more than that." She held a finger aloft. "They create with the power of the ponies that work with them. They will bring ponies together to work side by side. These things will help build our community, together, stronger." She clapped her hands in one firm strike. "And I get to see all the crazy ideas they try, most of which will fail, but the trying's the important part."

Amber didn't look entirely convinced. "If you say so, but, this is your floor, Comforting." She rolled a hoof slowly. "So it's your call. You'll get your chance to prove me wrong, or right." She smiled slowly. "I look forward to it either way."

"Naturally." Comforting spread her wings as she inhaled deeply and prepared to say more about the printers and all the fun things they could do with them before pausing with a curious glance over her shoulder at Amber. "Oh, why don't you be the very first pony?" She waved Amber forward. "I'll show you how to make something of your very own."

Amber chuckled as she trotted over with a smirk on her lips even as she made eye contact with the phone she was holding and ended the recording. She slid the phone away before smiling warmly at Comforting. "Alright, show me."

Comforting was delighted to do that, focusing on the part that got Amber towards her first creation. The machine made little noises as its little nozzle flew back and forth along its tracks, slowly creating what she had asked for.

A few minutes later, a little toy tugboat stood on the platform, created from nothing but the reserves of materials the machine was stocked with. "Okay, it's done!" She pulled the toy boat free from the platform as she dropped it into Amber's hooves. "Now you try."

Amber just held the boat for a moment, taking it in even as she thought of what she wanted to make next as she rubbed at the little plastic toy. "Wow. Say, is that magic?"

Comforting shrugged. "Magic, technology, the line really gets blurry after a while. Either way, it's not my magic." She pat at the top of the creation device. "It's entirely safe. The worst thing you'll get out of it is something that doesn't look the way you had in mind. Then it's time to try again!"

Amber laughed at that thought. "They're much nicer than that old pony's laser printer back in the days of old!"

Comforting placed her hands on her hips. "Hey! I remember when those were new." She was thinking back far longer than Amber was, a world away even. "They had their perks, but still, yeah, nothing compared to these guys. As you can see—" She waved at a sign on the wall. "—There are rules for ponies to follow. No hogging up a machine all day, nothing rude being printed, things like that."

Amber snorted in surprise at that thought. "Do you think I need to worry about these getting stolen?"

Comforting touched her fingertips together idly as she hummed in thought at that possibility. "I mean, if a pony really wanted to, they could snatch a part, but I don't think ponies around here think about that too often. I wouldn't worry too hard about it." She slid in next to Amber. "Also, they're mine. What loon would steal from the local chaos spirit?"

Amber blinked in surprise as she remembered who she was talking to and nearly stumbled in place as she took a step back. "Sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay." Comforting leaned over to kiss Amber on the cheek before walking away with a wink and a swirl of her hand. "If you all like it, I'll have it open for tomorrow, and we'll see what Maretime Bay dreams up!"

Amber put the toy tugboat in her pocket with a laugh as she moved over towards Misty. "Think this is going to work?"

Misty licked her lips as she tasted some words before letting them out of her mouth, "Yes! For sure, yes. These look like a lot of fun, and maybe ponies will learn something, and each other." She grasped hooves with Amber excitedly. "I bet they'll go great with the puzzles too!"

"I don't see why not." Amber gestured to the room just across the way from them that held many games and activities for ponies of all ages to partake in, along with an endless amount of reading material and art supplies scattered throughout. "Comforting seems to have the whole place under control."

Misty tapped her chin thoughtfully as she wondered what was still to come. "This looks like a fun place." She threw an arm around Amber, hugging. "You picked a good creature to have this floor. We'll keep the first floor looking good though. We can't be shown up, right?"

Amber hoofbumped Misty with a snicker. "Of course not!" She stroked at her mane as she swept it over her shoulder with an elegant flourish before trotting towards the stairs with Misty close behind.

"Tomorrow," called out Comforting behind them, promising the printers would be available the next day for all ponies to begin tinkering with.





Comforting walked into the home, pulling a tie loose and tossing it aside. "Today was a real killer."

Toots looked up from where he was laying on the couch. "That rough? Want something tasty?"

Comforting  zipped over to curl around Toots. "Sweet thing." She kissed either of his cheeks. "I'm just playing. Today was a great day! How was yours?"

Toots laughed at that unexpected greeting and stroked her back gently. "My day was fine! Nothing big or exciting, just normal life stuff." He stretched out a moment. "Thought about taking a vacation."

"Vacation!" Comforting tapped at her lips. "That could be fun. Are you thinking just you and me?"

Toots snickered at that. "That is how vacations usually work with special somecreatures." He nuzzled against her with little murmurs. "Unless you'd rather not?"

"I was only checking!" Comforting dove down against Toots, peppering him with kisses as she knocked him over onto the couch in an intimate embrace. "I'd love a vacation with you, anywhere in all Equestria, for however long you want." She began tickling, making him laugh and wriggle under her skilled fingers. "Where do you have in mind?"

Toots caught his breath as he pulled Comforting down against him in a tight hug before stroking at her mane. "The beach? There are beaches all around here. They're pretty good if you like that kind of thing."

Comforting blinked at that. "Oh, sure! More of a day trip and less of a 'vacation', but day trips can be all kinds of fun. If we're going to a local beach, I'd say we should invite along a friend or two, make a fun day out of it."

Toots snuggled up against Comforting, almost ready to doze off on her before rousing himself. "It's not like we have to decide right now. We could take a little more time to think about it."

Comforting nibbled at one of his ears gently. "We could, but what's the fun in that? My little pony wants to go play in the sand? We're playing in that sand. It better be ready for us!" She snickered as she drummed her fingers against his chest with playful energy flowing through her veins.

"Sounds good to me!" Toots began returning her little kisses even as they fell into silence as they were simply together and sharing each other's warmth for a little while.

The companionable quiet was only broken when Comforting nuzzled into his cheeks. "So, about that food you were offering. Still valid?"

He snickered as he slid down to his  hooves. "I thought you didn't even need to eat."

"I don't." She drifted alongside him. "That doesn't mean the idea of sharing a meal with you that you made doesn't sound quite  nice." She tucked some loose strands of hair behind one ear with a hum before yawning broadly as she let out a long sigh of blissful relaxation before smiling slowly at him. "Just the thought of you making something tasty for me is wonderful."

"How do I say no to that?" He vanished into the kitchen, with her floating just alongside him. "Well, unlike some creatures I know, I actually do need to eat, so I'll be cooking for us both." He began gathering things onto the counter. "Something good and filling. Mmm, where'd I put that?" He started searching the cupboards.

She ruffled his mane affectionately. "Here's hoping your cooking tastes as good as you look." She kissed his nose with a smirk. "I want dessert too, mister."

He flushed at that even as he stood taller and flexed his arms at her. "Y-you got it!" Perhaps motivated, he found the little bottle he'd been looking for and the smells of cooking began to form as he jostled the pan underneath the food with little happy whistles of creation.

Comforting curled up around his shoulders with a pleased smile as she watched him prepare a simple but filling meal for them both as he tried not to seem distracted by her presence as he went through the motions of getting food onto plates for them. She half-rode him to the dining room. "By the way, about where we live. I'm still torn."

Toots set down a plate on either side of the small table. "Comfs, you're a god."

"Don't say it like that!" Comforting colored brightly. "But why do you bring that up?"

Toots folded his arms as he sank down onto a chair at the table. "You're exactly as close to me as you feel like being, and that's true if you lived here, or halfway across the world." He licked his lips as he slid a fork through his food and slowly ate. "But, if you did want to live with me, or near me, I'd be happy about it."

Comforting seated herself at the table, and dug into her food too. "Mmm, so good." She slurped it up with a pleased smile. "And you didn't help! If living with you would make you happy, then living away from you would make you sad, and I don't want that." She curled around his shoulders once more, a faint golden glow on her hands as she slowly danced around him while they were eating. "It might be nice, to see each other every morning and every night."

"So do that." He waved a fork at her. "And it doesn't even matter where you live, because you're Comforting, and space is just an idea you follow because it's fun to do, sometimes."

She stopped eating for a moment as she pondered what he was saying to her. "Is this you telling me that you don't care if I move in or not? That you'll be happy no matter what?"

He booped her on the nose gently. "I have you, so I'm happy. Past that, you put yourself where you want to be, and we'll have breakfast and dinner together." He flashed her a smile. "All you need to do is be yourself, and we'll always be together."

Comforting glowed pink for a moment before devouring him in a powerful kiss as she melted into his embrace as they pressed together with happy cries of delight on their lips as they abandoned all worries about where she'd live.