New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

116 - Not All Homes

Comforting lurked after Diamond Tiara. This was easier than it had a right to be, but being invisible, no, imperceptible, allowed for that. She was living up to the spirit part of her title, leaving no trail behind herself as she followed the scowling Diamond through the town.

"Be careful about that." Discord was floating next to her. "If you get too used to not being there, well, maybe you actually won't be."

"Just a little while." She went in to hug Discord from the side. "Keeping an eye on her."

"I know what that's like." He gently pet over Comforting's head.

"You followed mom before?"

Discord looked about anywhere but at Comforting. "What? Me? As if... Oh, I hear my phone going off." He vanished, rather than continue that conversation.

Comforting smirked at the spot that held Discord a moment before. "Spirits..." They liked to keep an eye on those they held precious, and she was no exception. She caught up with Diamond as the filly took a breath in front of the door to a large house. Hesitation? Fear? Diamond pushed inside.

"There you are." A mare came out at a walk, her nose turned up high. "Where have you been?"

"I was--" Diamond was pointing off, but it was already too late.

The mare wasn't even looking at what Diamond was pointing at, or likely listening to her words. "Nevermind. You were almost late. Come along."

"Yes, mom..." Diamond trailed after her. Comforting watched and saw what would have been missed if she had been there, worrying about her own presence. Diamond looked defeated, angry, but defeated. Diamond obeyed her mother, but she barely concealed her displeasure. Comforting didn't give her mother any points for her lack of awareness, or perhaps caring.

"Where's dad?" Comforting pricked at the words. They held hope and warmth. Whatever Diamond felt about her mother, the father was a different story.

"Father is opening a new store," reporting Diamond's mother as if Diamond should have already known that. "He won't be back until late."

"Right..." Diamond sagged, disappointed by this with a little kick at the air. "Are we done?"

"You will not take that tone with me." Her mother glared at Diamond with an unspoken threat. "Now let's resume."

Comforting felt her fur fluff up. She wanted to grab that mare and do terrible things to her... But that would make Diamond a new kind of sad, and would also make her less of a kind spirit, attacking ponies, even if she felt they deserved it at that moment...

How often had her father felt that way whenever somepony said something unkind to Fluttershy? But Discord had twisted into knots no ponies for some time. If her father could control himself, surely she could at least match him. She had to help! But she could not. Amity had forbidden her from even approaching the problem until the crusaders finished their part.

Would the crusaders help Diamond? Maybe. Neither Amity nor Comforting knew for sure...

A loud crunch of a popcorn being munched made her jump. Discord had returned, enjoying a tub of the stuff, not that the ponies there seemed to notice him at all.

"Dad!" She glared at him. "What are you doing?"

"What?" He held out a handful of buttery popcorn. "If you can do it, why can't I? She's a genuine piece of work, isn't she?" He tossed his head in the mother's direction, the head landing next to her, peering at her. "A real uptight sort. I'd love to break that out of her, but I know! I know! You called dibs."

Comforting grabbed the dropped head and popped it back onto Discord's neck. "You'll lose it if it's not attached."

Discord wagged a finger at her. "More true than you even know, my chaotic little daughter. Now, what was that about doing some awful things?" He rubbed his hands with a malicious smile. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"I don't!" she squeaked at him, not that the ponies there noticed the argument of spirits. "But it was tempting... I have to wait for the right moment, then I can help."

"Boring." He rolled a hand through the air. "When is this 'right moment' exactly? Does it come with fireworks?"

"I wish... Oh! Actually... It does have a big hint." Comforting brought up the screen with the future crusader marks. "When we get these, it's go time."

"What are these?" Discord leaned in with one eye, peering. "I didn't think you were big on graphics design. Interesting use of negative space."

"Cutie marks, pretty sure." With wiggling fingers, she called up the ponies they belonged to, each mark adorning their proper filly. "Ta da."

"Ooo. The little squirts get matching ones?" He shrugged lightly. "Always was Amity's thing, the whole mark thing. The moment you start getting anything figure out, pop, locked in. Not my style."

Comforting zipped over to Diamond, still mid-conversation with her mother. "She has one." She waved over Diamond's tiara of a mark. "Doesn't mean she's locked in. She's still figuring herself out. It'll be my job to help her do that, which I want to do. Diamond's a great pony!"

"Yeah..." Discord threw up his hands and caught them with the same hands in a display of disregard for object permanence. "I can see that. Silly ponies... Even Fluttershy's still working on hers, but she's making progress with the whole 'how to Fluttershy' thing. That reminds me! You going to meet that brother of hers? I'm quite curious how you two will get along."

Comforting put her fists on her hips. "As if spirits are better. Even you are still growing."

Discord thumped his head against the roof of the room, too large to be easily contained. "Me, growing? I don't see it." He ducked under the suddenly close roof. "Where are you getting these silly ideas from? Now, you?" He pointed at her with the force of a dozen fingers. "You're growing a lot. But you're still young, especially in spirit terms. Barely a concept."

"That concept is a warm hug," returned Comforting with an extended tongue. "I'll meet Mom's brother when he stops by. I'm keeping an eye on Diamond right now."

"Sure Sure..." He sipped from his brightly colored drink. "But you can't do anything yet. Why torture yourself? You could go bother him instead. No rules or promises stopping you from doing that."

Comforting swatted at him wildly a moment. "You're distracting me from what's going on." She tried to refocus on Diamond, doing so just as Diamond's mom left the room and Diamond sighed. "Fine." She hopped up onto a bench in front of a piano and began working on it. Practice? She was far from a skilled player, at least from how she was playing just then. But maybe she was just doing practice keys? "The worst..." Diamond plunked her face down on the keys.

The door opened, her mother peeking in. "Something wrong?"

"Just a stuck key!" Diamond got back to practicing with a forced smile. "Everything's fine."

"Good." She closed the door with a light slap, leaving Diamond to her work.

Discord hiked a thumb at the retreating matron. "I want to flick that nose of hers too, but neither of us can do anything right now... so why torture yourself? There are things you can do."

"Yeah..." Comforting wrapped her arms around Diamond, unfelt or not. "I'm rooting for you..."

Diamond sat up with a smile. "I wonder how Sil and Comf's doing... I'll go bother them after I finish this." She resumed her practice with more energy.

Discord snickered softly. "Cheater... I approve."

"She can feel that?!" Comforting bounced away from her friend. "I thought she couldn't?"

Discord shrugged. "She didn't, not the touching anyway. Still... Come on, do I need to spell it out? Magic, friendship, etc? I thought I was supposed to be learning that lesson."

Comforting smiled as widely as her face allowed. "Aw.... She felt my love? That's... touching... I hope it helped then... but that does mean I cheated. Sorry!" She poked herself in the chest. "I know you're listening, Amity. I didn't mean to do that!"

Discord shrugged with a raising chuckle. "Well, if she didn't want you to do it, and she's playing you, you'd know. So..."

"You have a point." Comforting bounced back to Discord's side. "Alright, so that wasn't a big cheat. You're also right about... watching her be sad and not doing anything is frustrating! I want to fix it."

"But you can't," sighed out Discord. "I know the feeling. Too well..."

Comforting patted her father, imagining Fluttershy doing things he wished he could help with. "Yeah... So I'll focus on me for a moment. How do I meet this brother, uncle of mine, that everyone keeps insisting will be interesting to meet."

"You'll get along great!" He clapped his hands together. "Or horribly. I'm curious which it'll be, but we won't know until you meet him. Still, just to be clear, you are not allowed to hurt him, but sending him on a trip to some faraway, safe, place isn't hurting him. Not like he has a job worth talking about."

Comforting shook her head slowly. "You sure he's related to mom? She's been working forever, and likes it."

"Takes all kinds. I don't even mind that part... Still, no, he doesn't match with Fluttershy at all. Her parents? Easy to see that connection. Anyway! You going to visit?"

"You didn't tell me where I need to go, so, not yet?" She pulled down a map of Equestria. "A little hint?"

"I refuse!" He reached to tap her on the snoot. "You're a little chaos spirit. Go ahead and get creative about it. I know you can do it."

"Hmmph..." Still... "Wait. You sent me off to stop using chaos all the time. Now you want me to use more? Which is it?"

"Both." Not a hint of delay there. "Our life is a fine balancing act. Your head is back out of the clouds, so enjoy being what you are. Go on."

Grumbling, she turned away and thought of how to reach this mystery brother. "Well..." She drew a tree in the air in front of her. "Parents up here--" She tapped closer to the top, and vanished.

She popped into being in the clouds, landing in front of a charming little house. "Bro— Oops." She looked around, realizing she had moved. "That was not the plan..." Still, a chance to meet her mom's parents. That sounded tempting.

She hurried for the door, bouncing against the clouds like a springy mattress. She thumped against the door, not stopping quite on time.

"Who is it?" asked a male voice from within. The door opened to reveal a middle-aged or little older stallion with a smile and a moustache. "Hello? Um... can I help you?"

Comforting hopped away from the pegasus. "Hi!" She waved with a friendly, she hoped, smile. "Did Fluttershy tell you about me? She's my mom."

"Oh ho!" His eyes widened with surprise. "You're Comforting Shade?"

"That's me!" She hopped forward towards him. "And you're my grandad. It's super nice to meet you."

He offered an arm and soon had a grandfoal to hug, if a little confused. He confessed he expected any grandchild of his to be more pony and begged not to be offended.

"Who was it?" Misses Shy popped her head out. "What a cute little creature. Do you know her?"

Mister Shy turned with Comforting in his grasp. "You do. Say hello to Comforting, our grandfoal."

Misses Shy blinked with obvious shock. "Oh... Hello there. Please, come inside." She led the way into the dining room. "I'll get us all a little snack. We didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I," admitted Comforting with a laugh. "But here I am."

"It's a... curious time for that. Our son plans to move back in a few moons." He sighed softly. "That'll... Nevermind that. Today's about you." He ruffled the top of his new hybrid granddaughter. "Tell us all about you."

Author's Note:

Oops. Discord, you are very distracting, just saying...

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Comments

[Theresa]

Maybe she can install a backbone in the parents before her uncle shows up.

[Emtu]

Ahh, Zeph. The only person Fluttershy actually expresses annoyance at.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Love can be felt across the barrier between Spirit and physically there? That makes sense and is interesting.

Watching but not being able to really help is not a good feeling.

Comforting's grand-ponies seem very nice, even after being surprised by Comforting's "not a pony" form.

How bad is her uncle?

[milzyywilzyy]

"I wish... Oh! Actually... It does have a big hint." Comforting brought up the screen with the future crusader marks. "When we get these, it's go time."

Wait which universe are we in? If the school of friendship exists then dont they already have them? Did time travel happen while i wasnt paying attention?? Not again!!

[uis]

"Be careful about that." Discord was floating next to her. "If you get too used to not being there, well, maybe you actually won't be."

Background Draconequus

[calm melody]

well, i am now caught up, looking forward to more!

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

I think what's interesting about Comforting and Discord's perspective in this chapter is that it's not unlike that of a reader of a book or a viewer of a show. But they can still "poke" things in a certain direction...but Comforting is still waiting for the right moment to poke.

It really shows how close Comforting is to both Diamond and her dad that she immediately is tempted to turn over proverbial tables after witnessing Diamond's suffering, and naturally it's easy for her to relate to Discord watching over Fluttershy, but not always being able to immediately act.

That being said, even if Comforting will have to wait for now for the Crusaders to, hopefully, do something about the situation with Diamond's abusive mother, I really, really liked the scene with Comforting invisibly hugging her. It was adorable that Comforting's love got through to Diamond, even if the physical sensation didn't.

And Comforting's visit with her grandparents will be something to look forward to, especially with how hospitable they are being.

[David Silver]

11557605
Comforting is a spirit agent of hugs. Beware, for she is coming! She loves her Diamond though, a love that extends across multiple worlds, as she saw for herself. She even quickly fell in with her as human-child Comforting.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

11557710

"Comforting is a spirit agent of hugs. Beware, for she is coming! "

I love this.

I also love your points about Comforting's love for Diamond being reflected across worlds. It's really a love that is something special and beautiful.

[Morphy]

11556323

It's a rule that you must be annoyed at your siblings when they're being stupid. Doesn't matter if you're super nice like Fluttershy or evil incarnate like Angel.

[chibilink]

"I wish... Oh! Actually... It does have a big hint." Comforting brought up the screen with the future crusader marks. "When we get these, it's go time."
...
"Ooo. The little squirts get matching ones?" He shrugged lightly. "Always was Amity's thing, the whole mark thing. The moment you start getting anything figure out, pop, locked in. Not my style."

This whole bit from that line to that line I think need adjusting, too. Makes it again sound like the Crusaders didn't have their marks yet.