New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

121 - Seeing Eye to Eye

"Think they got anything out of that?" Discord took ahold of a small sausage, bringing it up to his mouth, where it was quickly consumed with loud chomping. "Or was that just fun to do? Not complaining... It was fun to watch."

"Well, let's find out." She swiped the image to the left, drawing the next part of things into view.

Diamond was a filly again, carefully grooming her mane and gazing into the mirror to inspect her appearance. "Perfect." She tossed the brush back and Randolph, without needing to be asked, caught it and returned it to its appropriate spot. "I am heading off to school."

"Of course, ma'am. Your mother would like to speak to you." Randolph remained completely still, not making a single move as he silently observed her.

Her graceful landing on the ground was accompanied with a questioning "Really?" from Diamond. "Let's see what she wants. Better not make me late..." Even though she was feeling apprehensive, she was determined to put on a brave face and go see what her mother wanted. She slowly walked through the winding hallways of the large house and eventually came across her mother sunken in the cushions of a soft couch, a newspaper lying by her side. "You called, mother?"

"I did." Spoiled sat up tall, looming over her daughter easily with a faint smirk. "Is it so odd for a mother to want to speak to her child before she leaves?"

As Diamond silently measured her mother with her gaze, an uncomfortable and tense stillness filled the air. "You don't usually, so what's the catch?"

Spoiled gingerly stepped down from her seat, the fabric brushing against her fur. "I hope you understand now. I give you things to do to improve you. To give you the tools you need. One day, you will be the only mare around for miles that anypony can rely on to talk some sense into them. You will be the representative of this family. One day, perhaps, you'll find the right pony, then you'll have a little pony of your own to guide."

Diamond steeled her footing. "And I hope you understand how annoying it is! It's not like I have an empty day to start, then you..." She took an unsure step back, Spoiled glaring at her. "You..."

"Hmmph. Neither of us 'won' that contest. We both lasted through the day. A pity..."

Diamond turned away at that. "Yeah..." She jumped as a hoof landed on her head. Twisting about, she could see Spoiled had her hoof on Diamond's head. "Um?"

Spoiled shook her head in a slow, deliberate motion. "I gave you the tools to be able to communicate effectively and I expect you to use better words than 'um'. Are you able to remain consistent and follow through with a plan if we make one? How would things turn out if... your extra studies were every other day?"

Diamond turned one of her ears back. "What's the catch?"

"The 'catch'--" She made quotes with her hooves in the air. "--is that you become a better pony, prepared to take on the future ahead of you."

Diamond took an unsure step back. "And on the other days? You'll leave me alone?"

Spoiled had a natural talent for turning up her nose in disdain, a gesture she had perfected over the years. "We strongly encourage you to take the time to rest and recover from your efforts, find some leisure activities, or whatever it is that you feel you need to do."

Diamond licked over her lips with obvious doubt on her mind. "Al...right. Fine. I'll ace those tests of yours, then you leave me alone."

"Precisely what I requested." She offered a hoof towards Diamond.

Diamond fled, rather than interacting with it. "Hmmph..."

---

Discord gave a nonchalant shrug in response. "Although this may not be a quick solution, it could still be a step in the right direction?"

Comforting stuck out her tongue at the frozen shot of Spoiled being denied that last bit of affection. "Some hurts take a little longer to be undone. But, yes. Exactly that." She waved a finger at her father. "A step in the right direction." She crossed her arms and sighed, reflecting on how the outcome could have been better and what she could have done to get it there.

"You're looking... Hm, been there." Discord ruffled the top of her head. "But they're ponies, not dolls, no matter how cute they may be. You can't just line them up and expect them to march to your tune. I've tried! I really have. They still tell stories about half of my attempts." He gave off a very confident and cocky vibe as he chuckled to himself in regards to that part. "Good times..."

Comforting picked up one of many trophies Discord had dropped on her, fiddling with its brassy finish. "But did I do anything?"

"Sure you did." He pulled out a remote from nowhere and rewound the scene back to the part he wanted. "Here."

Spoiled had a natural talent for turning up her nose in disdain, a gesture she had perfected over the years. "We strongly encourage you to take the time to rest and recover from your efforts, find some leisure activities, or whatever it is that you feel you need to do."

With a hint of a smirk, he gestured to the image with a raise of his thumb and said, "That. She backed off. Clearly she learned something. I can't promise it's all better now, but that's something at least."

Comforting considered the situation as she rocked slowly left and right. "You have a point. Now, I think, is the part where we need to get hands on." She wriggled those regained fingers of hers. "Chaos is fine and all, but Diamond needs a friend, a real friend, there with her."

"Atta girl!" He swatted her on the back, waving a penant wildly with his other hand. "They grow up so fast... Well, have fun with that." He casually zipped up all the things he had brought into a little baggie. "Later." No pause and no hesitation would be found, just him stepping through a curtain that was there only long enough for him to depart.

Comforting contemplated running after her father, but the thought only lasted a second, for he never stayed in one place for long... She closed her eyes and wished away the screen in front of her, whispering, "Dad... Thanks. But, there's another pony I'm not giving enough time to." With the mess cleaned up, she took a step to the left and was in front of her home.

She did a swift spin, but the only animals she saw were the ones that normally populated the area. Fluttershy wasn't there either, so she opened the door and headed inside. "Mom!" she called as she closed the door behind her. "I'm--" Screwball crashed into her, knocking her into the door she had come through. She let out an "Oof!" as her sister crashed into her, a collision that she would have rather avoided, but regardless she quickly forgave her, giving her a tight hug in response. "Hi there, having fun."

"Well, you're here, so I have to be," reasoned Screwball swiftly. "I never not have not any never fun when you're not here never!" She paused, trying to work out how many negatives she stuffed in there and if her meaning was clear. "Right?"

"Right." Comforting gently nuzzled her sister's cheek, releasing her to float away with a smile. "Where's mom? You see her?"

"She's on a mission." Screwball nodded with all the seriousness she could manage. "With her friends. The map sent them."

Comforting went stiff with surprise. "What? Really?" She thought of Harmony. "Why didn't she call me?" A new message appeared, the inbox taking up a small bit of Comforting's vision. "Oh." She reached up to tap at it and the message spilled out.

Greetings, Friend Comforting,

You were occupied with equally important work. It was of a smaller scale, but it was very important to the ponies involved. I approve strongly of your efforts. Her importance... to the story had waned, and I stopped paying full attention to her. This was unkind, perhaps, but I have a duty. You have a duty as well, and you are filling this void. She is lucky to have you.

As am I,
Amity❤️💝

"Aw." Comforting hugged the air in front of herself, not having a letter to do it to. A soft chime alerted her that her message had been sent, and in some way it got the message across. She was uncertain and perplexed as she searched for the sent folder and examined her own message. All that could be seen in the conversation were hearts and hug emojis. Upon seeing it, she was so amused that she couldn't contain her laughter and it just bubbled out of her. "Accurate..."

"Whatcha doing?" Unable to see any of that spirit mailing in progress, Screwball was watching Comforting with some confusion. "I'll be making dinner tonight! You better be ready, because I'm gonna, did, will, do..." She slowed with a frown. "I'm making it."

Comforting grabbed the floating filly in a warm squeeze. "It'll be great. Want some help?"

"Will you?" Screwball grabbed at Comforting, tugging her towards the kitchen. "Yes! Get this and that and those and this and that." She only pointed to an actual item about half the times she asked for something, making it something of a challenge to be of proper help. Comforting pushed onward, attempting to acquire objects for her enthusiastic sister, and Screwball continued cooking without abatement. From the aroma filling the kitchen, it was easy to tell that she was in the process of creating something delicious. Just good luck to guessing what it was before it was done. Comforting didn't even try.

In the end, they had something delicious, but also somehow both crunchy and squishy. It was sour and sweet and a little spicy. It teased the senses, but in a good way, Comforting decided for herself. A fine dinner, even if she didn't technically need it. Still, Screwball did, being a pony, she was pretty sure. "You're getting better at this. You could be quite the star chef." She could imagine Screwball creating such things in Canterlot for the delight of thrill-seeking ponies. "If you wanted."

"Ooo..." She looked back at her cutie mark, which has not changed. "Hm..."

Comforting watched that with growing confusion. "You already have a mark, silly. You'll always be Screwball. You can be so much more on top of that though." She fired double finger guns. "Which includes city chef, if you want. Just one option. There are so many waiting for you to pick through."

"Wow!" She twirled in the air, hooves pedaling wildly a moment. "Sounds like a lot of fun. Sister! Can I have permission to play with your puppy?"

Puppy? "I have one of those?"

Screwball pointed across to where a particular canine hybrid lived. "Yep. She's nice, but she said I can only hang out with her with your permission. Sister, may I have that?"

Comforting imagined the little Screwball and the great pedator. "If you listen to what she says and do your best to not bother her. She's very nice, but she's also very large, so don't bug her."

"I can't bug her. I'm a pony, not a changeling." She blew quite the raspberry at the absurd notion. "Silly!" Still, permission had been given, so she zipped to the door, threw it open, and rushed through the air towards her chosen victim.

"They'll be fine..." Comforting set her eyes on her next target. "School should be over... Watch over her." She hopped from here to there, aiming to intercept Diamond on her way home for a little chat between friends. It's what friends did, right?

Author's Note:

And fin, of the arc. Not the story! We got so much more to do. Favorite part?

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Comments

[Theresa]

Looks like the lesson worked for both sides. Diamond gets a little more free time and her mom lessons will still go on.

[Prettypony]

This was nice. Maybe we'll get to see Spoiled Rich lose her superiority complex and not be cold and callous anymore. Can't wait to see it happen.

Also Amity and Comforting are super cute, I just love seeing their interactions, easily the best part of the chapter

[Cyana Flame]

[HappyMuffin]

>"I never not have not any never fun when you're not here never!"
"Not any never fun" -> "A non-zero amount of fun" (possibly across time)
"Never not have" -> "Always have"
"When you're not here never" -> "if you're sometimes here"
>"I (always have) (a non-zero amount of fun) (if you're sometimes here)!"

Translation:
"if you show up here from time to time, I will permanently experience some amount of fun, regardless of where you happen to be at the time."

... Which technically works as a logically valid explanation to the, "Well, you're here, so I have to be." in response to "Having fun?". But not the one Screwball intended I think.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

Discord and Comforting basically read my mind when they referred to Diamond and Spoiled's situation as being "a step in the right direction." The problems definitely aren't over, but things are certainly better than they were.

It was rather interesting seeing Discord rewinding and having the relevant repeated moment show up as a repeated, reformatted chunk of story text. It was a completely appropriate meta moment.

A bit ironic that Discord mentions ponies need more freedom than dolls when Hasbro is in the business of selling pony dolls. But naturally the real ponies are going to be much different from the toys based on them.

It's also rather nice to see Discord doing a (relatively) straightforward job of raising his daughter. Well, up until he left. But he must be doing something right for Comforting to give him her thanks as he went away.

It's also quite nice for Comforting to be able to see her mother, her sister, and to get a message from Amity. Maybe in time Screwy could work wonders with her culinary skills, too.

I was quite amused at Screwy calling Cracked a puppy. Hopefully the two of them don't get up to anything too wild.

Looking forward to the future.