New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

134 - Filly to Mayor Mare

Comforting landed with one yak hoof just in front of the town hall. "Next stop!"

"Why are you doing this?" Discord leaned in from behind Comforting. "You really don't need to. Are you just ignoring them now?"

"Ignoring who?" Comforting turned towards her father even as she backed a step.

"Them?" Discord hiked a thumb at the countless people beyond the fourth wall. "They've been talking to you. I know you can hear them."

"Oh." She glanced towards that fourth wall, but quickly back at Discord. "I learned to ignore them. It's better for me to focus on the world I'm in, and I'm not visiting theirs. I'm sure it's nice." Discord snorted as if what Comforting had just said was quite amusing. "--but it's not mine."

"Sure sure." Discord cycled a hand through the air, not entirely sincere in look. "But why? I thought you were pretty happy with Fluttershy. I expected you to fight a lot more. For that matter, I didn't really expect her to kick you out."

"She didn't kick me out." Comforting put a hand at her hip. "She just pointed out that I could live somewhere else. She never set any ultimatums. I made that decision, thanks, Dad. Besides... She isn't wrong."

"She isn't? Do tell." He leaned in, notepad in hand, wearing a news reporter's cap.

"Having some space to myself might be kinda nice... I have things, and I started... not getting more things, because I think of where I could keep any of it." She produced a candy bar from a pocket. "This is nice, but fleeting." She tossed the bar over her shoulder and forgot it, and it forgot itself, simply ceasing to be. "You have a house, dad. You keep things there."

"Sure! But I'm me. You're you." He pointed at himself, then Comforting. "Besides that, you really could just... live wherever, or nowhere. I prefer nowhere, but that's me."

"And I'm not you," countered Comforting with a confident smile. "I want a house. I want it done right. I want to own the land it's on and fill out all the forms and it should be official! If you like, you can blame the Amity in me."

"Since you're offering." Discord stuck a tongue out at his orderly rival, even if she wasn't there. "She's a bad influence on you, I swear... Well, if you're having fun, I suppose I won't stand in your way. Have a blast with the exciting task of..." He shuffled through a pile of papers to find the right one. "Here we are, 'filling forms'. I'll pass." He folded in on himself, popping out of existence.

"Back to business." Comforting skipped up the steps to the town hall and pressed inside. "Hello!" But most of the ponies beyond didn't even hear her. It was a big place, with a lot of ponies busily working to keep the town working. "Oh." She went towards a mare that had secretary written on a plaque on her desk. "Hi."

"Hello there." She smiled down at Comforting. "Comforting Shade, chaos spirit, right?" Comforting nodded. "What brings you in here today? I didn't think I'd ever be helping a chaos spirit... Still, thank you, for asking, instead of just... doing, whatever it is you had in mind."

Comforting pulled down a map of Ponyville that hadn't been there before and pointed to the spot just next to Fluttershy's cottage, across the little river. "I'd like to get this spot right here. Is that alright? And how much will it be?"

The secretary leaned in to have a look. "Oh. You already talked to your mom, I assume?" Comforting nodded. "Excellent. We don't want ponies bumping into each other. You wouldn't even imagine the complaints we got when Twilight's castle just... took up space without anypony being warned... Now, you'll want to talk to the expert on land management, who isn't me." She pointed a hoof at the right door. "Head in there. You will probably have to fill out some forms, just to warn you."

"Thank you." Comforting dropped a fancy chocolate on the secretary's desk and hurried to the door. It had a plaque that read, 'Assesor'. She knocked on it gently and waited.

It took a moment before it swung open, revealing a new stallion. "Hello?" He looked to Comforting, easily visible thanks to the wonders of bipedalism. "How can I help you?"

"I want to get a plot of land. I know which one I want." She pulled down the map of Ponyville to point at the exact spot. "Right here."

"Is this for residential? Commercial? Industrial? Mixed?" He wobbled a hoof with each word. "That area... Is zoned for residential only."

"That's what I want." No problems there! "Can I have it? I talked to mom, Fluttershy, about it already. She said it was alright so long as I don't build too big a house."

"I'm glad you did that, saves me the next question." He leaned in close. "How big of a property are you considering? This map doesn't have the lots drawn on them. Come inside." He turned inside and withdrew into his den of maps and papers. As soon as Comforting joined, he took out one that did have all the lots drawn on it, countless little segments of land. "And... here." He brought a hoof down on the spot Comforting had picked. "See the numbers? Tell me which numbers you'd need."

Each parcel had a number specified. "If you buy more than one next to each other?"

"Then we, assuming they're all of a shared purpose, combine the lots together. Which numbers catch your eye?"

"2871." She read out, one number at a time. "That'd be fine. How much is it?"

He pulled out a filing cabinet and leafed through it with a hoof. "Here we are... 2871..." He pulled a paper free. "That is in an undeveloped section of town, even with Fluttershy there. I have to read out a disclaimer: Being undeveloped, some services are not assured and assumed to be the responsibility of the pony or ponies living there. This includes water coming and going, and no electrical connection is gauranteed. Postal ponies will generally deliver your mail, but, technically, not assured. Still, they're nice ponies. On the bright side, that lot is without charge. The paperwork's small too. You mostly just have to sign for it."

He brought out a new paper and began filling it himself, putting in all the little details of which lot and when it was all being filled out and who witnessed the action and such. "Just sign here and read it over to make sure you agree before you give it back to me."

Comforting looked over the paper, taking the time to read it properly. There wasn't anything shady in there. Did ponies do shady? Of course they did, but not as a habit, and not in their basic forms. She was accepting the disclaimer he had just read to her. "That won't be a problem," she murmured to herself, drawing her name on the line with a little sketch of her old cutie mark. "Oh, I have a little tax question."

He accepted the form back. "I'd go back out to the secretary. My specialty's land, and you just finished that. Hello, new landowner!"

"Woo!" That felt... kinda good actually. She was a land owner, owner of land. "I'll leave it nicer than I found it, which is a challenge. It's already pretty nice. "Thank you so much! Do I get... a deed or something?"

"If you need one, for selling purposes, let us know. There will be another form involved. Other than that, it's on the records. We know, and that's all that's needed." He patted Comforting gently on the head with a hoof. "Now you run along. Um... Sorry for asking, but you seem... young. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Ready." She saluted sharply. "And I'll be right next to mom anyway."

"True." Reason enough for him to relax. A foal next to their mom was unlikely to get into too much trouble. "I know a mare that's great at getting a house, if you like?"

"I just talked to her! She's nice. I'll be going back to her. You have a great day."

"Thank you." He waved as Comforting closed the door to his office.

She hurried back across the town hall to the secretary she started with. "Hi again. I have a tax question."

"I may have a tax answer," replied the mare with a smile. "Did you get all the land things worked out?"

"All done!" She did a little dance right there. "You're looking at Ponyville's newest land owner."

The secretary gave a polite little clap. "Congratulations. What was your tax question?"

"Right." Comforting pointed at her rump. "I had a cutie mark. I don't anymore. I'm still following it and doing my best to help out. Can I still get that credit?"

The secretary looked upon the lack of a mark. "That will require an exception from a pony higher on the pole than me." She spotted the target pony moving hurriedly. "Mayor Mare, do you have a moment?"

"One never does." Still, she did come a little closer. "Is it urgent?"

Comforting smiled at the statesmare. "Hi! Just a quick tax question."

"She wants a deduction." The secretary pointed to Comforting's blank rump. "She says she's still following her cutie mark, even though she doesn't have one."

"I see." Mayor Mare curled an arm, hoof to her chin. "I heard about that. You were a filly, and you did have a mark. Tell you what. Bring a document with at least five signatures of those with cutie marks verifying your story and you can have it."

Comforting smiled so widely she squeaked. "That easy?"

"That easy." Mayor Mare inclined her head faintly. "We're not monsters. But we do want to do things properly. Now, I've heard you're reasonably popular around town, so this shouldn't be too difficult. Just bring that paper and give it here." She pointed to the front desk. "They'll get it to me, and that will be that, as they say. Now, I really should be moving. Is that all?"

Comforting thought quickly of things to ask the mayor while she had their attention. "Thank you for running such a lovely town. I love living here."

"I'm glad to hear that." Mayor Mare offered an arm and soon hugged Comforting gently. "Vote for me next time." She winked and moved off with her day.

The secretary waved at where Mayor Mare had been. "And that is that. Is there anything else?"

"I just need signatures." She drew out a paper, ready for those signatures. "Did you know I had a mark?" The secretary shook her head. "Thanks anyway. You've been great!" She charged out of the town hall on her quest.

"What a pleasant creature." The secretary got back to her duties.

---

Comforting quickly secured a signature from Fluttershy and Screwball. Neither offered a bit of hesitation, knowing she had one before, and still followed it.

"Sure." Sandbar brought down his hoof in a firm clop on the paper. "You follow your mark pretty good."

Rarity considered. "Hm. You certainly did have one, nothing to argue there. You still try to support anycreature you see. If I was going to give this to somecreature, you'd be on the top three." She wrote her signature with a floating quill. "There you are."

Twilight looked up at her desk in her office. "Who is it?"

"It's me." Comforting pressed inside with a shy smile. "Hello, Professor."

"You love calling me interesting things." Not that she was complaining, smiling even. "What can I do for you, Comforting?"

Comforting closed the gap quickly and slipped the paper onto Twilight's desk. "Please sign this. It means you know I had a mark before, and I'm still following it."

Twilight brought a quill over in her magic. "What is this for?"

The first pony to ask that specifically... "Just a tax thing, actually... I don't even need to pay taxes yet, but why not knock it out of the way?"

Twilight patted Comforting on the shoulder. "That's awfully mature of you. Well, I can confirm you had a mark. It was a hugged heart, if I recall. And you've hugged, and still hug, as many hearts as you can get your arms around." She drew a signature onto the paper with a sketch of her cutie mark afterwards to be double confirmed. "There you are."

Author's Note:

Signatures, get! Comfie Cakes will get her tax exemption. That's the real meaning of friendship! 🥲

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Comments

[Theresa]

Seems like a dumb rule for cutie marks to be a requirement in the buying process considering the princesses of friendship and her school are in that town and you certainly wouldn't want any future mixed species couples to be discriminate against and I like how discord is trying to get sense into her head. Comforting is just mimicking fluttershy reasons for her leaving is a good idea. Even discord can see that she doesn't this. Maybe one day she might have but considering she hasn't been in Equestria a year I think leaving her home for good is rushing it.

[David Silver]

11613743
No cutie mark was required to purchase anything.

Having one and following it, got one a tax break.

[Theresa]

11613747
Ok for taxes it still looks racist considering ponies are the only species that get them and surely you don't wish to look like you don't want your neighbors to feel welcomed in your country.

[David Silver]

11613753
The idea of other creatures just... being there is still kind of new. Twilight Sparkle is quite the innovator, having a school with them!

Which is to say that Ponies, lovable or not, are, indeed, kinda hella racist.

[Ryebuck Coppercap]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Tax Exempt!

[readsponies]

This rule is actually kind of horrible when you think about it. Some jobs are not going to be somepony's life work but will need to be done. Those ponies are low-key suffering from not getting to follow their cutie marks. And their reward for keeping the ditches dug, the lamps lit, and the gutters clear is extra taxes?

But then, at least in this story it's been demonstrated that not thinking about things is a viable method of making them go away.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

He pulled out a filing cabinet and leafed through it with a hoof. "Here we are... 2871..." He pulled a paper free. "That is in an undeveloped section of town, even with Fluttershy there. I have to read out a disclaimer: Being undeveloped, some services are not assured and assumed to be the responsibility of the pony or ponies living there. This includes water coming and going, and no electrical connection is gaurenteed. Postal ponies will generally deliver your mail, but, technically, not assured. Still, they're nice ponies. On the bright side, that lot is without charge. The paperwork's small too. You mostly just have to sign for it."

Should be
is guaranteed. Postal

[David Silver]

11613793
Are you implying ponies won't get ditch digging merit badges? Rockhoof would strongly disagree with you. His destiny was to be the strength of his community, including digging ditches. He does this proudly and well.

He also would get a tax break. Good going, Rockhoof.

Fluttershy does her destiny, as does... the entire rest of the Mane six. You'd be harder pressed to find a pony that isn't chasing after their purpose, glorious or not.

[David Silver]

11613855
Fixed.

[readsponies]

11613890
I'm just saying that if your cutie mark is for making and admiring tiny delicate faberge eggs and you live in the tiny, not-particularly-affluent town of Ponyville, and Mayor Mare has pressured you into filling a spot on the Reconstruction team that springs into action every time the Mane 6 springs back out of it, you're working against your very nature, and you ought to be entitled to compensation.

[David Silver]

11614374
You have phrased this in a very human way.

The town gets wrecked, Mayor Mare calls up the ponies best suited for the task first, the ones destined to do it real good, but there's a lot of damage. Stupid taco monster.

Mayor Mare didn't need to pressgang others into service. Other ponies will just do it, because Ponies are ponies. She'd have more trouble in a big city, where ponies may be more numb. In a small town? Most everypony is going to volunteer. They live in those broken houses. They want them fixed! The ones with not-broken houses are likely to help anyway, as their friends are in the broken houses and only a callous pony would ignore that.

They aren't humans, but even humans in a small town are likely to throw in a hand in the face of a major disaster.

But let's pretend it isn't a major calamity. In which case, egg-pony still isn't called. The specialists got this handled. Egg-pony should keep making eggs, unless their egg-hut got smashed.

[readsponies]

11614495
Hurricane Fluttershy.

[David Silver]

11614514
Not a catastrophe or disaster, but a tribal obligation, among all pegasi, to assist.

Mayor Mare was not super involved.

Not a pony there qualified for a tax break for their assistance, sadly. At least, not a destiny-adherence deduction.

You should read the text. There are many deductions available for a pony willing to take the time to read it. Or, if that sounds hard, you could find a tax pony and ask them nicely.

[Poparakelis]

Can't she just ask Amity for her cutie mark back?

[Alvsecret]

"Woo!" That felt... kinda good actually. She was a land owner, owner of land. "I'll leave it nicer than I found it, which is a challenge. It's already pretty nice. "Thank you so much! Do I get... a deed or something?"

This is confusing.. Odd numbered quotation marks..