New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

138 - Rumble of Draconequi

"Nice place."

"Yeah..." Comforting jumped a moment later, realizing someone had slipped in with the new chapter. "Dad!"

"Hey, kiddo." He ruffled the top of her head, mussing her hair. "Great little speech you had there, but you forgot a little creature."

"I did?!" Comforting began counting on fingers, working through all the creatures she knew. A bright light caught her attention. Dozens of glowing arrows were pointing at Discord. "Oh... Sorry! You helped! You helped a lot, actually..." What would that timeline even be if Discord hadn't been involved? "Sorry..."

"Mine isn't a name that should be involved with this orderly... thing." He waved it away and turned the other way. "Still, your own place? Congratulations on that. It's... grounded." He folded his arms across his chest. "Young lady, sometimes I worry about you. What's a chaos father to think, their child living in such a place?"

"I'm not you, dad." She booped him on the nose lightly. "I always was a half-way spirit." She hugged herself, hearts popping into temporary being around her. "Orderly chaos. Chaotic order. It's why I have Discord and Amity for chums."

Discord smirked with a new thought. "I see how this is. You're aping Twilight."

"What?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He shrugged. "She literally is the meeting of day and night, right in the name. She mended that bond, etcetera etcetera Destined to become the glue that holds the nation together, at least for a while, yadda yadda yadda... And here you are, trying to do the same for chaos and harmony."

Comforting considered the idea with a hum. "I never thought of it like that... but I don't dislike it."

"Figures." He waved at the acorn home. "Well, do you like it?"

"I love it." She wrapped an arm around Discord, hugging. "Did you want to add something to it?"

"Don't tempt me... I know she's in there."

"Yes." Filly Comforting, Amity, stepped out from behind the acorn. "Hello."

"Is this what it's like? When you have a kid with someone you divorce? You just wait. My gift will blow all those others out of the water." He saw himself out with a snap, vanishing.

Amity considered in silence a moment. "You are not my foal, nor was Discord and I ever romantically involved."

Comforting gently mussed Amity's mane, passing on the ruffle she had gotten. "He was joking. Nice work on the house. It's nice inside and out! Cracked loves it too."

Amity pounced Comforting, but it was more of a leap into Comforting's arms. Comforting giggled, gaining a little pony to hold and snuggle, and they did snuggle for a joyful moment. "Your friend is coming," noted Amity, hopping back down and vanishing behind the house.

"Comfie!" came the excited cry of Silverstream, hurrying on her wings, flapping in for a landing just in front of Comforting. "There you are! Look!" She presented a sizable clinking bag. "Shells!"

Comforting took a peek inside to behold the bewildering array of shells. Flat shells, cone shells, and all other sorts in all kinds of colors. "Huh! Nice! Wanna help put them around?" She waved at the house with a sweep of a hand. "Tasteful accents and all that."

"Already ready!" She produced a bottle of glue and with a joyful laugh, she attacked the house, inside and out, with her shells.

With a soft thump, the next friend arrived. Smolder fired two finger guns at Comforting. "'Ey! This doesn't look like the one we looked at. What happened?"

Comforting waved at the door. "It is on the inside, promise. I have rooms and Cracked has a big room for herself that we can both get to each other easily. It's great!"

Smolder clapped in one firm motion. "Awesome, but it's missing... something... Oh, what could it be." She rocked forward and backwards, a mischievous smile on her face. "Maybe... a little... this!" She pulled out her heart gem and held it towards Comforting. "Ta da!"

Comforting curled her fingers around the lustrous mineral, holding it up towards the sun to get the full effect. "It's... I love it..." She swung it about, dancing with the heart. "I just have to figure out where to put it... Oh!" She darted inside and put it right at the top of the mantlepiece. "Pow! Brings the room together, and it's a nice thing to have right here in the livingroom."

Cracked perked as Comforting dashed in and got to work with the new jewel. "Mmm... Ponies seem to enjoy shiny rocks." This was apparently not a shared thing with Cracked. "Does it please you?"

"It does please me. Smolder brought it."

"Yo." Smolder wandered inside, waving at Cracked. "What's up, big hunter?"

"Enjoying my den, little hunter." They met, fist to snout. "Do you wish to hunt later?"

"I wish to hunt now, if that's an option." Smolder flashed her teeth and claws in dangerous threat to unfortunate prey creatures. "Where's Gallus hiding?"

"Hello?" A soft knocking came with the voice as Ocellus peeked in. "Is this a good time?"

"'Cellus!" Comforting waved and rushed to greet her changeling pal. "Welcome!" She threw her arms wide. "To my house of friendship. As the name goes, friends are welcome here, and you are one of those."

Ocellus smiled at this declaration. "I'm glad to hear that... Wow, this grew from what we were thinking, but I like it... I got you this." She produced a crystal of her own, though far less heart shaped. It was actually fire-shaped, and was warm. "A house-warming gift." She showed how one could twist it to turn it on, making it produce even more light and heat. "I'd put it there." She pointed to the fireplace.

Comforting hurried it over to its new resting place. "I will think of you every chilly day, knowing you're keeping things comfie and cozy in here. Thank you!"

Smolder fired a thumbs up. "Nice. Hey, you see Gallus?"

Ocellus shook her head. "Nope, but I think Yona's coming."

The rumbling was a hint. Yona came through the open door with a big smile. "Comforting!" She went straight for them, pausing to look at Cracked. "No hunting!" With that firmly stated, she finished closing with Comforting for a proper hug. "I made you something."

Comforting gasped with eager wonder. "You didn't have to make it yourself... What is it?!"

Yona whipped out the blanket and wrapped it around Comforting like a warm cloak. "Traditional yak weave. You have bed? Put on top. If not, wear like that, works too."

Comforting turned left and right, admiring herself and her yak blanket cloak. "That makes two gifts to keep warm, and I love them!"

Cracked inclined her head. "Where are my gifts?"

Yona peered up at the large predator. "No hunting..."

"I said I would not." Cracked sat up properly. "She is the alpha... Does that mean only she is worthy of gifts?"

Ocellus frowned a moment, then pointed to the fireplace. "My gift is for the house, which you live in. You want to be warm on cold days too, right?"

Silverstream was busily placing shells along the banister. "And you can enjoy my shells. They're for the house too!"

Smolder raised a finger. "Mine's for the house."

Yona shook her head. "My gift for Comforting."

Cracked settled, mollified with the logic given. "Most gifts are for the house, some for the alpha. I can accept that." She brushed the ground with her tail. "I would like to get a gift... Maybe I will..." Her eyes were on the door, hoping some unknown visitor would arrive with her gift.

"Hey." Sandbar had arrived, peeking inside and walking in. "Wow, the gang's all here, mostly. Where's Gallus?" But everycreature else had a shrug for that. "I'm sure he's on the way. I wasn't sure what to get, but I remembered you have her." He pointed up at Cracked.

Cracked perked at that, tongue lolling and tail wagging all the more eagerly. "Did you bring me a gift?"

"I did." He curled on himself and pulled out an immense, thick cord with a bright metal heart danging from one end. "Try it on."

"Try it... on?" Cracked looked at it with obvious confusion. "How?"

Comforting grabbed the cord from Sandbar and quickly looped it around Cracked, pulling it into position. It was like a necklace, with a dangling steel heart. She floated in to examine the heart closer. "Aw!" The heart had words engraved on it.

This is Cracked. If lost, return to Comforting Shade. Will not bite if you ask her not to.

Cracked sat up, pawing at the new adornment with a hoof. "I... never really had... Hm. A gift, my gift." She leaned in at Sandbar, breath washing over him. "You have made me happy. How does it look?" She sat up, striking a proud pose.

Sandbar clopped lightly. "Perfect! Now ponies can guess you're nice, and not a monster that will try to eat them. I hope that helps."

How the dangling heart did that, Cracked didn't know, but the idea... "Good. I will not eat ponies. She asked me not to. Besides, they have better food than themselves." This reminded Cracked. "Alpha, do they have burgers or fries in this world? I miss them."

Comforting waved a finger at Cracked in a tut tut. "Keep being good and you can have them, as a treat. You're healthier not having them too often. Besides, I know you like hunting."

"No hunting!"

Cracked ignored Yona. "Yes, I do. But they taste different. I like different tastes. Don't you?"

"I do," admitted Comforting. "So, as a treat! Actually, as a welcome gift, how about I go get us all something to eat. Hayfries and burgers for everyone!" They cheered as she powered out to fetch them.

Cracked slapped the ground with her tail. "A second gift. Today is a fine day."

Sandbar considered the immense pony-wolf. "So... are you more wolf, or more pony?"

Cracked considered the bringer of her first gift. "Since you ask me... I would say more wolf. I hunt like a wolf. I wag my tail like a wolf, and have an alpha, like a wolf." She inclined her head. "But ponies have alphas too. I think most things that aren't alone have alphas. It's nice, having someone you can trust. Someone who usually has good ideas."

"True..." Sandbar tapped a hoof on his cheek. "You got a point there. So..." He turned to the other students. "Which of us is the 'alpha?'"

Yona assumed a tall stance. "Me."

"Ha, right." Smolder waved that off. "It's obviously me."

Ocellus shrank. "Not me..."

Silverstream lunged towards the conversation in a sudden step. "Me! Wait, what are you talking about?" She placed a few fiery shells around the fireplace, remembering her original task.

Sandbar shook his head. "It's not me, pretty sure."

"Hey," came a soft voice, Gallus entering with an unsure expression. "Where'd Comfie Cakes go?"

Cracked pointed past Gallus. "Our brave alpha hunts for the entire pack at once."

"Huh..." Gallus quickly decided that was likely not what happened. "Alright... Uh... Hey everycreature. I miss a party?"

Ocellus waved at Gallus. "You're on time! We're giving our house gifts. What did you decide on?"

"I didn't..." He slumped in place. "But I didn't want to hide either... That'd be worse than a bad gift. So, uh... hoping Comfie's as awesome as usual and doesn't get upset?"

"Ha," laughed Smolder. "Really? You couldn't think of anything?"

Yona patted Gallus gently, for a yak. "Good. Glad you not hide. Comforting wants you, not gift, more."

Gallus smiled at Yona's word and took a moment to examine the house properly. "Neat... Hey... Hey!" He drew a line with a talon. "She actually could use a perch!"

Silverstream placed her last shell, clapping with satisfaction. "I thought you said she didn't need any perches? What changed?"

Gallus waved his hands upwards. "Look at it! Her upstairs is all separated. Some walkways would be good."

"Food time!" Comforting landed at the door and jogged inside, burdened with bags of fast-food. "Gallus! Perfect timing. I got you one too and I was hoping you'd show up."

Author's Note:

Gallus is back! He has an idea.

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Comments

[midnight arrow]

Great chapter

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

It looks like a nice house warming party is happening. I half way expect Twilight to show up.

[uis]

This is Cracked. If lost, return to Comforting Shade. Will not bite if you ask her not to.

Domestic wolfpony. Ponydog?