New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

156 - Think Big

She had to talk to Spoiled, but she put that off. She had to go bigger. She had to go larger... Comforting took a slow breath, chest inhaling a moment. "Silly... You don't need that." So she stopped breathing. Her body was a comfy jacket. Her body had failed her, once, and she stepped beyond it, with the help of her father.

Her body had failed her once before, and she stepped beyond it, to the world of ponies and magic.

Her body had almost failed one other time... but she had kept it together, and gained a lifelong friend. Bodies were funny like that. It wasn't time for bodies.

She left her body behind, sitting there calm as a statue as she cast her thoughts out. She could see Ponyville, not actually floating over it, but watching it from afar, with no rooted physicality to tie her down. She simple knew Ponyville and all that was going on in it.

Ponies were laughing. Ponies were crying. Ponies were smooching and hugging and playing. Ponies were aging, and being born. She could feel every last bit of the life of Ponyville, as if she were right next to every pony at the same time, and the other creatures as well.

Though it felt like she were beside them all, picking any one of them was difficult. They were all in front of her at the same time, creating a bewildering pattern of living, intimate, and yet so far seperate.

"God mode activated," she thought to herself, or did she say it? She wasn't entirely sure.

Startling her, she felt warm fuzziness press against her. Cracked had curled around her, protecting her still form as she thought her big thoughts. "Aw..." A lifelong friend, surely, but she turned her attention back to Ponyville. She had to think bigger, eventually, but Ponyville felt like a good start.

A fading presence. Comforting followed the sensation. There was no travel, she simply did, and knew a pony whose time was coming to an end. There was no grand event. They weren't hurt, not in any way one could address in any normal way. The great mechanisms that allowed for the miracle of life had simple run their course. The shareware of existance was about to expire...

She could fix it. A little clap, the clock could be reset. Just like that, a sadness, avoided. But that wasn't her job. Not in the way that she begrudged the idea. Helping a pony to smile felt like a grand thing... But that was a temporary solution at best. She wouldn't always be there to keep kicking that can down the road.

She spread her thoughts, feeling where the pony touched others. They had a family. They had friends. None of them knew the pony was passing. That would sadden them when they later learned. It would be far too late, and that would make them even sadder. This too will pass, but it would be a cruel way.

So... She wouldn't revive the pony, but she would offer a mercy, to them, and to those they loved. She clapped her hands, and they knew. They knew, deep in their pit of pits, the center of their bodies. They knew they were needed. The why of it, they'd never know. They just knew they were needed, and some of them accepted the call.

That pony would not fade into darkness alone.

A chance at farewells had been given. She withdrew from that one sad tale. Ah, a brightness. A young pony worked feverishly with a pencil in her little mouth. She had come across something wonderful, a next step in the path trotted on by so many before her, paving the way forward. She was about to put down the next brick.

She wouldn't finish the road. She would just get down a brick, but she was working so very hard on doing that.

But she was also getting completely drained. Youth meant, sometimes, forgetting that one had limits. Comforting enveloped the pony in a tight embrace, though she wasn't there, and softly reminded them of their mortal failings.. "You will finish this tomorrow," she urged them. "You will... But care for yourself."

The pony grumbled to themself, wanting to finish, but they slid to their hooves anyway. "Maybe a little break..."

A little thing, but it would help. Comforting left them.

A pony sagged under the weight of a thousand guilts, playing in a feverish daydream. Comforting pressed into it and found another pony entirely.

"You." Luna frowned at Comforting. "What are you doing here?"

Comforting squeaked. She had a form. It was a dream form, but still a form. "Hi?"

"Hello yourself." Luna inclined her head. "My question, answer it. Why are you here? This is not your dream."

"No." How did she explain that? Comforting rubbed at her chin. "I come in peace?"

Luna leaned in and down, pressing her forehead to Comforting's. "Then you will say why you are here, or I will have to banish you. I am the guardian of dreams, you know this, I feel."

"I came for the same reason you did." Comforting fidgeted in place. "Which was a mistake. I shoulda guessed you'd take care of it."

"Truly..." Luna lashed her tail behind her. "To watch the dreams of my little ponies is my duty, and one I hold dearly. I will tend to this one."

"Wait!" Comforting hopped forward as Luna backed away. "Want to get one up on your sister?"

Luna hesitated at that. "You are taunting me, and we are not in any direct competition, no longer..."

"But would you?" Comforting had the biggest smile on. "It won't hurt anyone, promise."

"Little chaos spirit." Luna turned back to Comforting with a faint smile. "Let me tend to this dream. They need me. We can speak afterwards."

So Comforting left, tending to other ponies of Ponyville with little nudges and pushes to get them on better paths without fixing things for them. "I am creating harmony," she sang to herself as she tapped a mare on the nose that would never know she was there. In a way, she wasn't there. Her touch brought with it the gentlest reminder to not forget something the mare had been about to set aside. The mare could ignore it. The mare could still forget. But it was a little reminder.

She was God, and she spoke in soft whispers. It was up to her people to listen, and to respond. They didn't need her, but she would make their lives better, if she could.

She perked an ear. Luna had finished with that dream. She could feel it, in the general morasse of sensation of the entire town. She rushed back, appearing before Luna. "All done?"

"All done." Luna sat before Comforting. "Now what is this you were speaking of?"

Comforting conjured an image of Celestia. "Long has your sister had the helping words of a spirit. I know her, the spirit, nice person! But what if you could have one?"

Luna's ears danced with a startled expression. "What would that... entail? I do not need prophetic dreams. My nights are quite busy enough."

Comforting waved at herself, then Luna. "We're doing it right now. Celestia's spirit guide prefers a subtle touch, but you know me, and I know you. We can just talk. But!" She thrust up a finger. "But! Sometimes... I will get a bit vague. I can't say all the details. There are rules and things... But I'll never lie." She grabbed Luna's round cheeks. "Who could lie to such a cute pony?"

Luna swatted away the grabbing hands. "Stop that. I am not cute! I am imposing." She raised her head high. "I am regal!"

She was adorable, but Comforting kept that opinion to herself. "What do you think? A helpful spirit to warn you when things are about to go pearshaped."

"About to...?"

"Go bad," rephrased Comforting. "Or when something needs doing. You will be my agent, to help Equestria!" She clapped with building joy. "No forcing, to be clear. I'd just say what's going on, and you do it, or don't. I can't make you. What am I, your mom?"

"You are not that," answered Luna flatly. "But you will only speak when there are words worth hearing... Is that correct?"

"Yep!" Comforting hopped back and didn't bother landing, as if dreams had gravity if one didn't want it, even for those who weren't spirits. "Unless you just want to hang out. I wouldn't complain about that. I bet you're a pony that'd only get more fun if I knew more about you. Oh, hm, I do go to school, so not during that, sorry."

Luna inclined her head slowly. "A spirit that goes to school... You are a curious thing. Enough. I accept your proposal. You may speak to me of matters dire, and I will do with them as I decide it."

"Exactly." Comforting began to fade away. "I'm still learning how to be the best spirit, but here's to future world saving."

Luna blinked at the spot that once held Comforting. "World saving? Me...?" She raised a hoof to her chin. "I... would like a turn..." A little smile spread on her lips. "Perhaps I will enjoy this arrangement." She vanished with her own pop, off to other dreams in need of her presence.

Comforting opened her eyes, returned to one point of space at a time. It was warm, and fuzzy. She was being hugged in a coil by Cracked, who seemed to notice her waking. "Ah, you're awake." Cracked sat up, leaving Comforting to stand on her own. "You were... I wasn't sure. I thought to guard you until you recovered. Are you well?"

Comforting hopped and didn't come back down, moving to give Cracked a gentle hug around the snout. "I'm fine. I was... Out, doing things, but I was fine, promise."

"You hunt prey I cannot even imagine." Cracked licked Comforting across her entire front. "I am very proud." Behind her, her tail swayed with a canine's eagerness. "Can I help?"

"Uh, hm." Comforting considered her big ponydog friend. "No." Cracked looked crestfallen. "Because I want to help you."

Cracked perked, though seemed unsure. "Help me how? You've already done so much for me." She stretched, claws tacking on the wood floor. "This wonderful den, a fine pack of little hunters, a community that has learned to accept and love me... I owe you more than ever I could repay."

"All good things." Comforting put her hands behind her head, leaning back. "But you're missing something."

"I struggle to imagine what that could be." Cracked looked back over herself, as if she could spot it with just a little effort. "What am I missing?"

"Another of you." Comforting poked Cracked on the nose. "If you want one. If you don't, that's alright too, but if you do, I want to help."

Cracked scratched at her cheek. "You mean... a mate? Little Alpha, a mated pair of me would take up a lot of space. Are you certain you'd want that?"

"If it makes you happier, then yes." Comforting lowered to the ground. "Not even any doubt. Do you want that?"

"That is a large question. Larger than me, and I'm already quite large..." She settled, head on her forehooves. "They would need to be nice. A feral mate would cause too many troubles for the friends I've made. It would be... trying... if they kept trying to eat them. If they hurt a single hair on Prickle Berry, I would be forced to hunt them."

Comforting winced, but laughed with it. "Ouch, okay! Still, that's nice. I'm glad you two are getting along."

"Prickle Berry? Never have I seen such a powerful little pony. I admire her, and wish to see her grow. She is a fine friend, even if she needs to learn to enjoy her strength." Cracked nodded along with her words. "But a mate, hmm...."

Author's Note:

What would a Cracked mate be like?

Is being Luna's spirit guardian a good idea?

Did Comforting make good progress as a god today?!

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Comments

[Poparakelis]

"God mode activated," she thought to herself, or did she say it? She wasn't entirely sure.

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[Amethyst Dragonfly]

I think that Comforting did make some good progress as a god in this chapter.

I really like the idea of Comforting being Luna's Spirit Guardian. It seems like a win-win arrangement to me.

A fitting mate for Cracked? That might take some traveling to find. Possibly even through time or across universes.

[Theresa hall]

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Plus between the two of them they can help a lot more folks.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

"She was God, and she spoke in soft whispers."

This quote stuck out to me the most. It not only seems to sum the feeling of the chapter, but in large part also the feeling of the entire current era of "Ascended Comforting."

I like that sentence. It's profound in its simplicity, and very much suits Comforting.

[David Silver]

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Some gods like to shout and boom. Others prefer a gentler touch.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

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A reasonable contrast.