New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

166 - Doggie!

Cracked's tail gave a single wag, but didn't continue swishing. "Start big. Found, but could not reach." She frowned, reaching up one of her great hindpaws to scratch a sudden itch on her pony snout. "It was very frustrating, but also wonderful. There they were..."

Comforting bounced forward with wide eyes. "They? Are we talking more than one of you, or just not revealing if they were a lady or a fella?"

"The second one... But I was not trying to conceal things from you, Alpha." Cracked crashed to her belly, far closer to Comforting's level, as close as she could get. "I found one. Female. We won't make litters, but it was another. I had to rush back and tell you."

An idea jumped into Comforting's head, but she shook that same head quickly. Strange chaotic answers to her friend's problem wasn't what was being asked for. "So why couldn't you get to them?"

Cracked's ears drooped slightly. "She was on the other side of a great chasm, one too wide even for my mighty leaps. I called out, but the distance swallowed my voice before it could reach her."

She scraped a hoof on the floor anxiously. "I searched and searched for a way across, but the canyon sides were too sheer. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as she disappeared into the shadows of the caves on the far side."

Cracked met Comforting's gaze. "I have failed you, Alpha. I found one of my kind, yet could not make contact. My failure pains me." She lowered her head in shame. "I understand if you are disappointed in your servant."

Though crestfallen, a flicker of hope remained in Cracked's eyes. Perhaps her Alpha could find a solution to this seemingly insurmountable obstacle? She awaited Comforting's wisdom, ready to undertake any task to complete her quest.

Comforting inclined her head. Gravity had been the issue? "Okay!" She hopped up and didn't bother coming down. "If you could..." she trailed off, frowning. "How far away can you see?"

Cracked sat up slowly. "Never measured that before, alpha. How do we check?"

Comforting zipped away from Cracked to the far side of the room. She put down an eye chart and slapped it with a pointer she hadn't been holding a moment before. "Time for an exam! Cover one of your eyes and follow along with what I'm pointing at."

"A, C, R, T..." Cracked nodded with each letter, but the difficulty was going up rapidly with each line of letters becoming smaller than the last. "E? Y O..." Her tail began to wag slowly behind her as she pressed on, eager to show her best for Comforting. "Q? No, O... Wait, no, C. That is a C."

Comforting inclined her head. "What about this one?" She advanced to a fresh letter further down the same row. "Can you see that one?"

"That is..." Cracked squinted a little. "R, no, E..."

Cracked folded her pointer. "I see..."

"Alpha, that is not an I or a C." Cracked nodded, completely certain of that fact. She looked pleased to have helped.

Comforting burst into giggles. "I said I see. I--" She pointed to herself. "See." She pointed to her eyes. "Not letters. Okay, your detail vision goes down pretty fast..." Was that normal for a dog? She didn't remember. Was that normal for a pony?! She didn't know that either. Still... "That means you weren't picking up a lot of details from very far away."

"No."

Comforting inclined her head. "I thought you'd argue that a little more, so what did you see, exactly? How did you know they were a lady?"

"They were large, even from very far away." Cracked stepped from one massive paw and hoof to the next. "Their tail, I think it was their tail, it moved the way I would expect. But, most importantly, their smell." she wrinkled her snout. "It reached me, carried on the wind. She is a she, I could smell that. She is one of me, I could smell that too, even if I couldn't see her as well as I would have liked. Even if I couldn't reach her."

Comforting clapped with a bright smile. "Okay! This is making sense now." She could imagine what happened, with Cracked spotting some familiar shape, chasing back and forth along the ravine. The scent had reached her, and told her the important parts. "Well, what if I just carry you over?"

Cracked inclined her head. "I would think that is a strange idea, but, alpha, you have powers beyond what I can even imagine. If you say you can lift me, I trust you. I would only ask that you do it carefully."

Comforting hugged her beloved dog-wolf housemate on a leg. "Of course! I would never hurt you, on purpose at least..." She stroked her chin a moment. "Okay, enough of that. Show me where this big pit is and we're getting past it! It must be far away..." Equestria didn't have any valleys so deep and so wide that even Cracked couldn't get across it, Comforting felt sure. Then again, there was a whole world out there past Equestria.

Cracked led Comforting through the wilderness, retracing the path she had taken previously. After hours of travel, the wolf-pony paused, gazing out at the landscape ahead. There in the distance was a yawning chasm, stretching as far as the eye could see to either side. Cracked had set quite the pace, loping easily across vast distances. If Comforting couldn't fly just as quickly, it'd be a challenge for most anyone to keep up.

"There it is, Alpha," Cracked said solemnly. "I ran along the edge for miles seeking a way down, but found none."

Comforting approached the canyon's sheer edge, peering into its depths. She turned to Cracked with a confident smile. "No problem! Just hop on and I'll fly us both across, easy as pie."

Cracked nodded and gingerly climbed onto Comforting's back, hanging off of the tiny little helper. The young spirit rose into the air, Cracked's giant form weighing her down only slightly. With a few powerful flaps of her wings, even if they were just for show, they were gliding over the divide.

Cracked's eyes widened as she took in the sweeping expanse of the canyon beneath them. "Incredible..." she breathed. "To soar as if on the wind itself - what a gift you have, Alpha."

Comforting just chuckled, angling them towards the opposite cliff face. She touched down gracefully on the other side, allowing Cracked to dismount. "See? Nothing to it." Even if Dismounting was just stopping clinging to the relatively tiny form of Comforting.

Cracked nuzzled Comforting gratefully. "My quest can continue, thanks to you." She raised her nose, sniffing the air. "And her scent lingers still..."

With Comforting's aid, the strange wolf-pony's goal was within reach at last. Comforting followed after Cracked, floating along as the great ponywolf snuffled and moved erratically. Tracking? Comforting guessed they were tracking, or trying to at least. She didn't interfere with that. Getting her across the ravine was already cheating enough.

Cracked perked up suddenly, ears alert and snout thrust forward. "There." She burst into a gallop, rushing to a mountain range a short distance away, at least on Cracked's galloping range. "Here." She yelped and barked excitedly. "Here. Hello! Hello? Hello!" She paced nervously back and forth. "I come peacefully, please don't be angry."

Comforting floated in over Cracked, looking around for any other wolf-ponies, but didn't see any right away. "You sure this is the right place?"

"Yes." Cracked nodded firmly. "Near... I know it for sure, Alpha. She is here." Cracked tossed their head at the mountainside. "In one of those caves, I'm sure of it. I don't want to go in after her. That would be rude."

Comforting nodded thoughtfully as she scanned the mountainside. "You're right, bursting into her home would be quite rude. Let's see if we can get her to come out instead."

She cleared her throat and called out in a friendly, singsong voice. "Helloooo! We come in peace! We were hoping to meet you."

Silence greeted her words. Cracked whined anxiously.

Comforting patted her reassuringly. "It's okay, she's probably just shy."

Closing her eyes, the spirit focused her awareness, sensing for any sign of life emanating from the caves. There, on the eastern face - a lone presence.

Comforting locked onto it and projected her voice directly inside. "Please don't be afraid! We traveled a long way just for a chance to meet you."

For a moment all was still. Then a head poked out from the shadows of the cave. A wolf-pony, one of Cracked's kind. She studied them warily.

Cracked waved a hoof eagerly. "It's alright, we won't hurt you! I'm so happy to finally meet another of my kind."

The stranger glanced between them uncertainly. Then, slowly, she stepped out into the daylight. Up close, Comforting could see she moved with a slight limp. But her eyes were kind, if cautious.

"Let's start nice and easy," Comforting said gently. "Cracked has been eager to find more of her kind. What's your name?"

The wolf-pony hesitated, then replied in a scratchy voice unused to speech: "I am called Lily."

Cracked's tail wagged excitedly. At last, contact had been made! "I am Cracked." She directed a hoof at Comforting. "This is Comforting. She is my alpha."

Lily sat with confusion clear on her face. "Your alpha?" She squinted at the tiny chimera floating in the air. "Why? She is tiny, small, weak. Why would you call her alpha? Are they even grown, for whatever they are?"

"No," quickly shot out Comforting. "I am not. Nice to meet you. I'm comforting." She clapped her hands once, but hesitated on the second of the applause. "Are you hurt?"

Lily regarded Comforting warily. "Why do you ask? My limp is an old injury, nothing to be done for it now."

She turned her gaze on Cracked. "You let this child order you? I don't understand."

Cracked smiled patiently. "I was alone, scared and confused when Comforting found me. She gave me a home, a purpose, acceptance. She cares for me as no other has."

Cracked met Lily's skeptical eyes. "Her youthful appearance is deceiving. She holds great power, though she uses it only for good. Judge her not by size alone. She is my alpha, and I follow her willingly."

Lily looked thoughtful. "Power comes in many forms. If she has earned your loyalty, perhaps there is more to her than meets the eye."

She addressed Comforting. "My apologies if I gave offense. These mountains have made me wary of strangers."

Comforting waved it off. "No offense taken! I know I'm an odd one." She floated a little closer. "But I care a lot about Cracked, and I want to help if you're hurt or need anything."

Lily smiled slightly. "You have a kind heart, little one. My leg pains me sometimes, but I survive."

She turned her gaze to the open sky beyond the mountains. "Though I admit...the thought of open fields and warm dens is an appealing one..."

Cracked's tail wagged eagerly. "You could join us! Comforting would welcome you, I'm sure of it. Right, Alpha?"

She looked to Comforting hopefully. Perhaps their unusual pack could gain another? Comforting went to smooch Cracked's nose, a signal enough that had Cracked almost vibrating with hope.

Comforting zipped to hover in front of Lily. "I have a question. What stopped you from leaving?"

Lily inclined her head. "Didn't you see the hole? It goes everywhere." She turned in place, a full circle. "Everywhere. I am trapped."

"How?" Comforting dared to land on the new wolfpony's snout, sliding down to mount it. "You weren't born here, were you?"

"No." Lily crossed her eyes to keep a view on Comforting. "I was sent here. They banished me with magic." She started. "Is that why Cracked follows you? Do you have magic beyond your size?"

Comments

[Theresa hall]

Interesting although they didn't stop discord they found another lost soul in need of help. Can't wait for her story.

[Emtu]

Huh. Seems like someone made a concerted effort to banish wolf-ponies with no thought as to what would happen to them afterwards.

Probably Starswirl.

[David Silver]

11726031
You deserve an Internet cookie, so here you go. 🍪

[Poparakelis]

Curious, and any image of cracked's species?

[geomease]

Someone bop Starswirl with a rolled up newspaper

[Theresa hall]

11720698
He probably knows but as long as he doesn't get caught he doesn't care. They would have trap him with fluttershy to get him to listen.

[David Silver]

11726119
Alas, neigh.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

But how could it be Starswirl that banished Lily since she hasn't been trapped in an unaging form on another world in a different universe (like Cracked was)? Surely she hasn't lived in those caves for over 2,000 years?

[Dravkwn]

11726099
i.pinimg.com/originals/49/a1/67/49a167c615c28469ea3f93d42fd341c2.png Here ya go

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

It's a good thing Comforting can help Cracked with her love life, especially since Cracked was understandably under a lot of emotional distress this chapter.

It's also quite interesting for Cracked to meet another of her kind, who is very much her own person, but shares some of Cracked's mannerisms due to coming from the same species and culture.

[geomease]

11726243

She might have been. Similar to how the sirens have been livibg on earth for a similar timescale. Their species may exceedingly long lived

[Emtu]

11726119
Can't. Somepony used it up.

[Quirky View]

“You follow her? She looks weak though.”
“Nah she’s strong.”
“Oh damn, she’s strong?”

Unironically one of my favorite types of interactions, whatever you wanna call it lol

[David Silver]

11726591
Cracked doesn't swing that way, but is still ecstatic to find another of her kind.

[David Silver]

11726760
Wait, that's a trope?!

[geomease]

11726756
Was hoping someone would make that reference connection~

[Theresa hall]

11726243
In this case I need a little more before I blame starswirl even if he is an idiot at times.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

11727221
Only at times?

[Theresa hall]

11727340
Well he was good with magic just terrible at long-term consequences and fair trials and basic manners.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

11726920

Hopefully things work out for her and her new wolf friend.