New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

179 - Meta Fiction

Pinkie snort-giggled. "At least they're kinda nice today." She returned waves at the unseen figures waving at her. "So! How long have you been seeing them?"

Comforting turned left and right. "Hm, not too long after getting chaosified?" Her eyes swirled colors at the mention of chaos. "Now I can always see them, but I try not to pay too much attention. I have a life here." She pointed at Pinkie and swept up to Twilight's castle. "Worrying about other realities too? Too much!"

"That makes sense." Pinkie nodded sagaciously. "Me too, come to think. They're funny, but they're not gonna help me get my baking done in time and they only rarely remind me of a birthday."

Comforting spread her arms. "Well... but it's still nice. It's nice to not be alone."

"I get that!" Pinkie rushed in for the offered hug, squeezing Comforting close. "One thing thing... I feel like 'season' isn't quite right, and yet, it feels like that's totally right, at the same time. Any ideas?"

Comforting blinked at the meta question. "Um. You brought that up, not me." She reached for the edge of the page, peeking at herself in the future. "We're written."

"𝒲𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒?!" Pinkie bounced in place, then squinted at what she said, still hovering there. "Neat... ռɛǟȶ!" Pinkie began clapping, giggling fitfully as she did so. "Guess we are."

Comforting grabbed a floating bit of words and crumpled them up. "Can't leave these just laying around."

"Sorry." Pinkie bounced around Comforting. "I had no idea! I guess, being a chaos spirit, you have a front-row seat on what's going on." She leaned in, eyes bulging outwards at Comforting. "So spill the deets!"

Comforting gently pushed Pinkie back. "No spoilers."

"Aw..." Pinkie snapped her fingers. She had no fingers, but she made the motion and the sound happened. "Be that way!"

"But you asked me something I want to know. When did you start seeing them?" Comforting pointed at Pinkie almost accusingly.

Pinkie gasped. "I didn't do it!" She paused a moment. "Oh, wait, yes I did. Um... Right around the first season." She frowned. "Which I still don't get. Books don't have seasons!"

"No, but this is a book about a show." Comforting rolled one hand over the other. "You were from the show first, which had seasons. Now you're written. So you had seasons, and now you have chapters."

"Oh! That... is silly. I love it." Pinkie giggled with renewed energy. "But that makes sense."

Comforting floated several inches into the air. "You are a good pony."

Pinkie smiled so hard her cheeks squeaked. "Aw, what makes you say that?"

"Because it's the truth." She darted in. "Mom's better, but she has mom points. Hard to top that."

"True." Pinkie tapped at her chin. "My mom's pretty great too... So! Any other awesome secrets you want to share, or...?

Comforting waved towards her house in the distance, near the Everfree. "I'm heading home to tell them everything's okay with Starswirl. Wanna come with?"

"Tempting! A visit to a chaos den... I'd totally take you up on that." She inclined her head into town. "But the bakery needs me! Who else is gonna do it if I don't? The Cakes? They're already overworked. Nope! Pinkie to the rescue." She trotted off, which turned into bouncing part way.

Comforting waved at her departing friend. "Good luck!" Then she vanished, appearing in front of her house.

She rushed up to the door and swung it open to see Cracked and Lily already mid-conversation.

"Our alpha could do whatever she wants." Lily huffed gently. "She could just make us mates and that would be that."

"She could, but she would not." Cracked heard the door open. "There she is. Alpha, I don't think you would... but would you create mates for us if we asked nicely?"

"I would not." Comforting floated up to be on equal level with the great wolfponies(who were still wolfponies even if that bothered Starswirl). "That's cheating, at best."

Cracked nodded firmly. "I thought so. The hunt continues. We found you, Sister. Surely we can find anything else we set our pack on."

Comforting floated up to meet the wolfponies' gazes. "You both know I want to help however I can. But forcing relationships through chaos would only lead to sadness."

Cracked nodded sagely as Lily sighed. "I understand, Alpha. Part of me still laments our kind dying out..." Her ears perked up a bit. "Yet with Cracked's fierce devotion, I feel less alone than ever."

The two nuzzled affectionately as Comforting looked on tenderly. "If destiny intends mates for you, they shall emerge in due time. Until then, cherish having found one another."

"Well said!" boomed a voice from the doorway. The ponies jumped, realizing Discord had invited himself in. "Creating something so momentous could have grave consequences..." His devilish smirk didn't match the sage warning.

Comforting facepalmed as chaos erupted. Of course her father couldn't resist stirring up trouble!

"What mischief are you peddling now?" She waved away his 'gifts' of chickens and cheesewheels materializing everywhere. Some chaos spirits had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer!

"I love the idea." He looked between the large wolfponies. "Back in my day, they tore through the hills, hunting anything stupid or slow enough to let them catch up. Fearsome creatures..." He waved at Cracked. "Now your loving pets. My how the mighty have fallen."

Cracked snarled, a low growl issueing deeply from within her. "You are insulting us all. I am no creature's pet. We are a family."

Lily pulled herself and grabbed Comforting from the air in her hooves. "My new alpha is a caring and loving alpha. But she does not own me. No alpha owns. They lead. They are followed because they speak wisely."

Comforting wriggled free of the grab, giggling. "I love them both. Do you have an idea how they can find what they're looking for, Dad, or are you just here to poke fun and make trouble."

"I do like doing that..." He rubbed his chin, stroking his beard along the way. "Always a good time, but I'm not like that." He clapped his hands together with a charming smile. "Not with my little girl. So if you want your little puppers to have a full family..."

All eyes were fixed on him, even if Comforting sighed. "I know you're not going to just give us an answer."

"What would the fun be there?" He darted over to flick Comforting on the nose. "And you can't even be mad. You just did the same thing. But, I can give a hint." He gestured off in wavey motions. "Across a sea, in sand and sun, where the ponies come big, so too may the dogs."

Cracked's ears pricked up. "Truly? We need only journey to this fabled land and more of us may roam its plains?" Excitement colored her tone at the thought.

Comforting pondered the cryptic clues ruefully. Getting a straight answer seemed unlikely as always. But the seed of hope was planted...wherever massive horses dwelled... "Saddle Arabia?"

Discord frowned at that. "Was I too blunt? I was trying to be mysterious! You guessed that way too fast... Ruining all my fun." He pulled a door open that hadn't been there a moment before. "What I get for trying to help." He slammed the door behind himself, all vanishing from sight.

Lily perked with a bright smile. "You know where he was talking about?"

Cracked licked Comforting in a grand display of warm wet tongue. "Our alpha is wise. She knows many things. Where is this 'Saddle Arabia'? How do we reach it?"

"I... have no idea." Comforting lowered to the ground, shaking herself dry on the way. "But I know who to start asking. This is a case for my loyal young agents."

"The small hunters?" Cracked lolled her tongue. "They are skilled and clever. If you are trusting them, I will trust as well. They will surely find an answer for us."

Lily nosed against Comforting, her large wheels turning behind her in the motion. "Alpha, will you chase us away when we have families?"

Cracked perked an ear. "I don't think she would do that. Would you?"

Comforting grabbed Lily's unsure snout and hugged it warmly. "You already have a family right here. We're just trying to make it larger. If your future mates are polite, I have no problem with them being here. They just need to not terrorize the creatures around us."

Cracked nodded, looking vindicated. "Our alpha is too kind for that. So long as our mates show the same kindness, all will be welcomed."

A knock drew their attention to the door as Gallus entered. "Oh, hey." He waved at them all. "Didn't expect you all to be here. Comfs, weren't you busy?"

Comforting went to give Gallus a hug of greetings. "I was checking in on Starswirl. All is good there. No more emergencies. But! Good timing. We have a new quest for you."

Gallus hiked a brow. "Huh... Twilight gets hers from that map. Having mine come from you has its ups and downs." He tickled her belly, making her wriggle for just a moment. "Lay it on me. Who, or what, are we saving this time?" He hiked a thumb at Lily. "Does it involve a big dog?"

Lily sat up with a huff. "I am not a dog."

Gallus waved it off. "Yeah yeah, wolfpony. So?"

Comforting waved up at Lily. "It does involve them, or things like them. Saddle Arabia. There may be some there. There might just be one? I don't know! We need to know how to get there, then to get there and search for wolfponies."

Gallus blinked in shock. "Wow... Can't you... clap us there, like last time?"

"That was cheating." Comforting huffed as she crossed her arms. "Won't do that again. I told you what has to happen. How is up to you and the others."

"Figured." Gallus turned back for the door. "If I didn't already like them... Uh... One thing." He turned right back around. "They aren't Cracked or Lily. What stops them from eating us when we find them?"

Lily spoke up gently, "If cousins remain, the same potential for compassion lies within us all. Had I never known Cracked's warmth, perhaps I too would still snap in fear."

She met Gallus' worried gaze. "Have hope, little one. Any of our kind may yet walk in light, if shown patient guidance."

Comforting smiled proudly at Lily's wisdom. "Have some faith."

Gallus gave an unsure nod. "Alright... So if huge hungry wolfponies are coming at us... just be patient. Got it." With an unsure laugh, he reached for the door. "I'll tell the others. We're on the case, but if we get eaten, this is your fault."

Comforting waved as he headed out to spread tale of the new quest. "I think that's better than a cutie mark over a--"

She paused, a message appearing. She reached up to make it finish scrolling out in her vision.

Comforting,

Please don't insult my way of doing things. I try not to intercede with your own. There are many parts about it I would rather not see, but it is your way. We are different creatures with different ways. My way works for me, and your way works for you.

With Patient Love,
Amity

Comforting flicked the message away, colored brightly. "Sorry..." It was so easy to forget she was being watched. "You two!" She turned sharply to her big wolfponies. "I'm going to visit Diamond. The small hunters are on the case. So, relax, have fun. Maybe go on a hunt?"

Cracked perked at the idea. "A hunt? A lovely idea. Lily, are you up for it?"

"Always." Lily's tail wagged excitedly. "Now that I can move, let's hunt.

The two raced out of the house with a chorus of joyous howls that sent the less brave prey species scrambling.

Author's Note:

A new quest begins! Young Six, to action!

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Comments

[Theresa hall]

Amity is allowed to be annoyed that comforting thinks the direct way of talking to people is better than a map and comforting is allowed to believe. Grumbling because your friend has different opinions than you is not good friendship behavior. Just accept they feel differently about this than you and try to enjoy the things you can agree on.

And personally I agree with comforting. How many problems could have solved easier if the girls had more of idea of what they were supposed to do. They usually cutie mark plus place. It was up to them to figure out who needed help and where exactly they were these people who needed help. Considering some of those places were much bigger than ponyville and had a lot of people living there.

[Poparakelis]

Amity didn't let that slide

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Orderly Harmony has a different way of notifying agents than Chaotic Harmony does. Both serve their purpose admirably.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

Pinkie's special extrasensory powers continue to be both cute and fascinating, and it was fun to see her and Comforting peek out at us like that.

I think Discord is consistent in the sense that I don't think there has been one time during this entire story that I have seen one of his entrances coming.

I'd forgotten about the Cutie Mark "beeper" thing to send ponies on quests. I suppose it makes sense that Amity considers that particular invention of hers important enough to her to feel sensitive about it.

Hopefully Comforting visiting Diamond again, and the quest to find more wolfponies will go well.

[David Silver]

11772326
This time, Comforting will trust her field agents to see the job done without giving as many answers and help as she did the last time. No free rides!

It felt very right for Amity to pout at Comforting's chastising. Her way works, dang it! 100% success rate!

[Theresa hall]

11772478
Yes but comforting gets the job done faster by telling them what they need to do. The first time they just had guess about the map. If they had understood the problem sooner they might have been able to solve it sooner. Considering not knowing who needs help but also exactly where they are they could easily miss each other.

[Prettypony]

Hi Pinkie!