New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

186 - Talking Changes

✉️ appeared in Comforting's vision. She held up a finger and wandered away from the happy celebrations to check it.

Hello, Dear Friend Comforting,

I don't want to be only the source of bad news... But...
Thinking of You and Your Actions,
Amity

Comforting pinned an ear back at the ominous sounding message. "I'll be right back." And she hopped up, landing in front of Amity, the tree. "That's scary. What's wrong?"

Amity circled around herself in her filly form, wearing Comforting's old form. "You have learned. Such skilled use of your agents. I am proud." She inclined her head. "But to what end? There are not enough of them. They will fade."

Comforting cringed at that. "I wasn't... Genetics is a thing in Equestria?"

Amity prodded Comforting in a leg. "They do not know it, yet. The wolfponies are too large."

"Too large?" Comforting flopped to her bottom. "They are pretty big, but how is that involved?"

"Too large," repeated Amity in the same tone. "They cannot turn to anything else. If they were a pony sized, they could make friends with ponies."

Comforting colored faintly, imagining what sort of friends Amity was referring to. "Could we... make them smaller?"

Amity brought her hooves together silently. "Then they aren't wolfponies. You continue to work... But somethings were already finished long before you got there."

Comforting huffed. "Not fair... We should ask them. Maybe they'd be alright with it."

"Would they?" Amity rocked left and right. "To survive only because a god took mercy on them. To be as small as the Little Hunters, as they call them..."

Comforting cringed, imagining that. "I won't know until I ask."

Amity poked Comforting on the nose, somehow without floating to do so. "Friend Comforting. You have done all you can. Perhaps had you been there, ages past, you would have guided them down a different path. I feel certain, watching them, they would have been good friends to ponies. Perhaps they would even become them, in time."

Comforting huffed, looking ready to argue, but it hit her. "They'd just... turn back, wouldn't they?"

"Chaos is poor at enduring changes, Friend Comforting." Amity inclined her head. "You would follow them, changing their size just when it is most required? This is a lost cause..."

Comforting couldn't help but laugh a little, imagining how silly that'd be to have her floating after her wolfponies, adjusting their size on demand. "Well... What about you?" She pointed at Amity. "You're orderly. You can do enduring changes."

"I am order." Amity inclined her head. "So I will not. That is the delicate balance. Those who would change, cannot. Those who would not, can."

Comforting grunted with rising frustration. "Then this was for nothing?"

"Not nothing." Amity smiled, a subtle reflection. "You have made them happy. You have granted them a more peaceful end, if nothing else."

Comforting threw up her hands and vanished, appearing back at the joyful cookout, even if it felt a bit bitter, at least to her. "All taken care of."

Smolder raised a hand, meeting in a high-five with a loud clap. "Awesome. The wolves are exploring their new place." She tossed her head towards Comforting's house. "I think they like it."

"Good." Comforting forced her smile, just to lean in suddenly. "Do you think they'd be really upset if they had to get smaller?"

Smolder blinked at the strange question. "Uh, probably? They're pretty proud of being huge." She spread her arms to emphasize the sizes involved.

"Anyway, since you're back." Smolder kicked some dirt on what had been the cooking fire. "I should head back. Good luck with your doggos."

Comforting waved at the departing Smolder before zipping into the house to see to her new pack.

---

But things were happening. Ponies began to fracture and seperate. "Man..." Comforting frowned at the meter of disharmony, inching upwards steadily. "What even..." But she had agents.

She clapped her hands with a grin. "Time to put them to work."

She waited until after the schoolday, then appeared before them. "Time for a kind chaos mission!"

Sandbar jumped in surprise. "What? Does this involve getting more giant wolves?"

"No..." Comforting rubbed behind her head awkwardly. "Remember what I was worried about? It's happening. Ponies are falling apart." She pointed at Sandbar. "You get to work on the ponies." And onwards to the others. "And you all, go home, and talk to your people. Make sure they're still ready to help ponies. They'll need it."

Sandbar inclined an ear. "Mom said something odd... But is it really that big of a deal?"

"Yes." Comforting hugged Sandbar gently. "Be brave and talk to your fellow ponies. They need your powers of friendship."

Smolder fired a thumbs up, lifting into the air on flapping wings. "I'm on the case. Bet I'll get there before you."

Gallus scowled, the one being looked at. "Please, my town is closer." They took off in two slightly different directions.

Ocellus lifted on buzzing wings. "I'm on the case." She saluted, and darted away.

"This is so exciting." Silverstream clutched her hand with an excited giggle. "We get to save the day! Oh, do you think this is extra credit?"

Comforting snorted at that. "I'll ask Professor Twilight. This is a friendship problem you're facing."

"Best. Mission. Ever." Silverstream took off with a big smile.

Yona shook her head. "Better get moving." She marched away, not very fast, but woe unto any creature that got in her way.

That left Sandbar. "Oh boy..." He raised a brow at Comforting with obvious doubt. "I'm not the, uh, head pony on any level I know of. You sure you should have me doing this? Why not ask the teaches? They're way more influential."

"I'm sure they're trying their best." Comforting hopped back once. "But you can lend a hoof, right?"

Sandbar sighed softly. "If you say so. I'll give it my best shot."

"All I can ask." Comforting waved as Sandbar headed out. She waved a panel into being, showing icons of each of the Young Six as they raced along. Well, except Sandbar. He was just heading into town.

She swiped to the left, showing Sandbar specifically. There were no pegasi. There were no unicorns. Only Earth ponies remained. "Worse than I thought..." How had she not noticed? Well, Fluttershy wasn't leaving, and she mostly hung out at home and at school. It wasn't hard to imagine.

Comforting clapped the window shut. "I'm going to drive myself crazy. Trust..." She stepped to the right, casually moving farther than her stride would imply to arrive at Amity. "Amy?"

"Amy?" Amity walked around herself. "That is not my name."

"Nickname." Comforting clicked her tongue as she fired a fingerfun at Amity. "You see what's going on?"

"A test has arrived." Amity was silent a time. "Hm." The quiet returned. "Would you care to stay here while we wait for our agents to succeed or fail?"

Comforting threw up a hand. "And you're not doing a thing."

"I already did things." Amity inclined her head. "Now I wait to see if they worked. There is little else to be done now. My agents ride out to battle." She smiled faintly. "They are not riding."

"Just a saying, right." Comforting rolled a hand. "Doesn't the fact that ponies fell apart already mean something went wrong?"

"Yes." Amity closed her eyes. "It does. I love my little ponies, but they are so easily scared. They will bolt away from each other, when they are strongest together."

"Yeah..." Comforting sat next to Amity. "They do that... Why don't you work on making them braver?"

"Step by step... But also... Too brave, and are they truly ponies?" Amity opened her eyes. "I will work with what I have. They have always been brave when required."

Comforting clapped twice with soft paffs. "Let's watch them be brave again." She waved an image up, showing her mother, Fluttershy. She was with Rarity, wandering through a largely abandoned Canterlot.

"The seeds of chaos find such fertile soil in ponies." Amity sighed softly, but didn't move, not one inch. "How are your agents doing?"

"Ah, let's see!" Comforting clapped, changing the image to Sandbar, speaking energetically to a group of scared earth ponies. "He's doing his best."

"Good. But he is one agent. Did you only send one? I find that unlikely at best." She remained facing forward, watching the screen quite determinately.

"Of course not." With a clap, she switched to Silverstream. She was talking to Queen Novo, making an impassioned case.

Queen Novo leaned in, fingers pressed together. "The ponies rescued us when we needed it... We should return the favor. Get the army prepared for mobilization!" Several guards saluted sharply and swam away. "Thank you for letting us know, niece."

Silverstream did her best to salute as the guards had done. "You betcha!"

Comforting smiled. "Silverstream had it easy. It pays to have royalty as a contact." She clapped, switching to Gallus. "But you, dear griffon..."

Gallus tried a yelling match with Granpa Gruff. That had limited success at best. "Nevermind." Gallus waved him off and stomped outside. "I know who to go to..."

So he went to a griffon that had been infected by pony cooties. No, not Gabby. Gallus had limits. "Gilda, got a moment?" He landed next to her, wings folding. "Got something important you can help with."

Gilda hiked a brow at that. "Yeah? What do I get out of it?"

Comforting snorted. "Be good." Not that Gilda could hear her.

"It's the ponies. I need to get the word around to help them." Gallus lifted his hands. "Life will suck even harder if we lose ponies to trade stuff with."

"Yeah..." Gilda pushed off the wall she had been leaning against. "I want Rainbow and Pinkie to owe me a favor. Whattaya need?"

Amity clopped her hooves in an enthusiastic applaud. "Your agents are doing well. The ponies will not stand alone in this struggle."

With a snap, the panel was banished. "We creatures love our little ponies." Comforting swayed her griffon tail with a smile. "But this is on them."

"Yes. Exactly." Amity hummed. "Good that you recognize. We set the pieces, but if they win or fail is up to their own actions." She hopped up on small hooves. "Would you still like me, if I wasn't a pony?"

Comforting blinked quickly. "That came out of nowhere."

Amity pointed at herself. "Pony. If I wasn't one, would this bother you?"

"You'd still be you." Comforting grabbed the filly and pulled her in for hugs. "So I'd still like you."

"There will be times, when I am quiet. Trees do not talk. I am a tree." She inclined her head faintly. "I will remember this, eventually, and become quiet."

Comforting scratched at her cheek softly. "I could remind you, to talk."

"Please don't." Amity gently nuzzled Comforting's cheek. "Trees don't talk."

Comforting clenched her teeth at her orderly friend, insisting on the proper order of things. "You should know better than giving commands to chaotic creatures."

"You will obey, because I asked, and because I want it. As my friend, please obey it." Amity hopped free of Comforting's lap. "Trees don't talk."

"Not fair..." Comforting let her hands fall to her sides, arms limp. "But... You're not just a tree."

"I am not." Amity tapped at her head. "Speak to me as a spirit."

Comforting smiled at that. "Oh! If I can still send you messages, that isn't nearly as bad. I'll miss giving you hugs though."

Amity flashed a brief smile. "I knew you would. I gave you that cutiemark for a reason..." She reached up with her little arms. "If it helps, I will miss it as well, but trees do not hug."

Comforting perked up a brow. "Is this why you didn't mind Diamond?"

Amity was quiet for a time.

"Sneaky." Comforting ruffled Amity's head. "Always planning. Always plotting. But that is your thing..."

Author's Note:

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Comments

[Theresa hall]

I don't think I will ever get harmony. She is too content with just watching and never wanting anything even something small. Life is full of stuff to see and do why just be a tree when you can enjoy life with everyone else. And hopefully discord will soon learn don't teach villains teamwork.

[Prism Shadow]

And so the end approaches...

Hope you feel better soon Silver!

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Uh-oh. There seems to be some Discord between the ponies.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

Hope you'll get well soon.

Things seem to be building up to another surprise, so I'll be looking forward to it.

[Lord BLACKHUNTER]

Well the bad (at winning) three are up to fail... Come on let the wolfpones live and prosper... Please no making them die out or inbreed.

[Alvsecret]

Gallus tried a yelling match with Granpa Gus. That had limited success at best. "Nevermind." Gallus waved him off and stomped outside. "I know who to go to..."

I'm pretty sure his grandpa was named Gruff or something..

[David Silver]

11797511
You are correct.