New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

55 - Hey

"Hey." Gallus was watching her. Perched on a chair with a feline air of confidence, he had his eyes on her as she walked along the road, which would carry her to him. "You didn't mention you could make charms."

Comforting's tail lowered as she blinked. "What? You never asked, and I never tried before." She hopped up across from him, casually joining him at the table he was at. "But I am a transmuter."

"Yeah, got no idea what that is." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded hands. "Do tell."

"It's a focus of magic." She directed up at her little horn. "I change things, physical things. So shaping a bead falls under that wheelhouse. I guess I don't need to bring up that I used one of your beads?"

"Nah." He leaned in an inch further, a sly smile on his face. "Already know about it, and I'm not mad. You made Silverstream really happy. The only problem is you're young."

Comforting recoiled. "Why is that a problem?!" Being young had been, so far, more positive than negative. Sure, there were a few things... Being tiny was both a perk and a negative. The emotions were... a lot! She had a parent, sure, but they were a really nice parent!

Her romantic life was nil. But so was her desire, so, eh? That could be awkward later, but not that day.

"It's a problem because you got tons of ideas, and no practice with any of it." He wriggled his fingers, hands still pressed together. "Like that charm you made for Silverstream, don't get me wrong, she's super psyched about it. But it's not good, objectively. It's a little chick creation, even at a glance. You'd need to practice, a lot, to get it up to 'good'. And that isn't even insulting you. You are a little chick. You are, in fact, super talented. But you're still a super talented... little chick. And your talents run this way." He spread his hands left and right. "And not this way." He moved them up and down over each other instead. "So you got a ton of things you're alright at. And that's cool. Don't get me wrong. Nothing wrong with that. But it does mean I can't ask you to be our bead artist."

"Oh." She frowned a bit. "That was a lot to get to that."

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings or nothing." He shrugged lightly. "I'm not used to dealing with little chicks, especially one I'm not trying to make go away." Gallus flashed a smile, teeth on display, which was an odd thing about griffons and hippogriffs. They had teeth! They had beaks, but also teeth. What were the beak parts for if they had teeth? "What?" He slid his teeth away in favor of a confused look. "Why are you staring?"

Comforting shook the distracting thoughts free. "Sorry! Mind wandered a moment... No offense taken." She put a hoof at her own chest. "And you have a point?"

"I do?" He arched a brow at her. "What point is that?"

"I'm... still exploring." She ran hoof to hoof in slow circles in the air. "I'm actually happy I can do the things I do, but maybe it'll be better when I get better at a few things instead of being 'eh, alright' at everything."

"Hey. You're a little chick. I've mentioned this before." He reached out, ruffling her mane. "Exploring is kinda what yer supposed to do. As if I stopped exploring..." He set his hands on the table between them. "Part of life, but the older ya get, you know? The less wide, the more high, usually. You're in the wide part. Ain't nothing wrong with that."

What was up with her friends spouting wisdoms she wasn't expecting them to make?! "That's really on point, I think..."

"You know." He fired a finger gun at her with a click of his tongue. "Now, you'll be happy to know that we're doing well. One strange part though."

"What's that?" Comforting perked up, flipping back to business mode.

"They don't always want the keychains." He didn't look upset about that. "But they do want the charms. I can move some of the chains because of that. Get one of these and one of those and more of the charms included! You know? But ponies seem to want the charms more, and they're paying, so..."

"So that's good," finished Comforting for him. "But it means you're not getting a lot of use out of the keyring maker..."

"Exactly. But I have an idea that maybe you can help with." He pointed at her horn. "You can change things into other things, but you're not, like... super detailed about it yet, right?"

"Yeah?" She peeked up at her horn as best she could, which was limited from that angle. "Why?"

"Well you're 'alright' at making beads, but what if you made the machine a bead maker instead of a keyring maker, so we can have it make the charms instead? Something we can set up with... Oh! I know." He held up his hands. "Put in the finished bead here." He waggled his left hand. "And it makes copies of it here." He waggled his right hand. "Then we can make up new kinds of charms and it'll copy them. That'll free up Silverstream to make up new charms instead of putting all her work into making more of what we already have. Win win!"

Comforting scowled, trying to imagine the various parts of the machine that worked to put one bit into the next bit and how she'd modify what parts of it to get what they wanted. "I'd need... to see it. Can you slow it down?"

"Slow it down? Why would I want to do that?" He looked entirely baffled at the concept. "If I could speed it up, that'd be better."

"Once we're done, sure... but I need to see it working. The better I can see what it's doing, the better, so slow is good."

One could see realization dawning on him. "Duh!" He slapped his forehead with a palm. "That makes sense. So... No clue, but..." He dug into his chest pocket and pulled out a surprisingly dense book he slammed onto the table. "Here's the owner's manual."

Her eyes grew wide. That had to be hundreds of pages. She willed it closer, which took effort to heft up its considerable weight and get it closer to herself. Once it was in her reach, she flipped with a combination of hooves and magic. "Wow..." It was jut as dense in the inside with small font writing and complex diagrams. "Props... to whoever made this. This really goes over everything."

"Right?! It's amazing...ly hard to read though." He tapped the book, reaching across the table. "If you can figure it out, great! If not... I get it. It really is kinda... everything. Oh!" He withdrew his hand and stuffed it right back in his pocket, re-emerging with a bag that had Comforting's cutie mark stamped on the side. "This is yours." It jangled when he set it on the table as if it had...

"Bits?" She lifted it with her magic to pull it over. "Thank you..."

"You helped make them appear." He grinned, showing off those teeth. "And, hopefully, you'll make even more appear. We got a good thing going. Let's keep it up, alright?"

It was then that Comforting realized she actually had no idea what she wanted to spend money on. She had shelter. She had food. Fluttershy wouldn't deny her anything reasonable, and she didn't seem to be hurting for the bits she needed to survive either. Equestria was such a strange world! Oh... Oh!

He saw her grinning like a loon. "Thought of something to spend it on? Something fun? Share."

"What I am thinking of isn't 'fun', but, at my age, is like the best thing I could invest in... If it exists."

Gallus blinked softly. "If it exists?"

Oops. Comforting swallowed audibly and shrank with a nervous laugh.

"You are something else, lemme tell ya." He ruffled her head and she couldn't even muster the spirit in that moment to be annoyed. "So, what may or may not exist?"

"It's boring." She waved it off. "You wouldn't care."

"It's a good investment, you just said so." His brows came down together. "Which means I'm interested."

"Well..." She rocked left and right. "Are there banks?"

He scratched at his beak, eyes turned skywards. "That's a place for rich creatures to store their money, right?"

That was, itself, a hint of their state. "I need to visit one to find out if what I was thinking of exists... But my hopes are already shrinking." She brought her hooves together. "Worth checking. Is there one in Ponyville?"

"Uh... not that I know of? You'd have to go to a big city for that kinda thing... I'm still wondering what you're talking about, and you're not saying. Tease."

"Alright alright!" She crossed her arms and sat back. "Banks lend bits to people who ask for it, but they want the bits back, with extra, later. That make sense?"

"Sure... I'd love to have so many bits I was lending them out and getting more back. That's a nice way to make bits..." He rubbed his hands together, thinking of his multiplying bits. "But you aren't a bank. You want to loan bits?"

"Not me, personally. Can you imagine me chasing after someone if they're late? It'd be cute and sad at the same time." She could easily imagine her little furry butt trying to chase someone down, shouting about their missing payment. "But if I could put my money in a bank and let them lend it out and invest it and I get a share?"

Gallus' eyes widened as the idea sunk in. "Woah! That is kinda cool... And that's the part that might exist?" She nodded at him. "Where are you from? Someplace that has these banks... Well, I want to find out! And I have an idea." He clapped his hands together with a smart strike of a noise. "We ask the teaches if we can take a field trip to learn about the banks of Manehatten. That's educational, right?"

Comforting hopped up to her hooves on the chair. "That's a great idea! I'd really like to see that... But... It's not really a friendship lesson, is it?"

Gallus quirked his head off kilter faintly. "Hm... Well, we do learn about more than just friendship, even if that's, like, the big ticket item. The worst we'll get is a 'no', right? So why not try, I say." He poked her between the eyes. "And cut that out. Being the cautious one is my job half the time when Ocellus isn't handling it."

Comforting giggled softly. "I'm just giving you a break. Now..." She moved the heavy instruction manual out of the way slowly. "Since we're here, and I see somepony..." She waved wildly, getting Diamond Tiara's attention. "How about we do lunch?"

"Did you just say lunch?" Diamond hopped up at a right angle from both Comforting and Gallus. "Oh!" Her eyes went to the bag of bits, as if she could tell what was inside without even touching it, just at a glance. "And you're treating today, I see. What's the good news? Dish it out."

Gallus waved at Comforting. "Our wizard in training is gonna help me make more bits with that horn of hers, and the brain attached to it. She's real clever, when she isn't making trouble."

Diamond colored at that. "I've experienced both of those. Waiter!" She flagged down a waitpony. "I'll take a water with a lemon slice and bring over some menus already. How are we supposed to pick what we want?"

"Right away, ma'am." The waitpony walked off with proper decorum.

Diamond flashed a smile at the others. "You have to demand service sometimes."

Author's Note:

Banking! It's fun for all ages! Does Equestria have the banking Comforting has in mind? Investing nice and young is a wise choice, if available, no?

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Comments

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Her eyes grew wide. That had to be hundreds of pages. "She willed it closer, which took effort to heft up its considerable weight and get it closer to herself. Once it was in her reach, she flipped with a combination of hooves and magic. "Wow..." It was jut as dense in the inside with small font writing and complex diagrams. "Props... to whoever made this. This really goes over everything ."

Extra double quote mark

of pages. She willed

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

It was thent hat Comforting realized she actually had no idea what she wanted to spend money on . She had shelter. She had food. Fluttershy wouldn't deny her anything reasonable, and she didn't seem to be hurting for the bits she needed to survive either. Equestria was such a strange world! Oh... Oh!

Should be

was then that Comforting

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Diamond colored at that. "I've experienced both of those. Waiter!" She flagged down a waitpony. "I'll take a water with a lemon slice and bring over some menus already. How are we supposed to pick what we want?"

Exactly where are they that they can order food? There is no indication of that at all.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Comforting slipped up a little by mentioning things that existed in the world of her previous life. Luckily, her friends accept her strange knowledge.

[Munro]

just thinking about the possibilities for her to get to invest at that age

[Toast]

Ah, can't wait for the episode were comforting accidently crashes the stock market or banking system. This just in, child crashes nation's economy lol

[SRY]

11333180
Or when she figures out she can skip all the fiddly parts with transmutation and just make the bits directly.....

[hmaf43]

Reincarnated capitalist filly teaching capitalist griffon how to hunts, in their natural habitat.

[Johnny B Mediocre]

c.tenor.com/QQ5Q_5iI1fkAAAAC/hey-spider-man.gif

[Magnum Hocus]

11333180
considering they'd crash it, by supplanting the current system with a new one, that can be easily transitioned to, it would probably be just existing banks offering new services, to compete with the new ideas.

[TheLocalCannon]

11333180
Too common of a trope imo.

[Theresa]

11331496
So she can save the money for rainy day. . Sooner or later something that needs money will come along. A family that needs a little help. A bit of charity work.

[Luckyfanisaac]

Banking! It's fun for all ages! Does Equestria have the banking Comforting has in mind? Investing nice and young is a wise choice, if available, no?

Seems kinda silly if it isn’t. I heard of such a thing in the second Mary Poppins movie.