New Endings, Old Starts

by David Silver

62 - Making Better

"Yer in our territory now." Apple Bloom scrunched her nose at the other filly that dared to intrude on them. "And we wanna know what's goin' on with that."

Scootaloo bounced in place. "Seriously, Diamond's lousy at keeping a secret, if that was supposed to be a secret."

Sweetie shook her head, seated calmly. "We're just curious. Cutie mark magic gets our attention."

Comforting considered the rumps of the fillies in front of her. They had a unifying theme, but each spoke of specific talents besides their bond. "I learned my lesson."

Apple Bloom pawed at the air. "What lesson's that now?"

Scootaloo laughed airily. "That awesome spell? Show us."

"That I should be careful." Comforting pointed to her own rump and its mark. "Just because I can make a pony better doesn't make that always a good idea. So... Before I offer that, what do you plan to do with it?"

Sweetie hummed. "That's a good idea," she sang out. "But we're good ponies, promise."

Scootaloo hopped up, pointing at her mark. "Look, mine's all about being fast and awesome. I'll just do some crazy tricks and nopony will be hurt by that."

A specific idea seemed to do more for Comforting. "That sounds harmless. So long as you don't hurt yourself doing it."

Scootaloo pulled out her helmet and popped it on her head. "All prepared! If I bang myself up, I can't keep being awesome! Besides, it'd make Rainbow sad, and we don't want that."

The other two nodded in solidarity with that.

Comforting smiled as her horn glowed with the rainbow hues of cutie mark enhancement. Why did it glow rainbow with that one spell, she was powerless to answer. "Here goes!" Scootaloo took on a ready stance as Comforting zapped her, filling her, what, soul? It felt like she was aiming for that, filling it up just like she had pony's legs and body with other spells. Enhancing seemed to involve a lot of charging batteries.

Scootaloo let out a whooping cheer as it happened. "Woah, this feels funny. A good funny, but still funny. I feel like I could fly!" A serious phrase for Scootaloo to utter. "Time to do this!" She grabbed her scooter and hopped on. "Any of you wanna ride with me?"

Sweetie shook her head vigorously. "I get the impression you're about to get even more wild than usual. I'd rather watch."

Comforting could see Scoots was glowing with a rainbow haze, the spell on her. "I wonder..." Would it all discharge at once, as had happened with Diamond, or would it be a more gradual thing? "Do what you're best at, and the spell should help."

"Already on it." Scoots powered away, her little wings fluttering wildly in a buzzing propulsion that carried her way with a grin of determination.

Apple Bloom tapped Comforting's shoulder. "One thing. She is almost certain to try somethin' brave. It's what she does. If she gets hurt, it ain't your fault. She woulda tried it with or without you. She wouldn't want you to feel bad."

Comforting tensed, visions of Scootaloo getting injured flooding her mind. "I don't want her to get hurt!"

Sweetie tapped at her horn. "So protect her. She'll be trying her best not to already."

"R-right, magic." She wasn't a protective wizard, but... She needed more spells! She didn't know one for making a pony tougher, just stronger, or jump higher, or enhance their cutie mark... "Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." But it was too late to cancel. She had already cast the spell, and Scootaloo was getting ready to use it at the top of a hill.

"Here I come," Scootaloo bellowed, kicking off and powering down the hill, faster by the second. The wind billowed in her mane as she cackled with wanton abandon, wings helping her pick up even more speed. She was glowing, at least in Comforting's eyes. The magic was being expended in a more continual drag than any burst of power. "And... Pow!" She hit a ramp and went right over the top in what felt like an instant.

She was airborne, soaring as most pegasi had license to do. Her wings beat harder and faster, the glow intensifying as the magic began to reach a fever pitch, but was also running dry quickly. "Woo!" Scootaloo was defying gravity, the scooter leaving her grip, surrendering to the pull of gravity, but she wasn't, still flying for that sweet moment.

The rainbow faded, the magic expended. She began to fall. Her forward momentum hadn't stalled, but she was gaining downwards at that uncomfortable constant of gravity that would be denied not one instant longer despite her desperately beating wings. She was crashing towards the ground all too quickly. Scootaloo raised her hooves to cover her face, screaming in fear instead of excitement. It had all gone from great to bad in an instant.

But she didn't hit the ground, instead colliding with something soft and fuzzy that she squished into the ground, tumbling over it in a flip and only smacking into the dirt after that, dust kicked up. "Woah..." She sat up, head wobbling, but she was in one piece. "Who put a mattress out?" What great timing! She looked back to see what she had bounced off of to spot that it was no mattress. She had bounced off Comforting, who was flat on the ground. "W-what?" She hurried over to the little filly. "You alright? What happened?!"

Comforting groaned, not moving much. "Didn't... want you to be hurt..."

Scootaloo looked around in a panic, but the other crusaders were there, hurrying onto the scene. "Fluttershy is going to kill us. We keep hurting her filly!"

Apple Bloom rubbed behind her head. "Not like we don't do it to each other... Still, let's get her to the hospital." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom closed with Comforting, one on either side to gently help her up and begin walking her away.

Sweetie remained close by. "That was amazing... You started to fall and Comforting took off." She swiped a hoof through the air with authority. "Woosh! She didn't say anything, just ran. She didn't stop until she was right under you, which is when you landed on her."

Scootaloo winced. "Ow... Comforting, you alright?" But Comforting didn't respond with anything coherent. On the positive, she was limping along with the help of the two foals with her. "You didn't have to do that... I've taken a few falls before. Um, but thanks! Thanks... It means a lot... That you'd just do that..."

They got her to the hospital. Redheart hurried her away on a gurney, to return not long after. "You three are a bad influence."

Scootaloo looked the most guilty, shrinking away. "I didn't mean to!"

Apple Bloom moved in front of Scootaloo, barring Redheart's accusing glare. "This was Comforting's idea. Is she alright? That's what's important."

Redheart sighed gently. "Of course... She's being seen by the doctor right now. Poor thing looks like she fell off a roof."

Scootaloo clenched her teeth, wince deepening. "The roof fell on her, actually..."

The three explained the situation and how Comforting got hurt. Redheart hissed in sympathetic pain. "A pony's body is not landing foam. While she's being treated, one of you should inform her mother. She deserves to know, and Comforting will be happier if she wakes up with Fluttershy around."

Sweetie perked an ear. "Wake up? She was already awake."

Redheart sank to her haunches with a tired sigh. "What the doctor has to do should't be done on a pony while they're awake. We put her to sleep for now. She'll be fine, but no reason for her to be in pain."

Apple Bloom recoiled. "It's that bad?! I've been in Scoota-cidents afore and ah didn't need that much care."

Redheart raised her hooves and brought them slowly together. "She's a little filly and you." She pointed at Scootaloo. "You are larger than her, and were going very quickly. We're lucky you didn't squash her flat. Now... being a little filly..." Redheart smiled gently. "She will probably bounce back from this... Just... please be more careful."

"On the case." Scootaloo dashed off. Her scooter wasn't there to ride, abandoned after the stunt.

Sweetie put a hoof to her head. "Poor Scoots... This is the second time she was involved in hurting Comforting..."

---

"That was foolish."

Comforting looked around. It wasn't the eternal stretching of the cosmos. It wasn't the gentle gloom of night. It was dark, no, dark was too mild. It was utter black. There simply was nothing besides herself, and Harmony. "What?"

Harmony watched Comforting with her unblinking eyes. "You love your friends. This pleases me greatly... But you hurt yourself, badly. This displeases me."

As if just remembering, Comforting took a step towards Harmony. "Is Scootaloo alright?"

Harmony inclined her head, no expression on her face. "That is your first question on that? You have a good heart. Scootaloo is fine. You are hurt. You spared her damage, and took it yourself, more than she would have gotten. Your mind is old, but your body is young and small. Your magic... You are taking after me."

"Taking after you?!" Comforting was distracted entirely. "What do you mean by that?"

"The magic of cutie marks is my domain." Cutie marks began to float around Harmony's heads, all of the mane six's on display in a slow circle. "It is where my power flows most strongly. And now you." Comforting's cutie mark popped free of her, floating above her head instead of on her rump. "You claim mastery."

"I do not!" Comforting tried to grab her mark, to little avail. "I was just giving a little push."

"What do you think I do?" With a slow push forward with a hoof, Harmony sent Twilight's mark floating towards Comforting. "A little push." Applejack's mark came next. "A little nudge. They do what their cutie mark urges, to make the world right. You have learned to walk." Harmony smiled gently. "But have not learned where to walk. Like a child, your first step was off an edge, but there was no parent there to catch you."

Comforting shrank at that. "This isn't Fluttershy's fault!"

"It isn't," agreed Harmony. "It is mine. You are a child. You learn by seeing, by copying, and by loving. You saw me. You copied me..."

"I... I do love you." Comforting smiled timidly. "I'm really sorry... I thought I was just... I didn't..."

"You are a child," reminded Harmony. "You think your age avoids that, but what do you know of destiny? What do you know of cutie marks? You are a child. Children make mistakes. It is up to their parents to protect them, and teach them. I am the one who erred today, not you."

Comforting sank to her haunches. "I don't want you to be sad."

"And yet, I am. I do not want you to hurt yourself. And yet... you did. We do not always get what we want. As an adult, you are aware of this." She spoke smoothly and evenly, watching Comforting with unshaking eyes, unblinking. "Your friends are close. They feel bad too."

Comforting thrust both hooves up. "How do I fix it?!"

"You do not... I am considering it... I shouldn't. I'm not supposed to." Harmony frowned, an expression. "Direct action from me is... The moments, those, they are clear to me, and I did not see this. I am not supposed to act."

"And so you won't." Comforting squeaked, jumping to the side to let Discord rise from the yawning nothing. "Coward."

Harmony turned their attention onto Discord. "Ordered."

"Another name for coward, yes." Discord rolled his eyes. "You have a special pony friend. I thought we were a little alike, that way... But you won't do a thing for them. Ponies are delicate! They get hurt, it happens... But we can do something about that. But you won't."

Author's Note:

Mistakes may have been made... But that was an awesome jump though, right?

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!

Comments

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Scootaloo winced. "Ow... Comforting, you alright?" But Comforting didn't respond with much coherent. On the positive, she was limping along with the help of the two foals with her. "You didn't have to do that... I've taken a few falls before. Um, but thanks! Thanks... It means a lot... That you'd just do that..."

One of the sentences in this paragraph maybe could be worded better, actually in two different ways.

But Comforting didn't respond with anything coherent.

Or

But Comforting didn't respond with much coherence.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Being willing to protect your friend from being hurt because you still feel like it is your fault, even if it means that you are hurt? Seems relatable.

Comforting now has magic that is at least somewhat kin to Harmony's? Wow...

Harmony cares enough about Comforting that she is sad when Comforting is hurt? It seems that Comforting's friendship may have changed her some. And while she is hesitant to fix things for Comforting, she hasn't even said what doing so would entail.

Discord is upset enough to barge into Harmony's presence and directly confront her? That seems like a change also

Things seem to be progressing even more in interesting directions.

[Phetiamwantip]

This new chapter is going pretty good. Hope to see more of your chapters and remember: Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.

[David Silver]

11359361
Discord jumping on an opportunity to chastise his orderly rival? How out of character! :D

[Szalhi]

Maybe some Feather Fall would be nice.

[Chrome Masquerade]

Scootaloo hopped up, pointing at her mark. "Look, mine's all about being fast and awesome. I'll just do some crazy tricks and nopony will be hurt by that."

A specific idea seemed to do more for Comforting. "That sounds harmless. So long as you don't hurt yourself doing it."

Sure. What could possibly go wrong?

[Chrome Masquerade]

"R-right, magic." She wasn't a protective wizard, but... She needed more spells! She didn't know one for making a pony tougher, just stronger, or jump higher, or enhance their cutie mark... "Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." But it was too late to cancel. She had already cast the spell, and Scootaloo was getting ready to use it at the top of a hill.

Defs not an Abjurer.

[Chrome Masquerade]

The rainbow faded, the magic expended. She began to fall. Her forward momentum hadn't stalled, but she was gaining downwards at that uncomfortable constant of gravity that would be denied not one instant longer despite her desperately beating wings. She was crashing towards the ground all too quickly. Scootaloo raised her hooves to cover her face, screaming in fear instead of excitement. It had all gone from great to bad in an instant.

To quote Hun from the '03 TMNT series....

Aw, crud.

[Chrome Masquerade]

The three explained the situation and how Comforting got hurt. Redheart hissed in sympathetic pain. "A pony's body is not landing foam.

With the... dubious exception of Pinkie Pie, but still!

Apple Bloom recoiled. "It's that bad?! I've been in Scoota-cidents afore and ah didn't need that much care."

Well... yeah, but you're an Eath Pony.

Redheart raised her hooves and brought them slowly together. "She's a little filly and you." She pointed at Scootaloo. "You are larger than her, and were going very quickly. We're lucky you didn't squash her flat. Now... being a little filly..."

That too, I guess?

"You are a child," reminded Harmony. "You think your age avoids that, but what do you know of destiny? What do you know of cutie marks? You are a child. Children make mistakes. It is up to their parents to protect them, and teach them. I am the one who erred today, not you."

Correction: EVERYONE makes mistakes. Period.

[Chrome Masquerade]

"Another name for coward, yes." Discord rolled his eyes. "You have a special pony friend. I thought we were a little alike, that way... But you won't do a thing for them. Ponies are delicate! They get hurt, it happens... But we can do something about that. But you won't."

Hate to say it, Harmony... But he has a point.

[David Silver]

11359489
Well, yes, Harmony is busy confessing to one. But the mistakes of an adult are not up to a parent to prevent.

[Eris Dis Harmonia]

'Can you' is often not the key, 'should you' is where things get... questionable.

[Chrome Masquerade]

11359538
Fair enough. Point still stands.

[Quirky View]

11360499
I suppose that is true, it really depends on what the limits of her magic are. Certainly less than the average pony but I still assumed enough that no truly serious mistakes could be made, at least not without a complete lack of foresight that Comforting definitely has. Still though, I think telling her it's super dangerous and she must think through every casting is the wrong way to go about it. Mistakes will happen and it's important to be cautious of them, but it's also important to not be afraid of them.

[David Silver]

11361540
Her specific brand of magic isn't a loaded gun. She instead passes guns to other ponies. She should be mindful.

[Quirky View]

11361665
derpicdn.net/img/view/2021/7/23/2662196.png

[TheLocalCannon]

Redheart sank to her haunches with a tired sigh. "What the doctor has to do should't be done on a pony while they're awake. We put her to sleep for now. She'll be fine, but no reason for her to be in pain."

shouldn't

[midnight arrow]

was finally able to read it great chapter now onto the next

[David Silver]

11515510
You can do it!

[Poparakelis]

"Another name for coward, yes." Discord rolled his eyes. "You have a special pony friend. I thought we were a little alike, that way... But you won't do a thing for them. Ponies are delicate! They get hurt, it happens... But we can do something about that. But you won't."

Discord talking the talk, Chaos knows more about friendship than harmony, Ironic.

[Luckyfanisaac]

"Yer in our territory now." Apple Bloom scrunched her nose at the other filly that dared to intrude on them. "And we wanna know what's goin' on with that."

0:50