Amber Starts, Comforting Endings

Chapters

2 - At Least A Generation Ago
3 - You've Got Mail
4 - You Show Me Yours And...
5 - A Splash of Color
6 - Books
7 - Ma'am
8 - Coming Together
9 - Help
10 - A Magical Place
11 - The Basics
12 - Chaotic Stars
13 - Beach Episode
15 - Closing Time
16 - You Win
17 - Father and Daughter
18 - Food for Thought
19 - Made of Magic
20 - Toot Toot
21 - Collecting Crystals
22 - Let's get Serious
23 - Dance Fever
24 - Tricky Trees
25 - For Fun
26 - Rabbit Trails
27 - Touching Bases
28 - Detective Zipp
29 - Interrogations
30 - Magic Exchange
31 - Foaling Around
33 - Sweet Possibilities
34 - Sweet as Candy
35 - Mist Warning
36 - Now Hiring
37 - Printing Trouble
38 - Toy Break
39 - I Can Be Anything
40 - Reading the Future
41 - Wedding Prep
42 - Big Day
43 - Magical Reception
45 - Watching Twitch
46 - Real Friends
47 - Long Lost
48 - New Age
49 - Educating New Generations
50 - Lessons For All!
51 - Angry Mob
52 - Floor Redesign
53 - Interviews
54 - Special Somepony
55 - A Little Famous
56 - Little Wizard
57 - New Teacher
58 - Minty Green Company
59 - Meet the Gang
61 - Death and Taxes
62 - Royal Responsibilities
63 - Into Every Life
64 - Learning and Teaching
65 - It's The Law
66 - Little Favors
68 - Time Out
69 - Adventure Calls
70 - Griffons!
71 - Birds of a Feather
72 - Don't Ask How It's Made
73 - Cultural Exchange
74 - There and Back Again
75 - I'm Back!
76 - Just Sail Away
77 - Cold Touch
79 - Purrfect Audience
80 - Fun in the Sun
81 - All Good Things
82 - Taking Flight
83 - Three Heads Are Better Than One
84 - Look What I Can Do
85 - Spreading Magic
86 - Checking the Weather
87 - After These Messages
88 - Be Prepared
89 - The Silent Paws
90 - Assemble
91 - Cat Fight
92 - Clearing Dust
93 - War Denoument
94 - She Said It
96 - Skating!
97 - One Down
98 - Ollie Up
99 - Kitty Thoughts
100 - Get A Job
101 - Let's Go
102 - Playing to Learn
103 - Comforting Change
104 - New Friends, Old Problems
105 - Crystal Chronicle
106 - Returning Home
107 - Kittens in Paw
1 - Hello, World
14 - Do You Believe in Magic?
32 - Put a Ring on It
44 - Magic See, Magic Do
60 - Weather Management
67 - One More Instant
78 - You Gotta be Kitten Me
95 - A Date With History

2 - At Least A Generation Ago

Amber turned to the next page with her magic. "Amazing," she sighed out, eyes scrolling across the text. "This is either a great fiction, or my mind is just... blown."

"Don't do that." Izzy landed next to her new uni-buddy. "You need that." She ruffled Amber's head, as if that might help that mind not explode. "What're you reading that's so amazing? Isn't that the trash book?"

"It's more than where I found it." Amber flipped to the next page. "It's filled with old myths, exactly what I was looking for! Look!" She tapped at the page where an ornate picture rested. The heroic six mares that protected the realm once long ago. Arrayed before them were other curious creatures, also taking a defensive stance, and a little dragon?

Izzy gasped with amazement. "What are those?" She began pointing to the creatures she'd never seen, which were most of them. "They look neat! Do they want to be friends? They look like they do."

"I think they would... But they're gone." Amber willed the page to turn onwards, eyes sweeping hungrily over the text. "This is from long long long ago. More moons than you could even count! But they did things, great things..." She sighed with the memory, tail swaying behind her. "I am blown away... What happened to all those creatures?"

Izzy's eyes went wide with wonder as she gazed upon the fantastical illustrations. "Whoooooaaa...they're so cool! Look at that one with wings and a horn - it's like just like Sunny!"

She bounced excitedly in place. "Ooo and that little purple one breathing fire - I bet they tell the bestest stories!"

As Amber explained just how long ago these strange beings existed, Izzy's excitement dimmed to disappointment. "Aww, that makes me sad they're all gone now." Her ears drooped.

But then she perked right back up again. "Buuuut if they were real once, maybe they could come back again! Do you think if we gathered all the uni-buddies together and combined our magics, we could zap them back here to play with us?"

Not waiting for an answer, she began hastily sketching crude depictions of the creatures in the dirt with a stick. "We gotta remember exactly what they looked like so our spell gets them right. Now which one was your favorite, Amber? Maybe we could bring that one back first to be our super special friend!"

Amber blinked at the crude and sudden magic work. "Izzy? I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm pretty certain it doesn't..."

But she never got to finish, as, with a flash and a scent of cinnamon, a creature was indeed summoned. They were a curious thing, as if someone took every part from a different creature and pressed them into place. She had the leg of a yak and a leg of a pony. She had the arm of a griffon and another of a dragon. Her wings, which she had two of, were also mismatched, with a changeling and dragon wing. She was quite the mess, and she was smiling at them in a kind way.

Izzy was clapping cheerfully. "I didn't even cast the spell yet! Wow, I did good. Look at it!" She waved at the new creature with amazement. "Hi there! I'm Izzy, nice to meet you. This is--"

"Amber Skyray?" Amber inclined her head at the strange creature. "Who, and what, are you? I.... am very scared right now... But also kinda curious."

"That's a good combination." The creature stood up, taller than any of them. She was an adult biped, her griffon tail curling behind her in slow and easy patterns. "I'm Comforting Shade, and I am so happy right now, I don't even have words. I was lonely for way too long. Hug?"

Izzy's eyes glimmered as she bounced forward. "Any creature that asks for a hug, politely, as the first thing they do? Yep, you're already great in my book." She pounced forward, caught by Comforting as the two twirled in a firm hug.

Amber watched with equal parts fascination and trepidation as the mismatched creature - Comforting Shade, apparently - embraced the enthusiastic Izzy. So many questions swirled in her mind! But manners won out first.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Shade," Amber began politely with a slight bow. "However unexpected our meeting may be."

She shot a wry glance at Izzy as the two finally broke their elongated hug. "I see you've already won over my boisterous friend here." Turning back to their strange guest, Amber adjusted her slipping glasses. "I must ask...that spell wasn't meant to actually summon anything! Just some whimsical notions on Izzy's part. So where exactly do you come from? What are you?"

She paused, not wanting to seem rude. "That is...you appear most unique. Part pony, part griffon?" Amber gestured curiously at Shade's mismatched limbs. "How did you...ah, come to be?"

The scholar in Amber was bursting with questions. But she waited patiently for Comforting to share whatever she was comfortable revealing about her origins, vibrating with restrained excitement.

Comforting approached, not on her mismatched feet, but floating over in front of Amber. "Good questions! First, I am a spirit." She waved over herself. "Not exactly alive, so I've been here a long... long.... long long time." She sighed, shaking her head as if to be rid of certain memories. "It also means I can come in crazy configurations like this." Comforting waved over her curious form. "Now, you need to tell me how you even know what a griffon is."

Amber grabbed for her book and flipped back to where the picture of the griffon was, just to pause, staring at it as if lost. She looked back at Comforting, the picture, and back and forth. "W-wait..." She tapped a hoof on the picture of the griffon. "You have their parts," she whispered with awe.

"I loved them so much." Comforting drifted over the book and its displayed picture. "They did so many good things... It's not fair I can't just... bring them back."

"Why not?" Izzy hurried over for a fresh look at the picture of the assembled old heroes of Equestria. "Is it a rule, or just too much magic?"

"Little A, Little B." Comforting shrugged with a faint smirk. "I bet I could make one, for a little while, but it'd just be a whimsy, a dream. They'd fade away pretty fast, and I'd just get sadder. Let's focus on the now, and not the before. You two, to start, are worth paying attention to."

Amber stared wide-eyed between Comforting Shade and the book's illustrations, her earlier questions fleeing her mind. It was all she could do to keep her glasses from slipping right off her muzzle.

"You...you knew them?" Amber finally managed, pointing a hoof at the creatures on the page that had so mirrored Comforting's own amalgamated form. "The ponies...and griffons...and all manner of wondrous beings in this ancient text?"

She took in Comforting's sadness, the haunting longing in this self-professed spirit's eyes as they lingered over images from eras past. Amber's voice grew gentle. "You still miss them after all this time, don't you?"

Tentatively, she reached out a hoof to Comforting in a comforting gesture. "As a pony who's devoted herself to preserving myths and lore, I cannot imagine how it feels to have actually lived through such ages that have now passed out of memory."

She hesitated, then added: "Were you...friends? You must have so many stories to tell, so much history most have forgotten. I can see why you decided to visit us."

Amber gestured around eagerly. "We may not be griffons or dragons, but Izzy and I would be honored if you'd share some of your tales with us! Bring the old legends back to life again, if only through words. It's the least we can do for one who clearly cares for those ancient heroes."

"You." Comforting poked Amber on the nose. "Are too excited. Listen to you prattle on and on and on." She giggled, not looking offended by it at all. "But I can't answer your questions if you don't give me a chance." Comforting swirled in place to face Izzy, tail lashing with a joy. "I say we take Izzy's example and be happy we made some friends today. First, I am so proud neither of you took off running."

Izzy sat up proudly. "I was tempted! But your glow is... nice."

Amber awkwardly smiled. "Sorry... It's just... It's not every day I get to meet a living legend. You could answer so many questions."

"And I won't," sang out Comforting. "Not all of them." She leaned in, touching noses with Amber, the rest of her body going flat, floating in the air. "But, nice to meet you! One of my mentors, back in the day, was a real book worm. I can feel some of those vibes. She was a unicorn too. How many spells do you know?"

Amber inclined her head, nose still touching with Comforting as if unsure if she should draw away or not. "Spells? Um... does grabbing things count? I have that one!"

Comforting hiked a brow. "Just one?" She drew away from Amber and landed properly, turning back to Izzy. "What about you?"

"Magic is more of an art for me." Izzy spread her hooves wide. "I just do what I need to know and it works... sometimes..."

"But you can float things?"

"I can float things." Izzy grabbed her cup and floated it over with a big chug. "Mmm...."

Comforting swayed with amazement. "Unicorns don't know spells... Unicorns... don't know spells..."

Comforting shook her head in disbelief. "Unicorns not knowing spells? That's just tragic!" She floated back over to Amber, placing a reassuring claw on her shoulder. "Not your fault, of course. But oh, the magic we'll unlock together!" Her eyes lit up eagerly. "I learned from the best back in my day. Starswirl the Bearded himself taught me a trick or two!" Comforting waved a paw, and a shower of rainbow-hued sparks rained down around them.

Izzy oohed and aahed, dancing among the glittering display. "So pretty! This is way better than that boring old book learning."

She struck a dramatic sorcerer's pose. "Teach me, master shade! I must know your ways of sparkle power!"

Comforting chuckled. "Patience, little one. We have only scratched the surface of what's possible." She smiled encouragingly at Amber. "But I sensed great potential in this new unicorn friend of ours. What better place to start our magic revival?"

Amber clapped her hooves to her cheeks. "Me?! Um... I just like books. Izzy seems way more excited... about everything."

"She is." Comforting nodded at Amber approvingly. "But magic takes book learning. At least, if you want to learn a spell or three. So! I say you learn a spell, then Izzy can see what one looks like and how it works and I bet she'll work from there pretty well."

Izzy trembled with an excited squeal. "Do it! Do. It." She grabbed the book in her magic. "You could be a big wizard, like the book." She pointed at the picture of Twilight Sparkle. "Master of sparkles! That's why she's called that, you know. She was the master of sparkles."

Comforting burst into laughter. "That... I'll accept that. I've heard worse explinations. Oh, dear Twilight... "

"Ma'am?" Comforting perked at Amber. "Are you the only one?"

Comforting smiled brightly. "Only spirit? No! No way! This world's too big for me to handle it all." She wriggled her fingers in the air. "Way too large... My bestest spirit friend woke up recently... We both took a nap." She considered a moment. "A lot of things took a nap, actually..."

Izzy bounced. "You know..." She leaned in, voice dropping to a conspirational whisper. "I bet Sunny would freak out if she knew you were here and knew so much about her heroes."

"I bet she would." Comforting put her hands a her hips. "Do you think we should tell her?"

Author's Note

I warned you this would be Comforting. Welcome back our star from the prequel. But she's here, all grown up, to support a new generation of wonderful heroes to be their best! Being a spirit is important business.

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3 - You've Got Mail

Comforting beamed. "One moment, getting some mail." Unlike a generation ago, both ponies just nodded, as if that were a normal thing. "You have mail too?"

Izzy and Amber both pulled out their phone, waving them at Comforting.

Comforting casually pulled out a phone of her own. "Well, if I don't need to look at my mail in my head anymore, I'm not gonna! You two just made my day even better." Buoyed with the fact that checking messages wasn't an odd thing anymore, she pulled up the message.

Good Morning,

I can feel you moving around, and it fills me with joy. You've come back right as a test is happening. A challenge is being faced. I can't say I had much influence over it, but just enough that I feel confident it will be passed. You are already making friends!

Did I mention I was proud? Friend Comforting, please find a new happiness in this new age. Though your old friends are gone, there are so many new ones eager to take your hands and begin new dances.

Oh, speaking of that, be gentle with magic. Perhaps a single spell? We both need to learn the limit of unicorns in this age. It is small and intuititive, so far. Let's not throw it off balance with ideas of what it 'should' be.
With Love,
Together

Comforting inclined her head. "Together? Dear friend, why do you change names so often?" She hugged her phone anyway and tucked it into her chest. "Now then! That was one of my friends, who's alive and well. But she prefers to be as she is. Email only."

Izzy waved forward as she began a walk. "It's time to make Sunny's day, c'mon!"

Comforting floated after her, Amber trailing behind. They cut right through the city along the main road, a curious procession.

"What. Is. That?" Posey stares at Comforting, eyes darting to Izzy over and over. "And why aren't you panicking? Seriously... Look at it..."

Izzy darted over to tackle Posey. "That is our newest friend!" Comforting waved gently. "See? She's harmless, mostly. I bet she could do a lot of things, but she wouldn't, because she's nice."

Posey laughed tensely. "I wonder at times if you even listen to yourself... None of that was very encouraging, other than the nice part."

Comforting thrust a hand at Posey. "Hello. She's not wrong. I would like to make friends, not hurt anything, promise."

Posey eyed Comforting's outstretched appendage dubiously. "Riiight. So you just...magic'd yourself into existence to make friends. Totally normal occurrence in this town."

Despite her sarcastic tone, curiosity glinted in her eyes as she circled the patchwork creature. "Hmm, at least you have style, I'll give you that. The whole asymmetrical look is very bold."

Unable to resist, she reached out to scritch under Comforting's chin with the gentle rubbing of her hoof. "And you seem sweet enough. As long as you don't go full chaotic monster like the legends of old!"

Izzy bounced around the pair eagerly. "See, Posey, I told you she's the best! Amber found an old book with ancient creatures and I guess she accidentally zapped this one back to life with her mind!"

Amber flushed, scuffing a hoof. "I really don't think I can take credit for this. Comforting clearly has a whole history of her own."

Comforting gently nuzzled against Posey's chin scratching. "You have no idea how long it's been since I got a good scritch. I could tell you, but you wouldn't believe me, so why bother?"

She playfully nipped at Posey before floating higher. "I promise though, no monsters here. I'm made of nicer stuff than that." Comforting winked down at Amber. "Now, let's go make this Sunny's day! She was always one of my favorites."

Izzy gasped at the idea. "You know her?"

"Oops!" Comforting slapped a hand over her face, concealing her snout as they continued. "Forget I said that," she murmured through her fingers.

Izzy cocked a brow. "So you don't know her?"

"Nope, who's this Sunny character you keep mentioning?" Comforting laughed tensely, doing a poor job of concealing anything.

"Okey!" Izzy took it at face value, going along like nothing was wrong. "You'll love meeting her! This time of day..." She turned off. "She's gonna be at her stall!" She pointed to a juice stall with a small line of three ponies getting their smoothies on. "Let's hop in line."

Comforting grabbed Amber and carried the squeaking unicorn to the end of the line before setting her down. "There we are."

Amber's breathing slowed as she wasn't being held up. "You didn't have to carry me. My legs work... just fine, promise."

Comforting gave her new friend some gentle petting strokes as they advanced in the line. The mistake seemed forgiven as they got to the front.

"Izzy!" Sunny smiled brightly as they got up to her. "And friends?" She nodded at Amber, then craned her head back to look over all of Comforting. "Hello?"

Izzy waved to the large form of Comforting. "This is Comforting Shade. She gives good hugs, shook hooves with Twilight Sparkle, and knows all about the ancient past."

Sunny's jaw dropped. "I... Really? It's...." She tried to calm herself with varying levels of degree. "It's an honor to meet you."

Comforting rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks coloring slightly purple. "Oh gosh, yeah...about the past stuff. I may have embellished things a teensy bit." She shot Izzy a wry smile. "You know how legends grow with each new telling!"

Turning back to Sunny, she waved a hand dismissively. "I'm really no one special. Just a wandering spirit who found some wonderfully friendly ponies to keep me company today."

She leaned in to give Sunny's mane an affectionate tussle. "But Izzy tells me you're the real sunshine around here! Anyone who brightens days like you deserves the highest honor."

Sunny blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Oh my! Well, aren't you a smooth talker." She smiled warmly. "But truly, any friend of Izzy's is a friend of mine. Please, try my new blueberry blast smoothie - it's today's special!"

As Sunny set about whipping up creamy drinks for the group, Amber sidled closer to Comforting with a curious gleam in her eye. "So you really knew the historical Twilight Sparkle too? From my ancient texts?" she whispered eagerly. "You simply must tell me all about her!"

Comforting held up her paws with an awkward chuckle. "Ha, well, knew OF her is maybe more accurate? Like I said, I stretch the truth sometimes just trying to impress new ponies." She ruffled Amber's mane. "You understand, right? But maybe later I can share some tales of the old legends. Over something chilled and sweet from our new friend there!"

Amber's ears sagged, but she frowned a little with doubt. "Yeah..."

Sunny put down three blueberry blasts, one for each friend there. "Didn't we meet before?" She pointed at the brighthouse. "I remember you, you were looking for a library, weren't you?"

Amber brightened at that. "I still plan to make one myself! Oh! Oh. Comforting, please don't lie to me again, I don't like that... But magic. Please, please.... You weren't lying about magic, right?"

Sunny perked an ear curiously. "What about magic?"

Comforting smiled brightly. "I was not, but I forgot more magic spells than you remember, which is none... I will teach you a spell. Just one. We'll see how it goes from there, okay?" She laughed tensely as she grabbed one of those smoothies. "Now, I want to see how this is." She slurped softly, for a smile to erupt. "Wow... good! How much do I owe you?"

Sunny waved a hoof. "Oh please, smoothies are on the house for such intriguing new friends! Consider it a 'welcome to Maretime Bay' gift."

She eyed Comforting curiously as Amber pestered her about magic lessons. "You know spells then? Real ones from...well, whenever you might be from?" Sunny chuckled. "Forgive me, but you seem a bit of a mystical mystery yourself!"

Izzy slurped her drink loudly. "Oh she's gonna teach Amber allll kinds of awesome magic, you should see-"

A sudden thwap of a griffon tail across her mouth stopped the blabbermouth mid-sentence.

Comforting smiled brightly at Sunny. "Just an old soul with a trick or two still up my sleeves! But I believe magic learning is best done slowly, gently. Wouldn't want to overwhelm dear, cautious Amber here on her first try."

She leaned in with a wink. "But between you and me, if she has even half the talent I suspect? You'll have a truly gifted sorceress on your hooves before long!"

Amber blushed at the praise, scuffing a hoof shyly. "Oh gosh, I still have so much to learn first. But perhaps...." Her horn glowed softly as she levitated a flower over from a nearby stand. "I might finally bloom in my own way here. With a little guidance."

The flower wove its way into Sunny's mane as Amber smiled. "A small thank you, for being so welcoming to this stranger."

Sunny fluffed her mane where the flower rested. "Thank you, now, I have to get back to work. But! Why don't you three head up to the brighthouse, and I'll be along after my shift. I have questions." She looked between Amber and Comforting. "And I'd like to get to know these new friends better."

Izzy saluted. "To the brighthouse! Y'all don't even need me to show you there." She pointed to the rather light lighthouse with a rainbow firing up the top of it. "You'd need to close your eyes to miss that."

Amber giggled softly at the towering building. "Even I found that, and I'm about as new here as you are, Comforting."

Comforting zipped to the front of the group headed that way. "It looks wonderful..." She kept to herself thoughts of the elements of harmony, old relics those were. It was always on? What did that mean? She had a thousand questions, and few answers. "I'd love to visit it with you." She slowed to let the others catch up, walking along with them.

Comforting slowed her pace as they approached the colorful lighthouse, letting Amber and Izzy pull ahead. She gazed up at the rainbow beacon pulsing brightly atop the building, brow furrowed.

So much was wonderfully familiar here...yet changed. Modernized. Entire ages seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye. It was jarring for one used to a slower pace of life.

Glancing back to see her new friends waiting expectantly, Comforting composed herself and floated up to join them. No need to dwell on the past when there was so much future ahead.

"My apologies, got a bit caught up in memories for a moment there," Comforting said breezily with a dismissive wave. "Now, let's head inside and you can give me the full tour! I simply must know all about how this lighthouse works."

As Amber eagerly led the way in, chattering about possible library spaces within, Izzy dropped back to poke Comforting knowingly.

"Soooooo, things sure look different from your era, huh?" she whispered with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Go ahead, you can tell me allll your ancient secrets. I won't blab a word, feather's promise!" She drew a hoof across her mouth to mime sealing it.

Comforting just laughed, giving the exuberant pony a playful nudge towards the entrance. "Oh Izzy, let's just stay focused on the present, shall we? Plenty of fun to be had right here in your time without dwelling overly on history."

With an exaggerated gesture, Comforting waved Izzy ahead. "After you, my little tour guide! Show me all this lighthouse has to offer."

Izzy hopped forward. "You're not wrong, there is so much right here! Do you like building? Tell me you like building. C'mon!" She led the way to her workstation, where she could take any matter of junk and uni-cycle it into new wonders. "Ta da!"

Comforting clapped at the display. "Love it, love it." She took up a needle-nose plier. "You have so many little tools... Seriously, loving all of this." She put it down. "This is a new age, and I say hello!"

Author's Note

They made it back to the brighthouse. So far, so good, eh? Comforting has to adjust her claims with Together's message. Making Together sad isn't the goal, after all.

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4 - You Show Me Yours And...

Comforting followed into each room and space. "This place is wonderful." She clapped at each one, marveling at the splendor of the brighthouse. "So different than mine, and not in bad ways."

Amber cocked an ear at that. "You have a home then? Can we visit it?"

"I'd love to see that." Sunny arrived, closing the door behind herself. "If you're up for it."

Comforting swayed in place, coming in for a landing. "Well... You showed me yours..." She spread her arms wide. "Come here." The ponies closed with her, Izzy, Amber, and Sunny. "Hug!" She grabbed them in a fierce hug. They could see nothing but her warm fuzzy embrace.

At least until they could, in a new place. They were in a large room, two stories tall, with an upstairs on that second floor running along the outside. Amber recovered first with a gasp of amazement. "What's that?!" She was pointing at a statue of a big wolfpony caught mid-snarl, though, somehow, one could imagine it smiling. Happy, despite its menacing look.

Comforting squeaked. "Sorry. I didn't think to hide my keepsakes... I don't want to forget the things I had to leave behind." She floated over to put a hand on the shoulder of the statue. "Dear friends who aren't spirits."

Sunny pinned her ears back. "We didn't mean to bother you, I promise... Is this a bad time?"

"No!" Comforting got out a bit forcefully. "Now is now, then was then. If I hide because of then, I'll never have a now, and that stinks. They were very... very good, but their time ended." She sighed with brewing emotions, but she pushed that aside. "We're here for new friends."

Izzy pointed to a different statue. "Same thing?"

Comforting cringed at the statue of the older female pony, perhaps in her late seventies. "I... thought she'd outgrow me, and we'd drift apart." She took a slow breath. "But she dragged me along instead. I became an adult at her hooves, but she kept right on aging, and I cared... I cared for her until the very end. My lovely Diamond..."

Amber grabbed some cloth on the ground in her magic and threw them over the statues. "I'm so sorry. You invited us over and we're just rubbing salt in old hurts. Don't pretend we're not."

"Then I won't." Comforting tapped Amber gently. "But I'm the one that invited you. I'm not mad, not even a little." She hopped back away a few steps. "This is my home, my place of chaos... I don't plan to spend a lot of time here. It meant a lot to me, as a child, to have a place that was mine. Now, It's just where I keep some things, and I'd rather spend time with you all."

Amber flushed, embarrassed by her presumptuous action in trying to cover the statues without asking. But Comforting's calm response put her at ease.

"I understand...we all have mementos from times and loved ones past," Amber said gently. "They can bring comfort, keeping those memories close. But also sorrow, for what is gone."

She floated the shroud back off the wolf statue, letting it gradually settle to the floor. "How beautifully carved...I can see real affection went into this piece. What was his name?"

Sunny moved to Comforting's other side in quiet support, giving her a comforting nuzzle.

Izzy piped up from across the room. "These boxes are nifty! Are they magic? What's in all of them?" Predictably, she had already grown distracted exploring.

With a watery chuckle, Comforting gratefully returned Sunny's gesture before turning back to Amber. "That is two, a wonderful pair of them. They were real friends." She trailed a paw fondly along the statue's cheek.

"They were lost in a new world of the future." Smiling softly at the memories, she added "And now... Now it's my turn." She touched her nose to the statue, just to twirl from it. "I can only hope you are just as kind to me as I was to them, and we can grow just as close together."

Sunny flashed a bright smile. "I love where you're going." She offered an arm. "A question, if I might. Alicorns... Did you know any, back then?"

Comforting perked an ear. "Well... Yes. I met several of them." She came in to hug Sunny. "But here's one right here. What a lovely alicorn you are. Are you a shining beacon of hope for your friends?"

Sunny colored darkly at that. "I, um..."

"She sure is!" Izzy grabbed her friend from the side. "She's not called Sunny for nothing!"

Sunny blushed deeper, scuffing a hoof self-consciously under the praise. "Aw shucks, I just try my best to lift everypony's spirits however I can. With a smile or a smoothie!"

She returned Comforting's hug gratefully. "Though it seems you already have the whole 'comforting others' thing down pretty well yourself!"

A thought struck her and she drew back. "Say, you clearly don't HAVE to hide away here in your little realm of mementos. Why not come join us properly in Maretime Bay? I'd love to have your sunny personality around the city."

Clasping Comforting's paws eagerly, she met the ancient being's eyes. "And not just me! I know Amber is itching for magical tutoring. While Izzy..." A loud crash drew all eyes to the unicorn standing sheepishly atop a pile of haphazard boxes. "...could clearly use some supervision," Sunny finished with a chuckle.

"What do you say?" Sunny coaxed with a hopeful smile. "Will you come out fully to play with us newcomers?"

Behind her, Izzy's head popped up from her messy pile, mane stuffed withtrinkets that she spat out one by one. "Pwleathe thsay yeth!" she lisped around the last gem before adding a pleading "Pretty please, new bestie?"

Comforting laughed richly at the sight and sound of it. "Silly ponies. I already came out. I don't plan to run back inside just yet, hm? I just wanted to show it to you, because I thought you wanted to see." She reached across the room to brush away some of the things Izzy had begun braiding, but not all of them. "No taking all of my things, please. Let's head back for now."

With a clap, Comforting escorted them back enough paragraphs to end up where they started, in the brighttower, minus some extra goodies Izzy had made off with. "That was nice, but my place is a bit quiet. Your place." Comforting twirled. "So alive. Yes, I like it better."

"Another day, another..." Hitch paused, seeing their guest. "Oh, um... hi?" His baby dragon babbled, reaching for Comforting curiously.

Comforting was unable to deny the little one, rushing up to nuzzle Sparky and dance with them in the air. "Who's a cute little dwagon?!"

Sunny came in at Hitch's side. "That's Comforting. She is quite harmless, and friendly. She's coming to live in Maretime Bay."

Hitch saluted at that. "Well! Then I'm your sheriff. So if you need anything, you call on me!"

Comforting snorted, nearly dropping Sparky in her mirth. "A sheriff? My, how times change!" She gave the baby dragon one last nuzzle before lowering herself and her scaly bundle down to Hitch's level.

"Back in my day, the sheriff was usually the pony you wanted to avoid!" she exclaimed with a wink to Sunny and the others. "All stern scowls and bluster about rules."

She set Sparky down and reached out to straighten Hitch's hat. "But you seem far too sweet for such gruffness. I look forward to getting to know the citizenry here...Sheriff." She threw in a jaunty mock salute.

Turning back to Sunny, Amber, and Izzy with a sweeping gesture, Comforting proclaimed "I officially declare this era the friendliest I've witnessed in ages! Such eager welcomes wherever I wander."

Clasping her paws together, she mused "Now, how ever shall I choose where to settle in and make my mark? A spirit could get overwhelmed by all the generosity and good will."

Pretending to swoon dramatically, Comforting allowed the ponies to catch her. Sunny and Amber held her up solicitously.

"Careful now!" Amber fretted. "We just got you here - no leaving yet!"

Sunny clapped her hooves. "Oh! Amber wants to start a library. How do you like libraries? Maybe..."

Comforting's eyes glimmered. "What a fantastic idea. If Amber agrees..."

"I agree!" squeaked out Amber. "That sounds wonderful... A library with nopony in it would be lonely, but it looks like I'll have company."

Hitch coughed into a hoof. "There is paperwork if you plan to start a business with a, well, physical business place. I'll help you get that sorted out, tomorrow. For today, I suggest our new guests stay right here."

"I'm telling you, that color is not working for you, sis." Zipp pushed into the brighthouse. "Woah, company." She nodded at Amber, then got to peering at Comforting.

"Company?" Pipp landed next to Zipp. "Wow, company..." Her attention went right to Comforting. "What is that? I assume friendly, since there's not nearly enough screaming going on."

Comforting blinked bemusedly at the twins' scrutiny. "Well, I should hope not for screaming!" she exclaimed, waving a friendly paw. "Not when there are introductions to be made and connections to forge."

Darting forward cheerfully, she pumped each of their hooves in greeting. "I'm Comforting Shade, wandering spirit and magical mentor extraordinaire, at your service!"

She gestured grandly at the gathered crew. "As you can see, your delightful friends here have already welcomed me most heartily into your fair community. So please, call me Comfort!"

When she leaned in conspiratorially towards Pipp and whispered, "Between you and me, I really could use some fabulous fashion tips from experts like yourselves," both twins perked up immediately.

"Oooh darling, fabulous is my middle name!" Pipp drawled, looking Comforting up and down. "And you have simply divine potential buried under all those...eclectic....layers."

"Leave it to us!" Zipp agreed, whipping out a small notebook and pen to start sketching enthusiastically. "I can look up what was the in style and pass it to Pipp. What age are you from?"

Comforting clapped her paws eagerly. "How fortuitous! And such impeccable timing. I was just searching for the perfect place to settle in and spread both snazziness and magic across this delightful town of yours." She casually didn't answer Zipp's question.

Izzy did it for her. "She knew Twilight Sparkle, so around there?"

Zipp nodded firmly. "That's surprisingly useful." She strode off to get her research done.

Pipp inclined her head. "Wow, that's a long time ago... You are... going to love when I do your nails." She reached up her hooves, running them over Comforting's many claws and talons. "These are just begging for attention, and I have the salon for you."

She backed a step with a hum. "Silly question... But do you have any bits? Do you have a phone? Oh, merry me, a creature without a phone... I could faint."

Comforting pulled out her phone. "I have one of those!"

"Thank glitter." Pipp wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Then let me see it a moment." She took it and casually installed the proper apps needed for the modern day. "And let's check..." She started the money app and passed it to Comforting. "Either log in or make an account, either way!"

Comforting blinked owlishly before pressing her entire hand against the display. It chirped, accepting that as a login. A large number appeared a moment later with a symbol of a bit next to it. "Never... underestimate the power of compounding interest."

Izzy leaned in from the side. "Wow! You gonna buy everything?!"

"No." Comforting swiped the app away. "I'm happy as I am. It's good to know I have it, so I can afford to pay a new friend for an even newer look." She wriggled her claws at Pipp. "I surrender to your care."

"This is going to be so amazing." She booped Comforting gently. "But not tonight. I'm done for the day! What's for dinner anyway?"

The next day looked to be full of promise.

Author's Note

I felt that, several thats, but there is some legit happiness here, and that warmed me too. How did you feel?

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5 - A Splash of Color

Comforting and Amber sat side by side in chairs made for pony haunches. Comforting was ahead in hers, so her legs could dangle down in a more bipedal fashion. "This... is nice."

Pipp was busily painting Comforting's nails as Amber's hooves were worked on. "Every time you walk into this salon, you will be pampered, primped, and made to look fantastic while you're at it." She dashed some purple on Comforting. "I feel like I'm totally working on a famous canvas. It's amazing." She snapped a quick picture of the event, sending it to her followers to see.

Comforting did her best to keep her hands still for the work. "Don't think of me like that. I'm just a friend."

"I doubt that." Pipp sat back, appraising her artistic work. "You're not a pony, and I don't mean that in a 'specific critter' kind of way. You..." She pointed at Comforting. "Are something special. I can feel it. Now, Amber, how are you doing?"

Amber held up her hooves, each painted with a bright flower on the front. "It's so cute!"

"Fabulous." Pipp clapped at the hooficure and picture. "Today's a good day! Most are." She laughed as she resumed her attack on Comforting's nails. "You give me a lot less space to work on each, but you have so many of them!"

Comforting flexed her claws gingerly as Pipp finished up, not wanting to smear the intricate swirls and glittering accents. "My word, this is such artistry! None of my old friends ever fussed so over the fine details of appearance."

She wiggled her yak cloven toes happily. "But I must say, a bit of pampering is a delight after eons of wandering wild places. You have elevated nails to a whole new realm of creative expression!"

Twisting to check her reflection in a nearby mirror, Comforting ran her paws over her neatly brushed fur. "A fine polish and a little attention truly bring out one's inner radiance. Why, I feel glamorous enough to attend one of Princess Celestia's grand galas!"

She reached out to draw Amber and Pipp into an effusive hug. "You are miracle worker. Such skilled attention on these old appendages...I may just shed a tear of joy!"

With a wave of her paw, Comforting was draped in a sparkling pastel gown embroidered with rainbows and butterflies. "There, that's more fitting for a spa day among friends!"

Amber slid down to her hooves. "Don't forget, we have to go to Hitch first. He said we could go over what we need for that library, and we both want that."

Pipp followed the two curiously. "Why are you two looking for a library? Oh! Touch your phone to this." She held out her own phone. A musical chime that happened to be the staring few notes of her series played with each touch. "There we go, all paid. Now tell me!"

Comforting gently ruffled the top of Amber's head. "For her, she wants to collect books, and help other ponies get those books too. A lovely notion. For me, I'll be living there, and helping her."

Amber bobbed her head at that. "It'll be great! But we have to get the library first... So, to Hitch?"

"To Hitch!" Comforting waved at Pipp on the way out and they hurried, floating and trotting, towards Hitch's station.

A few ponies shied away from the strange-looking Comforting, but they didn't scream at least.

Hitch, on the other hoof, tilted his hats at the visitors. "Howdy there. Me and Sparky were waiting for you."

Sparky waved with an excited babble from atop a desk. Comforting grabbed him and they whirled around with mutual delight.

Amber left them to the devices. "Alright, what do we have to do?"

"It's not big deal, but we do have to do it." He slapped down a small stack of papers. "Do you already know where you plan to set up the library?"

Amber considered the paperwork dubiously, then looked to Comforting. "Did you have a locale in mind for our bookish venture? I'm still rather new in town, I fear."

Comforting ceased her impromptu dragon dance with Sparky, giving his scaly head an affectionate pat. "Why, I think I shall leave that decision to you, my dear! This is to be your domain."

She gestured expansively, as if envisioning grand library halls already. "Simply lead the way once we've dotted every official 'T' for our persnickety paperwork pal here." Comforting winked at Hitch. "Somewhere central and spacious to accommodate your collection's inevitable growth, I'd imagine!"

Turning back to Amber encouragingly, she clasped the unicorn's shoulders. "Now don't fret, this isn't nearly as daunting as it appears. Why, soon you'll look back and laugh at how anxious a few forms made you! Hitch will guide us through. And just picture all the books that shall one day fill your own beautiful library!"

Amber took a deep breath, steadying herself with that hopeful image firmly in mind. This was the first big step towards making it real. She wouldn't let some paper stand in her way for long!

"You're absolutely right, Comfortin." Twirling her horn, Amber neatly arranged the documents before her. "Alright Hitch, let's get started! Tell me what facts and signatures we'll need. The sooner we get through these properly, the sooner books can line my shelves instead!"

Hitch was watching Sparky wander about the map of Maretime Bay. "Are you sure you trust him... for this? I mean, he's wonderful, but I'm..." Sparky fell down with an oof, his butt firmly on a vacant lot. "Well... Sparky has spoken. Do you like the spot?"

Amber tilted her head, tracing the vacant lot Sparky now occupied on the map. "Hmm, it does seem ideally situated - near the town square, open sites on either side for future growth."

She tapped a hoof thoughtfully. "Only potential issue may be foot traffic. Will ponies wander far enough down this lane unless given a specific reason?"

Comforting glided over to peer at their draconic guide sprawled comfortably across the prospective real estate. "Oh I shouldn't worry about that, my dear! Now that your curiosity shop is established and Pipp's salon draws fashionistas, visitors trickle this way steadily."

She winked down at Sparky, giving his head an affectionate scritch. "And dragons make wonderful PR mascots! Why, ponies will flock eagerly just to catch a glimpse of this handsome fellow blessing your library with his presence."

Laughing, Comforting lifted the cooing baby dragon into her forelimbs. "There now, no harm done. Back to Sheriff Hitch you go!" She deposited Sparky safely in his daddy's custody once more.

Turning hopefully back to Amber, she asked, "Well, does our scaly site specialist's selection meet your approval? If you'd prefer to continue reviewing options, I'm happy to scout about. But something about this vacant corner calls to me!"

Amber hummed. "It's really a nice spot, really... Not far from here..." She leaned in over the map. "Can I really have it?" She looked up at Hitch. "It's in a nice place..." She worried her hooves. "And city ponies are so... picky about that, aren't they? It's not like Bridlewood."

"No." He inclined his head a bit, considering. "There is a fee."

Comforting considered throwing bits at the problem, but that felt wrong. Good spirits did not fix things with fat stacks of cash... "How much are we talking?"

Hitch rushed off to start nosing through other papers. "And... carry the... Don't forget..." He kept mumbling to himself as he worked at a calculator busily. "This." He twirled the calculator around with Sparky giving a cry of joy. There was a number. It was not small, but it wasn't huge. It was still a very significant number.

Comforting huffed at it. Her number was larger than that. Still... Still... "Ah! Hitch, does Maretime Bay do home and property loans?" Ponyville had not, but Comforting knew of them, from a world behind that. "Please say--"

"--Yeah." Hitch inclined his head. "Most ponies don't have these kinds of bits laying around. Why? You need one? I can only point you at the right pony for that. I'm a sheriff, after all, not a banker pony."

"Excellent! A loan it shall be." Comforting turned to Amber eagerly. "What do you think, my dear? Shall we make this corner officially ours?"

Amber bit her lip, staring down at the map. "It's a big step. But I suppose the only way forwards..."

She met Comforting's gaze. "As long as we do this properly, no shortcuts. I don't just want you waving that fabulous magic to handle everything."

Comforting laughed. "Perish the thought! We'll have quite enough paperwork as it is." She squeezed Amber's shoulder reassuringly. "Consider this our joint effort - you handle design and book curation while I deal with the finances." Her brows waggled. "And a dash of magic."

"Well, alright." Amber smiled slowly. "Together then." She levitated the stack of forms. "Hitch, let's proceed."

Hitch nodded. "Right. Now the main thing you'll need is an initial deposit. The bank will want to see you're serious about this. Uh, you'll want to talk to them about that." He pointed out of his office. "There's one about three blocks that way."

Comforting tapped her chin thoughtfully. "No trouble. I can access funds presently. We'd better go ask them how much they want to start, and then." She faced Amber with a serious expression. "It'll be up to you to make those payments. But!" She hiked a thumb at herself. "You'll have a paying tenant! Wouldn't be fair if I didn't chip in for where I'm living. Really, so rude, even thinking about it."

Amber clapped excitedly. "That makes this a lot easier." One could imagine numbers floating through her own mind. "Let's get to that bank and get this rolling. I am so excited right now. Thanks, Hitch." She went for a hug, just to hesitate.

"Bring it in." He grabbed her in a warm embrace. "Now, good luck out there!"

Sparky squealed in support, waving goodbye to the two as they headed out.

Comforting had to restrain herself from simply swooping Amber up and zipping them both towards the bank in her enthusiasm. But she knew her grounded unicorn friend preferred to canter places in her own time.

So, Comforting settled for an eager hovering hop-skip as they set off down the road side by side. "Oh, I'm tingling with anticipation myself!" Comforting did a quick midair spin. "Your wonderful library shall soon be on the horizon. We're making it real, my friend!"

Glowing with optimism, she held the bank door for Amber. "I have utmost confidence they'll see our drive and dedication shining through. This is but the first step of many - onward and upwards, my friend!"

Amber walked past Comforting to join the line ahead of her. There were only a few other ponies with financial needs. Soon she trotted up to the teller. "Hello! I want to buy some land, to build a library."

The teller inclined her head. "Have you already worked out the price of the land, and the building you want to build?"

"Um." Amber pulled out the number she had written down. "This covers the land. Who would tell me what the library would cost?"

The teller examined the number. "More of a start than most ponies with dreams like that. Now, lucky for you, the bank has some fantastic contacts. If you can meet the down payment, we'll happily help you get the rest of the way." She clapped her hooves and turned her own calculator around. "Just this much."

Amber paled. That was a smaller number, but still more bits than she had ever held at one time. "Wow..."

Comforting held out her phone. "I'm covering that. That's my first month's rent."

The teller blinked with surprise. "I see." She peered suspiciously at Comforting's phone. "Well..." She directed to an electronic pad on the desk. "If you have that?"

Comforting held her phone over the pad and it made that friendly jingle. Her number decreased.

Amazed, the teller got to work, writing busily with her hooves. "I'll put you in contact with good ponies that know how to get things built. They know the local codes, so Hitch won't get on you for missing any of them." She winked at that. "Have no fear! You're one of our customers now, and we'll treat you right."

Author's Note

Library get! Well, library on the way. The wheels are turning. Comforting used some money, but hopefully in a responsible way. What do you think?

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6 - Books

The layout of the library was easy to plan. Amber had dreams of what it'd look like, and working with the contractors, she soon had a lovely layout planned, and, with pony industriousness, the library took form as if on its own before her. "This is amazing..."

Comforting ruffled her friendly unicorn friend stop the head. "But! You're missing the most important part for a library."

"The books!" Amber clopped a hoof to the side of her head. "We do need those... Okay. Okay. Books..." She stroked her chin with a hoof. "I'd ask you, but you'd give me a bunch of very old books that'd be super amazing but also confusing to a lot of ponies. No, we need modern books."

Comforting smiled as she listened to Amber plan and worry. "Glad you realized that without me telling you. This is a library, not an antiquated book store. So, where do ponies sell books these days?"

"I have no idea." Amber hopped up to her hooves and circled in a panic. "But we have to find out, now!"

Comforting held up her phone. "Why not ask this?"

Amber blinked at it. "Who are you going to call?"

Comforting inclined her head. "We could call somepony, but..."

"But..." One could almost see the gears turning, and it clicked. "Oh! Right! I'm new to these things." Amber floated out her own phone and got to tapping away, searching the Internet. "If you ask, it can answer, um... If you know the right question."

Comforting zipped in behind Amber, watching her search curiously. Amber hummed and hawed. "Well, There are book stores."

"That's a start. So let's start?" Comforting put down a shopping cart she hadn't had a moment before. "Let's shop! And ask questions. Those book stores have to get books from somewhere, right?"

Amber brightened at the sight of the cart. "Oh yes, excellent thinking!" She eagerly took up position behind it, horn glowing as she levitated the handlebar. "Let us be off to the nearest bookshop and see what we can discover about the mysterious supply chain of literature!"

With an encouraging wave from Comforting, Amber trotted purposefully forward, cart trailing dutifully behind her. But they hadn't gotten halfway down the newly paved street before the unicorn was frowning in consternation, phone hovering before her as she attempted to access her maps app with limited dexterity.

"Oh fiddlesticks, how do I search for the location again?" Amber huffed in frustration. "I know the basics of using this confounded device but anything more complex still vexes me."

With an amused chuckle, Comforting gently extricated the phone from Amber's magical grip and tapped open the maps herself. "Worry not, it takes time. The ways of this modern age shall become second nature soon enough!"

A few more pokes and prods had the nearest bookstore pinned on the screen. "There we are! Just a few blocks yonder by the looks of it." Comforting traced the glowing route with a talon.

"Shall I transport us to save your hooves...or would you prefer the scenic route?" she asked with a playful eyebrow waggle. Amber just laughed.

"Let's walk - no shortcuts today!" the unicorn proclaimed, setting off once more. "We have books to find and so much still to discuss. Tell me what you remember of libraries and bookshops from your time. How similar do you think they shall be?"

And so the odd duo ambled on through town. "I am actually really glad I met you specifically."

Amber perked at that. "Me?! I'm nopony special. Why me?"

Comforting swam idly along beside Amber, even if the air was not something one normally swam through. "You're keeping me real. You say no to shortcuts. I appreciate that. After so long of a pause, I think I might have gotten way out of hand if I didn't have a nice pony balancing me out. So, thanks."

Amber colored faintly, but she was smiling. "Glad to help. Now, here's our first store." She turned towards what looked to be one dedicated to airport reading. Light adventure novels, romances, and other things to enjoy casually. "Ooo." Amber peered at a thrilling spy tale she was passing. "Interesting books already..."

The shop stallion stepped forward as if drawn by Amber. "We have all kinds of books for all kinds of ponies! What sort are you looking for today?"

Amber clapped her hooves. "Hello! I'm... I want books, a lot of books. I want to open a library, so I need so many books."

The stallion blinked in surprise. "That's a tall order! But I love it. Maretime Bay could use a real library. You should talk to the mayor."

Amber recoiled at that. "Mayor? Why?"

The stallion crossed his hooves. "I hear libraries are paid for by the town they're in. If you told her what it was, I bet she'd help. But, back to what you asked. I could give you a the contacts of the book suppliers I use, but don't go stealing all my customers." He looked not too worried about that as he fished up those contacts and held his phone out at the end of his hoof.

Comforting grabbed Amber's phone and touched it to the offered phone. A jingle played as contacts hopped across the divide and Comforting gave it back. "Modern conveniences."

Amber stared at the new contacts in her phone as if the stallion had just gifted her a treasure chest brimming with gold. "Oh my stars, this is tremendously helpful, sir! Thank you ever so much."

She clutched the device to her chest. "With these suppliers on our side, I can see the shelves filling already. Why, Comforting and I shall have this library bursting with books in no time!"

Thinking of that mayor, Amber nibbled her lip uncertainly. "I suppose we ought speak to her as well and make things official. Can't have the town funding a rogue book depository!"

She sighed but quickly bolstered herself with the thought of children happily reading storybooks. This was for them after all! "Very well, let's pay this mayor a visit after we've placed some orders. Need to show proper progress if we expect bits from the public purse."

Glancing sidelong at Comforting swimming circles around her, Amber had to chuckle. "And I should perhaps leave you out of that first meeting. We want funding approved swiftly, not endless questions about what manner of creature my benefactress might be!"

Comforting blew a raspberry. "But I like answering questions."

Amber winked playfully, then turned back to the patient shopkeeper with a smile. "We truly can't thank you enough for pointing us in the proper directions. Once open, the library shall send regular customers your way too!"

Bidding the affable pony adieu for the moment, Amber struck out once more down the lane, nose already buried in her phone as she began happily contacting potential suppliers.

Comforting put a hand over the phone, interrupting that. "I love the eagerness. Love it. But... if that mayor does help fund the library, you could have the bits to pay for those books. Otherwise, you're the one paying for it, and you're not rich by every word you've said so far."

Amber looked blank a moment. "Right! Right... I feel dumb today." She bonked her head with that phone. "Get the funding, then get the books... We're already serious, we have a library! An empty library... But a library! That's more than most ponies have when they start this, I bet..."

She offered spread arms and Comforting took the hint. The two hugged warmly with a little nuzzle. "I'll go see that mayor. You... Um..." She looked around the city. "Could go visit Sparky? You two seem to get along really well."

"He's adorable." Comforting twirled at the thought of the baby dragon. "But... I'd rather visit a different dragon. You go on and talk with the mayor." She waved Amber off. "I can handle myself."

With Amber wandering off towards downtown, Comforting pulled out her phone and got to typing.

Hey, Together!

Is Spike around? He's a dragon, so... I hope so?

Hugs and Kisses to the Tree That Refuses to Hug Back,
Comforting

The reply was swift. "Wow." Comforting gladly hit the message button.

Hello, Comforting,

Spike is well. He is with the other dragons. I have sent a location to your phone. Those phones are very popular with ponies of this age. Do not share this information with any pony that doesn't already have it.

I'm Very Proud of You,
Together

Comforting giggled warmly. "Aw." She kissed the phone for lack of having Together there to smooch. "Love ya!" She pulled up the map with the location sent. "Look at you, hiding way out there." She zoomed in and in and in so hard, she was there, popping into being on the island.

"Who are you?" And the dragons noticed her immediately. "This is the Isle of Scaley, and you... are only a little scaley?"

Comforting reached out her dragon arm. "I'm part dragon, and I'm here to see Spike. He knows me."

The she-dragon raised a doubting brow. "You know the boss? And he knows you? This is... unexpected... Still, if you're part dragon, I guess that's alright, this way." They took flight, and Comforting easily kept at their side. "I wasn't sure if those mismatched wings would get you off the ground."

Not that those wings were doing the work, but Comforting kept that to herself, just smiling. They came on Spike, lounging, and so much bigger than long before. "Spike!"

Spike looked up, confusion on his face. "Huh?" He sat up, peering at the chimera that was Comforting. "You... are familiar... Where am I losing it...?"

"Comforting?" She did a twirl before him. "Used to be a friend of Twilight's too, remember?"

"Wow." He sank to his belly. "It's been ages. How are you doing?" With his official seal of recognition given, the other dragons relaxed.

"Better, now that I see my Spikey-Wikey!"

Spike colored brightly. "It's... I thought that term was long gone." He huffed softly. "Like she is..."

"Sorry." Comforting awkwardly shuffled. "I didn't come to make you feel bad."

"And you didn't." He casually grabbed Comforting to nuzzle her belly, making her squeal and wriggle. "Old news is old. Let's leave that in the past."

"You are chill, and I like it." Comforting wriggled free of his grip to float in front of him. "But I wanted to see how one of my favorite dragons is doing. Oh! I ran into a baby dragon. He's so cute! Even younger than you were when I met you."

Spike snorted a little smoke, thinking back to such distant times. "I was a kid. They... If they're the one I think you're talking about, they're a hatchling. Cute... yeah, they pass that test." He touched his nose to most of Comforting's fronts. "Since we're talking about that, I see you stayed grown up. Chaos spirit, I know you could have done whatever you wanted, but you're still grown."

Comforting grabbed his snout, or however much of it her arms allowed. "Taking on other forms is fun... But my own lady friend left a mark on me, as she did for you. I don't feel right retreating all the way back to foal for too long. I'm an adult."

Spike wrinkled his snout. "If I had the option... Nah, I'm an adult too. No point trying to hide that." He sat up slowly. "The dragons around here depend on me, and I have to protect them... Speaking of that... We have somepony trying to steal our magic. That's a mess."

"What?! Oh." Comforting thought back to the test in progress. "You can handle it, I know you can." Getting directly involved in that felt wrong. It was her place to guide and build, not solve problems for creatures. "You're Spike! What can't Spike deal with?"

"You have a high opinion of me." He shook her off gently. "Keep it up."

Author's Note

What's a library without books? Sad, that's what. Also Spike. Always a good time for Spike.

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7 - Ma'am

Amber smiled across the desk. "Ma'am."

The mare smiled at Amber, hooves together. "A few ponies have been whispering about you. You and that project you're working on."

"In good ways?" Amber forced her best smile. "Hopefully?"

"Fantastic ways." She tapped her hooves in a mild applause. "A library. Our lovely city needs those." She swept a map into view suddenly. "Which is why we have a few." She began tapping at points on the map. "Three, to be precise. Maretime Bay does not raise, or tries not to, raise illiterate ponies."

The mayor leaned in towards Amber. "We aren't Bridlewood."

"N-no." Amber glanced around with growing nervousness. "It's quite different."

"Quite different." The mayor smiled a slick smile, like a snake that had a mouse lined up for a meal. "But, here you are, assuming you know. You already built the library, I'm told. A bold step, for not reaching out to me. Did you reach out to anypony before you started this, or did you just... What did you do?"

Amber shrank back with a squeak. "I asked Sheriff Hitch!" she got out quickly. "And he pointed me forward and didn't mention you, ma'am!"

The pressure suddenly was gone. "Hitch, figures. I will roast him slowly, later." She smiled so relaxedly. "Not the first time he casually forgot the rest of the city exists. You poor thing, caught up in Hitch's flailings. Now, that actually explains things." She trailed a hoof along thin lines in the map. "Notice something? We have a library in each of these districts but that one." She tapped at it, but it was one big city that bedazzled Amber. "It happens to be the one Hitch oversees."

Amber perked. "Then--"

"--You got lucky." The mayor leaned back. "If you had put up your library in any of the other districts, I would have greeted you with an order to tear it down, and suggested you work at one of the other ones." She raised a brow. "Technically, still an option. Starting a library is no simple, or easy, feat. You could go work at one of the others." She moved her hoof to the other places libraries existed. "How would that sound? Since this was a Hitch boo boo, I'd even cover your loss in this case. We'd repurpose the property. From what I hear, it's not even furnished yet. We'll find a use for it."

Amber laughed nervously. "That would be the easy way out, ma'am. I'd rather do it right."

The mayor's smile somehow deepened. "I love hearing that. Very well." She brought over a paper and stomped it firmly with a hoof, leaving a firm mark before twirling it to face Amber. "Have a look."

Amber's horn glowed as she pulled the paper closer in her magic for a peek. The paper was an official decleration of a library, run under the auspices of the city. "Does this--" Amber swallowed, unsure how to proceed. "--What does this mean, exactly?"

The mayor sat up firmly. "It means your library belongs to the city, as all libraries do. We will take your mortgage. You will be a city employee. Your job is to operate that library to the best of your ability. You can request assistants, who will also work for the city."

Amber raised a hoof sharply. "Ma'am?"

The mayor inclined her head. "Something wrong? That was the sharpest move you've made today."

"Ma'am." Amber took a slow breath to steady herself. "I have somecreature who wants to help with the library and live there. We had an agreement. Is that still okay?"

The mayor perked a brow. "A live-in librarian? Unusual, but not unheard of. Are you both doing that? Do the plans include a dormitory area? Either way, it sounds like you've hired your first assistant. How forward-thinking of you. You'll need them, and likely more, if you want the library to operate properly. Have them visit this office, not me specifically. If they accept, they are also a city employee. Understand?"

Amber nodded slowly, comprehension dawning along with a smile. "I believe I do, ma'am. Thank you for clarifying."

She glanced down again at the official declaration, magic flaring softly around its edges. A library acknowledged and supported by the whole city - it was more than she had dared hope! Amber had to blink back the swell of emotions.

Looking back up to meet the mayor's gaze directly, Amber said "I cannot properly express how grateful I am for this chance, and for the trust placed in me. I know libraries require diligence and care. But the rewards..."

Her voice caught, imagining rows of foals discovering whole worlds within pages. With a deep breath, she continued "...Seeing young minds grow and thrive shall be the greatest reward. I intend to make this city proud, and further its noble educational mission in any way I can."

The mayor inclined her head approvingly. "Spoken like a true steward of knowledge. We shall see if you live up to those lofty words soon enough." But there was a glimmer of warmth beneath her businesslike demeanor. "Do keep me updated on your progress personally. I wish to ensure this endeavor succeeds."

Heart soaring as their meeting concluded on such an uplifting note, Amber made her farewells before trotting back out into the sunlight, official declaration floating protectively beside her. She couldn't wait to share everything with Comforting! Why, her exuberant friend would likely swoop her up and try dancing on a cloud from sheer delight.

Laughing softly to herself, Amber set off to find where her chaotic companion had wandered off to. She suspected this called for some sort of celebration!

Comforting appeared before the library, empty as it was, and darted inside. She flew around those empty large rooms and equally cavernous hallways. "So much space, but I need just a little." She paused, just in front of what could eventually become a supply closet. "Like this!"

With a great tug, she pulled her personal space over, pinching off a little bit and attaching it to the small space. "There." She opened and closed the door, testing the connection was solid. "I made myself at home."

When she walked out, clapping her hands together as if patting them dry, she saw Amber trotting along with a dazed but happy expression. "Things go well? That looks like a happy face."

Amber closed in with a little giggling squeal. "It is. You're looking--" She swept a hoof over the unfinished library. "--at the newest Maretime Bay library."

Confetti exploded around her with some fanfare with no obvious source. Comforting applauded, though it sounded like an entire audience was in on it, cheers included. "Amazing, fantastic! What does that actually mean though?"

Amber laughed, confetti drifting down to fleck her mane as the mysterious celebratory din faded out around them. "It means the city has officially endorsed my endeavor! The library shall be funded and staffed by Maretime Bay going forwards."

She did a giddy little hop, the declaration with its prominent hoofprint still trailing behind her. "Can you believe it, Comfort? We have their full support! Why, the mayor herself said she wishes to aid our success."

Amber gestured expansively around at the unfinished space, imagination painting in rows of shelving and cozy reading nooks. "Just think - soon foals from all across town shall be streaming through those doors, discovering new worlds between pages. And we'll be right here to guide them!"

Her enthusiasm dimmed only slightly as she met Comforting's gaze. "Oh, but I should warn you - as employees, we'll need to complete some administrative paperwork. Nothing too arduous," she added hastily. "But I presumed you would not object to being officially instated as my assistant?"

Amber scuffed a hoof sheepishly. "I apologize for assuming, but the mayor was quite strict that all staff must be registered with the city. It would grant you more freedoms as well, being an recognized citizen."

She peered up at Comforting curiously. "So what do you say? Ready to become an upright productive member of society?" Amber punctuated her gentle teasing with an playful elbow nudge, unable to contain her bubbling delight.

Comforting was rubbing her chin thoughtfully through most of that. "City employee? How interesting." She paced in place, as if that helped her brain chug along. "I don't need the money, you know that. But, I imagine, offering to work for free will just confuse them. No, we'll skip that part and save some arguments." She could imagine that scene already playing out. "I'll just take the bits."

"So that means--"

"--You're not my landlord." Comforting poked Amber gently on the nose. "--You're my boss, with equally terrifying powers."

Amber jumped up and the two hugged warmly a moment before she slid to the ground. "This is just too much. We need to, oh!" She pointed to the brighthouse, those lights in the short distance. "We should tell them, then, we party. We party like something happened worth partying about."

"Because something has, clearly." Comforting nodded with a smile. "You did such a good job today, Amber. I'm so proud I don't have proper words." She smiled, proud of herself for trusting her agent to handle things. Her griffon tail swayed with self-satisfaction. "Let's go see our friends."

Amber trotted eagerly along beside Comforting, their odd silhouettes dark against the setting sun. But nothing could dim her bright spirit that evening.

"I must admit, when I first arrived alone in this strange new city, success seemed a far off dream," Amber mused.

Comforting nodded sagely. "Oh yes, I remember how timid you were, my little unicorn waif wandering lost and overwhelmed."

Amber chuckled self-consciously. "More like clueless! Why, I fully expected to simply find some dusty backroom to stash my motley collection in."

"And now look at you - head librarian of the city's newest literary palace!" Comforting declared proudly.

Glancing sidelong at her exotic companion, Amber smiled softly. "But then you entered my story as the perfect supporting pillar, Comfort."

Waving off the praise, Comforting demurred "Oh pish posh, I just nudged a bit here and there. You're the real star author of this tale, my dear!"

"Maybe so." Amber nudged her friend playfully. "But every good author needs an insightful editor to tie their wild ideas together."

Laughing brightly, the odd pair crested the final hill up towards the brighthouse, hearts swelling at the new story shining before them.

Comforting knocked on the door lightly. Amber giggled. "They expect us." She went right past Comforting and opened the door to find a pony on the other side.

Izzy squeaked with a smile. "Hey there! I was gonna get the door, but you got the door. How's it going?"

Comforting hugged Izzy since she was there and liked random hugs. "We come with good news!"

"The best kind." Izzy hugged back, but only briefly. She dashed inside and soon had the others gathered in the lobby. "Hit us up with the good news, we wannt hear!"

Zipp inclined her head. "You finished the library?"

Pipp inclined her head in the other direction. "And are inviting us to the opening party?"

Hitch considered, only for Spark to slide down and start moving. "Get back here!" He dashed off to catch the dragon.

Comforting waved Amber forward. "I'm not taking this moment from you. You're on."

Amber swelled with the deep inhale she took. "As it turns out, libraries are community property, not any one pony's property. When I talked with the mayor, she filled me in. But... As luck would have it." She cast a wary glance at Comforting. "Where we built the library is where a library was needed. So... She took the library, and put me in charge of it."

All the ponies, and a little dragon, cheered for the good news. Sunny clapped her hooves with a big smile. "This sounds like a good reason to celebrate."

With no objections, things got underway to properly welcome their friends' good news.

Author's Note

Party time! This worked out well. How much did Comforting tip the odds? Will she ever tell?

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8 - Coming Together

With all the major roadblocks removed, and an actual budget given by the mayoral office, they could proceed at a lively trot. Reaching out to the other libraries, they stocked up on the utter essentials; educational cornerstones and timeless classics ponies enjoyed. Using the new index of sources, they ordered their own blend of interesting tomes for future readers to read and enjoy.

Amber danced in place, excitement overflowing. "And, if we don't have it--" She waved over the city. "--We can trade with the other libraries. So nice of them to share their book lists. We're a whole city of books! So it's good to have the basics, but our own collection, different than theirs, so we're expanding that collection, not just repeating it."

"Makes sense." Comforting floated behind Amber, watching her place her orders. "You don't need my help for this part. You have this under control."

"I do, but--" Amber twirled to face Comforting. "--I'll really appreciate your help when these books start showing up. We have to get them on the shelves." She pointed to where shelves had been moved in; a fact that made her giggle excitedly. "Our library's starting to look like a library."

Comforting floated over Amber to hug the unicorn as she passed. "It really is. It's just missing the books, and you're already working on that. One thing, what about not books?"

"Not books?" Amber squinted at the very thought of it. "Libraries are for books, right?"

"Mostly!" Comforting brought her hands together, floating along belly up. "But they're also community centers, where all kinds of fun things can happen. It's up to the librarians, that's us, to plan them. A movie night? We could host that. A book signing of a new book by their author? We could host that." She rotated to be belly down, tail swaying above her. "A library is as much a space that happens to have books in it as anything else, and it's a public space. We can do a lot with it."

Amber clapped her hooves together in delight. "Marvelous idea! Of course, it should serve more community functions than merely housing literature."

Her mind was already bounding ahead with possibilities, imagination painting vivid scenes across the blank walls. "Storytelling hours for foals, craft sessions making art from books, scavenger hunts investigating subjects...why, we must tap every organization that may benefit from this free venue!"

Comforting pulled out a sheet from nowhere, jotting down Amber's wandering thoughts.

Amber bounced on her hooves, suddenly gripped with urgency to compile a grand calendar of events. "The historical society, astronomy club, theater troupe - so many friends yet to make who could enliven these rooms. We shall curate a cultural hub welcoming all interests under our roof!"

Comforting put a big period at the end of each of those ideas. "Don't forget you're a little new. You're going to have to introduce yourself to the city. The whole thing, once this place opens." Not that she was being paid attention to, but she kept on writing with a smile.

Laughing merrily at her own racing thoughts, Amber drew Comforting into an impulsive hug, interrupting the jotting a moment. "However did I get on before you arrived to elevate my small visions into such dazzling dreams?" She squeezed tighter, voice thickening. "You make me believe anything is possible..."

Pulling back before she descended fully into sentimental tears, Amber dashed the shimmer from her eyes. There were calls to make! "Now, let us contact every creative spirit in town and start filling calendars. Our community literary palace awaits!"

Comforting smiled at her eager little agent, wagging the pad she had been using. "Need this?"

With a determined nod, Amber levitated the pad and a pen over to begin noting ideas, imagination already painting the coming days in bold strokes of joyful connection and discovery.

Comforting landed just behind the front desk. "Now, one thing! Computers. You'll want them, for us, for the visiting ponies, for everypony really."

Amber clopped a hoof to her head. "Computers. It's so easy to forget those, being so new to them. Don't ponies already have one?" She pulled out her own phone, glowing with her gripping magic. "I've yet to meet a city pony without one."

"True!" Comforting darted over to poke the phone. "But the phone won't know what's right here. Our computers will know which books are in, or not, by the moment. Also good for research, or typing, or..."

"Oh." Amber crashed to her haunches. "Computers do a lot of things. Yes, we should see how much they cost and try to get some if it'll help ponies get things done." She made a new note about looking into that. "There's so much to do to make a new library possible."

Comforting ruffled Amber on the head. "But it's being done."

"It's being done," sighed out Amber with a dreamy smile. "We're doing it."

Comforting laughed warmly, always delighted to see Amber getting swept up in her imaginings. "Yes we are, my friend! All those who said it couldn't be done should see what the power of determination and dreams accomplish."

Giving Amber another affectionate ear scritch, she zoomed over to perch herself atop the brand new front desk. Coincidentally, it was just the perfect height for her lanky frame to lean onto with an elbow casually.

Amber turned to keep Comforting in view, smiling so happily the whole way.

"I must say, this is shaping up into a positively splendid space already!" Comforting remarked sunnily, surveying their nascent realm. "Or it shall be, once all our grand visions materialize the way you have it so stirringly laid out in your mind's eye."

"Like magic, without so much magic." Amber tapped at her chin. "Still magic, certainly."

With an expansive wave of her paw, Comforting continued, "Oh, I can picture it already. Shelves packed with colorful spines, beckoning new worlds to explore. Tables humming with whispered discussions and scratching pens. Wide-eyed colts and fillies squealing in a quiet corner over favorite picture books."

Hopping up to stand on the counter, she declared "And a gallery wall here showcasing ravishing art made from repurposed pages, of course! Oooh, we could have monthly craft sessions for patrons to contribute."

Amber's ears danced, trying to imagine half of that and only partially succeeding. "I want that so much, for them."

Then soberly stepping back down, she placed a gentle paw on Amber's withers. "But most vitally, my friend - a sanctuary for any soul, no matter how meek or marginalized, to feel welcomed just as they are. Safe to share thoughts without judgment, and perhaps make a connection or three."

Her eyes shone with visionary zeal. "What greater legacy than fostering understanding between fellow travelers navigating this confusing life?"

Amber let out a soft gasp. "That is--" She paused to wipe a tear away. "That is such a wonderful thought. Yes! Yes, let's make a place where they can all feel welcome, and safe. A sanctuary of books."

The two met, paw to hoof in a firm clap. Their dream was unified, and the future was looking bright.

With overflowing hearts, the music couldn't be held back. The very first load of books arrived and they gladly accepted them. "Oh the shelves yet stand so bare, not a book to greet visitors there!
But soon pages shall line the walls, heeded be our literacy calls!"

Amber's magic and Comforting's darting form soon started a little start to stocking those shelves as they sang right along, "Tra-la-la, fiddle dee-dee, hooray for Amber's library!"

Comforting drifted down an aisle, leaving books as she went. "With nails and hammers, we'll erect some fine shelves, Then courier some tomes to line them thar selves!"

Amber waved at new computers that hadn't been there a moment before. "Comforting's conjuring computers so nifty, Visitors can research most anything spiffy!"

Comforting waved at some open rooms off to the side with a pleased smile. "We'll host puppet shows, and costume balls, Magic lantern nights, then next moonballs!"

Amber made studious notes about the books they had received and visions for the future. "Story hours and crafting classes, oh such sweet bookish lasses!"

They crashed together in a brief but bright hug, singing together, "However shall we choose what fun to run?
Tra-la-la, fiddle dee-doo, there's so much in store at library new!"

Amber smooched Comforting on the cheek and walked towards the front door. "We did good today. So many things on the way. We should be ready. Oh!"

"Oh?" Comforting floated along after Amber. "Oh what?"

Amber twirled on Comforting. "The mayor wasn't lying. We will need more librarians than just the two of us, as eager as we are."

Comforting tapped Amber's horn. "I think that's your side of things. I may scare a few ponies away if they come into a job interview and find me grinning at them."

"Stop that!" Amber reared up to paw at the floating Comforting. "You're the sweetest thing."

"If you know me." Comforting sat up, still hovering. "But, let's be real. If you don't know me, could be a little surprising."

"A little." Amber thought to when she first met Comforting. "But you're still nice, and wonderful. The whole city should learn to love you."

"In time, perhaps." Comforting casually swam away, looking unstressed about it. "But not while they try to interview to become a librarian. That feels mean."

Amber giggled, having to concede Comforting's dramatic visage may indeed be distracting during a formal interview process. "I suppose you have a fair point. We should ease anxious candidates in gently to our unique work environment."

Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Amber mused "Now how best to recruit help without unduly startling applicants?"

She brightened, struck by inspiration. "Perhaps I could handle initial inquiries and interviews solo. Get them comfortable with me as supervisor first. Then, once hired, we can slowly acclimate them to your more...eccentric qualities."

Amber winked playfully to soften any unintended offense, well familiar by now with Comforting's theatrical flair.

Comforting rolled her eyes with a snort. "That's what I said."

"We'll bill you as something thrilling and mysterious to anticipate, rather than fear. Sort of the library's 'resident creative spirit and magical consultant!'" She punctuated the grandiose title with sparkling magical flares shooting from her horn.

Laughing at her own overblown performance, Amber added, "But yes, it may be wise to minimize anxiety starting out. I can gauge good fits, filtering for those open and adaptable to diversity."

Comforting folded her arms. "Much as I love a pony that can roll with the punches, we may want some that are just really good at sorting books. That is the first thing this silly place is about. Putting up with me is not top of the list."

She smiled fondly at her dearest supporter. "I, of all ponies, understand that true friendship begins by looking deeper than appearances. By that measure, what applicant wouldn't adore you once your inner light shines through?"

Bumping affectionately against the hovering chimera, Amber concluded, "Fear not, my friend. As word spreads of all the wonder we shall craft here, queues of potential allies shall soon be chomping at the bit to join our noble literacy mission!"

Comforting abandoned shaking Amber's mind on that one. Some lessons had to be learned directly. Repeating the point wasn't going to help. "We agree on the important part. It's up to you to get us some help." She raised a finger. "Don't forget, the city pays for them, not you. They'll be working for the city, like us. As long as we keep it reasonable, those aren't our bits."

Amber clapped her hooves with building excitement. "Let's get started. Um." She frowned with new thoughts. "How do ponies advertise jobs in the city? Do we just put up a sign? Do we do something with these?" She fished out her phone. "Do you know?"

Comforting chuckled softly. "Sweet summer child, that's a whole other musical number."

But it was one she felt ready and willing to sing for her dear student, agent, and friend.

Author's Note

It tickles me how much things have become The Tale of the City Library, but not losing focus on our magical characters doing it.

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9 - Help

"I'm.--" Her eyes darted around, working her hooves together slowly. "I'm not scared of books!" She forced a big smile.

Amber inclined her head slowly. "That's a good first start. Misty, was it?"

"That's me!" Misty tapped her hooves gently. "I really want to help."

"Why?"

Misty sank as if crushed by that simple question. "Oh, well, sheesh. I want to help because--" She trailed off with thought. "I want to help little foals. I want to help grown ponies. I want somepony to be less confused than I was, and this feels like a good place for that."

Amber smiled. "Thank you for being honest. What do you think you can do for the library?"

"I can organize books, and make sure they're all there. I can make sure the computer knows what's in the library, and what's not. I can be friendly to everypony who comes in. I can help them find what they're looking for, and I can help them find new things to look for."

Amber nodded along, making notes. "Very good. I'm glad you've given this some thought." She looked up with a smile. "Now, I need to ask you a few more questions. Do you mind?"

Misty perked, ears erect. "Of course not!" She laughed tensely. "Do you have, sorry, a drink of water by any chance?" When Amber slid a glass towards her, Misty grabbed it in her own magic and took a big sip. "Thanks. I never actually had a job job before. This is all new."

"It's okay. I haven't done this before either." Amber smiled warmly. "Let's learn together."

"Okay." Misty relaxed, just a little. "What do you want to know?"

Amber made a dramatic showing of relaxing her shoulders and leaning back. Even her tail went limp. "First, relax. This isn't a test. You seem like a nice pony. We've met before. I just want to see how good of a fit you are, and where you'd be best placed. I'm not even your boss, technically."

"You aren't?" Misty looked baffled at that. "Then who would be?"

Amber made a wide wave. "The city itself. We'd both be city employees. Sure, technically, I would be the one you report to and who could, if she had to, terminate you, which I hope is about never." She paused a moment. "Relaxed?"

"A little." Misty tried to mimic Amber's posture, but her legs didn't want to go that limp. "This is a weird interview."

"Oh yes." Amber smiled. "But it's also a weird library. I don't think we'll have many normal days. I want to know what you can bring to the table, but I also want to know what you expect from us."

"Well, I expect to work, and to do my job, and to help out. I don't expect a lot of money, but I do want to make enough to live on." She fidgeted. "I want to be happy with my job, and feel like I'm doing good."

Amber offered a hoof across the desk. "That much, I can promise. Now, experience. How much do you know about sorting books?" She nodded at Misty's confused look. "Can you lift at least ten pounds?" With the nod, she raised the stakes. "Twenty? Thirty? Fourty? That's your cap, alright." Amber made a dutiful note.

"Oh, I can lift forty pounds, easy. I'm not that small." Misty flexed a leg. "I don't think I've ever had to lift that much, but I can. I don't know how to sort books, though. I know how to shelve them, but not how to decide where they go."

Amber nodded. "That's okay. We'll teach you. It's not that hard. You'll be learning as you go, but we'll be right there with you." She smiled. "We're all picking this up at about the same time."

"Okay." Misty relaxed, just a little. "Where's Comforting?"

"You are a treat to interview that way." Amber brought her hooves together with a relaxed smile. "You already know her, and she doesn't spook you out."

With no further prompting, Comforting casually came to be, resolving like a low resolution art piece that became sharper quickly until she was all there. "Hello! If it isn't a Misty." She reached to ruffle and pet over Misty's head, teasing an ear. "I will love working with you. Something about you makes me want to--" She trailed off with thought. "I'm not sure, but I'd love for us to become even better friends."

Misty squeaked, then giggled, leaning into the ear rubs. "I'd love that too, Comforting. You're so cool."

Amber watched with a smile. "I'm glad you two are getting along. That'll make the job much easier."

"I can't wait to start." Misty smiled. "When do I start?"

"Soon." Amber stood up. "We have to finish hiring first. I'm hoping to have at least three more ponies on board, so we can cover shifts and have some extra help." She lifted a slip of paper in her magic to where Comforting could snatch it.

Comforting donned a pair of glasses she did not need and looked over the paper. "Hm! Hm. Looks like you're on the right track." She slapped the paper down in front of Amber. "Misty, one thing; this library is a safe place for all the ponies in it, staff or not. But it's up to us, staff, to make that happen and keep it that way. How does that sound?

Misty nodded. "That sounds good. I can do that."

"Good!" Comforting floated over to hug Misty around the neck. "I'm glad you're going to be part of our team."

Misty smiled as she was nuzzled against. "You are very affectionate, um, Comforting."

Comforting paused sharply. "Is it bothering you? I can stop."

Misty colored, worrying her hooves in nervous little motions. "It's alright, just surprising is all. A good hug between friends is good, but you're also kinda my boss?"

Comforting tapped at her chin. "You have a point, but only sorta." She pointed at Amber firmly. "She's the boss. I'm just an assistant." That she was an assistant with cosmic powers, she didn't bother pointing out or explaining. "So, I'm more of a co-worker. So if you're okay with it, all is good, and if you're not, then I stop, and that doesn't hurt your odds around here, super promise."

Misty snorted a laugh. "Okay. You're cool. I think we'll get along great, if you're like this every day."

"Oh, I am." Comforting floated away, smiling at Amber. "Anything else, boss?"

Amber shook her head. "No, that's good. We'll call you when we're ready to start. It shouldn't be more than a few days."

Misty stood up with a smile. "Thank you, Amber. I'll see you soon."

Amber made a hug gesture, but didn't actually touch Misty. "I'm looking forward to it. Now get out of here and think booky thoughts."

The two shared laughter as they headed their separate ways. Amber turned to Comforting. "Does that go for us? I'm your boss and all, but not sharing hugs with you isn't where I want to be."

"Me neither." Comforting tapped Amber on the end of her snout. "So we'll be extra special adults about this, who were friends before there was a business involved, and I'll keep hugging and being hugged until either of us decides they don't want that anymore. How's that sound?"

Amber smiled. "That sounds perfect. I can't wait to hug you again."

"Then let's do that." Comforting opened her arms, and Amber slipped into them, hugging back tightly. For a moment, the two were lost in the simple but warm act of the embrace, but Amber eventually slipped free.

"That was nice, but I should finish up the interviews." She smiled as she settled into her seat. "I'll let you know the moment we're done with those."

"Looking forward to it!" Comforting saluted and vanished as if being flushed down a drain with a loud sound to accompany it.

Comforting and Amber looked up with mutual delight at the big banner hanging over their library, declaring that it was a grand opening. There was a big ribbon in front of the library, but it wasn't either of their job to cut it. That's what the mayor was for, giving a big speech about the importance of libraries and their various functions.

Amber stood beside Comforting, holding her hand tightly as they watched the mayor speak. "This is it," she whispered. "Our library is open."

"It's amazing," Comforting whispered back. "And it's all because of you."

Amber snorted with a wrinkled snout at that. "You're lying. You helped at least as much as I did. We opened this library, together. Admit it."

"Okay, we did." Comforting squeezed Amber's hoof gently. "But you made it happen. I just gave you a little nudge."

Amber shook her head. "We did this together. I couldn't have done it without you."

Comforting abandoned that argument, instead hugging Amber with one arm and getting a happy giggle for it. Hugs were so much better than silly debates about nothing important.

"And so--" The mayor put the scissors up to the ribbon. "--I declare this library--" She cut down, allowing the ribbon to flutter free. "--open!"

The crowd clapped and stomps with approval, but neither Comforting nor Amber got to see that part, with Comforting whisking Amber into the library with a sharp tug between the pages.

Amber wobbled from the sudden meta movement. "That still feels odd, but why did you do that?"

"Ponies will wander in here, and they'll need all of us working, not gawking at the opening ceremony. Let's do a library!" Comforting giggled as she floated off quickly to do her part in things.

Amber smiled, shaking her head. "She's right. Let's get to work." She trotted over to the front desk, where Misty was already sitting and looking ready to greet visitors. "Looking good! Here comes our first." She shook her hooves with excitement before assuming a far more serious and 'dignified' stance.

That first pony, a stallion, wandered up to the front desk. "Hello."

"Hiya." Misty smiled nervously at the stallion. "How can I help you today?"

"Yeah, uh." He tapped at his chin as he looked around for something. "Where's the menu?"

Misty blinked with amazement. "There isn't a menu, sir, but if you know what kind of book you're looking for, I can, uh, point you in the right direction. We have lots of different kinds of books."

He squinted at her. "This is a restaurant, right? This is where I'm supposed to be?"

Comforting zipped out of nowhere to land beside Misty. "No, sir, this is a library. You're in the right place. Are you looking for a particular book?"

"Yeah, the menu." He looked around again. "I don't see one. How do I order?"

Comforting gave him a confused look. "You can't get food here, just books. Books can give you adventure, or teach you something new. They can give you a peek at ponies a world away, or maybe a whole new world all-together!" Comforting clapped her mismatched hands, dreaming of such places and wonders. "Books are wonderful, but they're not food, and don't have a menu."

"Oh." He looked around again, then back at Comforting. "Can I borrow some bits?"

Comforting sighed, floating back up. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't lend money here. You'll have to go somewhere else for that."

He grumbled, turning away. "This is a waste of time. I'll try somewhere else."

"Good luck," Misty called after him.

Amber clopped a hoof to her forehead beside her horn. "That went awkwardly. Misty, you were fine. That pony was just in the entirely wrong place. Oh, here comes another; look sharp!"

Misty nodded, smiling brightly as a filly approached the desk. "Hi! How can I help you today?"

The filly smiled up at Misty. "I want a book about flying."

Misty smiled brightly, examining the filly and her little wings. "Do you mean flying as in you flying with your own power, or a different kind of flying?"

"A different flying." The filly jumped up, her wings holding her aloft for a few seconds. "I want to read about ponies who aren't pegasi flying. Do you have books like that?"

Misty frowned with thought. "Well, that sounds like--" She swept her hoof a moment before finding the fiction section. "--right there! Comforting?"

Comforting leaned in from behind where she hadn't been before. "Yes?"

"Oh!" Misty jumped with surprise. "This is Comforting, and she'll help you find a specific book about not-pegasi flying around."

The filly giggled. "Hi, Comforting! I'm Sky. Can you help me find a book about flying?"

"Of course I can." Comforting floated over to Sky. "Before we go, I want to know, do you want to know about real ways ponies can do that, or make believe?"

Sky's eyes widened. "You have both?!" she squeaked out with obvious amazement.

"We sure do!" Comforting reached out to take Sky's hoof. "Let's go find you some books."

Sky bounced along after Comforting, both of them giggling and looking happy.

Amber clapped her hooves with joy. "That was way better. We've done it. Great job, Misty." She glanced at where Comforting had gone to. "Didn't know we had books on actually flying though."

Misty rubbed behind her head. "My friends fly sometimes with a crazy machine. I don't know how it works, and didn't know we had a book on it. I guess we do!"

"Huh." Amber shrugged gently. "We both learned something. Next up!" She pointed to where a couple of ponies were approaching.

Misty smiled brightly at the pair. "Welcome to the library. How can I help you today?"

"Hi!" The mare smiled brightly. "I'm looking for a book on how to be a better mother. Do you have one of those?"

Misty tapped her chin. "Well, we have books on parenting, but they're mostly for parents who are already parents. Do you have a foal?"

"We sure do," cut in the stallion. "But we didn't bring them. They're at school."

Misty brightened with understanding. "Oh, I see. That makes sense. You want these books." She rushed over to point at the section with the parenting tomes. "We have books for teeny tiny foals up to teenaged foals. They're very, um, different."

The mare nodded. "Thank you! I'll look through them."

Misty smiled, backing away. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

The stallion smiled at Misty. "You sure do know your library." Both eagerly approached the books to examine their spines, leaving a grinning Misty behind to return to her chair.

Amber pumped a victorious arm. "This is going great. Oh! I work here too, boss or not. If you need a break, don't feel bad asking me to tag in. That goes for the rest of you." She smiled at each librarian she could find. "We're all in this together."

The others smiled back, nodding with agreement.

"And now, we wait for the next pony to come in." Amber smiled at the front door. "I can't wait to see who comes through that door next."

Next was Sunny Starscout, a gentle smile on her face. "Misty! Amber!" She rushed up to the two. "Congratulations on your big day." Even her tail was swaying with happy energy. "Now, tell me, do you have books on ancient history? I'm talking things from back in Comforting's day."

"Oh, we do!" Amber pointed at the shelves. "They're right over there. Comforting put them all in place."

Sunny smiled brightly. "That's amazing! Thank you!" She trotted towards it, just to pause. "I don't mean to just rush past you like that."

Amber shook her head quickly. "We are librarians, and you asked for a book. Seeing you find what you're looking for puts a smile on all our faces." She and Misty gave a grin to prove that point. "See?"

Sunny giggled. "I do. Thank you again." She trotted off to the books, already starting to browse.

Misty leaned over to whisper to Amber. "She's so nice. I love having her around."

"Me too." Amber looked around. "I wonder if--" She paused as a small group of foals came in. "Looks like we're about to find out."

The first day was going quite well, at least so far.

Author's Note

I promise, we'll get to some not-being-a-librarian content soon. Speaking of that, are there specific slices of their life you'd love to see a peering at? I love hearing from you all.

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10 - A Magical Place

Amber knew ponies would come. Ponies had always come to the library. Some came to simply browse and be social, while others came searching for new knowledge, seeking something they weren't certain existed. The ponies of that part of the city were curious and timid in about equal measures.

They didn't have a library before, but that had changed. Her computers had proven strangely attractive. "Maybe Comforting was on to something there." She tapped her chin, examining the occupied two rows of them with happy ponies. "They walk around with them in their pockets, why would they need another?"

One of the many ponies heard her. "Oh, that's easy." The stallion nodded as if it were quite obvious. "Phones are small. If you want to relax, you need something bigger that you don't have to squint at."

Amber blinked, mind adjusting. "Oh, that makes complete sense. Thank you. I didn't mean to interrupt your studies."

"It's alright." He waved Amber off and returned to his web browsing.

That left Amber with a new mystery. "If they can make screens this size, why wouldn't they?" She shrugged and walked over to where Comforting was, making a show of reorganizing books that hadn't moved. "Having fun?"

Comforting squeaked, books raining down around her despite the shelf remaining full and stocked. "You surprised me. Hi, boss." She grabbed Amber in a firm hug. "What's up?"

Amber took the hug, ignoring the stares. "I was wondering why the computers are so popular."

"Because people can use them in comfort." Comforting bobbed her head in a nod. "Now that they have tables and chairs, they're comfy. Phones are tiny, but they're meant for when you're walking around doing other things. Like talking." She pointed at where some ponies were chatting together.

Amber nodded, nuzzling Comforting briefly before pulling back to be 'professionally distant'. "That makes sense. I'm glad these have proved as useful as you thought they would be."

"Told you." Comforting crossed her arms. "Ponies love this stuff." She looked at Amber with a question on her lips.

"No." Amber held a hoof up. "You're not getting any books about that."

"Fine." Comforting vanished with a pop as if bursting into air.

Amber ignored the odd looks she got from ponies at that. "But I see a friend coming in."

She turned from where Comforting had been, casually noting all the extra books had vanished at some point. "Zipp, right?" She trotted towards a pegasus coming into the library. "Good to see you."

"Hey, Amber." Zipp was looking around casually, having seen most of the library in the construction phase. "Not a bad set-up." She glanced around casually. "I was hoping to find a specific series. It's a fiction, fantasy." She glanced nervously about. "But I love it."

Amber clapped her hooves excitedly. "Sounds wonderful. Let's get you and your favorite series together. Which series?"

"Chronicles of Chevalia." Zipp fidgeted, waiting to see if that rang a bell for Amber.

Amber thought a moment, then brightened. "Oh, I think I saw that over here."

She took off at a walk, weaving through the library to the fantasy section. With her eyes wandering over the spines, she went along quickly by author until--"Here you go." She pointed at a brightly colored band of books, clearly of matching theming in appearance. "Pretty sure this is it."

Zipp trotted up, grabbing the first one. "I just finished number five last night, and I can't wait to start six. So you haven't read them yet? No spoilers."

"Well, no." Amber smiled sheepishly. "I confess, I read a lot more non-fiction." She looked between Zipp and the collection of other books in the series. "Is it that good?"

Zipp nodded slowly. "I wasn't sure, but I had some time on my hooves. I liked them enough to keep reading." She tilted her head, smiling. "Each one has had me more glued than the one before it. I couldn't quit now if I tried." She laughed tensely, rubbing behind her head. "That's not strange, is it?"

"Not at all!" Amber threw a leg over Zipp, drawing the nervous pegasus in. "Books are portals to other worlds and ideas. Getting lost in that? Perfectly normal. You take this up to the front and then enjoy it."

Zipp chuckled. "You've sold me. I'll check this out, but I still have one from the previous batch to finish, and the big reveal is tonight, so..." She hurried towards the front. "This place is great. Maybe some other ponies will get into them after me." With a grin, she checked out the book and tucked it away safely. "Away!" She zoomed out on her speedy wings.

Comforting walked in the front door and closed the doubledoors. She leaned back against them, whistling softly and nervously.

Amber raised a brow and hurried towards her. "Is something--" She leaned to the left, spotting something behind Comforting. "What's going on out there?"

"Nothing you should get involved in, ha, trust--" A tendril of shadows burst through a crack in the doors. "Dang it." Comforting swatted at the tendril with a fly swatter. "Back, back! You leave them alone! Back!" Ponies began to panic as the tendrils went right past her despite her efforts.

Amber scrambled back with wide eyes. "What are those?!" And one reached her, brushing just once and that was enough. Her cutie mark peeled free instantly, lost to the grabbing tendril. "Give that back!" But she couldn't hurt the tendril, and it wasn't giving back her mark, already flowing away rapidly. "Hey!"

The entire library became chaos in an instant as ponies ran every which way, screaming with fear at the weird tentacle things that came in and snatched at them, only to steal their cutie marks and leave the ponies behind, dazed and confused. The things didn't seem to be particularly interested in the librarians, at least once it had their marks. They tried to calm the others, but that proves difficult to impossible in the middle of the mark snatching.

Things only calmed when the tendrils finished their looting run and withdrew back to wherever they had come from, outside the library. Amber snorted with frustration. "I don't know what that just was, but it's gone. Everypony, relax. You're safe."

That assurance proved not terribly convincing as many a pony was shivering with fear and shock, but at least the running and screaming stopped. "It's okay," Misty repeated as she approached Amber. "Amber, are you okay?"

"No." Amber looked back at her rump, bare of the mark it had sported for so many years. "But I'm still here. They look like they need help a lot more than me." She noticed something. "Oh, good job."

Misty glanced where Amber was looking. She still had her mark. "I got lucky. I want to help though. How?"

Amber pointed to the most shivering and least functional of the library guests. "Help them, they need a comforting voice right about now."

"You call?" Comforting gently ruffled Amber atop the head. "Sorry I couldn't keep them back."

Amber shook her head. "Don't bother. You'd have gotten yours taken too." She hugged Comforting. "We're all victims here, except Misty. Go help, I need a minute to think."

Comforting twisted her legs to bring her rump into view. "Um, I lost my mark a long time ago, I promise. You never saw it." She wrinkled her nose. "Silly things were no threat to me. But you go, relax. I'll help out around here." She rubbed her hands together, looking ready to hug ponies until they felt better.

Amber smiled. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're here with me. You are such a good friend." She sniffled with emotion, shuffling off to go do something else.

The day went on slowly, ponies recovering as much as possible. None of them were physically harmed, just startled and upset for the lack of their marks. Once they were all settled into place and the panic had ebbed away, Comforting snuck away. "I need a few answers."

She didn't have a library to go to, but she had other places, slipping out of context with the rest of the world back to her safe little hideaway of a home. She pulled out her phone. "Still love that this isn't even strange." She got to tapping busily. The reply came within moments.

Dear Comforting,

I did warn you that a challenge was already underway. The pieces are moving, even if you did nudge one. I know that was an accident, no apologies are needed. Though unpleasant, lessons are being learned, and ponies are growing stronger in the end.

I am trying something new and bold, for me. I have adjusted the justification strategy of my letters. I hope it is pleasing.

Moving onwards to your question, alicorns are not immortal. They are, at best, unaging. There is a difference, and it is of vital importance. Beloved chaos creature, you should know, if it can end, it will eventually end. You persist because you cannot end, at least not easily, even on dauntingly large scales.

Comforting huffed, imagining various ways her beloved princess ponies could have met their end. "Maybe I should have stayed awake." She stuffed the phone angrily into a pocket. "No, that's just me being sad." She flopped to her bottom. "Which I have a right to be. Dang it." She thought fondly of her distant, and passed, once-mentor. "Twilight, the world would be better if you were still here."

She snapped her fingers, conjuring Twilight. "Hey."

"Hello." Twilight looked Comforting over. "You look down. Are you experiencing a friendship problem?" She perked. "I'm here to help."

"No, you aren't." Comforting embraced the figment as they melted away, leaving her alone. "Okay, get it together. We have lovely ponies that need me right now, not the past."

She vanished back to the library and put on a brave face.

"Amber?" Comforting had a worried look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." Amber sighed. "The hard part is looking at my flank and not seeing my mark." She sighed, tail swishing. "And it's strange, like my talent is buried under a big pillow. Which is bad! What kind of librarian am I if I feel distant from books?"

"That sounds rough. Is there anything I can do to help?" Comforting offered a hug. "I know how it feels to lose yourself and who you were, what you can do, even for just a moment."

"Thanks." Amber allowed herself a hug. "This means a lot to me." She considered that a moment. "You got that lost before?"

Comforting laughed at Amber's confusion. "Oh yes, I have." She delivered that gentle hug. "But I came back. Friends are what help pull you back. I hope I can be that friend."

"You are." Amber nuzzled into Comforting, hugging her close. "You are that. Thank you." She took a soft breath into the soft and plush fur of her chimeric buddy. "Alright, let's smile and get ponies happy to be in the library."

Their efforts proved to be a mixed result. While some ponies were quick to get back to what they were doing, others were just as fast to wander off. For just being after a disaster, the librarians decided they were doing reasonably well.

"Alright, everypony." Amber nodded to her loyal helpers. "If any of you need a break right now, I get that. Just let me know, and don't feel bad about it."

Misty raised a hoof. "Maybe we should do something fun, for all of us, guests and us included."

Amber smiled brightly at that. "That's a great idea." She hopped up on a desk. "Everypony!" That got ponies looking at her. "We're hosting a pizza party." She pointed to one of the off-rooms. "We'll be enjoying it in there. No fee, just fun." Cheers erupted at the idea of free food. "Eat up and tell us about your favorite books."

She slid back to the ground and got out her phone. "Now if somepony could help me ordering that?"

Another librarian took the phone from Amber got to plugging in the order rapidly. "And--" They struck the final button firmly. "--on the way!"

Author's Note

Pizza parties are great for a variety of reasons. When's the last time you had one?

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

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11 - The Basics

As it turned out, the entire city had suffered the attack. That it hadn't been restrained to the library helped ease the minds of the visitors that day, at least. The library wasn't the problem, and most returned to what they were doing, even if many of them were missing their marks.

In most of the city, they had been quite visible rooty tendrils. Amber asked about that to the one creature she knew might have an answer.

Comforting rubbed a hand along a leg. "I don't want ponies getting mad at the tree. It's not their fault, I'm sure of it. I don't know what's going on, exactly, but don't be mad at the tree, please." She had hidden them, making them appear as shadowy tendrils.

"It is time." Comforting orbited around Amber, looking at her the entire time. "I've kept you waiting long enough. Are you ready to try something new?"

Amber inclined her head as she tried to keep turning to keep Comforting in view. "Whatever it is, will it be hurt because I'm missing my mark?"

Comforting went in for a firm hug. "I'm so sorry about that. But I don't think so? Only one way to find out."

Amber looked down at her empty flank. "What do I have to lose?" She gestured with her hooves. "Take me wherever we're going."

Comforting hopped back, letting gravity have a say for a change. "We don't need to go anywhere, but, let's get a little privacy." She pointed to one of the little offices to the side of the library and took off at a determined walk. "What I'm showing is for your eyes only, at least for now."

"That's a little scary." Despite that, Amber was smiling with a little anticipation. "What are we doing, exactly?"

"Did you forget?" Comforting casually placed a desk down. It was the same desk, at least in appearance, as the desk she had perched on, so many years before, when Twilight Sparkle had taught her in turn how to cast magic. "Have a seat, and be ready to learn something lost to unicorns."

"Unicorns, huh?" Amber settled down in the offered chair, smiling. "I like where this is going. What can I do, magic wise?"

"You can't." Comforting flicked the lights out, standing on the desk across from Amber. "I will teach you how to cast magic, the spells everypony used to know, but are forgotten." Comforting went over to the chalk board and began making marks. "These are the old letters, each one dripping with meaning and magic." She tapped at them, "But they also have a very specific meaning, physically, for you, up here." Comforting tapped at Amber's horn, despite being across the room.

Amber leaned forward in the desk, examining the markings. "Wow." She smiled at the drawings. "Those are pretty."

"Aren't they? With practice, you'll be able to see the meaning of a spell in that picture." Comforting clapped her mismatched hands with a grin. "But we have to start up here." She pointed to Amber's horn anew. "You have to be able to make each of these inside."

She pointed to the first. "Simplest one. Imagine your horn is a flute, a magic flute. Imagine the sensation you feel when you float things. There's a little buzz, right? Something's vibrating in there, and you're doing it."

"Yeah?" Amber grasped an abandoned pencil and picked it up in her magic, eyes closing the moment she had a grip. She focused on that sensation, that mild effort. "I can feel that. How does that relate to that symbol?"

"Everything." Comforting grinned, already seeing the potential ahead. "Take that vibration, that shiver, and try to push up in the middle, clench it. Just like any muscle, or, oh, your eyes when you force the focus a bit. Imagine you're focusing on something really close, but with that shaking."

Amber started with surprise. "Like my eyes?" She hadn't thought of any part of her horn like an eye before. The idea felt so alien and new, and a little exciting. "I can do that?"

"Try." Comforting relaxed into floating on her back. "I have every confidence that you won't get hurt trying. Magic isn't complicated. It's you, channeling energies already there." She twirled with a giggle. "So try. I'll tell you if you get it right."

Amber did so, squeezing tightly. "Oh. That feels funny." She shuddered and shook. "I have a headache now. Did I do it?"

Comforting pointed to that first letter, the rune glowing gently, though fading away slowly. "You had it, but you let it go. This is going to take practice, but you did it, and that's the really important part. You did your first unicorn letter. The first letter in who knows how long."

Amber took a slow breath, the weight of that sinking on her shoulders. "I did do that." She stared at the board. "I can do it again, I know I can. Show me the next one."

Comforting felt the urge and surrendered to the heart song with a peaceful expression. "Oh Amber, dear, you have been so smart." She made notes for Amber's personal reference. They worked together, getting about one fourth of the way through the alphabet, one letter at a time. "You are soaking this right up." Comforting zipped in for a fresh hug. "Learning the secrets of the ancient art," she sang, continuing the lines with a smile.

Amber hugged back, giggling. "That's high praise. I'll make you proud of me more often." She broke the hug. "Where did this all go? Why was it lost?"

"Big questions." Comforting put her hands on her hips. "and I was sleeping for most of that. So, couldn't tell you exactly even if I wanted to." She shrugged. "Besides, learning is half the fun. I don't want to deny some brave archaeologist pony. But, for whatever reason, maybe related to magic being gone for a while, unicorns forgot how to cast spells. It's terrible, and we're fixing it, at least for one special unicorn."

She leaned in with a grin. "You may not think you're ready, but you're here." Her song, sung for nopony. It wasn't like even Amber seemed to hear it, at least not consciously, but Comforting kept weaving the lines in.

Amber wiggled her ears with a smile. "At least this explains why I couldn't find any books on this. I did look, even if it wasn't specifically this." She turned to look at the chalkboard, smiling warmly at the runes. "Will those stay?"

Comforting considered the letters. "I could leave them, but then this has to be a secret room. No peeking!" She did a twirl, finishing the song with, "And the time to strike is just so clear."

Amber snickered. "Okay, okay." She hopped off the chair and stood beside Comforting. "And the more I look, the more they look like you. Huh."

Comforting blinked at the squiggles, then pulled out a mirror to look at herself. "I'm not a rune."

"Not literally." Amber reached a hoof up to rub at Comforting in ticklish way. "But you are a mysterious and wonderful thing of the past."

Comforting danced away from the tickle with a giggle. "Alright, leaving this here. Thinking on it, I doubt anypony could figure much out, just looking at these random marks without some instruction to go with it. But, be proud! You're learning magic."

"I can't wait to use it. Maybe not today." Amber flexed a leg. "I've had enough brain time for today. But soon." She paused, considering that. "Could you have shown Misty this?"

"Could, sure." Comforting rolled to her belly, floating along. "But she's dealing with things, her own things. It'd be unfair to dump this on her while she's in the middle of those, to start."

"Oh." Amber perked, processing that. "Does she need our help?!"

"Maybe." Comforting headed for the door, walking for a change. "But that's up to you, and asking her directly will probably make her nervous at best. Trust in her to figure through it."

"Okay." Amber followed behind Comforting, the two of them leaving the office. "But if she needs me, please tell me."

"Of course I will." Comforting reached to grasp Amber's hoof, holding it. "But I'm only working on hunches. Misty has to choose to open up to us, or not. I won't shove my nose into her business without permission." She drew Amber closer. "You wouldn't want me prodding into your affairs, would you?"

"No. I don't. But Misty isn't you." Amber snuggled in with Comforting, sighing with a faint wistfulness. "She's not a great mystery, and she's not as affectionate." For a moment there was nothing more pressing than their shared snuggles, but she did slide down to her own hooves eventually. "I should get back to work, and that goes for you too."

Comforting floated just over Amber. "Aye aye, boss. I'll get the returns put away." She promptly vanished, doing just that, one hoped.

She appeared elsewhere, the books put away. She had to finish the song, so she did. "Just believe in yourself, that's all you need to do." She conjured an image of Amber and blew a kiss their way.

"I'm teaching you all I can, and now it's up to you." She waved towards the board, still burdened with all the letters.

"Your path is not a straight line, but I'll be there to guide you." Comforting gestured to herself and let out a gentle sigh for the final line, "And no matter what happens, I'll be right beside you."

With the song properly completed, Comforting nodded, feeling the tension fading. She had completed the song and fulfilled that little harmonious urge. "Thanks, Together." She hugged nothing, hoping it'd somehow reach her distant friend. "I think I needed that reminder."

"Your sparkle..." Izzy inclined her head left and right. "It's different."

Amber started at that. "It is? How?" She examined her fellow unicorn curiously. "You're good at seeing sparkles."

"It's one of my specialties." Izzy buffed her chest with clear pride. "And yours is kinda funny. Also, different. I saw it before, but now..." She squinted at Amber suspiciously. "Did you do something?"

Amber snorted with laughter. "Yes. I did. But that's a secret for now. At least until I master this." She closed her eyes to imagine that hum, the little pulse of her magic flowing from her horn.

Izzy pointed firmly. "There! Whatever you're doing, that!" She pounced forward, just short of tackling Amber. "What are you doing?"

Amber giggled. "I'm doing a trick I learned. It's a secret for now, but it's amazing. I can do what you do. Well, maybe not as well, but I can do it."

Izzy recoiled. "What I do? What do I do?"

Amber laughed, reaching out to steady Izzy. "Relax! I've seen it before, in another unicorn. When we cast a spell, the results light up, but yours is so strong and unique, it glows instead."

For many, light up and glow would be the same, but Izzy seemed to understand the difference. "Oh, okay." She tapped at her chin. "So you learned a new way to uni-glow, and it's making your sparkle funny. That's neat! I wanna know how too."

"Secret," sang Amber, booping Izzy on the nose. "You already have so much magic of your own. You're the most magic unicorn I know. Let some other unicorns have some too."

"So not fair." Izzy stamped a hoof with a huff. "If it's so secret, why'd you show me?"

"Because I want to." Amber tapped at Izzy's chest. "And because I'm practicing. And, well, you did ask."

"I did." Izzy deflated a moment before recovering. "Well! We are friends, so when you're ready, you'll share." She winked."And I'll trade a secret of my own. Only fair."

Amber brightened. "Sounds like a deal to me. Oh, what are you working on today?"

"You haven't noticed?" Izzy held up a small, rounded tool. "I'm making more toys. My goal is to fill this place with all sorts of colorful trinkets. Now, if only I could get them to stay together. Anything you have to offer?"

Amber blinked softly. "This place is for books, not toys."

"But my toys are about books." Izzy gave a manic grin. "I'm hiding toys that go with the books they're next to. Ponies will have even more fun reading!"

Amber sank onto her haunches, stunned. "That is--" She put a hoof to her cheek. "Amazing. Um, but ask next time before you go putting things all over the library, okay?"

Izzy blinked owlishly at Amber. "Oops. I thought I already had." She patted her forehead. "My bad, I thought I asked." She gave a salute. "But if I didn't, then I sure am now. Can I continue?"

Amber giggled, pushing to her hooves again. "I'd love that, actually. Mmm, can you make a list of what you've made? We should add them to the things ponies can check out if they want."

Izzy perked. "Oh, that sounds like fun. I'd be happy to." She rocked her head to either side, her blue hair bouncing around with the motion. "Oh, um, how many is it okay to make?"

Amber blinked at that. "So long as you aren't--" She paused with a new thought and a faint cringe. "No more than one per two bookshelves to start. We'll see how popular it is after that."

Author's Note

Magic! Maaaaagic! Amber is taking those first timid steps to reclaiming the unicorn birthright.

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12 - Chaotic Stars

"Are you sure you don't want to come back?" Comforting was gazing up at the starry sky. "Things have gotten way more interesting. There's so much trouble I bet you could cause." The stars gently twinkled in return, not speaking a single word in reply. "Yeah, I figured. I'm fine though. Don't worry about me." She flipped over onto her back. "It's just been something I've thought about from time to time. Mostly because I miss you."

She reached up towards those distant twinkling objects. If she wanted, she could actually hold one, but she resisted that. She had already tried that once before with, at best, mixed results. Grabbing a sun without keeping things vague did bad things to the poor sun. She giggled at the memories of her past mistake. It had been quite a spectacular show, looking back on it. Very chaotic, but not the good kind of chaotic.

The hatch leading to a ladder popped open, glowing with a unicorn's magic. Amber climbed up until her head poked free. "There you are! You weren't in your room, or anywhere else that I could find. What are you doing up here?" She climbed further until she could wave a hoof over the rooftop in general.

Comforting gestured at the moon. "I was just talking to the moon and the stars. No worries." She stood up facing Amber. "I haven't jumped into a pony's body and messed with things, have I?"

Amber blinked at that sudden question. "N-no? That sounds like a bad thing. Is it a bad thing? I trust you, should I be trusting that?"

"Oh no." Comforting trotted over to comfort Amber. "It's only bad when somepony gets hurt, or the pony isn't willing, or it's something they can't come back from. But if it's something that doesn't affect them in a permanent way, and they consent, and are expecting it, it's all fine." She went in for a gentle hug. "That's why I'm asking." She gently lifted Amber off the ladder she had been on, placing her to join her on the roof properly.

Amber adjusted her glasses a moment. "Being actually inside somepony sounds very--" She rolled a hoof, struggling for the word. "--personal, and maybe painful? I've seen you do things, so maybe it wouldn't be painful? What brings this up?"

"I was asked something that made me wonder. Nothing happened. Yet." Comforting giggled into hoofed palms. "Oh boy, someday we're gonna have so much to talk about." She shifted, looking a little more serious. "But for now, we just have each other." She opened her arms up. "And that's plenty good, isn't it?"

Amber smiled brightly, wrapping Comforting up in a big hug. The two enjoyed one another's warm against the chilly breeze of the night. "I'm just wondering why you're up here. You could be someplace far warmer." She nuzzled warmly against the plush fur her friend provided. "Am I overwhelming you?"

"No." Comforting shook her head. "Well, you are, but it's not a bad thing." She curled around Amber, basking in that contact. "I just came up here to think and enjoy the weather. I'm all done with both, so I was about to go back in. You know, where it's warm."

"Sounds good to me." Amber leaned into Comforting. "Before that, though, what did you think of while you were up here?"

Comforting considered how much of that would be safe to share. In the context of the world, it was largely out of any scope. She may as well ramble about the small dogs on the moon. "My father was a great spirit of chaos, better than me by a few steps."

"Was?" Amber inclined her head slowly. "Did something happen to him?"

"Nothing like what you're thinking." Comforting tapped Amber on the nose and went in for new nuzzles. "He just wandered off to find new places to be chaotic. He had a dear, dear friend, and when she passed, he just couldn't hold himself to the ground, so off he went to find a new ground."

Amber sighed. "That's kind of sad."

Comforting shook her head. "No. He didn't like being tied down. And she was the main reason he allowed it, lovingly and willingly. For her, he was ready to be tied down forever. But she wasn't forever." Comforting considered Amber. "Neither are you, or any of the other dear friends I've lost."

Amber sank back as that reality finally landed on her. "I'm mortal," she breathed with a mixture of wonder and trepidation. "That's going to happen." She took a deep breath to calm down, looking into the distant distance. "That's weird."

Comforting rubbed her chin. "Would you rather die today than live for many years? I mean, that would be pretty chaotic."

"No." Amber thwapped Comforting. "Stop that. I don't want to think about it, at least, not that."

"Too late." Comforting cuddles around her dear friend. "But it works the other way around, for me. I'd rather have you for now, than lose you right away, so I'm staying. It's as simple as that. Having you, right now, is worth later pain." She released Amber, standing as tall as she could, which was pretty tall. "But I feel like I'm just encouraging you to be chilly right now."

"Oh, you." Amber nudged Comforting gently, but then slipped into her embrace with a happy sound. "You are something else. Thank you." She rubbed her cheek against Comforting, the pair of them lingering there a moment. "Not chilly anymore," she mumbled into Comforting's warm furry coat.

"At least I come with a built in solution." She casually turned up her internal heat, cuddling Amber and keeping that chill away. "There's a lot out there." She waved an arm up at the sky. "Too much for any one pony, really. Let's worry about what's right here."

Amber nodded. "Yeah. I can do that." She nodded up at the sky. "Are all the stars your dad's kids?"

"Hah, no." Comforting shook her head slowly. "I don't think--" She squinted at the stars as if they'd give an answer any moment, but none of them spoke. "I don't think so. None of them are him either, I don't think. But he is out there all the same. I hope he's happy, wherever and whatever he happens to be right now. My wishes are with him, for what that matters."

She leaned in to nuzzle Amber once more. "But, yeah. The stars are born, they burn, they go out. They're still stars. Just like ponies, just like everything. It's a big cycle, but it's not really that different from what happens when I'm around. And, hey, they have you too, at least for a bit."

Amber smiled brightly. She hopped in a start of a walk towards the ladder. "Come on. Let's head inside. Looking at those stars is sending your thoughts out of orbit, and I think you need to be more here and now and less way up there."

"I think you may be right." Comforting swooped over Amber, grabbing her on the way. She threw herself past the hatch, which closed without her touching it the moment she was past it. She put Amber down once they were safely inside, releasing the startled unicorn. "Inside. Now, today's been a busy day. Shouldn't you be catching some sleep about now?"

"Shouldn't you?" countered Amber, sticking her tongue out playfully. "It's only late if you're tired, and I'm wide awake."

"Right." Comforting considered a moment. "Sleep is optional for me. I do it mostly because it's a comfortable way to pass time when everyone else is sleeping. With the Internet back to being a blissful thing, it got even more optional, for me." She leveled an accusing finger. "But you're not a chaos spirit. I don't want you getting worn out and miserable."

"Fine." Amber grumbled a bit but started making her way towards her bedroom. "But when I get back from a nap, I want you ready to listen to me and tell me why you were being so cryptic about magic earlier. No more evasions, especially not for my sake."

"Oh." Comforting felt a momentary pang of guilt at that. "Well, to be honest, I didn't expect you to catch on so fast. And I'm not trying to be evasive. We can't get to actual spells until you finish getting the basics locked in. The alphabet forms the good stuff. You're doing good, I promise. We'll get to the magic soon."

Amber stared at Comforting blankly. "You lost me halfway there. Maybe a little before that. So what does that mean for my questions about magic?"

"We'll be covering it all soon enough, promise." Comforting smooched the end of Amber's horn. "So eager, I love it. But you have to finish learning the alphabet before you go reading a book. Yes, even Z. What if they bring up zebras and you'll feel silly, won't you?"

Amber started. "That would be awkward. Ugh, but fine. Sleep time for me. Since you aren't sleeping, keep an eye on things?"

"You didn't have to ask that." Comforting gently nudged Amber towards her room. "Go on. I have things under control for the moment."

"Thank you." Amber wandered off, her voice trailing. "Gonna have so many questions for you. Starting with your name. Comforting sounds so nice, but it's not you, is it?" She closed the door, cutting off any possible response.

Comforting just shrugged at that. "I think it's a nice name." The one before it was so far in the past, it was another world entirely. Its relevance to her felt not even minimal at that point. She was Comforting Shade. "And that's a nice thing to be." She hugged herself before flying and flowing to one of the computers. "Let's see what ponies are chatting about tonight."

***

The foals giggled and gasped with alternating awe and wonder. They gazed on Comforting as she turned and flexed, sometimes in ways a pony couldn't hope to replicate. It was all amazingly confusing and just amazing. They clapped at the demonstration though, showing no fear of the strange creature before them.

Comforting bowed low before them. "I saw, online, that you all were wondering about me. I figured I should come out of the library and give you--" She cut off, a colt dangling from her left arm. "--a chance?" She lifted the arm, and the colt, closer, just to have a filly on her right arm. "When did you get--" The rest of the foals joined in, tackling and climbing her tall form like the fuzzy and scaley mountain it was.

Comforting melted to the floor, sinking in slowly as the pile of foals clung to her. She remained on her knees, allowing them to cling and hug her. "You little monkeys. Where did you learn to climb so well? I was just trying to be friendly."

A colt got in close, face to face with Comforting. "That is all just so cool!" The others cried in agreement. "What's your name again?"

"Comforting Shade. Comforting, or even Comfort or Comfs also works." She casually shook off the foals, sending them to the ground unharmed. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm not a pony, as you likely noticed."

Another filly walked around her, peering with wonder. "How did you get all those parts?"

Comforting flicked an ear. "They came in handy, so I kept them." She giggled to herself at the joke. "Actually, they were a gift from my dad. I bet your dad helped give you your parts too, come to think."

Some of the foals seemed to catch onto that. Others didn't. This prompted conversations between them. This distraction left Comforting free to stand, adjusting her fluff and ruffling her wings. "Any other questions?"

One of the bolder fillies raised her hoof. "What are you?"

"I am a chaos spirit." Comforting clapped her hands, causing the little foals to be standing with her in the middle of nowhere, floating on an island in a sea of chaos, before they weren't just as quickly. "A nice chaos spirit."

The foals took that in. "That's so cool." They scampered around her, tugging on her tail and testing her mismatched legs.

"Do you have any real magic?" A colt stared her down, grinning. "If you're just some weird pony with weird parts, then you're not that special."

Comforting tolerated the pulls and explorations, smiling at the eager energy of the little ones. "I just showed you one. I can do whatever I want, but, sorry, I try to be responsible, so no asking for a mountain of ice cream. I tried that once, it didn't end well." She snorted with laughter. "I know you have lots more, but how about we just spend this time enjoying each other's company?"

She allowed herself to be dragged into a game of tag, darting and swerving between the foals, the entire group playing. Her self-given goal had been completed, introducing herself to more ponies and becoming a little less 'that strange mystery that hides in the library.'

Author's Note

Good to get out, right?

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13 - Beach Episode

The afternoon sun blazed hot above them, but neither one paid any mind to the warmth. They had settled under a large umbrella for their day's excursion, watching as the gulls and birds flew overhead. Seagulls called out from the sand and water, apparently intent on announcing their presence to one and all.

Amber sat beside her new companion, humming softly at the gentle sea breeze that wafted through. She took a deep breath, eyes closing for a moment.

Comforting jumped up to spike a ball, but an opposing pony thumped it back up over the net. They were laughing and having a grand time of volleyball in the sand. Some ponies liked to play frisbee on the beach, or collect shells. Other ponies spent their time building sand castles. They were all equally valid pursuits of fun.

"Amber?" Comforting jogged up, having ditched the volley ball court a moment, letting the others get back to their games. "Are you doing okay?"

Amber looked up to Comforting. "Better than okay." She crossed her arms as her magic grabbed some sun cream and began dabbing it over herself. "Here I am, on a beach, knowing my library's bringing joy to ponies. I couldn't ask for too much more." She paused. "Well, okay, I could finish learning magic, on second thought."

Comforting nodded at the librarian that had accompanied them, next to Amber. "You look relaxed."

"I am!" assured the stallion with a flick of the tail. "Thanks for inviting me. This is the best day off I ever had!"

Comforting hugged Amber from the side. "And you, my friend, are making great progress, but that's kind of a secret, hm?" She let out a little giggle, snuggling around the smaller librarian. "You seem to have gotten quite a bit of this done yourself."

Amber pushed a hoof against Comforting's muzzle. "I could do this part myself. Not all of us need a sunscreen buddy."

"You said I was the perfect sunscreen buddy!"

"I meant that you can turn invisible."

Comforting grinned at Amber with an insincere innocence. "I also have fingers." She splayed them to show them off. "Great for sunscreen." She looked past Amber to their stallion companion. "Offer's open for you too."

He cocked an ear. "Huh? Oh, thanks, but I'm fine."

Comforting zipped over Amber to peer at the stallion. "You don't have screen on. It's your choice, but I will laugh when you're walking funny tomorrow."

Amber peeked up over Comforting. "Is she right? Did you forget to put something on?"

"I'm good." He held his head high. "I never forget this stuff, so it's fine." He paused with a curious look. "Is that what you guys call sun screen? I guess I see what you're getting at."

Amber stared at the stallion with amazement. "It being in your bag isn't going to help you." She swatted gently at him. "Get it on, or let Comforting get it on. She is pretty good at it, and she offered."

"I'm fine," he insisted firmly, backing away. "Really. No need."

Amber shared a look with Comforting, but nodded, accepting that. "If you're sure, we won't bother you about it."

Comforting returned to Amber's side. "Some ponies are stubborn like that. It's not my job to rescue ponies from their own decisions. Say, want some ice cream?" She pointed to a vendor offering up the stuff. "Or I could soar over and grab one of Sunny's smoothies if you prefer?"

"Ooh! A smoothie sounds delicious right now." Amber giggled to herself. "I'm trying to get used to not wearing glasses now. It's just so different without them on."

Comforting nodded. "Be careful with that. If you can't see, don't feel bad. It's not a 'tough' thing to stagger around blindly." She lifted into the air, wind tussling her fur. "What flavor are you hoping for?"

"Strawberry. Any strawberry thing, really." Amber waved as Comforting lifted into the air.

"Coming right up!" Comforting waved with a smile as she zipped off to the Sunny's Smoothie stall. "You keep enjoying those golden rays while I'm gone."

She soared over the city, enjoying the sight of ponies going about their business on the warm day. Most of them weren't enjoying the same day off that the library happened to have a day off. A bird called sharply to her right, annoyed she was taking its air space. "We have to share." She stuck out her tongue at the critter and arced downwards to land just in front of Sunny's stand. "Sunny!"

Sunny gave a smoothie to the next pony in line. Comforting was the creature next to be served. "Comforting, nice to see you. What uncanny timing." She tapped her chin but once. "What can I get for you today?"

"Strawberry was the order, what orders do you have with that?"

Sunny considered. "Strawberry Sunrise, coming up." She got to throwing fruit into her trusty blender along with some ice cubes. "Enjoying the day? It's been quite warm, all things considered."

Comforting nodded. "Oh, yes. There's a lot to be done, but we're relaxing for a change, me and Amber and one of our new friends." She pointed back in the beach's direction. "A librarian's day out! Can you make that two?"

"Two it is!" Sunny got more going with little hums of a song. "Banana," she sang softly to herself. "Slippin' on a peel."

Comforting blinked at that. "What song is that?"

Sunny dug out her phone. With a few presses, she got the actual song playing out for anypony around to enjoy. "It's a silly thing I accidentally inspired." She laughed with a little blush. "I was bent out of shape at first, but I've gotten over it. It's funny, looking back at it."

She poured out two cups and sealed them up. "Two strawberry sunrises! Tap your phone here." With a soft chime, she knew she was paid. "Here you go!" She handed them over to Comforting. "Have fun with your pals on the beach."

"Will do!" Comforting hopped up, letting the magic carry her and the drinks. "And have fun selling these juicy smoothies." They shared a parting wave and Comforting soared back to Amber and their fellow librarian.

Amber sat up with a delighted grin. "Mine?" At Comforting's nod, she took her drink. "You're so good to me." She leaned in to bump noses with Comforting, the two sharing a moment.

Comforting reached over Amber to nudge their friend. "You want one? I got two," she sang out, jostling the smoothie temptingly.

The stallion sat up at that. "Huh? I figured the second one was yours."

"Pfft, I have more." Comforting casually brought out a third one out of nowhere. "Take this one." She offered up that second, the real one. "If you want?"

"Sure!" He gladly touched a hoof to it and pulled it back, showing once more than ponies that day had strong hoof grabbing powers. With a big slurp, he smiled. "That really hits the spot. Thanks, Comfs."

Comforting paused as if frozen a moment. "Wow, it's been a long time since anycreature called me that." She giggled with a happy twinkle in her eyes. "That feels wonderful hearing that again."

"Huh?" The stallion tilted his head at her. "Your friends don't call you that?"

She booped the stallion on the nose. "One just did! Enjoy your smoothie." She sipped from hers, enjoying the chill even if the flavor was never exactly right, when she just conjured food from nowhere. "Now, going to guess, but you--" She was facing Amber again. "Are the kind of pony who will gladly spend the day at the beach reading a book."

Amber nodded with a giggle. "Most places, that's true. But on a sunny day like this, it feels like a waste."

Comforting snapped her fingers, producing a parasol from nothing. She plunked it down and parked herself under it. "So, if not reading, what would you like to do? I'm here for it either way."

"Um." Amber glanced at the water. "Swimming? That seems to be what some ponies are doing."

Comforting lit up with a bright grin. "That's an idea I can get behind." With a clap, she and Amber were garbed in a one-piece suit that covered their torsos nicely. "Let's get into that water!"

Amber scrambled up to her hooves. "And I guess it's now." She took one final sip of her smoothie and set it on the towel. "Alright, let's do it!"

As one, they raced to the water, Comforting actually using her hooves properly with great stomps each time a yak hoof came down.

Amber slowed, watching Comforting. "Why is that leg so much stronger than the other?"

Comforting came to a slow stop when Amber did. "Huh? Oh." she waved down at her mismatched legs. "I carry a gift from each of my old friends. This one." She pointed to the yak leg. "Came from a huge yak with a warm heart. She was powerful! And so is her leg."

"I never saw a yak before." She rubbed behind her head with amazement. "I bearly heard of them, in an old book. You are the most ancient book of knowledge we have."

"Gasp." Comforting was a book, just like that. "You read me like a book." She was back to 'normal'. "Now, about that swimming?"

Amber nodded, returning to the ocean waves. Comforting joined her and both dove in together. The stallion, as he did, didn't get into the water, sitting on the towels. "He can keep an eye on things." She bumped into Comforting as best she could with the water tossing her. "Let's swim!"

Comforting gladly followed her into the water, the two paddling out until their hooves didn't want to reach the ground, at least if they wanted their heads out of the water. Well, it was that deep for Amber. Comforting was taller, but played along, keeping all her limbs off the ground.

"So, what do you think?" Amber pointed towards the stallion. "You have a sense for this sort of thing. Is he in love with me?"

Comforting gave Amber a little head pat. "You are jumping to conclusions. You are his boss, his bossmare. He respects you, but keeps those feelings at home. Now, better question, are you looking for a stallion?" Comforting leaned in close. "I could start looking. We could find a lovely pony to trot at your side." She giggled with anticipation.

Amber turned a deep red. "Comforting! That is--" She shoved a hoof towards the water's surface, splashing it around. "None of your business!"

"It wasn't, until you just made it mine." She grabbed Amber in a brief but firm hug. "So tell me, should I be looking or not?"

Amber sank down into the water, getting her neck wet. She came back up, smoothing her mane back. "I don't think so. Having you look for me feels odd." She considered a moment before it clicked. "What about that mare? She was your special somepony, wasn't she?"

Comforting winced at ancient memories. "She was, a long time ago." She raised a hand from the water to properly wave to the distant past. "I loved her quite a bit. And she loved me back just as hard."

Amber inclined her head. "So, you like mares then?"

Comforting colored brightly in her cheeks. "Um, well, I guess I'd be lying if I tried to claim I didn't. But, at this point, I don't think I mind too much what a creature's hiding back there. It's what's on the other side." She tapped at her noggin. "That's the part I have to talk to, and I could change the other part if they're adventurous enough."

"You're like that." Amber considered that a moment. "I'm not ready for that."

Comforting blinked with surprise. "For me to change your bits, or you changing a partner's bits? Because I can't do that for you, if that's what you're hinting at."

"No." Amber frowned deeply, a slight pout on her lips. "I wouldn't ask that, and if you could do that, please don't. Ever."

Comforting chuckled sheepishly. "I was kidding! Kidding. Really! I wouldn't even if I could." She cleared her throat. "No, I mean, I don't mind a stallion." She suddenly winked. "And I could do that, but I wouldn't. Not unless--" She trailed off a moment and shook her head. "I doubt that. I haven't seen that yet. Ponies just don't do that, I think?"

"Do what?" Amber grabbed Comforting for a change. "I'm listening, promise."

Comforting held Amber as they bobbed on the waves. "Most ponies are pretty happy the way they are, and that's not bad. I haven't run into a stallion that wishes they were a mare or a mare that wishes they had been born a stallion. For that, I'd go ahead and make their dream come true." She let out a happy sigh, wistful in tone. "Without any regrets."

Amber nodded at that. "That sounds nice. I mean, if you can do that."

Comforting kissed Amber on the nose. "I can! You just ask. But, well, I don't want to take things too far for most ponies. That would be rude, to force my magic on somepony, to change things so permanent, and I think that's crossing a line for some of you. Or all of you? I don't know." She shrugged with a smirk. "Maybe for you, but I know you pretty well. Anyway! Back to the point, I'm not looking right now, are you? That's all I'm asking."

"N-no." But Amber sank, blushing. "I'm fine."

Comforting hugged her bashful friend. "If you change your mind, I'm listening."

Author's Note

All good series have a beach episode, right?
Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

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Join my discord to chat!

15 - Closing Time

With a smack of the door, Amber hurried back inside the library, the early evening air giving her a brisk greeting. "Comforting?"

Comforting flowed from a shadowed corner. "Hello, Amber. Shouldn't you be heading home now? Your shift's done. Did you forget something?"

Amber took a moment to catch her breath, walking with Comforting. "Not exactly. It's been weeks, and I have good news. I have my full alphabet down now. Every single letter, practiced all day, and I'm certain I know it." She spun in place before Comforting.

Comforting clapped with a big smile. "That's great news." She tapped Amber gently on the snout. "But you're not getting any other spells. Practice the one you have. Speaking of that, how have you been using it?"

Amber fidgeted a bit. "Oh, you know, just as you suggested." She tried to look innocent. "I have had fun with it, but I want more than just playing with one spell."

Comforting ruffled Amber's cheeks, enjoying the feel of their full roundness, and a little of the gentle control in holding Amber like that. "I need to see you using it, well. What's been the most significant use you've found so far?"

Amber shrugged. "I got caught out in the rain once. That helped a lot. It kept me dry." She peered closer at Comforting. "How do you want me to be using it?"

Comforting wagged a finger. "This is a pony test." She drew her other hand away, a little smile on her face. It had been so long since the last time she got to give a test. Hers was far gentler, she figured, than the one Together was doing. "I need to see what you think of, not my ideas. If you only use the spell for the one thing I showed you, that is a result." She pulled Amber close for a hug. "I want to see you go beyond."

Amber squirmed. "Well, I do have an idea that goes a bit further."

Comforting let Amber go, beaming. "Do share." She floated backwards, eyes on Amber intently.

"It's a bit silly, but I love taking walks at the park. I usually bring a friend. And you know, it started raining, right when we were together. The sky got dark, the thunder roared, and it all started coming down, hard."

Comforting inclined her head. "Are you about to make another umbrella?" she asked, hoping it was not the case.

"No." Amber giggled as if thinking of that was funny. "I was panicking, but I had this new magic and I started casting the spell. It was a struggle. The lightning flashed, and my friend was there, looking scared, and I knew I had to help her. The first time I summoned up an umbrella, but that just got ruined by the rain. She looked at me and I realized I couldn't just give her the same. She deserved something unique. Something I didn't get, not right away."

Comforting drifted closer as she listened to that, hovering upside down and then sideways as the story progressed. "Did you fail again?"

"I did." Amber laughed it off, happy despite her failure. "The second time, I cast the spell, I pictured one thing, and it didn't come out right. I thought it would be fine if I changed the image, so I tried, and the magic collapsed. But I hadn't lost the magic I spent before, and that reminded me of what I'd done with the little umbrellas. I used it again, and then a third time, and a fourth.

Comforting began to clap along with every attempt being recorded. "But you didn't give up," she sang, watching with fascination. "Then what happened?"

"Well, the fifth time was the charm. I knew what I wanted. I held it all in my heart. I cast the spell, and she got her present, perfect and true. I summoned a flower, and it was the best umbrella I had ever given." Amber's horn lit with magic, and then, a little yellow flower was in her grip. "It was the best umbrella I had ever made, but it was also just a flower, because I didn't know any other way to put all my feelings into an object."

Comforting reached for the flower to study. "It was another umbrella, but in a curious shape." She turned the flower about slowly in her hand, sniffing it, even licking it for taste. "And it stood up where the little plastic one kept failing, so I have to give points for getting the job done." She tickled the end of Amber's snout. "But it's still an umbrella. Is magic just umbrellas to you, beloved but silly mare?"

Amber giggled at that, pushing the flower out of the way. "That's what I was hoping to ask about. What other spells are out there? What sort of things can I do?"

Comforting tucked the flower beside her ear. "The spell I taught you can do so many things. It's a spell that has only the limits of the caster's imagination. It can summon almost anything, if you have the imagination and power to see it through, and it isn't too large. Really, considering how small it's limited to, umbrellas aren't even that good of a use." She held a hand to her heart, sighing softly. "My first student, and I still have to help her. I'm just not worthy."

Amber groaned and pushed Comforting's hands aside. She went in for a hug, the two pressing into a warm exchange. "Don't feel like that. I'll try harder!"

"It's not about trying harder." She nuzzled into Amber's neck. "It's about letting go a little actually. Be creative. Think outside the box you started in."

"I will try my best." Amber squeezed her friend. "I don't want to let you down."

"I know." Comforting felt that emotion from Amber, warm and real. "You are a twinkling new star. You just don't know how to do it just yet." She plucked Amber up suddenly, lifting her up over her head. "But I can feel it. I know you can shine, so I'm not giving up on you."

Amber hovered there, suspended from Comforting's hands. "Are you talking about the spell or, uh, me?"

"Both. This spell is in your head." She poked Amber's snout before nuzzling the same spot, rubbing noses warmly. "But there's no point teaching you a new spell if you aren't really using the first one I gave you."

Amber smiled at that. "So, if I figure out something new, something crazy with the umbrella spell, you'll let me learn a new one?"

Comforting gently set Amber down. "It's not an umbrella spell. It's a creation spell. You can create almost anything about this big." She moved her hands to pantomime a small box that one could easily carry, width and depth wise. "You just have to imagine what you want as you cast the spell."

Amber huffed at that. "But I have to imagine the thing I'm creating." She tapped her chin, looking away. "Which I suppose means there is a lot of leeway, but it also sounds tricky." She looked back to Comforting. "For example, it seems like you wouldn't be able to make an actual umbrella, but you could make a waterproof cloth."

Comforting shrugged. "There's ways, but sure. What if I were to tell you that this is the wrong direction to be going? Umbrellas are a start, but they don't open the doors of magic. They're a way to hide from the elements." She rolled her shoulders back, standing proud. "If you want to really be a wizard, you have to go beyond silly tricks like that. It's time to unleash your imagination." She spread her hands with a visual explosion of colors around her own head. "Free your mind. I'm sure there are many things that big, or smaller, you might want to have besides tiny umbrellas."

Amber pouted at that. "I have been trying to think of other uses. I just keep going back to wanting to use my magic to make others happy, or at least better off than they are right now." She suddenly perked. "Oh, what about--" She frowned with concentration, horn glowing as she played the magical song across it. With a little pop, several candies appeared in the air, each brightly striped. They fell a moment later, just to be caught in her magic with a squeak.

Comforting reached for one curiously. "This is new. May I?" She waited for permission, which came in the form of Amber releasing them to her. "They look edible. I can smell that." She popped one into her mouth, sucking on it thoughtfully. "Tastes alright too. Knowing it came from you makes them even better." She swished it from one side of her mouth to the other, long tail swaying with delight behind her in lazy swirls. "Very nice."

Amber grinned, blushing. "Thank you. It's not much, but I thought if I could make sweets, I could make whatever my friends needed or wanted. I'd never run out." She blinked with a new thought. "You said when I make a new thing, the old thing goes away. What happens if the old thing was already eaten?!"

Comforting rolled a hand with a grin. "Do you want the technical answer, or the good enough and easier one?"

Amber hung her head. "Good enough. Please."

"It doesn't happen." She flicked her fingers. "Like I said, this magic recycles itself, so whatever you made was already gone when the pony ate what you gave them. Their energetic insides tore it apart and let the magic out." She belched, releasing a colorful burst of mist in a dramatic display of the effect, overdone for the fun of it. "So you can cast it again, after it's been eaten, and nopony will be hurt."

"That's a relief. And also," she flicked Comforting on the snout, "stop being silly."

Comforting rubbed her nose. "Ow. But yes. Magic can do so much, and I haven't even begun to teach you. Well, besides that one spell, which you're still learning the limits of." She wriggled her recovered snout. "I want to see what you do when you get past this little bump."

"I'll show you." Amber leaned into Comforting's body, resting her cheek against the taller creature. "I just need a little more time, to really think it over."

"That's all I ask." Comforting returned the cuddle with a grin. "You are--"

"Uh, what exactly is this?"

Amber turned quickly, with a bright smile. "Oh, hey, Crystal! I'm just hanging out with my good friend, Comforting."

Crystal tipped her head, looking from Amber to Comforting. "The head librarian?" Her gaze fixed on Comforting. "I was just going to say that you forgot to lock the front door."

Comforting clapped her hands in front of her. "Aww. You heard about me, but I'm not the head librarian. That's Amber's position. What have you heard, by the way?" She floated back and forth in front of Crystal, who leaned back away. "Nothing bad I hope."

Crystal stepped around Comforting and towards Amber, eyes darting between the two. "You're good friends?"

"Sure are!" Comforting floated in behind Crystal and threw her arms around the pony. "Best of friends! Best of best of best!"

Crystal blushed hard, leaning back into the hug. "Uh, you're kinda touchy feely, ma'am."

Amber snorted at the image. "She is, and it gets worse if you tell her you like that. But she'll stop if you say you don't."

Comforting rested her chin on Crystal's shoulder. "You do, I can feel it. I can read a creature in seconds and I can see your heart."

"Wow." Crystal turned redder than her coat. "Um, I don't hate it? But, you know, we just met." She gently wriggled free of the grasp. "Hello, I'm Crystal. Nice to meet you, but I should get a trotting."

"Go ahead." Comforting stepped back to allow her access. "Amber's doing very well here. I can tell she likes this job. Thanks for asking."

Crystal blinked rapidly at that. "I hadn't asked, but good to know. It's nice having a library so close at hoof." She stepped towards the door. "Remember to lock it this time." She left with a final wave.

Amber shook her head at the sight. "You are such a flirt, you know that?"

"I do!" She stuck a tongue out at Amber. "Hugging ponies feels nice, not going to argue that. You're all so soft and squishy and lovely."

Amber took a few steps towards the door, waving towards it. "You get hugs from everyone who visits, that you put your eyes on. They come for knowledge, but they get you."

Comforting hopped to land beside her, arm over her back. "I don't go around hugging ponies for no reason." She smirked softly at the thought. "But she was looking especially huggable, and I think she needed one good hug."

"Did she?" Amber trotted out the door, Comforting stepping after her. "Why do you think that?"

She sighed and shrugged. "I was raised by a pony who had a special sense for these things. Some creatures have emotions that flow off of them, and it was a specialty of theirs. They could just feel the pain in ponies, and how much they wanted a friendly touch, a shoulder to cry on, or even just someone to share their joy with." She smiled warmly. "I miss her." She shook herself out. "But there I go, looking backwards."

Amber softly ran a hoof down Comforting's side. "It's alright to feel things. I'm here for you." She suddenly paused. "And, um, are you saying I was hurting? That's why you hugged me that first time?"

"No!" Comforting slapped herself on the forehead. "No, you weren't suffering at all. You get hugs, a lot of them, just because we're friends." She smooched Amber on either cheek. "And it will continue for as long as you enjoy them, and me. Don't worry." She glanced away, searching the shadows. "But she wasn't in distress, no. Just lonely, a little lost, but a pony on the right track. The sort of pony that comes in, asks for something, and then finds their heart in the library." Comforting hummed softly. "If we had still been open, I would have invited her to stay."

Reaching the door, Amber made to slip through it. "Lock up behind me, okay?"

"Of course." Comforting flicked the lock with a heavy internal thunk of the metal involved. The library was in all ways closed for the evening.

Author's Note

You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

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16 - You Win

"Excuse me?" The young voice pulled Amber's attention. "Do you have books for foals?"

Amber glanced around the shelves for a moment before locking eyes on a little filly. "We have quite a few." She lowered herself to be closer to the foal's level. "What kind are you looking for? Something cheerful, something adventurous? There are so many kinds."

The filly grinned with excitement. "Adventurous!"

"Hmm." Amber stroked her chin, pretending to think. "I just happen to know where one is." She got up, extending a hoof to the little one. They met with a gentle clop and Amber led the foal towards the fantasy section, specifically to where some foal-grade books resided within. "I would say that one right there." She tapped a free hoof on a book's spine. "You—"

She didn't get to finish, the filly having pounced the book and started to flip through it quickly. "Wow! This looks amazing." She held the book up. "Thanks! Uh, you are?"

Amber reached up, pointing to a little golden name tag on her chest. "That says Amber, your friendly librarian." She guided the filly towards the front desk. "Let's get you checked out so you can enjoy that book at home. Then all you have to do is enjoy yourself and bring it back within the week." She dug out her phone. "If you get the city library app, you can ask for more time with it, and not even have to come back until you want to." She showed the app.

The foal touched her phone to Amber's, causing the app to jump into hers. "Thanks!" She raced off to that desk to check out her new book.

Comforting casually pet Amber once down the back without warning, which Amber seemed to somehow expect, or at least she didn't jump with shock. "Are you proud?"

Amber leaned against her unusual friend. "Very. I only have one complaint, and it's not even a big one."

"Do tell." Comforting plucked up Amber in a warm hug, nuzzling against her with an almost purr. "I'm listening."

"This is lovely, fantastic." She waved with each word. "It's everything I want, which is the problem. Did I win life? Is this the very top? I'm not an old pony yet. There has to be more for me to climb, but I feel so happy when I look at all this. So I feel like there should be more for me to reach for, but also very happy with what I have. Is that normal? Am I being a bad pony?"

It was at that moment that Comforting reconsidered her own actions. "Oh." She put Amber down gently. "I thought I had this worked out."

Amber blinked at the sudden lack of verve in Comforting. "What's wrong? I thought I was the one being all strange. You didn't do anything."

"Now that's not true." Comforting tapped Amber on the end of her nose. "I did a lot of little things, what seemed like tiny things, but, looking back, they were huge things. I picked your cute little self up and carried you right past a dozen things that might have taken you years, if ever you were going to get past them."

"Thanks?" Amber rubbed at her cheek gently. "That doesn't feel nice. I thought I was trying too?"

"You were! You were." Comforting nuzzled at the same cheek, half-tackling Amber to the ground and flopping with her. "Sorry, I'm not trying to even kinda imply you weren't. But I was right behind you, pushing you along so fast, you didn't even notice you'd reached a finish line that you'd barely started running towards and that's all on me. That's my fault."

"Excuse me." A stallion stood next to the two, looking down at them in their playful struggle. "I was looking for the head librarian?"

Amber squeaked, extricating herself up to her hooves in a hurry. "Yes, that's me. How can I help?"

Comforting left them to chat, rubbing her own chin thoughtfully. "Messed that up, so hard. It was supposed to be so easy, so simple. Amber was just a kind little pony, so cute and ready to learn. She just needed some guidance, a little help, and I messed that up so bad." She snapped her fingers in frustration. "There has to be a better way. There just has to be."

Comforting settled down into the water, pondering over the issue. "We've avoided the test." She started at that. "Avoided the test. That's it!" She stood up in the bath so quickly water sprayed in all directions. "I need to give her a test or three. She's unstimulated. She's at the top, so she needs something to threaten to push her, so she can appreciate it."

With a cocky smile, she stepped through her room, nodding at the statues of her long-passed friends along the way. "You all faced countless tests. I was a ninny for shielding Amber from them, when I should be making them. What kind of universal force am I?" She snorted at that. "A chaotic one." Chaos felt like a fine reason to mess up once in a while.

Settling onto her bed, she began to doze as she thought. "First test, the simple one. The obvious one. One that is both simple and obvious." She reached over to her nightstand, taking up a mirror and checking her teeth. "A friendship problem? Ooo, maybe a responsibility test." She rolled over onto her belly. "She is the head librarian. That has a lot of responsibilities." She kicked her legs behind and above her. "A responsibility test or two would be fitting."

Giggling to herself with wild ideas of how the red tape of the city, or needy library goers, could bring twists and turns to Amber's life played in her mind. "Ugh." But she was also working at that library, and loved Amber. She didn't want to see Amber suffering. "It's for her own good! Ugh, this is why Together kept a distance from her ponies."

A soft chime played only she could hear. An email had arrived. Comforting almost reached for it in her vision before she dug out her phone instead. "Get with the times," she chastised herself, pressing the email button on the phone instead.

From Together@Together.org. It was a single message from Together, who had been out of contact since Misty had run off. It read simply, 'Here.'

Comforting had to blink twice at that. "Here?" Comforting tapped at her cheek as she sat up, then floated into the air. "Here? That could mean anything, or nothing. She hit the reply button. "Also here, also sending love. Was that an odd way of gloating?"

She sent that off to Together and continued drifting along. She couldn't help but wonder, did that mean that she'd failed, and it was time for Together to do the job, and take care of Amber, or had it all worked out according to her plan.

Comforting's thoughts turned back to her plans. "Okay, still planning this test out. We need something simple, and something stressful, but something she can do." She let out a tense breath. "Together hasn't told me I'm off the case, so I'm not, yet. I can still recover!" She vanished from her pocket realm back to the library and looked around from where she floated near the ceiling, invisible and unnoticed. "One of you is about to be a problem." She glanced from one pony to the next.

At one table, a pair of older mares were chatting, laughing at jokes, and passing pictures back and forth. At another, a filly was reading through a series of picture books. Around the corner, a larger group, and she couldn't quite make out what was going on, but they looked like they were enjoying themselves. "Those don't seem right, but what about those?" She moved over to where Amber was helping a young unicorn put a book on hold, typing up the request and clicking submit.

"You can see it in your account tomorrow. Have a nice day, little one."

"Thank you! See you later." The filly joyfully fled from the library.

Amber giggled as she watched the little filly go. "I love seeing that sort of thing, and I get to do it every day."

Comforting shook her head, but a lightbulb only she could see popped into being over her a moment later. "Of course!" With a clap, a new pony arrived with a scowl on his face.

He walked right up to the counter. "Excuse me. Did you give this book to my daughter?" He slapped down a fantasy book, harmless in the eyes of most.

"I might have. Did she enjoy it?" She picked it up, tapping the cover gently. "This is one of my favorites."

Comforting zipped back to the counter in time to see Amber put the book down.

The stallion's anger only grew. "Your favorite? That explains some things. This filth should not be in the reach of any foal! Especially not my daughter. She was babbling on about a talking snake that called a bunch of weirdos its friends. Why would you show my child that?"

Amber looked at him with growing confusion. "Why wouldn't I? It's a wonderful book, about a young mare who learns that being different is what makes her special, and that all of us have our own gifts, so we should treasure one another, not judge or hurt."

"It's a depraved book." He flipped through it quickly to stomp down at a particular page. "It has two ponies giving each other—" He paused to glance around, cheeks warming. "A big kiss. How is that proper for a little foal? What life are you trying to prepare her for?! This is completely unacceptable."

Amber blinked a few times, not sure how to respond to that. "I have no idea what you're getting at. The whole point of the scene is to show that sometimes we do silly things when we're excited, but it's okay." She smiled at the father. "Sometimes, ponies kiss each other. You kissed your wife, didn't you?"

His blush only grew worse. "Not in the middle of the street," he squeaked out, trembling. "And that was hardly the only time that book went into lurid details about ponies getting all physical with each other. She's not ready for that sort of thing!"

Amber looked at the pages pointed out, which did show two ponies sharing a kiss. "I have no idea how you get any of this. It's a picture of a loving couple kissing. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but it's an important scene." She held out a hoof, moving the book back towards her. "Can we talk about this somewhere private?"

"Why?" The stallion huffed angrily. "Everypony deserves to know what downright filth is being offered here to unsuspecting foals. It could be their child next! They should know all about it. I want them to know!"

"Calm down," Amber replied, horn glowing softly. "I'm sure we can figure this out if we can just—" She winced as a small magical pulse emitted from her horn.

"How dare you try to control my mind! You're just like the rest of them, trying to warp the minds of everypony around you." With an almost trained grace, he slapped a tennis ball down on Amber's horn. "There, that'll stop you from casting any spells! No mind melting on my watch." He crossed his arms, standing up and looking smugly proud of himself for his quick thinking.

Amber stared at the tennis ball for a moment. "What the hay is this?" She flicked the ball up, a minor glow coming to her horn. "Magic? I don't think that works quite that way, but good luck, I guess."

"Oh no." A few heads turned towards the noise, wondering what was going on.

Part of Comforting wanted to hop in there, to help soothe the stallion, but it was a test. She could but watch, if she wanted growth to happen. "You have this," she whispered instead, watching the conflict.

Author's Note

Karens come in all genders!

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17 - Father and Daughter

The head librarian of a local town's public library had been shoved by the most recent arrival, and then a tennis ball was on her horn. The ball did not stop the magic of a pony, but it certainly made a clear point that a pony had tried. "Sir. Sir." Amber clapped her hooves together. "Sir. If I remember correctly, tennis balling unicorns fell out of favor when the tribes reunified. Not a single instance of brain melting is on the record." She let her horn glow, as if for a point. "It is a rule at this library that you can't touch other ponies without their permission."

She inclined her head faintly, letting the tennis ball drop to the ground. "Is this the sort of message you want given to your foal?"

He started at that. "W-what? No! My little filly knows not to do that."

"Then she learned it from somepony else." Amber clopped a hoof down flat on the counter. "The book is safe for ponies of her age, or much any age that can read well enough. If she wants to, she can check it out, which she did. If she doesn't like it, she will return it. She may tell me about why she didn't like it. That hasn't happened often, but is allowed. A third pony's opinion, even their parent, doesn't factor into this."

"She is my daughter! I am the one that raises her!" He stomped and fumed, glaring hot anger at Amber as other librarian clients watched on with curiosity. "I will decide this."

"If it bothers you what she chooses to read." Amber brought her hooves together. "Have you tried talking to her about what she's reading, instead of picking up her book when she wasn't around and sifting through it on your own?" She didn't know for a fact that is what happened, but she was guessing, and she hoped it was the case.

That he shrank back, ears wilted, implied she wasn't that far off. "She's just a filly..." he weakly sputtered, tears brimming in his angry eyes.

"Then you know what she reads. Or, if you don't, you can ask her what she enjoyed. I can find other books like it, or better, that she would likely enjoy." Amber gave the saddest dad a soft smile. "I bet, if you came at her curiously, instead of ready to judge, she would gladly share all sorts of interesting things about her books. Or, let me put it another way." She leaned back a little. "If you stop her from reading it, she will get angry. That will make her want to read books like it even more. You'll teach her to be more careful how she reads and who sees what she reads. You'll be raising a more cautious daughter. Is that your goal, to raise a paranoid filly that is certain her caretaker is ready to take away what she likes?"

"No." The stallion collapsed with a sob. "I just don't want her to grow up thinking it's all like that. Two colts can't be together, or they shouldn't, anyway." He pressed his hooves against either side of his head. "The kissing!"

"Ponies kiss, sir." But Amber was smiling gently. "Sometimes they hug. Speaking of that, your daughter could use one of those. A hug, maybe a kiss? That is an arena I entirely defer to a parent to decide." She giggled at herself. "Even if I didn't, that would be your call." She spread her hooves out in front of her. "I'm just the head librarian that has to remind ponies that they cannot attack other ponies." She glanced up at where the ball had been. "Is there anything else I can help with, sir?"

Comforting clutched her heart, tears stinging at her eyes. The test had been passed, with flying colors! She felt so proud she wanted to rush at Amber and tackle her to the ground, but the timing felt bad for that. She wrenched her phone out instead and got to typing an email to Together. "I just ran my first test in what feels like forever, and she passed! Such a lovely little pony. She was scared at first and so confused, but she rebounded and it was just kinda perfect."

Comforting let out a happy sigh, watching as the test, that stallion, walked off with new things to think about. "You learned something too, didn't you?" She could but hope that father got something out of it. A happy ending with him and his daughter growing closer over books felt like a nice potential outcome.

She almost dropped her phone when it buzzed and jingled. Together had replied. "I'm very proud of you. Won't you visit? I'd like that. Trees don't talk, but they can like being visited."

"Visit?" Comforting frowned with thought. She didn't know that was an option! "Amber!" She rushed over, soaring just over the ground to Amber's side with a twitching tail. "Do you know a Together Tree?"

"Yeah?" Amber pointed outside. "It's that big tree. You can see it from outside. Why?"

"Be right back," called Comforting, voice dropping with her speed as she zoomed away. She burst through the doors of the library and twirled around. There, the biggest tree in view, by quite a few steps, considering most had to be happy existing alongside the edge of a street.

That one was in a little park, devoted entirely to it. "You were right there!" Comforting hit the ground to run, racing towards the treet. "Together!" She hit the tree with a great big hug, though the tree was even larger, only letting her hug some of it. "Hello there."

But it was a tree. It didn't reply to her eager greeting. "I didn't know this was you. I thought you were further away." Comforting nuzzled against the bark, snuffling the tree for all it was worth. "So happy to see you."

Her phone chimed. Comforting considered ignoring it, but she fished it out and was glad she did. It was from Together. "You remain quite silly, Comforting. I am a tree. I can't talk that way, but I am happy that you're so excited to see me, and to be visited by you. You work in a library. You could read a book under me. That would be nice."

Comforting trembled with a whimper. "That would be adorable." She flopped to her bottom beneath Together, tail brushing her arboreal partner. "I love you a lot, just so you know. You may not talk, but I know you can hear me."

A text arrived. "You are such a gentle force of chaos."

"Are we just meeting?" She leaned back, head resting against Together. "I am the Comforting change. The growth you wanted to reach for. The change you didn't expect, but are glad to see. I am the helping hand you didn't know was coming." She snickered softly. "I am sounding like a bad reference." She tapped her chin with new thoughts. "What can I get as a treat for my tree buddy?"

"Nothing," replied a text. "I only need gentle sun, not too much or too little, and water, and rich soil. The city gives me two of those. The sun is no longer something ponies control. It has been kind to me so far."

"Maybe something for the ponies around you." Comforting hummed softly at that. "They wouldn't believe my stories if I just bought a huge statue to place among you." She ran a finger across the phone's screen, but received no answer. "But you like company, and you like ponies."

"They placed benches here." In Comforting's eyes only, arrows appears, pointing at those metal benches. "They can read or just relax, safe under my branches. This pleases me."

Comforting frowned at the benches and reached out, her hand passing right through the bench as if it wasn't there. "Together, I love you, but am I seeing what you want instead of what's there?" The benches vanished, along with the arrows. Togther had a ring of stones, but no benches. "Well, that settles that." She crossed her arms. "I'm getting you some benches, so ponies can hang out with you."

"That is not necessary, but it is lovely of you to offer."

Comforting grinned with glee at Together. "What do you want as a gift then?"

"You."

Comforting colored even as she burst into fresh giggles. "You got me, you always will, for as long as either of us are haunting the place." She spread her arms out. "But, besides me, some benches. Yep, you're getting some, and you'll like it, for when I'm not around, and even when I am, I can sit on those benches too."

"Whatever you wish to do is perfectly fine, but I won't make use of them. I'm a tree. I will say, however, that my ponies do enjoy resting near me. Sometimes they like to eat nearby, and think their thoughts, large and small."

Comforting clapped her hands with growing excitement. "Now I'm not even sure if you're arguing or just trying to be slick about how you ask for something. Stop that! Just ask. I'd reach up and flip the sun upside down for you, and you know it."

"Which is why I try not to request things."

Comforting raised a brow at that text. "I'm not my dad. Trust me to show a little restraint." She glanced up at the sun. "It's doing a fine job on its own, looks like." She put her hands on her hips. "Now, I have the power of compounding interest on my side. Some benches shouldn't be hard." But one problem came to her mind. "Is that allowed? Do they have rules about where you can just put a bench down?"

Fortunately for her, she knew just a pony to ask about that. She walked with purpose to Hitch's office with a big smile. "I need legal advice from the most law-adjacent pony I know! Is he in?" She peeked in the door to see Hitch seated at his desk, studying a series of papers in front of him. "Awesome."

She breezed in, pulling a chair to the other side of his desk and flopping into it. "Hey!" She saw Sparky playing on that desk and waggled her fingers at him. "Aw, look who's being adorable as usual. Hitch?"

Hitch blinked a few times before looking up at her, then he chuckled. "Hey there." He pushed back from the desk, looking at her. "What sort of trouble are you making this time?"

"Me?!" Comforting gestured with both hands. "You haven't had to write me a ticket even once. Is this a chaos spirit stereotype?"

"A little." Hitch gave Comforting a little hug. "Seriously, how can I help? Officer Hitch is on duty."

"Do you know the code for putting a bench anywhere that isn't part of the sidewalk?" Comforting pointed back over her shoulder. "I know a lot of places put in trees, so they have to have a spot for benches. I want to put one of those in a little spot I know, but I have to get permission from the city, or something."

Hitch headed outside so he could see what tree Comforting was pointing at. "That's a nice idea. So long as the benches don't get in the way of traffic, it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for checking though. A lot of ponies would just get an idea and I'd have to yell at them afterwards." He went back in, looking at Comforting. "Was that it?"

Comforting waved a hand with a snicker. "It was, but thanks for making sure." She stood up and leaned over the desk to give Hitch a warm hug. Being so close, she took the chance to ruffle Sparky's top and nuzzle the little dragon. "Have you met Spike?"

Sparky babbled nonsenically, but looked happy enough.

"Right?" Comforting nodded with a chuckle. "All the dragons I know are pretty great creatures." She pointed outside. "Time for me to buy a bench or three!" With determination burning in her eyes, a bit literally, she began her trek to make Together's day a little happier.

Author's Note

Some Together time. That felt nice. And the father was dealt with reasonably without hurt feelings on either side. That's good too. I am pleased with this chapter.

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18 - Food for Thought

The week rolled on towards the end. Amber kept doing her best to learn her library magic, while also fulfilling her duties as head librarian. But also, she practiced cooking a lot more than usual. How did these things go together?

Amber's horn glowed as sprinkles appeared and fell into the pot with a happy giggle. "This is going to be great."

Misty leaned in over Amber's shoulders. "Why are you in here?"

Amber jumped in surprise. "Oh, Misty! When did you get back?"

"Just now." Misty hugged her superior gently. "I didn't expect to find you in the kitchen. I figured you'd be out there, doing, you know, book stuff?"

Amber chuckled with a shake of her head. "I'm off duty. I'm making myself a lovely dinner."

"And, what are you making exactly?"

"Something new," Amber stated, voice ringing with pride. She conjured a few more spices to let fall into her pot. "It has a touch of magic in it."

Misty smirked. "That's nice, but what is it? The book part of me says to have ingredients before the cooking starts."

Amber laughed loudly at that, waving a hoof at herself. "I know what I want, but I don't have all the ingredients, but I can fix that, and it's getting easier. Trust me, it'll be so tasty." She bumped her hips against Misty's. "Want a taste?"

"Nah, it's alright. I already ate." She nudged Amber back. "So what are you making, or do you actually have no idea? Do you really know what you're doing or just having fun with magic?"

"I can do both." Amber pouted, her magic lifting her pot to the side as she ladled out a bowl of the stuff, sniffing at its rich scent. "It's a stew. I wanted to make a lovely potato soup, so I started with that, and then made a special magic version of the veggies for it. That was a lot harder. I really have to focus, but it's so worth it." She picked up the spoon and lifted a bite to her lips.

Her face turned to rapture as she savored it. "And so good. Mmmm!" She held up another spoonful, which was again accepted by her mouth, with moans of delight.

"Sounds like you really love it." Misty inclined her head. "Is it really that good?" She glanced away and back. "Maybe I'll try just one spoon?"

Amber giggled at that, offering up a heaping spoon towards Misty. "It was a theory of mine. Once something melts into the soup, it stops counting as something I made, so I can make more, and it won't vanish from the soup."

Misty had no idea what Amber was talking about but, before she could say anything, Amber shoved the spoon past Misty's lips, smearing her with the creamy substance.

It tasted like melted cheese. So very, very much. And onions, garlic, and something else, maybe mushrooms? There was also a touch of other veggies, with all of it layered on a layer of mashed potatoes that had been there for hours. Misty blushed slightly as she swallowed it down.

"See?" Amber clapped with obvious joy and pride. "It's so good, right? It worked exactly how I'd hoped. So now I can keep adding all sorts of things to it. Potatoes are so filling, you know. That's why they're good to put in soups like this. But I also added extra to mine."

Misty swallowed thickly. "Wow." That was all she could get out for a moment, processing the complex flavor. "Wow! That is actually pretty good. Is this how you used to make soup?"

Amber shook her head rapidly. "No, not at all. That's the funny thing. I always made soup with some simple stuff and not a lot of prep. And, of course, I had to use ingredients I had laying around, which weren't many, so, right?" Amber danced in place, taking another thick slurp of her soup. "Mmm. Comfs!"

With a soap bubble pop, Comforting appeared. "Yes? Mmm." She sniffed at the air curiously, nose twitching. "Soup, delicious." She peered in, taking in the sight of Amber's creation. "How did you make this?"

Misty grinned with a shrug. "She has no idea, but it's delicious." She stepped back, waving a hoof at her boss. "Tell her about your experiment?"

Amber glanced between Comforting and Misty with growing confusion. "I made food for myself to enjoy. We started with soup, then I used that spell, and added some chives, but once the chives got all mixed in there, I stopped feeling it, so I made more, and added that, and more, and more, and, pow, this great soup! Want some?" She willed a new bowl down from the cupboard, glowing with her magic. "Nice and fresh. You can try some. I really do think I figured this out."

Comforting plucked up the bowl with a warm smile. "Don't mind if I do. Thanks, dear. So, what have we learned about what spells do and don't do?" She grabbed the ladel sitting there and got herself a serving to enjoy. "Poor Misty."

Misty jumped. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all." Comforting went in for a nuzzle before trying the soup with a loud slurp. "This is amazing, by the way. Wow, you really have improved!" She drank down a little more before turning back to Misty. "I just mean that I'm going to give this to you." She drew out a bookmark and offered it to Misty. "You'll need this, later."

Misty accepted the bookmark, though confused. "If you say so. Amber, I'm going to get to work, okay?"

"I'm so glad to have you back." Amber threw one arm around Misty before letting her flee. Amber turned back to Comforting, humming with pleasure. "It's nice to have her back, huh?"

"It is, indeed. So, that was your test." She smiled proudly at Amber. "You are so smart. It's been a busy week for you, hasn't it?" She sipped a bit more delicately at the bowl. "And I can taste the results. You thought outside the box, and tested where the limits were. And! And, you did it in a responsibly safe way, cooking some yumyums for everypony around you. Very thoughtful."

Amber giggled in a rush, blushing as she dipped her face to the side. "Aw, shucks, you're gonna make me blush."

"That was my plan, yes." Comforting set the bowl aside, floating in the air. "And seem to have succeeded. Now! I've been stuck."

"Stuck?" Amber looked at comforting with wonder. How did a godling get stuck?

"I want to get some benches, but I'm not sure which to buy. Shop with me?" Comforting unfurled a brochure full of choices, spreading out so that Amber could see. "There are so many options. What would be best? I'm very sorry to ask for so much after your test."

"A little shop therapy is just what I need." Amber looked over the options curiously. "But why are you buying a bench? We have plenty of seats in here."

"It's not for me." Comforting crossed her arms under her chest. "It's for ponies enjoying themselves by the tree. I want them to be nice and comfortable and it should fit the vibe already there. Don't you think?"

Amber clapped her hooves together. "Of course!" She motioned over to the door. "Let's go take a look." She trotted out of the door and Comforting followed close behind. The two headed out of the library where they could see the tree to be decorated. "Hm! I think." She pointed to a model. "This would look lovely under that tree. The colors match, the wood is a similar shade. It would just look like it was meant to be there."

"Hmm." Comforting tapped her chin. "Yes, I do like that one." She folded the brochure so just that one was displayed, holding it up as if to imagine the real bench right there. "Together will love it." She sighed with happiness at her future present. "And I hope ponies use it." She shook a finger. "And don't litter! The whole point of these things is to be nice to the earth, so she will be nice to us in turn." She flashed a wide grin to Amber. "But you don't litter in the first place. I'm talking to nopony."

Amber reached up to tickle at her friend. "You are very silly, but I did it! You said I did it. I mastered a spell, even past the obvious thigns. Does that mean I can learn another spell?"

Comforting stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Mmm, well. You said you were a conjurer, do you want to have another conjuring spell? Let me give that some thought. I'll see what I can cook up for you."

"Take your time." Amber was just giddy to start. "I've been practicing so much. I'm not as fast as you, but I'm sure I can figure something else out." Amber considered Comforting a moment. "You've been at this a lot longer, maybe it's not really a 'speed' thing." She shrugged, then blinked. "Wait, I don't mean to call you old. you're not old!"

"Yes I am." Comforting ruffled Amber's head, mussing her mane. "Ancient, but I'm okay with that. When I ruffled the mane of a grandma who'd I'd swapped diapers for, I had to just let that go. I'm old."

Amber smiled gently, reaching up to catch the hand of Comforting's that still rested on her head. "Does it bother you that you aren't aging?"

"Eh." Comforting took her hand back. "I'm exactly as old as I want to be."

Amber puzzled over that a moment. "So you could be my age?"

"I could be you." And thus Comforting was, a copy of Amber with only tiny differences that made it clear she was Comforting in disguise.

Amber jumped in surprise, taking a step back. "A little warning." But Amber was also curious. She reached up to stroke along her doppelganger's cheek, seeing how smooth it was, and how soft, yet strong. "Wow, it really is me." She reached over to take Comforting's hand in her own and was surprised to feel the magic aura there. "Oh, you felt like me. I'm impressed."

Comforting winked. "I know, right?" She took her hand back, twirling herself back to normal. "But I should be me." Comforting returned to appearing as herself, hugging Amber easily. "This me has hands, which are great for hugging you with. I also feel more like me. This body is yours, and it's perfect for you." She kissed at Amber's cheek, nuzzling gently. "We are both amazing ponies, just in different ways."

Amber pulled back with a sigh. "You're more than a pony." She nuzzled Comforting's belly. "And I love you. Now, you wanted a bench?"

Comforting perked. "Right!" She dug out her phone and got to dialing. "Better order that before they close. Oh, hello! I'd like to buy a bench, uh huh, 2839-a. Yep, uh." Comforting swiped at her phone, finding her number and reciting it. "Yes, I authorize that charge. Mmmhmm. Three days? Not bad. Thank you! Just park them around. Them. Yes them, I want more than one of them. Uh, three, make a circle around the tree for ponies to enjoy. Uh huh. Yeah, thank you."

Amber inclined her head with curiosity as Comforting hung up. "So you like to do things the old-fashioned way. You could have just zapped it into existence."

Comforting nodded. "I could have. It'll arrive in three days. When they bolt it down, it'll stay there until it falls apart, or something smashes it." She snapped her fingers, causing a copy of the bench to appear before them. "This will last until we stop looking at it, or the chapter ends, whichever is first."

"Chapter?" Amber blinked, only growing more confused. She looked back to the bench, but there was no bench, already gone. "Oh."

Author's Note

Poor Amber, she didn't realize the chapter was about to end. It may be best we don't explain how that works.

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19 - Made of Magic

Amber woke up with a gasp, like any other morning. She rolled to her hooves with a yawn and stretched out. She could smell her own sweat, the sharpness of her hooves as they moved. She shook herself as she rolled out of bed. Her ears flicked towards the little sounds in the library that she could identify. The tap-tap-tap of a raccoon on the roof. The click-click-clack of a squirrel in the walls.

They were quiet noises, but felt oppressively loud with nothing to compare them to. She shook her head again, going to the window and peering outside. The world was lit in that early-morning grey. She could see the familiar streets around the library, mostly empty save for a pair of joggers that passed each other with a wave.

"Get it together." Amber reached with her magic, getting the water going and soon hopping into the shower to be doused with the stream of heated water. The warmth, the pressure, all of it brought a comfort to her. She cleaned herself with an equal desire for self-care and to finish, stepping out into the open air of her room and beginning to dry.

She stepped out of her room with a smile, ready to crash into Comforting. Comforting hugged Amber warmly. "Good morning! Now, who's ready for lesson number two." The number two exploded all around Comforting in a wild display of the digit. "Ooh, fancy."

"I'm ready!" Amber beamed in a rush, hugging back Comforting and picking her up to spin around. "I've been waiting for this."

Comforting landed gently. "You know, I'm larger than you, and you still pick me up." She giggled at the idea. "I love it."

Amber waved a hoof at Comforting. "That only works because you want me to pick you up. If you didn't, I bet I couldn't." She considered that thought and rolled her eyes. "Obviously you could still toss me around, but you don't do that. But, I'm ready for the next spell. Am I making sense?"

"You are." Comforting rolled a hand through her hair as she picked Amber up in her arms, cuddling her as they floated along. "Have I mentioned how adorable you are? Not today? Well, easily fixed." She smooched the top of Amber's cheek and placed them in the magic room, runes still on the blackboard. "It's time for a new spell," she sang, drawing her book of spells from nowhere.

Amber bounced in place with excitement, just watching, eager to see. "I'm ready."

"Ahem!" Comforting held up the book. "This one is a little more complicated." She winked at Amber. "But I think you can do it. This one's trickier, because it's really the start of a spell, and you have to make up a bunch of spells out of it. You liked summoning things, but only summoning one thing at a time, and only for as long as you focused on it? That's a drag, right?" Comforting opened the book and showed the first page.

The runes read 'creation', but that was hard to read from Amber's angle, though it could be guessed.

"So!" Comforting hopped back down, dancing behind Amber with a grin. "If you have enough energy, this allows you to create anything you can dream of, including copies of ponies, even yourself." Copies of what she was speaking of appeared around her, but only for a moment or two. "Trick is, you have to finish the spell with what you want. That means you'll have to make a 'summon pizza' spell to summon pizza, but the pizza you make won't have the limits of the starter spell. With me? Make sense?"

"Uh." Amber shook her head slowly. "I don't think I can do that. That's not simple, at all." She held out her hooves in front of her, watching her legs tremble.

"Don't be scared." Comforting took Amber's shaking hooves in her hands, rubbing gently. "I'll be here. Let's start and see how it goes, hm?"

She darted to the board and got to scribbling runes. "Here's the start of it. It's not that super long." She paused when she was done, writing 'pencil' on the board. "Got that?"

Amber watched carefully, trying to memorize it as she approached. She was pleased to find she could remember it well enough to try it again. She played the magical music over her horn, but nothing happened. The magic just lingered a moment, then faded away, leaving her with nothing. "I thought I did it right."

Comforting wagged a finger. "I said it's not done. You have to add what you want to make on the end of it, and that's the tricky part. Each thing you want to make has its own magical word. The more complicated the thing, the more complicated the word." She hiked two thumbs at herself. "Want to make another me? That's going to take you too long to figure out."

Amber considered Comforting with clear doubt. "Is there even a word for you?"

"Sure!" Comforting revealed it in an electric ticker over her head, moving far too quickly to memorize as all the runes involved scrolled past in a hurry. "See? Super complicated, which is why I'm so proud of you for trying it out."

"Right." Amber shook her head with a grumble. "Okay, let me try." She tapped her chin with a frown. "But how do I start? I don't know the word, the magic word, for anything at all."

"This was easier in the old days." Comforting put her hands on her hips. "They used to have libraries of this. What you need is to learn to see, magically, so you can start examining things around you and sussing out their words."

"How do I do that?"

Comforting smiled at Amber's eager question. "Easily enough, once you're willing to try, which, of course, you are." She waved a hand across Amber's eyes. Amber's vision was pushed to a new place, seeing things in a whole new way, magic flowing through all living things. Even things that were not alive had magic, but that magic was still. The life of the object gave it an edge, a flow that was, at the same time, stationary.

"Your eyes are glowing." Comforting poked a finger against one of Amber's eyelids, pulling it back. "But there you go. Now you've felt that. Get it?"

Amber scrunched her eyes shut, shaking her entire form before she blinked them open, normal vision returned. "Wow. So, um." She focused on the feeling she had just experienced. It took several tries, but she eventually pushed herself back into that strange space, to see magic around her. "I love it." She wandered away, magic in her eyes, literally.

Comforting inclined her head. "Guess this lesson's done." She zipped to the door and closed it behind her. "Have fun experimenting."

Amber kept her head lowered, trying to process what she was seeing, but it wasn't easy. There were a lot of things all around her, and they all seemed to be made up of so much. It seemed the deader and simpler something was, the easier it was to get a grasp of the magic in it.

Which is why she was drawn to a little ball. She couldn't pick it up, it seemed stuck to this big sheet of magic that was more complicated. So she ran her hooves over the ball instead, inspecting it. It had a few streaks of magic, all the same. "Comforting, how do I turn this back into runes?" But Comforting wasn't there. Or at least she didn't respond. Amber continued anyway.

Flipping back to normal vision, she could see she had been examining a doorknob, all made of iron. "Not alive, never was." This made sense to her.

She pushed herself back into that other mode of seeing, the magical one, and noticed all those lines were doing a sort of loop. "That's neat." She reached out with her magic, pushing against a point on that loop, where she saw something more complicated happening. She tugged a little on that bit, and that did something. A hole grew around it, and a string of runes started to twirl out.

"Oh, awesome!" She was so excited, she felt she could squeal, but that wouldn't do. Instead, she kept her magic on the thing, seeing what else happened as she turned her magic on, and off, and on again. "It's like a program."

So it was that when the first customer came in, Amber was ready to greet them with a smile, and offer a doorknob.

The pony was quite baffled at this offer. "What door does this go to?"

"None, anyone you want?" Amber giggled a little. "Your choice, but it's yours now. Enjoy! Can I help you find a book?"

The pony hefted the knob in their hooves. "No. I got it. I can read just fine, but I don't understand why I have this. Did I win a prize?"

Amber shook her head, clearing her mind of the wonder of the moment. "O-yeah! Yeah. Congratulations. You're at the library. That knob is like the books you'll be reading, opening doors. Get it?"

"No."

Amber gave a softer smile, raising the knob with her magic. "It's the sort of thing that doesn't make sense until you see how it is." She got up from the desk, and trotted around the side of the desk. She tucked the knob away, laughing tensely. "Now, go ahead. Feel free to ask if you have any questions. We're here to help."

Comforting put her hands on Amber's shoulders from behind, almost getting kicked for it. "As you just learned, shoving your head into the magic too eagerly can leave you thinking magically, and not very normally. Keep that up for too long and too often and you'll be like Screwball. Don't do that."

Amber paled with horror. "I didn't think that was even possible!" She turned and hugged Comforting around the middle. "But you helped me keep from going down that path."

Comforting ruffled the top of Amber. "You did that yourself. Feel free to look, but only a little. You're not here to rediscover all of pony magic all at once. Today, you figured out doorknobs, and I think that's pretty neat. More importantly, you know how to learn, so you can do more, later, a little at a time."

"But," Amber squeezed more tightly, "I wanted to learn about that."

Comforting chuckled with a knowing nod. "You want to know everything, but you can't. For one, that would be boring, and two, your brain isn't big enough for that." She grasped Amber by her temples, rubbing gently. "I want that brain to keep working if we can, hm?"

"Yeah, yeah." Amber blew a raspberry, rolling her eyes. "I get it. I need to learn one thing, then move on to the next thing."

"And how you handle each of those things matters." She tapped Amber's nose. "And no hurry. One thing a day is already a brisk trot. Now, truly, we're past the point you had one of these." She dug about in her sides and found a book. "Here we are." She shoved it against Amber's front.

Amber took it in her magic, lifting it up and flipping it open, but it was blank. "What is this? Why's it so heavy?"

"Because it's important to you, and it's what you chose." Comforting twirled, dancing away, waving as she vanished into the bookshelves.

Amber squinted at her new tome. "Uh." But it clicked a moment later. "Oh!" She pulled out a pen and got to working busily, jotting down the spell for a doorknob, just the doorknob part. "There we go." With satisfaction, she got to work, being the head librarian.

Comforting popped into being with a name badge on her chest. Clearing her throat, she approached one of the ponies looking lost. "Can I help?" She did work there, and was ready to do her part to make that library a success.

Author's Note

Part of me thinks it's time for something to happen. Excitement. Drama, adventure? Hm, what would you care to see? We could just soak in this chill slice of life. It is a Comfortable place.

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20 - Toot Toot

Comforting walked leisurely through the streets of Maretime Bay, enjoying the sights and sounds of the pony metropolis. There was so much going on around her. The city itself was always filled with activity. Everywhere there was something to see and do. Ponies were heading out of the city for the day, going to jobs, going to school, or just going to visit someplace else. There was a special joy to that.

Ponies greeted each other as they passed. Comforting made an effort to meet the eyes of the ponies she passed. "Hello there. Good day?"

"I'm good. You?"

Comforting winked at the pony. Her efforts were paying off, as most of them seemed alright with her strange presence among them. "Excuse me." A rounded stallion with an unsure smile stood before Comforting, bouncing a bit in place. "Um, ma'am? Could I ask you something?"

Comforting inclined her head. "You sure can, and you just did, but let's go for two." She curled her long tail behind her, considering the stallion. "What do you need? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." The stallion patted at his shirt. "I'm just wondering if you'd like to join me for a walk? I have the day off and I wanted to spend some of it with a pretty mare."

Comforting colored and laughed, but she stifled the laugh as quickly as she could. "Sorry, sorry! That's not at you, just, I wasn't expecting that question!" She curled a hand to her chin. "Also, I'm pretty?" That wasn't the word she expected the random pony to assign to her.

"Yeah, you are!" The stallion pointed at her mane. "I like the style. You seem interesting, so, is it weird that I want to walk around with you? If so, that's fine."

"Don't be so quick to give up." She reached to gently tap the stallion on the nose with a draconic finger. "You were already brave enough to walk up to me and ask me out. Don't collapse this far in. Now, the only thing in the way is I have no idea who you are. She flashed her teeth in a bright smile. "So tell me a little about you."

"So hi!" Toots rubbed behind his neck, grinning sheepishly at his outburst. "I'm Toots. I've lived in Maretime Bay uh, since forever ago." He leaned left and right a little. "I've been watching the library. You're, um, doing a good job."

Comforting reached for his cheeks, not finding resistance as she cupped them. The chubby stallion gave her even more pony cheeks to ruffle. "Thank you, but Amber is the head librarian. I'm just an assistant."

"Y-you don't fool me." Toots looked away with a tense laugh. "You do a lot. Um, so, hi? Can we walk?" He walked in place and tossed his head in the direction down the street. "It's a nice day."

Comforting followed after him. "It is. So, what do you do?" She smiled with interest at this little pony. "For a job? Do you like it? Is that why you're off work on a Tuesday?"

"Oh! Um." He struggled to recover from the shock of the questions rolling in, but began to leak details as they walked along, enjoying the day and the company. "I had a question too. Are you a pony?" He lifted a hoof to make an upward slash on the same line as Comforting's midsection. "Your middle looks like a pony, and your head. If this isn't an awful question. Sorry if it is." He raised a hoof in front of his mouth.

"It's fine. I get that question a lot." Comforting snorted at her little joke. "But I am, if you mean spiritually." She shrugged as she lifted a few inches, floating along with Toots. "I was a pony, a long, long, really long time ago. Those are the parts you can see now." She grasped her own cheeks, making a smooshed face with a giggle. "And I still love them, ponies that is. They're so cute!"

"I'm cute?" Toots blushed brightly, glancing at the ground. "You don't have to say that."

Comforting put a hand to her own chin. "But I do. I don't lie, it's bad for business and friends, so I'd only call you that if you were." She suddenly zipped in. "Yep, a cute little pudgy stallion; I love it." She landed on her own feet gently. "Now, what's your favorite ice cream flavor? I think I owe you at least a treat."

"What?! No!" Toots gasped and hopped in a little circle. "No, you don't."

"Okay, I don't owe you." Comforting crossed her arms. "But I want to get you an ice cream anyway. Or a smoothie? They're popular, and I don't mind giving a friend business." She giggled as she gave her hip a gentle push to the side. "It's nice to see the local ponies I can give a good word to, for sure. And you've earned it."

"You're the one doing me a favor." He sank to his haunches. "Today's been a busy day, but the good kind! Um, I'll take this over disasters anytime. You're way nicer than cutie-mark stealing vines." He shivered at the memory. "So, why ice cream? Like, I know what it is, but that's a little forward of you, isn't it?" He glanced nervously at her. "If you don't mind me saying so."

Comforting started with clear surprise. "I'm a little out of date on things. Is giving ice cream part of the pony mating ritual these days?"

That had Toots looking ready to pass out. "N-no! Sorry. Um." He rubbed at his cheek furiously. "I'm messing this up. Look, you don't have to give me anything. I'm just glad to have your attention for a little while, it's been a crazy couple of weeks." He wiggled with obvious joy at that thought. "So let's get to that intersection, and we did it." He pointed ahead of himself down the street. "Right there."

Comforting reached to muss the top of the flustered stallion's head. "Sure." She resumed her steps lightly alongside him. "Your tie, by the way, is adorable." Even she didn't know why some ponies sometimes wore tiny bits of a shirt like that, but it never failed to make her smile at the absurdity of it.

Toots beamed proudly at that, adjusting the blue fabric. "I can show you more of my collection sometime, if you like." He offered her a grin. "It's more than just ties, and I like to dress up. They say a pony is what they wear, and I happen to agree with them." He reached up a hoof to adjust his tie in a moment of self-conciousness. "It hasn't failed me so far."

"What's this?" Comforting chuckled. "Is that a little pride I hear? Good for you. I mean it. There are a lot of things I enjoy that I have to hide, so it's so important to share the things that you are, no matter who you are. Or what you are, come to think." She did a sudden loop around Toots. "I'm not a pony, not anymore. I'm a spirit."

Toots recoiled. "You're dead?!"

"Sorta?" Comforting shrugged. "But not that kinda spirit. The kind that keeps the world spinning properly. That sort." She winked at Toots. "You don't believe in spirit?" She floated up with a silent woosh. "What do you think I'm doing? Gravity is optional with spirits, especially chaos spirits, which I am."

Toots bounced back from that idea. "Chaos? As in the queen of chaos?"

Comforting smiled a bit too wide. "You could call me that. I don't have too much competition." She curled her tail around to tickle Toots under his trembling chin. "Stop that, we're already friends. I wouldn't hurt you, or anypony else in this lovely city. It's my city too. I want everypony to be happy." She turned and flashed her most winning grin. "Wouldn't that be great? To be happy, all the time?"

"Ugh, yes please." Toots finally seemed to calm down after that proclamation.

"But only for a little while." Comforting held up two fingers close together. "Being perfectly happy all the time would get a little boring after a while." She slapped her hands on her hips. "Tried that before."

Toots perked. "Before? Like, recently?"

Comforting scratched at the tip of her chin. "Centuries ago. A good chunk of that time, I wasn't quite myself, but that's a whole different story. Don't you worry about it. Still, bad idea, avoid that." She took a firm last step, reaching the end of the block. "Even a happy life has little moments in it if you let it, excitements, and that's alright."

"Oh, that's true." Toots nodded rapidly. "Like today? I didn't expect this." He gestured back towards the library. "I mean, um, thank you; for the walk, that is." He offered a hoof towards her. "Maybe another time?"

Comforting grabbed his hoof and gently shook it. "Sure. Nice to make a friend." With that, she darted away, sailing through the air back to the library.

That left Toots rocking a bit in place before he snapped to the present with a rush of clarity. "Wait, we didn't exchange numbers!" He leaned and swayed a little, realizing there was nothing to be done about that now. "Well, um, okay. I know where to find you."

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting the sea in a soft red glow as it filtered through the light haze over the water. Amber strolled down to the beach with a few others. She spotted Hitch as they approached. "Hitch!" she called out, waving at him and Sparky on his back. "Enjoying the beach too?"

He waved back. "Hi, Amber! Yes, we are." Sparky beamed at Amber from his perch on Hitch's back. "We're here to see the sunrise and maybe catch a wave or two."

Sparky made excited noises, bouncing atop Hitch with a giggle, though none of it approached a word.

Amber smiled at the little dragon. "Sounds like he's ready to tame those waves. Guess you're the lucky pony." She tilted her head back as a cool breeze ruffled her mane. "It's nice to take it easy, huh? Have you seen Misty?"

"I know, right? Misty? I walked past her coming out of the brighthouse." He pointed to the towering building in the distance. "She looked busy, but I didn't hear what with."

Amber perked. "Hmmm. Did she seem happy?" Amber considered Misty's recent troubles. "Or even busy?"

"She was carrying a clipboard." Hitch nodded to Amber, putting a hoof to his chin. "Busy, but not unhappy. She's, uh, it's an awkward time."

Amber started at that, glancing back at the other librarians with her. They also looked concerned at the news, so Amber pressed on, "Do you know why? Can we help? She is a member of our little family, so if we can help, we want to."

"I'll let her know. But it's not simple." He reached up to pet Sparky. "She used to live with Opaline, and we just, uh, defeated her, so, you know, Misty's feeling things, a lot of things." He shrugged with a sigh. "All we can do is be good friends."

Amber nodded firmly at that. "Poor thing! I'll give her an extra hug and offer a shoulder when I see her. I won't keep you though. Sunrise is getting started for real."

The two shared a wave, going their separate ways along the coast. Amber made her way down to the shoreline where the librarians already started to lay out a blanket. The first rays of sunshine pierced through the cloud cover. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.

Laughing and trading snacks, they enjoyed the cool wind before a pony pointed. In the water, Sparky was riding Hitch like a surfboard, doing remarkably well at handling the wave they were riding.

"Isn't that sweet." Amber inclined her head with their motion. "But I hope they don't get hurt."

The wave broke, sending both Hitch and Sparky into the water with a yelp, but they surfaced a moment later, laughing.

Author's Note

Surf's up! Also Comforting got propositioned. She's not used to that.

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21 - Collecting Crystals

Amber stretched her back legs, waking up with a yawn. She was eager to start her day, even more eager to be spending it with Comforting. She bounced to her hooves and galloped out of her room, not even bothering with her usual routine. "Comfs! You know what time it is."

"Hm?" Comforting rubbed her sleepy eyes, wearing a full set of pajamas and looking appropriately stirred from slumber. "What time is it exactly?" She flopped out of the chair she had fallen asleep in, and crawled across the floor, shambling to her hooves like some sort of zombie. "I don't remember what the plan for the day was."

Amber swatted at Comforting. "You're playing with me." With light buffets, she knocked Comforting's pajamas away, proving they weren't attached very well. "Seriously, you said today would be special."

Comforting grabbed her excitable friend by the cheeks. "And I meant it. But the source of that specialness isn't me." She dropped her hands to her sides. "It's you."

Amber stared at her, blinking. "Huh?"

Comforting went to the nearby fridge and pulled out a cup of yogurt. "Somepony should be stopping by, and only you can help them."

"Me?!" Amber shook her head firmly. "Oh, are they needing a book?"

"Maybe," sang out Comforting, floating along with her treat, "Something to look forward to."

Amber would get no more answers, so she got to work. She welcomed the other librarians and threw open the doors for other ponies to come in and get their books. But there were some regulars that needed something more.

She soon spied the pony she knew Comforting had been hinting at: a dazed-looking stallion staring into the shelves with many curious features. For one, he appeared at first glance to be a unicorn, but his horn was like a slab of crystal. His legs began more glittering and crystal-like as you went until terminating in crystal hooves.

Amber wasn't sure what kind of pony they were, but they were looking for a book, so Amber stepped over. "Good morning. It seems you need some assistance. Let me be the one to help."

The stranger jerked in place. "Muh." The noise was hardly more than a grunt as their mind raced to catch up. "Oh, hello!" He smiled just as brightly as he had been confused a moment before. "Nice to meet you. I'm Comet."

"Hello, Comet." Amber looked over the slender stallion curiously. "I'm Amber, and I'm the head librarian of this library, so I'm here to help however I can." She smiled and opened her hooves to invite them. "So, let's start with what you're looking for, and go from there."

Comet thought hard and long, scratching at the bottom of his jaw with a hoof. "Well, I'm new. I mean, around here. I'm not new in general." He turned in place. "I'm an adult, but I only recently arrived in Maretime Bay and there's so much I don't know about it." He put a hoof to the side of his face. "I need a book. A big one that I can read so I know more."

"An encyclopedia. Easy enough." Amber waved for Comet to follow her as she worked her way through the collections of books with practice. "The sort you're looking for is, hm." She ran her magic across the spines of several before settling on one, yanking it free. "Here you are."

Comet accepted the thick volume into his own magic. "Wow! That's perfect, but," He considered it, turning it over in his magical grasp, "A lot to read at once."

Amber smiled at that. "You did ask for a big book. Would you prefer something a little smaller to start and we can work up to this one?" She gave a little pull of the book to signal she was ready to put it away. "It's just as useful. I'd recommend you look up all the places and names in the book, and then go out and visit them."

"Ooh! That makes sense." Comet giggled at the idea, letting the book go with a wave of magic.

She tucked it away and led the way onwards to a shelf full of much more slender articles that were scarcely more than tourist brochures. "They don't go heavy into the details here, but." Amber snatched one up with her glowing magic. "They give a great list of places to visit and why you'd want to. More than enough to start."

Comet accepted this book eagerly. "And it has pictures!" He flipped through the pages with a smile. "It's so shiny."

Amber giggled at the delight displayed on the face of her new acquaintance. "We have a reading nook right there by the window where you could read that without straining your eyes. The sun's nice and bright and we keep the lights just right for enjoying a book."

Comet was already trotting over. "Thank you!"

Amber turned away with a confident grin. "Why did Comforting make that sound so dramatic?" Sure, Comet was interesting looking, but they were still a pony in need of a book, in the end. That was what she did! "Silly girl."

Elsewhere in that library, Comforting was talking to a pair of ponies. "We'll put each volume, starting from the first, working up to the latest." She made a grand swoosh of a motion forward with both hands.

The mare clapped joyfully. "Yes, exactly. We'll go down the middle."

The stallion of the pair nudged against her. "And be dressed out part. This will be so romantic." He sighed with a dreamy smile. "I've heard the bards sing of the wild adventures of adventurers, but I've never actually seen one.

"See one?" The mare gushed a moment with excitement. "We'll be one!" She pranced in place with a happy whicker. "And I can't wait. Yes, thank you." She grabbed Comforting in a firm embrace.

Comforting ruffled the head of the mare gently. "I just hope you two are happy forever." She grinned at the thought. "It's so exciting. I'll see you three days from now." She watched the pair go with a spring in their step, chuckling softly. "Hope they don't get caught."

"Get caught with what?" Amber approached at a light walk. "You look excited."

Comforting squeaked at the timing. "Oh, um." She rubbed behind her head. "I was just helping someponies."

"Yeah? Good job." Amber nodded, watching Comforting. "But you don't look like that's what you're worried about. Why are you worried about some ponies you just helped? Why are you blushing?" Amber snapped her hooves. "It's a romance, isn't it?"

Comforting colored all the darker, shrinking in place. "I can't deny it." She danced away. "But it's not mine, promise."

"So whose is it?" Amber trailed after Comforting curiously. "Is it somepony I know?"

Comforting hid her mouth behind her hand. "You could say that, but I don't think I should spread rumors. It's private. You could ask them." She bobbed her head left and right.

Amber reared up to put her hooves on her hips. "I would, if I knew who to ask. You're not giving me a lot to work with." She turned her eyes to where the two had retreated off to, then to the cart full of books from a single series. "You're hiding something from me."

Comforting grasped her chin in her hands. "I could say that, but I could say that about a lot of things, and I don't like lying. You're being sneaky, trying to get me to give away my secrets." She dramatically zipped her lips with an actual zipper. She said something, but it was impossible to hear around that zipper, just mumbled noises.

Amber rolled her eyes with a grumble. "Fine, be like that. I'll ask around, and see who's going on a date, or planning on one. I've got your number." She walked away with a thoughtful frown.

Comforting undid her zipper and tossed it aside. "A little secret between friends isn't so bad." She floated up and away with a skip. "Let's have lunch."

"This conversation isn't done," grumbled Amber, looking over her shoulder.

"Okay, Amber," singsonged Comforting. "You think that." She vanished with a pop, making it clear her side of the conversation was complete.

Amber glared at where Comforting had been a moment ago. "I love you, but sometimes, I swear." She thumped down a hoof. "Reveal your secrets!"

Misty poked her head out from around the end of the aisle. "What secrets?"

Amber jumped, landing facing Misty. "Oh, hello. I'm actually glad to see you." She rushed up towards Misty with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, alright, I guess." Misty rubbed along one leg with the other hoof. "Sorry for the days I took off."

Amber shook her head. "It's fine. We get it." She considered Misty. "If you're willing to talk about it."

"It's complicated." Misty perked a little. "But I feel better today." She let out a nervous laugh. "But I'm here for a book." She reached up to rub behind her ear with a small shake of her head.

Amber hiked a brow at Misty. "No need to fib to me. I had enough fibs today."

Misty smiled a bit too wide, laughing in her tense way before she slumped. "I want to help, um, but I also found something."

"Found something? At the Brighthouse?" Amber's curiosity was piqued. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Misty nodded sharply. "I found a book on magic. Real magic." She curled on herself and drew out a tome. "And you're studying that, right? With, um, Comforting. Right?"

Amber reached for the book, opening it to reveal a complex series of runes, symbols that made no sense, and pictures. "I've only gotten the basics from her, but yeah, this is, um, neat?" She flipped forward, eyes wide in amazement. "This book has so much in it. Have you started reading it? Is that why you're here?"

"Uh-huh." Misty took out a journal and a pen. "I want to do magic too." Her ears drooped a bit. "I know I can do it. But I don't know how." She sank to her haunches. "So, I have a friend that's curious about that. I thought I'd ask her."

Amber eyed Misty. "You need to take this slow." She flicked through the book, taking a cursory look at each page. "I don't even understand half of what's written here. But that's not a no." She closed the book with her magic. "Misty, I would be happy, no, delighted to help."

"Thanks, Amber. You're so nice." Misty raised her eyes and locked them to Amber's. "I have a question. Who is that pony?" She pointed.

"Hmm?" Amber turned to see Comforting in a mediocre disguise, lurking and watching them quietly. "Yeah, don't mind them." She waved that away with a giggle. "I have a specific room for magic stuff. We'll be magic buddies, okay?"

Misty hopped to her hooves. "Magic buddies, okay! Just between us."

Amber raised a hoof, ears flat to the side. "Comforting's already in the know. If you see her, don't panic. She knows more magic than me, but she's not quick to share, so don't expect tons of answers out of her. She loves her secrets."

Misty perked. "She does?" Misty glanced past Amber, seeing the disguised chaos spirit was gone. "Where did they go?"

"Who knows?" Amber shrugged, smiling all the same. "Today, it's about us, magic buddies."

Misty went in and they touched horns together with a sparkle of agreement. They were unicorns with a unified mission. They were going to learn magic, and start with a trip down the path of runes.

Comforting giggled from her nowhere place. "Coming together just fine." She dug out her phone to update Together on what was happening. "Bet she already knows; clever girl."

Author's Note

Magic buddies!

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22 - Let's get Serious

Misty glared with a soft groaning noise, her horn glimmering fitfully as she rocked in place.

Amber watched with slow nods. "Almost, almost." She gave a single clop of her hooves. "I know this isn't the most fun part, but I needed to get the runes down before I could do too much else."

Misty flexed her magic. "I feel it. I want to do it." She perked up, eyes wide. "I can do this, I know it!" She leapt at the sphere of energy she had made with her efforts with a snarl, her magic crashing into it with a splash of sparks and ribbons that danced around the room with the release of that magic. "Thank you, again. I feel like I'm putting a hoof forward. What'd I miss?"

Amber sat back, raising her horn up as she started through the letters with slow precision, showing each rune clearly before Misty's fascinated eyes. "Good practice for me too, if we're being honest." She hung on the last one, forming it into scintillating light a moment before it all faded away. "See what you missed?"

"Yeah." Misty perked when she realized what she was missing. "Oops, no 'z'." She hunched herself down, covering her mouth with a nervous giggle. "Guess that's why it's still falling apart." She got right back to work, forming the missing rune, then restarting from the top through the alphabet in concentrated glows. "How did unicorns forget this?! It was a huge part of, uh, unicorn'ing, right?"

"Excellent question." Comforting was there, with no warning or sound, just there as if she had been there from the start. "I'm fairly sure it has to do with unicorns having no magic for over a generation, giving them plenty of time to forget how to use those horns of there's." She reached up to feel along her larger yak horn. "Glad to see it coming back. You two are so diligent."

Amber lit up with a blush. "Aw, shucks. It's easy when you have such a great teacher. I know the language now, I just need to do it. Easier said than done." She directed her horn at Misty. With a twinkle, a doorknob appeared before Misty's surprised face and fell to the ground.

Misty blinked, reaching with unsure hooves. "Where did you pull this from?"

Amber flashed a wicked smile. "That's the best part, I didn't. I just made that. It came from nothing but magic itself." She looked quite proud as she closed her eyes. "My first not-starter spell. Um, though it's not specific to doorknobs. I should learn more variants." She looked at her hooves. "And keep it to nonliving things. I'm still not good enough to do living creatures safely."

Comforting reached down to pick up the doorknob and drop it in her pocket. "Good idea. Living creatures and critters opens up whole new libraries of ethical red tape. If you make a bird, are you responsible for that bird now? Is it like adopting the bird? What if the bird gets hurt, or just flies away? What if you summon the wrong kind of bird? Do you take care of your mistake or toss it out and try again?" She counted on her fingers as she went, resulting in having too many fingers briefly as she went. "You're better off avoiding that for now."

"Yeah, I think I'd like to figure out the doorknob trick a little more." Misty stood up. "It's such a simple thing, but it's something I can do."

Amber threw an arm over Misty. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Step 1, get the runes." Her horn glowed with a few of them. "Step 2, Comforting will ask you a question."

"I will?" She perked. "Right, I will." She zipped over to Misty, curling around her with her long form. "There are different kinds of magic, and I'll show you a simple one of a kind you like. Amber's a conjurer, but you don't have to be. You could be something else entirely. Let's wait until you have those letters first though." She squeezed Misty from all around, looped on the unicorn in a warm embrace. "It will be fun. You're already such an eager student."

Misty leaned into that squeeze, seeming to get some comfort out of the attention. "I want to do better, do more with my life than the nothing I had with Opaline."

Comforting nibbled on Misty's ear. "I am so very happy to hear that." She nuzzled into the twitchy little thing. "Which is why I'll get out of the way. Call when it's my turn!" She evaporated into a field of bubbles, popping rapidly.

Amber threw a hoof against the board with the runes on it. "From the top!"

Misty chirped and moved to join in that task. "Aye-aye, boss."

They practiced the runes and then practiced more with Comforting once she reappeared. When she finally stopped, Amber let out a soft groan. "I need a break, but I want to keep working too. I'm burning with the desire to do more, learn more." She danced fitfully in place. "But balance. It's time to take a break, yes." She moved for the door, waving Misty along. "Want to join me?"

Misty trotted along happily. "Yeah. Are we going to be librarians, oh! Or get a snack? All that work made me hungry."

Amber paused with a hum. "Good idea, actually. To food!"

The two cut through the library, waving to other librarians. Amber collected a few other orders on the way, promising to bring them back some food for later breaks.

Amber and Misty walked down the street. They were going to get food together. With the growing friendship between them, that was a step forward. While Amber wanted to walk with Misty's shoulder bumping into her own, she didn't want to spook Misty by going too quickly. "It's so nice, having a proper magic buddy."

Misty smiled at that. "It really is. Um, but right now, it feels more like you're my magic teacher."

Amber waved that away, stepping up onto a sidewalk. "That's just for now. You'll catch up with me and start your own journey. I can't wait for that." She held open the door with her magic to let Misty step inside. "We're gonna be a force to be reckoned with."

"Reckon that," challenged an aged stallion from the counter of the café. "I'll reckon you two some goodies."

Amber and Misty both jumped at being talked to outside each other. Misty recovered first. "Oh, um, hi? Goodies?"

"You two." He waved a hoof at Amber and Misty. "I can feel it, and I trust those feelings. Two good unicorns. Good. Good. We've been missing some really good ones."

Amber lifted her brows at the stallion. "I've never been called a good unicorn before." She rubbed the side of her head. "Maybe 'good pony' at best." She giggled at her own joke.

The stallion fixed her with a glare. "I know a good one when I see one." He got a little smile. "Why don't you show me your sparkle?"

Misty inclined her head. "I didn't know a sparkle was something you could 'show'."

Amber nodded firmly. "Yeah. Sparkles are just what a pony are. You can already see that." She trotted up to that counter. "Sorry to bother, but we do have some orders." She handed over a slip of paper.

He grabbed the note from Amber's grip, tapping it lightly against the countertop as he considered the two mares. "Well, let's see who has placed orders." His eyes wandered down the slip. "More than you two, obviously." With a glowing horn of his own, he doodled out a few new bits of paper and hung them up in front of the kitchen. "There we are, they're on the case. Now, about that sparkle."

Amber considered that. "Sparkles."

"Sorry, yes, sparkles." He chuckled and leaned over the counter, ignoring the cash register. "Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."

Misty burst into giggles as her horn glowed softly. "Like this?"

"Close." The old stallion tapped his hooves. "But I feel there's more. Go on."

Amber lifted an ear. "Alright." She played a few runes across her horn, fast and loose just to show them off. "Like that?" To most ponies, her horn just glowed.

The stallion saw things differently with widening eyes. "I was right. That's the sparkle I was talking about. I haven't seen that, in, um."

"Orders up!" came a sudden cry from the back.

Forgetting what he was talking about, the stallion gathered Amber's orders and placed them with his magic down on the counter between them. "Enjoy."

"Thank you?" Misty stared at the stallion. "It was nice meeting you, but uh, we have to go." She collected a few bags in her arms, leaning down to put her shoulder under them to get them all.

Amber also loaded herself up, but kept her eye on the stallion. "I'm glad you liked our sparkles."

"Sparkles?" He looked a bit blank a moment before it came to him. "Sparkles! Yes. Not seen anything like it for moons. Good unicorns, you two take care of yourself now, okay?"

They made their exit, transferring their bags to their magic to hold them in the air between themselves. Misty glanced back at the place curiously. "He knows about magic?"

Amber fidgeted even as she walked. "I don't think he does. I think it's a bit sadder than that."

Misty flipped an ear back. "Sadder? What happened?"

Amber glanced about to be sure nopony else was listening. "Comforts said it'd been over a generation since unicorns had magic. Maybe he was just old enough to have seen a little, or even just had it described to him. He doesn't know what he's seeing, just that he remembers it." She frowned slightly. "And that's so sad to me."

Misty opened her mouth and closed it. "Wow, that's... sad. But it's good now. Right?"

"I'd like to think so." Amber perked an ear at Misty. "We're doing our part. If we can show we're doing it right, then we can start showing other unicorns. We'll get our magic back."

They met, hoof to hoof, in a nice firm clop. With shared smiles, they dashed back to the library with their goodies.

"You like them," came in an email on Comforting's phone from Together. "It's okay. I already said I wouldn't be bothered. You are a living creature. You desire the physical contact of other living creatures. That is normal, and not something I can provide, as a tree."

Comforting swiped away tears. "You are the most wonderful person."

"I am a tree," corrected Together patiently. "Not a person."

Comforting wiped her tears. "You're a living being." She rolled over onto her back, holding her phone above her in both hands. "With feelings, who I love so dang much."

"I love you too, but I am a tree. My love is a sedate thing. It takes decades to ripen for me, as I am a tree." She giggled, sounding like wind through the branches of a forest. "Unlike you, I don't have to have it all right away."

Comforting sat up, looking around sharply, but there was no tree there, just her imagination? She continued tapping at her phone. "We've been together for a long time now, you. Don't act like we just met. Living ponies are all younger than our relationship. Oh! Like the benches?"

"It is nice to have ponies spending more time beside me, where I can see, listen, and watch over them. Thank you." A smile emoji followed afterwards. "Now, back to what we were talking about."

"I am in a healthy relationship," insisted Comforting. She twisted this way and that as if someone could overhear her. "I'm just friends with these cute ponies." She huffed gently. "One of whom is clearly hoping I'll give more than that."

"Do you want to give them that? If you do not, drive them away. I know you can. They would be powerless to stop you."

Comforting wailed into a laugh. "I will not blast Toots into next week, that'd be awful. He's just a guy that asked a girl he thought was neat out on a date. No crime there." She scratched gently at her cheek. "I'm just feeling things."

"Have you considered being a tree? Our roots could intertwine. We could patiently watch centuries pass."

Comforting blinked at those words on her phone. "Together..."

"I know that's not what you want, but it doesn't hurt to suggest. You are an animal, my dear Comforting. So do your animal things. I will wait patiently. Trees are good at that."

Author's Note

Heavy conversations all around, but Amber and Misty seem to becoming good magic buddies, and that's nice, I say.

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23 - Dance Fever

The sun beat down on Maretime Bay. Toots was bouncing around like a puppy with its tail wagging as Amber and Comforting approached.

Amber adjusted the straps on her dress with a wiggle.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He nodded to both with a big smile. "Today's a big day!"

Comforting swooped in to grab the stallion by the cheeks. "It sure is. I didn't know they had dances in the middle of the day, but it sounds fun."

He giggled at that, swaying this way and that. "Oh, you tease, Comforting." He glanced at Amber. "So, who's driving?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought we'd walk." She pointed further into the city. "It isn't that far, and I don't have a car. We can enjoy the sights on the way."

Toots turned to face the direction Amber was pointing. "Sure, or I could get my car if you like? I don't mind driving."

"How about that?" Amber pointed out a massive pile of crates that seemed to have been dumped there. "That's interesting. I wonder what that is."

Comforting giggled and gave Toots a little push. "Amber wants to walk, so we're walking." She landed on her feet instead of floating. "She doesn't get to explore this big city very often." She started to bounce and bound down the street in a sudden flurry of motion.

Amber squeaked. "Comfy! I'm wearing heels!" She chased after, trying to keep up but not exactly failing to do so either.

Toots sped up to keep up with them all. "If we're admiring the sights, what's the rush?"

"Point." Comforting slowed herself. "Sorry, got excited." She swiped at her shoulders, dusting off. "Nice and slow."

Amber managed to get up alongside Comforting. "We've been working so hard. It's nice to just do something nice." She cleared her throat. "We should take the scenic route. It'll be lovely."

"No one else is complaining about going straight." Toots tried to hurry the trio on, but the others ignored him, so he shrugged and dropped his pace with a grumble. "So, uh, either of you two danced before?"

Comforting glanced back. "It's been ages! But yes." She almost gave more info, but thought better of it. Discussing exes with modern prospects could be awkward for all involved.

Amber shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, no. I'm just along to relax, maybe eat, and have some fun." She shrugged a shoulder. "But if I find a dance partner, I can see myself dancing a little."

Comforting ruffled Amber's back gently. "Keep your eyes open. You won't see a dance partner if you're not looking. The enchanting local head librarian? They'll be lining up for a chance."

"Oh!" Amber waved that off with a roll of her eyes. "Like anypony is going to be interested in that."

"I am." Comforting propped her head on Amber's shoulder with a sly grin. "Which is me asking for at least one dance."

Toot's ears fell, but he forced them up. "Um, Comforting, I'd like—"

"—You're on my card." Comforting looped around Amber with a smile. "You'll get your chance, promise." She pointed off at a group of ponies enjoying a lunch at the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. "Should we sit with them?"

Amber dug out her phone to check the time. "As tempting as that'd be, we're already kinda perfectly on time with walking on this route, so let's not stop." She started moving again, cutting across a road with a pleasant smile for the others. "C'mon, the party's not waiting for us."

"The party would wait forever if you asked." Comforting followed with a sly grin. "But you wouldn't, and that's good."

Toots looked aside at Comforting. "What do you mean by that?"

Comforting gently patted Toots along the back. "It means I could do a lot of things. I mentioned it before, but I am a spirit of chaos." She leaned in close. "If I wanted to, I could make a big mess, but I really don't want to. I like things as they are, growing, changing over time, and not all at once everywhere."

"Well, I know you're not like that. I can see that." Toots straightened himself up with a smile. "And I like things the way they are too." He stepped up to walk on Amber's opposite side. "I can see other ponies making the journey." He tossed his head at other travelers hiking towards the dance hall ahead of them.

Amber smiled brightly. "This is such a fun thing. I can't wait to get there, and see everything, and then to go home and tell Comforting and Misty all about it."

"Whoa!" Toots bounced in place, ears high. "You three live together?"

Comforting swirled ahead of Toots. "Me and Amber live together, at the library. Misty doesn't. We've offered, but she's happier at the bright house."

"We are trying to be her friends, and respect her space. She's been through a lot, and it's up to her to decide what she needs." Amber nodded as she spoke, keeping her voice even as she watched the other ponies they were approaching.

Having gone deeper into the city, there were great clumps of ponies, waiting their turn to cross streets that had a lot more vehicles trying to cross them, some of which beeped impatiently.

Comforting took a deep breath and put on her most convincing smile. "So, um, let's stick together." She slipped between Amber and Toots and put an arm around either. "I don't like cars, and I don't have a good sense of how to dodge them." She blinked up at Amber. "Do you?"

Amber let out a slow exhale. "Just follow the other ponies, nothing to it."

They wandered up to the edge of the sidewalk and waited with mild rocking until the rest of the crowd began forward, a hint for them to move. They cut through traffic at a brisk trot. A light turned red. An alarm blared. Ponies jumped into a run, leaping across the street. They got across before the next batch had started to press forward, ending up safe on the other side.

The trio staggered a bit before recovering. Comforting sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

"That happens every day." Toots waved back at the cars. "Usually, I'm one of the ones in the car." With a chuckle, he started ahead. "We're almost there."

Comforting peeked over at the shops and other buildings they passed. "Hm, the city really changes as you get into it. I should stop by when I'm not in a specific rush. Take it all in."

"That would be a great idea." Amber pulled out her phone with a hum. "Maybe we could make this a weekly event? Work, chill, lunch, or dinner, and a stroll around the city?"

Comforting bumped against Amber. "Don't leap at the idea just because I said it." She whipped her tail to brush against Toots. "Besides, I want to look on my own too."

Toots started to reach for the tail touching his side, then dropped his hoof to his side. "I'm pretty familiar with the city. If you ever need a guide, I can be free."

Comforting tilted her head at Toots. "Have you been all over the place already?"

"It's my home city." He walked with pride in each step. "I know every alley." He peered down one they were passing. "And I'm willing to go anywhere for you."

Comforting giggled at that. "Thank you, kind stallion, but I don't want to ask that of you." She suddenly leaned in close. "Even if you're looking like you'd rather I asked."

He recoiled in place a second with a nervous laugh. "Uh, well, you're, um, interesting?"

She bounced, nearly leaving the ground as she turned towards the large building they were nearing. "Today, we dance!" With an arm around either of them, she encouraged them up towards the thumping music of the hall. "Gonna get it on like it was the fourth!"

Toots inclined his head. "Fourth what?"

"Inside joke." Comforting darted ahead suddenly, leaving the ground. "C'mon!" She disappeared through the front door in a blink, leaving it wide open and swaying back and forth.

Amber and Toots shared a glance. She shrugged and pushed forward with a shy smile. Together, they pressed inside the hall full of energetically dancing ponies and lively music to go along with it.

The music was a thrumming beat, pulsing through them and demanding a response. The hooves of ponies rose and fell in a wave of motion as they danced across the floor in the center. Toots grabbed Amber by the hoof and tugged her deeper in.

She gave a playful yelp of surprise, stumbling after with a gasp. "Ow!"

"I'll show you a dance!" He looked over her quickly, as if measuring her up. "It'll be fun, promise." He kicked a foot out, slapping the ground and throwing a hoof up.

Amber hesitantly took his hoof. "I, okay, I'll try?" She copied the hoof and kick, almost getting his hoof when she swung hers up.

They danced together in slow, practicing, motions, his eyes locked to hers. She smiled, looking back. He opened his mouth. "I don't know how to say this, but, you look, really, um, yeah, wow."

Amber went dark at that, laughing nervously. "I thought you were interested in Comforting?"

"Um! I, uh, am? But I can see a pretty mare." He rubbed behind his head awkwardly. "And I can tell her."

"Aw." She bowed her head. "Thanks, but, I'm not interested in that, at all."

"Oh, cool. Then we can be friends." He grinned, reaching to offer her his hoof. "I can swing?" He spun her about slowly, with a laugh. "You look great, but if you're not into me, that's fine." He snorted into a laugh. "Besides, like you said, my eyes are on Comforting. Speaking of which, have you seen her?"

"Yeah." Amber craned her head, looking around. "She's probably—"

"Here." Comforting swooped in from nowhere in particular to snag Toots by the hoof. "Dance time!" She yanked him in to hop and spin around him. She went in a tight circle with him, flashing in and out of view with how fast she moved.

Amber blinked and missed a great deal of the proceedings as they whirled away into the crowd. "Wow." With her dance completed, she went to check out the refreshments.

Comforting lifted Toots into the air easily, rubbing cheeks with the stallion before spinning around to face the DJ. "Yo, play the new tune, the one about the forest! I love that one. It makes me want to skip and hum."

Amber trotted up to the snack table with a groan of delight. There were so many sweet and delicious treats to choose from. "Hey, did you want anything?"

Toots, still clutched in the arms of Comforting, giggled like a lovestruck fool. "I, um, whatever you want?"

They could barely hear one another over the music, then playing that forest beat that Comforting had requested. She touched nose to nose with Toots. "I'll be blunt. I am a goddess. Are you up to dating a god, however friendly they may be?"

"Um?" He blinked several times as if coming to himself. "Wait, what?"

"Comforting, don't," shouted Amber from the distance.

Comforting floated up out of hearing range. "I have more power in my pinkie than most have in their entire body." She nipped at his shoulder. "That isn't a threat, but it is reality. I can't promise we'll ever be an 'even match' like you'd get with another pony. I just can't. Is that what you want?"

His ears twitched, his eyes focused on hers. "Oh! I see. You're serious." He swallowed. "I don't know. Uh, wait." He waved to Amber, but she was busy talking to other ponies. "You're friends with Amber. You two get along, even if you're a, uh, 'god'. If that's how you two can make it work, that's what I want. You can't help what you are."

"Are you sure? Because you aren't. I can tell." She bobbed her head slowly. "I think." She suddenly grabbed Toots, smooshing him against herself. "You're almost hoping I overpower you, in the best kinds of ways."

"No, I don't! I swear!" He squirmed in her arms, pushing her away. "You're scary, you know that? Just a little, but I really didn't expect that."

Comforting let him push her away, but kept him floating alongside her. "Good, I should be a little scary, but I do think you're neat. If you want to try this, seriously, I'll put my all into it, but you'll have to do the same." She released her grip, letting Toots float down to his hooves.

He nodded, seeming to mull things over in his mind.

Author's Note

The only cure is more cow bell.

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24 - Tricky Trees

Ponies laughed and danced at the party. The music filled the air with excitement. Each pony stomped and cheered. Togetherness felt a similar kind of energy. As her friends explored and had fun, she remained a patient observer. The test had been completed, and they were rejoicing in a time of peace until the next one. This pleased her.

She had even given a gift, a reward. Misty was cherishing it, and would, perhaps, use it in the next test.

Elsewhere, Allura trotted along the beach with a thoughtful tilt of her head. The sky was dark with clouds, hiding the moon from her sight. The gentle lap of the waves upon the sand was a quiet caress of sound in her ears. "Miserable ponies," she growled out, tail lashing behind her. "You're weak, useless, and yet, they cling to you. Why do you let them, Allura? Do you have a weakness for them? Do you?" She shook herself, calming herself down.

Her eyes swept the shoreline with a low snort. "I would know if you were here." Her gaze locked forward. "Wouldn't I?" She shook herself out with a huff. "At least, it's not so blastedly hot during the night."

***

Comforting swatted the door shut behind her. "You okay?" The statue had no response for her as she wandered up to place her hands on the cold stone remnant of her pony wife. "I miss you." But the statue could not respond. It was just a statue. Her eyes flicked down to the base, reading the inscription over and over. "For my friend and her bond, may this memory last a thousand years." She dragged her fingers down the chilled stone.

She shivered with clenched teeth. "I won't do that." She turned from the statue. "I have to accept the new day. He isn't nearly as captivating as you were, my dear. He's very straight forward. You were always so scheming and cunning." She sat herself down and curled up with a sigh. "You'd find a way to talk me out of it if you knew what I was thinking." She closed her eyes. "You and Together."

There had been a time she could hug both Diamond and Together, once Harmony. They had been great times, but, like all times, that had passed. "It's not fair to judge him like that, based on other people who aren't even around anymore." She huffed gently. "I'm sure he has a deeper side, but I'll have to dig a little instead of just looking at the surface."

She smiled to herself a little. "He is cute, in a rolly-polly way that makes me want to squeeze him." She giggled, shaking her head. "I am not into that kind of thing, I swear. I just like the shapes and sizes of bodies."

There was nothing. No answer or reply. It was just her, and she was used to that. She gazed up at the unblinking and eternal gaze of her old girlfriend. "Yeah," she sighed out. "It's like that." She stood up, stretching. "Crying at your statue won't get me very far."

She floated up to touch the muzzle of the statue. "I hope you're happy, wherever you are. You deserve to be happy. I love you." She floated away from the statue with a sad little smile. "Goodbye, for now."

Comforting waved the door open and departed from her home, back to the living world to meet its challenges.

She did not expect to run face-first into a wall of soft fur on doing so.

Allura took a step back with a grunt. "You, what?"

"Flying without looking, sorry." Comforting zipped upright, hovering in the air. "Aw, look at you." She circled around Allura curiously. "A pretty kitty cat! Hello!"

Allura considered the strange creature that was Comforting. "What even are you?"

"I'm a spirit, of chaos. Nice though, promise that." Comforting touched down with a hop, leaning in to tap her larger yak horn against Allura. "And what are you?"

Allura growled low and deep in a very feline way. "I am—I don't have to tell you! Why should I? A spirit? What even is that?"

Comforting blinked at her with her golden eyes, their shape foreign, and her pupils slits. "You really don't know? Who are you then?" She reached out, feeling along Allura's soft fur gently. "I like it, but I don't know it."

Allura swatted Comforting's questing fingers away. "Are you so touchy with every creature you run across?"

"Every one that lets me." Comforting laughed at herself, rocking back and closer to Allura. "But I'm serious, at least give me a name so I don't say 'hey, cat.' That feels rude."

Allura straightened up and puffed out her chest. "I am Allura." Her ears twisted in place, listening to the surroundings. "You have to be able to tell I'm not a real cat. No housecat am I." She lashed her tail, glaring at Comforting. "Don't you know fear?"

"I try to avoid it." Comforting shrugged. "Not too much comes along that gives me a reason to be scared. Should I be scared of you?"

Allura purred, a soft vibrating noise that penetrated all through Comforting's form. "I could hurt you, quite badly, if I wanted."

Comforting laughed softly. "Yeah, you could. I'm a spirit of chaos. It's not the first time a being has tried to hurt me."

The purring only grew louder. "Or I could tell you to sit."

Comforting felt it, the urge to sit. She decided to play along, sitting down in front of the large feline.

Allura nodded. "Very good." She patted Comforting on the head, still purring. "Now, do you know where the Nova Charm is? Tell me, little strange creature. Tell me."

Telling her felt like the right thing to do. Comforting internally batted away the forced command, but played along despite it. "I don't know what a Nova Charm is, tell me about it?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "I swear. It's a rock that can open a portal. It's how I escape this heat! If you don't know where it is." She leaned in close enough to touch her nose to Comforting's front. "You can help me hunt for it."

Comforting's tail curled. "You want to leave, eh?" She shrugged a shoulder. "I don't see why I can't help with that. I need to get a certain pony her magic back anyway, and it's somewhere around here, so why not?"

Allura sat with a confused expression. "A pony their magic back? How did they lose it?" She shook her head slowly. "Did their horn fall off? That would be funny to see."

"That is not how it works." Comforting reached up to adjust Allura's fur casually. "If you want to stick around, you're going to have to learn about the place, and its history."

"Who has time for that?!" she almost roared out, but she forced herself back into her gentle purring, sure she could control Comforting. "Go into that city of theirs, find the charm, and report back to me."

Comforting found it harder to resist this command, but still she did. She raised her arm and her yak horn glowed. "You need a guide. Come with me."

Allura jumped back, landing on her haunches and staring in horror at Comforting's glowing. "What are you doing?"

Comforting waved a finger. "Spirit. I can glow if I want to." She lifted into the air. "I can be the best friend you ever had."

A rabbit approached rapidly and began yammering something at Allura.

Allura huffed. "What? Twitch, speak clearly."

He repeated himself a bit slower, speaking in his strange rabbit way for her.

Comforting pulled down some goggles out of nowhere, enabling the closed captioning on the conversation.

"You've been gone all day," translated the text on the goggles. "How dare you! We've got stuff to do! I have stuff to do! I saw an abandoned, broken cart and wanted to see if there's anything worth salvaging!" He clapped his paws and threw his arms in the air. "Then you didn't come back." He slumped into a miserable heap, kicking a paw weakly.

Allura huffed gently at Twitch. "You're this excited about a broken cart? Why should we care about a broken cart?!" Her words were clear without subtitles, though they came anywhere.

Twitch pointed off into the distance. "Because the cart started moving!" The rabbit's sounds were gibberish, but the words were clear. "And I saw it! I saw the Nova Charm! A pony had it!"

That had Allura's attention. "Did they? Then we need to be there." She jumped forward and Twitch hopped on her back. Without even glancing at Comforting, she raced off to get the Nova Charm, whatever it was.

Comforting watched them go with a hum. "I feel a test approaching." She flashed a growing smile. "And it has a mean, but cute, kitty in it. I like it." She turned back to face the forest, putting her goggles away. "Alright, we need to get ready."

With a burst of magic, Comforting vanished away from the world and into the chaos between dimensions.

She popped back into the world back in the library, touching down on a desk in front of a surprised pony. "Oops, sorry." She gave them a gentle pat and hopped over their head to leave them to their reading. She floated towards the section of the library dedicated to her.

"What a lovely young man." She grabbed a book or two that had been placed on the shelf incorrectly and returned it to its proper spot. "Now, hm." She looked for her usual suspects. Amber was at the front desk, chatting animatedly with somepony else. The usual librarians were about doing their job.

Misty wasn't there. "Sometimes it's the one that's missing that gives you the best clue." Comforting clapped her hands together and brought them apart, forming a window in the air. The window displayed Misty with Sunny and the other ponies of the Bright house, enjoying themselves at a new carnival. "Where'd that come from?"

Misty giggled with Pipp. "This is amazing! I've never seen so much fun at once before."

Sunny bumped Misty softly. "Isn't it? Izzy, you did a great job!"

"And I got rid of the blocky wockies!" Izzy danced as she capered about the carnival. "I hope everypony has a great time here!"

Misty marveled at the beautiful colors of the park and the decorations, so alive and vivid. "I've never been to something this nice before. Thanks for inviting me."

Sunny looked aside at her with a small smile. "Izzy bounced back, and it's amazing." She hopped at Izzy, hugging the unicorn. "And what an amazing thing you've made for us all."

Izzy patted Sunny's back. "We all work together! We make it possible!" She gestured all around with a grand sweeping of her arms. "We did this!"

Misty inclined her head. "But you were the one that did it. We only got here after you made this."

Izzy threw a hoof with a ripe raspberry noise. "I only could do that because I had you all as friends to inspire me." She tapped at her temple with a grin. "It's in all of us, to make something wonderful, or even just a little better."

Misty gave Sunny a quizzical glance.

Comforting turned, moving the window with her. She spotted Allura skulking off, looking displeased. "Didn't find that charm? Hm." She closed the window on the scene, pondering what it all meant. "Together, you are a tricky tree!" She crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine, fine. I get it."

She looked all about. "Well, the future is secure. That's good. I should check in with my coltfriend." She colored, realizing what she had just said. "With me friend, who is a stallion. We didn't go that far just yet." She glanced in a nearby mirror, giving herself a bit of a wink. "But I know he'd like to. Maybe soon." She zipped over to her books and flipped through them. "What section would have what modern ponies expect when they're dating anyway?"

Author's Note

Comforting's asking the important questions over here.

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25 - For Fun

The streets were peaceful at this time of day. Ponies, and other creatures, drifted along their paths. The wind blew in a light breeze that was so often present in Maretime Bay. Sunny smiled, stepping lightly. Her stand was closed for the day, and she was free to enjoy herself for a moment.

Sunny headed to a large board in the center of town, looking up at the poster tacked to the top. There was an image of the three of them, Izzy, Zipp, and herself, all with smiles. The title of it was 'Harmony Is Coming Back' in bold letters. Below, it detailed the plans for the park and a reminder for anyone with good ideas for what else to do to send in an application to Izzy Moonbow.

Sunny let out a little giggle, hooves trembling before her as she considered the future park. "This will be so nice."

"Yes."

She jumped back, spinning in place. She caught sight of Comforting with a relieved sigh. "You! You've got to stop doing that. I don't know how you do it, but I've seen you just pop up sometimes. One second you're not there, the next you are."

Comforting swooped in on the recovering pony and gently touched noses. "I don't mean to scare you, but yeah, bad habit of mine. Forgive?" She placed a gentle kiss to Sunny's forehead, smiling in her eyes.

Sunny found her heart rate slowing from the touch, the closeness. She gave a quick nod and smiled softly. "Of course. You can't help your magic, and you haven't done anything bad with it." She sighed with released air as she turned back to the board. "It'll be so nice, fixing up the park. Do you know about it?"

"Only what that poster says." Comforting lifted up to tap at the new poster, hanging there. "Did you make this?"

Sunny's ears fell back, her head lowering with them. "Yeah, it's my big idea. I wanted to do something, but I'm not an artist like Izzy." She lifted a hoof.

Comforting waved that away. "It's a delightful poster. Love it." She zoomed back down to be at Sunny's side. "I have not spent enough time with you."

Sunny blinked at that. "You don't owe me anything. We barely know each other, though what I do know is nice."

"I'd like to know more, get to know you better. Maybe even become good friends, eventually." She offered a hand with a smile. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a connection, at this point in my life? It's not easy. Ponies can't be themselves in front of me."

"Why not?" Sunny took an offered hand, cradling Comforting gently. "You seem like a nice enough creature, minus the surprising entries at times."

"I'm a chaos spirit. I am a force of nature." Comforting gave Sunny's hoof a gentle tug, drawing her towards a path out of the city. "I can't blame them for being cautious." She started them both down the path towards the forest. "But I can't say everypony." She snorted with an almost fond smile. "One little rolly-polly stallion is pretty sure he can win my heart."

"Win your heart? He likes you? Has he asked you out?" She bounced slightly, feeling a bit bubbly. "You should go on a date with him if you want to!"

"I sort of already did?" Comforting twirled a few inches into the air. "And we both had a great time. It was dancing. No big accidents, just fun." She giggled and grinned at Sunny. "But that's not a great story to tell when you're talking to a potential new friend."

Sunny laughed in return, unable to resist. "We should all get together then. I'd love to hear it."

"And I'd love to tell it. I was an amazing dance partner!" She whipped her tail about, grinning at Sunny. "And he kept up, points to him." She zipped in to grab Sunny's cheeks. "But let's put him aside a moment. I'm trying to make a new friend, a real friend, out of the pony in front of me."

Sunny couldn't help but laugh at the odd way that Comforting held her, but she managed to continue the conversation. "Okay, fine. I don't have to go to the forest, right?"

Comforting looked over her shoulder to the forest they had been going towards. "You don't have to! I don't like forcing creatures. I just thought a nice scenic trot would be nice." She shifted her hold on Sunny's cheek to just take up one cheek as if they were holding hands. "Though, I am interested in what you were saying about the forest. Have you been to the woods before?"

Sunny pointed ahead, to the forest. "Of course! That's why I want to make a proper park in it, for ponies to enjoy safely. We haven't built that park yet, so it's all wild and full of things, wild things." She glanced aside at Comforting, finding an innocent smile and curiosity in the other's gaze.

"I'd offer to help." Comforting released Sunny to consider the forest herself. "But if I did, it'd be a lot of cheating, and that takes some of the point out. Hm." She raised her tail to tickle Sunny under her snout. "You don't want me just doing it for you."

She flinched and giggled at the same time, playfully shooing the tail away. "Stop that! But no, I don't want you to. I want to make it on my own, or, well, with the rest of my friends."

"Which I still want to be one of." Comforting turned back to Sunny. "So, if you don't want to trot out into the forest unknown, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Oh, well, there's lots of fun things to do." Sunny swayed on her hooves, considering. "I really love working on the stand, and making sure the customers are having a great time."

Comforting rolled a hand. "That's work. I love that you enjoy your work, but that's work. That isn't something you do with a friend for the fun of it." She floated up to look at Sunny from a different angle. "When was the last time you did something for fun?"

"It was yesterday." Sunny glanced aside with a wince. "Wasn't it?"

"Did you have any fun with Izzy, or Zipp?" She folded her hands in front of her with an encouraging smile. "That might count."

Sunny was about to say, yes, it had been the three of them together, but her mind drew a blank. "It... It must've been." She struggled for a memory of the time with her two friends.

Comforting zipped in, nose to nose with Sunny. "It didn't leave much of an impact on you, it seems. Are you sure it was fun, rather than some chore?"

"It had to be fun!" Sunny swayed from side to side, but the more she thought, the more that thought sounded hollow. "I just, we had to do stuff, didn't we?"

Comforting nodded slowly, still nose to nose with Sunny. "And you got it done, with friends. Very nice, lovely even, but I want to know about you just having a good time, doing something that didn't have to be done." She flicked a hoof to one side. "What was your last fun activity?"

Sunny's mouth opened, and closed. She frowned, looking aside as she thought hard. There was that time she went to the movies with Zipp. "That had been a good movie, not my usual genre, but Zipp was sure it'd be great, and it was good."

Comforting picked up enough clues to put together what Sunny was mumbling about. "You like movies? What genre?"

"It's the action ones with big stakes and—"

"No! No, no no no no no." Comforting shook her head a bunch. "That is what you watch because they are interesting, not because it is fun."

"Fun." Sunny curled a hoof to her chin with thought, then dug out her phone and pulled up what movies were playing. "Fun, hm, let's see." She scrolled through the listings of what was playing before stopping. "This one looks like fun. I'll take a look and let you know."

"Is this how you always find a new movie? Just, scroll through them until one grabs you?" Comforting examined the phone screen curiously to see which movie Sunny had landed on.

"It's worked so far." Sunny poked a button on her phone to request a ticket. "I guess I could see what my friends want to see."

Comforting folded her arms across her chest. "Sunny! That's mean. I'm right here, asking you about fun things you like to do. I'm asking about you, your preferences, and you're ignoring that?"

Sunny squinted. "So?"

"So?" She threw her hands in the air. "I want you to have fun. Nopony else just you, having fun. You deserve to have fun on your own terms. You're a great friend, clearly, willing to do what it takes for everypony else to have a blast, but this time, I want you to enjoy yourself, just for yourself."

Sunny bowed her head, fiddling with her phone. "You really want me to have fun?"

"I do. More than you know, I want that." Comforting patted Sunny on the shoulders. "You're a sweet, kind, wonderful, pony." She ruffled Comforting's shoulder. "The only alicorn around these days. I want you to have fun."

Sunny's ears flattened back. "Am I special, because I'm the last alicorn?"

"You are not! You are a person, a unique pony." Comforting rolled her eyes and touched a finger to the end of Sunny's nose. "Who happens to be an alicorn too, but I'd want you to have fun even if you weren't. Now, lovely friend of mine, what movie do you want to see because it's a kind of movie you'd watch even if you were alone?"

Sunny's mind raced, scrambling to find an answer. "I've never really thought about it! I just pick the ones that sound the most appealing."

Comforting chuckled, nodding slowly. "If it makes you feel better, I have no idea about movies." She hummed gently, floating backwards. "It's been so many moons since I last watched one, a lifetime ago." That was more literal than she cared to explain. "But I'd like to try one, with a friend, that she wants to see."

"Um." Sunny hunched in on herself a little. "I don't know?"

Comforting gently pulled on Sunny, leading her down the street. "Let's walk around and talk." She grabbed for Sunny's phone, sliding back to the top. "Let's review these, carefully. We have time, and talk about which ones sound interesting and why. Which one you want to see should pop up naturally."

They wandered, Comforting flipping the phone as she listened to Sunny talk about the movies she liked. None of them jumped out at either of them. They were interesting, or dramatic, but not exactly 'fun' as it was put. Comforting eventually surrendered the phone back. "Hm, maybe it's just bad timing. Alright, no movie then. What else do you like to do, just for the fun of it?"

Sunny perked. "Oh! Rollerskating when I don't have somewhere to be. That was fun for me since I was a little filly! My father taught me."

"Roller skating?" Comforting looked down at Sunny's feet. "Do you have those? They should be simple enough to make." She blinked, tilting her head. "That does sound fun." She clapped her hands, suddenly wearing a seat on her mismatched feet as she thudded to the ground, gravity important for that sport. "Let's skate."

"Comforting! Where did you get those?"

Comforting flexed her legs with a smile. "I created them, that's what I do." She trotted in place before leaping forward and gliding along, circling around a stunned Sunny. "Where are yours? Let's get them!"

Sunny pointed at Comforting's skates. "I can't just do that, like, snap, they're there."

"You can't, but I can. I'll just make a pair for you." She clapped with a giggle, and Sunny was wearing skates, just as Comforting had done for herself. "Where to, skate-buddy?"

"The rink." Sunny's ears flattened in excitement and anticipation. She swung a leg and pushed off the ground. She immediately slid forward, feeling the wind brush her mane. The freedom of it was almost addictive.

Together, they powered down the street to just have some fun.

Author's Note

Nothing but a sweet slice of life, mmm, carrot cake flavor.

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26 - Rabbit Trails

Misty burst into Amber's office, sides heaving and eyes wide. "You will not believe this!" She slipped in and flopped onto the nearest cushion, wiggling up against Amber. "I just found something incredible in the forest!"

Amber blinked, the unexpected intrusion by her student leaving her blinking at the papers in front of her. "Uh, did you finish all your assignments?"

"Of course!" She lifted up with a giggle. "What can I say, I was motivated! But it's not about that." With a glowing horn, Misty set down her book. "I think I understood a spell in here!"

Amber turned her gaze to the book. "Which one? Show me."

Misty grinned and flipped to the page. "It's a very useful one! You should see."

Amber read through the instructions. "A cleaning spell?" Rather than being disappointed, she only brightened. "I want to see!"

"I want to show it." Misty looked over the spell one more time, tongue poking out a little as she cast it, eyes on Amber's bed. The bed glowed the same color as the spell took hold of it, shaking softly, then brightening as it was cleaned from deep within to the surface, then it started to fold neatly until it looked like a trained maid had come and tended to it.

Amber rose to her hooves, stumbling over to it. "Misty, that's, that's incredible!" She looked over the now pristine and folded bedding. "It's, so clean! Can I touch it? Do I have to? I want to." She looked to Misty. "Can I?"

Misty waved at the made bed. "Please," she almost squeaked out, barely holding back her giggles.

Amber reached out, feeling the crisp blanket and clean sheets under it. "That's so cool! Does it work on things besides beds?"

"I don't think it'll break that difference. If it can wash a bed, why can't it clean the floor or wash dishes?" Misty kicked a hoof softly against the ground as she sat back down.

Amber imagined how that could go wrong with a nervous laugh. "We should test that before we assume. Hm, oh!" She grabbed a small trophy off a shelf and placed it before Misty. "Try that. It could use a polish, and if it gets hurt, I won't be super sad."

"Oh, alright." Misty went to work casting the spell once more, pointing at the little trophy. It shook and glowed in its same pattern as it did to the bed, then it shone brightly to reveal a sparkling, pristine, award.

Amber squealed as she clapped at the sight. "Perfect! I love it. Now, how many hugs do I have to offer before you teach that one to me?" She leaned in, giggling. "How quickly the student becomes the teacher."

Misty's horn shimmered. "I could write the whole thing down for you now, if you wanted, but I thought it'd be better to practice together. That's how you did it with me and all my other spells."

"I accept," joyfully cried out Amber. "It's nice being a wizard, but being a wizard with a buddy? Even better."

Elsewhere, Comforting smiled at the image of the two working with equal delight at sharing and practicing their magic. "It's so nice to see unicorns doing what unicorns do again." She let out a soft sigh, rubbing her chin a moment. "Should I do it now? Would that be weird? I don't want to interrupt their bonding time."

Sunny leaned in, nosing at Comforting's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Comforting jumped, only then remembering that she had company, and was not in one of her safe secret places. "Oh! Yes. I just had a feeling some ponies were having a good time, and it made me happy."

Sunny laughed at that. "You can feel that? Must be nice. I was about to head home." She pointed to the bright house. "You're welcome to come along?"

"I think I'll pass, tonight." Comforting adjusted herself, drifting up into the air to better stare down at the inviting, and also foreboding, structure. "I still have a job to do."

Sunny put out an arm, soon getting a Comforting in it to hug gently. "Then I'll see you later. You know where to find me." She lowered her gaze to her hooves. "By the way, how long will these skates last? You were implying not forever?"

"About a week if we got really lucky." She waved to the skates, and they vanished back to the chaos, wherever they came from. "If you need them back sooner, just call for me and I'll bring them back."

"It's alright, I do have some at home. I need them for deliveries, or just having some fun." Sunny shook herself lightly and broke into a trot towards the bright house. "See you later!"

Comforting waved her goodbye, and then turned back to the bright house, drifting up to hover higher in the sky. "You're waiting for something." She rested a finger on her chin, watching the building, and its surroundings, with an idle gaze. "But not today, not right now, and not from me, right now." She nodded, sure with her thoughts and twirled to face the larger city instead. "No no no. What this city needs is—no." She rolled her head and eyes, moving a little farther from the bright house.

Her head tilted to the side. "Ah, there you are, little bunny." Spotting Twitch darting about, looking for something, Comforting swooped in for a closer examination of the rabbit. She drew down her goggles, ready to understand the gibberish that the bunny might speak.

Twitch, with no sense of being observed, ran along his usual path, keeping to the shadows and hiding away from the eyes of ponies. "Come on, where did it go?" He hopped off a cart, dashing over to where he had seen a shining red object.

Comforting shadowed the rabbit curiously, making no noise as she faded entirely from sight. She watched as Twitch scrambled to get his paws on something that glittered and sparkled in the night, something he finally managed to dig up.

He wiped away the dirt with a triumphant smile, only to toss it aside with a whine of distress.

Curiosity burning, Comforting returned to visibility behind Twitch. "Looking for something?"

He jumped and spun on her, letting out a shrill noise, but he still answered. "My treasure! It's gone, but this is where I found it. It was a shiny, pretty, thing."

Comforting's eyes swept over the subtitles that translating Twitch's gibbering into understandable words. "What treasure? Maybe I can help find it."

Twitch eyed her suspiciously. "What's in it for you?" they demanded with a thump of one of their large feet. "And why can you even understand me? That's Allura's thing!" He paused and took a step back. "Are you Allura? Did you turn yourself into a strange new creature?!"

Comforting raised her hands. "No no no. I'm me, but I can just understand you." She glanced about, leaning closer to Twitch. "Let's find this treasure of yours. What does it look like?"

Twitch wasn't certain about this strange creature that appeared before him, but they were desperate enough to give it a shot. "It's shiny! It's beautiful and so precious, so perfect. It's just for me!"

Comforting's head tilted to the side. "All good things to be, but let's start with its color."

"Shiny!" Twitch bounced from foot to foot with obvious agitation.

"What part of it is shiny? The inside or the outside?"

"Both! It's perfect. It's round, and smooth, and just right in my paw." Twitch held the imagined thing in his little paw.

Comforting smiled. "Alright, we have a hint, it's rabbit-paw sized. Still, what color is it, really, besides shiny, or is it just shiny and no other color?" She imagined a chrome finish in her mind. "Do you mean reflective like a mirror, or dull, but just glossy?"

Twitch tried to remember, but they were caught up in the desire to find it. "I don't know, but it was pretty."

"Round, and bunny-paw sized." Comforting nodded to herself as she looked around. "That's a start. Let's see if we can't find that." She sniffed the air, raising up into the sky and examining the streets of Maretime Bay. She heard Twitch complaining below, and she let out a sigh. She scooped up Twitch with magic and drifted him up to her level.

The higher vantage point let him peer in all directions, one paw over his eyes as he glared at every possible hiding place he could spot from there.

Comforting brought her goggles up. "I have an idea, but I need you to listen." She waited a beat for Twitch to nod. "Good. Close your eyes and focus on this thing you lost. Just imagine it, and keep a nice clear image in your head. Don't think of anything else."

He obeyed, closing his eyes and envisioning that thing, his perfect treasure.

Comforting reached up to her goggles and clicked them, rotating their lenses to no longer show the subtitles of bunnies, but instead offer a peek inside their thoughts. She wasn't planning on taking the words, but rather just borrowing them.

The first word was 'shiny'. Then a perfect round shape followed it. It was about as big as Twitch's paw, though not about the exact size, that detail was left open. She leaned in closer, trying to get a good view of what Twitch was imagining. It was a bit cloudy, but she could just make out the curve of it. It was a metal sphere, the very tip of it bent and broken off.

She nodded to herself, and turned the goggles back to their default mode. "Okay, I think I know what we're hunting for now." She clapped her hands gently. "And I know who took it."

Twitch perked at that. "Took it?! Who took it?!" he roared out with a furious stomp of one of his powerful back paws.

Comforting grimaced. "Not here." She wrapped Twitch in a cocoon of magic, giving him a little squeeze. "And I don't think they were trying to be mean, but that shiny, that metal, that shape? Yeah, only one pony comes to mind. Let's go!" She soared through the air, carrying Twitch along as they zipped towards the brighthouse. "Have you met Izzy before?"

Twitch twitched in her magic, unable to break free, not that he seemed to want to, seeing as they were flying towards where he suspected the thief was. "No, not that I know of."

"She's nice, but she loves collecting shinies, especially if she thinks she can 'unicycle' them into new and wonderful things. What you're missing? That looks like something she'd grab if she saw it laying around." Comforting landed just in front of the brighthouse and set Twitch nearby. "So let's ask her, nicely, and she'll give it back if she has it."

"What if she doesn't?"

"Well, then we have a problem on our paws." Comforting knocked on the door with a frown. "But it's the polite thing to do first, right?"

Twitch crossed his arms with clear disagreement on that point, but he waited, impatiently, for Comforting to give it a try.

The door opened from within, revealing Sunny. "Oh! I didn't think you'd visit quite that quickly." She looked past Comforting to Twitch and cringed. "Um."

Comforting smiled gently. "We were wondering if we could talk to Izzy a moment? Is she inside?"

"Yeah! Come in. It's about time for dinner anyway. We were just figuring out what to do about it." Sunny stepped aside so that they could enter and shut the door behind them. Once Twitch scurried past, Sunny leaned in closer to Comforting. "That's Allura's little minion. Why are you walking around with him of all creatures?!"

"He's not so bad, he's just looking for something, and I might have an idea of where it is. He's not here to hurt anyone." Comforting lifted just to swoosh around the corner in search of a certain unicorn.

"You'd better be right, or he'll have to leave." Sunny trailed behind, keeping a skeptical eye on the rabbit.

Comforting led Twitch towards the kitchen, and once she rounded the corner, she was greeted by the sight of Izzy hovering above the counter with a basket of eggs, and a grumpy Hitch in front of a pot, staring at it with suspicion. There, attached to the basket, was the metal shiny bent ball.

Twitch broke in a hopping sprint towards it, a stream of not entirely pleasant words spilling from him that only Comforting could understand.

Izzy looked back to see what the fuss was about. "Huh? Oh!" She floated down with a happy grin. "Comfort! And Allura's buddy? I didn't see that coming."

"Me neither." Hitch squinted at the small rabbit, but looked onwards to Comforting. "Can you explain this?"

Comforting slid between Twitch and Izzy, blocking Twitch from jumping at Izzy. "That." She pointed at the shiny bauble. "That belongs to Twitch here. He's been searching everywhere for it. Could we have it back, please?"

Izzy blinked, glancing at Twitch and then to the little ornament. "Um, this is just a cute trinket I found. It really finishes the basket, doesn't it? All super sparkly perfect." She brought the basket over in her glowing magic. "Perfect!"

Hitch held out a hoof for a hoof-bump, and Izzy obliged. "That is pretty nice looking, even though it was just some old chunk of metal somepony tossed into the woods. Might've been the unicorns at some point, hard to say."

Comforting waved to Twitch behind her. "Or it might have been a certain rabbit?"

Twitch huffed at her. "My treasure, not theirs."

She winced at his lack of manners. "Sorry. He wants it back. He's been looking for it, and we got a clue that you might've picked it up."

Izzy sighed. "Well, if it was his first." She reached up both hooves and wrenched it free of her basket with a twang. "Here ya go."

The moment it was held out, Twitch grabbed it with a triumphant expression, hopping in place with sheer joy at seeing it back. "Yes!" He hugged it close to his chest, whispering gentle words of reassurance to it.

Sunny raised a brow as she slowly drifted into the room, having heard the commotion. "Is that all he wanted then?"

"I think so?" Comforting gently tapped Twitch on the back. "All good? Is everything taken care of?"

Twitch rubbed his nose over the top of the metal ball. "Yes."

Hitch walked to the door to see him out. "If that's all, then you should be off."

Twitch darted out the door in a blur, laughing in his rabbitish way.

Comforting trailed after. "It was nice bumping into you all. How's Zipp and Pipp doing? And where's that cute widdle dragon?"

Hitch smiled at his mention. "He's taking a nap right now. Zipp and Pipp are watching a concert they both wanted to see. I'll tell them you swung by though."

Sunny wandered out to see the other two off. "Zipp'll be sorry she missed you. She'll probably go see you as soon as the show's over. That's how she is."

Comforting flew out of the brighthouse. "She deserves some hangout time too. It's nice getting to know all of you." She shared a final wave and left them to their original evening plans, minus one specific metal bauble.

Author's Note

I didn't expect a Twitch-oriented chapter, but here we are.

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27 - Touching Bases

It was the next morning, and the ponies and dragons of the brighthouse were enjoying a quiet breakfast together. They each had a stack of pancakes that Izzy had helped with, but for once, nopony was eager to discuss the delicious meal. Instead, each of them kept casting furtive glances at each other, the atmosphere tense with unspoken questions.

It was Izzy who broke the silence. "So, is anypony going to talk about how we had Allura's rabbit friend in our house yesterday?" She snickered suddenly. "I mean, I'm not against making new friends, but are they, or Allura what anypony here would call a 'friend' yet?"

Zipp threw up her hooves. "I wasn't even here! I would have had so many questions for that little menace if I had been. What do you even talk to a bunny henchman of Allura's about?"

"That's not even the good one. The question is, why was Comforting hanging out with it?" Sunny listed onto a hoof with a sigh. "Seeing the two of them together really knocked it out of me, I wasn't even sure what I was looking at."

Pipp bobbed her head back and forth with a half-shrug. "Sure, that's weird, but, compared to the other stuff we've seen? A little weirdness is actually normal." She waved her cellphone at the others. "Now, the important question, I don't suppose any of you happened to catch that on video?"

Hitch scowled. "Absolutely not. You're about the only one that makes it a habit to record her entire life."

"Seriously, how am I the only pony in this household that is addicted to social media? None of you would ever have to worry about this sort of thing if you posted pictures and videos every day." Pipp made a kissy face at her own camera, snapping a selfie, then a shot of what she was eating. "There are benefits at times. Now, I remind, I wasn't there either. Me and sis were enjoying a rocking concert." She swayed to the remembered beat of the show.

Pipp twirled up, stretching her wings out wide. "It was an awesome time! But I can't help but wonder what a bunny and a chaos spirit might be talking about." She gasped suddenly. "It must be a mystery! The story of a mysterious meeting between the two." She slapped her hooves to her cheeks in mock surprise. "No, that's even too weird. There's no way." She lowered onto her seat. "Comfort's a nice creature, right? She wouldn't bring over the bunny without a reason."

Izzy pointed over towards her creation area. "All they asked for was a little shiny thing. As soon as the bunny had it, he was happy and he was gone, zoom!"

Hitch shrugged, folding his hooves across the table. "I guess that means it's fine? He didn't come here to cause any trouble, or even to hurt anypony. It was just about that one thing."

Soft noises arose of general agreement. However odd it had been, nothing had actually been hurt. It was all rather anti-climatic in a way.

Sunny, however, shook her head with a chuckle. "Still, I'm glad Zipp and Pipp weren't here for it. They had a far nicer time at that concert from the sound of it. Glad you two had a nice time."

Zipp raised her phone. "I got some sweet pics and a video."

"Send it to me! I want to see how the fans react." Pipp stretched her hoof out for Zipp's phone, smiling widely. They exchanged videos quickly and Pipp got to working her magic with a smile.

Zipp glanced over to Sunny. "Did anything happen here, that isn't super top-secret or dangerous?"

Sunny tapped her hooves together idly, smiling back at the memory of the previous day. "That was the most noteworthy thing. Oh! Comforting said she wanted to hang out with you two." She waved a hoof between Zipp and Pipp. "She really wants to be all our friends. I don't mind, she seems nice enough, but it's almost unusual to have something putting in the effort to be our friend instead of the other way around."

Zipp gave a hoof bump to Hitch, who eagerly reciprocated. "You don't need to convince me, that's great! I want all the friends."

Izzy piped in. "I guess that's another pro to going back to how it used to be? Being friends with lots of creatures?"

Sunny sighed wistfully. "And also, having more adventures to tell stories about." She twirled a hoof gently. "Speaking of that, she's from ancient times, with ancient magic. Part of me's a little worried about that, but the other remembers she's literally a bag of rainbows and smiles." She blinked and looked at Izzy. "Actually, you haven't told us anything more about her, do you know anything? She's clearly some kind of pony."

"Well." Izzy popped the last bite of pancake in her mouth. "She knows magic. She's tutoring Amber, who's tutoring Misty. They're magic buddies!" She clapped her hooves together. "It's really nice. I wish I could have a magic buddy too, but they won't invite me to their secret magic games." She sighed with dreams of new magic playing in her mind. "But! Comfort is a special case."

Sunny leaned on her hoof, her other pointing to the air as she gestured for Izzy to continue. "How so?"

"She isn't a pony." Izzy shrugged a bit. "Most of the creatures we meet are ponies. How many not-ponies do we know? There's Allura, that sea pony I ran into, and Comforting, and a sea pony's still kinda a pony, right? They got pony right in the name!" She rolled her hands forward. "But she's not one."

Pipp looked over. "How can you tell? She looks just like a pony. Well, part of one? The central bit." She waved a hoof up and down to encompass the imagined torso and head of Comforting. "The rest is a hodge podge."

Sunny raised a hoof, and then let it drift down as she mulled over that last detail. "Yeah, now that you say it like that, I don't know how I never realized." She hopped to her hooves down to the ground. "You're right, she's not a pony, but she shines with all the elements. Whatever she is, she feels like a force of good."

Izzy nodded in agreement. "And she loves hugs. She's always quick to offer, and she's warm and cozy." She wrapped her arms around herself in a pretend hug. "A fuzzy friend with a fuzzier heart. Even if she is a bit stingy on the whole magic thing."

Pipp looked up from her phone. "Speaking of that, the talk around town is she may be getting a boyfriend, and you'll never guess who it may be!"

The group crowded together, Pipp fluttering up to show them her phone.

They all leaned in, save for Sunny. "Isn't that—"

"—yeah."

"—wait, really?"

There, on the phone, was a captured moment of Comforting caught mid-dance with another pony, with the most gentle and loving expressions on their faces. "I'd been hearing rumors, and I wanted to check it out for myself, and I got the goods."

Izzy dropped her fork with a gasp. "I can't believe it! Also, I don't know who that is. Seriously, who is that?"

Sunny waved at the image. "That is clearly Toots. Toots? Seriously? I mean, nice enough stallion, Toots?!"

Zipp narrowed her gaze at the image. "It is? Huh. I don't think I've ever seen him before, and I don't know, it just doesn't look like him."

Pipp swiped on her phone and tapped a moment before pulling up a collage of different Toots images. That they were the same pony was hard to argue. "The Internet doesn't lie, Sis."

Sunny put her face in her hooves. "This can't be real. That can't be what I think it is. She's so much older than him, right?"

Izzy patted Sunny's shoulder. "Well, yeah, but Comforting's, what, immortal? She can date young, or just not date at all. There's not of other options there."

"Oh, I don't mind that at all. I like them, or her, or him, or it." Sunny groaned and buried her face further against the table. "It's just, ugh." She buried her face in her hooves. "I'm being unreasonable, sorry. I should be wishing them both good luck and congratulating them. Finding a special somepony, or somecreature, is lovely."

Hitch looked to Pipp. "So, what, your plan is to bug them about it when you see them next?"

"Oh, absolutely. My fans will want all the deets, and I plan to serve them up." Pipp giggled with thoughts of the future. "Besides, it'll be fun! And Comforting wanted to hang out anyway, so it's a win for everypony involved."

Zipp pushed back from the table. "Alright! That was a breakfast I'll always remember, but now that we've discussed the mystery of Comforting and her bunny guest, we need to get moving." She cracked her hooves and trotted towards the front door. "Let's go have fun. We can come back to this later, or maybe just let Comforting know that we know about her new beau."

Sunny went after Zipp. "I'd like to know. We have to assume it's serious if it's already online, but, it could be something casual? I don't want to pry. Either way, work calls. Who else is going to get smoothies to thirsty ponies?" With a final wave, she scurried off.

Izzy followed the line. "And I'm ready to go put on a show with my latest creation!"

Pipp glanced to the others. "We should keep an eye out for clues on when Allura will strike. She's a bad kitty, and serious trouble." She zipped out the front door, looking ready to hunt down clues on that case.

***

Zephyr Heights was a bustling place of air and movement, with colorful and friendly pegasi floating throughout it, enjoying the high winds as the world drifted beneath them.

The population of pegasi, once all hiding from the ground-bound races, was beginning to change, with some of those once-terrified fliers leaving their homes and venturing down to the surface. While it was still a minority of their kind, it was becoming easier to see the ones leaving to enjoy the grass or water, or anything else.

There was also a friendly chaos spirit, visiting casually as she wandered down one of their streets with a smile. "Look at this place!" She threw her mismatched arms wide. "I feel like I'm in a real city." So very distant memories of huge places like New York danced in her mind as she watched the huge billboards dance with images and sounds.

Nearby, a few children giggled and whispered behind their hooves, pointing as they wondered about this strange stranger in their midst. She heard them giggling, and turned to them, waving. She made faces at the ponies and they giggled even louder with excitement.

Comforting continued on her walk with a smile. "Foals don't change wherever you are. Now, mmm." She looked along the long line of various stores going on either side of the street. "Which one should I try first?" She ambled along, glancing back and forth at the storefronts.

Then she felt something she hadn't expected, and stopped to find the source. In her experience, unexpected feelings were usually due to a good reason.

The building in question was a candy shop, with large windows for display and a pair of doors swinging back and forth to reveal a busy interior.

"That looks like it." She trotted along to the entrance, pausing only briefly to listen to the advertisement outside the shop, talking about the many wondrous sweets that could be found within.

A bell rang as Comforting opened the door. "Hello?"

A cheerful pegasus wearing a green apron, her mane tied up, poked her head from the counter. "Hello! I hope you're ready to tease your tastebuds. We have things to make you pucker, sweeten your day, give you a jolt, or almost anything else." She flew closer. "What are you searching for, curious customer?"

"Oh, I just had a feeling about this place. What are you most proud of having here?"

The store owner put a hoof to her chin as she considered. "My best seller, that'd have to be my sour apple taffy, but that's not for everyone." She waved a warning hoof. "Only the strong of will can withstand the powerful punch it has, like a kick to the teeth!"

Comforting looked around at the many shelves of candies. "You're really selling that." She giggled, imagining a literal mouth-punching candy. "It can't be that bad. Let me try one."

"You think you can handle it?" She led the way to the correct section, showing off a tall stand of twisted apple treats, a variety of shades of green, from minty fresh to electric neon. She waved a hoof at the bright neon strands. "The brighter it is, the stronger it is. Only a select few reach for the end."

Comforting giggled, reaching for one of the less vibrant ones. "I'm sure it's great." She examined it carefully, rubbing her thumb over the wrapper, feeling the soft material that covered the treat. Was it plastic? It felt like plastic. She held up her phone and the shopkeeper swooped in to touch her own to it. A soft chime confirmed payment had been made.

She pulled back and gently tugged at the sides, trying to find a spot that'd allow her to unravel the twisted confection.

The shopkeeper circled behind her, tilting her head with interest. "Pull from the pointy edges there."

Comforting nodded and pulled at that point. The wrapper came loose easily enough and began to peel away, but a soft clack emerged from within. "Oh, is it, um, bubblegum?"

"You should chew it like that, yeah. First you have to bite off some of it." The shopkeeper cycled her hooves. "And be ready for that sour taste explosion to knock you back."

Comforting chuckled nervously as she removed the entire wrapper. She peered in at the deep green treat inside, smelling the tart sweetness within. "Um."

"Bite, and then chew it, or just pull some off with your teeth." The shopkeeper waggled her brows. "If you're scared, just scrape off some of the sugar a little at a time."

"I can handle it!" Comforting chomped a nice big bit off and discovered her mouth was full of pure sour. She made quite the face, to the shopkeeper's amusement, but it passed by quickly, allowing her to chew at the gummy confection with a growing smile. "Not bad," she got out when she could.

"You barely made it halfway!" The shopkeeper laughed gently, holding a hoof to her lips. "You really need to go all in! If you just nibble on it, you're missing the true power of the flavor." She flew over to wave at the brighter hues. "Or you can just throw all caution to the wind, if you're that brave." She waggled her brows at Comforting. "Always nice to see a real thrill seeker."

Comforting rolled the sticky mass from cheek to cheek with a smile. "Maybe." She rubbed her chin. "Do you mind if I take a picture of this to show my friends? They love candy too."

The shopkeeper had no complaints, even striking a pose to get a snapshot of the sour candy display with her in it. "Perfect." Comforting sent it flying to her friends with a few taps. "Visiting this city is already paying off, so many things to see!"

Author's Note

Why not visit a city, huh? The pollution draws typos though, be wary of that.

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28 - Detective Zipp

Zipp was sitting on the roof of the brighthouse, lazily relaxing and watching the clouds, when her phone buzzed with a message. She looked at the image that had arrived. "What's this?"

It was a text, from her mother. It had her smiling face on it, of course. "Dear, how are you? Your friend was seen wandering around. Why didn't you tell me she was stopping by? Ponies tell me she was very happy all on her own, so I let it go."

Zipp inclined her head. She mentally counted through all her friends, unsure which one would be around Zephyr Heights. "Curious..." She started tapping at the phone. "Which friend are you talking about? Glad they're having fun."

"Comforting! You know, your tall, strange, multicolored, not-a-pony friend? That's the one ponies have seen, so I think it has to be her, right? I can't imagine who else it'd be, she cuts a very distinct profile."

Zipp tapped a hoof on her chin, but wrote her reply. "Comforting didn't tell me she was going. I didn't even know she knew about the place! Or how to get to it. She did make a lot of noise about being an all powerful spirit, so, you know?"

Things were quiet. Rather than sit there waiting for the reply text, Zipp spread her wings and soared down to the entrance of the brighthouse. She burst through the doors, hovering over the living room, where she spotted Izzy just to the side, working on some project. "Izzy!"

Izzy glanced over with a happy expression. "Zipp? What's going on?"

"When you and Comforting were hanging out, did you say anything to her about Zephyr Heights?"

Izzy shook her head quickly. "Noperooni! We were talking about that bunny and their need for specific shinies. Why? She wanna visit?"

"Not just yet, she's there already." Zipp paced back and forth with thoughtful muttering.

"Who's where?" Hitch strolled in, having caught the tail end of Zipp's words. "Is someone having fun without us? You know I hate being left out."

"It's not that!" Zipp waved off his suggestion. "And it's not one of us. Comforting showed up at Zephyr Heights. She's, uh, allowed to do that, but I wasn't expecting it, you know?"

Hitch hummed a note as he leaned back, thinking that over. "Huh, that is odd. Why do you think she'd be there?"

"I don't know! Maybe it was random? Who can guess with her." Zipp smirked at the idea. "She has been telling us she's a 'chaos' spirit and all. Maybe she can be wherever she wants to be?"

Izzy set down her tools. "But you're sure it's Comfy? Maybe they got confused?"

Zipp laughed at the idea. "Who else looked kinda like Comforting? Seriously." She stalked past Izzy. "If they think they saw Comforting, it's probably her, unless somepony was out there enough to make a Comforting disguise." She paused. "Why? Should I check and be certain it's her?" She grumbled to herself and dug her phone from her pocket, preparing a new text to send to her mom. "Just in case."

She tapped at the phone with a hoof. "Mom, just double-checking, any chance that Comforting was somepony being silly in a getup to look like her?"

"I doubt it though." Zipp stuffed the phone away with a huff. "Am I overblowing this? Not like she caused any problems. Mom said she was happy and everypony involved was happy and all." She hung her head a little. "Maybe I'm just bored?"

Hitch glanced towards the front door. "When was this, exactly? If she's back, she's probably hanging around the library. She does work there. You could just talk to her directly, instead of worrying about it." He leaned in with a little smile. "Or, I could. It'd be a nice walk, and she's a pleasant pony." He leaned back with a sigh. "Even if I still can't decide how I feel about her."

Zipp patted Hitch on the shoulder lightly. "I get that. If she can do half the stuff she implies, she's a public menace, and you're a sheriff and all. Still, pretty nice as potential dooms go." She grinned, lolling her tongue out. "You'll figure it out."

Hitch frowned at the idea of it all. "I just worry about her. She's so nice and friendly, but..." He rolled a hoof along with that thought. "How do I even prepare for that?"

Izzy giggled, missing any gravity. "You don't, silly. If she does something wrong, you grab her!" She circled her arms as if hugging something. "Pull her close, and tell her not to do that again. Bad Comfy! Bad!" Her giggles only increased in volume. "That'd fix it."

"What if it doesn't?" Hitch folded his forelegs across his chest. "She's so big, and not really a pony." His eyes traced Izzy up and down. "Could you grab her? Really?"

Izzy took on a more determined expression, looking like she was about to run off into battle, though she remained sitting. "I got this! I could totally wrestle Comforting." She took on the best fighting stance she could manage while remaining seated. "Take that!" Her attack moves all consisted of various grabs to hug Comforting back to the good side.

Zipp chuckled gently. "Thanks for being ready to go. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing how much we care, especially since she cares a lot about us." Zipp slid in her seat and got into her own attempt at a fighter's posture. "I'd help. Between us, Comforting's going down. Then we'll tickle her until she stops feeling evil."

Izzy and Zipp laughed together at the idea, but Hitch raised his hooves to intercede. "Please, if we have to do that, I want to be on the winning team." He took a deep breath. "Which I already am." He hugged the two battle-ready mares. "Thanks, I feel better. Uh, so, Zipp, go on." He tossed his head towards the door. "See if she's at the library."

Zipp bobbed her head up and down. "That is the place to start. Thanks, Izzy, you're the best. Don't mention this to her. I want to be sneaky." She zipped out the door, leaving a waving Izzy behind.

Soaring over the roads of the city, she waved at a few pegasi sharing the airspace, but made her way smoothly to the still new library. It was a nice sight, seeing the library in action, full of books and eager readers.

She entered, eyes sweeping over the bookcases. "Comforting? Hello?"

The chaos spirit herself was just exiting the storage area, holding a handful of books and chatting with a pony in a mask. She squeaked in surprise, throwing the books in the air. "Oh, hey Zipp." The books, somehow, landed exactly where they needed to be on various shelves. "What brings you by?" She waved at the masked pony, who trotted off.

"Where is that pony off to?" Zipp tried to catch the retreating pony's attention, but they were gone in moments. She shrugged and returned her attention to Comforting. "Somepony just told me they saw you up at Zephyr Heights." Zipp inclined her head towards the distant home of pegasi. "That's quite a distance from here."

Comforting hummed gently. "Well, when you're a grown one of mes, distance takes on new meanings." She casually tapped Zipp, but was doing it from the wrong direction, somehow getting her back despite standing in front of her. "I heard Zephyr Heights had all sorts of things to see and do, so I stopped by for a visit. It was fun! They knew how to make a guest feel at home, and never bored for a second."

"Did they now? Sounds like quite the adventure." Zipp rolled a hoof across the counter, drawing gentle circles. "What was the most exciting thing? Did you talk to anypony? The natives are still a bit on edge with outsiders, but they're getting better."

"Lucky for them." Comforting directed up to her mismatched horns. "These never glow, usually, so that didn't panic them. Sure, the first pegasus was a little nervous, but as soon as I started going around and buying things, they warmed right up."

Zipp burst into laughter at that. "Wow, money, breaking barriers. You should consider a career in politics."

"I prefer librarian." Comforting rested her hooves on her chest. "It's peaceful and quiet. No pressure on me to make any real decisions, I just put books where they belong and pass the time. Make sure ponies are finding what will lead them to new places." She leaned in over Zipp, looming really. "Speaking of that! What tome are you looking for today?"

Zipp considered Comforting carefully. "What if you're the book I'm trying to figure out?"

"Oh." Comforting stood taller with a sheepish expression. "You'd rather talk than look for a book then? I suppose that's fine. I do have to watch the library and all, but I'm here for you." She turned away, but lashed her long griffon tail around Zipp, hugging her and drawing her along as she retreated deeper into the library.

The pair ended up in the small lounge meant for those taking breaks from reading, or in need of a place to nap. "So, what's going on? Did I do something that made you upset?" She sat on a couch near a low table, patting the empty seat next to her.

"Not quite, I just wanted to chat." Zipp hopped onto the couch and scooted over closer. "About you. You've made it pretty clear that you're no small thing, and now you're casually hopping a day away for the fun of it." Zipp folded her arms over her chest. "I want to know what, or who, I'm dealing with. I'm not accusing you of anything, you didn't do anything wrong."

"I did not. Thank you." Comforting crossed her arms. "I think I understand. You're a curious little pony. I'm glad, because I want to get to know you as well. It's not easy for a creature like me to make friends. So, you ask, and I will answer, if I can." She unlashed her tail from around Zipp, letting it sway freely as she relaced in her seat.

Zipp nodded slowly. "First, wow, I'm not used to my investigations being this easy. You'll just tell me what I want to know?"

"I'm not hiding things." Comforting rolled her hands together. "I'm the new creature on the block, hit me with your best shots."

Zipp squinted with suspicion, but had no way of disproving her claims. "What are you then? You aren't a pony. It's weird saying that, seeing as it's what we are, but you're not a pony, and not a griffon or dragon or anything else I heard of, but you are a lot of bits of basically all of those."

"Guilty." Comforting fell apart suddenly, as if her composite body lost the glue that held its various different species together. That didn't stop her from talking, "I am a spirit, a chaos spirit. I know I mentioned that before. My dad was a composite critter like me, but had different creatures in there. My mom was a lovely pegasus. I bet Sunny would know her."

Zipp put a hoof to her chin. "The Princess of Love?"

"No, but nice guess. Nope! A nice humble pegasus that lived in a sleepy town." Comforting sighed gently with the distant memories of Ponyville. "It was way before your time, of course." She began to slowly gather herself together, starting with her equine half. "I grew up with friends, family, the normal stuff."

"Yeah, normal's a word I don't see you using often." Zipp passed over the griffon tail that had fallen further away from the rest. "Okay, pegasus for a mom, chaos spirit for a dad, and we get you. So, are you a girl spirit or a boy spirit?"

"Yes." Comforting gave a serious nod, with a face equally as stoic.

"What?" Zipp blinked at her, dumbfounded. "Seriously?"

"Yeah!" Comforting flashed a bright smile. "You get as old as I am and the question loses the bite it used to. I'm whatever I want to be. That can change. Right now, lady spirit. Pretty happy with how that's worked out so far, dating a stallion, the works." Comforting tapped her chin. "I suppose it's possible I'll change that decision at some point, but it hasn't happened yet. I really like him, so I think I'm staying as a her."

Zipp sank into the cushions. "How can you just shrug that off?" She burst into nervous laughter. "I'm a her, and happy staying that way, forever, thanks."

Comforting tapped Zipp on the nose. "But you won't. Nothing stays the same forever. Such is the regrettable fate of mortality." She threw her hands up dramatically. "Woe unto them, for their days are numbered, even if they can't see them." Her eyes became Roman numerals. "I can, but I make it a point not to stare at that. It's rude, and not fun for them, or me." She laughed gently. "Besides, sometimes that leads to awkward conversations like this, which, fun, but you have better questions I'm sure!"

"That's, wait, that's what you're going to use to cheer me up?" Zipp cringed with nervous chuckles at the sudden turn towards the topic of mortality. "Don't tell me what number you see, thanks. I'm happier not knowing." She shook herself out, trying to release the tension of that topic. "So, uh, back to the topic at hoof! Yes. Chaos spirit for a dad. He's, like, the entity of chaos itself?"

Comforting tapped her fingers together. "Now that's a tricky one. I'd say yes, but not the way you're thinking of it. He was pretty bad in his youth, but he mellowed with age, and the influence of my mom. He became a nicer person, bit by bit. Still chaos, just a gentler chaos, more like me!"

"Uh, huh." Zipp waved her hoof. "I'm not sure how much of that to believe. So, your father is chaos? I'm just going to trust he's not a supervillain like Allura."

"No, he's a perfectly ordinary villain like Allura. Dad was definitely a supervillain, the baddest of the baddies back in his day." Comforting rubbed along her chin. "But he left. You don't have to worry about him anymore." She lashed her tail gently. "I miss him sometimes."

Zipp shifted closer. "He died?"

"No." Comforting lowered her voice with a little wince. "Dad's out there somewhere. I haven't seen him in years." She waved a hand upwards. "Look out into the stars and you may spot him if you look hard enough. He may even give a wave if he feels like it. You never know for sure with him." She giggled with rising spirits. "Dad..." She sighed gently. "But you had more questions, about me?"

Zipp kept her comments to herself about the apparent immortality of the pair. "Sure, sure. So, you're a chaos spirit, and the embodiment of friendship, but you were a normal pony for a good long while."

"Until I wasn't." Comforting threw her hooves wide, doing her best to convey that event, without giving the details. "But I'm me, and I always was. I am a gentle chaos, a push towards growth, change that helps, if I can." She leaned in, putting a finger under Zipp's chin. "But that's me. So, still feel threatened?"

Author's Note

Comforting's travel does not go without notice.

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29 - Interrogations

Zipp kept eye contact with Comforting as time passed slowly. "You like touching ponies," she broke the silence with.

Comforting laughed at the choice. "That's what you notice?" She drew her finger back with a sway of her long tail. "But it's true. If ponies let me, I will touch. When I had a cutie mark, it was a big warm hug." She draped her arms across herself, pulling herself in for a gentle embrace. "Now it's a warm fuzzy feeling. That's why I try to hug everypony, everywhereness I can, to help with the warm fuzzy feeling." She wriggled her snout. "I may not have the mark itself, but it was a reflection of me from the start, not a forcing thing."

Zipp snapped her hooves. "Hey, that reminds me. I've noticed you seem to know a lot more about magic than we do, and that's just weird, given that you aren't even a unicorn." She looked up towards Comforting's mismatched horns. "I mean, you have horns, but even you admitted you don't use them, so how would you know anything about making them do magic?"

"You want to hear how?" Comforting stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I'll tell you." She leaned in, whispering. "Ponies need to work harder with their magic. They have it, and plenty of it." She flashed a grin, zipping in to curl around Zipp. "Earth ponies are off to a great start! They've pulled out magic they never fully realized before with their plant magic, so proud of them all." She sighed with contentment. "Now they can do so much more! One day, I hope they can call on that power the way a unicorn could, and the world will be richer."

Zipp laughed softly, trying to brush off her discomfort with the closeness of the other. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you can see all of that." She curled a wing to point at herself. "But, one thing. You seem interested in unicorns, and proud of earth ponies. What about us pegasi? What sort of clever dreams are you hatching up for us that I should be keeping an eye on, hm?"

Comforting smiled over, drifting back into her own personal space. "What would you like to hear?"

"Hmm." Zipp tapped her hoof on her chin. "Wait, you're avoiding the question." She slid to her hooves, glaring at Comforting. "I don't want to hear what I want to hear. I want to hear the truth."

"Of course!" Comforting floated upward with a playful smile. "But the question was too open. Too broad." She swept a hoof through the air in a lazy circle. "Unicorns have a simple trick with their magic, which they forgot, but are remembering. The earth ponies learned something they never know. The pegasi, hm, they already remembered, and can fly and dart." She made flying noises, arms spread wide. "It's lovely, but is there a second step to it? The only thing that comes to mind, you're already doing very well without."

Zipp perked at that. "But you know it! Admit it."

Comforting fluttered her lashes. "I do indeed. Do you want me to spoil the surprise?"

Zipp slumped back. "What is with you and surprises?" She patted at Comforting's muzzle. "Yes, kindly. Spoil me. I'm an investigator. Spoiling surprises is what I do."

Comforting drew back, lifting into the air through no effort of her tiny wings. "Alright. I'll tell you one thing, which is more than I usually do. Long long ago, pegasi were the masters of the weather. These days, ponies are happy with whatever weather comes along as it comes. A rainy day? You change plans around it."

She rushed in, snout almost touching Zipp's. "But, in the old days, it rained on a schedule the pegasi kept very strictly. That was their job. Earth ponies grew, unicorns did spells, and pegasi controlled the weather. Three legs to the tripod." She backed up again. "You wouldn't want to spend all day micromanaging the clouds instead of investigating, I imagine."

Zipp stared at Comforting as thoughts ran wild through her head. "Huh. That is interesting, actually." She reached for the ceiling. "Is there a secret to controlling the clouds?" She tilted her head, raising her ears. "A magical key?"

"Not a literal one." Comforting played with a key that hadn't been in her hands just moments before. "It's like what was keeping earth ponies from doing what they do now, a matter of will, and perspective." She backed towards the door. "Now, I am a librarian, and on the clock. I really should get back to helping ponies find their books."

"And I should get back to helping ponies by hunting down troublemakers. This was fun, though. We should do it again sometime." Zipp left, fluttering through the halls as she pondered on Comforting's words. It wouldn't be until she got home that she realized she had a new contact on her phone. "When did she get that in there?!" She had Comforting as a contact, ready to call at any moment.

***

"It's good to see you." Toots bowed properly.

Which only brought Comforting gently encouraging him back upright. "We're dating. You don't need to bow to your date."

Toots considered that, leaning to the side slightly, but then bobbed his head firmly. "Yes I do. You're royalty. I'm not, so I must show proper respect to those of greater status."

"Aww, but not technically right." She hiked a thumb at herself. "I'm a spirit, not royalty. Appreciate the idea." She smooched the top of his head. "And, tonight, I'm all yours."

"Really?" Toots cleared his throat, recovering his composure. "That's wonderful. I had a plan for our date tonight." He pulled out a small scroll of paper. "This is what I had planned for us to do."

Comforting ogled the amazing list of things Toots had prepared. "That's a lot for one evening, isn't it?" She curled around the scroll to peer at it from Toot's side. "Ice skating? That's fun!" She distantly remembered doing that with a whole class of young creatures and smiled at the warm memory of it. "But almost any of these could be the whole night. Do you plan on doing each of these for a few minutes?"

Toots had a quick checklist in his head to make sure everything was in order. "No, I budgeted five hours for the activities I put down here."

Comforting waved over the list. "That's a long time, and still isn't much to get every single one of these done. Maybe we should focus a little?" She looked the list over, taking a few items and putting them aside. "Maybe these can be for next time?" She added a few other notes as she went. "This should be a good compromise, I think."

That she could edit the paper so casually wasn't missed by his wonder-struck eyes. "Wow, um, okay?" He tried to order the words like Comforting did, but he was no chaos spirit. "We'll do these then?" He pointed to the ones she hadn't brushed aside.

"If that looks fun." Comforting contorted around him to be floating above him. "Let's go!" She lashed her tail around his shoulders and lifted him off his feet to float up into the air.

The pair were soon rocketing away, towards the nearest venue. Once there, she set Toots down gently in the designated drop-off zone. "See? Nice and easy." Of course, there was no designated spot for chaos spirits to do drop offs, but she made one before she got there, and it vanished as soon as Toots was put down.

Toots fixed his tie. "Yes, I guess that does work." He chuckled softly as he offered an arm. "Shall we?"

She took his arm, sliding her own into it as they sauntered together inside to enjoy the evening. She didn't nudge him forward or back, at least any more than she already had. They ran by his revised schedule.

They went to the movies. They both agreed the film was fantastic. Comforting found herself wiggling and hugging Toots from behind as the hero struggled against their own weakness to become their best self.

During the scene where the protagonist failed, she nearly squealed, but managed to keep from ruining the movie for anypony else. She buried her face into Toots, taking advantage of his soft pudginess to muffle her sounds. She sniffled softly. "He's doing his best! Come on..."

Toots stroked her hands. "It'll be fine. He's a strong character. He can handle this."

The moment the show was over, Comforting was back to her usual self, joyfully chatting about the merits of the movie. Toots perked an ear at that. "You were just sobbing, um. Were you faking?"

Comforting gasped with outrage at that. "Of course I was serious! How could I not be? I like emotions. It was an emotional film, and I responded in kind."

Toots smirked at the idea, leading her along for the next activity.

Their next stop was a walk along a beautiful pier that stretched over the nearby bay, offering a marvelous view of the setting sun.

Comforting and Toots both looked out towards the sunset, enjoying the golden rays, with the blue waters reflecting them back. "I never get tired of this." Comforting wrapped gently around Toot, proving to be a serviceable blanket against the chill of the evening. "Simple pleasures don't get old."

"I can't see it getting boring." Toots turned away and fidgeted in her grip. "But, uh, ahem."

Comforting turned back to him, curious. "Yes? Did you want something?"

He nodded quickly, fixing his tie. "I had something else to add to the evening, if it'd be alright?"

"A surprise! Sure!" Comforting wriggled her hands before her. "I would love a surprise, so lead on, and I'll close my eyes." Not that she seemed to need her eyes to keep up with Toots.

"Very well." He trotted to the edge of the dock. "Follow my lead."

Comforting scooted along behind him, following like a puppy, until they found a small rowboat. She watched as he slipped in and she followed inside, squeezing into the boat to sit across from Toots, and they shoved off from the pier, going out into the calm waves. She giggled gently, as if amused by the lapping of the salty water against their vessel. "I haven't been sailing in just forever!" She clasped her hands. "What inspired you?"

Toots blushed. "Well, it's nice here, and, I thought you might like the water, considering, ah, I remember you mention enjoying the ocean, and, yeah."

Comforting looked over the side of the boat with a wistful gaze. "It has been a while since I've visited the beach. I liked digging for clams with my hooves, and all the little crabs, and fish!" She burst into giggles. "Lucky for me, you ponies decided to put yourselves right on a beach this time." She curled and lashed out, pressing her snout to Toot's cheek in a gentle kiss. "Thank you."

Toots blushed deeply as he stroked her hand. "You're welcome. I wanted you to have a nice time, and I could see that you'd enjoy it." He looked around, noticing how they were already away from the shore and alone on the open sea. "Maybe, if we're lucky, we'll see a whale or some dolphins."

Comforting cheered loudly with a whoop of celebration. "Maybe, that'd be nice." She imagined a few ways to tilt the odds in their favor, but pushed them gently aside. It was a time to just enjoy the wonderful evening and let the dice of fate land where they wanted. "This is so very nice. But, are you having fun too? This isn't just about me, hm?"

"Yes!" Toots laughed gently as he worked the oars to guide them along. "I've had fun. It's been a good evening." He considered a thought that had been brewing for a while, but worried it was too soon. "So, um."

Comforting gently interrupted, "What are you thinking?"

He coughed, looking away, but Comforting was on the other end of the boat. "Well, I was just wondering if you might like to come by, uh, my place, for—"

She interrupted him with a finger to the end of his snout. "Just to be clear, I don't owe you anything for a nice evening, but it was nice, and I think you are too." She rubbed noses gently with the squirming Toots. "But, that disclaimer aside, I have no objection with visiting you." She giggled gently at the idea. "It could be nice, spending the evening with somepony like you." She slid closer, still on her side of the boat, but within a breath of the flustered stallion. "No kissing and telling though. I have an image to uphold!"

"O-of course!" Toots laughed, a nervous chuckle as they returned to the harbor. "Nothing like that. Just a friendly visit."

A sudden low haunting call had them both looking as a whale surfaced with a great splash, fin slicing through the air. One could imagine it was a wave at them both, but the whale was just doing a spin, likely not even thinking about the two specks in its vast ocean.

Comforting, on the other hoof, waved back, earning a great glug of air from the massive creature's blowhole. "Wow!"

As they came to the shore, she bounced from the boat. "That was perfect!"

Toots climbed out more carefully. "So, um, yes, the rest of the evening is back at home. You'd like to, uh, do that, I guess?"

She nodded quickly. "I can't wait. Take me home!" She hopped into his arms, forcing him to go on two legs. She was surprisingly light for such a large creature, easily held aloft.

Author's Note

Date night! That was fairly romantic, hm? Comforting feels she made the right choice not messing with things, even if she did cut down the schedule a bit.

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30 - Magic Exchange

"Look look look!" Misty danced from hoof to hoof as she read over her book of spells. "This is the best spell so far!" Playing the notes properly, she conjured the immense magical power of a butterfly, fluttering around the room.

Amber applauded wildly at it. "Ooo, look at that." She reached out a hoof for the butterfly to land on gently. That close, she could see it was no living creature, just magic itself, in a butterfly'sh shape. "It's pretty, and colorful." She tossed it into the air. "Go on."

Misty joined Amber in watching as the illusion slowly faded from existence. "That was awesome!" She rocked back onto her barrel with a laugh. "But I did that! I read a spell, and practiced, and I cast that." She wriggled with joy, barely keeping her giggles down. "Unicorn magic."

"Magic buddies!" Amber offered a hoof and they met in a triumphant clop. "That was a great spell. Low on the utility end of things, but very pretty. I like it." She sat, tail swishing across the ground behind her. "My turn? Teach me your spell, oh wise teacher."

Misty blinked at that. "Wait, what? I thought you were the teacher."

Amber laughed gently. "And now you learned something I don't know, so we get to swap jobs. Please instruct me, so I can be as awesome as you are, magic buddy."

"Oh, well, it's easy!" She pressed her book of spells into Amber's hooves. "Just read it, and, boom! Magic happens. You'll see."

Amber frowned at the book, opening it with a sigh. "Not as fun as learning from an actual pony." She stuck out her tongue at Misty. "Besides, we want unicorns to eventually learn past us, so learning how to teach is important too. See?" She leaned over to Misty's side of the table. "See how I'm explaining things, and not just telling you to try it and do it and stuff?"

Misty sank at the admonishment, which just made Amber flinch. "Sorry! I didn't mean to crash on you. You did really good today, Misty." She scanned her eyes over the book. "I do know how to read magic now, so, this, and that, mmm, and then, okay." She took a slow breath. "This will take practice."

Amber trotted up to the blackboard and doodled out that butterfly spell. "So I can keep practicing it."

Misty bounced to her hooves. "Can I go show Pipp?"

"Oh, uh, sure?" Amber gave her a nod. "Tell her to tell Sunny for me, that I'm doing this. They'll love it, I'm sure."

Misty raced off, about to have an entirely new adventure one could only find in a good book.

That left Amber scanning over her scribbled spell. "Let's try." She worked carefully from rune to rune, just to repeat a bit faster. When she started going fast enough, she felt warmth in her horn building, the shimmer growing as she formed the spell in her mind. She cast it, releasing a small glowing butterfly. It wasn't quite the same as Misty's, but it was close. "Good, but, what if?" She changed the colors slightly, altering the pattern on the wings.

Clapping with joy, she created about half a dozen flittering magic-butterflies in the room. She capered and danced with excited cheers. "I did it!"

She was soon dancing with the butterflies and practicing her magic to do more. Before long, she was exhausted from the mental strain.

She sprawled on her couch. "A good day's work." Her eyes slid over to her window. "Hm? Oh, visitors."

She unlocked the window, but the visitor, a hummingbird, flew away. "Aw, little critter." Alas, not every critter wanted to hang out. "I'm not Hitch." She thought of that stallion and their critter empathy trick. "How does that work?" She gazed out the window after the bird. "One day, I want to figure it out."

The sudden knock at her front door made her jump up in surprise. She rushed for the front. "It should be open!" She shoved the doorway to the library open, revealing an apologetic Pipp.

"Hi there, I'm sorry, but you have a visitor." She stepped to the side, revealing a hovering Comforting, holding a very sleepy Hitch. "He was found sleeping at the docks, and someone was nice enough to let us know about it."

Amber blinked in amazement at the collection of friends that had appeared. "Oh, well, bring him in." She turned back for the inside, waving them along to the breakroom of the librarians. "He can finish his nap here. Why was he just sleeping outside like that?! The poor thing."

Pipp placed him down on the couch. "I don't know. He was just zonked out. I thought about leaving him, but that's not good."

Hitch grumbled sleepily as he pulled the provided blanket up over himself. For as worried as the others were about him, he seemed quite content snuggling into the couch.

Comforting leaned in over Amber. "Pipp found me, and then I ended up being the one carrying him. Curse me and my hands." She glared at her hands, which had the etiquette to look guilty. "He doesn't look sick, just tired. Odd place to nap, but eh? Everyone's allowed a bad decision now and then." She chuckled, tail swishing through the air behind her. "What if I told you a story to cheer you up?" She dropped her voice to a stage whisper, "It'll be silly, just to warn you."

Amber pushed Comforting away with a laugh. "Thank you for the warning, but I have news for you."

Pipp perked at that. "Ooo! Share that hot goss!" She fished out her phone, ready to snap pictures.

Amber stiffened, just to relax. Misty had run off to show them it. It could hardly be called a secret. Speaking of that. "Misty wanted to show you herself. Go home."

"Home?" Hitch sat up suddenly. "I should get home." He hopped down and walked off.

Pipp darted after him. "I'll make sure he actually gets there. I swear."

"I have complete faith in you." Amber waved after the departing pegasus and the half-asleep stallion. "Thanks for bringing him in. It was kind."

Pipp waved, still trailing along after Hitch.

Comforting poked Amber. "So, you have news I hear?" She drifted along behind her. "Any good? It sounded fun."

"I suppose. I learned a new spell, a unicorn spell. I'll show you." She hurried to the back of the library and into the classroom. She scanned the blackboard with her notes. "I just need to refresh, and then, ta-da!" She struck the pose as she finished the spell, letting the butterfly flutter around the room.

Comforting's eyes went wide, following the fluttering magic. "A spell I didn't teach personally?" She poked the construct, sending it fluttering in a new direction. "I love it. Where'd it come from? Oh! From that book you found!" She tugged Amber in for a hug. "Congratulations!"

Amber sank into the embrace. "Yes! Misty brought it earlier today." She waved her glowing horn with a big smile. "And I learned it. Operation magic buddies is going full speed." She clapped with overflowing joy. "But only she has a magic book. I feel like I need a spell to give to her. I don't want to be a magic moocher."

"There's plenty of options, but I suppose a book is a bit hard to come by." Comforting mused on the idea. "But, no, really, it's fine. I'm glad you're helping her." She lowered her voice, but her sincerity was no less profound. "But I think you're asking if I'll help you more." She lunged at Amber, the two falling to the ground with squeaks as the tickling began in earnest, dancing fingers along the unicorn's ribs. "And, well, I can't refuse a friend!" She let Amber squirm, but always kept her laughter up.

Amber broke free, backing up with a pout. "I give, I give." She huffed for slowly regained breath. "Not even fair. You have fingers, way better for tickling." She wobbled a hoof at Comforting. "So you'll share a new spell? I promise to get my magic buddies to use it."

Comforting tapped Amber on the nose. "That is, in part, what I'm scared of, but you should share. So here's my thought. For every spell Misty learns all on her own, with a book, I'll teach you one too. How does that sound? Even trades, a mutual benefit." She wiggled her fingers in front of Amber. "It'll be fun for everyone, and it will encourage them to study independently and grow their skills."

Amber leaned in slowly. "Okay, yes, but one thing?" She was face to face with Comforting now. "What happened to 'I'm not a teacher'?"

"I'm not." Comforting burst into laughter. "You've seen what I can do. I'm not a unicorn." She winked. "But I did learn from a unicorn, a very special unicorn." She tapped her fingers together, thinking of Twilight. "I won't tease you more, you want to know what sort of sorcery I plan to share, I bet." She closed her eyes and wiggled her fingers through the air as if searching for a prize.

Her fingers froze as she found something in that curious non-space and she pulled free one of her many hidden tomes. "You and Misty both seem to like conjuring things, it seems. You make doorknobs, and she makes butterflies, but I saw that butterfly, it has other tricks in it. I wonder how long before she or you notices it." She held her fingers to her lips with a knowing smile. "But, anyways, I won't spoil it for you." She gave the cover a gentle pat. "No, I know exactly what to give you, a spell of transfiguration. You'll make Pipp glow green with envy, or purple, or yellow, your choice." She tapped the book. "It's all in here, just waiting for you. When you're ready, I'm sure you'll be able to teach yourself." She rose and left. "But be careful!"

The book flopped to the ground, landing and flipping to that specific spell without any touching.

Amber blinked at it, trying to piece together the meaning of her cryptic words. "Did she say yellow? Who would pick yellow? No, nevermind that." She stroked her chin and leaned in over the book and its many displayed runes. Her mouth worked as she ran through it once just in speech, then again with her horn slowly. "This isn't too complicated, I think I can do this. I mean, I want to."

She traced the motions and the steps, seeing the potential in the magic. "Transform. Change. It's all one thing, and this is all a matter of perspective." With a glowing horn, she threw the magic at the black board, transforming it into a purple board. "Woah." She blinked at the colored board. "Neat." She broke into giggles. "Purple, though?"

Comforting smiled to herself. She knew all about the randomizing nature of that spell. It didn't choose the color. It took the feelings and made the judgment. She'd have to have a bright feeling for a bright color. "But you didn't just give me magic paints." She worked through the spell from the start, staring at the purpleboard. "I refuse to believe that."

She kept the image of a dog in her mind as she finished the spell, her magic wrapping around the board as it warped and bent, becoming in the shape of a poodle, though still a purpleboard. She clapped with excitement. "Wow, this is fun, but why did it change just the shape?" She laughed to herself. "Maybe it can't fully transform because I don't have enough skill yet, but, if I could get that to work, wow!" Maybe the spell was only for shapes?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she did know she had a new spell, and it was worth checking out. "But it's been a long afternoon." She slumped over at her desk, looking out the window at the evening sun. "I'm beat. I'll explore tomorrow. Tonight, I just need to close up the library, then I can get a snack, and..."

A familiar pair of figures in the distance caught her eye, Zipp and Comforting. "They seem to be having fun, just going out together." She cocked her head, finding the idea interesting. "Rest time."

Author's Note

They always told you reading was magic. They weren't lying.

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31 - Foaling Around

At the entrance of Maretime Bay stood a shimmering portal made of moonlight. It stretched high above the filly, obscuring the stars in the night sky behind it. Glimmering around its edges were arcs of dancing rainbow sparks. The filly gaped at the entrance, staring beyond at the unseen lands on the other side. She'd never been outside her small town before; the world was waiting for her out there somewhere! How could any filly resist such an enchanting sight?

She galloped forward and leaped right through it.

She was noticed as missing almost immediately, and ponies wandered the city, looking for the lost filly. Hitch himself was combing through the forest for hours, desperately searching for clues of her whereabouts until he finally returned to the city empty-hooved and crestfallen. The next day, the filly still hadn't returned home; there were search parties sent out and a city-wide manhunt as everypony began to panic and fear the worst.

Sunny sat down in front of the exceptionally tall librarian. "Comforting."

"That's me." She made a flicking gesture, returning a book to its proper place as she turned to face Sunny. "How can I help?"

"You know everything that goes on around here, and out there too." Sunny puffed out her chest proudly. "And I know how much you like helping ponies." She sat up straight and folded her hooves in front of her. "Tell me honestly, where did that filly go?"

Comforting sagged a little, watching Sunny. "That's not a fair question to ask." She considered how to phrase that. "You're a smart little alicorn, let me put it out bluntly. If I tell you, I train you to always come to me when something bad happens. If I don't tell you, now that you've just gone and asked, I look like a real jerk. I don't want to be a jerk. I want her to be safe. I want you to not be super stressed out."

"Please?" Sunny shifted uncomfortably. "I can handle it."

Comforting whipped out a chair with a cushion and pillow to lean into for her guest. "Sit." She drew herself up as much as she could with a big sigh, looming over Sunny. "I am trying to help ponies, but I have to do it over the long term." She held up two fingers. "One filly, no matter how adorable, doesn't mean I can just break that. I made promises." She scrunched her snout in a pout. "Being a chaos spirit is about little pieces of good that add up, and all of them hurt to some degree or another." She watched Sunny carefully.

Sunny swayed a little left and right, considering it. "Alright. So, okay. First, I won't call you any names, even if you don't tell me. You have your reasons, I get that. We'll still be friends, just don't lie to me, alright?" Comforting nodded gently. "Good, okay. So, can you give us a hint? Point us in at least the right direction? We'll look on our own!"

"I can do that." Comforting lashed her tail. "But I want you to come back here and have tea with me later. That's my condition." She flashed a finger towards Sunny. "No trouble, just tea." She flashed a smile. "Bring your favorite book."

"Deal." Sunny extended a hoof, shaking gently against Comforting's hand. "So what's your hint?"

"Where does any child go?" Comforting spread her arms wide as if expecting an answer. "I mean, specifically this filly, but anypony lost?"

"The woods?"

Comforting barked out a little laugh. "You may not be wrong." She put her hands together, forming a window in the air that showed great trees, far larger than any that'd be around Maretime Bay. "But I can't suggest you look locally."

Sunny drew a sharp breath. "I see. I see! Yes. Thank you." She pounced forward, hugging Comforting tightly a moment. "How in Equestria she got there is beyond me, but it doesn't matter, just that we find her before she gets hurt and bring her home." She raced from the library leaving a trail of dust behind.

Comforting casually vacuumed that up with a chuckle. "I miss going on some adventures of my own. Dad managed. I should take after him a little and put myself in there a few times." She curled a few fingers to her chin. "That could be fun." But not for that instant. No, she was a librarian, and she made sure the books got where they were supposed to be. That was enough chaos for now.

"Thanks again for showing me this." Misty nosed through her spellbook with a joyful smile on her face.

"It's nothing," Amber replied as she nudged her own book on magical theory around. "Comforting helped. She's my spellbook, giving new ones when she thinks I'm ready."

Misty inclined her head. "My book is like that too." She hugged her spellbook close. "It reveals when I'm ready, I think. I can't just, um, read it all at once, even if I wanted to."

Amber stood tall and proud, twirling her pen in a circle as she turned her gaze to the far wall of their classroom where the blackboard still had the two spells written on it. "Well, how about we show Comforting?"

Misty perked at that. "What are we showing her?" She tried to keep from bouncing with anticipation, but her hooves slipped and she landed back on her barrel with a small squeak of surprise.

Amber smirked at her fumble and slipped around Misty to head over to the blackboard where she started sketching up a new spell to demonstrate. "Ta da!"

Misty blinked at the odd new spell, so short, but entirely new. "What does it do?"

"I have no idea!" Amber waved at it. "But that's half the point. Let's make a new spell. We know how the runes work, we know how to cas spells. Making up something new shouldn't be impossible." She gave Misty an encouraging grin. "But I'll go first, just so you can see how it's done."

Misty blinked even as Amber started doodling. "How can you show me something you don't even know?" She trotted up to the board, horn glowing as she tried the tiny spell Amber had jotted down. A horn sounded from nowhere, a flat single note that faded as soon as she stopped concentrating on it.

Amber whirled on Misty. "How'd you do that?!" She pushed Misty aside gently and rushed back to the board, adding runes onto the previous spell as she went through it. "Wow! You just changed my idea by accident!"

Misty stepped back, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I just tried the spell you made." She played it again to confirm, that horn sounding from nowhere in the same flat tone. "At least it does something." She smiled with a giggle. "You made your first spell."

Amber sank to her haunches. "I made my first spell. Wow." She turned to Misty. "We made our first spell! Together!" She put up her hooves and the two met with clops. "It's not a big spell, or very flexible, but, um, it's still a spell!" She played it herself, producing exactly the same horn sound. "The future of magic is happening right here, right now." She mimed playing some music and then turned her tail around and wiggled it with an impish smirk on her face as Misty broke into laughter at the silly antics.

Misty took a moment to note down the horn spell in her book with a pleased hum. "First spell I actually added to the book instead of learning from it. That feels good."

Amber smiled back at Misty's delight as she wiped the board clean for more work. "But we've barely scratched the surface." She set about redrawing her first spell as she spoke. "That horn is nice, but we need to be able to do more than one note forever." She added a single new rune to it. "But what about this?"

Misty stood behind Amber, examining her writing as it appeared on the board. "A symbol of silence?" She tried it out and produced a buzzing sort of sound like an electronic motor starting and then shutting off abruptly. She stuck out her tongue and tried it again, with conviction, getting a rapid series of starts and stops. "I don't think that works."

Amber curled a hoof to her chin. "This explains why the spells we learned were so complicated. That's what let them react to what we wanted in the moment." She rubbed away the silence rune and tried a different combination. "It must have taken unicorns years to make a proper spell."

"So if we wanted to make it react to sounds like this one..." Misty tapped on her phone as she played a video of some ponies singing a song for her to play at random notes. "We'd need a way bigger spell!" She sagged a little. "I'm not sure if I'm up for that or not."

Amber blinked at the video with surprise as it played out, every note clearly separated from the next. "It seems so straight forward, but it isn't." She gazed at her simple spell, that one horn note, and sighed. "We'll be here forever if we want this to play real music."

Misty bobbed her head slowly in agreement. "But it's fun." She peeked up at Amber. "It feels like you get more from it than just learning a spell?"

"I do." Amber quirked a smile. "I'm getting a grasp of how each letter works, and with each other. We're getting better." She head-butted Misty gently. "We're becoming better wizards!"

Misty hummed in agreement as she pushed back against Amber. "This has been amazing!" She kicked up her hooves with glee as she gave Amber a big hug. "Thank you!"

The two seemed to glow with mutual satisfaction even as Amber waved to the door. "But, for now, we should get back to work. We can keep playing with horns later."

Misty swallowed a giggle at that even as they headed off to continue working in the library, as if they weren't also the realm's most powerful wizards simply by being the only ones.

Comforting curled around Toots, squeezing him with her long form even as she pet over his pudgy body. "You are a cute little pony. My little pony." She kept nibbling at his shoulder, not enough to hurt, just to tease with soft nips. "But you can't keep trying to hug me all day, especially since you aren't here to work. Shame on you."

Toots sighed as he tried to hide in Comforting's surprisingly soft embrace, resting in her grip like a cozy chair that hugged back. "It's been hard lately. Ponies are too focused on other things." He wriggled an arm free from her hold, just to go for one of those hugs she had just warned him about. "Things are changing."

Comforting gently uncoiled from him. "Change can be hard." She smirked a little. "But you are dating a chaos spirit. You knew change was involved, or you weren't looking." She gave him a small pat on the back before rising up, floating off with her usual grin. "I have news though."

"News?" Toots rose to follow Comforting around the area they were in, curious and hopeful. "Is it good news?"

"Maybe?" Comforting giggled gently at that question as she guided him back to her place. "It might be good news, or bad news, or mixed news."

Comforting landed in front of Toots, nose to nose with him. "I've been thinking, about how I work, inside and out. I think I need family. I have a boyfriend, who I adore, but I think I want more, greedy little thing I am." She hiss clicked through her teeth with a hum. "Yeah, I want to try being a mom. Are you up for helping with that?"

Author's Note

Threads, there are a few of them running concurrently here.

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33 - Sweet Possibilities

Izzy stretched out with a thunderous yawn as she opened her eyes. That wasn't her bed, or her couch, or even the floor of most rooms she could remember. She sat up and looked around at the bright colors of the fantastical realm she had found herself in. Across from her, a bunny made of an actual gumdrop was sniffing around. She wondered if she could eat it or not, even as her eyes lingered on the tempting treat for longer than she'd like to admit.

She caught sight of Hitch asleep nearby and nudged him with a hoof. "Hey, hey."

Hitch's eyes snapped open and he launched to his feet, whirling around in panic. "Where are we? Where are the other? Are you alright?" He caught up with himself, calming down a little. "Is that candy alive?"

Izzy peeked back at the bunny and leaned closer to inspect it, poking it gently with a hoof to test its stability as it let out a faint squeak. "I think it is? Wait, what?" She spun on a heel and trotted over to a bush that seemed to be moving slightly even though no wind blew through the area at all.

Springing free of it was a licorice beast. It roared ferociously and pounced at Izzy, but its soft gummy teeth were quite ineffective. Izzy knocked it back and considered fighting it off, but Aloe rushed forward and caught the creature with a warm embrace.

Aloe squeezed it tightly as she patted its head gently. "Bad chocolate fudge! Bad!" She waved a hoof reprimandingly at the beast, sending it scurrying back into the sugared bushes. She turned to the others with a smile. "Welcome to Candied Hills!" She bowed gracefully to them all, ears flopping downwards as she did so. "This is my home."

Hitch examined the candied critters of all shapes and sizes that rustled and moved about in the bushes and trees of the area. He approached one and gently tickled it under the chin with a hoof. "No one ever told me there was a place like this here."

Izzy was chasing one of the things down with her hoof, trying to catch it for some reason that only she knew as it dodged her at every turn. "Candy animals!"

Aloe smiled gently at her guests. "Isn't it wonderful? You can see why the fillies decided to live here."

Zipp soared in from above. "There you are!" She dove down at Hitch, landing in front of him. "Pipp and Sunny are, oh." She noticed Aloe there. "Hey, maybe you know. Why are we here? This is very not normal."

Aloe waved with a cheery smile. "You're visiting! It's lovely to see so many ponies here." She giggled with a friendly tone to her voice as she danced around them all with her music playing cheerily in the background as the Candy Animals hopped about all around them. "This is a safe place, where little foals can just enjoy themselves without a worry in the world."

Sunny poked her head out from the bush nearby, startling Zipp who jumped into the air with a scream of surprise at her appearance. Sunny rubbed her head with a sheepish smile. "Hey! You found her, great!" She popped free of the bush with Pipp in tow who was poking around inside it still with an impish grin.

"Seriously, check. This. Out." She was clicking her phone's camera busily at the splendors of the candied world. "Pity there's basically no cell reception wherever this is. I'm gonna have to wait to upload all of this, but they're gonna love it when I do!"

Aloe waved a hoof at Pipp. "Stop that. This isn't a place for noisy contraptions. This is where foals can relax and play, with each other." She paused a moment before adding, "In person."

Pipp recoiled. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Aloe poked Pipp gently on the nose. "Wander, explore, enjoy some candy. Who needs cell phones when you have all this wonder!"

Sunny's mouth watered at the thought of all that tasty candy before her eyes. "Well, we can't stay long, but if we're going to be here, I could try one bite?" She hesitated as she heard hoofsteps behind her and turned to find the rest of their group following after her. "Glad we're all together." She nodded at each of them in turn. "Aloe, since we have you, and you seem to know what's going on; Where are the fillies?"

Aloe beamed at that question. "They are playing hide-and-seek! I'd say they're really good at it too."

Hitch scratched at his cheek. "Where are they playing?" He turned slowly in place. "All I see are tons of candy critters."

Aloe smiled a somewhat suspect smile. "That is what lives here. Aren't they cute?" She took Izzy's hoof in hers and danced in place with her as she hummed a merry little tune along with her music that drifted from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Hitch tried to get her attention again. "Why can't I understand them?"

Aloe slowed with a confused look. "They're critters. Ponies don't normally 'understand' critters. You're silly."

"I'm Hitch," he corrected. "And I can understand critters, but not these. Why?"

Aloe's song took a sudden hard left as she began singing about friendship and caring about critters in the forest as she leapt about playfully with Izzy who seemed to be having a grand time as they boogied to the new tune that had sprung from nowhere, even as Hitch stared at Aloe expectantly for an answer to his question that still went unanswered as she happily played with Izzy while ignoring Hitch entirely.

Sunny smacked Hitch gently with her hoof to get his attention. "I don't think we're getting many answers out of her. Also, since when did Izzy have one of those?" She inclined her head towards Izzy, her back end specifically. Her tail looked more like a long twirled candy rather than the hair a pony was expected to have back there.

Izzy skipped over to the others and waved at them happily. "Look at my tail!" She flicked it back and forth, showing off its unusual texture and coloration. "Do you think it's sweet?"

Zipp grabbed Izzy by her new tail. "Sweet, yeah, literally. She pulled out a microscope to examine it. "Izzy, you're turning into a candied horse. Don't you think you should be a little more upset by that?"

Izzy blinked slowly and took her tail back from Zipp with a light huff. "I kinda like it? I mean, it's fun and cute, why be sad?"

Zipp shared a look with Sunny and shrugged back at Izzy with a baffled look on her face. "Izzy, if you become a candy pony, then you can never work with your tools again. You'll never unicycle again!" She flew over and grabbed Izzy's shoulders as she stared deeply into her eyes. "Are you sure this is okay?"

Izzy dipped her head. "Zipp, I like candy! How bad could it be?"

Pipp held up her phone, just to let it sag a moment. "But I won't get any reception in here." Just like that, the allure of the place faded from her eyes. "Pass."

Sunny grabbed Izzy, hugging her close. "I won't lose you, Izzy. Get it together. I think I found the fillies, and I'll need all our helps to put this right."

Izzy hugged Sunny back with a guilty grin on her face as she turned to her friends with a cheerful wave. "Sorry! Didn't mean to cause a fuss." She looked around again, seeing the candy creatures but still not seeing any fillies yet. "Where are they?"

Sunny put Izzy down and led them all away from Aloe who was continuing her dance even without anyone to join her as she spun about like a ballerina. "I'm pretty sure the candy critters are the fillies! We have to turn them back, and get them out of here!"

Hitch tapped at his cheek. "Maybe the other way around. If we get them away from here, they'll turn back into fillies again." He scanned the environment around him, spying an empty tree stump of all things in the middle of the sugary wonderland. He jogged over to it and brushed some of the dust off the top of it to reveal a horn half-buried in the wood of it, petrified into stone.

Misty joined Hitch, looking curiously at the horn he'd found. "This whole place makes me, um, nervous. It feels like there's some kinda magic going on!"

Hitch twirled on Misty. "Can you make it stop? You're our most magical unicorn."

Misty laughed nervously. "I don't know how. I'm still learning!" Still, she lit her horn and stared intently at the rock one embedded in the stump. "I'll do my best, promise."

Aloe bounced over with a giggle. "What are you doing?" She patted Hitch on the back as she beamed at them all. "Don't you want to come and play?"

Comforting peeked from corner to corner, often without traveling the actual distance between them. "Not here. Not here, hm." She popped up just behind Amber. "Have you seen Misty?"

Amber jumped mildly. "Comfs, don't do that." She swatted at her chaotic friend. "Misty? She didn't come today." Amber looked to another librarian who shook his head. "Nope. Why, need her?"

Comforting blushed faintly as she fidgeted in place with her hands cupped before her. "I, uh. Need all of you, for something very special." She bounced on her toes with excitement as she grinned from ear to ear. "I think you're ready."

Amber leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper, "Does this involve magic?"

"Of course!" Comforting demonstrated as she placed a velvet box down on a nearby table, snapping her fingers to produce a shower of sparkles. "I can't be stopped!"

Amber peered a the box with intense curiosity. "But she isn't here. Could you tell me and I can pass it on?"

Comforting prodded her eager student in the side. "That curious?" She snatched the box back. "Well, fine then!" She pressed the box against Amber's side. "Go on, open it."

Amber clasped it gingerly in her hooves as she carefully opened it to reveal the glorious ring within, studded with a sparkling jewel. "Is this?"

Comforting wiggled gleefully as she put her hands to her cheeks with excitement. "It is! Toots and I are getting married!" She tugged Amber into a hug and spun around with her even as Amber barely managed to hold onto the box.

Amber hugged in laughing return. "Congratulations! But, uh, what's this have to do with magic?"

"Magic, friendship, love, all about the same thing." Comforting shrugged with a little huff. "I'll want you there, if you're up for it. It'd hardly be a wedding without my mane gal pal." She brushed some imaginary dust off of Amber's shoulders. "Besides, I might need your help with something else too."

Amber bounced in place eagerly as she brandished her magic to take out a little notebook and pen from her pockets. "Another adventure? What is it? What do you need? What should I bring? When is it?"

Comforting ruffled the top of Amber's head, mussing her mane. "A wedding. You can count that as an adventure." She hummed gently. "My last one was. From the start all the way through. You can be my head mare, a big responsibility for any wedding."

Amber wrote some notes down, having not lost her grip on that little book for more than a second or two even while being petted by Comforting. "Do you want me to pick a suit? I can't imagine you'd be that worried about getting one yourself." She stopped her writing for a moment. "Should I get flowers?"

Comforting gasped with delight. "Please." She pressed her hands to either of her own cheeks. "I only know about ancient ones. Make it all pretty with the modern ones, please. All sorts of lovely flowers. "Toots can handle his own suit." She paused. "I hope. I'll check with him."

Their conversation was interrupted by a pony looking for a book. With little giggles, they delayed wedding chat for later.

Author's Note

What a sweet surprise. This chapter is giving me diabetes.

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34 - Sweet as Candy

Misty was alone, the others having gone with Aloe to distract her away from things. Misty was looking back and forth between her book and the stump. "There has to be a way." She shut her eyes as she channeled what magic she could to solve the problem at hand, but there was no solution here for her yet, not without more knowledge on magic than she currently possessed.

She nearly jumped from her seat as she felt a hoof settle on her shoulder, spinning about to find Aloe behind her. "Ah! Hello!" She trembled at the sight of Aloe even as she did her best to remain brave.

Aloe frowned as she stroked at Misty's mane gently. "You look stressed. Why don't you come and play with us? Your friends are having so much fun." She pointed back towards the main group who had by this point taken to just playing with the candy critters who were making happy noises and smiling faces at them all even as they munched on various bits of the environment around them or tackled them to the ground with little kisses of affection for them all.

Misty laughed nervously at the saccharine scene. "I need a moment. Keep my spot warm for me, okay?" But an idea came to her. "Actually! Could I talk to you?"

"Talk to me?" Aloe inclined her head curiously as she sat next to Misty, kicking her hooves as they dangled off the edge of the little grassy hill they sat upon. "What about?"

Misty paused before launching into a question she hoped Aloe could answer. Her cutie mark glimmered gently as she gently probed and questioned, getting to know Aloe bit by bit. "That wasn't very nice of them."

"It wasn't." Aloe huffed and crossed her arms, turning up her nose in the meanwhile. "Worst parents, but I found this place, and it's way better!" She opened her eyes slowly as she stared off into the distance at something that Misty couldn't see. "Sometimes I think about going back, but why would I? I'm happy here, and I can still be there for them." She waved a hoof at the candied critters.

Misty's horn glowed as she focused on those questions she had been asked. "Well, sometimes parents can make mistakes too." She tapped softly at the ground before rising slowly. "But I think yours still love you. They're probably scared, and wondering where you are." She held out her hoof towards Aloe, waiting for a response from her.

Aloe smirked as she took that hoof and climbed to her hooves alongside Misty. "This is boring, and talking about grown up stuff like feelings is yucky."

"Yeah, sometimes." Misty rubbed one hoof against the other arm. "But it's important too. I understand they really upset you, and you get to feel that, but you have for a while now. Do they get a chance to say sorry?"

Aloe kicked at the dirt. "I guess they could say it, but they're all grown up and boring." She cast her eyes down at the ground as she turned slowly away from Misty and away from the rest of the ponies too as they continued to play with the other critters that surrounded them even as they took occasional peeks over at Misty and Aloe as they spoke.

"It's not all bad. Sometimes being an adult can be fun." Misty walked along side Aloe, keeping pace with her as they wandered through the sugar fields together. "But it does have some boring stuff you have to keep on top of." She nudged against Aloe. "Oh, I have an idea."

"Yeah?" Aloe peered at Misty with some doubt.

"I'll go with you." Misty reared up and put both her forehooves to her chest. "I'll back you up if they start being dumb."

Aloe scoffed at that. "Like they wouldn't start being dumb right away." She grumbled softly under her breath at the prospect of seeing them again after all this time apart, but slowly those thoughts began to wane as a gentle breeze played through the candied grasses that surrounded them all. She grunted and kicked in place, but her resolve was crumbling around her. "You promise?"

"Promise." Misty took Aloe's hoof and guided her along gently even as Aloe dragged her feet as they returned to where the others were still playing with the candy critters.

"Come on." Aloe tossed her head. "This way. Leave the critters behind. We're going to visit a few ponies, then, probably, come right back."

Hitch jumped to his hooves and trotted over to the pair. "That's great! We'll go too, but we need to leave now. Um." He tilted his head as he looked down at his leg, noticing that a thin layer of hard candy was beginning to grow over his hoof and creeping upwards. He waved for the others to keep up and the band rushed to keep up with Misty and Aloe.

Aloe guided them towards the borders of Candied Hills as she slipped into another old memory of her childhood. "They used to call me their little girl." She drifted over towards a field of strawberry plants that dotted the area with their brilliant red fruits all growing together in clusters. She reached for one with a hungry smile on her face before hesitating at the last moment, turning to share a look with the others as she did so. Misty noticed the delay and slipped in closer.

"Were these involved?" Misty took a single berry in her magic. "Did they tell you not to eat them?"

Aloe ground her teeth at that word. "Yep." She tried to keep up a light tone as she stared at the delicious fruit. "No eating candy before dinner, because I'll get a tummy ache."

Misty dropped the strawberry into Aloe's waiting hoof. "Just one. Your parents don't want you to get filled with berries, you know? But not to never have one ever. Sweet treats are nice." She put her hoof to Aloe's chin. "As long as you eat lots of fruits and veggies too."

Aloe smirked. "That's not even funny." She bit into it regardless, chewing slowly with a happy smile on her face. "Let's go."

Behind them, Hitch was sighing with relief, his hoof returned to normal, as well as all other other parts of them that had begun to slip towards candy-coated. "That was too close." He leaned against Zipp with a second sigh of relief as she hovered beside him, her wings flapping occasionally to keep her aloft.

"Seriously, what if we'd become candy ponies?" Zipp shook her head. "What made Aloe change her mind about it?"

Sunny pointed ahead at where Misty and Aloe were still chatting gently as they walked. "I'm pretty sure Misty came to the recuse." She giggled softly. "Again."

Zipp put her hooves on her hips and huffed in surprise at that statement. "Wow, that's great!" She beamed at the back of Misty's head. "I'm just glad we've called off the becoming candied critters ourselves before it was too late."

Pipp leaned in with a look of utter disbelief on her face as she did so. "Remember that movie Mom used to make us watch?"

"Which one?" Zipp snorted with laughter. "You know Mom liked all the horror movies, right? That's how we ended up seeing the same one so many times."

Pipp swung her phone around with a mischievous smirk on her face as she enjoyed Zipp's disquieted expression at those words. "Yeah, used to be one of her faves. She'll die if she learns we almost lived it out."

At the front of the procession, Misty and Aloe went up to a house built into a tree to knock on a door to have a little heart to heart with the ponies there.

Ponies that dripped with officious stepped into the library, looking around with coldly observing eyes. A mare at the front approached the front desk, where Amber was working. "Ma'am, can you tell us where to find Amber?"

"Oh, that's me." Amber waved hesitantly at the quartet of ponies in suits that stood before her desk, the tips of their hooves clicking gently on the tile floor beneath them as they shifted in place a little before beginning to speak in a calm and practiced manner that betrayed their serious business. "Can I help?"

"I hope so." The mare reached into a breast pocket and drew out a business card to slap down on the counter. "We're with the Library Board. Time for an inspection."

Amber squeaked with surprise. "They didn't tell me."

"That's the idea." The head mare waved for the others to fan out and begin their inspection. "If libraries just prepared for us when we said we were coming, we wouldn't fix much. Do you have a running tally of your daily visitor counts and material checkouts? Please share that with me."

Amber felt herself sinking as she slid that paper over with the figures written upon it, hoping that it was correct as the mare scrutinized the details with her sharp eyes that cut straight through the truth in a heartbeat. She grabbed a pen and scratched through some of the things in there before sliding it back over to Amber with a faint shake of her head.

"Do you offer any borrowable material besides books?" The mare adjusted her thin glasses. "I don't see any."

Amber blinked at the notion. "Besides books? Libraries are for books, um, aren't they? Oh!" She held up a hoof with a sudden look of enlightenment on her face. "There are the magazines. You know, for people to read?" She pointed over at the wall of glossy periodicals that shone in the soft light of the room with their bright pictures and vibrant colors that drew some ponies over for a peek.

The mare shook her head. "No. In these modern times, most libraries need a little extra to draw ponies into them besides just books. Though books are lovely, the interests of the populace have shifted." She leaned in. "You should consider other material. Tools for around the home have become popular with several branches."

Amber chuckled as she listened to those words, feeling faint even as she bobbed her head in understanding of what was being said to her even as the sound of hooves tromping all over her library began to assault her ears. "What, exactly, are they looking for, ma'am?"

"Anything," the mare said plainly. "Dust on shelves, the scent of perfume, worn pages in books." She stared at Amber pointedly as she said that last part. "No rips or tears either." She huffed at the very idea. "Worn books are to be retired and replaced. Having damaged books hurts the reputation of your library, and all the others alongside it."

Amber gaped at that declaration, trying to wrap her head around it even as she struggled to contain her frustration at how pointlessly officious it all seemed to be, but her curiosity got the better of her even as she had to know what was happening to her beloved collection of precious books. "The library's still new, ma'am. There shouldn't be many worn books. Still, a little gentle love shouldn't disqualify any book from being read."

The mare inspected Amber closely before cracking a very tiny smile that vanished almost as soon as it appeared. "Maybe, but it's still a little worrying to see, isn't it?"

The others reappeared, all shaking their heads as they converged around their leader who raised an eyebrow. She collected a slip of paper from each of them, adding them to her own clipboard. "Excellent. Expect a full report within the week." She leaned in, looking over Amber with sheer pressure of will alone. "This goes a long way to determining if a head librarian keeps their job."

Amber gasped quietly. "It does?"

The mare tapped the counter idly. "Oh yes. Libraries are meant to be the treasure houses of the community, and ponies who don't take that seriously find themselves out of a job very quickly." She turned on a single hoof and began marching out, her assistants keeping step with her. "Good day, Miss Amber."

Amber sank to the floor the moment they were gone. "Nopony told me that was going to happen!"

Comforting patted Amber gently, despite not having been there a moment before. "We keep this place looking pretty good. I bet that report won't have much on it to bother us." She nuzzled against Amber's cheek with a tender smile on her face as she took a look around. "In fact, we'll polish things up a little more. Look good on inspection day."

Amber sat up, gaping at Comforting. "Inspection day just happened! We can't polish up for that." With a grown, she flopped against the counter. "I hope they didn't find anything serious."

"Libraries are quite boring places to inspect, darling." Comforting smiled encouragingly at Amber. "Worst comes to worst, they tell you that there's something wrong with something in here, you can just put in an order and replace it before anypony else notices."

"You think?" Amber took a slow breath, trying to calm herself. "I hope you're right. I like this job, and this library. I dont' want to lose either." She snorted gently. "Well, whatever. She did bring up one interesting idea. We have some magazines, but we don't have any tools or other items that ponies can borrow like that. We could start that, you know?"

Comforting preened as she slowly set some things aside on a shelf nearby that hadn't quite made it to their proper homes yet after they had come in. "Sounds like a bunch of things ponies don't read."

"I think that's the idea." Amber tapped at her chin. "A library is, hm, more than just books. That's what she was trying to tell me. We're a community center, where ponies can get things to learn and grow together. Getting tools to work alongside your fellow pony still fits that bill." She smiled gently. "Also, maybe a children's corner too? Little ones always love picture books, and not having any yet is a missed opportunity."

Comforting tapped on Amber's horn with a teasing grin on her face. "I hear where you're going. Well." She hiked a thumb upwards. "We have a whole second floor we're basically not using. Why don't we start there? Get this library outfitted with more than just books!"

Amber slipped past Comforting with a happy sigh on her lips. "It's a nice idea." She waved at a pony approaching. "Maybe that inspection wasn't all bad. Hello sir! How can I help you today?"

Author's Note

Misty is MVP(most valuable pony, obviously), at least this time.

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35 - Mist Warning

Misty knocked gently on the door, glancing back at Aloe. "This is the place, right?"

Aloe nodded swiftly, taking a shuddering breath. "My old home, with my parents. Where I was supposed to be raised, before I ran off." She peered at the knob of the door as it rattled and slowly opened before her.

Her mother was a middle-aged mare with dark fur and matching hair. She stared down at Aloe with eyes that began to brim with tears even as she stood frozen in place in the doorway of her home as she stared down at Aloe who looked up at her mother with an awkward smile on her face as the silence hung between them a moment.

"Who is it?" asked a male voice, coming closer. "Why are you just standing there?" A stallion appeared behind Aloe's mother, taking in the scene with surprise in his eyes.

Aloe twiddled her hooves in place as she looked from one parent to the other. "Uh, hi."

That broke the spell. The mother rushed to embrace Aloe firmly with a warm smile on her face as she clutched at her daughter even as Aloe froze at the touch even as her mother chided her. "Aloe, you're alright! Where have you been?! It's been so long."

Aloe remained stiff in her mother's grasp even as she fought with herself, struggling between hugging her back or just turning and leaving again without another word after so many years apart.

Her father came in, looking unsure how to react. "Um, what happened? Are you okay?" He looked around nervously as he reached out for Aloe, pulling her out of her mother's hooves and into his own as he cradled her close even as he petted at her gently. "Honey, what's going on?"

Aloe finally reached out for him, throwing her hooves around his neck as she began to cry, but said nothing in return for him as she buried her face in his shoulder even as he hugged her close and gently rocked her back and forth in place even as his wife tried to keep herself from joining in the tears.

Misty smiled gently at all three of them. "I'm not sure if you want anything from some mare you don't know." She rubbed at the back of her head with an awkward grin on her face even as she decided it was best to simply leave Aloe and her family to their own reunion as she turned away and began trotting back down the path they'd come here on even as Aloe was pulled back into her home and the door closed.

Sunny blinked gently, walking along with Misty. "I think you did it, Misty. Aloe is back home with her parents, and they're all happy. They'll need to have some serious conversations, but I think they'll do that. I'm very proud of you."

Misty shrugged lightly even as she glanced back over her shoulder at where Aloe had vanished. "Well, it was obvious to me. All three of them were making the same mistakes, just with different words."

Zipp hissed gently in her breath. "Been there. Seriously, good job!" She threw an arm over Misty. "I vote we trace ourselves back to that candy land and make sure all the candy animals get out so they can turn back into ponies big and small. Then we're really done."

Misty wiggled gently with pride as she led the way back to Candied Hills with Sunny in tow with the others bringing up the rear. "Let's make it happen."

They journeyed back to Candied Hills quickly, returning to find Aloe talking happily with her parents. "Yeah, so they came and played in this place, and became candied critters!" She gestured wildly as she recounted the tale to them with dramatic hoofgestures and sweeping descriptions as they laughed together at her antics.

The critters, once removed from the Candied Hills, began to return to normal. Some of them were just critters, but many were actually ponies. The lost fillies were found, and the gang got them home in one big trip in the Mare Stream, jam packed with little fillies ready to end their adventure together.

With a big splash, the Mare Stream splashed across the open water before zipping into the village with many confused looks from ponies who turned to watch its passing as it sped along at the speed of sound towards one place only: the beach. The moment the doors opened, foals disgorged in a wave, bringing Maretime Bay all their lost children at once.

They scattered in every direction in an instant, little hooves carrying them far from the Mare Stream and back to their parents, filling everypony with joy at the return of their loved ones. Zipp sped off for her mom, waving goodbye to Hitch and the others as she went. "This all reminds me I should go hug her, so, later!"

"Misty!" Amber hugged her librarian gladly. "Everything alright?"

Misty hugged back. "Of course!" She hugged tighter for a moment before breaking off with a wide smile on her face. "I found Aloe! She's home again!"

Amber smiled at that thought. "You're a sweet pony, Misty."

"Thank you." Misty stuck out her tongue. "I've just got a knack for these things."

Amber inclined her head. "Did you use any magic, or?"

Misty shook her head. "No spells, but I did use my cutie mark." She pointed back at her rump. "And I listened. Sometimes, um, a pony just needs somepony who's ready to listen, for real."

Amber patted Misty on the shoulder. "You're always that pony. I'm proud of you."

"It's what friends do for each other." Misty giggled as she kicked at the floor gently.

They were pressed together. It took both a moment to realize Comforting had casually appeared and hugged both of them close. "I'm so proud of both of you! You did so much to save ponies who were lost. Just like I want you to do!" She tightened her hug a moment before letting them go and swiping away tears of pride in her eyes before they could fall. "Now, Misty, we got inspected." She did quotes in the air to emphasize the word. "We're waiting on the results."

Amber started sweating nervously as she rubbed at the back of her head in place. "Just some advice on how to run the library better, I'm sure."

"Probably," Comforting agreed.

Misty bobbed her head. "If that's all, that's not a big deal." She turned in place, taking in the library. "This place is great, and helps a lot of ponies be happier. I love working here, helping ponies learn and grow alongside each other." She stuck out her hoof with a warm smile on her face. "You did a great job getting this started, Amber. I'm happy to be a part of it."

Amber bumped hooves with Misty with a light blush on her cheeks. "I'm happy too, to have you all with me. This was just a dream, and now I'm living it." She let out a tense laugh. "I have to remind myself once in a while. I'm running a library! A real, live library! With more books than anypony ever thought possible!" She whirled in place, laughing joyfully as she gestured to the vast library they were all within even as Misty and Comforting watched with delighted smiles on their faces.

Amber came to a stop with a quick inhale as she remembered her place. "Once we get that report, we'll fix whatever they found that needs fixing, then we expand! If libraries have more than books, we'll get more than books! We'll become even greater than what we already are!"

Comforting grinned happily at that declaration. "As long as we get you an office with a proper door first." She snickered gently. "If you want one. You seem pretty happy just being out here with everypony else." She ruffled Amber's mane gently. "Won't say no to seeing you."

Amber flicked her tail with a snort of surprise. "Oh! Yes, maybe we could do that." She smiled coyly at the pair of mares she was with. "That way I can keep an eye on my favorite employees, and make sure they're not slacking." She snickered, unable to hold a serious bossing face. "Alright, let's help some ponies!" With a mutual cheer, they split up to do their jobs around the library.

It would take a week for the results to come back. Comforting was the first to see them, getting the mail as she was. "Let's see." She tore the envelope with a swipe of one of her sharp claws. "Hm. Well." She read through the details within before calling for Amber and Misty.

Misty and Amber joined Comforting by the front desk, hooves drumming with anxiety as they waited for the verdict.

Comforting held up the letter, waving it around before them. "According to this, the library is entirely, dreadfully, woefully, and utterly—" The two gaped at her with horror. "Satisfactory." Comforting slapped down the report. "We passed. A few minor complaints, easily fixed. The recommendation is to expand."

Misty picked up the letter with a whoop of delight as she read through it eagerly while Amber peered over her shoulder with delight even as they scanned the contents together with eager eyes that read line after line as they confirmed the report was genuine. The library had passed its first inspection. There was even a little note, a comment. 'This institution brings joy to the community it resides in. We look forward to seeing how it develops.'

Comforting ruffled Amber's mane fondly. "Seems like we can fix things up a little, Amber. Time to make this place just perfect!" She gasped happily. "Then we get to add things in!"

Amber clapped with building joy. "Yes! But, before we do that, I suggest we do a little research."

Comforting waved to the many books, then shrugged. "Well, grab a book?"

"Not that kind." Amber pointed to the front door instead. "We need to visit other libraries in the city and see what they're offering. That will give us a way better idea of where we want to go with ours."

Misty tilted her head thoughtfully. "Kind of a road trip?"

"I guess you could say that." Amber was brimming with excitement at the prospect of what could be as she scribbled down a few notes.

Comforting tapped at her chin. "I think Izzy has a scooter, if we ask her nicely to borrow it?"

Amber inclined her head. "I don't know how to drive one of those."

"Me neither." Misty shook her head quickly. "I think we're hoofing it! Walking through the city to look at libraries and see what there is to see."

Comforting ruffled Misty's mane this time around. "Sounds like a lovely trip."

Amber waved for the pair of them to follow her. "Come on then! We can start today." She hurried outside and down the street with Comforting and Misty trailing after her.

Comforting easily drifted up next to Amber. "Do you have a map of where the libraries are?"

That got Amber to slow. "Oh, right." Blushing, she turned back to their library. "I'll print that out before we rush off."

Comforting snickered softly at Amber's antics. "We'll wait here." She ruffled Misty and chatted with her as Amber scurried back into the library and returned a few minutes later with a map and guidebook to various locations around the city and region nearby too, which she set down on a bench for the three of them to inspect together as she spread out the map over it all.

Misty stepped up, eyes wide. "Woah. I forget sometimes how enormous this city really is. This map makes it clear how big it really is."

"Like Comfs said." Amber poked at the map as she pointed out the cluster of pins that were the other libraries in town. "We need to be careful if we're hoofing it like this."

Comforting raised a brow. "Did I say that?" She leaned in. "Or are you putting words in my mouth. I prefer science fiction if you're going to feed me good words."

Amber laughed as she pushed Comforting back. "The closest one is right here." She tapped at the map and began to gather it all up to take with her. "Let's get started!"

Author's Note

Road Trip! Minus a car. Who needs those?

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36 - Now Hiring

When they arrived at the first of the libraries, the first thing that struck them was just how enormous it was. The walls were pure glass and covered every wall, but the contents were no less spectacular either. Even from outside, ponies could be seen browsing within. There were rooms for quiet, which one could see in, most of it being glass, but they were designed so that they were quiet despite the activities happening elsewhere.

There were rooms built for noise, for groups to gather, talk, and work on things as a community. Bookshelves everywhere were stuffed with material of all kinds, not just books. They saw there was a room set aside for younger ponies, filled with books but also little games for them to play with each other too as they spent time there and read stories together alongside their parents or caretakers.

The teen areas had magazines popular with ponies of that development, and books ranging from education to simply entertaining. Comforting snatched one up. "I missed these." She leafed through a magazine of random world facts and picture-finding shots. "Where is that cat?"

Misty hopped in place. "Ooh! I see it!" She tugged Amber's sleeve to show her, but Amber was too busy taking notes on what she was seeing as well as gazing around in awe at how it was all put together.

They found a creator section that looked like Izzy would lose what few marbles she had if she saw. "Wow." Misty looked around curiously at all the many tools and such just waiting to be used to make something. "You know what this means, right?"

Amber glanced up from her notebook and followed Misty's gesture to the maker station and ponies working in it together on little projects and creations together as they chatted about them. "It means." Amber curled a hoof to her chin. "I've been doing it all wrong." She circled slowly, taking in the whole library easily, thanks to its glass walls. "I made a safe haven for books, but a library's more than that."

"They've got reading spaces for groups." Misty nudged against Amber with a look of pure delight on her face as she moved with Amber about the library even as she noted things as well. "I think we need one too!"

Amber smiled at that. "We have that one, at least. But we should be encouraging ponies to do more, together. This is enlightening, and a little scary. What are those ponies doing?" She pointed to a meeting room filled with ponies chatting eagerly about something.

Comforting lifted one ear from where she was reading another book and looked over at where Amber was pointing. "Starting a club." She blinked as she lowered her book for a moment. "What is that?" She pointed to a room that had another group quietly watching a movie being projected onto the wall. "Neat. Didn't we have a movie night once?"

Amber sagged. "Once. I've been focusing entirely on the books! Okay, okay." She took a few calming breaths. "This is just one library, let's move on to the next one and see how they compare."

Misty looped her hoof around Amber's. "Oh, hey, don't beat yourself up! I think the books are important too, and we have more books than any other library we've seen."

Comforting swooped in on Amber's other side. "And we still have a whole second floor waiting to be used. Let's take inspiration, not shame, from all this, hm?" She coaxed Amber back to her hooves and out of the library, even as they looked around some more before they departed to check out the next library they could find.

There were many libraries like this in Maretime Bay, and each one was unique in their own way. They all had different approaches, but many of them still seemed to follow along the same track.

The other libraries had sections dedicated to classes of some kind, or group studies where ponies could gather around a teacher and learn together in a classroom setting even if they were all adults with their own jobs already. Ponies wanted to learn, and if a library was ready to offer that, there appeared to be takers.

Amber led them down the street with a thoughtful expression. "They really feel like community centers, with books. Instead of books, with some community things." She took a slow breath. "We're going to have to make some big changes, or we'll be the worst library in the city!" She chuckled nervously at the notion as she read over her notes before pocketing them. "Well, we can fix things up!"

Misty and Comforting looked at each other with pride as they heard Amber say that and took up positions on either side of her. "I like it." Misty bounced a little with anticipation at all the ideas and notions she had in mind even as they continued onwards down the road.

"Sounds like fun." Comforting hugged both ponies beside her with a smile. "Now, if you're inspired and full of ideas, we can head back to our library, or grab a snack to celebrate. Which would you prefer?"

Amber sniffed. "The library is not going to clean itself up, or reorganize itself, or add things in by itself! So it's back home for us, come on." She tugged at Comforting's arm before quickly dropping it and turning red in the face. "Oh, um, congratulations."

Comforting blinked. "Did someone tell you my secret?"

Misty squeaked. "That was a secret!?"

"No." Comforting gave Misty a single pat on the head. "I'm teasing. It's true, I'm getting married. But getting married doesn't mean I suddenly want to be a rock towards everyone else." She hugged Amber warmly. "You are a dear friend, and dear friends still get hugs. If you push too far, I'm pretty good at speaking my opinions, even when you'd rather I didn't."

Amber patted Comforting's arm. "Yes, I have noticed this." She took another deep breath before starting on their way back home with Comforting and Misty close behind her even as they talked a little bit along the way. "Toots though? Not who I would have guessed."

Comforting drifted along with Amber. "Not who I would have guessed, but he's a nice stallion, legit cares about me, and he can do the most caring things if you let him. He's a nice ground after a day of chaos." She paused a moment. "Wow. It just hit me." She smacked herself on the forehead. "He's my Fluttershy. This is what Dad felt like!"

Amber hummed at that before shrugging. "So you and Toots are going to live together, huh?"

"One of us is moving into the other's place." Comforting hesitated as she thought about it. "I want to be by the books and you all, and he's attached to his place. We're still talking about who will move and who will stay. But married people who don't live together? That's hardly appropriate." She hummed gently. "Though Dad did manage it, but they never actually got married, so, not the same."

Amber raised an eyebrow as she turned that statement over in her mind. "I suppose it's different when you're dating, isn't it?"

Misty titled her head at that statement as she spoke up. "I never had a special somepony before."

Comforting darted around Amber to be at Misty's side instead. "It's not a contest. When, or even if, you run into a pony that makes your heart jump, you'll go at the speed you want to. We'll be cheering you on either way."

Misty giggled at that thought even as they rounded a corner and saw the library in the distance with many ponies outside of it having gathered together around a sign that was off to one side that they couldn't see the words of yet, but they could tell it was the cause of this crowd. "What's going on?

All three of them sped up to see the mysterious sign. Comforting darted over the crowd, first to get a peek. She had no words, just a shocked look on her face as she silently watched as Amber and Misty came over to join her in peering over the heads of their fellow ponies. The sign read, 'Now hiring'. "I didn't put this here." She lowered to read the smaller print near the bottom of the sign.

"Open interview day! Apply here!" Comforting sank in place as she recognized that voice with its high energy and powerful volume that made it easy for anyone within range of it to understand what was being said. "Hitch will see you all now! Now!"

Amber swayed unsteadily as she peered at where the voice was coming from and felt a burst of horror and terror as she saw Hitch guiding people towards the library for some kind of interview? "What is even going on?! I walk away for a few hours, and this happens?" She stormed through the crowd towards Hitch with a deep frown.

Misty chased after Amber, yelping as she struggled to keep up even as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Comforting alone at the edge of the mob with nothing but her confusion and dismay for company. "Hm, nah, she has this." She flashed a thumbs up at where Amber had been and vanished in a puff of giggles. What fun was there in fixing everything herself?

Hitch directed ponies towards where Sunny was sitting with a smile on her face as she guided them into the library for their interview as he tried to catch his breath between candidates even as they descended on him like a swarm of locusts even as the line of ponies at his feet grew larger and larger and reached back through the crowd that had gathered, not wanting to miss out.

Amber made it to the front. Hitch tried to funnel her like any other random pony, which only made her even angrier. "Hitch!" she shouted so loud, it shook him out of his rut. "What are you doing?!"

Hitch flinched back. "Oh, uh, I came by and most of the librarians were gone, so, you know? I'm helping?"

Amber applied a hoof to her face with a grunt. "I'm right here. I took one little researching field day. What do all these ponies think they're applying for?!"

Hitch rubbed at his neck as he squirmed in place under Amber's powerful gaze. "Uh, librarian? Head Librarian?"

"I am the head librarian!" Amber smacked the air with her hoof for emphasis on that fact. "And I don't plan on quitting anytime soon. Oh, sweet harmony itself." She marched forward to Sunny. "You got roped into this, I bet. Go on back to your stand. Thank you, but there will be no further interviews."

Sunny leapt to her hooves with a gasp of relief. "Oh, thank you!" She made a mad dash for it and disappeared into the crowd even as Hitch moved to argue with Amber over her decision.

"These ponies want a job, and I want to help! I know what ponies need!" Hitch pointed at himself. "Let me hire some more hooves for you so you can spend more time with those friends of yours, huh?"

Amber huffed, looking ready to resume shouting, but she thought it over again. "Actually." She reached to tap Hitch on the nose. "You may be onto something, but no new head librarians. There's only one of those, and you're looking at her."

"Obviously." Hitch chuckled gently as he calmed down and took a seat behind the desk while Amber sat beside him with a sigh as the first pony approached.

In the end, Amber hired about three new librarians to operate the second floor. A whole new floor meant more space to keep an eye and help ponies with all their various needs. "But, we need more than librarians to watch an empty space. We have to fill it. Comforting?"

"Yeah?" She hadn't been there, appearing just at the moment she was called. "What's up?

Amber drew on her face as she presented Comforting with her newest title: Floor Lead - Second Floor.

Comforting raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I get my own floor?" She gaped in shock at that declaration even as she stared down at the job title in question. "I'm honored!"

"Good." Amber flashed a smile. "I know you have your ways, and you saw what I saw. I want some of the books in the first floor moved up to the second, and I want the second to have a lot more than just books. I want it to be a community nexus, where ponies will want to gather for all kinds of reasons, books being just one of many of those reasons. Up for it?"

Comforting tensed up before launching herself at Amber with a cry of pure joy on her lips as she squeezed her tightly before vanishing from sight with a fading laughter.

Amber inclined her head at the spot that had contained Comforting. "That sounds like she's on the case." She turned back to Hitch. "As for you! You're welcome to come back and check things out once we finish the remodel."

Hitch beamed happily at that offer. "That sounds lovely! I have some ideas myself that I'd love to run by you sometime." He offered her his hoof, which she bumped against with a smile.

Author's Note

That could have gone much worse. Thanks, Hitch? He was trying.

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37 - Printing Trouble

"For too long!" Comforting paced back and forth before the other librarians in the darkened room. "For too long have I hoarded the wonders of raw creation to myself. It is time, past time, that I shared these gifts with the world."

Amber watched Comforting from the corner of the room, secretly recording Comforting on her phone while she ran this little experiment of hers that Amber didn't really understand. They had organized themselves and carefully placed their collection of various little art and crafting supplies throughout the entire floor.

"I bet many of you have never stood witness to this before, but fear ye not! I will guide you, and others who come to our humble library." She reached over towards a light switch, not quite reaching it, but also not caring as she flicked it on anyway. With sudden light, the room was visible.

Misty inclined her head slowly. "What am I looking at?"

"The future!" Comforting zipped over towards one box with strange gadgets inside. "You tell this funny machine what you want made, and it makes it. Simple as that. You give it instructions with the computer right next to it." She patted the tower next to the machine. Each machine had a tower and a monitor, waiting for a pony to play with it.

One of the other librarians raised a hoof. "Are those 3-D printers? I heard of those! I never used one myself."

Comforting smirked darkly at that reply. "They are very fun toys." She lifted one up to show off it's little build plate, before setting it down gently in the center of it before firing up the computer connected to it. "And I loaded it up with all kinds of fun shapes to get ponies started. Their creativity will be unleashed!"

Misty gazed at the printer. "What can they make with it?"

"Almost anything." Comforting let out a long laugh of glee at the thought of that. "Of course, plastic is just one material, and these things can be finicky little monsters, but as long as ponies are willing to learn about them, the options will only grow over time." She clapped her hands, imagining the things that may come out as skill grew.

Amber rubbed at her chin with a hoof. "Interesting, but why do they belong in a library?"

Comforting's smug aura was sucked right out of her as she staggered at that question with her wings flapping rapidly to catch herself. "They're machines! Like you said! They're creating! But it's more than that." She held a finger aloft. "They create with the power of the ponies that work with them. They will bring ponies together to work side by side. These things will help build our community, together, stronger." She clapped her hands in one firm strike. "And I get to see all the crazy ideas they try, most of which will fail, but the trying's the important part."

Amber didn't look entirely convinced. "If you say so, but, this is your floor, Comforting." She rolled a hoof slowly. "So it's your call. You'll get your chance to prove me wrong, or right." She smiled slowly. "I look forward to it either way."

"Naturally." Comforting spread her wings as she inhaled deeply and prepared to say more about the printers and all the fun things they could do with them before pausing with a curious glance over her shoulder at Amber. "Oh, why don't you be the very first pony?" She waved Amber forward. "I'll show you how to make something of your very own."

Amber chuckled as she trotted over with a smirk on her lips even as she made eye contact with the phone she was holding and ended the recording. She slid the phone away before smiling warmly at Comforting. "Alright, show me."

Comforting was delighted to do that, focusing on the part that got Amber towards her first creation. The machine made little noises as its little nozzle flew back and forth along its tracks, slowly creating what she had asked for.

A few minutes later, a little toy tugboat stood on the platform, created from nothing but the reserves of materials the machine was stocked with. "Okay, it's done!" She pulled the toy boat free from the platform as she dropped it into Amber's hooves. "Now you try."

Amber just held the boat for a moment, taking it in even as she thought of what she wanted to make next as she rubbed at the little plastic toy. "Wow. Say, is that magic?"

Comforting shrugged. "Magic, technology, the line really gets blurry after a while. Either way, it's not my magic." She pat at the top of the creation device. "It's entirely safe. The worst thing you'll get out of it is something that doesn't look the way you had in mind. Then it's time to try again!"

Amber laughed at that thought. "They're much nicer than that old pony's laser printer back in the days of old!"

Comforting placed her hands on her hips. "Hey! I remember when those were new." She was thinking back far longer than Amber was, a world away even. "They had their perks, but still, yeah, nothing compared to these guys. As you can see—" She waved at a sign on the wall. "—There are rules for ponies to follow. No hogging up a machine all day, nothing rude being printed, things like that."

Amber snorted in surprise at that thought. "Do you think I need to worry about these getting stolen?"

Comforting touched her fingertips together idly as she hummed in thought at that possibility. "I mean, if a pony really wanted to, they could snatch a part, but I don't think ponies around here think about that too often. I wouldn't worry too hard about it." She slid in next to Amber. "Also, they're mine. What loon would steal from the local chaos spirit?"

Amber blinked in surprise as she remembered who she was talking to and nearly stumbled in place as she took a step back. "Sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay." Comforting leaned over to kiss Amber on the cheek before walking away with a wink and a swirl of her hand. "If you all like it, I'll have it open for tomorrow, and we'll see what Maretime Bay dreams up!"

Amber put the toy tugboat in her pocket with a laugh as she moved over towards Misty. "Think this is going to work?"

Misty licked her lips as she tasted some words before letting them out of her mouth, "Yes! For sure, yes. These look like a lot of fun, and maybe ponies will learn something, and each other." She grasped hooves with Amber excitedly. "I bet they'll go great with the puzzles too!"

"I don't see why not." Amber gestured to the room just across the way from them that held many games and activities for ponies of all ages to partake in, along with an endless amount of reading material and art supplies scattered throughout. "Comforting seems to have the whole place under control."

Misty tapped her chin thoughtfully as she wondered what was still to come. "This looks like a fun place." She threw an arm around Amber, hugging. "You picked a good creature to have this floor. We'll keep the first floor looking good though. We can't be shown up, right?"

Amber hoofbumped Misty with a snicker. "Of course not!" She stroked at her mane as she swept it over her shoulder with an elegant flourish before trotting towards the stairs with Misty close behind.

"Tomorrow," called out Comforting behind them, promising the printers would be available the next day for all ponies to begin tinkering with.

Comforting walked into the home, pulling a tie loose and tossing it aside. "Today was a real killer."

Toots looked up from where he was laying on the couch. "That rough? Want something tasty?"

Comforting zipped over to curl around Toots. "Sweet thing." She kissed either of his cheeks. "I'm just playing. Today was a great day! How was yours?"

Toots laughed at that unexpected greeting and stroked her back gently. "My day was fine! Nothing big or exciting, just normal life stuff." He stretched out a moment. "Thought about taking a vacation."

"Vacation!" Comforting tapped at her lips. "That could be fun. Are you thinking just you and me?"

Toots snickered at that. "That is how vacations usually work with special somecreatures." He nuzzled against her with little murmurs. "Unless you'd rather not?"

"I was only checking!" Comforting dove down against Toots, peppering him with kisses as she knocked him over onto the couch in an intimate embrace. "I'd love a vacation with you, anywhere in all Equestria, for however long you want." She began tickling, making him laugh and wriggle under her skilled fingers. "Where do you have in mind?"

Toots caught his breath as he pulled Comforting down against him in a tight hug before stroking at her mane. "The beach? There are beaches all around here. They're pretty good if you like that kind of thing."

Comforting blinked at that. "Oh, sure! More of a day trip and less of a 'vacation', but day trips can be all kinds of fun. If we're going to a local beach, I'd say we should invite along a friend or two, make a fun day out of it."

Toots snuggled up against Comforting, almost ready to doze off on her before rousing himself. "It's not like we have to decide right now. We could take a little more time to think about it."

Comforting nibbled at one of his ears gently. "We could, but what's the fun in that? My little pony wants to go play in the sand? We're playing in that sand. It better be ready for us!" She snickered as she drummed her fingers against his chest with playful energy flowing through her veins.

"Sounds good to me!" Toots began returning her little kisses even as they fell into silence as they were simply together and sharing each other's warmth for a little while.

The companionable quiet was only broken when Comforting nuzzled into his cheeks. "So, about that food you were offering. Still valid?"

He snickered as he slid down to his hooves. "I thought you didn't even need to eat."

"I don't." She drifted alongside him. "That doesn't mean the idea of sharing a meal with you that you made doesn't sound quite nice." She tucked some loose strands of hair behind one ear with a hum before yawning broadly as she let out a long sigh of blissful relaxation before smiling slowly at him. "Just the thought of you making something tasty for me is wonderful."

"How do I say no to that?" He vanished into the kitchen, with her floating just alongside him. "Well, unlike some creatures I know, I actually do need to eat, so I'll be cooking for us both." He began gathering things onto the counter. "Something good and filling. Mmm, where'd I put that?" He started searching the cupboards.

She ruffled his mane affectionately. "Here's hoping your cooking tastes as good as you look." She kissed his nose with a smirk. "I want dessert too, mister."

He flushed at that even as he stood taller and flexed his arms at her. "Y-you got it!" Perhaps motivated, he found the little bottle he'd been looking for and the smells of cooking began to form as he jostled the pan underneath the food with little happy whistles of creation.

Comforting curled up around his shoulders with a pleased smile as she watched him prepare a simple but filling meal for them both as he tried not to seem distracted by her presence as he went through the motions of getting food onto plates for them. She half-rode him to the dining room. "By the way, about where we live. I'm still torn."

Toots set down a plate on either side of the small table. "Comfs, you're a god."

"Don't say it like that!" Comforting colored brightly. "But why do you bring that up?"

Toots folded his arms as he sank down onto a chair at the table. "You're exactly as close to me as you feel like being, and that's true if you lived here, or halfway across the world." He licked his lips as he slid a fork through his food and slowly ate. "But, if you did want to live with me, or near me, I'd be happy about it."

Comforting seated herself at the table, and dug into her food too. "Mmm, so good." She slurped it up with a pleased smile. "And you didn't help! If living with you would make you happy, then living away from you would make you sad, and I don't want that." She curled around his shoulders once more, a faint golden glow on her hands as she slowly danced around him while they were eating. "It might be nice, to see each other every morning and every night."

"So do that." He waved a fork at her. "And it doesn't even matter where you live, because you're Comforting, and space is just an idea you follow because it's fun to do, sometimes."

She stopped eating for a moment as she pondered what he was saying to her. "Is this you telling me that you don't care if I move in or not? That you'll be happy no matter what?"

He booped her on the nose gently. "I have you, so I'm happy. Past that, you put yourself where you want to be, and we'll have breakfast and dinner together." He flashed her a smile. "All you need to do is be yourself, and we'll always be together."

Comforting glowed pink for a moment before devouring him in a powerful kiss as she melted into his embrace as they pressed together with happy cries of delight on their lips as they abandoned all worries about where she'd live.

Author's Note

Ever play with a 3d printer?

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38 - Toy Break

Fluttershy awoke on the softest grass ever, from a peaceful sleep. She stretched with a big smile as she stretched with a lazy yawn before hopping up to her hooves and taking a deep breath as she gazed out at the wide open plains she found herself in.

"Hi, Mom." Comforting wrapped around the false pegasus gently a moment. "Nice to see you." She left the pegasus behind, already dissolving. She had a day to do, no time for wallowing in the past.

Emerging onto the new floor of the library, she waved at the ponies excitedly exploring. As fun as being a proper librarian was, she was finding the second floor to be a better fit. "What have we here?" There was a little foal sitting alone, not because they were reading, but instead looking a little sad.

Comforting zipped in on that sad little face. "Why the pout, little pony? Can't find something? Or somepony? I'm here to help."

The little pony giggled at her antics before standing up and flashing a bright, if hollow, smile at Comforting with a shake of her head. "No worries! I'm just here waiting for my big brother." She sat back down with a long sigh.

"Is he taking a long time?" Comforting sank to sit next to the little filly. "I could remind him he has a little sister waiting for him."

The little filly looked over at Comforting, but quickly looked away from her again. "Nah, he just likes to spend time with his friends more than me." She dragged a hoof across the floor nervously.

Comforting let out an oh. "I see. But he brought you here, to the library. What are they up to, hm?"

"Aren't you busy?" The little filly peered back up at Comforting with a mildly distrusting look before another heavy sigh took her. "You must have important things to do instead of listening to my problems."

"You are the most important thing I can think of this moment." She could perceive the rest of the floor, running properly. It was her domain. "So, go on. Tell Comforting how she can comfort. She loves doing that." Comforting ruffled the top of the filly's head, mussing her mane.

The filly pouted at Comforting for a moment before looking away. "He likes hanging out with his friends more than me!" The words exploded out of her in a rush. "I'm trying to do fun stuff with him, but he just doesn't want to hang out with me." She flopped to her bottom and crossed her arms. "So I'll keep waiting."

Comforting considered a moment. "Hm, well, whatever he's doing, he must be having fun. Why don't we have some fun too? He won't mind if you don't get into trouble, yes?" She gently scooped up the little filly. "Which way did you see him go?"

The little filly sighed softly as she slumped against Comforting's shoulder. "I don't want to interrupt his fun..." She drooped further even as Comforting lightly stroked her back. "That way," she admitted, pointing.

Comforting lifted a few inches and floated where the pointing hoof directed, ending up in the room full of printers busily producing little things for the ponies working them. She saw a teen-aged colt with a bandana, surrounded by some of his friends and laughing as he worked one of the computers while trying to get it to make something.

The filly hugged tighter against Comforting even as Comforting patted her reassuringly even as she tapped her fingers against the wall to draw attention. "Hey there."

The colt looked up, as did his friends. "Yeah? We didn't hurt it."

"I didn't say you did." Comforting hugged the filly as she moved in for a peek at what they were trying to print, some kind of little toy? "Whatcha workin' on?"

The colt lifted up the little model ship he had on his hoof as he showed it off with pride to her even as he smiled at the others he was with. "This thing is fun! But we, uh." He pinned an ear back, refusing to look at the held filly directly. "Um."

Comforting held out the filly gently. "If you want to talk to her, please go ahead."

The colt was still a moment before he stomped in place. "We've been working on a surprise, but the stupid printer keeps messing it up!" He held up the toy ship that was glitching slightly as he struggled to keep it from falling apart in his hands. "But we have a lot of time!" He threw his hooves up. "But also we don't."

The filly blinked in clearing confusion. "You were making something for me?!" She hopped down from Comforting's grip and rushed up to the colt, eyes sparkling as she looked over the computer display.

Comforting drifted in with her, examining the plans they had. "Ah. Look, it starts from the bottom." She pointed. "And you have it upside down, so it starts from the top, and there's not enough holding it up, so it prints funny." She clacked a few keys to get it to spin around. "Now what were you making?"

The colt's mouth was wide open as he gaped at Comforting, stunned by her presence and sudden knowledge of their plans. He dropped the little model ship and raised a hoof, then lowered it again. "Thank you! We would have figured it out, eventually."

Comforting ruffled the colt's mane gently. "I bet you would, but I also bet you would like more time enjoying this little toy and less time wondering why it won't print."

The group cheered as the toy started to print out, not becoming lopsided immediately that time. "You're awesome!" The colt gave her a little bow even as he collected the finished little ship. "See? I told you it would work eventually." He placed it in the filly's hooves with a grin as she gasped in delight at seeing it finished at last.

She ran around, waving the ship as if it were battling intense waves. "It's the best!"

Comforting flashed a smile. "You could make it even better." She pointed. "We have paints over there. All of you could help make the ship that extra special, instead of just being plastic-colored."

The colt tensed at that, considering it as he looked around at his friends who all looked just as excited at the prospect of painting it up. "I bet she'd like that!" He took his sister's hoof. They, group and all, went to attack the paints with cheerful cries of excitement.

Amber nodded to each pony around her. "I present to you all, a spell I call 'The Twilighting.' She giggled gently. "I named it that after the legendary Twilight Sparkle. She didn't tolerate books out of place, and this spell won't either."

Sunny and Misty, seated side by side, applauded loudly as Amber walked through the different aspects of her newest magic spell, written down in a thick book she had spread open on the table in front of them. She levitated pieces of paper and set them around each other in various arrangements as she explained what they would do. "But talk is cheap, as the saying goes."

She pivoted in place towards the return bin, full of books. "Look at all of those, poor things, waiting to be returned to their proper homes." Her horn began to glow as she worked through her own spell. "But with this!" The first book jumped up off of the pile and hovered over to one shelf before dropping down into place with a click.

Amber clapped her hooves. "One down, but we can do more than that." She focused on her magic, trying to get the rest to get moving. A couple of books flew up into the air and smacked against each other before going back down onto the pile as she gave out a sigh of dismay. "Darn it! It's hard to do more than one at a time."

She tapped a hoof against her chin. "The spell does seem to work. I'm not floating each book on my own. I don't even know which books they are, so I can't be putting them in the right place, on my own."

She exhaled deeply as she struggled to get the rest of the books up and working as well. Doing one at a time was the easiest, two could be managed, but much more than that, and a collision and crash seemed inevitable. On the bright side, each book that made it to a shelf, did so in the correct position even without being seen. "Well, it's progress." She smirked as she watched the stack of books grow smaller and smaller as she kept up her focus until they were all back in their rightful places with all the titles perfectly aligned.

Misty whistled sharply, stomping the ground in applause. "That's great! You made that spell up by yourself?!"

Amber turned with a renewing smile of pride. "All by myself. Um, mostly. I borrowed a little from the other spells, a few phrases here and there, but I put them all together and it works, mostly." She waved at the empty bin, not a single book remaining. "Ta da!"

Misty ran over and gave Amber a big hug of happiness and pride in her achievements as she stroked her mane with tenderness. "That's amazing!"

Amber was surrounded by ponies, at least Misty and Sunny, as they all murmured about the things they could use Amber's spell for even as she soaked in the praise. "I couldn't have done it without such a great magical buddy." She touched her nose to Misty's cheek. "I'll share the spell, of course. Magic buddies share their magic, kind of the first step right?"

Misty chimed a laugh at that as she blushed under the praise. "Thanks! You're my best friend!" She embraced Amber in a powerful hug as she pressed close with giddy delight. "We should use your spell in our community outreach efforts!"

Amber blinked at that. "I don't think putting books away will help us reach the community?"

Misty waved a hoof. "Think outside the box. If you can put a book away, why couldn't you get a book to the pony that most wants to read it?" She pulled Amber along by the hoof. "That kind of thing would be great for helping all kinds of ponies feel more welcome."

Amber paused with a groan of worry. "I haven't tested it like that yet." She rubbed behind her head, but her smile returned. "But that sounds like a great adjustment my magical buddy could work on."

Sunny laughed at both of them. "You two are incredible. It's nice to see you two getting along so well. Also, really, just seeing unicorn magic is amazing. When are you going to share it with other unicorns?"

Amber froze up as she turned back to Sunny with a yelp. "Oh. Well. It's not exactly an easy skill to learn. It takes practice to really get the hang of it and use it right." She laughed tensely. "Also, waiting on the go-ahead from Comforting before I do that."

Misty skipped in place. "Oh! When we do, we should turn our magic room public. We could give magic lessons there for any unicorn that wants to learn!"

Amber cocked her head. "Hey, yeah! That sounds great! I wonder if other unicorns would really want to learn? It's not easy, but it would be nice to offer." She tapped at her horn. "The option is a part of being a unicorn. We've been separated from it for too long."

Author's Note

Comforting is having a great time, even with a hint of melancholy darting about.

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39 - I Can Be Anything

Misty trotted down the aisle. "This one?" She looked at a book a moment before shaking her head. "That one." She grabbed one in her magic and kept right on looking.

Amber was trying to keep up with Misty as she hopped down the aisles and muttered to herself. "What are we doing here?"

Misty leaned on the edges of her hooves as she squinted at a higher shelf with a groan of frustration before hopping back down. "I'm being too picky." She twirled towards Amber. "I learned a new spell, and it's so cool. It was a bit scary when I used it wrong, with my friends." She colored at that part. "But with my Magic Buddy? That feels a lot safer."

Amber giggled at that admission of closeness even as she sidled closer to Misty. "I'm sure it does. Now what spell is it? Some kind of searching spell? What are you looking for?"

Misty clapped her hooves together with excitement. "I heard from Toots, you know, my buddy's ponyfriend? He said he and Comforting are going on vacation soon!" It took a moment for her to realize she'd gone off track. "The spell! It makes a butterfly, but it's not just a butterfly. If the butterfly lands on a book, it can take you inside the book!"

Amber flashed an amused smile even as she wagged a hoof. "Really now? I thought butterflies didn't go inside books, just butterflies in cocoons."

Misty snickered at that witticism before leaping into the air in excitement at Amber's reaction. "These butterflies love books, and if you like books, you'll have fun inside a book too." She presented the book she'd picked. "How about this one?"

Amber tilted her head slightly before taking it from Misty's hooves and setting it down in front of her. "And I suppose you want to test it out? Now?" She laughed at Misty's enthusiastic nod. "Well, hm." She looked about. "Let's tell the others we're stepping out for lunch then. Don't want us vanishing without warning, do we?"

Misty cringed at that reminder of some past indiscretions and how ponies had felt at her absence before shaking those thoughts away as she tried to focus on the moment. "Sounds good!"

Together, they found other librarians and informed them of their planned time away. Comforting hummed softly. "You sound like you're up to trouble." She smiled down as Misty squirmed. "Sounds fun. I want to hear all about it when you get back, hm?"

"Will do!" Amber pushed Misty towards the doors even as they giggled and prepared themselves to cast magic and enter a whole new world together.

Once they were alone in the hallway and the door was closed behind them, Amber raised an eyebrow at Misty. "So, we're really doing this?"

Misty bobbed her head in affirmation as she posed proudly with her horn glowing as she cast her spell even as she watched a single iridescent butterfly fly from her horn and land on the cover of the book.

With a great suction, they were both drawn inside. The book landed on the ground with a soft thump, leaving nary a trace of the foalish pony explorers behind.

Misty licked her lips in anticipation even as she peered around at the swirling colors and shifted perspectives before letting out a delighted gasp at where they'd ended up. She gestured with her hooves as she pranced around and forward through the oddly-solid words of the book, now serving as walls for her to move along and around. "Amber! It worked!"

Amber nudged Misty forward carefully with her hoof as she surveyed the area around them. It wasn't quite a perfect depiction of what she had read in the storybook as Misty moved forward. "Wow, look at it." She did a little circle just to amaze at the new world they were in.

"Hello!" A small pony pixie appeared from nowhere, speaking with a female tone. "Now, the, oh, wait." She darted in front of Misty. "You're back?!"

Misty smiled brightly at the strange magical creature that had apparently met her before. "Um, yes?" She shook herself and laughed. "Hi! I guess we are back. This is Amber." She waved at Amber, eyes locked on the little pixie. "Are you going to tell us the rules again?"

"That was the idea." The book fairy looked annoyed a little. "I didn't expect you to come back. I will remind, this isn't the same book. The challenges will be different! Why did you come back, anyway?"

Misty flicked her tail at that thought as she took a deep breath before sighing it out. "I just wanted to try it again." She held out her hooves plaintively as she grinned at Amber, flashing her an excited look before turning back to the little creature before them.

Amber nodded at the fairy. "Nice to meet you, um, miss?"

"Charmed." The fairy rolled her eyes. "And only two of you? Were my challenges that easy? Whatever, let's proceed. This book you picked, it has way more social challenges, and way less hopping and bouncing ones. I hope you're ready, or you'll suffer. I'm fine with either outcome, really."

Amber narrowed her eyes at that statement before shrugging and waving Misty to continue. "Just like before? I'll follow your lead."

Misty kept bouncing on her hooves, glancing about as she wondered where their first challenge would appear from before breathing in deeply. "We are prepared."

The fairy waved ahead of them. "The first challenge is the Great Ball. If you read this book, you will recognize the ponies here, and maybe you'll even know their motives. If not, you'll have to actually talk to them and figure it out. Good luck!"

Before them, the hallway of words and letters dissolved into an opulent ballroom packed with many, many ponies in fancy outfits dancing and drinking as they enjoyed the party around them. A waltz was playing even as they took in the sheer size of it all before spotting a sign declaring it to be the Great Ball itself.

Misty flexed her legs in preparation for a wild night even as she approached Amber with a wiggle of her eyebrows as she nudged her along with a little smirk on her lips. "Let's get social."

Amber snorted softly, eyes darting as she examined each pony. "They're wearing old-time clothing. I think we're really in the book, in one of the scenes. Did you read this book before?"

Misty pouted at Amber's immediate assumption that she didn't. "Yes, I read all the books I could get my hooves on!" She straightened up even as she snorted back at Amber in exasperation before pushing into the party proper. "This one's the great revealing party of Princess Petunia! She'll become a big mover and shaker in the book later."

Amber gave a mock gasp of horror as she stuck close to Misty, hoof brushing hoof gently. "An event so important it got an entire chapter devoted to it!" She stared up at the giant ice sculpture of the princess. "Is it going to melt?"

Misty snorted as she tugged Amber around the ballroom as she danced with her, starting slowly but picking up the pace quickly with giggles and little hoofsteps as they passed each and every pony they could, observing them and seeing who they were talking to, or how they were interacting. "This is great!"

Amber recognized some of the ponies and heard snatches of their conversations. She found herself wishing she had read the book more recently, but it did really feel like she was inside the book, surrounded be the intrigue the book had whispered of. The royalty of that kingdom were taking sides both with and against that new princess.

Misty chattered and giggled with each pony, giving them cute little smiles as she inquired about how their evening was going and what they thought of the latest fashions. For many of the nobles present, it seemed like they hadn't expected anyone to pay attention to them for such silly reasons, but being flattered and fawned over by a pretty young filly in a silly but unique dress did wonders for loosening tongues as they made some loose promises about coming to the ball and their purposes for doing so.

It was only then that Amber noticed. She and Misty were dressed. They hadn't been before, but they had become garbed, not quite right to match with the ponies around them. It hit her with a gasp. They were literally dressed as foreigners of that fictional world. "That's close to the truth," she admitted with amazement. Visitors from another world counted as 'foreign', right?

Amber brushed against Misty as she spoke up. "If I'd known, I would have brought an invitation." She tittered as if that was somehow hilarious as Misty took that line and ran with it, turning heads and beginning conversations. Though most of the ponies were eager to share their opinions, she found one that kept avoiding her, refusing to utter a word but a scoff at being annoyed.

She turned away from him and took Misty's hoof, leading her into a quick dance. "That pony is making me worried." She pushed against Misty's shoulder lightly before dipping her with a coy smile on her lips. "I think we need to deal with him."

Misty glanced where Amber was looking, spotting that one recluse in the dazzling room of social contacts. "Okay! You think he's going to cause trouble?" She matched Amber's quick steps in an elegant little dance as they turned around the room with each other as they observed from different angles.

"He just gives me a bad feeling." Amber shook her head firmly. "He's the odd one out, and we're on a quest to talk. I haven't seen anything else that's making me think we're onto something." She started towards that shy, or scheming, pony. "It's time we broke through their shell."

Misty skipped over to take the lead from Amber, raising her head high and clearing her throat gently as she waved off at Amber to get her to stay back a moment longer. "Excuse me, but I'd love to hear your opinion on this."

The stallion huffed gently. "Nothing a foreigner's opinion would matter on." He rolled his eyes, unimpressed by Misty's determined attempts at inclusion.

"Surely not!" Misty batted her eyelashes at the dashing stallion, noting how he was dressed up for the ball. "Besides, you look like you could use some company." She held out a hoof for him to shake. "Princess Misty Bloom."

He crossed his hooves, avoiding eye contact as he shook his head dismissively. "Don't know you."

Amber slid in next to Misty. "You should. Now, me? I'm just her humble servant. But Princess Misty Bloom is quite powerful in her realm." She winked gently. "And quite the skilled dancer."

Misty wiggled in place happily at Amber's arrival. "So! What brings you here?"

The stallion relaxed his hooves slightly even as he sighed softly. "To get rid of this riffraff from our fair land." He inclined his head at a pony, one who would play a major part in the book. "This place is insufferable for their presence." But he was relaxing. "Perhaps a good dance with a pony that doesn't irritate me that much is just what is called for." He presented his hoof for her to take as he guided her onto the dance floor with a little sigh as they drifted along the edge of the other dancers for a few moments as Misty grinned at him winningly as she found a conversation topic that interested him: himself.

With a sharp snap, Amber and Misty found themselves in front of the book fairy. She shook her head. "Huh, you're not stabbed even once? Oh well, guess we get to move on to the next challenge."

"Wait!" Misty flashed a huge grin at the fairy. "The pony was such a jerk because he wasn't being understood? Why didn't he just say what he meant instead of hiding it behind insults and judgments?"

The fairy hesitated, looking completely baffled a moment. "Oh. You're talking to me about that character." She zipped in closer to Misty. "I'm a book fairy. A fairy of all books! They kinda blur together after a while. I forgot which we're talking about for a moment there. Now, yeah, that's just how he defends himself. He lives in a dangerous world, hm? Speaking of that, you two aren't done with that troubling land."

Author's Note

Ignore the old comment. Ignore it!

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40 - Reading the Future

The book unfolded around them and before them as they found themselves standing before a long table where many important looking ponies sat, gazing down upon them. Their clothing marked them as royal ponies, either through formal garb or literal crowns adorning their heads.

Misty forced a big smile and sank into her seat, glancing around for some kind of hint as to the nature of that gathering, but none were easily visible.

Amber waved to Misty. "Princess Misty Bloom has arrived!"

Polite nods and calculating gazes rippled across the occupants of the room. A unicorn stallion stood up. "We're glad you're here. We are voting on a bill today."

Misty extended her hooves for that brief moment before dropping them with a grimace before taking a deep breath and bolstering her confidence again as she smiled at the stallion. "I would be delighted to assist. Please, go on." She lifted her head as she looked over at Amber, a gentle smile on her lips at the proud grin she was getting for her bravery.

The unicorn smiled back. "The bill would allow access to Equestria from a neighboring land." He set his hooves together. "There are some firm supporters, and equally staunch detractors. We've been arguing this matter for what feels like years now." He sat back down, muzzle on hoof as he observed the pair of 'guests'.

Amber grinned as she pointed at Misty before sitting back herself. "Well, it looks like you have some international experts in your midst. I'm just her servant, so hushing up." She mimed zippering her snout.

Misty snapped her hoof onto the table, eyes sparkling as she recalled the details of that book and all it entailed as she saw the royal ponies murmuring about that declaration as she rocked her hooves before stamping down on them to get herself under control. "Gentleponies! I am glad you called to me. I have come far to speak on this matter." She couldn't help a little smile as the memories of why they were there and how it had worked in the book became fresh in her mind. "Equestria is about openness! About friendship! And this world needs more friends, yes? The evil Queen Nightmare Moon will never rest until she gets everything she wants!" She glared at them each in turn as she let out a yelp of surprise as she found herself shoved backwards onto the floor.

Amber darted to Misty's side and helped her up as she whipped her gaze across the ponies for whoever had done it before they found themselves back in the book once more, facing down the furious fairy once more.

The book fairy flitted up to them. "You already read this one. Why are you even here?" She shrugged grandly. "Takes all the fun out of it if you've read the answer guide, don't you think?"

Misty inclined her head. "Amber hasn't, and I still thought it was amazing. Getting to live out the scenes is quite the, uh, experience." She stretched in place as she checked herself over to make sure she was still in one piece after getting tossed like that before tapping a hoof against her chin with a serious expression on her face. "But they need help in there!"

The fairy waved a hoof at Misty. "You know they figure it out eventually. The story's already written. Marvelous part about books, the future is not only set, but you can check it at any time. Now, with that in mind, why are you back exploring a book you already know? Last time, it was a journey of wonder and exploration." She rolled her eyes. "This time, what just for fun? I'm not your jester!"

Amber laid a hoof on Misty's shoulder before standing up to face the fairy with a slight frown. "Look, she just wanted to do it again because it was fun. How often do you get to travel inside a book and help ponies?"

"Not much," admitted the fairy with a little pout of annoyance. "Because I live in them. And 'helping' ponies isn't really what I do for fun. I oversee the rules of this place. That's my job and my purpose."

Amber hummed at that as she folded her hooves in front of her with an impish little smile on her lips as she regarded the fairy with amusement on her face as she tapped a hoof against her chin briefly in thought before exhaling with an audible huff. "If you watch over the rules, then I'd just ask one thing. Is it against the rules if one of us has read the book?"

The book fairy floated back a few inches. "N-No, not technically."

Amber turned back to Misty with a wink and a smile before sweeping her hoof towards the little fairy as she addressed her again. "Well, let's get started on that second go-around then!"

The book fairy huffed, crossing her tiny arms. "Fine! But if you're just going to wander around and enjoy the sights, quizzing you on it feels like a waste of everycreature's time." She coiled on herself as a strange tiny device floated from her. It looked like a thermometer with a knob. "Use this to go backwards and forwards in the book. Turn it to the end when you're ready to leave."

Amber peered at the little object, slightly unnerved by its sudden appearance from nothingness but hiding that reaction behind a smile as she placed it in Misty's hooves and walked with her towards the ballroom once more as the fairy flitted off in annoyance.

Comforting sat on a bench. It was no normal bench, for it was parked beneath a special tree. "Hello there." She bent backwards and looked up into the branches of the Together Tree. "Having a nice day?"

The tree did not respond. Trees didn't talk, as that one had reminded her quite some time ago. "Nice to see you."

A sudden chime came from her phone. She dug it out to find a text had arrived from Together.Tree@Equestria.net: Hello! I'm doing fine today. The weather is nice here! We're not close enough for it to send me your weather reports, yet.

Comforting snorted at that, jamming out a reply: I didn't ask for a weather report, silly tree. Glad to hear you're doing well though. Oh, I'm getting married.

A heartbeat went by. A handful of seconds, actually. She smiled at that response even before she heard it come out of her phone: They will leave eventually. They have to, so quickly. Are you ready for that?

Comforting wrinkled her snout, fingers working over the phone: Of course! This isn't the first time, and I think I let enough time go since the last one, so don't say I'm just bouncing. Also, you know I'd take you as a partner if you were more, you know, mobile. Hugging you as a tree makes me look sillier than usual.

A short pause: Hugging me is fine! That's why I have this function. See?

Another message popped up with an animated image of Comforting hugging a tree while it waved back.

Comforting grinned at that sentiment before texting back: Glad to hear it.

She shoved the phone away and jogged the few steps up to Together. Without ceremony, she wrapped her arms around and hugged the tree, one foot up in the air as she nestled close. "You're one of my best friends, too."

The tree rustled happily and accepted her hug for quite some time. Even if she couldn't physically hear the tree speaking back to her, she could feel its support and care in every branch around her. To anypony watching her, she was just a curious creature hugging a tree. The tree wasn't responding, just continuing to exist, as a tree.

Comforting flushed slightly before answering: You know, if you wanted to marry me, I'd be flattered.

The answer came swiftly: We are already bound. I value our connection deeply, Comforting. It is curious, to me, that the orderly spirit that I am has changed form and name so much more often than the chaotic spirits I know.

Comforting tapped at her chin as she composed her response carefully, remembering their early days when she'd tried to change too fast: A chaotic spirit can do whatever they want. Me? I need structure. I think my dad did too, but don't try to get him to admit it.

She stuck out her tongue, thinking of Discord and his curious ways: He loved every weekly game of O&O, and was very sad when it ended. We chaos sprits like our little gripping points of stability.

Together.Tree@Equestria: That is also true! But remember, sometimes we are together even when we are apart, Comforting. One doesn't have to be right in front of another to be with them.

"True." Comforting said that part out loud, knowing Together was quite close enough to hear her. "I just wanted you to know what was going on. I'd invite you to the wedding, but that'd be hard."

Together rustled some more before stilling once more. Together.Tree@Equestria sent another message: The cost of growing so large is that I must remain here. But you can bring me to the wedding in a way. Why not share your vows beneath my boughs?

Comforting blinked at the words, stunned a moment before she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Duh! I'm so silly sometimes." She twirled back towards the tree. "I'll ask Toots! I don't imagine he'll have a problem having it here. You're a very pretty tree, if you don't mind my saying so. It'd be a fine place for a wedding."

She felt the tree's pleasure at the compliment even as she breathed in deeply as she tried to get her thoughts in order and determine what kind of wedding dress would be appropriate for her age and body type and general mood and attitude at being wed yet again and how to coordinate that with her new friends. A new message interrupted her thoughts: Just be yourself. You are a wonderful creature. I cannot envision this going in any way but perfectly, though your perfection may be interesting, and that remains a fine thing for you and all around you.

Comforting raised an eyebrow at that assertion before laughing at that unique reassurance from her oldest friend even as she took a bow for her tree companion. She stepped back onto the path and away from the Together Tree's soothing shade as she looked up at the sky with a new smile on her lips. "You're not wrong."

She hammered out a new message towards Toots: Hey, remember that big lovely tree? Can we do our vows there? I think it'd be the perfect spot. Let me know, this is our wedding, not mine, so your thoughts are important.

Toots was quick to reply: The Together Tree? Sure! That's a nice spot. What made you think of it? Actually, doesn't even matter, it's a great idea! Oh, meant to ask, did you shop for a dress yet, or are you gonna make one up in the moment?

Comforting tipped back her head with a sigh of relief as she slipped her phone away for a moment as she ambled down the path as she weighed out her options: I've made a few dresses for friends in the past. But if I dream it up, it'll be just as permanent as a dream. I think I want a real one, so I'll go shopping.

Author's Note

Some good feels in this chappy!

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41 - Wedding Prep

"Girl, I'm glad you asked me." Pipp wandered through the aisles. "Never gotten married myself, but I know what a stylish look is, and how to dress for the occasion! You're not half bad at it either!" She fluttered around Comforting, lifting the dress this way and that as she made adjustments to it. "Let me tell you, you look stunning." She pulled out a phone for a few quick photographs of the draconeques to be. "You're working it!"

Comforting paused at that wording before shaking her head fondly. "Why thank you, Pipp. This is looking like the right one." She admired herself in the mirror with a deep sense of satisfaction. The dress was beautiful on her, it really was. It was pure white, mostly unembellished and quite simple for all that it draped nicely and flowed elegantly along her long body shape without looking ill-fitting or overly cartoonish.

She snorted at that thought. She was a cartoon. Or the writing of a cartoon? She shook her head free of those meta thoughts. There was little to be found in pondering them for too long. "Pipp, thank you."

Comforting grabbed Pipp from the air and hugged the pegasus gently.

Pipp squeaked, which became a bright laughter as she wriggled about and held up the phone. "Selfie!" With a click, she captured a shot with her and Comforting together. "Sending that right up." With a few presses of her hooves, she sent it on its way for friends, family, fans, enemies, and a dog wandering the streets to find.

Comforting grabbed at her own phone and took a similar picture of herself and Pipp, complete with heart filters before setting it as her profile picture on her various social media accounts with a snicker of gleeful amusement. "You are the hero today. Any other tips for a blushing bride to be?"

Pipp took that remark about 'blushing' quite literally and dove into Comforting's pockets, giggling loudly. "How about a little bit of blush here and there? You know, to go with your awesome makeup? We're gonna look fabulous together!" She grabbed some and immediately got to dabbing it on Comforting with the laughter that only came from a creator in the thralls of their work. "Looking so good."

Comforting giggled back at that eager statement even as she rocked side to side as Pipp finished adding some blush and other cosmetic bits and pieces. "I want to look good for Toots." She rubbed at her nose as she pulled out her phone and tapped at it for a moment as she navigated the internet for pictures of flowers before pushing it over towards Pipp with a hopeful smile on her face as she watched Pipp's expression turn to one of consideration.

"Are these what you want on your wedding?" She grabbed it with both hooves and twirled as she scrolled through the pictures. "They are fantastic! They'll help you shine, for sure." Pipp surrendered the phone back to Comforting. "Now, can I ask an awkward little question?"

"Mm?" Comforting tucked her phone away. "I doubt it'll be that awkward."

"Well, I hope, but, yeah." She shrugged a bit. "I love you, fantastic creature you are, but I've never seen a creature and a pony get married before. This is a first! I'm not against it. Toots is so obviously super in love with you, and you're not exactly subtle about feeling the same way. I'm so happy for both of you!"

She flew up to Comforting and hugged her tightly before hopping back to resume talking seriously. "I just wanted to check-in, and see if there was anything different? More we could do? Should we invite everypony, or maybe limit it a little, so we don't get anypony in the crowd that decides it'd be a great time to complain about it." She rolled her eyes at the thought.

Comforting waggled her clawed hands. "Well, we're going to do it under the Together Tree." She blinked at Pipp's startled look. "Oh? What's up?"

Pipp inclined her head. "Well, it's gonna be hard to tell ponies not to wander over if they want to. Bold! I love it." She giggled with a bright smile. "Alrighty! Right out in public for everypony, we're making this a normal thing, by force!" She clapped her hooves as she laughed. "This is going to be so fabulous!"

Comforting softened at that exuberance before touching noses with Pipp with an amused smile on her lips. "Thanks, Pipp! That means a lot to me."

"Oh, pshaw!" Pipp pushed against Comforting with giddy delight before tapping Comforting's wings firmly. "We have a lot of work to do on these beauties."

Comforting looked over her shoulder at her mismatched wings. "Hm? What do you want to do? I usually don't even think about them." Still, she was thinking about them then, both flapping with little motions.

"Well, you don't have to do anything you don't want." Pipp had gathered some materials that could be used for those wings without being obvious about it beforehand. "But a bit of sparkle wouldn't hurt!" She flew up and started adorning those wings with bits of cloth and shine. "If they aren't holding you up, you can put whatever you want on them. Not like they're busy."

Comforting brushed her wing forward a bit more, giving Pipp easier access to them as she worked carefully to avoid tangling them with the careful application of pins and lace. "It'd be nice to look nicer." She mostly tried to be still for Pipp's work. "You know, you remind me a little of another pony, a historic one."

Pipp blinked at that. "Like, really? Who? If you say Twilight Sparkle, I will throw a brush at you." She laughed at the very notion.

Comforting shook her head quickly. "A friend of hers, Rarity. Quite the fashionista, that unicorn, and she would have been doting over me, were she here, just as you're doing."

Pipp sat up at that statement before yanking Comforting into a tight hug as she snorted and giggled loudly. "Aw, thank you! I've heard good things about that pony." She stroked her hoof along Comforting's neck. "But let's focus on the here and now. Ancient ponies aren't going to help you look great for this wedding."

Toots turned left and right in front of a mirror with a fussy huff. "So?" He spun about again, flashing himself a nervous grin in the reflection. "What do you think?" He gazed down at his forelegs, covered in white gloves up to his elbows with fancy gold edges and red seams that matched his red tie with gold highlights and purple gem pin on it. He smiled at that and at his nicely shined hooves, possibly for the first time in his life. The suit was really quite striking in its dark purple coat that had intricate gold seams and edges on it with a light green undershirt.

"You're working this too hard," came a cockney accent as Rufus shook his head. "Everything I heard says you already won the mare, um, lady? Whatever she is. Just show up with a smile and a decent suit and you're doing fine! Whatever she picked out for herself is likely to be equally fancy, and that means you'll look fine together."

Toots took in a deep breath as he carefully adjusted his tie as he leaned forward to better look at his hat and how it sat on his head even as he glanced over at Rufus. "You really think so?"

"I know so." He threw an arm over Toots. "Now, about that bachelor party. I have something lined up, and you're going to have a blast."

Toots smiled with obvious doubt. "I'm not sure. I was never much of a 'wild stallion' as it were. Not sure I need to say goodbye to times I never had."

Rufus shook his head with mock incredulity before dropping into his serious voice. "Oh, Toots, of course you do!" He grinned before flipping back into the cockney accent again as he started to pull Toots away from his dressing room with a snicker of delight. "It's not just about that, it's just a last hirrah for having fun without worrying about your family. You'll have tons of time to have a family, but this is the end of this part of things."

Toots stepped forward to follow Rufus even as he pursed his lips. "I suppose there is something to that." He knew he was getting played, but the earnest look on Rufus' face did make him wonder just what he had in mind for the party. "This is just a normal bachelor party?"

"Of course!" Rufus slapped Toots on the back. "We'll have fun, all us boys, and we'll celebrate this new start to your life."

Toots followed him out, even as he tried to ignore the growing sense of dread growing in his stomach at the very notion of getting lost in the big city for the night before his big day.

But he wasn't good at ignoring peer pressure. Ponies, as a whole, were pretty bad at it. He let Rufus guide him off, stopping only just long enough to get his tuxedo off. "No need for that where we're going!"

Rufus called up other stallions in the city, giving them the address to meet at. "This is going to be so much fun!" He leaped up onto Toots with a cackle of delight as he waved down a taxi driver with a sharp whistle and a bright smile as he bounced in place. "C'mon, let's get you some drinks!"

"Okay okay." Toots slipped into the taxicab. "But one thing."

"Yeah?" Rufus closed the door behind them as the taxi sped up. "What's up?"

"No saucy mares." Toots folded his arms on his chest. "I already have one, and I love her."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Rufus winked grandly before waving around them as the street passed by in an instant as the driver sped up towards their destination for the night. "There are plenty of fancy, rich, fancy ladies and gentleponies that will be happy to celebrate with us tonight!"

"You said fancy twice." Toots rubbed at a cheek awkwardly.

"They're twice as fancy." Rufus winked as the taxi slowed to a stop. "Let's go!"

Toots made sure to pay the taxi driver before they slipped out of the car. "Wow! Is this really the place?"

The building was large and opulent in a way he wasn't used to. The outside was colored to appear like marble, and all manner of riches and fineries decorated it. "This does look, as you said, fancy. Isn't it a little much just for a party?"

Rufus waved that way. "It isn't just a party! It's a celebration of an end, and a start! You deserve it." He thumped against Toots. "Come on!" He grabbed him by the hoof and dragged him along as he led him inside with a wave and smile to the guard by the door as he barreled through the doors and into the wide open bar area with glee as he laughed before looking around the room.

Other ponies, summoned by Rufus' frantic calls and texts, cheered at spotting him and Toots. They crowded around, chatting animatedly. They were mostly regular ponies like Toots or Rufus: good, hard working stallions that earned their money honestly through effort.

As promised, the night dissolved in cheers to the future and plenty of opportunities to share tales of how things had gone and shaped up, and what Toots saw in their future. More than one stallion prodded with questions. "What's she like? I mean, she isn't a pony. It's gotta be, you know, different, right? Have you two?"

Toots responded to those questions with a fond shake of his head as he settled down with his friends as they all toasted to his happiness. "And that's why I'm glad to have all of you by my side!" Sadly for them, he never answered questions about Comforting that were private in nature.

Author's Note

They're both ready for the big day!

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42 - Big Day

Misty put away her books with a fond pat. That had been a fun time even if they'd gotten sidetracked. She was looking forward to having another adventure inside of a book even as she waved Amber over as they caught their breath after being tossed back into reality once more from the butterfly spell. "We can't do that every day." She paused with a laugh. "Or every week, or every moon, but it's nice to know we have that as an option."

Amber gave a little smile at that even as she shrugged nonchalantly at Misty's inquiry. "When we've gotten all our things done and want to take 'getting into a book' too seriously as a term. Now! Let's switch topics." She adjusted her glasses as she turned towards the front of the library. "Are you ready for Comforting's big day?"

Misty headed after Amber, easily matching her quick steps. "Of course! She's been through so much, she deserves to be happy, and if she finds that happiness with Toots, that's great!" She skidded to a halt with a worried look on her face as she tapped a hoof against her lips. "Should I get a gift? I don't have many bits, or any ideas what to get. She could get herself almost anything. How do I match that?!"

Amber leaned over to bump gently against Misty. "Something that comes from you. That you're the one giving it makes it more valuable than the mountain of bits Comfs could pull out at any moment."

Misty wrapped an arm around Amber and dragged her in close as tears came to her eyes. "Aw! That's so sweet! Okay then, I'll check in with Izzy. She's a pro at making things from the heart. I bet she can help me figure out something!"

Amber resisted the hoof hug just enough to free herself before racing after Misty as they dashed out of the library and down towards Izzy's workshop where they found the inventor happily tinkering away at a large machine that appeared to be entirely comprised of coffee makers and gumball machines.

Izzy waved energetically, as if she had another way of doing it. "Hey! You here to behold what is sure to change ponies' lives forever?! Or maybe it'll make a big mess. Either's a win, really."

Amber cocked an eyebrow at that and slid behind Misty slightly for protection from whatever Izzy was making before offering her own opinion on that creation. "It doesn't seem to be doing much."

Misty shook her head in agreement. "Are you finished with it? Um, also, if you have a moment." She shuffled nervously in place.

Izzy immediately stopped looking at her creation. "What's up?" She trotted over to Misty with a grin. "You sound like you need something."

Amber ducked down slightly before nodding in agreement with that assessment even as she gestured at Misty to help her make her case for a favor from Izzy. "It's for Comforting."

Misty threw up her hooves dramatically as she chimed in with Amber, "A gift!" She colored at her outburst. "I want to make her something. Can you lend a hoof?"

Izzy clapped her hooves to her cheeks. "What, crafting advice, me?! Well, since you're twisting my arm." She snickered, clearly not actually even slightly upset. "Let's make a matching gift! Oh, Amber, are you in too? A triplet would be even better!"

Amber waved them down gently with a firm shake of her head. "Oh no, I already got something. The gift is from me. You two can do your own thing." She stood up on her hind legs to boop both of their noses with her front hooves. Falling back to all fours, she turned to the library. "Have fun!"

Izzy laughed again as she dragged Misty over to her desk with an obvious eagerness that Misty shared with a bright grin. They swapped stories and ideas for a little while, making themselves comfortable. At least until they felt the rumble of the wild invention Izzy had made falling apart into its constituent parts. "Guess a mess it is." She made a check in the air, as if that had somehow been an accomplishment. She didn't worry about that, instead focused on the gift.

The big day had arrived. Toots in a tuxedo stood next to Comforting in a dress. One was a pony, the other, a chaos spirit. They smiled gently at Hitch, who had volunteered to actually run the ceremony there, under the Together Tree. Behind him were rows and rows of friends and family of the happy couple: Pipp and Zipp and others that Comforting had made friends with during her time there, and of course, Toots' friends from his hometown.

Sunny waved from the second row, with librarians on either side of her, including Misty. Amber was next to her on the other side with a warm smile on her face. Behind her were Zipp and Pipp who were engrossed in whispering about how everything looked in their perspective roles in the ceremony.

Hitch cleared his throat. "We are gathered today, beneath the Together Tree to bear witness to two creatures who have found each other in this big dazzling world. Despite the distance, and even species, they found one another, and with it, a joy that only they can know."

Hitch adjusted his collar slightly as he scanned the pages of the book he was using for that wedding, mostly notes on what they had said to him they wanted during the wedding as he went over the 'instructions' they had given him about what they wanted for it. "Though new to the city, Comforting has found everything about Maretime Bay to be enchanting, only second to her boyfriend." He nodded towards Toots.

"Our city is lucky to have her and all the others that are helping us grow and learn in this brave new world." Hitch smiled gently at Toots before looking out at the assembled crowd with a faint smile on his face. "They are happier than words can describe, and we are all enriched by having them here."

He tapped at the ground. "And with that said, I think it's time we actually got some words from them." He looked to Toots. "Care to go first?"

Toots strode forward with a giddy expression on his face as he turned to Comforting and took her clawed hand in his hoof as he grinned even wider at that before gazing into her eyes with a silly smile on his lips. "My beloved." A tear spilled from his eyes as he sank to a knee. "I think of myself as the luckiest stallion, but that isn't entirely true."

Comforting raised a brow at that, but Toots plowed on, "A lot of stallions walked past you every day. Any of them could have said hi. Any of them could have approached you. Most of them would have failed, but it turns out, most didn't even try. It wasn't luck." He stood up on shaking legs. "Comforting, I love you, and I'm so happy I got that out there, for you to see. That you accepted and even returned it?" He had to stop a moment, overcome with his own emotions. "That. I'm so happy right now."

He sniffled slightly as he wiped away the tears before shuffling slightly in place before looking around briefly at all the eyes watching them with a little nervous huff before focusing on Comforting with a shy smile on his face as he rubbed at his nose with a hoof.

Hitch nodded. "Wonderfully said. Comforting?" He looked to her. "Have you words to share?"

Comforting wiped at her eyes before nodding silently as she stared down at Toots with a loving expression on her face as she ran her hands along his side gently before letting out a quiet sigh. "When I first woke up, I didn't know where I was. Everything looked so strange and new. Had Equestria simply vanished? It hadn't. It had just changed, as all living things do. I found a city full of happy ponies I found some that needed me, and others I would need in time. I became part of their community." She smiled even as a new tear spilled. "And they welcomed me."

"I was even more lucky to find a pony that wanted me in his life." She held up Toots hoof and gave it a gentle kiss as she kept speaking with her eyes closed. "When I woke up that first time, I was afraid of this big wide world, but I wasn't defeated! I'm Comforting Shade. Bringing comfort is what brings me joy. I may be an avatar of change, but that change is gentle. Like this wedding, when you are experiencing it, you know it's a good thing, even if it's also a scary one. I have so many questions for the future, except one. I know what pony will be at my side, and I'm so happy to have him." She grabbed Toots in a fierce hug, even if that wasn't part of the plan. "I'm so happy."

She kissed Toots firmly on the lips as Hitch gave up on his notes with a chuckle and let them keep hugging in that fashion for a moment before he cleared his throat loudly and leaned forward slightly. "Let's proceed." The crowd chuckled good-naturedly at the display of well-intentioned, if misplaced, affection. "Both sides have vows prepared for one another. Shall we begin?"

The pair slowly drew apart even as Comforting nodded eagerly as she looked around the crowd briefly before gesturing at Pipp. Pipp quickly produced a ring box from somewhere unseen, perhaps her wing, which she then tossed towards Toots with an impish grin on her face. Comforting caught it easily. "Thank you." She dropped to a knee smoothly. "Toots. I would like to marry you." The crowd laughed at that abrupt statement. "I would like to marry you for as long as you continue to exist. I promise to never stray, that you will always reside in my thoughts." She drew out a large ring that could fit over a hoof and drew it towards Toots as he raised a hoof up.

Toots waited patiently as Comforting eased it over his hoof. Her vow wasn't yet completed. "Breakfast and dinner. Never will we have those apart, however far I should be during the rest of the day." A few murmurs spread. That was a strange promise, but they couldn't argue that Comforting was able to do it, so they died down. "I will love you at your best, and at your worst. I will lift you up, on my back if I have to, to get past those bottom times."

"And I will be your confidant, and I will keep you close to me and speak only truth when you need it." She brushed a thumb over the band of the ring that encircled Toots' leg. "If ever you find that I made you upset, you grab a paper and give me a bap. Never be scared of me, or my power, because they are limp before your might. As my husband, I will always listen."

With a sigh, she stood up straight and turned to face Hitch. He nodded at her. "A lovely vow. Toots? It's your turn."

Toots held up the ring box and flipped it open with a flick of his hoof as he looked up into Comforting's expectant gaze with his own hopeful expression on his face. "Comforting Shade!" That came out far more loudly than he had intended, but he pushed on, "I promise to be your faithful and loving husband." He reached out with the ring, slipping it onto one of Comforting's talons, pushing it up to where it fit snugly. "Even if I feel at times so small, I know it isn't like that. We stand equally." He smooched her hand. "We are partners."

He gazed out at the assembled audience before nodding quickly to Hitch. "I will care for you for all our days together, and beyond them too! There is nothing more precious than you."

He grinned sheepishly at that before shrugging awkwardly. "Let's buy that paper on the way home. You can use it on me if I do something stupid."

Comforting burst into laughter. "I doubt I will need it, but thank you for thinking of it. It'll be part of our memories."

Hitch chuckled gently, looking between the two. "That sounds like both are happy. I do hereby decree you two to be Husband and Wife. Are either of you changing your name?" Both shook their head. "Toots and Comforting Shade then. May your wedding be filled with love and support from everypony around."

The crowd burst into stomps and claps of approval. Sunny cheered, jumping up and down as she practically danced in place as she watched them kiss once more. The rings gleamed on them in the late afternoon light, gleaming silver and gold together in the breeze.

Comforting took his hoof in her clawed hand before holding up their entwined hands high.

"Disgusting." A pony stepped out from the crowd, scowling at the proceedings.

Author's Note

Who is this mysterious pony?!

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43 - Magical Reception

The mare pushed forward through the crowd towards the center aisle, where she could walk unimpeded forward. Her cutie mark was a bottle of bubbles and soap. Her mane was dark and unruly, almost like a cloud over her head. She held up a phone, showing off a picture of a family tree to them as she threw down an accusation with it. "I object!" She threw the phone, bouncing off Hitch's chest. "I. Object."

Hitch blinked in confusion before his serious face came on firmly. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you objecting?"

She pointed to the dropped phone. "Look for yourself."

Comforting gently took Toots by the hoof and led him away from the argument to be someplace else as she watched the debate unfold as more ponies swarmed around Hitch and the protestor to look at what she was talking about.

Hitch drew up the phone. "This is highly improper. If this is a false alarm, you are disturbing the peace, ma'am." On the phone was that family tree, which started with Comforting way way way up. There were countless ponies beneath her, a dazzling tree that spread wide and far. "Uh, what am I looking at?"

The mare snorted with annoyance as she stomped in and swiped the phone's screen once, getting it to go to to the bottom where one pony rested. "Comforting and Toots are related! They can't get married."

Ponies protested the accusation from all sides as Hitch silenced them with a hoof and reading that page out loud: "Comforting had a child with, who had a child with, who, hm." he scrolled slowly through the information. "You're not wrong, but they're so distantly related, I'm not sure there are any laws against this."

"This isn't about some law." The mare sneered at him even as she tried to regain control of her phone even as she kept arguing. "This is about family. It's improper for them to be together." She folded her arms. "Obscene! Toots is marrying is Great grandmother!"

Hitch gave the phone back. "You forgot a few 'greats' in there. And by a few, I mean at least a hundred."

"Gimmie that!" Pipp snatched the phone just before it could get back to the mare. She swiped across the screen with a snicker. "As I thought, wow. Comforting is related to a lot of ponies! Guess that happens when you're that old, no offense girl. She couldn't get involved with anypony the way you're looking at it."

Pipp blew out her lips at that assertion before quickly wrapping her wings around herself in a protective stance. "How about this! Every single pony in Equestria is related to every other one in some manner!" She laughed, offering the phone back. "Go back far enough and even the pegasi and the unicorns have links. We're all ponies, in the end."

The mare angrily stuffed her phone away. "Maybe we shouldn't be marrying ancient ponies!"

Comforting giggled with a smile. "Aw! She called me a pony. I'm one of you!" She hugged Toots, laughing and looking unbothered by the accusations thrown her way.

Toots leaned into that hug with a smile on his lips as he snorted loudly. "Why does this matter so much to you?"

The accusing mare whirled on Toots with a glare on her face. "There's a pony she's not related to." She pointed at herself. "Who's Great great great! grandmother she got in the way of, hip bumping her way into so much of Equestria."

Comforting seemed to perk at that. "Really? What pony was that?"

The mare swelled at being noticed, at the attention being directed at her for what she felt was her actions. "Silver Spoon! She was supposed to be with Diamond Tiara, not you!"

Comforting inclined her head. "Oh, Silver. Darling mare. But she was a mare, and so was Diamond. How were they going to have foals? I don't think I stopped the two of them from having all the foals they were going to have."

"Not like that!" The mare squawked angrily. "I mean, a family line. My great great great grandmama! They were so close, but then you had to come in!"

Comforting gently set Toots down. "I'm sorry, but Diamond picked me, not the other way around. It was her choice, and I was very helpless." She blushed at the ancient memories. "I loved her, no, still love her, so very much. I loved Silver, as a friend. Please stop shouting about them, please?"

She swept out her wings protectively, defensively. "You do not want to get me angry." She softened her tone, almost pleading. "Please, let me enjoy my wedding? It's already over anyway."

Hitch stepped up, business face on. "Ma'am. Your motion to nullify the wedding has been heard, and rejected. You are now violating the peace. Please step aside, join the festivities, or leave."

The mare shook her head angrily as she stamped her hooves at that announcement. "This is not right! She should have married a pony, and not, not whatever that is!" She waved a hoof at Comforting wildly.

Pipp cocked her head as she crossed her arms at that. "That's not being nice."

Zipp shook her head in agreement. "Nope. Hitch, want some help with that one?"

"Please do." Hitch shoved the mare along gently away from the Together tree and the wedding ceremony. "This isn't appropriate." He pointed out towards the edge of town. "You can go over there, or you can leave. You're not going to ruin this day for my friends."

"I'm not going anywhere." She wasn't doing well at resisting each of Hitch's pushes, being ejected from the wedding. "This isn't the end of this!"

Comforting let out a huff, turning to the crowd. "I'm sorry about that. Thank you all for coming to cheer me on. I've set up a reception just over there." She pointed to a restaraunt within view of the tree. "Let's eat, drink, and talk about happy times."

Toots jumped up to whisper to her as the crowd chattered to one another and headed for that location, "Do we need to go too?"

Comforting laughed at that, gently squeezing Toots. "Don't be shy. A new husband doesn't miss their own reception." She ruffled his mane. "Why, feeling drained already? Be honest."

Toots sat up in her grasp as he nodded at that. "It's not bad, it's just so different! I'm just nervous."

Comforting set him down gently. "Don't be. Everypony here is happy for you and just wants a chance to tell you that. We already dealt with the one that was not. Let's get some food in you." She pinched his chubby cheek. "I ordered your favorite."

"Pumpkin soup?" Toots swayed in place for a moment, lost in that thought. "Let's go, that sounds delicious!" He bounded ahead with Comforting gliding after him easily as they arrived at the table with chairs for everypony to sit in even as some guests arrived at the party late or spent some time walking about town instead of heading straight to the event location as they arrived shortly after Toots and Comforting took their places there.

"I have a question." Amber floated books back to their home with her Twilighting spell. "If you're up for it, newlywed."

Comforting snorted at that. "I'm here to work. What's on your mind, boss mare?"

Amber stiffened a moment. "Fair return shot. Um, but yeah, you're a little god." She turned to Comforting fully. "Everything about you is up to your whim. You could be anything or anyone at any time. How does an infinite creature marry one pony?"

"Fair question." Comforting patted Amber's head with a warm smile on her lips. "Marriage isn't just for sex or family." She hummed gently. "Toots is a ground. He's a safe place, a happy place. Whatever crazy adventures I get into, I can always come home, snuggle up next to Toots, and know I'll be loved. That's worth more than the stupid amount of bits I have."

"It sounds like you love him more than your hoard." Amber closed her eyes in thought. "Which makes sense, because he is a hoard! Does he have you too?"

Comforting tickled gently at Amber's side. "Of course he does! We're married. That goes both ways. We belong to each other now. I hope the power he owns doesn't go to his head." She didn't sound like she was that worried about such an eventuality. "No pressure, none at all, but do you have your eyes on any pony, or creature?"

Amber flopped on top of her head as she snorted in annoyance. "I'm not looking right now! Even if I did find somepony, they'd still need to earn my trust and acceptance."

Comforting grabbed Amber by the cheeks. "Of course! Sorry, wasn't trying to force anything. I was just curious. You run on your own schedule, and that's perfectly fine." She drew her hands away. "If it helps, I went centuries without a special somepony."

"Some of us don't live that long." Amber huffed at that and looked over to Comforting with an odd smile on her lips. "Okay! Let's start shifting these things over to their new home." New books had arrived. The Twilighting spell refused to work until they were put away at least once. "Let's go!"

Comforting carefully wandered around the library with Amber in tow as she pushed those books back into place where they belonged. After they had completed that chore, Comforting whirled on Amber. "Speaking of, you've been such a good little pony, perhaps it's time for some new magic?"

Amber snorted with irritation. "Are you being condescending? Is this going to be a teachable moment?"

Comforting fluttered her wings quickly with a playful smile on her lips as she turned away from Amber and hovered up into the air with a gentle whoosh of a new book being drawn from within herself. "Yes on the teachable moments." She landed, book held out. "Because I'm offering a new spell."

Amber stared at it for a moment before eagerly trotting over and grabbing it, holding it up in the air with a pleased sound. "Really? You're not just playing a trick on me?"

"You're my student." She ruffled Amber's mane. "No tricks when I say 'new spell'. In fact, the question is what sort of spell you're hoping to learn."

Amber let out a huff as she considered that for a moment as she clutched the book close to her chest. "New magic would be nice. Nothing too flashy. I still have so much to learn." She paced back and forth nervously. "We started with transformations, can we take that to the next level?"

Comforting gave a solemn nod as she watched Amber think over her options carefully before she hovered before Amber as she offered out a hoof in a show of trust. "How about a change of body parts?" She waved over herself. "Look at me! I'm a mess of different creatures, and you could be too, at least as long as you want to be. I'm not suggesting it as a lifestyle."

Amber took a moment to consider that before hesitantly nodding with a grin on her face at that idea even as she skipped happily in place before nodding eagerly. "Yes! Yes please! When do we start?"

"When is now. Where is our usual spot." Comforting darted off towards the magical learning room. She doodled on the board at the front of the room, writing down what was clearly a spell with its runic letters.

Amber waggled her hooves in excitement as she hurried into the room after Comforting and peered over her shoulder with a curious expression on her face as she followed along with Comforting's hand movements.

She put the book down and sank to her haunches, reading over the letters that were already revealed. "So that, then, and a little, mmhmm." She nodded as she read the spell as it came into view. "I see some blank spots."

Comforting looked over her shoulders. "Do you? Good! Like the first spell I showed you, this one's meant to have spots you fill in." She pointed to those mystery blanks. "To become part tiger, you have to put tiger parts in here. But which part tiger? Want a tiger tail? Tiger arms? You have to specify that. Now, lucky you!" She pointed to Amber with a smile. "You have a whole body right there, so getting the arcane words for your own parts should be easy enough."

"Okay, okay." Amber poked at those empty spots. "So I use myself as an example and just pop these in?"

"Mmhm!" Comforting patted her gently. "That will give you all the part words. The trick, after that, is to get new 'thing' words to become. You already know doorknob, but I doubt you want to turn any of you into a doorknob."

Amber peered over her glasses at Comforting before hoofing at her side playfully. "No thank you! That wouldn't help me do the reading and cataloging stuff."

"Exactly." Comforting nodded firmly. "Still, you're getting the idead. Collect words, and your options expand. Start with naming yourself, all your parts. The word for head, face, neck, tail, rump, sides, all of them."

Amber nodded as she put a hoof to her chin thoughtfully as she took in that instruction as she processed it all carefully before taking a deep breath and running her hooves through her mane. "Oh." She fluffed up her mane, considering the feel and the weight of it as she rocked left and right. "We can start here."

Author's Note

Wedding Receptions and magic lessons? Is this legal?

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45 - Watching Twitch

Amber trotted along at Comforting's side, eyes wandering over what the chaos spirit had done with the second floor. That section of the library looked better than ever, more inviting. The books had taken a lessened importance. They were still there, but easy to miss if one wasn't looking for them.

Instead, that space was all about things once could actually do, and who they could be doing it with. She saw plants all over the place, perfect for lounging around. There were tools, meeting rooms, and all manner of thing to occupy one's time with. One could even read a book, if one was in the mood, but there was so much more to offer.

Amber moved from one to the other as she brushed her hoof along one wall after another with a smile on her lips as she drew in a deep breath and sighed happily as she spotted several of the local ponies either lounging around or in groups engaged in activities that made them smile from hoof to hoof with looks of concentration on their faces even as they stopped occasionally to chat or laughed together at whatever it was they were doing.

She turned to Comforting. "You've really done a nice job. I'm impressed." She cantered in place. "The library's even better, thanks to you."

Comforting tapped Amber on the nose. "It's a team effort. Many ponies come for a good book, but we can offer more than that, so we do. Now, how's that ear treating you?"

Amber touched her head, covering her new, bat-like, ear. "Still getting used to it. It hears the world differently, and I wasn't really expecting that. The world just sounds, um, hollow? Empty? There's echoes in everything now."

Comforting hummed at that, a giggle forming. "You do get used to it. Besides, I have two different ears, and now you do too. They balance each other out, which is another thing to get used to. How's your head? Dizzy?"

Amber tilted her head, stretching out her neck a moment before shrugging helplessly as she shifted her hooves in place before nodding quickly. "Yes. Let me guess though, I'll get used to it?"

"Yup." Comforting ruffled the top of Amber's head. "If it helps, I think a bat ear's kinda cute on you."

Amber burst out laughing before gently flicking Comforting in the shoulder. "Cut that out. The spell will wear off, and I'll probably not do another bat ear for a bit. Still, thank you. This spell is only more interesting with time."

"Nothing wrong with having two different kinds of ears, like you said." Comforting folded her hands in front of herself with a grin on her lips as she gave Amber a gentle pat on the back. "Just something you have to have for a bit before you, dare I repeat, get used to it. I think any creature can get used to its own strange body. A rabbit doesn't bounce in its own view."

"And how does the universe look from your point of view?" Amber shot Comforting a serious look. "I mean, you are beyond a mortal pony, and being something beyond a pony must be different than just being a pony."

"Can't argue that." Comforting drifted away, floating along towards where many ponies were working on some strange object with wood. Bits of shavings were being littered on the ground as they sanded away at the thing they were making. "My ponies! How's the creation coming along?"

They answered with cries of excitement as they called out about how much they were getting done before leaping into excited conversation about how best to create the next sections of it or the color that they should be using for that section even as they seemed to brag about their abilities and the abilities of their fellows to bring their creation to life.

Comforting darted away with a content smile. "That's what I was going for." She gestured back at the many ponies working industriously. "They're together, learning, and working." She ruffled through Amber's mane as she hummed happily. "It's better than most of them doing nothing but watching videos all day."

Amber giggled gently at that statement before turning her attention to that group as she watched them work together for a moment longer. "You have a point there. Compared to watching Cloptrot, this is a big hop up." She reached up to pull Comforting closer. "Now, between us, how are you and Toots getting along? Still happy as can be with each other?"

"Of course we are!" Comforting pressed her cheeks together with a playful smile. "Wouldn't have married him if I wasn't going to be happy for as long as we were married." She paused, reconsidering those words. "Okay, some ponies don't make the best choices. Still, I love his little chubby everything! Thank you for checking on me, but I can report nothing but marital contentment."

Amber nodded at that with a grin as she nudged Comforting in the side. "Awesome! He's such a nice pony, and you two just deserve to be happy." She pointed back to the stairs. "I should keep an eye on the first floor. A librarian's job is never done!" Content with things, she trotted off, leaving Comforting to her interesting floor.

"See you!" Comforting waved Amber off before humming to herself as she wandered off to check on another group of ponies, keeping an eye on them as they practiced the new dance routine they had been learning to perform in hopes of one day making it big as dancers. "Looking good."

"What do you mean?!" Allura scowled at her rabbit assistant. "She helped you?!"

Twitch yammered and squeaked in little noises that Allura understand despite the lack of words. He explained how Comforting had assisted him, and even defended him.

"Why would she do that?" Allura sat up on her haunches. "She knows you're a little pain in the rump, doesn't she?" Twitch glared at her. "You know it's true. You don't get along with most creatures, myself excluded, What is she playing at?"

Twitch took a moment to collect himself before hopping off and rooting around in the bags they had collected on their travels. He finally emerged with a notepad he had been keeping notes on things in for the past few days. He carefully flipped through it before settling on a page and offering it up to Allura with his little rabbit paws.

Allura frowned as she took it from him, turning it right side up. There was a picture, drawn crudely, of Comforting hugging Twitch with a little heart off to the side. "You like her?" She dropped the notepad as if it were some foul thing. "Really?"

Twitch hopped up and caught it before it could hit the ground before he glanced up at Allura with an annoyed expression on his face as he wrapped it in a bag, tucking it away. He nodded at that question before jabbing his paw at Allura as if daring her to question him.

She rose to the bait with an angry flick of her tail. "She was just being nice, Twitch. She's probably forgotten you exist. She's just like that, helping where she can. I have no idea why you would expect anything more than friendship." She spat out that last word as if it were a curse. "Like I need another creature pretending to be my friend."

Twitch scowled at her with building intensity. He hopped away from her, muttering unkind things under his breath that very few creatures could understand.

Allura leaped forward and grabbed him by the tail with a fierce growl. "You are not going anywhere. Not until you get your head on straight and get over her. She's not interested."

He threw up his paws as he ranted and raved in his incomprehensible language about how much she did love him very much, and he would prove it!

She huffed, drawing her paw back. "Some things you can only learn the hard way. Fine, go look for her, and when she breaks your heart into little pieces, then you can come back. But until then, I'm not talking to you!" She raised her paw up higher and brought it down on him with a strike that knocked him into the floor with a thump and groan of pain.

Twitch staggered to his feet, paws over his stinging cheek. Fighting tears, he fled from Allura's hideout with a single sniffle.

Allura slumped against the floor with a heavy sigh as she dragged her claws along the ground and glared at Twitch as he left. "You will learn not to trust other creatures." She hissed under her breath before easing herself up onto her paws and shaking herself off even as she ran a paw over the same spot on her own cheek. "They'll always hurt you."

She looked around for something else to do and spied a blackboard. She smacked it out of spite, sending dust flying off of it and the chalk raining down to the floor. With an irritated grunt, she trotted off to another part of her hideout to look for something more fun.

Twitch hopped into the city, darting from cover to cover. The ponies were large, all eager to get somewhere, and sometimes driving loud vehicles around. They had no room for a tiny hare and his issues, so he ignored them in kind. They were secondary to finding the creature he cared about.

He moved across the sidewalk to the next bush, taking his time as he worked out where he was going to go next.

A sound caught his attention and he perked his ears up as he bounced in place to listen to it more closely even as he spotted the source. There was Izzy, a pony he knew. The unicorn was humming to herself cheerfully as she got to making something of unknown intent.

As annoying as Izzy could be, she was also the source of occasionally just the right thing. Twitch considered his options with little musing noises. Pestering Izzy for what he wanted wasn't exactly easy, but it could be rewarding.

Izzy darted around happily as she painted away at some elaborate project she had been working on recently with a bright smile on her lips. That song came from her all the while.

Twitch watched her go for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle before creeping away from his hiding spot with an amused expression on his face as he made his way to where Izzy was hopping around so that he could have a chance to make himself known.

Unfortunately for him, the first Izzy knew of him was when she came down on him, and both crashed to the ground. Her paintbrush splattered wetly on the earth beside her. "Oof! Little bunnycorn, you should—" She realized she hadn't stepped on a bunnycorn, but a specific hare. "Oh, Twitch. We meet again!" She reached out to dust Twitch off. "What're you up to?"

Twitch leapt back, shaking off the hoof from his fur with a disgusted snort before letting out a little growl at that question before diving into Izzy's bags to start digging around in them even as he ignored Izzy herself as he searched for anything he could use to locate Comforting.

At least until everything glowed around himself. Izzy pulled him out with her magic. "Woah! You wanna build something? You just had to ask. I don't mind sharing some supplies!"

He screamed as he was pulled out of the bag and waved his arms in frustration as he struggled to get free of her magic even as he snapped at her hooves, snarling as he continued to try and get back into her bags. But his strength was nowhere near enough, especially with nothing to push off of.

Izzy laughed gently. "Wow, you sure are grumpy today. Hold on." She collected her dropped paint brush. "Let's go talk to a pony that can help me understand what you need. Hitch is great with critters! And you're one of those, I think?"

Twitch bit at the air with frustration before giving up with an annoyed groan as he hung limply from Izzy's magic as he cursed her under his breath with vicious fury for doing this to him before pointing back in the direction he came from with a look of indignation on his face. Unfortunately, it seemed Izzy just wasn't paying that much attention to his communication.

Author's Note

Twitch is an interesting character at times, I vote.

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46 - Real Friends

Hitch considered the irate little rabbit. "Okay, so, calm down. Izzy says you want something, and your big kitty friend isn't around to make trouble." He rubbed at his cheek, one ear to the side. "And you aren't making trouble, I think?"

Twitch spat in response to that accusation with a low hiss of outrage before pointing back towards Allura's hideout even as he gesticulated in the direction that Izzy had found him in as he stared up at Hitch with an expression of righteous anger.

Hitch nodded slowly. "Okay, you got in a fight with Allura. Sorry to hear." He did not sound very sorry to hear that. "Also, she's that way? That's, uh, not good?"

Twitch rolled his eyes grandly at that and grabbed at Hitch's snout. He yammered wildly at the stallion.

Hitch gently pushed him back. "Okay, okay, I'm listening. You need my help?" He focused on Twitch. "Or am I missing something?"

Twitch grumbled as he let out an annoyed sigh at that question before dragging a paw down his face and hopping off into a small wooded area to search for something for a moment before returning with some paper and a pen. With a firm click of it deploying, he began to scribble eagerly on the paper.

Hitch kept his hooves off of it. "Okay, drawing now? Gotcha." He shifted in place awkwardly as he watched Twitch work intently. "You sure aren't like other rabbits."

Twitch glared at him as if that was an insult of some kind. With a triumphant flourish, he held up his completed drawing that showed a rough sketch of Comforting's long form. He pointed at it excitedly, then at himself.

"You're going to be that?" Hitch shook his head in confusion. "Is that an expression thing?" He furrowed his brow, pondering the question for a moment before shaking his head. "Wait, no." He listened to Twitch's irate squeaks and groans. "You want to find that!" He snapped his hooves together in realization as he shook his head at that request before pointing in the direction of the library. "And you thought I could help? I'm flattered, but if you're going after Comforting..."

He stood up and pointed towards the library. "That's where she's usually at. I hear she's in charge of the second floor these days. She's moving up in the world! Literally."

Twitch bounced in place happily at that news as he grinned widely before bolting off in that direction as fast as his legs could carry him.

"I'd say goodbye, but I doubt you're gonna care!" Hitch shook his head and looked back to Izzy. "Well, that's one mystery completed."

Izzy grinned at him with a cheerful laugh before nodding at him. "Good! Cause I have another, this one for my frie—" She shook herself off as she gave herself a firm shake. "I know you got this." She began giving him the details of her caper.

Comforting led a class through the wonders of virtual reality, which had ponies stumbling around the room with goggles on. As usual, she was graceful, hopping and dancing around them as she helped them adjust their equipment with nary a miss.

Twitch was hidden in the back of the room, sitting patiently as he waited for his opportunity to present himself to Comforting without alerting any of the others that might be in the room with them. His ears were perked up as he focused intently on the occupants of the room as he contemplated what his next move was going to be as he observed them intently as they fumbled around like idiots as they tried to navigate strange worlds he couldn't see.

One stallion thrust a hoof up. "I found it!" Everypony there looked over with gasps and Ooos at the news.

Comforting applauded. "I knew you all could do it. As you can see, virtual reality doesn't have to be something to keep you all apart. Group games are very fun, and sometimes even educational. Step into another world, with a friend! Or somepony new that could become a friend, that's nice too."

The class murmured at that announcement with excited smiles on their faces as they began speaking among themselves as they took off their headsets with happy expressions on their faces even as they tittered loudly in anticipation of putting the equipment away for the next set of ponies that wanted to try out the equipment.

With the class dissipating, Twitch detected his opportunity. He dashed at Comforting in a streak, just to find she wasn't there. He gawked at the space she had been. Then he looked up. Comforting had zipped straight up to the ceiling where she sat calmly as she peered down at him with a questioning expression on her face. "Twitch? Is that you?"

Twitch squeaked in surprise, but it turned into a smile quickly. He waved at Comforting excitedly.

"Who's an eager bunny today?" Comforting floated down to the floor, then sat to be closer to Twitch's level. "What brings you by, little angry friend?"

He couldn't help it. He flung himself at Comforting's chest and hugged her tightly, resting his chin against her shoulder as he sighed contentedly at the warmth of being close to her.

Comforting hugged him gently and rocked him left and right for a quiet moment. "Mmm, you know, my mom had a rabbit. He was a little sour pot sometimes too. But, under it all, he cared. Are you like that? I bet you are."

He pressed himself deeper into her embrace even as he wiggled happily at that suggestion even as he basked in her warm embrace as he relished this simple intimacy that only Comforting could provide as he slipped away from his former life, at least for the time being.

Comforting touched the end her her snout between Twitch's ears. "Okay, now, tell me what's wrong. Something's wrong. Is it something I can help with?"

Twitch eased himself away from Comforting's arms with a deep breath as he focused on her face for a moment before pushing himself away from her so that he could dive into her bags and pull out his notepad from before so that he could offer it to her as he shrugged helplessly.

Comforting accepted the notepad. "I didn't need that." He tapped Twitch with the pad. "You are silly. One moment." She fished out her rabbit translation helmet and wriggled it over her head. "I was just explaining to those ponies how VR can bring us together. Let's put that to practice right now."

Twitch whined happily as he rolled his eyes playfully before flopping onto his back in front of Comforting so that he could show off his belly to her as he eyed her curiously even as he drummed his paws on his chest for a moment before hopping back up and jabbing a paw at her. Subtitles began to play under him as he performed his antics, explaining what he was trying to communicate. "I want somecreature that appreciates me! You give very nice hugs, and have a big comfy den. You are obviously a creature of great power. Can I be with you?"

Comforting shook her head with an amused giggle at that assertion. "You must be confused! I have no lair of any kind." She shrugged. "I am very happy you like my hugs. They are my specialty! But I don't think you want to live here." She waved around slowly. "This is a library, not my 'den'. I work here, not live here."

"If I sleep here, will you feed me and hug me?" Twitch smiled at her from where he was laying on the ground. "I could find treats!" He gestured around at the large number of patrons wandering around the second floor with interest in their eyes. "I bet they're carrying plenty."

Comforting gently wrapped her hands around Twitch, cutting off his escape. "No stealing from the guests. Thank you for offering, but I have plenty of treats without stealing any."

Twitch blinked with confusion. "You don't have to take?"

Comforting did not drop her grip. "Well, no, but it is still stealing." She stroked Twitch's fur gently, eliciting a happy purr from the small creature as she rocked him gently from side to side. "But I know what you mean, little one."

"You do?" Twitch stared up at Comforting from where he was trapped in her embrace with an expression of hope on his face even as he shivered gently at the prospect of what she might offer him as he relaxed into her grip. "I want to stay! Can I stay? I'll help!"

Comforting tapped Twitch's nose playfully. "Slow down, little one." She glanced over at the door to the VR room as a line began to form with eager ponies hoping to try out the virtual reality goggles. "The line's growing! Would you like to help me teach more ponies? It'll be fun!"

Twitch sighed and rolled his eyes before giving her a smirk as he nodded firmly before hopping out of her grasp as he landed lightly on his feet before glancing back at her expectantly. "I'll teach them!" Somehow, those words felt faintly menacing.

Comforting shook her head at Twitch gently. "Be nice. If you want to be my friend, you have to be their friend too. It's my job to show them wonderful things and help them have a great time." She floated into the air and zipped to the door. "Now who's ready to explore a new world!"

The ponies cheered as they tromped in, shoving their hooves into the spare goggles and helmets for comfort's sake before beginning to race for spots in the center of the room so that they could begin whatever adventure that they had signed up for with excited grins on their faces.

Twitch dived into the box of headsets and rooted about frantically for one that wasn't being used even as he shuffled through them one at a time before tugging out one that fit him and rushing over to a spot that was quickly being taken by another pony who looked at him with curiosity before shrugging with a mild laugh at his antics before slipping on their own.

Soon, the whole room, minus Comforting, had a headset on. "Now, welcome to Mathtopia!" With a shared swoosh of special effects, all the ponies, and Twitch, were thrown into the virtual world. "Here you'll have to work together to find and put together the right answers. Can you beat the last group?"

The world spun as ponies, and Twitch, were left to float in space as various equations popped up before their eyes. The ponies tried their hooves at answering them in vain, getting plenty of wrong answers even as they chatted happily with each other even as they guessed.

Twitch found a number at his feet and scampered over to show it to a pony. The pony grinned and pointed to an empty slot on the number. The moment Twitch dragged the number there, the right answer appeared before their eyes even as they shrieked with joy at that victory.

Another pony looked over in annoyance at them and their volume before waving at them for attention. The game was on, with Comforting cheering on each step they took towards answers.

The next answer had a wacky clue. A cloud passed before them with symbols etched into it. Ponies went along and answered each question on the cloud with similar vigour. Some ponies tackled math, some tackled letters and colors. Comforting clapped as they seemed to flow from one type of question to the other. Their cheerful collaboration was music to her ears. "You're all in this together. I'm so proud!"

The next riddle was a little harder, a bit of tricky logic. Ponies floated through the sky looking at symbols and drawing connections between them, just like they did in the real world with hoofball teams and such. Twitch tried to get their attention, but his squeaks and grumbles were not something they understood. He waved around a funny symbol he had found wildly.

Comforting paid attention and pointed at Twitch. "He's got something! He's over there!" All eyes went to Twitch, and so did hoofsteps through the clouds.

A pony's hoof found Twitch's symbol and put it in the right spot. The room exploded in celebration as the victory music began to play for them all.

One mare popped her headset off. "That was fun! The room wasn't big enough for me." She touched her hoof to her chin thoughtfully before nodding firmly at Comforting. "See ya later!" She walked off, likely to discuss what had just happened with her friends.

Similar thoughts came from others, discussing the time they had, but also leaving. Soon it was back to just Comforting and Twitch.

Comforting patted Twitch's long-eared head. "Had fun?"

Twitch wiggled happily at that as he peered up at Comforting from the ground as he leaned into her touch. "Yes!" He tapped on the side of her leg gently with a happy laugh. "Yes!"

Comforting tilted her head before settling down to lie beside him and hugging him. "Good job, helping! You're nice." She booped his nose. "Thank you for helping me! It's easier when we do it together."

Twitch nodded happily at that as he stretched out with a happy little hum of contentment even as he squeezed Comforting in a tight hug.

Comforting sat up, bringing Twitch with her. "Now, going to ask a question I bet you don't want me to ask, but you feel like you have something. Why did you come here? And don't just say me. You could have visited before, and you didn't. What made today special?"

Twitch groaned unhappily at that question. "Allura is angry." He gazed up at Comforting and stared deeply into her eyes. "She hurt me, so I left. For good." He huffed with a scowl. "Good riddance!"

Comforting pet gently over Twitch. "I'm sorry to hear you got into a fight. But running away the moment a friend acts out could be bad, or good." She hummed gently. "Depends on a lot of things. Want to tell me about you and her? What kind of friends you were. I'd love to hear about it."

Twitch shrank into himself at that question before curling up into Comforting's embrace. "She always needs things. It's my job to get those things." He glared off into the distance at nothing. "But I messed up, or not enough." He groaned unhappily at his own admission before continuing, "But I can't do that anymore."

"Hm." Comforting considered that with a chinrub. "Have you ever told her that you didn't want to do what she wanted you to do?"

"She's my friend!" Twitch pointed at himself with a sharp grunt of indignation. "I do what she wants! She gets all sad when I say no." He smacked his forehead against his knees repeatedly in frustration even as he squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of some further reprimand. But it didn't come. Instead, just more petting, and no words. He peeked up at Comforting with confusion, as if baffled by the lack.

"Friends should not do things they don't want to do for each other." Comforting waved at one of her aides who came to clean up the headgear. "Don't get me wrong, it can be nice to do things for friends! But they should be things you want to do. If you don't, well, then you should say that, and your friend, being a friend, should accept that." She tapped at her chest. "I had to teach a super close friend of mine that, way ages ago."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Twitch bounced to his feet and threw his paws up in the air with a look of hopelessness on his face even as he flung himself onto his back to stare up at the ceiling as he exhaled heavily in defeat.

"You already did it." She helped Twitch back onto his paws. "Eventually, you have to say no, and mean it. You have to make some space. If they're your friend, a real friend, they'll get it, and accept that you aren't always going to say yes."

Twitch hummed gently at that suggestion before wrapping himself up in his own arms as he looked up at Comforting seriously. "You think it will work?"

"Yup!" Comforting grinned at him before standing up and dusting herself off with a shake of her body. "And, if not, time to make some new friends. Looks like you made at least one more already." She hiked a thumb at herself. "I'm going to check out the floor, make sure no ponies could use my help. Wanna walk with me? Don't have to."

Author's Note

Some real lessons up in here I think.

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47 - Long Lost

Misty looked unusually excited, almost vibrating in place as she shuffled through papers with a smile on her lips. Despite her fevered pace, her attention seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

Amber looked up from her book. "Uh, are you alright?"

"Shh! This is the moment I've been waiting for!" Misty continued flipping through pages, squinting at them intently before tossing them aside with a look of excitement on her face that she rarely wore.

Amber stood up and circled the desks to get closer to Misty. "What are you doing?"

"Matching them!" Misty said excitedly before finally tossing aside another page with an annoyed groan at what was on it before holding up one more to examine it closely. "I thought I had it."

Amber sat next to her magic buddy. "Calm down. Tell me what you're doing exactly. I can't help if I don't know what you're doing. Does it involve magic, or the library?"

Misty turned the paper so Amber could see it. "Take a look at that, and then tell me what you think!"

Amber lifted the paper up to get a better look at it. At first, she saw nothing, but turning it about revealed a shimmering shine just under the words. "What?" She leaned in closer. "Did you cast a spell on the page?"

"Not the spells, exactly." She tapped her hooves together. "I cast a spell on the copy machine."

Amber started at that. "You made the copy machine print magic?! That's, well, amazing! And dangerous." She peered at the paper again before tracing the shimmer with a hoof. "What does it do?"

"It makes a connection!" Misty grinned, quite pleased with herself. "A permanent connection that just needs a little boost from somepony like me to actually use it." She burst into renewed excited giggles. "The trick is that I'm not actually sure what it will do. From what I can gather, it depends on what's on the page, besides the magic, but I've been afraid to just go and try activating one to see what happens."

Amber lifted an eyebrow. "So, what are you thinking of doing exactly?"

"I was thinking that we could test these out, but maybe keep a safe distance?" Misty tapped a hoof to her chin. "In case we trigger a rocket ship or something?"

"Not every creature is as weird as you are." Amber hopped to her hooves with a laugh. "But I'm getting excited. First, is the copy machine done making magic papers? We don't want any random ponies ending up with these."

Misty shook her head. "You have to put in a secret code first."

Amber blinked in amazement. "You thought ahead." She threw an arm over Misty, hugging her. "Smart. Okay. Let's grab these enchanted papers and go try something. Could be fun, or nothing. Only one way to find out!"

Misty gathered up the pile of papers before floating them away into a bag with her magic. She slipped on the bag with a delighted giggle. "Come on! We're gonna test one!" She zipped off towards the roof of the library with an eager bounce in her step.

Amber rushed after her, catching up quickly thanks to her larger stride and bounding hoofsteps. "How are we going to pick one to test? Is there something you're leaning towards? Maybe we should look them over first, just to be sure?"

Misty curled on herself, grabbing the first paper at the top of the stack. She floated it free to rest on the roof. "It was on top, so it gets to be first. Simple, right?"

Amber snickered before getting serious as she peered down at the page that lay at their hooves. "Now, activate it?"

Misty threw an arm up in the air dramatically with a flourish before beginning to weave magic over the page, stirring the sparkles into motion until a shimmering circle formed in the air over the page even as words scrawled out across its surface that read "Things distant and things lost. They can be found if you know where to look."

Amber tilted her head to the side at that. "Is it a spell? Are we supposed to say something?"

Misty spread her hooves. "Um..." She stepped back and ducked behind Amber in fear of what might happen. "I'm not sure. Sounds exciting, but also maybe terrifying? What do we do?"

Amber glanced back at Misty. "Well, as the head librarian." She coughed into a hoof. "We've come this far, we have to finish it." She locked her horn in the direction of the page, feeding it more magic. A spiral formed in the air above it. Amber flared her magic into a pillar that rose higher than the two of them before swooping down like a claw, clutching the page and lifting it into the air.

The paper began to burn away, but as it did, a vision of strange creatures was visible in the magic. They head the front parts of birds and the back ends of cats. Then, they were gone, fading along with the magic. All that remained was a blue butterfly fluttering down to land on Amber's hoof before taking off again.

Misty stared at where the page had been with wide eyes. "It's gone! Was that...?" She threw her hooves up in the air as she squealed happily. "That was cool!"

"Yeah!" Amber swung an arm over Misty. "I don't know what you did, but that was interesting." She peered at the bag that held all the other papers. "We'll be stuck gaping all day if we keep asking for peeks at 'things far' and 'things lost.'"

Misty cantered in place excitedly. "But we can do it. This is amazing." She bumped against the bag. "Keep those around if we want to try again."

"Absolutely!" Amber leaped onto the library wall and stared out over the city with an eager smile on her lips. "They may come in handy sometime." She considered things for a moment. "I'm not sure if I want to hunt for 'things lost'. Well, besides magic. That's already one! I think we're doing a good job with that."

Misty trotted up next to her with a hoof to her chin as she wondered what else might be hiding out there for them to find before casting her gaze over towards Amber. "So, when do we, um, think about sharing magic?"

Amber hummed at that as she glanced down at her hooves. "I'm not sure yet. Soon! We still have lots to learn about each other's magic, and ourselves too. Once we can do it without even thinking, that's when we should share our knowledge." She nudged against Misty, leading her back down into the library proper.

Toots felt something light land on his upturned belly. "Comfs?" It was light, even for her, but she could be however heavy, or light, as she felt like being. "That you?"

"Yes and no." Comforting snickered gently. "I brought a new friend."

Toots cracked open an eye and looked up to see Twitch sitting on his belly. He blinked as he took in the scene. The rabbit wasn't trying to eat him, or even hurt him. That was nice! "Uh, hi." He shifted in place under Twitch to get more comfortable. "Why're you here?"

Twitch spoke in his exciting gibbering, waving his arms about wildly. His teeth showed all the while.

Comforting sighed gently. "He was chased out of his home by a very rude kitty. She left him out in the cold all alone, but not us."

Twitch turned to Comforting. She could understand him with the goggles she wore. "Actually, it's hot. Do you have a way to cool down?"

Toots did not. "Uh, are they happy, or about to eat me?"

Comforting laughed as she scooped up Twitch. "He's a harmless bunny, but he's also a hot bunny." She looked around for something to address that with. "Want something cool to drink?

Hearing an excited cheer, Comforting took Twitch to the fridge to grab a drink. There were few hoof-friendly containers available in the building. She settled for a cooler bottle with a twist-off cap before setting it down before Twitch and giving it a rub-twist, just enough for a crack, before letting him do the rest.

Twitch was quite happy to guzzle down some of the cool fluid with a sigh of relief that required no translation.

Toots slid to his hooves with a rolling over. "He seems, uh, nice? So why is he here?"

"I was hoping." Comforting twirled around to Toots' back, rubbing his shoulders gently. "I was hoping he could stay here. He needs a home, and a library really isn't where a bunny should be."

Toots twisted about and picked up Comforting's hands in his own hooves. "He doesn't have anywhere to go?"

"I was hoping he could live with you?" Comforting resumed massaging Toots with a happy hum. "I know this is a sudden request, but where else could I go with the poor little guy?"

Toots fidgeted under her ministrations. "So, if he's gonna live here, does that mean I need to make space for him? Is he gonna live in my bed?"

"No!" Comforting giggled at the mental image of that. "We can get him a little bed that's more his size. I bet he'll bounce out of here most days, but he needs a safe place to come back to, where he knows that bed's waiting for him, and he'll always be welcome."

"Huh." Toots could hear Twitch hopping about in his home. It wasn't a very big home. But, it had been enough for one tiny pony. Could a bunny fit in here? He waved Comforting around to his front to kiss either of her cheeks. "This will take some getting used to. But if he plays nice, I can too. I'll give it a try."

Twitch clambered into view on Toots' back before sliding down and landing on the floor with a hoppy bounce before pulling out a notepad and beginning to scribble something on it eagerly as he bounced in place as he nodded eagerly before showing it to Toots as he waited expectantly.

Toots tilted his head at the picture. "Aw, cute." He took the pad gently and showed it to Comforting. It had Twitch and Toots meeting, hoof to paw, with a carrot between them. A little heart was drawn over the carrot. "I think he wants to be friends. Or he wants a carrot." He glanced around his home and checked the shelves for a snack he could offer Twitch. "You're a lot slimmer than most bunnycorns I ever saw before. Um, and less horn." He found a bushel of carrots and pulled one free. "Here you go."

Twitch squeaked happily as he rushed forward to claim the carrot for himself as he began gnawing on it voraciously before easing off slightly as he sat there contentedly with it in his paws as he began chewing on it slowly and thoughtfully as he savored every morsel.

Comforting sank beside Toots. "I'm no bunny expert, but that's a happy rabbit, I think." She nuzzled his cheek. "You're already an expert at this."

Toots wiggled in place as he rubbed his face against Comforting's affectionately. "I just want to make you happy."

"Mission accomplished." She looked between Toots and Twitch fondly. "But, to be clear, this is your house! I'm not calling dibs on it. If he gets to be a pain, you tell me. Don't hold back just because 'oh no, she asked me to do this!' I care about you, okay?"

Toots pushed back into Comforting. "Okay." He sighed contentedly at having Comforting close by as he gazed down at Twitch who had polished off the carrot before hopping off in search of more goodies to munch on happily as he found and claimed some bread from Toots' fridge and munched on that happily. "How long has it been since he last ate?"

Comforting frowned with thought. "To be honest, I never saw him eat before now, so, poor thing. He must have been starving." She dug out a card and offered it to Toots. "Use this to get him a bed, something small and cute that fits him."

Toots put a hoof on the card before backing away from it slowly as he gazed at it from afar for a long moment before finally shaking himself off and yanking the card out of Comforting's grasp with a sheepish smile. "You're trusting me with a lot. I know you're kinda, um, rich."

Comforting patted his head. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I was throwing money at you. That was never my intention." She brought her hands together thoughtfully. "I trust you. Just one bunny bed, and some food for him if you want so you have a stash to get out when he needs something."

Toots stood there as he shuffled from hoof to hoof. "This is very strange." He studied Twitch's actions carefully. "I never had somecritter depend on me before. Can I do it?"

Comforting rubbed along Toots' side. "If it helps, he's very smart, and independent. You're just an easier way for him to get what he needs. And, maybe, eventually, a friend. He's a more of a roommate than a 'pet', if you think about it. I bet he'd get annoyed if he heard we were calling him one."

Toots smiled gently at that assurance. "Thanks for explaining it like that. I guess I'll get this stuff for him then."

Twitch came rushing up to deliver a sharp little rabbit kick to Comforting's side. "I am not a pet!"

Comforting cleared her throat at that before giving Twitch a gentle pat on his head as she drew him closer to Toots. "Now you listen to me, young bunny. This is Toots, and this is his home. You two will play nicely, okay? He'll make sure you have a comfy bed to come home to, and there'll be food. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Twitch scoffed with an annoyed huff as he grumbled and rolled his eyes at her insinuation even as he relented under her touch and eventually settled down against her touch even as he scowled unhappily at being called a pet.

Author's Note

New spells and new roomies. What a productive day!

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48 - New Age

"I can't find it!" A unicorn colt sank sadly to his haunches. "Don't you have a single book on it?"

As if summoned, Amber hurried over. "A book on what?"

"Magic!" The colt gestured with a hoof in frustration. "You got magic books, right? But they're all about stage magic and how to be sneaky. I don't want to be sneaky." He pointed at his horn. "I want to use this, but not just for picking stuff up."

Amber smiled softly at him. "I see. Unicorns haven't been using that kind of magic for a long time. You'd be one of the first, if you really wanted to know that."

The colt perked. "Yeah? That sounds exciting!"

"It'd be a lot of work." Amber rolled a hoof slowly through the air. "And it wouldn't be fast. You'll have to practice. And maybe you won't even like it." She shrugged, but with a little smile on her face. "You sure you want anything to do with that?"

The colt beamed back at her. "Yup! Tell me what to do."

Amber laughed as she touched his shoulder. "Well, Mmm, wait here." She held up a hoof, then scurried away. "Comfs! Emergency!"

Comforting looked up from where she'd been replacing some spools of filament from the printers. "Mm?" She turned to face Amber. "Welcome up to my floor. What's this about emergencies?"

Amber jumped onto one of the large printers nearby and gestured to the unicorn colt in question. "He's got a big dream. He wants to learn magic, and he's young and I already tried to scare him away with talks of effort. He's still here. Do I turn him away, or are we gonna show him?"

Comforting rubbed her chin in thought as she floated closer to the two of them. "We could teach him. But first, tell me what he said."

Amber though back the few minutes. "He wants to learn magic and use his horn, but not in a tricky way. He wanted real magic, and was looking for a book about it."

"Nice! This sounds fun!" Comforting poked her head over the rail to see the library below. "Well, my job is mostly done for today." She gently brushed Amber right off the machine. "But that isn't designed to hold up a pony. Now, let's go say hello to our newest maybe-wizard, and your very first student."

Amber went stiff. "What?"

Comforting curled around Amber. "I taught you. That's the only pony I'll be teaching this generation. It's up to ponies to teach ponies. You know magic, so it's time for you to share that gift."

Amber whined gently as she tried to burrow into Comforting's form. "But I don't know how to do that! I need more time!"

Comforting lifted Amber up on her back as she floated up and around to where the unicorn colt was standing awkwardly. She placed Amber down facing the colt. "We found that book you were looking for."

Amber laughed nervously. "Yeah, but it's a special one. You can't check it out."

The colt sagged at that. "Aw..."

"But you can learn right here, in the library." Amber shook herself. "I'll be your teacher, if you're ready. We'll unlock the mysteries of your horn, and real magic."

The colt nodded eagerly at that before dropping into a more formal stance. "Yes, teach me, sensei!"

Amber laughed gently. "You are adorable." She waved though. "This way. We have a special room just for magical learning." She took him by the hoof and lead him to the door to her magical study area. She held it open for him, her other hoof waving at the chalkboard. "That is the start of things."

The colt peered at the strange squiggles on the board. "What are those?"

"Letters." Amber sat in front of the board after locking the door behind them. "Magic letters. The very first lesson is in how to read those, and play them here." She pointed at her own horn. "Once you can read and write the music of the universe, we can play it, together."

The colt plopped down with his eyes on the board. "Show me, please!"

Amber had a sudden thought. "Oh, where are your parents? They should at least, um, say it's okay for you to do this."

"Oh!" The colt flicked his ears back in shame. "Yeah, they're just outside! I'll get them." He rushed back out, then returned with his mom and dad in tow.

Amber clapped at the two adult ponies. They each had a similarity to the colt, making it easy to spot them as a family. "How lovely to meet you. Your little one wants to learn about unicorn magic. Unicorn magic is a lost art of unicorns. You probably don't even remember doing things besides picking things up with your horn."

The mom laughed gently. "Sorry! He does get excited about things. Will you show him things? Please? That'd be so great!"

The dad put an arm in front of her. "Slow down. What kind of magic are you talking about? Lifting things and working up your horn strength?"

"Pardon me," Amber offered them both a bow. "I am Amber Skyray, teacher of magic and librarian extraordinaire." She cleared her throat as she directed their attention to the board with letters on it. "The magic I speak of is far beyond lifting things. Transmuting one thing into another thing, or even parts of yourself. Creating something from nothing."

She focused, creating a doorknob in front of her that fell to the ground with a clatter. "Like that. Magic can do many things if you study it intently."

The mom leaned closer. "It makes no sense! How can something be created from nothing?"

Amber bobbed her head at that question. "Nothing comes from entirely nothing." She pointed at the knob. "That is made of my own effort, but also magic in the area all gathered around to make up the doorknob. Fortunately for us, there's plenty of magic around to use. Now, back on topic, do you consent to your colt learning about this?"

The dad shared a look with his wife, who smiled at him encouragingly. He turned back to Amber. "Please teach him magic."

Amber smiled at the two. "I will show him, and I'll be sure to go over safety while I'm at it. Now, excuse us. We have magic to learn." She gently shooed both parents from the room and locked the door behind them. She spun around and leaned over the colt. "Do you understand the kinds of things you're going to learn here?"

The colt nodded rapidly in place. "Yes! I'm so excited." He cantered in place with a happy nicker. "I'm ready!"

Amber raised a hoof to silence him before pointing at the board again. "We will be going over these letters first. It will feel boring, and it is boring. It's boring learning how to crawl, but that's how you get to walking, running, and dancing. I ask your patience as we learn to magically crawl."

He drooped slightly at that suggestion but otherwise accepted it. He nodded firmly at her with a smile on his lips as he stared up at her eagerly even.

The lesson began properly, with some stumbling first steps. The colt had never had to really focus on what his horn was doing. That was a new experience, but one he was eager to grasp. When he got the first letter properly, he cheered and bounced about. When he got all of them, he practically danced about with joy.

The chalkboard vanished under a layer of glitter as a reward for mastering that basic lesson before a new image appeared in its place. In truth, she had spun it around to reveal its back. "Tomorrow, we'll start on your first spell. You're learning so quickly, I'm very proud of you."

The colt threw himself against her in a hug at that with a happy giggle. He threw his hooves into the air with an eager scream of excitement at that news, just to blush a bit. "Sorry. I shouldn't be so noisy in a library. Um, thank you." He stepped back. "I'll come tomorrow, promise. I want to learn a spell!"

Amber waved goodbye ans unlocked the door for him. She watched him scamper off with a wide grin on his lips.

He chattered eagerly with his parents who looked equal parts amused and slightly alarmed at his excited descriptions of what he'd learned thus far and what was yet to come.

That they walked away sounding overall happy for him, without angry words about him never returning, seemed like good news to Amber.

She let out a slow sigh. "Day one of teaching, complete." She started to giggle and didn't stop for some time. That ended when she nearly fell off her chair in her mirth. She regained her composure with a glance about. The room had grown far darker than she expected. "I should close up the library."

She trotted out into the main area. Fortunately for her, her other librarians were already going through the motions of winding down the library's operations. She was not alone in that task even if it did take an occasional reminder.

Misty waved her over once the ponies were beginning to file out into the street through the front door. "How did it go? You seem... You look a bit tired? Did something happen?"

Amber slumped slightly as she went to a cupboard for a mug to pour herself some cocoa. "It went well! But my brain hurts from everything I had to explain and describe." She turned around with the mug cradled between her hooves. "We're entering a new age, Misty. I just taught our first little unicorn the magic alphabet."

Misty perked at that news. "Wow! That's amazing! Did you learn magic when you were little? Who taught you?"

Amber stopped right in her tracks with the mug half-raised to her lips. "Um. No. Comforting was my teacher. Your book was yours. We both learned from outside places. This unicorn is special, since he'll be learning from another unicorn. That's the way it should be."

Misty stepped in closer to her to help with her mug before hugging her tightly with a happy little laugh. "And he's lucky to have you as his teacher!" She bumped against her teasingly with a knowing smile on her lips. "Keep me updated. I wanna know when he learns his first spell, and which one it'll be! Will it be one of the ones we know, or something new?"

Amber eased out of Misty's grasp and put her hoof on her back gently. "Thanks for being supportive. I'm just an apprentice who's just starting her path. I could fail!" She wavered a moment. "I think I did alright as a teacher. He learned the letters so quickly! Is it because he's still a foal? Foals do like learning, right?"

Misty hummed at that question. She touched her hoof to her own chin contemplatively before answering, "Sure they do! They also like doing new things. If he learns so quickly, he must be very smart too! This is great." She burst into airy giggles. "I hope this is the start of a lot more unicorns learning how to use their horns."

Amber finished her drink and placed the mug back in the cupboard she'd gotten it from before closing it gently and spinning around to face Misty with a grin on her lips. "So! A pupil of mine. Are you going to get one?" She thrust a hoof at Misty. "You know as much magic as I do, you could take on a student too."

Misty gulped at that suggestion before backing away a few steps. She held her hooves up defensively in front of herself. "Maybe? Not right now? I'm not sure if I can do that."

Amber closed to touch her horn with Misty's. "I wasn't sure if I could do it just earlier today, but then I did it. Have faith in yourself, Misty. You are an amazing pony that can do amazing things."

Misty gulped again before eventually managing a shy little smile even as she shivered a bit at that compliment and suggestion. She attempted to digest that unexpected offer with some quiet stammering noises that went nowhere in particular before she managed to settle on something to say that made any sense, "How do I find one?"

Amber perked an ear. "Good question. Mine found me. If we're serious about this, we should tell ponies this is even available. Comforting gave her approval already."

Misty drew closer at that, hanging onto every word with a happy little eager nicker. "I'll work on a sign then. We can hang it up to point to the magic room with our names on it. Ponies'll come find us if they want magic lessons!" She paused. "Oh, better put a horn on it. We can't teach pegasi or earth ponies how to do unicorn magic."

Author's Note

That went well. A bold step into a whole new age.

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49 - Educating New Generations

Amber brought down her hooves on the desk Comforting was seated behind, startling the chaos being awake. "I have an idea."

Comforting was all smiles immediately. "I already love it and I haven't even heard it yet. What's your idea?"

Amber pointed towards the first floor. "Our room for just unicorn magic is thinking too small. This should be an all-pony thing. All ponies have magic! Different magic, but having all our magic sealed away proved it. Why only teach one kind for a kind of pony that doesn't even live around here?"

She colored as she heard herself. "Well, some of us live around here, but you know what I meant."

Comforting glanced around the library before tugging Amber around behind the desk with her. "So, you want flying lessons, and plant lessons too?"

Amber nodded quickly. "Exactly. A place for all magic. Pegasi learn about their flying magic and earth ponies all about their plant magic."

"Can't." Comforting fiddled with her hands for a moment as she examined them carefully before continuing on speaking more. "We do not possess enough magic between us to create a place like that." She unfurled her fingers. "Specifically, you are a unicorn. Do you know anything about pegasus magic or earth pony magic outside of having seen them?"

Amber slowed to a halt at that question before beginning to fidget with her hooves awkwardly. "Uh, no? I don't know anything about those types of magic." She slumped unhappily at that sudden roadblock that had been flung up into her path. "Oh. So what can we do? Maybe talk to some pegasi or earth ponies..."

"Eeeeasy!" Comforting folded her hands under her chin with a knowing grin on her face. "You have some friends of both. It's time to dial up some friends." She fished out her phone for emphasis and wagged it at Amber. "You ready?"

Amber stood up taller and she brightened up at that reminder with a happy nicker. She pulled out her phone eagerly. "Yeah! We're going to make an all-pony school."

"Magic." Amber looked up, confused. "All pony magic school. At least, all pony magic lessons." Comforting chuckled at the idea. "We're still a library. Having a full school would be a little awkward."

"True!" Amber tapped her chin in thought briefly. "This is a start. I think we can do this." She started tapping at her phone. "And I know somepony who's already been eager to help, and knows their magic. Let's get this started."

It was only a short time before Hitch stood in their formerly secret magic room. "Hitch!" Amber circled around him. "You're great at earth pony magic, right?"

He stood stiff and straight, buffing his chest. "I'm a fair hoof at it. My plants and I get along well."

Amber giggled gently at that little boast. "Great! We want to offer magic lessons to ponies who want them, and we were thinking you could be our head earth pony instructor. What do you think?"

Hitch lit up at that suggestion. "Really?! Me? I'd, uh, be honored. But I already have a job." He pointed at his badge. "Sheriff?"

Amber shook her head quickly. "This isn't a full-time post. I want to get some experts of each kind of magic and then students can reach out and come in for a lesson or two. You have experience teaching them to garden already." She motioned around the room, her mind filled with visions of future students. "Think you can do it? I do!"

Hitch considered things before nodding with a happy little grin on his face at the idea of being able to pass on his knowledge to others who wanted it too. "You have a deal! And I'll be able to teach learning ponies of all tribes the laws of magic."

Amber inclined her head at that. "There are laws?"

"Oh yeah." Hitch turned for the door. "And new ones coming out. We can't have a city full of ponies just using their magic all wildly. It'd be a disaster! There needs to be structure, and some rules, if you ask me." He nodded firmly at his own words even as he strolled away into the library proper at a brisk clip.

Amber hummed gently. "Guess I'm lucky unicorns haven't done anything worth making laws about so far." With a shake of her head, she strode out into the main area of the library. "Now, I know exactly who to ask about flying lessons."

So it was that she brought Zipp back into the magic room. "Zipp! You lovely investigative pegasus, master of parkour and ariel stunts, we have a case that only you can solve."

Zipp smirked at that as she flashed Amber a cool wink. She canted her head curiously at Amber with a slightly lopsided grin on her lips. "Okay, you have my attention. What do you need done that only I can do?"

Amber threw her hooves wide. "I want to offer flying lessons to pegasi that need or want to brush up on their skills. I want pegasi to have a magical tutor, and you're the best pony I can think of for the job."

Zipp chuckled softly at that flattery with a casual flick of her wings. She was smiling genuinely now as she glanced Amber over carefully with a thoughtful look on her face. She considered Amber's suggestion thoroughly before she shrugged with a laugh. "You know what? Sure, why not? I don't mind giving a few tips to a pony ready to listen."

Amber danced happily in place at that approval. "Yes! Thank you, Zipp." She hugged her with a happy little giggle. "We have more instructors now! You, Hitch, and me."

"Huh?" Zipp sputtered in surprise as she glanced at Amber over curiously with a mildly quizzical look on her face. "You and Hitch are not giving flying lessons. No offense, but you're missing an important bit." She flapped her wings for show. "You can't fly."

Amber burst into snickers. "And we won't. I'll be showing unicorns how to do their magic. Hitch will be showing earth ponies how to do their magic. We'll all be showing ponies how to be the best magicians of their kind. Flying, growing, weaving spells." She danced with growing excitement. "This will be beyond great."

"Alright!" Zipp brightened at the description. "So, when do we start?"

"Misty's working on some signage, so ponies know what's going on in here." Amber frowned with new thought. "To be clear, no flying in the library. You'll meet ponies in here, and talk with them, but then you head outside for the rest of it. Agreed?"

Zipp snorted at the thought of teaching ponies to fly inside. "Yeah, probably not the best idea. I mean, what if a student bumps into one of your bookshelves?" She winced at the mental image. "Yep, I'll take them outside when we get to the flying part. Promise."

Amber sank to her haunches for a proper clapping. "This is coming together! Thank you, Zipp. Oh, if you know any other sharp flyers that want to share their tricks, send them this way. I should have told Hitch that too."

Zipp saluted sharply with a wing. "I'll go find him and remind him, no problem." With a brief dust cloud, she was gone, right out the nearest window.

Amber hummed to herself as she studied the room she'd be using for future classes. It needed more decoration, in her opinion. It was far too plain at the moment for her tastes. "We should add some themes for each tribe." She waved at the runes at the front. "Unicorns are covered. But it's not fair only they have some representation."

She went out to get some posters of sunny days and clouds to put across from the runes. "Something for pegasi, and, yes!" She went right back out again and hurried back with potted plants to arrange as tastefully as she could. "And earth ponies can practice with them. Double great!"

She could not stop pacing the room with pride and joy as she considered all the ponies she'd get to teach in the coming days. Her mind was full of visions of bright-eyed students eager to learn about their magical heritage that she wanted to pass on to them. "Comfs."

Comforting appeared out of nowhere, she she was in the habit of doing at times. "Yes?"

"Thank you." Amber grabbed Comforting in a tight hug. "You are making so many dreams of mine come true. I feel like you're making up new dreams for me, just to fulfill them. I'm so thankful I'm running out of words."

Comforting let out a merry laugh and gave Amber a gentle squeeze in return. She gently ruffled her mane with one hand playfully. "It's what I'm here for, darling." Placing Amber back on the ground, Comforting stepped back. "You're giving me a gift too, you know."

"I am?" Amber looked confused at the idea. "How? You're the one helping me."

"I am." Comforting knelt down, caressing Amber's cheeks with her hands tenderly. "I have a vested interest in ponies learning to trust themselves again. You're bringing them here to learn magic again, and that gives me great hope." She let out a soft sigh. "You're also giving me a place to be, and friends that want to give me a good hug. I'd say you're returning my favor quite well.

Amber blushed at the affection she was receiving with a happy whinny escaping her lips. She nestled into Comforting's tender hold for a long moment with a happy sigh. "Another milestone." She stepped back. "We're going to bring magic to ponies. All ponies. Spells, flight, and plants." She tapped her hooves together with each one. "One thing."

Comforting perked. "Which is?"

"Can a pony learn a different tribe's magic?" Amber wobbled a hoof. "Like, could I learn how to do plant magic?"

Comforting made an uncertain noise. "Not the way you're imagining it. This is a matter of actual bodyparts. Earth ponies have green hooves, literally. Unicorns have horns." She pointed to Amber's horn for emphasis. "Pegasi have wings. Now, clever little magician, you could give yourself wings, or pick yourself up and throw with other magic, but it still wouldn't be exactly the same. You'd be faking it." She winked. "Not that unicorns are bad at faking it."

Amber considered with a perked brow. "And an earth pony could pick themselves up with a helpful plant, or make medicines out of fruits that could do all sorts of things, right?"

"Exactly." Comforting nodded with a big smile. "You're getting it. And they'd be wonderful tricks, but that wouldn't make an earth pony a unicorn or a pegasus. Each tribe has their own way of getting things done. Let's celebrate them all, not get jealous of each other. Besides," she gave Amber a teasing poke on her horn, "I have it on good authority that unicorns are terrifying if you get them angry."

Amber tilted her head, sliding the horn out of reach. "Stop that! As if I'd ever hurt a pony."

Comforting snickered as she danced away, light despite her size. "You wouldn't, but that wouldn't stop you from playing a joke or two. I'd have it coming if I provoked you into doing it."

"Hmph." Amber put her hooves on her hips before bursting into giggles herself. "Fine! But you should get me back for it then." She swished her tail happily as she started towards the exit of the magic room again. "Oh, are you going to help?" She emerged from the magic room, Comforting not far behind. "With teaching ponies, I mean. You taught me!"

"I did." She casually lifted up and floated over Amber. "But seeing ponies teach ponies? That's so much more satisfying." She reached down to stroke down Amber's back. "A restoring of old paths, good ones, and I helped nudge it back into being. I want to see what comes of it."

Amber peered upwards before she took off at a gallop down the aisle of bookshelves with a happy laugh at the impromptu game of tag between the two of them that Comforting joyfully took part in, darting after the librarian.

At least until they both slid to a stop in front of a confused looking colt.

Amber raised an ear at the young pony. "Sorry about that." She coughed into a hoof. "What can I help you find today? That is my job after all."

The colt wilted. "I just got really excited and came here after my lesson." He produced a little journal. "I wanted to tell you! I read my first real spell! I got through all the letters and it made sense to me." He held up his hoof with an eager nicker as he waited for something to happen. But nothing did.

Amber blinked in slow confusion. "That's great to hear." She clopped a hoof to either of the colt's cheeks and ruffled them. "Did you want to tell me that?"

"Yes!" Apparently having gotten what he actually wanted, he danced with joy in front of Amber. "And to learn my first real spell! Can you teach me?" He leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "My parents want me to keep working on reading and writing the letters." He let out a little scoff at that suggestion before brightening up again, his hoof still raised high in anticipation of his first spell. "I am ready! Test me!"

Amber glanced back at the smiling, yet silent, Comforting. "Well, okay. how me all the letters, slowly. If you can get through them all, we'll do a spell."

He recited them flawlessly, having clearly practiced this at home in anticipation of his second lesson with Amber Skyray herself.

Amber tried to put aside her concerns over his rapid progress at this stage of his magic training for his sake as she took him by the hoof. "I'm so proud of you! Not even a single mistake." She started towards the magic instruction room. "You know, it took me a few times to get it that well. Poor Comforting had to really drill it into me, and here you are, so quickly!"

The colt gleamed with pride at that compliment with a happy smile on his lips at being praised so. He skipped right along with Amber as he followed her with his tail bouncing with excitement as he spoke, "I wanna do a spell! Which one will you show me first? Will it be something awesome? I hope so!"

Amber closed the door behind the colt and Comforting, sealing them in the magic room. "Comforting? May I borrow the book of starting spells?"

Comforting remained silent and simply floated it over to Amber with a calm smile on her face as she stood there with an air of utter serenity and gentle pride about her personage as she kept an eye on the young pony. Without a sound, she pulled out that first book and pressed it against Amber's side.

Amber took it up with a smile. "Thank you." She grabbed it in her magic and flipped it open. Her eyes swept left and right as she went rapidly through the book. "Now a good spell for you. Something that won't get your parents mad at me, or hurt yourself."

The colt groaned, imagining all the cool spells that ruled out.

Amber flipped past a page, only to hesitate and flip back to it. She held up the book with an incredulous look on her face at it before scanning it more closely. "Mmm, tell me. Do you prefer puppies, or ice cream?"

"I like both!" The colt bounded over to look at the book Amber was holding, only to frown in disappointment at it, as it didn't seem to contain either puppies or ice cream anywhere in it. Sadly, most of the spells in their didn't have helpful illustrations. At least, not as many as the colt would have preferred.

Amber lifted the book out of his field of view. "You have to pick one. Which is your favorite of the two?"

The colt finally answered after much careful thought and consideration on his part on which one he would pick, even though he liked them both very much, and didn't want to choose between them at all. "Ice cream. Double fudge! It's soooooo good!"

"Nice!" Amber quickly brushed a hoof over his face. "One ice cream spell it is." She settled on the second of those two pages. She copied the runes onto the board. "Here it is. Cast it while looking at something that's soft and easy to swallow. I suggest water."

Comforting dug out a glass of water and set it down. "Here's some."

The colt inhaled slowly as he looked at the symbols on the board carefully and committed them to memory with ease before he then lifted his hoof with practiced motions. He turned to face the glass of water and finally made his first attempt at casting his very first real spell with that hoof thrust. Not that his hooves were at all required, he wove them as his horn glowed with the runes of the spell.

The cup jumped and danced in place, wobbling dangerously a moment. What had been water became thick brown sludge that gooped down the sides.

Amber reached out a hoof against it, then took a sniff and a lick. "Huh. Chocolate."

"Really?!" The colt threw himself at the cup, tackling the confection he'd made out of water with reckless abandon and eagerness to enjoy the sugary treat he'd just made for himself as he dipped his hooves into the sweet dessert before shoving his face right into it with a happy squeal.

"Watch out for—" Amber didn't get to finish her warning when the colt fell over. "Brain freeze."

Despite the colt's groans of misery, he was smiling from ear to ear in a joyous sugar high as he shoved more of the chocolate into his mouth despite the fact that he had created far more than he could ever eat all on his own. "Soooo good!"

Amber gently swatted the glass away from the colt. "Enough, dear one. But good job. That spell will let you make all sorts of sugary treats. As I warned you, use it on things already kinda soft. Do it on a rock and you'll have a hard time eating it. I also suggest targeting things that are safe to eat already. Water really is one of the safer options."

"This is awesome!" The colt danced with glee, swaying from hoof to hoof as he laughed with delight over his first spell cast successfully and his new ability to create all sorts of treats for himself whenever he wanted. "I'm gonna show everypony!" Overflowing with excitment, he fled from the room with a great cheer.

Comforting floated over to Amber's side. "You were just as excited when you learned your first spell. Less freezing, just as much excitement."

Author's Note

Brain freeze on command? What sorcery is this?!

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50 - Lessons For All!

It was early morning in Maretime Bay when Amber emerged from her home with her mane not yet done and her lunch in her saddlebags for later in the day. Her hooves crunched softly in the grass as she went past her apple tree and onward towards her library in the heart of town. With a glowing horn, she worked at her mane towards a presentable appearance.

Just as she drew closer to her destination, a hoof settled on her shoulder. She spun around in place, ready to take up defense of herself and her beloved library, only to find Comforting's patient eyes upon her, that face with a pleasant smile on her lips waiting for Amber's words.

"Oh! Good morning." She stepped closer and hugged the large, but friendly, chaos spirit. "You surprised me. Um, let's get to work? I want to get everything ready for when classes start properly."

Comforting enfolded her in a big hug before pulling away and tapping Amber's horn teasingly with one finger. "That sounds fun. You already have a plan for how you'll handle it if you get more than one student at a time?"

Amber shrugged that concern away as if it were the fluffiest of pillows. "I've taught magic lessons before. This won't be any different."

They entered the library proper and Amber put up the sign Misty had created to announce the availability of magic lessons. "And look at these." She waved to the other two. One, made by Hitch, announced earth pony lessons. The other, by Zipp, made it clear flying lessons were also available. "All three tribes, learning together."

Comforting pulled Amber back into another embrace from behind, and planted a kiss on her horn, giving it a gentle squeeze in turn as she whispered into her ear quietly, "I'm proud of you."

Amber colored at the sudden closeness of that approval. "T-thank you! You force me to think about things."

"If I'm doing my job." Comforting went to the bin where books could be dropped in from outside during the closed hours. She gathered them all up and added them to the return pile.

The two went to work together sorting the new books out onto shelves and ready for pony consumption. That ended when hooves could be heard stomping up the stairs in a rush of haste and desperation mixed into one bundle of sound coming towards the pair of librarians with great haste and purpose.

Before they could even react, a heavily panting young pegasus stood there before them, gasping for air. "Magic..." They listed to the side. "Lessons?"

Amber blinked in surprise, finding herself facing an entire crowd of eager ponies. "Are you all here for magic lessons?"

The resulting cheers of approval answered that question quite well indeed, leaving Amber to stand there utterly befuddled by this sudden influx of eager ponies all interested in learning about magic and about how it would be possible for them to learn how to do it for themselves properly. "Okay, okay! Stop!" She held up her hooves defensively. "Let's rewind a little."

An earth pony mare stepped forward, Posey frowning with annoyance. "Were the signs lying then? I want to learn some magic."

"No, no! Earth ponies can learn earth pony magic. But they can't learn unicorn magic. That takes a horn." She pointed up at that horn. "And I can't learn to flap my wings and fly like Zipp, because I have no wings."

Comforting spun around slowly as she gestured to her body. "Me neither! I'm in no shape to teach flying lessons."

A pegasus pony named Chip Cherryhoof trotted up eagerly, flapping her wings excitedly as she showed them off with great pride and enthusiasm at anyone that would take the time to look at her. "I'm ready for flying lessons!"

Amber applauded at that. "You're in the right place. Head over there." She pointed to the magic room. "And Zipp will be by to start soon. Hitch will be handling earth ponies, and if you're a unicorn, I'll be your teacher."

The ponies filed into the magic room with more giggling and excited chatter.

Amber let out a little sigh. "I didn't think we'd get so many right on the first day! Where is Misty?" She scanned the growing crowd in search of her star pupil. Ah, there was Misty, lost in the sea of ponies.

Amber dove into those very waters, pushing her way forward through ponies to get access to Misty. "Excuse me. Pardon me." She came to Misty's side with a beaming smile on her lips and her tail swishing merrily. "Morning!"

Misty trembled slightly at all those ponies moving about, not exactly claustrophobic, but certainly getting there in spite of herself as she gripped the side of the nearby bookshelf in fear of being pushed over by accident by some of those ponies. "H-hi! Wow, there sure are a lot of ponies in here. Were we supposed to have so many at the same time?!" She heaved for breath, anxiety rising within her.

Amber stepped in closer to Misty protectively and pulled her into a tight hug. "It'll be alright. You only have to deal with your students. You're seeing all the students, but most of them are here for other teachers, like me." With a soft pull, she guided Misty towards the board with the unicorn runes on it. "Let's get to where the unicorns are waiting."

Misty visibly relaxed at being able to focus on just one small group of ponies and not being overwhelmed by a large group of them that were all capable of talking at the same time without waiting for anypony else to get a word in edgewise. "Oh, okay. Okay." She took a few slow breaths, marshalling herself. "I got this."

"Good!" Amber patted her on the back gently. "Go get 'em!" She strolled back into the unicorn area of the magic room to stand before them all proudly with her head held high and her horn proudly displayed to all present for her first class to observe properly. "Four." She counted them. "To be honest, still a pretty great number considering we're not back in Bridlewood. Two of you will learn under me, and two under Misty."

Misty relaxed even more. "I can handle two." She waved at herself. "Come on over here if you want to learn about magic!"

Amber took her own students towards the board with the rune shapes on it. "So! Let's start at the beginning. Do any of you know the names of the runes?"

A bright voice spoke up immediately with perfect confidence, "The bottom one is Gemini."

Amber nodded. "I'm impressed." And so began the lesson, learning their names, then how they looked and felt when playing them on horns. "Follow along and you'll be casting spells in no time at all."

The hours flew by for Amber Skyray as she introduced her students to magic with care and devotion. With glances, she could see Hitch was just as eagerly showing bright-eyed earth ponies how to control plants in a safe manner while Zipp had already left, to show her eager fliers how to soar about where there was room to do so.

She couldn't help but smiling at the thought that she'd fostered so much learning, among all the tribes at once! This was just what Equestria needed after all this time!

She hesitated when a foal threw herself at her legs, hugging her tightly with joy at having learned her first real spell after such a short time in Amber's tutelage, especially when compared to how long it had taken her. "You got it?"

"I got it!" The mare sat up, a flower wobbling with the motion. It was attached at the end of her horn, but she had summoned it. "Look at me, I have earth pony magic!"

An earth pony heard that and came over with a frown. "I thought ponies couldn't learn each other's magic! That's cheating."

Amber squeaked as tensions rose. "Woah! Woah! It's not like that. She can create a flower, sue, but it's just one flower." She waved at it. "And not even a very large flower, and it took her a lot of effort. You earth ponies could make a whole field of flowers, and it wouldn't even take you much time or a sweat, because earth ponies are way better at that kinda magic."

The earth pony nodded at that, now convinced that was fair. "If you say so." As if to prove the point, they stomped a hoof, flowers bursting up all around them in a thick carpet. "Yea, way better than a unicorn flower."

Amber smiled nervously as the earth pony left and leaned in towards her student. "Don't let them get you down. Unicorns are amazing because they can do whatever they want. We may not be the best at everything, but we have almost no limits, with time and effort. And isn't that kinda awesome?"

"Uh huh!" The foal blinked happily up at her teacher, all smiles now.

"Settle down." Misty did her best to hush her students, but they were learning fast, and their imaginations were getting away from them with wild ideas of what they could do with magic even with how little they actually knew about how it worked yet. "We have to finish going over the basics before you start anything else."

One of her students tugged on her mane impatiently with a whine, only to get hoof tapped gently by Misty to remind her to behave herself. The colt pouted, but went quiet to pay attention to each rune and its meanings.

Another filly decided she had it well in hoof and tried casting her own spell. It wasn't a spell she had been taught, nor one she knew the runes off. She just played different magical lights on her horn randomly and hoped for the best. It backfired in every sense of the word. With a puff of smoke, she vanished.

Her companion stared at the spot where she had been before looking at Misty and letting out a wail. The other foals noticed what happened and joined in the panic.

Amber gestured to the ground. "Hold on, hold on! Let's have a look around. I bet they're lost, not gone. Split up and let's find them." She wandered around the area, searching for the foal. "If you're here, say something."

Misty stood still for a moment before she started walking with a sigh. "On my first day, figures." She left the magic room with her one remaining student at her side. "Let's look around the library. Amber has the first floor. I'll take the second."

As Amber passed into the main area of the library proper, something scampered by behind a bookshelf, scuttling rapidly and out of sight behind the next bookshelf. She crept up on it. "Is that you?" She peeked around the corner and gasped at what she saw.

The student, but malformed in strange ways, four eyes staring out from beneath their horn. She squeaked, her mind already painting pictures of how frightening that appearance was going to be on other ponies, maybe even her friends too! She'd seen stranger things, like Comforting, but something about seeing that on a pony? A little filly at that. "Don't panic. Come here. I'm not mad."

The filly burst into tears as she scrambled to get away from Amber and into a corner behind a bookshelf, seeking refuge in it from what she might do if she tried using magic on her again accidentally.

Amber followed slowly. "I'm here to help. I'm not mad at you, it's okay. Come here, it'll be okay." She stepped forward and rubbed at her shoulders. "You're not in trouble. It was an accident. We'll fix it. Just stay calm." She drew the foal into a slow embrace. "This is why we have to get a good grip on the basics before we rush ahead."

"Amber?" Zipp fluttered overhead. "You okay? I heard screaming and came back."

"Yeah!" Amber wrapped around the foal, concealing the filly partially. "Just a little magic oopsie. Everything's okay now, promise." She laughed tensely, glancing about nervously.

Zipp slowly nodded and then fluttered off to return to her other students for more lessons out on the plains nearby.

Misty circled back to Amber and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. "You found them. Good." She leaned in to poke the filly with her nose. "That doesn't look good. Um, let's fix that. Can we fix that?"

"Comforting!"

Comforting popped into being beside Amber. "Wow, I don't think you've shouted that desperately for me be, oh, wow." She noticed the poor misshapen filly. "Ooo, now I see why you're calling me."

"Help?" Amber gave her a pleading look. "I'm not sure I can put this back before their parents come and freak out."

Comforting leaned in, eyes trailing the unseen lines of magic at play. "Mmm, you're forgetting that most unicorn magic isn't that much more enduring than my magic. It should run out about—" With a puff of smoke, the filly returned to her usual adorable self. "—now."

The filly shuddered, looking a bit sick. "I don't feel so good." She wobbled in place, only to be caught by Amber. "I think I need to go home."

"Misty?" Amber offered the filly up gently to the other unicorn in the room. "Do you mind taking her home? I don't want her to be alone right now."

"Oh, um, okay!" Misty took the foal in her magic. "Take care of my student then."

Amber saluted. "On it." She turned to the extra student. "Come on. Three isn't too big a class."

Author's Note

That could have gone worse, but also better. 75% success rate at not mutating their students into horrible monstrosities!

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51 - Angry Mob

"See?" Amber gestured to her students proudly. "Bit by bit, they're making real progress. In no time at all, they'll be casting spells easily and learning about magic properly!" She was feeling confident in the success of her endeavor, eager to show off what her pupils had already managed to achieve in such a short time after having received lessons from herself and the other magic users of Maretime Bay including Misty.

Comforting gently clapped her mismatched hands. "Very nice. I'd keep an eye on that one though."

"Coriander?" Amber focused on the filly in question and nodded. "She does push things a little too far sometimes." She went over to the filly at the end of the line and plucked up a book in her magic. "Focus on this and let it float around. Nothing fancy. Just watch it move and see if you can grab it."

A voice from outside called out, "Where is she?! I know she's here!"

Amber glanced up towards the door with a confused frown on her face as she watched a mare storm into the room with fire in her eyes and an agitated twitch to her tail. She had an expression of pure anger on her face as she stood there suddenly upset before pointing a hoof at Coriander with a harsh accusation in her voice as she shouted out accusingly, "You!"

Amber didn't know what to make of this situation but she'd have to handle it quickly before it got out of hoof as she trotted over to the mare to meet her halfway and greet her politely in a confused tone, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can!" She pointed at Coriander. "I forbade her from returning here! Why is she here? She already hurt herself once before! If you don't stop teaching ponies magic—"

"Ma'am." Amber slipped between the two. "Calm down and explain yourself."

Coriander trembled behind Amber in fear as her mother berated her for her past magical mishap. "It was an accident."

"An accident that had you home, crying, the whole evening!" She stomped the floor with building anger. "And now you're back?! To hurt yourself again?! With new spells?!"

Amber could tell this was about to escalate far more than she was prepared for and quickly glanced towards Comforting for guidance on how to calm the situation down but Comforting's silence didn't give her any sort of direction or help whatsoever. It was up to her. "She made that choice herself. Ponies have accidents, doing a lot of things. It hurts, we cry, but we also have to get back up, and decide what to do. Your daughter—"

"Is a little foal! And you should have known better than to let her come back here!" She grabbed Amber's hoof. "We forbade it!"

Amber struggled to free herself from the grip. "You didn't talk to me."

Worse yet, she could see other ponies joining to see what the noise was about, some of them making noises of support for the mother. The temperature in the room started to drop rapidly.

The mother stepped back, waving a hoof dramatically at the room. "How did you even manage to make a whole library for magic? It was only recently you were locked up in your own basement!"

Amber blinked at that. "What? This is a normal library. We just offer—"

"Offer lies! And tricks! And trouble!" The mare spun around dramatically to glare at everypony else there. "Unicorns should know better than to try playing with magic again after what happened last time!"

That got Comforting's attention. "Last time?" She darted through the air to hover over the mare. "Please, do tell us about 'last time'."

The mare gulped at that imposingly large creature floating overhead. "Um." She shuffled nervously from hoof to hoof for a moment before blurting out an explanation, "Just ask anyone!"

"Ah." Comforting grinned as she leaned in closer. "But I'm asking you." She gently tapped the mare on the nose. "Really, I'd love to know. Please share with the class."

The mare shivered as she answered that intimidating prompt swiftly as she could. "We messed up magic last time! The world burned because of it! So ponies stopped using it!" She then pointed towards Coriander angrily and cried out, "My daughter has suffered enough because of magic!"

Comforting curled around the mother. "The world burned? How dramatic! Not literally, I should imagine, or there would be no ponies around anymore. That'd be awful boring."

Amber cringed at that statement and felt her blood run cold as she suddenly realized that Comforting was saying that exactly as if it had been literal and true instead of merely being said as if it was something clearly ridiculous as an exaggeration for emphasis on just how angry she was about the situation. "Comfs, you're not helping!"

Comforting giggled as she continued, "So! This whole new 'no magic' thing? I have to wonder. Who made that rule? I mean, honestly, you just told me it was a mess last time because ponies got cocky with magic."

The mother went to stomp, but Comforting was in the way. The strange creature had her wrapped up, really. "Look, am I the only one that reads history books?! When Twilight was struggling against Opaline, crazy magic-user she was, she was pushed to the edge, and she took all our magic away to protect us. Our old way of life was destroyed."

Comforting tapped a finger to her chin as she made a long thinking sound. "Hmmm. Interesting! But, I hear this Opaline character has been dealt with. Took a while, sure, but she's no longer an issue. Like your daughter when she made an oopsie, do we just be scared forever, or do we get back up again?"

Amber shivered at that statement from Comforting as it sounded strangely prophetic despite being quite applicable to what was going on in the moment as she continued to listen with baited breath.

Comforting prodded the mare in the shoulder with a fingertip repeatedly as she kept on, "You're making your little one sad. You do see that, don't you?"

"She can't be here!" The mare shoved forward into Comforting, grunting with the effort. "Not after what happened last time! We never use magic again!"

"I got better." Coriander stood up defiantly. "I got better. I'm learning!"

"It could happen again!" The mare lost all sense of self-control as she kept right on ranting and raving about magic in general as if it was a big mistake that never should have happened in the first place and how she wasn't going to allow it again in her daughter's life.

The crowd looked mixed, with some with the mother, and others siding with Amber. And poor Coriander looked ready to cry as she realized her mother didn't believe in her.

Amber could see this turning into a riot quickly and raised her hoof for silence.

No one paid her any heed whatsoever as they continued arguing amongst themselves loudly about whether or not magic should be taught at all to anypony at all. Amber ran her hoof through her mane and shouted at the top of her lungs to get their attention in the most assertive tone of voice she could muster up, "Listen! To! Me!"

The room went quiet, all eyes turning towards her. One pegasus that had been learning to fly hovered in air to gape at her.

Amber gripped the edge of a lectern tightly in her hooves. She let out a low sigh and then began to speak in a clear voice to everypony there before her to address them all as one would address their friends and family members together during a special occasion. "Let me speak. I don't know who started that story about how magic brought ruin upon Equestria."

She waved a hoof over towards Comforting who she could see was looking pleased as punch. "She lived through the ups and downs, but for every down, there was an up. This is the up. Our children need to learn, not be scared to be what they are." She pointed up at her own horn. "We are unicorns! We are magic. Being scared of magic means being scared of the pony we see in the mirror each and every day."

She looked right into the eyes of Coriander's mother. "And all I hear is 'you can't be who you are'. Do you really want that? It's one thing to not be interested in magic yourself. It's another to deny it to somepony else."

The mare let out a low grunt of disapproval but didn't argue the point anymore as she sank to her haunches. "When will this creature let me go?" She glared at Comforting, still coiled about her.

Comforting undid herself, floating back into the air. "Aw. I thought you were enjoying yourself."

The mare snarled as she yanked herself free of Comforting and was instantly surrounded by other ponies on both sides of the argument.

Amber sighed at that, before sweeping her hoof over the class once more. "Now. I'll have your attention for this. This is how magic works!" She gestured towards the board with all the symbols on it. "These are the shapes we make up here." She pointed up at her horn. "These symbols are more than magic. Each one is a little bit of what makes a unicorn what they are."

"But..." The mare shot up with a protest. "I didn't raise my foal to be a unicorn!"

Amber gawked at the mare a stunned moment. "She is a unicorn! She was from the start. She'll always be one. You too! You can like magic, or not like it, but you're both unicorns!"

"But... she..." The mare turned around in place slowly as if confused by this statement of Amber's. "She's a pony. I didn't see any hoofprints from magic when she was born!"

Amber rubbed her face slowly with her hoof and muttered under her breath quietly, "Okay, some basics here." She dropped that hoof and waved at the horn with it. "All unicorns have magic. Even untrained unicorns can glow and pick things up. That's magic! What did you think that was?"

The mother sputtered out, "I... thought that was just unicorn nature?" She wilted a bit at that comment as if realizing just how silly it had been for her to think that unicorns could simply pick things up and glow whenever they felt like it without there being anything unusual. "It's magic?"

"Magic is just a talent. You know who else has magic?" She pointed to that hovering pegasus. "Look at him! Hovering there! That's amazing magic. I'm jealous of pegasi sometimes. They have nice magic."

The pegasus floated lower with a bashful smile on his lips at being singled out so suddenly for something that came naturally to him.

Amber waited for him to touch down again before she finished up her speech with, "Don't get me wrong. What I'm saying is that all ponies are magic. And that magic can do great things, or hurt somepony. It's up to us to learn how to use it properly. That is what we're doing here."

"What if somepony gets hurt?"

Amber gave her a solemn nod as she answered in a firm voice, "Then we try again, but we do it safer next time." She pointed at the board. "These are the basics. Your daughter taught us that we have to go over safety steps before even then. She taught us a valuable lesson. Thank you, Coriander. I hope you keep learning with us." Amber held out a hoof, and soon had a filly tucked into her arm to hug gently. "I'm very happy to have you here."

The filly nuzzled against her neck happily at those words from Amber and the apparent acceptance from her teacher after what had happened with her mother showing up to interrupt lessons like that.

The mother let out a tense sigh. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Amber smiled at that. "You could attend too." She pulled back from the hug and placed Coriander down gently onto the ground once more as she gazed over at her mother hopefully.

The mother shrank back as she glanced over towards the other students and then shook her head no, "I think I'd be better off sitting in the back. But I'll be watching!"

The crowd dispersed, the drama seeming to have run into its end. But the class gained one new member, a chaperone.

Author's Note

Ponies are magic! But I thought friendship is magic? Ponies are friendship? The math checks out.

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52 - Floor Redesign

Misty stepped aside to make room for Amber as they worked together to prepare for another day of magic lessons at the Maretime Bay library, a place that had become well known as being a location for any and all ponies interested in learning how to use their natural abilities and talents.

Amber cleaned at bits of dirt, emptying them back into the pots they came from. "The earth ponies are really learning their plant magic. I'm so proud of all of the ponies that come here." She beamed at the thought. "All the tribes, learning to be the best ponies they can be."

"Same!" Misty passed over a brush as she cleaned off the lecterns and prepared the room for their students properly. "Some of my students have real talent for spell casting." She pulled a book from a shelf and set it on a lectern, getting ready for more lessons today. "I'm starting to think it really is an age thing. Get a unicorn young and they soak up the basics so fast! I almost feel a little dumb with how long it took us to get that far."

Amber bit back a laugh as she thought about how long it had taken them to master any of their abilities back when they had started to learn them and replied, "Yea, but we got there eventually. Plus, we kinda had to discover it at all in the first place." She wobbled her head thinking about it. "That was work! We trotted so they can gallop."

Misty set a hoof on Amber's shoulder in support and sympathy for how hard it had been for them to reach their current levels of understanding and mastery over magic despite not having any teachers to help them learn and grow as students of magic. "That was amazing how we were able to figure it all out on our own without any help at all from others before we came here."

Comforting popped into being. "Forgotten already? I was a helper to at least one of you."

"Comfy!" Amber playfully batted at her leg with a hoof. "But, yes! We had Comfy's help and now everyone can benefit from what we've learned since then."

Comforting reached down to ruffle Amber like the adorable pony she was. "It was a pleasure, and I'm really quite happy to see things rolling organically here. I shouldn't have to remind each unicorn how to unicorn. That's a unicorn's job." She tapped at the end of Amber's horn. "And you two seem to be doing alright at that."

Misty settled down beside Amber for a moment before glancing towards Comforting with a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she questioned, "Was there something you wanted?"

Comforting laughed cheerfully as she playfully poked at Misty with a finger and replied, "Mmm, can't I just pop in to visit my favorite couple?"

Misty turned red instantly. "We're not a couple! Um, we're spell buddies." She hugged Amber with one arm. "Working together to figure out magic. But we're not marefriends."

Comforting held a hand up. "Sorry, sorry, it's easy to read when ponies get close." She cleared her throat and got on with it as she inquired, "What's on the syllabus for today?"

Amber hopped to her hooves and grabbed a bit of chalk in her magic. She began drawing runes rapidly. "This gets easier with practice, but I was thinking this one."

Comforting blinked at what appeared. "The partial transformation spell? Far be it from me to discourage potential chaos, but are you sure they're ready for that?"

Misty shared in her wariness of using that particular spell. "Maybe we can save that for later? When they've mastered more than one shape?" She frowned at that idea with a soft humm of thoughtfulness.

Amber waved a hoof at Misty. "If you remember, Coriander made a mistake with a transformation. We want her to not get scared. So, I think it's time we taught her how to do it properly." She gestured towards the partial transformation rune again for emphasis as she continued explaining herself, "It might even give her a good sense of control, which I think will be good for her overall."

Misty slumped slightly and let out a quiet little whine at the thought of their students having to cast such a complex spell so soon after just having been taught basic ones. "If you really think so? We'd better keep an eye on them. Coriander's mom will be there, and if they get hurt, she'll be all over us!"

Amber squeaked at that memory of how much that mare could shout and rave about things when she got all worked up and took Misty's hoof with her own. "Let's get ready for the big test!" She used her horn to drag Misty off into another room with a skip to her step.

Comforting giggled at them as she turned to go elsewhere in the library with her tail swishing behind her playfully as she did so, "Not a couple, right." She rolled her eyes with the doubt she felt. "Such an adorable not-couple."

Hitch made a soft groan as he climbed up the stairs slowly and sighed as he reached the top. He heaved for breath, wiping his brow. Comforting started at the sight of him, and the great wagon behind him full of plants. "What are you doing, Hitch?"

He patted at the wagon with pride in his eyes. "The plants we have in the learning room are great and all, but more variety will help my students learn! Some plants bloom in different seasons, or need different nutrients! And even different locations."

"What are you going to do with them all?" Comforting crouched down to look in on the wagon curiously with her head tilted to the side. "You'll expand out of your part of the room with this many new plants." She brushed the leaves of one between her fingers. "Nice ones though."

Hitch chuckled at that as he patted at one of the plants that he had collected. "I thought some of the non-magical plants from Zephyr Heights might be good for the earth ponies to examine since they'll never find any like them in Maretime Bay. Different environment, different plants, right?" He pulled the wagon with little squeaks from its wheels across the library. "Want to lend a hoof to set these up?"

Comforting drifted along. "You could borrow a hoof, but I imagine a hand would be more helpful from me." She scooped up some plants and balanced them in her arms. "There's one downside to these new hoofful of students though."

Hitch patted a pot in Comforting's hand. "What's that? I'm loving sharing what I know with eager little foals. Um, even the older ones are great. We're getting earth ponies of all ages."

Comforting came to the classroom and carefully arranged them where Hitch told her to. "I didn't mind teaching Amber Skyray when she was starting. Looks like I'm not needed for earth ponies." She stroked over her chin, stroking her own fur. "You know, earth ponies just didn't do this kind of magic back in the day, especially at this scale."

Hitch laughed as he pulled more plants from the wagon, starting to set them up around the room wherever he could find space for them. "I think it's a good change for us all."

The door creaked open and Zipp strolled in with a wide grin on her lips and two Pegasi following after her. "Hey!" She hurried to Hitch's side. "Fellow teacher! How's your class going? Oh, one sec." She turned back to her students. "You two should be proud! You made it through night flights without a problem. Now, get some sleep. You're probably exhausted."

One of them fanned herself. "We had to land on those weird floating bits and that was... oh wow." She held herself up weakly on wobbly hooves. "So hard."

The other nodded along as she stumbled towards the ground slowly only for Zipp to catch her. "Thanks, teach. Yeah, that was rough." She smiled despite it. "But it was fun, and we did it!"

"Yeah!" The first laughed weakly, turning for the door. "Sleep sounds really good."

"Yes! Rest! I'll see you later." Zipp helped the pony down the stairs. She came back up and stretched. "Ahh! Good lesson."

Hitch nodded at that statement, though his attention was on having each plant at exactly the right place.

Zipp watched him a moment. "That's a lot of plants. This room's getting crowded with them. Is this for a specific lesson?"

"Uh huh." He patted one on the leaves as he settled it down. "Learning about different plants can only help my students grow in their own magic abilities as much as possible!"

Zipp paused, examining one of the plants that he had been carrying around and lifted a hoof to point at it and asked curiously, "Oh! Well, if it's only for a day, that'll be okay."

Hitch stalled. "It'll be a bit longer than that." He laughed nervously. "That okay?"

"I don't mind the plants but um..." Zipp scrunched up her muzzle at the sight of them and then shot a glance towards Hitch before gesturing around the room with a hoof and explaining her concerns about all the plants filling up the room, "it's just kinda cluttered in here."

Comforting floated along, arms crossed. "I did warn you. Though this may be partly an Amber problem. One room for all three tribes may not be enough room."

Hitch winced. "Oops."

Amber entered, staring at a scroll and marking things off. "Yes! Got everything I need." She skipped along merrily until she bumped into a bush. "What's that doing here?"

Hitch gulped and sweated as he looked around at the mess he had created in the learning room and then answered that question, "Oh, it's for my lesson! I want them to learn about different kinds of plants!"

Amber patted at the plant as each pony had before it. "It's nice and all, but, hm." She turned in place. "They're everywhere. Comfs?" She turned for Comforting directly. "Do you know what that room's used for?" She pointed at a wall.

Comforting looked at that same wall. "That one? Storage mostly." She flashed a bright smile. "You want to use it?"

"Please." Amber gave her best cute eyes at Comforting. "Let's give the earth ponies a room for themselves. They need the space."

Hitch rubbed at his own neck nervously. "That might be for the best."

Comforting picked him up in her arms. "Easy peasy." She stood up tall and shoved one paw against the wall hard. It collapsed backwards and the rubble faded from being shortly after. The room beyond cleaned itself rapidly, the things in it whisking away to other parts of the library. All the plants in the shared room began migrating on little legs into the earth pony room.

Amber scrambled to keep up, hoofing each plant into place.

"You're welcome." Comforting spun around with a wide smile on her face and set Hitch back on the ground. "Looking forward to seeing how all the ponies learn and grow."

Misty meandered over to see what was going on and poked her head around the corner into the new room where the earth ponies would be learning about plants with an intrigued expression on her face. She glanced about the room curiously at all the changes that had been made to it in such a hurry. "Wow! You got a big classroom right here."

Amber waved Misty closer. "Our classroom just got larger, since the earth ponies just got their own. I think this is better for everypony. It'll give all our students more space to do what they want and be what they are without worrying about anypony getting hurt in the process." She clapped her hooves with building excitement. "Our library's really grown into its own 'thing'. None of the other ones we saw offered lessons on how to pony."

Misty circled around her a few times with a gentle smile on her lips. "Yep! This is a one of a kind place to be for sure." She watched as all the plants that had once filled up their previous classroom be placed neatly into their new homes one by one.

Hitch wandered by slowly and watched as his new room began taking shape around him, enjoying seeing it take shape into a space that would be used solely for learning earth pony tricks. "This looks great!" He grabbed a nearby tree and hugged int gently. "Love it. Now, I'm still sheriff, so I got to get to that. Class will be on in the afternoon, okay?"

Amber and Misty looked at one another with looks of disbelief on their faces as they realized just how busy Hitch was getting being both the sheriff of Maretime Bay and trying to teach the earth ponies things. They shared a shrug as Hitch left to go patrol and be sheriffly for a while.

Misty asked, "You think he can do it?"

"For now." Amber hoofed a last potted plant onto a shelf. "But, maybe, we should look into a teacher that isn't so booked. I just have to figure out how to do it without hurting his feelings. He's doing great! But I don't want him to run himself down to the hooves."

Author's Note

The classrooms expand in size for better pony learning, yay!

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53 - Interviews

Misty snorted as she opened her eyes, slowly moving them to look about her surroundings as she awoke from slumber in a slow daze as she got her bearings back about her again. Her eyes scanned across the room until they landed on Amber sleeping beside her on the bed and she could hear the almost eerie noises of a library with nopony moving in it. Well, except Misty. She slid to her hooves, stretching as she went.

With the stretch complete, she wandered over to the window of their home above the library and pushed it open to peer outside at the warm morning sunlight bathing their city in a beautiful glow. The glow, now allowed inside with the pushed curtains, spilled across Misty and into the room behind her.

With a mumble, Amber stirred awake slowly, peeking an eye open to squint up at Misty as she yawned and stretched before standing up and making her way over to Misty with another small yawn on her lips. "Morning already? It always feels like it gets here so fast."

Misty burst into giggles. "In an instant." She hugged Amber gently. "That was neat."

"Mmm, what?" Amber returned the brief hug, but kept moving past Misty soon after.

"That sleepover. It was way less, um, frazzled than the one I tried with the last unicorn I did one with." Misty laughed nervously with the memory of the chaotic way she had slept over with Izzy Moonbow and got prodded about ancient unicorn traditions she didn't even remember. "Just two friends being cozy and hanging out. I liked it. We should do it more often."

"Oh!" Amber dug into a cupboard for a frying pan. "Yeah! That was nice." She held the pan aloft. "What should we have for breakfast? We have that smoked fish Hitch gave us, and I think some nice green peppers in the fridge."

Misty fell silent in thought about that for a moment before suggesting, "Smoked fish sounds great. Speaking of Hitch, are we going to get another teacher to take some of the pressure off of him? He's doing way too much on his own. He's bound to get sick or run himself ragged if we don't get some help for him."

Amber hung her head sadly as she pulled out ingredients from around the kitchen, only pausing long enough to put on some music for them to enjoy as they cooked together. "Let's put up a little sign. You love making signs, make one that'll draw in a pony that's really comfortable with their earth pony magic to share it with other ponies that wanna learn it. We'll advertise a little, too."

Misty hummed with a bit of thought as she mixed ingredients together with her magic into a bowl while her friend got the stove heated up to cook on, a nervous expression on her face as she discussed this important topic with Amber. "Sounds good. But what if the earth ponies don't like our new teacher?"

Amber tapped at her chin. "Well, it's a change. Some ponies will like it, and others won't. We can't control that, except to pick a pony that's good for the job. So long as they can teach, it'll be fine." She grabbed the bowl from Misty and set it on the stovetop. "When you talk to Zipp about this later, remember this."

"Zipp?" But it hit her a moment later. "Oh, you want her to put some flyers around?"

Amber moved things from the bowl to the pan and got the bowl to the counter. "Exactly. You can use the same design as the sign you were going to make anyway, no extra effort there. We'll find a nice teacher and give Hitch that break he doesn't even know he needs. Let him be just the sheriff."

Misty moved to clear space on the table and began laying out things for a quick breakfast. "Good plan." She frowned as she thought on things. "But we don't want to make it so Hitch can't be a teacher, just so it isn't a job, right? I think he really had some fun, he's just full up on responsibilities right now. It might be better if we make him just our 'special guest'. Let him do what he wants."

"True. We do need to give him a bit of room to work, but we can't make this decision for him either." Amber rolled her eyes as she returned to cooking their food up on the stove. "He is an adult pony. We can lead him to water, but it's up to him if he wants a drink or not."

Misty flopped down on the sofa nearby and replied with a sigh, "I suppose that's true." She felt more than a little hesitant to impose on Hitch too much despite wanting to see him take care of himself. "It'd be nicer if he just took a bit of time off though."

Amber chuckled at that sentiment from Misty as she finished up with breakfast and plated up the meal for them both and carried it over to her companion before plopping down beside her on the sofa. "If we push too hard, he'll think we don't think he can do it."

Misty sat up sharply. "I don't think that!" she got out in a squeak. "He's so capable! Just busy." She stuffed some food into her mouth as if she could prove herself through eating first and talking later. "And I wanna help him get what he needs."

Amber cringed a bit at Misty's spraying of her food. "Relax. It's breakfast time." She tried to show a good example by eating without talking. They were both adults, even if sometimes they didn't act like it. She sipped at some juice as she thought about it all and finished up her breakfast. "Alright. Let's look through Maretime Bay for an earth pony to be our magic teacher. Let's teach some earth pony magic! Come on, we'll get ready, and you can talk to Zipp."

Misty chewed through the last of her food with vigor and jumped to her hooves to get ready to head out of the library with Amber in search of a good teacher for their students to learn from. She went over to a computer and began working on that flyer with a soft hum. Around her, other librarians were starting to move about. Some were descending from the same dorm area, while others came in from outside. The library was getting ready for a new day with its pone caretakers leading the charge.

Ponies were entering with questions for other ponies, or their books to return or check out. And just like every other day since they had opened this place, Misty and Amber were able to guide those that were interested towards information on the most random topics imaginable with varying degrees of success depending on if the book was ready and waiting.

It was about midday that Misty came over with a big smile. "Got it!" She showed off the flyer proudly to Amber with the image of some flowerd and words like 'Earth Pony Magic' being printed in a hoof written font along the paper.

Amber leaned in to examine it. "Not bad. Make a bunch of smaller ones for Zipp to spread around, and we can hang that one right, about, there." She pointed to a column in sight of the doors as one entered the library.

Misty trotted up to it, wiggling her hooves. She managed to stick it right in the center and used a bit of magic to float some tacks beside it. "Job well done!" She gazed around the library, then back at the hanging flyer. "Mmm, yeah! That looks good."

With the poster hanging and flyers being spread around, it wasn't long before some ponies came in with questions about the teaching position. "Let's get this over with." One mare sat before them. "You can tell me to go take a hike and I can get on with my day."

Amber tilted her head at the pony. "Miss Posey, right? Why are you so sure we'll tell you go away?"

Posey huffed gently. "I've been the one pony telling everypony else that maybe we should slow down with the 'everypony should do magic all the time everywhere!' thing. Now I'm supposed to teach it?" She hoofed a clipboard with more papers attached. "So! How can I prove to you I'm actually into this whole thing? Frankly, you need a teacher that will teach ponies to be a little careful instead of just rushing head first into it."

Amber pointed at Posey with a hoof as she let out a tiny laugh of realization and recognition. "Oh, that's right! I remember you! You were against this magic thing from the start." She laughed nervously, seeing Posey tense. "Sorry. I'm not saying that to discourage you. Ponies can change their mind. I like the idea of a teacher that will show ponies a more cautious approach, so long as they'll show them the wonderous side of things too. Ponies won't come here just to be told not to do anything. Magic's not going away."

Posey calmed at that reassurance from Amber. "So, I'm not totally out of luck?" She shuffled in her seat, tapping her hooves together nervously. "Okay." She took a slow breath. "I'll teach ponies how to do magic, but I'll do it slowly and carefully. I'll teach them to walk before they trot, and to trot before they go galloping off a cliff because they have no idea what they're doing."

Amber gave Posey an approving nod. "That sounds like a responsible teacher. Now, imagine there was a student that was having a hard time picking up earth pony magic. How would you help them?"

"What if..." Posey rubbed at her chin in thought about it before continuing with her response to that question as she stared up at the ceiling in thought, "I talked them through it? Worked with them personally?" She colored with memories. "I had a hard time, at first. I wish somepony took the time to walk me through it, alone. Step by step." She frowned. "I had to figure it out on my own mostly, or suffer through big crowds of ponies all being loud."

Amber reached out and took Posey's hoof with her own as she let out a sympathetic little humm. "I'm putting you down as a finalist." She made a slash with her pen, held in her magic as it was. "We'll call you if there's to be another interview, or if you got the part!"

Posey smiled as she backed out of the room. "Thank you!" She giggled to herself as she headed for the door. "Teacher! Me! My! Wow! So weird."

Amber whispered under her breath once Posey had vanished from sight. Shaking herself out, she called in the next eager would-be teacher. "Let's give them all a chance before I make any decisions."

The next candidate after that was far more interesting in proving they could fill the room with new forms of vegetables than showing they could teach.

The one after that wouldn't stop talking for long enough to even get in a question.

And the one after that was teaching a whole school in Brighthoof, but offered to cut back to just working at the library on weekends if that's all they needed her for.

Amber groaned, rubbing at her face with her hoof slowly. She looked down her list of ponies she had listed as 'finalists', and only a tiny few had survived that far. "I hope one of you works."

Author's Note

Let's hire a teacher! It'll be easy, right?

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54 - Special Somepony

Amber rubbed at her face, beginning to think she would need to bring some of the non-finalists back in to see if they could work at all. The constant stream of ponies looking to be a teacher wasn't making it easy on her or Misty either, as they had gotten through more ponies than they had even imagined. "Points to Maretime Bay." Amber slumped against the desk. "They're an eager lot."

She shooed the rest home for the day and hopped to her hooves. "But most of them disqualified themselves, in so many ways."

Misty tipped forward on her hooves. "Think we got anyone worth teaching?" She picked up Amber by her shoulders and began directing her towards the door. "Let's head out, take a break, and see how things are doing."

"Good idea." She threw one arm around Misty for support, the two heading out like two weary soldiers onto the street outside the library. "Maybe a change of scenery will help us think about this."

As they wandered along the streets of Maretime Bay, a crowd caught their eye. They wandered over curiously, parting through the throng of ponies gathered together as they tried to get a look at what was going on right in front of them to gather so many ponies together in one place. Zipp streaked overhead just over their heads, but she wasn't alone. Two of her students were just behind her, the three putting on an aerial display for all ponies to see.

They twirled, they dove, they darted here and there like corkscrews and spirals on strings or colorful balloons drifting on the wind. The ponies watching had their heads tilted up, staring in awe as the pegasi zipped through the air together, forming shapes and patterns through tricks that had the earthbound ponies gaping at the very thought of even trying that leaving them dizzy.

Amber pulled Misty closer, watching together as Zipp and her two students performed like experts of the airborne arts. Misty made an impressed hum as she enjoyed watching them fly by in all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers, spinning in mid-air and showing off for the masses. "Zipp really reached her students. We should be proud of her." She clapped her hooves. "We're doing great. We have unicorns learning to be wizards and pegasi are becoming flying pros!"

"We're doing well, yes." Amber took Misty's hoof very gentle as they enjoyed watching the pegasi perform above their heads for all ponies to enjoy their aerial show from below, adding, "And we just need an earth pony that can really get ponies digging deeper into their powers to figure out what they can do and how they can best use their abilities to help others around them."

The students zipped along after Zipp as they left for somewhere else to show off their flying abilities with loud calls. With a smile, Misty gently guided Amber forward. "That was neat! But let's get that dinner. A good meal will help us make up our minds. Our best thinking is when we have a belly full of food."

Amber couldn't disagree with that statement and happily allowed herself to be guided off in the direction of one of their favorite restaurants, pausing only long enough to scoop up the daily paper on the way.

She laid it out for them to see as they ate. "The world is changing, but it's nice to see other ponies are staying the same. New town built, some mares got married." Amber swept to the next page, only for Misty's hoof to get in the way.

Misty cleared her throat gently as she took the paper from Amber's hooves and put it out of reach, so she could eat properly without the distraction of reading news from far away pulling her attention away from having a nice meal with her dear friend. "Nuh uh, we're eating right now, and I want your full attention while we do so!"

Amber pouted, crossing her arms. "Fine." She took a nibble and let out an appreciative sound. "A few ponies didn't rule themselves out. What do you think of Sally?"

Misty shook her head. "She talked too fast. I think a lot of students would be intimidated."

"Steel?" Amber took another delectable nibble.

"Cute, but young. It would be a learning experience for everyone." Misty chuckled at the thought of their students being taught by a foal not even fully grown yet. "I could see some ponies being prickly, even if they are kinda good."

Amber set her hooves own on either side of her plate. "What about Posey? She doesn't talk fast, and she's a grown mare. She seems to understand how earth pony magic works, and she wants to share it."

Misty took up a long draught of juice, drawing out the wait as she tried to make up her mind on what she thought about Posey and whether or not she thought Posey was qualified to teach anypony anything at all. "Mmm, well, she is the best of the day." She put down the drink. "Maybe she's worth a try. If, um, it doesn't work out, we can just say so?"

"We'll give her a shot." Amber hoofed the paper back over to Misty. "Just to try." She perked up at Misty returning it and then gasped when she realized there was a story about Maretime Bay's library on it. One of the others had opened a little sky viewing section. "That's adorable." They had placed all their atronomy books nearby, so ponies could learn about the sky, and have a peek. The library had night hours scheduled several times a week. "I wouldn't want to have to run our library that late though."

Misty gave it a look as well, only to frown and then comment on how she felt about the library that had been making night hours, "Ponies shouldn't have to stay up that late! Do you think they hired more ponies just to be there at night? They can't have ponies there from the morning to late at night. They'd be exhausted! I know I would be."

Amber tapped at her own forehead with her hoof as she questioned, "That was a big change. Wonder how they got their staff to agree? Though I guess it was only one new person needed." She hummed with thought. "If they only have that one section open late. Maybe we should visit some time and ask."

They enjoyed the rest of their meal, looking happier than when they had come in. When they left, Misty spun Amber around gently. "Ready for tomorrow?"

"Yup!" Amber smiled and wrapped her hooves around Misty. "Come on, let's get some sleep before it's time for our big announcement!" She hugged Misty tightly and nuzzled into her fur with affection.

Misty returned that nuzzle and hugged Amber back gently. "I'm really excited for tomorrow. I'm glad we're able to teach everypony that comes to us." The two split then, Misty headed up to the brighthouse, and Amber off to retire in the library.

Amber didn't get to her room without a hinderance. Comforting was at the door of the library, with a know-it-all grin. "Have a nice time?"

Amber cocked her head at her large friend. "We decided on who to hire for the earth ponies."

Comforting waved a paw about lazily as she drawled out, "Obviously! Did you two have fun? Or did you work through the whole evening?"

Amber opened her mouth to deny that accusation with a huff and frowned as she realized they had talked about that specifically during the meal. "We had a nice meal and we picked a pony, at the same time." She thought back to the food. "It was pretty good. What were you up to?"

"Just thinking about a friend." She ruffled Amber's mane gently. "And how she's growing up so fast."

Amber crinkled her muzzle up with embarrassment at the notion that Comforting was still thinking of her as a foal and pouted as she insisted firmly, "I'm a full grown mare!"

"Who never had a special somepony, but I can see that's quickly changing." She tickled at Amber's sides as they tried to get past her. "And I couldn't be happier for her."

Amber jumped away from the tickling paws, only to back into her room with an irritated grunt and grumble at Comforting's attempts to embarrass her into an early grave. She stared up at the ceiling, thoughts floating around in her mind like little fairies drifting on the breeze. "I don't have a special somepony." She struggled to imagine who that even could be.

The only pony she'd even been around for long that day was Misty, who was a co-worker, not a special somepony. Right? Right! The very idea that Misty was a 'special somepony' was ridiculous! Wasn't it?

She closed her eyes and began to fall asleep with thoughts of her 'special somepony' Misty Brightdawn still bouncing around in her head and distracting her amid her scattered dreams of the future, past, and present.

Amber woke the next day with a snort and got to cleaning herself up for the day. "Special somepony, really." She pressed a hoof to her cheek. "You have to ask, or be asked, to be one of those. I didn't agree to that! If I didn't agree to it, we can't be special someponies. That's silly! Not asking! Not agreeing! Absolutely ridiculous!" She scrambled from the bathroom and plopped down on the sofa to pout. "Doesn't count!"

"Why are you stomping around so early in the morning?" Comforting hovered into the room, her wings giving a single flap as if pretending they were at all involved. "Couldn't sleep?"

Amber gave Comforting an unimpressed stare. "I slept fine." She rolled over to look elsewhere with a grumpy huff. "I didn't mean to stomp." She waved a hoof at the general surroundings. "But it's your fault and you know it."

Comforting slid in next to Amber and hugged the confused pony close. "Shh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I care about you, in my chaotic kinda way. I want you to keep growing. And if you're finding a special somepony, that's something to celebrate."

Amber shivered, burrowing in tighter against Comforting as she started feeling guilty about snapping at her even if it was deserved for Comforting's teasing antics that night. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"And I am!" She squeezed Amber closer. "Besides, you like her, right? I'm not the one suggesting you two keep hugging and snuggling the way you do. You realize most ponies don't just keep doing that the way you two do it, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with snuggling!" Amber hugged Comforting's arm tightly, eyes narrowing at her large friend with the expectation of further teasing about Misty in particular. "She's my friend! Shoot, technically, she works for me. Ugh, that's awkward. You can't get all involved with a pony that works for you!"

"You want me to handle that for you?" She tilted her head curiously as she held Amber in place with one arm. "You'll thank me later." She paused. "Or now."

Amber tapped at her own head with her hoof again as she tried to imagine how that would work. "Can I ask that you tell me what you're planning before you rush off to do it?"

"Well! There's a few options." Comforting tickled under Amber's chin, forcing it to raise. "For one, we get her a position that isn't under you. There are so many of them available. Just a little chat with the right pony, and she could be next to you here at the library instead of under you."

Amber narrowed her eyes at Comforting suspiciously, not enjoying the feeling of being mocked in such a way. "And?"

"That'd let you make moves without any concerns!" Comforting patted Amber's back gently with a cheerful grin on her lips at the thought of Amber's potential romantic prospects. "You two are already so cute. I just want you two to have the best everything! And, hey! It'd make things simpler. Now that I'm thinking about it, it's a nice idea."

Amber nuzzled in a bit closer, giving Comforting a glare as she protested against being pushed into something she wasn't ready for yet. "What would she be? Another head librarian? Can there be two in one library?"

Comforting booped Amber on the nose gently. "If we change your title to 'director', there can certainly be two directors. She's already playing the part. You two go on and on about plans for the library and it's just so cute." She nuzzled into Amber's side, curling all about it. "How's that sound?"

"Do it then." Amber covered her eyes with a hoof as she groaned softly. "And then go away and let me nap in peace!"

"Of course." Comforting tousled Amber's mane. "Might not get much peace with Misty hanging around all the time though." She winked as she hovered away. "You should maybe talk to her and make things clear between the two of you."

Author's Note

A hard day's work gets you a day of pay! Welcome to humanity!

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55 - A Little Famous

Zipp dashed off as the class finished up. Her wings carried her around in a wide circle, so she could face her students again. "Alright! Another class down." She flew close to each pony, marking their performances off on a clipboard. "All excellent work today! Very well done." She dropped from the sky with a wide smile on her lips. "You've all improved, a lot! Couldn't be happier to have a students like you."

She paced back and forth before her class of young pegasi, making eye contact with each of them in turn as she discussed their performance during her lesson with them in their daily flight training class, "Pip, you did amazing." That had them flapping their wings with joy. "Sally, great swoops. You never lost control." Sally clapped her hooves with joy evident on her big smile. "Sparkle." Sparkle halted mid-cheer with an expectant expression on their face. "Remember to check below before you go diving. There could have been an airship."

Sparkle curled their wings in and bobbed their head.

Zipp snapped a crisp salute with a wing. "But, remember, you all did super great, and tomorrow's gonna be even better. Head on home and relax, or fly some more. I'm not your mom." The class laughed as they began to disperse. She began putting things away as they flew off one by one, but stopped at a light cough from behind.

Amber was there with a less ecstatic, but still warm smile. "Your class looked really happy with you. Thank you, for helping with this project. It's such a relief to know everypony is being taken care of."

"Hey! No problem!" Zipp flipped her hair back over her shoulder as she added proudly, "It's what I'm here for!" She patted Amber's shoulder. "Besides, we're doing good, showing ponies how to be all they can be. Also, I love flying, so more excuses to do that. Win-win!" She folded up her writing implements and slid them into her saddlebags. "The unicorns doing okay?"

"Great!" Amber had to tip her head back to meet Zipp's eyes, the Pegasus being a little taller than her. "It's so nice to see every pony reaching for that magic spark inside them."

Zipp rolled her eyes playfully. "That sounds so lame!" She cackled at Amber's small smile. "But in all seriousness, magic is neat." She grabbed her bags and took off with a running start. She was gone in a flash, darting out through the library with practiced precision.

Amber closed up the teaching rooms properly. With that settled, she trotted for the front desk. "How are the books doing?"

Comforting stuck out a paw and pointed to a place by the counter. The books had been piled neatly. "That's how many books were borrowed today. A lively day if I say so myself." The pile vanished, their purpose complete. "Zipp had a big smile on her face. Class went well? You weren't that nervous, for once."

Amber cringed, sputtering in shock at that bit of teasing from her tall friend. "I don't get nervous." She glared at the giggling friend that stood behind the counter in their lavender pony form and prodded Comfort. "Don't tease me. The class went well, for me and Zipp. I think Zipp's class might be graduating soon, in fact. They were flying up a storm the last I saw them."

Comforting sniffed. "The scent of new books is really great." She wiped at her nose with one paw, looking a bit comical in that moment as she made the movement. "They smell new, but different from each other." She put a hand over Amber's nose. "You've been distracted, but a new shipment came in. I already put them away for you." She gestured to some new additions.

Amber pressed her nose against Comforting's fuzzy palm, seeing so many new books around her library. "You are just the best." She nuzzled that hand, clearly alright with the contact. "How are things upstairs?"

"All nice and clean." Comforting gestured to the librarians quietly shuffling around them. "The new librarians are still settling in. I have a feeling you'll be welcoming some new faces in here soon enough. They're really excited to help out both up and downstairs. Still, not going to lie, I'll like having backup for the events I run. I don't want to run them all on my own! I'm only one chaos creature."

Amber hugged Comforting's other hand with her hooves. "Want me to help? I can help if you need it!"

"Thanks! But, no." Comforting leaned against Amber with a sigh. "You have plenty to do down here, on top of being the unicorn tutor. Both our timeslots are pretty busy." She leaned in. "But that doesn't mean I forgot about you." Coiling around Amber, Comforting began to gently pet them more like a beloved pet than a pony. "Misty's an interesting case. She has issues to work out. Maybe you could help her?"

Amber dipped into the pets and hug happily as she relaxed into it as she responded with a slight huff to her tone, "Well, maybe." She snuggled in deeper against Comforting's softer fuzzy hide as she allowed herself to enjoy this moment with her oldest friend that seemed to know all too well about what she was thinking about. "But we're still not a 'thing'. I'm accepting her just as she is, and that's a wonderful pony. If she wants to take a step forward, I'm with her, but I'm not shoving her."

Comforting kept brushing through Amber's hair as she hummed softly at the proclamation of Amber's firm support for Misty through thick and thin. "I know. You're a nice pony." She smooched Amber's horn. "A caring unicorn. You deserve this too, to be clear. You're putting your projects so far ahead of yourself, you have so little time for a little 'Amber' time."

Amber shifted awkwardly under those gentle strokes of Comforting's hand in her hair as she thought on what Comforting was telling her before asking curiously, "What's your advice?"

Comforting wiggled her hands and floated a few inches up. "I'm so glad you asked! I just think you need a special somecreature that will put you first and give you a hug without even being asked." She waggled tail in grand swipes. "Like me, but not married, and not a god."

Amber tossed her mane as she considered that proposition of having a 'special somepony'. She'd just brushed out her mane before class earlier, but there were always some stray strands in the way. "Yeah, sure." She stared up at Comforting. "Toots is lucky"

Comforting went a dark red, far faster and more complete than any not-chaos creature could manage. "The cheek!" She grabbed Amber's cheeks firmly. "Sorry, you can't have me, already promised to two already, and Toots isn't looking for a herd."

Amber blinked numbly. "Herd?" The confusion faded into a frown. "I'm not interested in polyamory. If I were to have a special somepony, I'd want just one, and for me to be their one and only. I'd never ask them to share them with others." She sighed heavily at the thought of getting turned down by Misty, who she just wanted for herself. "Though Misty doesn't even know that I want her to be my special somepony..."

Comforting burst into fresh giggles. "Good of you to admit it."

"Admit what?" It struck her a moment after that. "Oh." She sank to her haunches. "It's not like that! Like you said, she's in a delicate place. I'd just be taking advantage of her. She's still finding herself. I feel like I'd just be some creepy stalker if I made a move on her. She needs friends."

Comforting drummed her fingers on Amber's horn. "Ah, so she has an excuse to give you more hugs." She put a hand over Amber's mouth. "But it sounds like you're looking for an excuse to avoid your feelings for her. You say she's fragile, but how is she really doing? Does she act fragile? If she's just 'finding herself', that implies she's trying new things out and being more outgoing and free. Just what does she need more of in her life?"

Amber backed away, cheeks furiously burning. "Now you're making it sound like I'm some sort of bold adventure for her to take. Like I'm some tall mountain for her to try climbing just because I happen to be there. That's not romantic at all! No, that's actually kinda weird!"

Comforting scratched behind her ear. "That's weird? To think of someone so dear to you as being someone special? That the pony you think is special is a challenge worth working for, scaling despite the odds, the fear, and the uncertainty? That, hm, sounds pretty romantic to me."

Amber's ears drooped as she struggled to find the words to answer that declaration from Comforting and she mumbled, "But I'm not a mountain!"

"No, no you're not." Comforting swooped in, hugging Amber from all around. "You're a pony, a nice one, and just as fun to climb though. I should know, from practice."

Amber twisted around awkwardly within the hug before asking the burning question on her mind that wouldn't let her rest. "What does Toots think about all this?"

Comforting set her down and wagged a finger at Amber with an almost motherly chiding expression on her face. "That I hug you? That isn't a crime, and he knows I'll hug just about anycreature that looks like they could use one. He's still the only pony I have breakfast and dinner with, every single day."

Amber's nose scrunched up at that thought of Comforting giving others hugs even though she knew it shouldn't bother her, but there was just something about knowing Comforting had other ponies in her life she would hold close and snuggle against that made her chest hurt more than a little.

Comforting tapped Amber on that scrunched nose. "I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you wanted to make a move on me, you should have been faster. Feel that? It could happen again. I vote you don't sit on your feelings about Misty, or she may just grow too quickly, and find somepony else. Time waits for nopony, especially when it's a matter of love."

Amber put a hoof to her chest. "I just... don't want to mess up and hurt her. That's all."

"I know, I know." Comforting came back in for another tight hug as if that could solve all the problems in the world. Maybe it couldn't, but it felt nice to be so close to a friend. "But messing up is part of life. Can't let that make you do nothing, because that's messing up too. Better to try and fail, I say. Then you can try again."

Amber gave up and just let Comforting hug her as much as they wanted. "Life doesn't have an undo button."

"No." Comforting nuzzled gently into Amber's side. "But you can learn. That's life. Try, learn, try better." She uncoiled from Amber. "I'll be here for you, if that helps. You have a friend, quite a few these days. Isn't that something? The famous Miss Amber has more friends than she knows what to do with!"

Amber laughed at that notion. "I'm not famous."

Comforting tousled Amber's mane soothingly. "Head librarian, I think every pony for a few neighborhoods around at least knows you. In a city like this? That's at least a little famous."

Author's Note

I loved the feels in this chaper.

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56 - Little Wizard

Zipp shot through the skies, enjoying the freedom of the wind in her mane. She'd come a long way since the day she left Zephyr Heights behind. "What a life." She flapped her wings and dived through the streets of Maretime Bay, turning the heads of many. She landed into a trot that slowed into a proper walk as she reached the library. "Let's check in."

She pushed open the door with a hoof and headed into the quieter interior. Looking around, she spotted Amber at the front desk, helping somepony check out a book. Zipp joined the line with a smile. It was nice to see the town growing in knowledge and interests beyond fearing all the world had to offer them. It wasn't long before she was standing before Amber, letting her see Zipp properly at last.

"Hey! Mom's calling me home." She hiked a hoof vaguely towards Zephyr Heights. "You know how it is; I can't say no to that. She shrugged softly. "Sorry for the short notice, but you can get a substitute flyer in here, right?"

Amber raised her eyebrows at that question. "That's unfortunate. You're the best flyer I know!" But she reached across the counter anyway. "If you're mom's calling you, you do have to go though. I get that." An idea came to her. "Oh, what about your students?"

"That's what I'm talking about?"

"No." Amber clapped her hooves. "I mean, do any of them show potential, and know enough to maybe take your spot for a while?"

Zipp glanced about before leaning in close. "They're all up and coming, but none of them are ready for a job like this yet. It takes skill, ability, and discipline to be a librarian like you, Amber."

Amber burst into laughter. "Not my job! Yours. Some pegasus ready to teach other pegasi how to fly well."

Zipp leaned back and put a hoof to her chin in thought about her own students. She hummed softly about the ones she taught and their various degrees of prowess in the air and on the ground when it came to their flying abilities and their performance during their daily flight classes. "Well... Sally could be alright for a few weeks."

"Then bring her over." Amber shook Zipp by the hoof with a confident grin. "She's already coming here twice a week anyway for our classes. It wouldn't be much of a change in her schedule to teach those classes instead, if she's up for it."

Zipp's smile widened as she gave Amber's hoof a firm shake back, confirming their plans together in full force. "You got it! Thanks! I'll just have to warn her in advance and have a few quick talks with her before she starts filling my hooves for me." Looking pleased with how things were worked out, she trotted from the library and took off the moment she was outside.

Amber watched Zipp leave the library in a rush and turned her attention back to the two ponies that were waiting in line for assistance with checking out their books and borrowing them from the library, and she happily returned to her usual duties and routine as head librarian.

She was about to take a break when a young mare, no, more of a filly, came rushing up to her. Coriander slid to a stop. "Teach! I did it!"

Amber inclined her head. "Good to see you, Coriander. What did you do?"

"A spell! Just like we were learning." Coriander slipped an amber colored crystal out of her saddlebags and onto the desk. "I held onto it after you left and studied my notes on it, but I thought that wasn't working so I talked it over with WinterSweet and we kept working on it."

Her horn twinkled with magic, and Coriander vanished, replaced with a cat that was colored just as she had been as a unicorn. "Meow," she said, giggling. "Look at me!"

Amber gasped and put her hooves on either side of the pony-turned-cat as she tilted her head this way and that. She inspected the feline standing before her where Coriander had stood mere moments before and felt a burst of pride for her student. "That's amazing! You did a full body transformation. I hadn't even tried that myself." She put Coriander cat down on the counter, so they were on the same level. "How does it feel?"

Coriander stretched out and flicked her tail. "It's super weird. I can smell everything!" She ducked under the counter and rubbed against Amber's legs, then hopped back up onto the counter and purred happily. "I feel so flexible right now." She pawed at the air towards Amber. "It's neat!"

Amber caressed Coriander's side gently, finding her fur to be very soft and comfortable to pet. "It must be." She withdrew her hoof. "But it's not permanent?"

"Thank harmony no!" Coriander hissed at the thought. "It's not that ne—" She was suddenly a unicorn again, and flopped right off the counter gracelessly. "Oops." But she was giggling about it as she stood up. "See?"

"That's incredible!" Amber helped her get up on her hooves again. "Congratulations on such a big success! That's a lot of power! How are you feeling now that it's over?"

"Very good! I feel like I did something amazing!" Coriander leaned in closer to Amber with a sly grin on her lips as she whispered conspiratorially, "Do you think I could convince somepony I was a cat now? Like a real cat? Would that be neat? Imagine the pranks!"

Amber tapped her hoof against Coriander's flank. "Don't even think about it. Remember, magic is meant to help others."

Coriander tapped her hoof right back at Amber. "Yeah, yeah." She backed away with a proud smirk on her face at what she had done with her magical abilities under Amber's teaching. "Still! I'm a wizard now, yes?"

Amber paused, considering that a moment. "Actually, you have a point." She sat back. "You are a wizard now. You have only one thing to do that would make you a great wizard, but it's not easy. I wouldn't rush for it. Plenty of wizards never get around to it."

Coriander gasped with excitement at the idea of that which would be the pinnacle of her magic education with Amber's assistance and guidance. "What is it?"

Amber waved a hoof at Coriander to assure her, "Don't worry about it yet. You're young. You have time to learn magic from lots of sources and not just me."

Coriander lifted up onto her hindlegs just so she could get her forehooves at her hips. "You did not just tease me like that. Teacher, what is it?! You have to tell me, even if I'm not ready for it yet."

Amber pulled out a chair and let Coriander climb onto it so she could look her in the eyes as she explained more fully. "There is something that will set you apart from other unicorns that have learned their spells from others, or read a book or dozen. No, the ultimate next step? Making your own spell. Writing in a book for other unicorns to follow after you."

"Wait." Coriander cocked her head and blinked at Amber with disbelief written all over her face at what she was hearing from her teacher. "You can make up a spell? Just like that?"

Amber smirked at the idea. "There's nothing 'just like that' about it, I promise. The combination of which runes, wait." She poked at Coriander from the front. "Don't you remember that spell that went wrong? That was you trying to make a new spell. It's dangerous, and uncomfortable, and hard."

"Oh." Coriander flattened her ears. "Yikes." She turned around on the chair, nearly falling off it in the process, but Amber caught her with a hoof to her withers before she could fall far. "Maybe I should wait on that one." She stepped down to the floor. "But I'm a wizard!" She cantered in place with obvious joy.

"Speaking of that." Amber leaned in, touching horns with her student. "Wizards pass on their knowledge. Coriander, are you up to showing other unicorns how to become wizards too?"

Coriander shuddered at that inquiry from Amber. "But I can't! You're better at magic than I am! You can do everything I can do, and more! You can teach other ponies about magic."

Amber shook a hoof. "It's not about being 'the best'. You're still learning, but that doesn't mean you can't teach. You understand the runes, how they work, and how to cast difficult spells. We just said you qualify as a wizard. That means, if you want, you qualify as a teacher of magic."

Coriander blushed at that request from Amber, but stood tall nonetheless with pride and confidence. "If you're sure?" She swallowed roughly as she felt an unexpected rush of emotion flood through her as she considered taking on that responsibility from Amber. "I can try," she got out quietly. "You'll still be there, right?"

"Always." Amber tapped her hoof against Coriander's yellow rose-colored cheek. "You'll be teaching unicorns alongside me. You'll do great. you already do great!" She patted Coriander on the back encouragingly and walked with her. "At least at first, we'll teach together. Only when you have a good grip on things can you try it on your own. As unicorns, we need more teachers spreading this around."

Coriander followed along after Amber with an eager smile on her lips at the thought of new discoveries ahead of her. "I'll keep working on my spells! What's next?"

Amber pursed her lips. "Time to at least consider how you would teach a unicorn fresh to the idea of magic how to start. While you do that, you may realize a thing about yourself. I did! Teaching isn't without learning too."

"Huh?" Coriander stuck her tongue out briefly at the odd bit of advice Amber had just given her and wondered how it would apply to her life. She could sort of see how it made sense from Amber's perspective and that if she wanted to be the best teacher she could be then she had to study magic like she had before she met Amber. It was still confusing though! "I don't have a magic book."

Amber stopped sharply. "You have a point." She coiled on herself and grabbed a notepad free. "So this will be your magic book. Fill it with the spells you learn, thoughts you have, and everything else."

Coriander accepted it from Amber with a slight gulp at the importance of it all and struggled to get out just what she felt about it all and Amber's actions with the journal being passed over to her. "I'll take care of it." She hugged the notepad close. "And I'll fill it with magic!"

Amber tapped Coriander's nose. "Why don't you start with that cat spell? That's one I don't know. Maybe I'd like to be a cat for a little while."

Coriander stepped back from Amber with eyes wide in awe and shock. "I would teach you a spell?!"

"See?" Amber rubbed against Coriander's side on the way past. "I told you wizards become teachers."

Coriander squeezed her notepad tight and tucked it away in her saddlebags. "Awesome." She tailed after Amber at a gallop. "I'm gonna be a great wizard!"

Amber chuckled at the mare who seemed even more enthusiastic about becoming a wizard than before, if that was possible, but it was an infectious enthusiasm. Amber was reminded of why she'd decided to dedicate herself to teaching magic in the first place. "We'll do great, together."

Author's Note

A new generation! Students becoming teachers is a magic thing, hm?

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57 - New Teacher

"You've got this." Amber ruffled Coriander's mane gently as she pushed the door to the library open with a hoof for her friend. "You're ready for this!"

Coriander smiled weakly, not looking confident at all. Despite her misgivings, she walked through the darkened library towards the teaching rooms. "What if I mess up? You messed up! That was a rough first day."

"It was." Amber stayed at Coriander's side. "But we bounced back. Even your mom stopped haunting us after a while, and now you're a wizard. Seems like a win to me."

Coriander ruffled up her mane with a hoof to smooth it out before stopping in front of the door. "Oh gosh, I'm really gonna do this!" She put a hoof to the door handle. "My very first student."

"You won't be alone." Amber trailed after Coriander into the classroom. "Perk of being a second generation teacher, you get a first generation to lean on. If you feel underwater, just give a shout and I'll be right there to pull you back up."

Coriander giggled softly at the idea of getting to pull Amber into her student-teaching adventures with her and rushed over to embrace Amber in a brief hug before retreating to the chalkboard at the front of the class. "I'm a little early."

"Better than late." Amber began cleaning things and preparing the library for opening, other librarians joining her in the considerable task.

WinterSweet entered next, settling down into her seat and turning her gaze towards Coriander, expecting their class to begin soon.

Coriander burst into fresh giggles. "Are you that eager to learn from me?"

"Yes!" WinterSweet clapped. "You'll teach different than Miss Amber, right?"

"Probably!" Coriander grabbed a hoofful of chalk and made some notes on the board, each one filled with simple explanations of the runic alphabet. "I'm no Amber." She craned her neck around to get a better look at WinterSweet, still unsure about whether she was really qualified to teach anypony.

But there was WinterSweet, smiling with simple joy. The unicorn-in-training seemed like she was ready for whatever might come next, or at least was content enough to give Coriander a chance at this new position as the teacher of somepony else learning magic too.

Coriander took the time to study her first student. WinterSweet's purple coat shimmered with each passing of light over her smooth fur. She had such a gentle expression on her face that always seemed to help Coriander relax whenever she was nervous about her studies. She loved WinterSweet's beautiful indigo mane which flowed down all around her head and shoulders in gorgeous waves and locks of hair. The graceful pony gazed at her in such a serene way that made Coriander want to smile too.

"I can do this." She turned to the board and pointed at the runes on it. "Can you see them from there? Did I make them large enough?"

WinterSweet leaned back in her chair and smiled at Coriander cheerfully. "It's fine!" She lifted a hoof and tried to wave Coriander over to join her. "You don't have to stay all the way up there, you know?"

Coriander colored as she closed in with her one student. "I thought it'd be good practice. I won't be teaching just one pony forever, right? Sometimes I'll be at the front of a big class!"

WinterSweet cupped Coriander's cheeks in her hooves. "Remember to breathe though." She poked at Coriander's stomach. "You'll be great. You've already shown me neat magic stuff before. You know tons!"

Coriander gulped and nodded slowly in agreement. She certainly had been sharing all sorts of things about magic with WinterSweet during their regular walks together since they had first met and became friends because of their love of magic studies. "Okay!" She clapped her cheeks with her hooves. "You already know the alphabet, good." She pointed to where the unicorn runic alphabet was on the board.

WinterSweet nodded eagerly at that. "Uh huh!"

"Alright!" Coriander glanced at the seats behind WinterSweet and their still empty spaces before turning back to her with a gulp of nervousness for what was ahead of her that day during this, her first official class in being a teacher of magic. "So we can skip all that. Let's start with a spell. Now, don't be me! I did magic without knowing what I was doing, and it was really scary." She put a hoof at her hips. "Let other ponies be stupid for you."

WinterSweet giggled at that. "Alright, I promise. But you're not stupid, Coriander. That happened because you were so smart you couldn't hold yourself back." She winked at Coriander with a growing smile. "I'm not that clever. I'll cast spells we know are safe."

Coriander paced before the chalkboard and smacked her hoof into the board with each of her key points. "Right, so remember that spells require runes for each word? They can't be too long, but there is no minimum length." She flipped an ear back. "The maximum is really just a matter of how hard it is. You have to remember the whole thing, and perform it perfectly. So a big spell is going to be harder." She drew out a new spell on the board. "As you, mmm, can see, this one is longer, but it's really neat!"

WinterSweet stared at the new spell with an eagerness that helped soothe Coriander's worries some more and hopefully meant that she was getting the hang of this teaching thing already on her very first day. She giggled with the thought as she went on to the last mark. "This is a spell I made myself. Using it, you can become a cute kitty cat. Now, if it's too complicated, that's okay! Don't feel bad. We can work up to it."

WinterSweet glanced about nervously with uncertainty in her eyes at her potential for learning this brand new spell on her very first day in being a student of magic for Coriander. She shifted in her seat at the front of the class-like room before taking a deep breath and finally finding her voice. "If you show me how, I would like to try that." She pressed her hooves together gently. "I may mess up, but I want to learn it from you."

Coriander blushed darkly with embarrassment at WinterSweet's unexpected proclamation of support for her and just how she was trying to give her support. "Yeah, okay!" She abandoned the board, trotting for WinterSweet. "Then, there's the spell. Let's practice." Her horn glowed brightly with the first few steps. "This, then this. Hold that, smoothly into there. See?"

WinterSweet copied Coriander step by step until she lost concentration on the spell and fell on her face with an awkward thump against the desk and groaned with a little bit of pain in her face at the force of impact from falling on her nose against the wood. "Ow." She rubbed her snout softly and winced at the feeling of it being sore after that fall. "I lost track. Can we start again?"

Coriander tapped her hooves together guiltily at causing WinterSweet to lose her focus on the spell. "I think I made it too hard, but if you're up for it, let's try again."

Winter waved Coriander closer, just to bonk her right next to her horn. "I can see the spell. It's complicated. It's not your fault, I just need to try again, until I get it right. Okay?"

"Alright." Coriander rubbed at the spot on her head where WinterSweet had bonked her with her hoof and took a slow breath. "From the top." Her horn glowed as she went through each step slowly. "This, and that, slip to there. No rush."

WinterSweet took it at the pace Coriander had set and did much better in keeping her focus on the spell the second time around as she kept close track of the order of each step of the spell in her mind. She memorized it better than before, seeing it all in her mind's eye and wondering just what she'd be like as a cat for as long as the spell lasted for.

An announcement over the library's intercom made her jump. "Oh! Wait, lunch?" Winter looked to the clock. Hours had just melted away. "This is going to take more than a day, but we made some real progress." She grabbed her saddlebags. "Totally worth it!"

Coriander stretched lazily with a tired groan at just how hard she had worked teaching WinterSweet. "That goes for both of us. Want to copy the spell down?"

WinterSweet shook her head quickly. "I'll practice it when I'm in class. Copies can wait until I have it working right. For now, we have lunch." She slid off the chair with a bounce and trotted for the door. "Come on!"

Coriander chased after WinterSweet quickly as she didn't want to get left behind by her friend as they headed out, leaving the classroom for the next teacher that needed it.

***

Toots felt hands cover his eyes. He didn't know many creatures that even had hands. "Comforting?"

"Ding ding ding!" Comforting snuggled against Toots' top from above. "How's my favorite little stallion doing? Done working for the day?"

Toots hugged Comforting back the best he could while she was wrapped around him. "Almost! Just finishing up. What are you up to?"

"Helping a pony get her cart moving." Comforting fished something out of Toots' bag of holding, casually extracting Toots' sandwich without even asking. "Can I have this?" She stuffed it in her mouth without waiting for an answer.

Toots rolled his eyes at that. "That was rude. You could make you own and I know it."

"They don't taste as good as real ones." She smooched the top of his snout. "And they don't give me an excuse to walk with my hubby to get something to replace it with." She extended an arm to wrap around his neck and kiss him directly on the lips.

Toots nuzzled against Comforting more. "Hubby?"

"It's a modern term I'm trying out." Comforting kissed him again with a smooch. "Like it?"

He snuggled into her warm and affectionate form. "I like most things you call me. Alright, that was a funny way of asking me out to lunch, but I'm saying yes." He fluffed Comforting's hair. "What does hubby mean anyway?"

Comforting brushed back some of Toots' mane affectionately with a loving smile on her face at her life partner. "Let's go. You pick the place. Surprise me, or don't. I'm alright with comfort food too." She walked along at his side. "Did I mention in the last second or so how much I adore you?"

Toots snorted softly at that with amusement at Comforting's happy energy and obvious excitement about being together for their lunch date today, as if they hadn't just had breakfast together just that morning before parting ways for work. "Right back at you." He paused a moment. "That doesn't feel like enough."

She quieted his complaint with a little kiss. "I heard you. You made me happy." She pressed nose to nose. "Couples need to remind each other of that. I heard you, it made me happy, and I love you even harder, somehow."

Toots groaned at that, but his heart was pounding. It was exciting to be with Comforting no matter how long they'd been together. "You're a charmer. Still." He motioned with a hoof. "I heard you. You made me happy." The two shared a smile and trotted off together to grab some lunch.

Author's Note

The torch is passed, and I think Coriander is doing well! WinterSweet is doing her part to be a good student, hm? Allow me to ask, dear reader, but what part of this wide world would you like me to focus on?

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58 - Minty Green Company

"Fluffy, minty-green alicorn with an impressive array of exotic feathers in her mane and tail wearing a somewhat simple tan trench coat and a collar." Amber narrowed her eyes at this sight of this creature suddenly walking into her class and tipping her fedora at the unicorns. "You are either trouble, or Comfs playing a trick on me, which is like trouble, but less alarming."

The green alicorn flapped her wings. "I can't just be a miracle descending on your class?"

Amber pointed at the impossibility. "No. We're a little busy going over the basics of the Ru symbol and its purpose in spells involving it."

"Innocent and unaware. Hm." The alicorn adjusted her collar with a hoof. "With focus so broad, it's no wonder you don't recognize it, Miss Amber. Some day, somepony will bring you this." She dropped a rainbow necklace into Amber's hoof.

Amber peered at the necklace and up at the large pony that brought it. "Comforting, if this is a joke, please wait until after class. I know you're excitable, but—"

The alicorn took off her fedora with one hoof, tapping the other against it idly in clear thought about what was happening between herself and Amber. "Ah, right." With a giggle, she held out her hoof for Amber to shake. "Sorry about that. I've been around ponies a lot longer than I've been an alicorn, and habits die hard."

Amber touched her hoof to the alicorn's. "Maybe it's me being rude. Let's rewind. Who are you and why are you here? A library is an odd place for an alicorn to suddenly appear."

She blushed softly, catching Amber off guard. "Ah, I wanted to get my story heard properly, and you're a reliable pony for that, aren't you? Comforting trusts you."

WinterSweet raised a hoof sharply. "Teacher! Is she magical?"

Amber nodded slowly at that question from one of her students. "Yeah." She focused on the necklace for a moment before turning back to the pony that had yet to reveal her name to anypony else and giving it a few swings back and forth in front of her own face. "Rainbow magic, apparently." She tucked the necklace away. "But also a unicorn. All alicorns are also unicorns."

WinterSweet reached out with one hoof while giggling excitedly at what was happening between Amber and the strange pony she had never seen before that was certainly not in any of her classes either. "So I can ask about the wings too?"

The alicorn spread her wings. "I was born with these. I was a pegasus first, and earned the horn later."

WinterSweet glanced about the room, studying the others with curiosity on her face before raising her hoof again to ask another question from the stranger before them all. "Was it fun being an alicorn?"

"Was? I still am an alicorn." She dropped down to be closer to WinterSweet's level. "But, yes. I like being an alicorn. Do you like being a unicorn?"

WinterSweet touched her hoof to her chest and gasped with surprise at this new idea about being an alicorn. "M-me? I like unicorns! Does it feel different?"

"I couldn't say. I was never just a unicorn. Pegasus, then alicorn. It's different than being a pegasus, I can say that." She mussed up WinterSweet's mane. "You're a curious little pony."

Amber sighed softly at this interference from the larger-than-average unicorn in the form of an alicorn to be in her classroom during a session of learning more about magic. "Cute, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We're kind of in the middle of something here."

The alicorn tensed and spun around. "Oh no! I'm sorry!" She moved for the door with a swish of her purple-green tail. "You can call me Rain—" The door slammed shut behind her without warning, sealing itself tightly before anypony could open it again to investigate this new strange pony that had crashed into their class like this.

Amber shook her head at that surprise from the stranger. "Now, as we were going over." She got things flowing back to magic, as she had scheduled for the time.

Comforting appeared before Rain Shower. "She kicked you out?"

Rain blinked, blushing at Comforting suddenly appearing before her after she had been shown the door by Amber rather abruptly and rudely in her opinion. "Oh! Hey, Comfy! What brings you to Maretime Bay?"

Comforting pat Rain's head, taller than the alicorn easily. "I live here. This is my library. Didn't I mention that?"

Rain moved back from Comforting's hand, tapping her hoof to the floor in thought at what she had just learned about the town and this library. "Wait, the library?" She looked back at the door she had been shown earlier by Amber with mild embarrassment and confusion in her eyes about this new discovery that she hadn't realized before. "This is a library?"

"It is." Comforting put an arm over Rain, guiding her away from that door. "Which means they want it quiet, and orderly."

"But you're a chaos spirit." Rain went as Comforting guided. "I thought that wasn't really the sort of thing you enjoyed."

"Nope." Comforting pulled Rain closer with a hug around her midsection as she lead her deeper into the library and away from the classroom. "Not interested in the business side of it. That's what librarians are for. I like books. They're like music, only with words."

"Oh!" Rain peered into one of the rooms where shelves upon shelves of books were stored neatly inside of it. "I didn't know you liked reading so much. I have a book you could look at." She curled a wing to draw a book from herself.

Comforting waved it off. "Later. Right now, you're a guest. Want to walk around with me and my hubby? We were about to go on a lunch date."

"Sure!" She perked up and trotted alongside Comforting as they emerged from the library into the light of a bright day. "This town is so cute! And crowded!"

Comforting smirked softly at that observation from Rain. "That's ponies for you! These days, all kinds come here." She lead Rain to where Toots was waiting for them both outside of the library. "There you are." She darted over to hug her husband dearly. "Please excuse me, but I invited an old friend to come with us. You can boop me on the snoot if that bothers you at all."

Toots gave her a little tap with a hoof on the tip of her nose and smiled up at her and then at Rain when he spotted her behind Comforting. "And who's this?" He turned to look the alicorn over. "Wow, you're kind of pretty, and tall. And, uh." His eyes wandered between her horn and her wings. "I thought only Sunny did that."

Rain chuckled nervously at the attention she was receiving from Toots. "Yeah, I get that a lot! What can I say? I'm very special." She lifted her hoof for Toots to shake. "And you must be Mr. Hubby?"

Toots blushed softly at the idea that Comforting might have been sharing personal details about their relationship. "Toots. I'm Toots." He touched his hoof to Rain's, shaking lightly. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Rain Shower! That's my name, and I'm here to have lunch with you guys." She swept her hoof through the air before offering it to Comforting so they could start walking together with Toots too. "So let's go eat! What do you have around here?"

Comforting laughed at that. "We're spoiled for options. Want pizza? Pasta? Salad of a thousand varieties? Fish! This is a bay, we have fish. Soups, stews, seriously, whatever you want to eat, they probably have it in one store or another." She hugged her friends with one arm each. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

Toots hooked his arm into hers, leading her away from the library towards a little cafe where he was used to going to with Comforting for their lunch dates together. "Right this way." He spotted Rain trying to sneak up on them. "Do you always get this handsy with strangers?"

Rain smirked slyly at that suggestion from Toots. "It's just not fair!" She moved up on Toots, putting him between her and Comforting. "I thought Comforting was going solo, and here she is, with a husband. I want one of those!"

Toots twisted to look up at Rain and back at Comforting, reaching up to ruffle his own mane sheepishly at this new information from Rain. "Well, I mean..." He was tempted to try explaining how such things happened, but Rain seemed to be having too much fun for him to ruin it with an actual explanation about how marriage works and the usual traditions surrounding it. "If that's what you want."

Comforting got back around to patting Rain's mane playfully with her other hoof while hugging Toots at the same time too. "Easy does it, you're coming on a bit strong." She bumped against the alicorn gently. "Now, Toots is mine. You can't have him. I get all his delightfully chubby self."

Toots blushed at being called delightful by Comforting so readily. "I'm not even chubby anymore!"

Rain glared down at Toots' belly with suspicion in her eyes. "Liar!" She burst into giggles. "But Comforting is right about it being cute."

Comforting squeezed Toots around his waist firmly, making him blush even darker shades of pink. "I've told you before that it's great that you're enjoying yourself. I like you." She grinned broadly at him with joy in her eyes. "Now, lunch."

They headed inside, the waitstaff waving at them. They were regular sights there, at least two of them. Rain got a few curious looks, but nopony stopped them from taking a table and settling in. "Rain, what brought you by? I thought you were quite happy chilling out in limbo."

"I was, but some ponies wanted me to do something for them." She smiled politely at the waiter that approached, accepting a menu from him. "What's good?"

The waiter pointed at various items on the menu as he explained to Rain what the specials were that day for her to try and choose from for her lunch meal.

Comforting tapped the waiter's hoof after he finished his recommendation, a friendly smile on her face at him . "We'll get a moment to decide? Thanks." She winked at the stallion before he went off to deal with other tables around the cafe that also needed some of his service that day. "You have to be firm or they'll wait until you make your order." She tapped at her menu. "I do know what I want though."

Rain stared at the menu while swaying back and forth in her chair absentmindedly. "Too many choices!"

Comforting cackled softly at that response from Rain and tapped her hoof on the menu gently. "Just pick one and then get the others next time." She glanced at Toots who had set his menu down already. "Getting the usual?"

"I know what I like." He smiled at Comforting. "You, to start."

"Aw." Comforting ruffled his mane. "Rain, one thing. I don't mean to be a downer, but life's changed, a lot. Are you ready to take it on?"

Rain stared at her menu more and just closed it with a sigh. "Maybe not. It's nice in limbo. I have food whenever I want it and a comfy couch to sleep on when I get tired." She sat back, tapping her hooves slowly. "But a little part of me wants to get back in the action, you know?"

"I do know." Comforting went in for a little nuzzle. "But you're a bit... a lot... of everything right now. Maybe you should try going back to basics?"

Rain huffed gently. "You're even bigger and stranger than I am! Why do you get to just be you and I can't?"

"You want to be a regular pegasus?" Comforting gasped softly at that idea from Rain and ran a hoof over her back gently. "How long have you been thinking about that?"

Rain blinked. "That's not what I said, or meant. Comfs! You're being mean." She crossed her arms. "Why do you get to be all big and special and I can't be?"

"Okay." Comforting poked at Rain's horn. "Now I get it."

Toots looked at Comforting and back at Rain in silence at what was going on between them that he wasn't quite sure how to get involved in. He decided to keep silent and let Comforting do her thing with her friend instead of interfering in the matters of friendship with other spirits like this.

"I've always been me, no matter what size I've been." Comforting inclined her head. "Also, chaos spirit. It's my job to rattle ponies a bit. Being big and strange looking? Actually part of the job. You, on the other hand, er, hoof, are not one of those."

Rain slumped her shoulders. "But I don't want to just go back to being a plain old pegasus! What if they don't accept me now? I'm all soft!" She leaned on Comforting with a huff.

Comforting rubbed her friend's side gently. "Don't say that. I know a few pegasi, and they're pretty open-minded sorts these days. They'll absolutely love you, I promise."

Rain grunted at that reassurance from Comforting about her chances of finding friends among the pegasi now that she had returned to Equestria. "But I like being an alicorn too."

Comforting tickled at Rain's side. "You'll have a harder time getting friends as one of those. Ponies don't expect alicorns except one specific pony. And she isn't even a princess, can you believe that? She sells shakes, at a small booth. It's adorable compared to the old princesses."

Rain snapped out of her funk from Comforting's teasing and giggled loudly at what she was hearing from Comforting about what was happening with the alicorn that sold shakes at a booth instead of being a princess in Canterlot. "She has an entire castle though!"

Comforting chuckled at that and turned back to their waiter that had come back around with his notepad at the ready to take their orders now that they had all had a chance to look at the menus and make their choices for their lunches today. She gave her order, let Toots have his turn, and kept talking with Rain, "Canterlot's castle is long gone, as are princess alicorns. If you were hoping for that, no luck."

Rain took a deep breath and glanced at the waiter when it was her turn to order from the menu with the most eager smile she could manage at him and then turned back to Comforting with her expression dropping into a disappointed frown. "Really? Aw." She sank in her seat. "Maybe I was in limbo too long." She grumbled softly a moment. "Maybe going back to a pegasus isn't a terrible idea."

"Whatever you want to do, I'll be here for you." Comforting's hand gently settled on Rain's head. "Even if you want to stick around. I'm enjoying your company already."

Author's Note

Say hello to a new friend!

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59 - Meet the Gang

Rain let out a slow breath. "I don't want to go back to sleep." She waved a hoof over the sprawling city. "It's too alive! I want to see everything. I want to meet ponies!"

"There's time for that." Comforting stroked Rain's neck. "You have time to find your place in this world."

"Yeah!" Rain turned away from Comforting with determination on her face. "That's exactly what I want!" She scanned the buildings around them in search of the tallest one. Many buildings were smaller, but they grew larger towards the center of town, creeping upwards to the sky. "Ponies have really come so far. I want to be part of it." She flapped her wings restlessly.

Comforting kissed Rain's cheek and hugged her tightly from behind with one arm over her shoulder. "So let's start looking for one for you."

Rain went quiet a moment and fell into step alongside Comforting as they wandered down the sidewalk of the main street of Maretime Bay. "I think it's time for a reset." She tossed her mane. "No more princess. They have enough of those." She laughed gently. "They had enough before, maybe too many. I don't need to be one of those to enjoy this."

Comforting slipped an arm over Rain's shoulders to walk alongside her with a friendly grin on her face at this new found resolution from Rain to not be an alicorn or a princess. "Good choice. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if you showed up in the papers after declaring yourself a princess or something crazy like that."

Rain went red in the face at the suggestion from Comforting about what she might do if she had been tempted to do something like become a princess for real. "No no no! These ponies don't need that." She stepped back from Comforting. "Alright, do it." She bowed her head. "Take all the extra bits away."

"Are you sure?" Comforting ran a finger along Rain's sharp horn. "I don't want to see you being all sad."

"Oh, I will be." She smiled, eyes still closed. "But life's like that. I'll get a bit pouty, but it'll be worth it."

Comforting put her hands together. "Oh dear, you make me so proud." She wrapped up Rain in a hug and nuzzled her affectionately with the same care she might have given to one of her closest friends. With a soft pop of a noise, almost too comical for the weight of it, she gently detached the horn. Air rushed out of Rain, causing her to deflate to the size of a normal pony.

Rain staggered backwards with her hooves at her head where her horn used to be and winced with a groan of pain at the feeling of its loss. She felt it acutely now in the center of her forehead and pressed a hoof to it gently to try to soothe the soreness there. It wasn't like it actually hurt, but the fact that it was missing was a pain she didn't fully realize the sharpness of ahead of time. "I asked for it."

She sank to her haunches, flapping her wings. "Just a pegasus." She cocked an ear at Comforting. "Think I can make it as just a pegasus?"

"Of course!" Comforting ruffled Rain's mane fondly. "I can't speak for everypony else, but I'll cheer you on all the way."

Rain stared up at the taller spirit. "Where should I start? I want to just, mmm, do everything at once."

"Well, that's how I ended up helping ponies work things out with their powers." Comforting shrugged mildly. "One hoof after another." She flapped her own wings for emphasis. "Oh! Actually, since you have some experiencing princessing, you could lend a hoof to our existing alicorn. She could use some help with that."

"Princess Sunny is still learning to be an alicorn?" Rain stood up on her hind hooves with a gasp. "I'd love to help! She's at that castle looking place, right?" She pointed to the Brighthouse. "It's really pretty. I never thought of a castle with such a big light at the top. Love it."

Comforting broke into laughter at that and calmed herself after a moment of just laughing happily. "Sorry, I forgot about that! Yes, there's one more pony for you to meet! She's close with Sunny too."

Rain shook her head slowly at Comforting's unusual way of dealing with meeting new ponies apparently. "Right, sounds great!" She put her hooves together. "Lead the way!" She hopped up to her hooves and the two started towards the Brighthouse.

They were getting far fewer looks as they went. It was just Comforting, who was still a draw, and a random pegasus. That was enough normalcy to keep it from turning into a staring contest anymore.

When they reached the Brighthouse, Rain hopped up and down excitedly, wings fluttering as she moved them. "Oh wow! It's a lot prettier from up close!"

Comforting slowed by the door of the place. "There are a lot of ponies who live here, together. They're a team." She leaned in. "They're the mane ponies of the age."

Rain gasped sharply at that. "Really?! Wow. You trust me with the mane ponies? Thank you."

Comforting pat her head with a smirk on her face. "They're very sweet ponies, but also incredibly kind." She pushed the door open and trotted inside with Rain right behind her and a bounce in her step at this newfound excitement at getting to meet these ponies that were the 'mane' ponies of the era.

Izzy leaned out from around a corner. "Hello!" She only then noticed who was coming in. "Hey, Comfiekins! Who's that new pony?"

"I'm Rain Shower!" She curtsied properly and took Izzy's hoof to kiss it with a friendly smile on her face. "I heard there were ponies to meet."

Izzy blushed softly even as she burst into laughter and patted her head. "What a gentlepony!" She grabbed Rain's hoof to return the kiss and give it a little shake too. "Well, if you want to meet ponies, let's start with me!" She pointed at herself. "Izzy Moonbow. Arts, crafts, and smiles." She hopped in place. "I got all three covered! Oh, also a unicorn, but you can see that."

Rain glanced up at the rainbow swirl of color around Izzy's head. "How did you get such beautiful hair?"

Izzy twirled a hoof in her mane with a smile growing on her face at Rain's compliment on her hair. "Aw, aren't you a charmer, just coming in here and throwing that at a mare." She threw an arm over Rain's neck, drawing her closer. "I like you. So, what's your thing?"

"Hm?" Rain lifted her hoof hesitantly at that question from Izzy about what her thing was in terms of her skills and talents she could bring to the group if she joined up with them. "Well, um. Way back when, I used to help with the weather?"

Izzy inclined her head. "The weather?"

Rain looked to Comforting for help.

Comforting raised a hand at that. "Rain's from a long time ago, before magic was lost. Pegasi used to be in charge of the weather, and she helped."

"Wow! A real weather pony!" Izzy tugged Rain along down the hall with her and excitement in her eyes at this news about Rain being from before magic was lost from Equestria. "I gotta show you my collection!"

Comforting smiled at the two retreating forms. "One old friend, handled." She slapped her hands together with a chuckle. "You'll make some great friends."

Rain beamed at the display of art and crafts, especially crafts, all made by Izzy herself. "Oh wow! It's incredible!" She crouched to look at the patterning on a scarf hanging from the wall, hooves behind her back and wings tucked tight to her body so they wouldn't brush anything. "You made all of this?! You are amazing. I just, uh." She shifted in place shyly. "I made soap."

Izzy grabbed Rain's hoof without warning and tugged her along again to lead her down the hall to where Sunny worked with her friends. "Come on! Let's introduce you to everypony else!" She shoved the door open and marched in to bring Rain to the attention of the group of ponies there. "Look who I found!"

Hitch looked at the new pony curiously. "Hello? I don't think I saw you before. New to town?"

Izzy puffed out her chest proudly with a smile on her face at having found Rain for herself. "Found a new friend!" She yanked Rain closer for a little hug. "She says she helped with the weather!"

Rain waved a hoof timidly. "Hi. Oh!" Her eyes locked on Sunny. "You're the alicorn, right?" Though she couldn't see any wings, or a horn. "I think?"

Sunny blushed darkly and let out a nervous laugh at the sudden and unexpected attention from this new pony she had never seen before about her being an alicorn. "It's no big deal." She hopped down from the couch to her hooves. "I just like helping ponies, and when I really need it, or feel it, yeah, I 'go alicorn' for just as long as the moment." She coughed into a hoof. "But I'm just Sunny, and it's nice to meet you."

Zipp gazed up at Rain from her seat on the couch and wiggled a hoof up over the top of it at her lazily. "Hey." She reclined back into the cushions with a yawn. "Name's Zipp. Need an investigator, or, recently, a flying coach, I'm here."

Pipp peered around from behind Zipp on the couch with curiosity in her eyes at Rain after that introduction from her sister. "Oh, are we doing names? Hi!" She stuck her hoof out and wagged it up and down like Zipp had done before, though much more energetically and already drawing out her phone. "Selfie!" She zipped over to Rain, grabbed her around the midsection and mashed up close for the perfect snapshot. "Always nice to meet a fellow flapper."

Rain tapped on the photo on Pipp's phone after it was taken of them both and grinned. "That's great! You two are amazing!"

"You haven't even seen us fly!" Pipp laughed with delight and went in for a tight hug around Rain's neck from behind. "I can feel we're gonna get along." She tucked her phone away. "I'm an influencer. You know what that is, of course." But Rain's expression left doubt. "You don't?! What kinda pegasus doesn't know that! Are you alright?"

"Sorry." Rain went for Pipp's hoof, shaking it delicately with a sheepish look on her face. "Tell me about it?"

"Well, since you insist." Pipp burst into giggles, all too happy to launch into a musical number about what social media influencers were.

"Dash away my hours, Nail polish and dresses galore." Pipp showed off her dazzling hooves.

"I tweet and I post, And oh! My followers adore—" She flipped through her feed of her many fans gushing at her about various things.

"Such magic in my words, It's like a dance on the internet—" Pipp did a dance, hovering in the air as she did it, a huge smile on her face.

"I dance for my viewers, And they keep coming back for more." She zipped in, nose to nose with Rain. "So yeah! That's an influencer. Get it?"

"And that's not all she does." Zipp pulled Pipp back by the tail of her mane. "She's an optimist too, and a princess."

Rain recoiled in surprise. "Princess?" She looked Pipp over suspiciously. Wings, check. Horn, no. "Princess?"

Zipp laughed, gesturing between Pipp and herself. "We're sisters, and daughters of Queen Haven, so, yeah, princesses. I'm not big on the title, but miss Show-Off here loves it."

"Lean into it." Pipp shoved her sister with a laugh. "It's great being a princess!"

"Right, so princesses." Rain looked around the room nervously.

"Nothing like old-school royalty." Hitch laughed softly at Rain's nerves showing through so clearly and making her jump with a little flutter of her wings. "You're okay, you're with friends here. Oh, and this is my son, Sparky." He gestured to the baby dragon next to him on the couch.

"A baby dragon! He's so tiny!" Rain hovered closer, studying the little creature with wide eyes at how much he looked like she imagined dragons would look if she ever got to meet one. "What a cute widdle baby! I never saw an actual baby dragon before."

Sparky peeked up at Rain with wide eyes at this new pony appearing in front of him all of a sudden to stare at him with such intensity in her gaze that he wanted to squirm out of sight to hide from her.

"Aw, sorry." Rain let him hide though, turning away, just to be pounced. The moment she looked away, Sparky jumped on her and the two began to wrestle with giggles on both sides.

Sparky straddled her, tossing his fists up and down in the air while keeping her pinned.

"Oooh! You got me!" Rain flopped down, letting him pin her in place with his claws that felt more like feathery kitten claws than anything capable of hurting her. "Oh no, what a fierce little dragon."

Sparky squealed excitedly and leapt off of Rain to scamper over to his dad who welcomed him into his lap with a warm smile on his face at the sight of his son being so playful. "Looks like you two get along just fine. Welcome to the brighthouse, Rain Shower was it?"

Author's Note

That felt like a nice meeting all around. Welcome to a new generation, Rain!

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61 - Death and Taxes

Comforting perked up as she was crashed into. "Well, good day to you too." She ruffled gently along Rain's mane. "You look even happier than usual, did something happen?"

Rain wriggled with excitement. "I met a stallion! He showed me around a house!"

"Oh? Did you like it?" Comforting ruffled Rain's mane gently while patting her cheek softly. "Rather sudden for you to find a stallion and already consider moving in with them. Bold! They that nice?"

Rain colored at the idea. "He's just offering the house. It's not a romance thing, though the view of the ocean? That felt pretty romantic. I thought so anyway." She chuckled nervously. "Um! It's a big house! So big! With lots of space for ponies, or maybe one pony." She giggled nervously again. "Lots of space for me!"

Comforting pet along her friend's back. "That's exactly as many ponies as any house really needs, I imagine. Did you come rushing just to tell me? I'd love to see it, but I get the feeling there's more."

Rain twisted her hooves together shyly. "He said he'd wait if I could bring you to do the paperwork part." She made an awkward little motion with her hooves out in front of herself. "I don't have any bits. Um." She glanced away and back. "Things have changed. Im the old days, just being a homeless pony was enough to get a house thrown at you. They want bits. I'm not mad, but I have none."

Comforting sighed softly at that and gave Rain's shoulder a little rub. "And that's why we all carry bits these days. It's just the way of life, though it shouldn't be." She walked past Rain. "At least it doesn't feel like late-stage yet. They may recover. Still, you're here to ask me for some, I imagine?"

Rain pulled out her satchel. "Please! I'll pay you back! Every single bit! I swear it! But I need this place! I've never felt so excited about anywhere before! I just know it's going to be perfect for me."

Comforting clapped her mismatched hands with a laugh. "Yes, but also no. I'm not in the loaning business, and I don't plan to start." She ducked out of the way for a library patron walking past. "Any bits I give are gifts, to ponies I want to have them."

Rain stared up at Comforting in awe at the words she was speaking to her about bits being given out not as loans, but as gifts from her. She wiped at her face with a hoof and fought back the tears at this generosity from her friend being offered so freely. "You are the absolute best chaos spirit I've ever met!"

"Only one these days." She touched her head to Rain's, bending over to do so. "Dad's quite a specimen, but not here to defend his title. Also, I bet he'd get mad at the idea."

Rain leaned against Comforting with tears running down her face from this display of pure generosity from the chaos spirit. "How can I ever repay you?"

Comforting scoffed. "If you knew me a little better, you'd realize I'm all about random acts of chaos." She laughed merilly. "Do things because you want to, I say. And I sent you to have that nice house, and who's gonna stop me?"

"I will." Both looked up at a severely dressed stallion crossing the library foyer towards them. "Miss Comforting Shade?"

Comforting slipped out from under Rain's hooves to stand tall over the earth pony stallion who had just appeared out of nowhere. "I'm Miss Comforting Shade, what can I do for you?"

He took out a clipboard. "I'm to understand you have a considerable interest income but have not yet reported it. I'm here to address that any any late fees you owe on that money."

Comforting blinked. "A tax pony? Why do you look so serious?"

He stamped something on his clipboard. "Failure to report such gains has drawn a high degree of suspicion from authorities on your ability to properly care for your financial holdings."

Comforting held up her hands. "Easy. I was out of this whole country for a long time, fell out of loop with the tax laws. Have mercy on me. I'll pay whatever you find I owe."

"Really?" He leaned in, eyes narrowing sharply at Comforting as he moved closer to her to be just a hair away from being nose to nose with her to push back against her like this so blatantly for asking him for mercy for her oversight in failing to pay her taxes properly when they were due. "Follow me. An office is more appropriate than a library."

Comforting fell in line behind the tax pony. "I'll be back after this, Rain. Hold on for me."

Rain stood there watching Comforting go, a stunned expression on her face at the abrupt change in tone. "I'll wait here!"

Comforting grinned mischievously at Rain. "Just don't leave town. I've grown quite attached to you."

Rain hovered anxiously outside of the tax office while she waited for Comforting to return from what she could only assume was her being very politely told off for not getting it done sooner.

Comforting emerged, faded and greyer in scale than usual. "Ugh." She spotted Rain and went to lean on them. "Can we do something fun? That took a lot out of me. Taxes and chaos spirits are not exactly a harmonious match."

Rain cooed gently and patted Comforting's mane soothingly. "There, there." She fluttered her wings. "I could do more flight practice, if you're up for it."

"That sounds better than making sure form 22B, paragraph three, is correct." She spread her smaller wings. "But I don't really fly, not like a pegasus. It's more of hovering with style, you know?"

Rain shrugged a wing slowly. "Yeah, but you said it yourself. Hovering's basically flying!" She giggled softly at that before turning more serious and pressing Comforting firmly by the shoulder with one hoof to drag her attention fully to herself for a moment. "How about we do what you want? You're the one looking more than a little drained right now."

Comforting groaned audibly but dropped all the same to put herself at eye level with Rain for a moment just to consider things more seriously. "Let's head to the Brighthouse, there are ponies I need to catch up with."

Rain squealed at the idea. "That sounds fun! Every pony, and that little dragon, are great there. Let's go!" She pointed to the pillar of a rainbow that led to the brighthouse.

Rain made her way up the beam and flapped through the door with Comforting on her tail. "That was way faster this time!" She clapped her hooves together and waved at the ponies in the common room of the place.

That was Pipp that day. "Woah, look at you, glamming it up with a personal vibe. I'm loving it." She took a quick photo of Rain. "What has your inner glow all spilling out everywhere? Good news?"

Rain looked down at herself and saw nothing really changed besides feeling more energetic than usual. "No, um. Is this really a change?" She trotted in place with nervousness showing on her face at being inspected closely by Pipp in such a casual manner that was both direct and felt harmless. "Pipp, right?"

"That's me," sang out Pipp, waving at Comforting. "Hey Comfs! I get two guests today? Fab. I was going to do a stream, and if you two wanna be in it, that'd be so cool, I can't even." She waved a hoof, laughing almost hysterically at the idea. "Two creatures from before most of my watchers were alive? This could be great."

Rain hopped up on a couch next to Zipp who was scrolling through her phone disinterestedly. "I have a friend!" She looked to Comforting and gave her an encouraging wave for her to join them.

Comforting rolled her eyes. "You have a few, and this one was just asking you a question." She smiled at Pipp. "I'm up for an interview, sure."

Zipp peeked up from her phone with a smile on her face at seeing Comforting there with Rain Shower. "Howdy!" She glanced at Rain with amusement in her eyes. "Interview? What's this about?"

Rain hopped up and down in place. "Pipp's gonna do a livestream with us in it!"

Pipp was already greeting her fans. "And today we have some special guests!" She turned her phone to face Comforting, then Rain. "You might have seen the big one, that's Comforting. She works in one of the city libraries. Fantastic or what? She may be a spirit of chaos, but she'll get you whatever book you're looking for, too."

Comforting blew Pipp a kiss before it was time for Pipp to show off Rain Shower and let the whole world get a good look at her too.

Pipp gestured towards Rain. "And over here we have a very special pegasus. Not only is she a nice pony, but she holds the mysterious ancient art of weather control, and she's sharing it with my sis! How crazy is that?!"

Zipp's wings shot up with embarrassment at the mention of her learning about weather magic from Rain and how many ponies would see this video. "Really?" She made an awkward display of brushing herself off in an attempt to appear calmer and less flustered than she really felt at being put on display like that. "It's not that big of a deal."

Rain cleared her throat and glanced away shyly with a little smile on her face. "Hello, um, what do I call them? Hi!" She waved at Pipp's phone and the untold legion of ponies that could see them through it. "Oh! Once Zipp finishes learning, she'll share it. I hear she has a flying class."

"At the library." Zipp pointed the way. "Same one Comforting works at. Right down that street. There's plenty of room there for ponies to fly."

Rain smiled happily at that idea of Zipp getting together a class of pegasi at the library for a more in-depth look at weather magic. "Can I help?"

Zipp inclined her head. "Oh, uh, yeah? Why the hay not? Right now it's just me. I won't say no to a co-teacher to spread things out. So, if you're up for it."

Pipp flipped the phone to face herself. "You heard it here first! Looks like the library's getting another teacher, and this one really brings the storm with her!"

"Let's not be too literal." Zipp laughed loudly and pressed her hoof to her face with embarrassment. "That's just begging for trouble, really."

Rain glanced around curiously, searching for Sparky, and perked up when she spotted him with his dad in the background. "Oh! There he is!" She darted over to them and hovered in place with excitement on her face at seeing that little dragon. "Aw, so cute!" She squeezed Sparky into a hug and flapped her wings before sitting down with Hitch.

Hitch hugged Sparky back gently and laughed at Rain's playful hopping around with him. "Nice to see you again." Sparky made an excited noise of agreement. "Sparky's happy to see you too." Hitch was happy letting the two play. "Pipp, all done, or do you need Rain back?"

Pipp held up her hooves innocently. "They're all yours."

Rain was chasing Sparky through the common room with giggles on both sides all around that room, until she lost sight of him for just a moment. "Huh? Where'd he go?" She bumped into him from behind just as she turned a corner. "There you are!" She hugged the little dragon warmly. "Thought I lost you."

Author's Note

Two things that are quite reliable. Comforting wasn't getting away from the pony IRS that easily! Written at Everfree NW in a hotel room. Fun! I blame all typos on that.

62 - Royal Responsibilities

"Dear, how could you not think to inform me?" Pipp shied away from her phone and the angered matron on it. "Really, this is a momentous discovery for all pegasus kind. Their queen really should be involved, don't you think?"

Zipp nudged her sister with a smile on her face. "Sounds like someone's hearing it."

Sunny nudged Zipp right back. "Be nice! She has a point."

"Quite right! The current Queen ought to be involved with such matters." Queen Haven scowled at Zipp just as intensely. "You could have told me, but you didn't. You share at least some of the blame here, Zipp, before you think you're entirely off the hook."

Zipp blushed deeply at the scolding from her mother. "Yeah, yeah, I know." She looked down with shame on her face. "So I forgot! It's no big deal, we've been busy."

Pipp moved the phone to focus on Rain who was helping Sparky cut out paper shapes with her hooves gently holding his claws to make sure they were on the right spot on the paper at the right time without anycreature getting hurt in the process. "Rain Shower is adorable, and having a good time. I didn't want to swamp her with too much, um, everything."

Haven relaxed a little. "Well, that's a far better reason. Still, she is the key to a pegasus birthright we didn't even know we had. This is an important matter. I will be stopping by. That pony should be here, in Zephyr Heights."

Zipp sighed loudly. "Mom, I get it! I know we're royalty and all, but it's fine to have somepony living with friends elsewhere."

Pipp rubbed Zipp's shoulder soothingly with a big smile on her face at her sister trying to spare Rain the overly stuffy possibility of becoming a project for her mom. "Mom, seriously. Rain's having a fine time here. She can teach pegasi about weather magic right here. In fact, she's already doing it! She's teaching right with me."

Haven threw up her hooves at that information from her older daughter, since it meant Zipp was even more involved in all of this too. "And I'm only hearing about this now? It doesn't look good for the queen to be the last to know about something this enormous! Did you expect me to be happy when pegasi all around me just start doing this and I'm the only one not able to?"

Zipp grunted at that argument from her mom. "Well, you don't have to worry about that because I'm learning too." She huffed softly and glanced away from the screen. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes!" Haven leaned in on the camera. "Even my daughters, ahead of me. Expect me shortly, and I'll be learning this weather control too. Really, thinking you can leave me out of this." The call ended, though they could easily imagine the grumblings of their mother.

"And there it is." Zipp got up and sighed softly at the screen showing they had been disconnected. "Mom doesn't let anything get in her way once she's set on it."

Rain joined them with Sparky on her back and crawled up on the couch with him. "You too look very serious. Anything I can help with?" Sparky made a noise of support, just as ready to lend a small hand to any project.

"We were just talking about my mom." Zipp motioned towards the phone in Pipp's hoof. "She's going to be stopping by to learn this weather magic thing, I guess. Nothing we can do to stop her when she gets all intense about something like this."

Pipp threw up her hooves. "Sorry. I really should have just, you know, called her. I mean earlier. You don't mind, I hope? She's gonna want to learn weather control too."

Rain thought about that for a moment. "Sure! She can learn! Any pony can! It's just practice and effort. She'll pick it up just fine in no time." She cuddled Sparky closer to herself with a big smile on her face. "But, wait, queen? We have queens now?! Wow, things have changed." She clopped one hoof to her face. "Back in my days," she said with an overly old-sounding tone. "We had princesses, and we liked them!"

Zipp glanced aside at Pipp and back at Rain. "Uh." She pointed at herself. "Princesses, right here." She pointed to Pipp and herself. "If you're missing them so much."

Rain glanced between the two of them. "But there's only two of you." She motioned around them at the sprawling city below and around them. "Maretime Bay isn't exactly small either. And there's wherever your mom's from. That's a lot of space for just two princesses. Then again, we used to have just one and she did a lot." Rain frowned with thought, tapping her chin. "You're going to have to tell me how this works now."

Pipp pulled out her phone to snap a selfie with Rain, while pointing at her, and added the caption #herhighness to it before hitting send with a flick of her hoof across the screen. "Look, it's not complicated. Mom, Queen Haven, is the queen of Zephyr Heights, where pegasi live, um, mostly. As you've seen, some don't. Like us! And all the pegasi you and Zipp are teaching."

Zipp laughed loudly at Pipp putting herself on the spot. "If you're going to say it like that, then what about you?" She fluttered her wings.

Pipp grunted softly. "The fairest and most beautiful and most popular social media pony in all of Equestria?"

Zipp pointed at Rain. "I more meant, how did it work where or whenever you came from? You said you had princesses, but no queens?"

"Not a one." Rain set Sparky down to dash off. "Princess was the highest a pony could aspire to, and most of them didn't 'aspire' to it so much as fall over it. But they were all good ponies, the best!"

Pipp mouthed silently to Zipp with a tilt of her head and a touch to her chest at this statement from Rain Shower about the greatness of princesses and how there were no queens before she pulled out her phone and started typing in notes in her notepad. "Some of that sounds familiar to what Sunny's talked about a few times. Like her favorite pony ever, Princess Twilight was it?"

Rain clapped her hooves in response to that name being mentioned and bounced up and down with a delighted noise on the couch cushion she was sitting on. "Yes! That's her! So nice! So gentle! Always had a word of encouragement! So smart! And could she make anything happen!" She lifted her hooves to the ceiling. "She was a great princess. It was the saddest thing, learning she wasn't around anymore. I was a teeny, tiny, barely even counts, princess. I was so small I tucked myself away and nopony even really noticed."

Pipp waved off those comments with a swipe of her hoof in front of herself for such a downbeat remark from Rain at this point. "Don't even think about it! We can't let that get to us!" She touched her hoof to Rain's shoulder reassuringly. "And also, seriously? A princess? You?"

Rain lifted her hooves as if to make it all abundantly clear she was indeed, once upon a time, one of those. "I traded in my horn." She pointed up at the lack of one she had. "But I thought it was for the best. I want to start over, not just come in with old stuff in a new age. I don't deserve to just step in and be all high and mighty."

Pipp hummed softly with amusement at Rain Shower talking about being a princess like it was something she didn't really have the right to enjoy. "Look, you're awesome! So if you were a princess, that's amazing!" She made a show of bringing up her social media page on her phone and checking her own numbers briefly. "You just keep being you, which is a pretty great thing to be, from where I'm sitting. I'd say I'm jealous, but then I'd be lying. Pipp's also a pretty great thing to be." She giggled with a grin. "Not giving it up."

Zipp hoof bumped Pipp lightly. "We got it." She twirled in the air to face Rain. "And so do you. You're bringing back a pegasus magic. That's a big deal! Be a little proud of yourself. Speaking of that, you'll be teaching tomorrow, right? The students were pretty stoked about the idea."

Rain's cheeks warmed at that encouragement from Zipp and that last bit about her teaching. "If you think I can! They'll be in good hooves! I'll make sure of it!" She hopped up with a giggle. "We'll start with approaching a cloud. Remember that? You were so surprised when I just sat down on one like it was a fluffy couch."

Zipp blushed with embarrassment at that memory being brought up like that from earlier. "Oh, yeah, I remember that." She cleared her throat. "But yeah! We'll see you tomorrow."

Rain reached out and squeezed Zipp into a tight hug for a moment before pulling away again with a cheerful smile on her face. "There! See you!" She waved to Pipp and headed towards the door excitedly with a spring in her step that hadn't been there in quite some time. "I can't wait! It's all going so well!" She kicked at the air with joy just outside the door before taking off in a light blur towards the streets and along them towards the house. Not just any house. Her house!

Her giggles rebounded in volume, thinking about that home. "Thanks Comfs!" She threw a salute at the sky, sure that, somehow, Comforting knew she was being thanked. "Oh!" She tilted her head at some colts digging up dirt on a plot of land across the street from her new home and zipped over to them with a smile on her face at watching them working hard. "Whatcha up to?"

A colt looked up at her from digging in the ground with a big smile on his face. "Oh! Just planting a tree, y'know?" He looked down at the hole he had dug with a little groan of dismay at how slowly it was going. "And it's going well!" He didn't sound convinced.

Rain frowned at that situation, seeing what needed to be done and jumping into action. She landed next to the hole and rammed her hooves into the soil, digging it up quickly and tossing it out of the way where it couldn't just fill the hole back up again. "Now it's going well."

The colts all gathered around and gasped in awe at Rain's ability to dig at speeds they could only dream of and making short work of this very specific problem for them that had been vexing them all morning long with just how much effort it was taking. The power of being an adult was a vast and amazing one, at least in their young eyes. With communal cheers, the got to planting the little tree in the new hole and throwing dirt over its roots.

Rain collapsed next to them and sighed contently at a job well done. "It's gonna grow big and strong one day." She curled up with her hooves on the ground next to her and closed her eyes with exhaustion from digging like that so suddenly. "Big, and strong. Oh! Hey, I'm Rain Shower." She pointed towards her house just across the road. "I moved in across from you."

The colts all talked excitedly at this pegasus moving into their neighborhood, but only for a little bit before they started running off with hoofsteps echoing across the ground. They wanted to go play now that the hard part was over and done with after having been delayed all day already from this problem of the hole not going in quickly enough.

Rain inclined her head, losing her little friends so suddenly. "Ah, to be young again." She hopped up to her hooves and shook off the dirt in her coat. "Hope they have a good time." She turned for her house and left without feeling too bad about it. The colts had their own things to do.

She arrived home, twirling around with wings outstretched to face the sun high overhead that warmed her nicely on that summer day and she headed inside to rest on her hooves in front of the house's tall windows and simply stand there gazing out at the wonderful sight of the ocean. "Loving this view." She leaned against the glass with a happy little sigh at all of it in front of her.

From somewhere nearby, there was the sound of a chain rattling before the splash of water rose up from below and caught her attention enough to make her glance over at the edge of the property where that sound had come from. She pushed open the window and slipped out to get closer to the edge. "Everypony okay out there?"

A stallion from earlier called back up from down below in front of her house with a smile on his face at hearing Rain Shower's voice above him. "Nothing to worry about! Just getting some work done down here!"

Rain relaxed on seeing him, and not being in trouble. "Oh, okay! But what are you doing?"

"Sprinklers! Got them hooked up just fine! I wanted to check it all over before dark, just to be sure everything's running just right." He turned the water on with his hoof on the device's lever and rain started falling around them, pelting Rain's coat and sprinkling the grass all around her.

"Oh!" She hopped back, but was still being showered. "Ha! Wow." She looked thoughtful more than shocked. "If you can control the weather, you'd never think of this. I never thought of this!" She twirled in place, still being rained on. "Rain on demand, without clouds. Amazing."

He flicked it off with a laugh and shook himself dry in place while smiling at Rain standing there with water dripping from her mane and coat. "Well, I'll be seeing you around then, Miss Shower! Enjoy your sprinkler." He paused in his escape. "Oh, there's a lever just over there." He pointed to one by the house that was far closer than the pipes he had been working on. "I suggest using that instead of climbing all the way down there."

Rain followed where he was pointing with her gaze and raced towards the lever he had pointed out for her to reach out with her hoof to flip it on just to feel the cool spray from the sprinklers washing over her mane and body like a gentle, cool bath on a hot day to take the edge off of how warm she felt.

"Perfect!" She flicked it back off, making a mental note about it. "That's really cool!" She turned for the stallion, but they had already walked away. "Thanks," she said to nopony at all. Shaking off the water, she headed back inside. "Today has been great."

Author's Note

Rain Shower has become quite a character, just stealing a story arc all to herself really, and I don't even feel mad. And you?

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63 - Into Every Life

Comforting slouched in a library chair looking around at the customers who were busily searching for books. There was a rare calm where everypony seemed to be reading, browsing or actually interested in studying, none of them paying much attention to Comforting besides Rain hovering nearby. "Today's been busy."

Rain drifted in closer. "You look beat." She twirled to be upside down, flying all the same. "Do you need a break?"

Comforting perked at the notion. "A break. There's an idea." She tapped at her chin. "I've been so busy helping around here after my last bit of idling, I forgot it's good to give yourself a break once in a while."

Rain zipped past Comforting and did another loop. "I want to do something fun!" She caught herself upside down again in front of Comforting's eyes with a big smile on her face.

Comforting laughed even as she pushed Rain away a few inches. "You just started your adventure, you." She smooched the pegasus right on the tip of her nose. "Not that you don't deserve to have fun, but I'm being selfish right now. This is about my fun. Now, lucky for me, I already have someone to have fun with."

She clapped her hands, summoning an image of her husband Toots at his job. "Why not?" She took Rain's hoof in hers and winked at her playfully. "Do you mind?" She disappeared without waiting for an answer, leaving a few musical notes hovering in the air to play their soft sounds before vanishing.

Rain huffed at where Comforting used to be. "Well, guess I better take care of my own things." She flew from the room, darting around the library towards the teaching rooms. "Zipp?"

Zipp poked her head out from a room in the back. "Here!" She waved Rain towards her. "Good thing you showed up." She stepped back inside of the room and stretched her wings to point at the students within it, who were looking quite anxious at having Zipp's attention. "I swear, more pegasi show up by the day. As much as I'd like to take credit, pretty sure the rumors of weather magic are spreading around."

Rain plopped onto her hooves in front of them and fluttered her wings eagerly at them all being there and wanting to learn. "Hi, students!" She hopped up with a delighted giggle at all of them and zoomed towards them to hop onto the desk and wave them closer. "You're all eager to learn about weather magic? Well! First thing, you already know it. To be a pegasus is to have that magic." She flapped, lifting a few inches. "It's why we can fly in the first place. It's our magic!"

Zipp smiled at seeing Rain get into it so easily. "Wow. That's a neat perspective on it."

Rain touched down in front of them again and fanned her wings out fully behind herself. "That magic lets you do more than fly around, as fun as that is. The clouds are yours. You can reach out and touch them. You can sit on them. You can gather them up like a snowball and throw them! This isn't something you have to learn how to do, just have to actually try doing it."

One student raised their hoof with an excited expression on their face. "We're really gonna make it rain?"

Rain gave him a nod. "Just like your very own personal cloud! We'll go up high in the sky and see what we can do with them." She zoomed towards the exit. "Lesson one, gathering clouds. I want you all to fly up, grab some cloud, and come back down to me with your own little baby clouds."

The pegasi all lifted off with determination and excitement in their eyes to gather some cloud for themselves up high in the sky until they returned with floating blobs of fluffy white cloud that wobbled from side to side with each beat of their wings. Rain was applauding them for even getting that far. "What great looking clouds." She nodded at each, white and fluffy. Except one.

One stallion was looking nervously at his little storm cloud, booming softly with thunder.

Rain gazed at it, in awe. "Wow, and such variety too! I have to say, I really like yours!" She fluttered around it curiously. "This is a good lesson. If you grab part of an angry cloud, then you end up with a smaller, but still angry, cloud." She poked the stormcloud gently. "But that leads into making rain. This cloud is eager to make it rain."

Zipp rubbed at the back of her head nervously at the sight of that angry little cloud the stallion was holding with difficulty, keeping it from drifting off in any particular direction he wasn't wanting it to go.

Rain landed on the angry cloud, just to get zapped from below with a yelp. "Oof, right. Be careful around storm clouds. They will zot you if you don't pay attention. Now, to make it rain is easy." She started bouncing atop it. "Let it know you want it to rain! Don't hold back! I know you can do it! I believe in you! Just call out from the depths of your heart for it to rain and it will!"

Seeing how easy she made it look, the rest of the class hopped on their clouds, bouncing with laughs and giggles as rain fell in sheets beneath them, quickly using up their clouds.

Rain held up her hooves dramatically at their success. "Bravo! You made rain!" She shot through the falling water to be above them all with her hooves wide open, only for it to stop suddenly and every drop of water there vanishing to reveal blue skies once more. "But clouds only have so much in them, as you can see. Still, you've just mastered a key bit of weather mastery. If somepony needs some water, or their farm or whatever, you can bring some over!"

She landed on the roof of the building to look over her class standing proudly in front of her with smiles on their faces. "Remember, never take a cloud for granted. You're responsible for keeping it in place where you want it." She paused a moment. "That includes making sure clouds go away. You grabbed them. You already know you can shove them around. If there are a bunch of bad storms coming that ponies don't want, push them away. If it's really big, you'll need teamwork, but you can do it! You can save tons of headache by deciding when it rains, and when you'd rather skip on it."

Zipp stood next to Rain with a big smile on her face. "Was wondering if you could add that little thing." She grinned at the pegasi standing there listening intently to Rain. "So, in summary, do what you've always done but push clouds around where you want them, or away from where you don't."

Rain gave Zipp a pat on the back with a little laugh. "Maybe I was a teacher before. I'm having so much fun! I really like this!" She nodded at the class. "Practice your cloud handling. I think that's enough to do for one day. Tomorrow we'll try another part of weather control."

Zipp nodded along to Rain's words and clapped her hooves together with an excited look on her face. "Good stuff!" She flew up next to Rain. "So, we done for the day? Good. Mom's gonna be coming into town like today or tomorrow at the latest. She's gonna wanna talk to you, for sure."

Rain groaned loudly. "Why? Am I in trouble? Does she not like me? Did I offend her somehow? What did I do wrong?"

Zipp slipped from her spot on the roof to sit next to Rain on the ground to place a hoof on her shoulder with a reassuring smile on her face. "Neigh way. You did nothing wrong, and I'm pretty sure she's not mad. She just wants to be in on the weather pony fun"

Rain deflated against Zipp with relief. "Oh good. It was just business, then." She chuckled nervously. "I thought I had done something wrong."

Zipp lifted off and away from Rain to return to the classroom. "Let's clean up and see—" She trailed off as she spotted her mom, Queen Haven, descending with proper pomp towards the city. "Never mind, there she is."

Pipp shouted over the din of Queen Haven's entourage touching down. "Mom's here! Woohoo!" She took rapid pictures as she flew in to half-pounce her mother, the two enjoying a warm embrace.

"Dear." Haven stepped back as the hug ended. "Always a delight to see you. Now where is this wondrous pegasi I've been hearing about?"

Zipp arrived, Rain at her side. "Mom!" She landed and closed for a little hug. "Hey, so. I was hoping you could actually meet her before you pin her down and demand her secrets?"

Haven huffed at that. "I'm not that rude, really." She turned to Rain Shower. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Queen Haven, of Zephyr Heights, land of the pegasi. And you are?"

Rain flinched a little at the hoof offered her way. "Rain Shower! Yes! Um! Here! In Maretime Bay! But I'm a pegasus like you! Hello!"

The two met, hoof to hoof. Queen Haven chuckled gently. "Don't be so nervous. I'm not here to yell at you. Quite the opposite, really! I'd like to become one of your students, if it isn't too much of a problem."

Rain pulled away slowly with uncertainty in her eyes. "Of course! But you're royalty. Are you sure you want to be in my class?"

Zipp nudged Rain with her hoof reassuringly.

Haven snorted gently. "This is the one class offering what I want to know. I don't care if their are commoners or not. Besides, they're all my wonderful subjects. I will learn alongside them and try not to make a foal of myself in the process."

Rain rubbed at her hoof shyly. "Well, we can start with you following me to a nice quiet spot, far away from everypony, because we're going to make some weather and there's going to be all sorts of dangers and messes along the way."

Haven's expression brightened rapidly. "I get a private lesson? Oh, this is exciting." She gladly followed after Rain, a few guards trailing behind her. "Lead the way."

Pipp looked between Zipp and their mother departing with a smile on her face and confusion in her eyes. "Okay! Since when was this happening? Did you plan this? Was this always a thing?"

Zipp shook her head. "Mom and Rain are kinda doing their own thing. Neither looks upset to me, I say we let them have fun."

Pipp grunted in response to that remark from her sister. "That was one thing, but mom having fun? That's just weird."

Zipp chuckled softly at Pipp's opinion of their mother. "Come on, she's a pony too." She nudged against Pipp. "Let her enjoy herself once in a while."

Pipp fiddled with her phone absently with a glance towards where their mother had departed with Rain Shower some time ago. "I dunno if I'm happy mom is going all the way out there, but if she's having fun, that's not my problem." She leaned in and took a selfie with Zipp. Why? She didn't say, as if she needed a reason to snap a picture. "Are you keeping an eye on her?"

Zipp blushed softly at the photo snapping and shrugged at the question. "Sure, guess somepony aughta do it." She lifted into the air. "And her guards have no idea what they're in store for." With a laugh, she zipped after Haven and Rain.

Author's Note

Some rain must fall. These pegasi are becoming more skilled at making this happen, to the benefit of all ponykind!

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64 - Learning and Teaching

Queen Haven sat on the soft, pillowy surface of a cloud she had made herself by dint of her magic and stared down at her hooves with a soft frown on her face and her wings pulled in close to herself and still as stone as she hovered in place like that just as perfectly. "Nopony ever thought to sit on a cloud." She lowered herself, laying her full belly across it. "And that it would be this pleasant to do so on!"

Rain Shower hopped in place excitedly with giggles at Haven's discovery and discoveries yet to be made. "Pretty great, huh? Pegasi are the masters of weather. You guys should totally be lounging on your own clouds every chance you get. You deserve it."

Haven stretched out and fell back against the cloud like it was a mattress like any pony would fall back on their bed to relax after a long day's work. "Tempting! But we do have work we need to do, and we can't do them just laying on clouds all day." She rolled back to her hooves and took off into the air with a light flapping. "Still, a delightful option."

Rain rushed up next to Haven, grinning brightly. "Clouds can do so much more than be pillows!" She gestured to one that had gotten a little heavy and was threatening to break up into raindrops. "See that one? Give it a push and it'll let all that rain out. That's one big way pegasi can help control the weather itself. We make it wet, or help keep it dry."

Haven directed her wings towards that cloud and made it spin lazily in place while she leaned in towards it and cleared her throat loudly to say very clearly, "I don't think it should rain today!" She looked to Rain Shower. "How do I make it go away?"

Rain flapped her wings gently, flying over beside Haven. "Two ways. One, move it to where you'd rather rain. Two, if you really just don't need a rain cloud." She twirled around, pointing her rump at it. "You kick it!" She lashed out with her hind legs, bucking the cloud and breaking it up into little harmless puffs. "Big clouds may take more effort."

Haven gasped softly at that display from Rain Shower. "My word! How extraordinary! Such effortless precision! You make this look easy." She chuckled softly, unable to help but laugh at herself. "And here I was thinking pegasi magic was just for flying."

Rain spread her wings briefly, still flying. "Flying is pretty great on its own, but we have more in there." She darted around Haven. "But now you're caught up! You won't have to feel silly around the other students."

Haven motioned towards a fluffy little cloud that she spied floating past them lazily. "Do you mind?" She floated closer to it and reached out with a hoof to run her hoof through the little white puffball, humming softly at the texture of the cool mist around her hoof. With a light tapping, she made it start to drizzle. "Oh my, this is more fun than it has any right to be." She let out a happy laughter, twirling to face Rain. "Yes, I feel confident enough in the basics. Now, as a queen, I am unlikely to make weather ponying my primary duty. But knowing how it's done, that's different."

Rain nodded at that remark from Haven and fluttered over closer. "Knowing to know is still good."

Zipp darted over to join them. "You look pretty happy, mom. All done for today?"

Haven continued flicking through the little raincloud with her hoof idly and tapping it to give it little pauses between drops and sprays of water. "It was a lovely start! It's quite wonderful learning that we've had all of this power all along."

Zipp laughed at that. "Oh, yeah. Imagine how surprised I was! Seriously, sitting on a cloud? I wouldn't have tried it!"

Haven gestured with her free hoof towards Zipp. "Precisely! Such mundane things were under our noses this entire time! Why have we never tried? Why didn't anypony think to try sitting on a cloud?" She started for the ground beneath them. "Still, somepony has to be the first. Today has been a wonderful day, and I'm looking forward to those classes of your, dear Rain Shower."

Rain giggled with amusement at Haven calling her 'dear'. "Any time! I love teaching!" She waved at Haven and Zipp. "I'm going to do some more flying for a bit!" She took off into the city with a joyous cry.

Zipp landed with her mother. "She sure seems to like, you know, existing."

Haven watched Rain fly away. "That isn't a bad thing. Such a cheerful teacher. I was worried I'd end up being taught by a grumpy old pony who would tell me 'because that's how things have always been' if I asked them why they did something one way."

Zipp laughed at the mental image. "You're being silly. We told you it was a mare. She's really nice."

"So I see." Haven nodded at her guards, also landing near her. "For now, we should head into the city and get a room." She pauses. "Well, I should. You already have a place for yourself, dear daughter."

Zipp turned for the city herself with a quick salute. "Yep! Good luck with that! See you later!" She raced off and away at speed, deciding that her mom wasn't getting into any trouble that day.

***

Comforting looked around a moment. "Where'd your bunny go?"

Toots peeked out from a room in the back. "He's, uh, not really 'my' bunny. He kinda goes where and when he wants." He came back towards Comforting. "And right now, he decided he wanted to be out somewhere."

Comforting watched him. She noticed something unusual about his coat and put her hoof on his face. "What happened here?" She brushed over the scratch.

He pulled away slightly. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Too late, worrying." She drew him closer. "Tell me, or I'll worry even harder."

He stepped back and smiled softly. "Nothing that matters now." He took a deep breath and looked out the window at the tall towers that loomed over the city like watchful giants ready to defend anypony that may be living there. "I just made a silly mistake, that's all. It won't happen again."

Comforting came up on him from behind. "Glad to hear that, but I really wanna know. Is it that embarrassing?"

He chuckled softly at the tickle of Comforting being so close to him. "Alright, alright." He reached back and gently rubbed his hoof along Comforting's side, briefly savoring the softness of her coat and how easy it was to slip his hoof against her body. He drew her into a hug, and she didn't resist, not that she often did. "I tried to give that bunny a bath, and he strongly objected."

Comforting scowled, for just a tiny moment considering what roasted rabbit would taste like. She bit back that response. "As you've found out, he's a wild rabbit." She paused to think about that. Fishing out her phone, she did a quick search. "Oh, hm. It seems rabbits are usually kinda spooked by water. They can get hurt in the wild if they get wet, then they get really cold really easily. Today I learned!"

Toots tapped at his chin. "Guess he just doesn't like baths." He grinned at Comforting. "Wonder what that says about us?"

Comforting chuckled and elbowed him gently in the chest. "We aren't nearly as plush as a rabbit is." She fluffed her own fur. "I am fuzzy, but not that fuzzy. Besides, also pretty good at drying myself afterwards."

Toots leaned in and booped his nose against hers. "Well, just wanted to make sure everything was good here. I didn't leave you in the lurch, did I?"

Comforting snorted softly at that. "Me? You're the one that got mildly mauled by a terrified rabbit." She fluffed Toots' cheeks. "Don't do that again."

He laughed and nuzzled up against her briefly before slipping away again. "I'll be fine! The things we do for cute little bunnies." He rolled his eyes and headed back towards the door. "Gotta make sure somepony isn't stuck looking for a room somewhere."

She watched him leave with a brief snort of amusement. "I'm glad I have such a hard worker." She pounces him suddenly, curling all around him and nuzzling into his fur. "The world is changing."

Toots was still a moment. "You're part of why."

She glanced back at him. "How do you mean?"

"If you're from such a different place than us," he said slowly, "you being around means things are going to be a lot different from here on out." He sank to his haunches. "You're making things change. That isn't a bad thing, but it's true."

She slumped onto the ground next to him. "And I'm the source of this?" She hummed thoughtfully, nuzzling against him. "So long as I don't ruin things, I guess that's okay." She considered. "Yeah, hm." She thought of Rain Shower. Would they have returned? Would they have met that bunny, to then attack Toots. "Dang it." She nuzzled one of those scuffed spots. "Sorry."

He blushed deeply at that touch and bit his lower lip for a moment, at a loss for words. He recovered quickly with a little chuckle and motioned for Comforting to stop with a touch of his hoof against her hand. "I love you. Simple as that. A little angry bunny isn't changing that." He stuck out his tongue at her. "So there."

Comforting returned the expression briefly before calming down again and breathing a long sigh out from her lips and letting her shoulders slump forwards with the weight of her worries evaporating away like morning dew under the gentle warmth of the sun on that beautiful spring day that filled the streets with life and color. "Alright." She rubbed her nose with his. "The world is changing, but not in a bad way. Let's enjoy it!"

"Exactly." He turned for the door. "That's what I plan on doing. I'd rather live in a world with my Comforting at my side."

Comforting heaved a long sigh at those sweet words from Toots and held him for a few moments more before pulling away. "I should get to work, and you probably should too. See you tonight?"

"I'm sure you will." He gave her one last nuzzle before departing, heading for the door with a wave over his shoulder and just barely being able to hear her say something very kind back towards him before he was out of earshot of that wonderful conversation with his wife.

Comforting waved a little longer than she needed to. She closed the door and checked around for anything missing. The oven was off as was all the other appliances. "Dinner!" That was the promise. Breakfast and dinner. Together, until the last of days. Confident all was in place, Comforting casually vanished.

She appeared within the library, wearing the uniform of the place and a smile to go with it. She saw a pony looking lost and darted over to help them find what they were hunting.

Nearby, Amber was browsing through a book about Earth ponies she hadn't really had a reason to read before then but was quite interesting to learn about what makes them so special beyond just being a kind of pony.

Comforting got the lost pony where she wanted to be and left them with an exchanged little wave. Shortly, she found Amber and sank next to her. "What are you reading so happily?"

Amber looked up from her book. "It's a new one." She lifted the book in her magic. "About earth ponies. Somepony decided they needed to write a new one, since earth ponies discovered their magic and all."

Comforting snorted. "Are you trying to get even more clever?"

Amber smiled with a short little laugh and pat her cheeks. "Me? No way!" She grinned playfully at Comforting. "Good to see you. You're late, little miss chaos." She rolled her eyes, not looking that upset. "Upstairs is doing great. You're doing such a good job."

Comforting laughed bashfully at that compliment and leaned in for a moment to kiss Amber's cheek playfully. "Always nice to be acknowledged. I got a little sidetracked with Toots, but he's off doing his thing now, and I'm here!" She clapped with a smile. "So how can I help? My little wizard, still spreading magic to the other unicorns?"

Amber pushed her gently back with a little playful pout. "Stop it! You're gonna make me blush if you keep this up, y'know!" She laughed, leaning against Comforting. "But, yes, I am. And, thankfully, not the only one." She curled a hoof to her chin. "Teachers get students who become teachers. It's wonderful! Um, only one thing."

Comforting slipped a hand against Amber's hoof and ran a few fingers along it absently. "Tell me? You sound upset. Upset is bad."

Amber huffed lightly. "Well you have me under your loving hand. If I do something silly, you'll bop me on the nose and make me stop. My student, or my student's student? They don't all have you. They could start using magic oddly, for any wild thing."

Comforting reclined and kept massaging Amber's hoof. "Well, seems to me your student had a really good teacher that taught them well, and your student will continue the wonderful lesson and their student will make another. Our ponies are eager to learn. We can just hope our students continue being great teachers and make everypony better from what we were."

Amber laughed in a strained way. "I hope!" She gets her hoof free, just to hug Comforting. "I'm just a little worried. Magic's powerful. Somepony could hurt themselves."

Comforting patted the unicorn on the back and stayed silent a while to let Amber have a little emotional moment. "Change is scary." She lifts an ear towards Amber. "Scary things could happen. But if we don't move, good things can't happen either."

Amber nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know. You're right, you're right." She shakily rubbed a hoof against her forehead and took a long breath, sighing out slowly. "I'll just have to do my best, teach them as best I can."

"Exactly." Comforting tickled along Amber's sides. "Like I did with you. All anypony can ask in the end." She shuffled a hoof against the ground nervously. "Which leads to my question for today, my lovely unicorn. We've made so much progress recently with teaching the world. What else can be taught?"

Amber blinked at that. "Do we need to do more? There's so much already happening. Magic is coming back, to unicorns and the pegasi." She frowns a bit. "And the earth ponies, but it's all new to them, not coming back. Still new for everypony! We have so very much to learn."

Comforting squeezed Amber tighter for a moment, rubbing a hand along the unicorn's flank before pulling away. "New magic, and so much learning."

Amber nodded and stood up. "And teaching. What an amazing time to be around. I can't imagine what it was like, when everypony just knew this stuff already. What trouble did they get into?"

"Not nearly as much as we'll manage." Comforting drifted away with a grin. "Let's make it fun."

Author's Note

Thoughts and learning things all over the place.

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65 - It's The Law

It was the soft tickling of soft fur brushing against her, which made Comforting lift her hoof and slap away that pestering fur ball. As her eyes flickered open, the hazy light of dawn shimmered through her windows and outlined the outline of that intruder upon her. Then she felt quite silly. "Morning." She went in to hug that fluffball instead of attack them. "Sleep well?"

Toots hugged in return before pushing to his hooves. "Feeling ready to tackle the day!" He turned and looked back at Comforting with a little grin on his face. "If you'd rather stay in bed a little longer, I'll understand. I have things to do."

Comforting burrowed deep into the covers with a long sigh and pulled her pillow up and around. "I shouldn't just laze about either." She threw her bedding aside and hopped up and didn't bother coming down. Gravity always was optional for her. "I was thinking of adding a third floor to the library."

Toots paused. "One, I have to remind myself that, yes, you could just do that. But two, why? Did you run out of space for books?"

Comforting slinked around him, never once touching the ground. "A third floor would let the students study with more privacy. They would be just for magic. Any book on that floor, also just for magic. I know a few that'd belong there." She counted on her fingers. "First floor, normal books. Second floor is crafts and teamwork. Third floor, magic."

Toots had an ear perked and head tilted to listen to the wondrousness that is Comforting making her plans for her library. "Very ambitious, Comfy." He reached up with one hand to tug along her, bring her down towards the floor just enough so he could easily kiss her forehead. "You always surprise me." He turned and took off again, having delivered his love to the chaos pony. "Don't make your library collapse!"

Comforting settled on the ground finally and patted a hoof on the ground to remind herself she was there, and still solid. She stuck out her tongue mildly. "I won't knock it over, just add one more floor. The two we have are strong enough for at least one more." She rolled her eyes. "The harder part is that I have to dig through a bunch of boring laws, to make sure I'm not breaking them all by making a third story appear casually."

Toots peered through his glasses from over his shoulder back at her. "Oh? Stupid laws and hoofs in their mouths." He smiled with an idea forming. "Why don't you ask a pony who studies those things instead of learning it all yourself? Way less boring and un-chaotic that way, right?"

Comforting grabbed Toots' cheeks in her hands. "You are a genius. That sounds way less boring and soul-numbing! I'll just find a lawyer and put the question to them to figure out. No way that can go wrong." Ways it could go wrong drifted through her head. "Unless I ask the question badly and get a funny answer. Lawyers are very good at answering what you ask, not what you meant." She tapped at her chin, considering the query. "Like little legal genies, those things. Gotta phrase your wish just right."

Toots hoofed Comforting towards the door, partly to encourage her to get out, partly because he was tugging on her in the right direction anyways. "Have fun and remember to keep them sane." He paused. "Oh, uh, did you talk to Amber about this? It is her library, right?"

Comforting blinked dumbly a moment. "Right! Right." She went in, smooched Toots on the forehead, and darted off for the door. "Another reason I keep you around. See you tonight, okay?"

Toots laughed, waving a hoof at her as she raced away and out of sight. "Looking forwards to it." He rubbed his face to clean her lip marks and get himself out and off to work. They both had things to do.

Comforting zipped over the city, watching the little ponies beneath her also busy with their morning activities. Some were relaxing while others looked quite industrious. Comforting spotted a restaurant opening up and saw one chef struggling to carry boxes of things from the back to the front to help their server start the morning off well. The boxes weren't terribly heavy, just very inconvenient. Seeing the stallion struggling with so many of them, Comforting came in and casually snatched a few for herself. "Morning!"

The pony below paused and lifted their hat, looking at the chaotic entity with wide eyes and surprise all over their face. "Uh. Thanks?"

"Of course!" Comforting patted the pony's shoulder with a friendly smile. "Where were you trying to get these? You really should consider asking for a helping hoof when you get to these many boxes, sheesh. No, no, don't worry about it." She gave them a friendly smile before carefully sitting all the boxes in place inside of the building for their chefs to go through.

The stallion rubbed at the back of his neck in response to her remark with a soft chuckle. "The others were all busy. Thanks for the assist." He gave a quick salute and got back to other work that was calling for him. Comforting waved and darted off. "Nice to do the occasional random nice thing for somepony I don't even know. Wonder what else I'll get to see!" She looped in the air with a little giggle at herself and flew off and away, patrolling over the city as best she could on her way to the library.

Fortunately or not, she didn't run into any other ponies buried in boxes, arriving at the front of the library. "Ah, sanctum of learning, castle of books!" She threw her hands in the air. "Lair of a good friend." With a giggle, she pushed open the front doors and headed inside. The sun was barely up but there was already a young earth pony in there looking for something interesting to read, and by the time Comforting left the main lobby area, three more ponies had entered. She darted about until she spotted Amber at the main desk.

"There you are." She came in for a landing beside her. "I had an idea and it involves you. At least, it involves the library, and you are the head librarian of that, so it involves you. What am I rambling about?" She sighed softly, going red. "Okay. Here's the deal. I want to make another floor to the library."

Amber huffed and thumped a hoof on the desk. "Another floor? That's a big deal." She adjusted her glasses. "How long would it even take to build a whole new floor? They got this place up relatively fast, but it wasn't instant."

"About that." Comforting leaned in with a smirk. "I feel pretty sure I can get a third floor up without too much of a problem, and it'd be very very fast." She clapped her hands together with a chuckle. "I'll check with a lawyer first, make sure no rules are being broken, but I wanted to check in with you first. Again, your library and all."

Amber shifted to thinking about things for a moment, considering Comforting's plan. She reached a hoof to tap her chin in thought. "So you're adding a third floor to the library. But I have to ask, why? We're not running out of space right now. We have plenty." She laughed a little. "Or have you gotten more books?"

Comforting wriggled her fingers. "It's not just about books, though, yes, some books. It's about magic!" As she said the last word, she spread her hands out, a rainbow erupting between them. "I think we should have a floor dedicated to magic. All the tribes, one floor for all their magic. We'd move all the magic books we already have there and collect more to put there. All the classes would be there, on the third floor. Separating magic and everyday. What do you think?"

Amber fiddled with her glasses as she contemplated the request for a little while. "I like the idea, I really do. We have been offering more magic." She turned towards those first floor classrooms. "And they are kind of tucked in a corner right now. Having their own space sounds fun and will probably encourage some ponies to start looking at that magic. Yes, yes." She put on a bold expression. "Do it."

Comforting nodded with a merry laugh. "Fantastic! Alright, step one, down." She made a checkmark in the air that faded slowly. "Step two, find a lawyer pony to look adorable as they search through dense legal lore that I don't want to die of boredom looking through."

Amber grunted softly at that remark from Comforting and smacked the chaos entity on the shoulder. "Don't call a lawyer 'adorable', sheesh." She smiled awkwardly at the thought. "Most go for 'professional'. I doubt most want to be thought of as cute as the first thing that comes to mind."

Comforting opened her mouth and paused a moment before speaking again. "Well, some are quite adorable, it's just a thing that's happening, let them enjoy their own cute charm if it doesn't bother them." She crossed her arms. "If they didn't want to be cute, they shouldn't have been born as ponies, silly things. Such charming and beautiful beings of brightest joy and deepest despair."

Amber fanned herself with a hoof. "Stop it! Stop saying all these wonderful things, oh my gosh!" She snorted and rubbed her forehead, trying to fight down the blushing and calm herself down. "Why don't you, um, get on that lawyer looking bit?"

"Righto." But not before she touched her forehead to Amber's. "Be right back!" She zipped right out the nearest window, too excited to bother with a door.

Amber shook her head. "The door was right there." She pointed to the front door, standing unused by the fleeing chaos spirit. "Silly thing." She turned her thoughts away from that to help another pony approaching the front desk.

Comforting pulled out her phone and got to typing. "Ah, Internet." She hadn't realized how much she missed having easy access to that wonderful service until it had returned to her. She found several listings for local attorneys. There was one with an office just a block and a half away! "Close enough."

The office was one floor in a multifloored building. There was a directory of many businesses all living alongside each other in their own rooms. Her destination was on the fourth floor. She zipped up to it and knocked on a window.

The window slid open, revealing a severely-dressed, and also very confused, stallion. "Y-yes? This is not the usual way to our office, ma'am? Not that we don't get our share of flyers." He held up a little business card for Comforting's eyes to take in. "Do you have business with us?"

Comforting scanned the card, quickly confirming she was in the right place. Yep! She hopped in around the stallion. "I have a legal question, and you are a law pony. The question's really simple. We have a two story library, nice place, and I want to add a third story to it. Any legal problems and steps I should be aware of before I go rushing to do that? Things I should do before, during, and after? All the details, please."

The stallion closed his office window to block out the growing noise of the city outside. "I, well, that's quite unusual but not exactly hard. You work for the library just a few blocks from here, correct? The location's important, as the rules do change depending on where it is."

Comforting took a seat in an uncomfortable wooden chair that looked like it'd break under her considerable weight. Fortunately, she could weigh what she felt like weighing. "Yes. Oh! I need to pay you, right?"

"Typically." The stallion chuckled and handed her a hoofful of paperwork. "This is just for insurance, some of that legal nonsense like insurance is sometimes needed to confirm some legal thing or other, somepony likes paperwork so we all get it."

Comforting hiked a brow at a lawyer, of all ponies, bemoaning paperwork. "Got it. I have the app too." She pulled out her phone, ready to make any needed payments.

He drew out his own phone and touched the two together with a happy chime. "Alright, that covers the start. The first thing you have to make sure of is that the third floor matches the general appearance of the existing floors. If they differ wildly, you have to prove it's structurally sound much more thoroughly. You also may get neighbors filing complaints, so I don't really recommend it."

Comforting bobbed her head. "From the outside, it should all look the same, no differences."

"Alright, excellent. With that being the case, you would be free to proceed without worry of outside complaint. Be sure to get insurance information from whatever ponies are performing the actual construction. Adding a floor can cause structural issues and you want to be covered." He nodded along with his words. "Don't want your library to collapse and you're left holding the bag."

Comforting laughed tensely. "Insurance! Yes, of course." She knew she was the construction company. There would be no insurance. "Alright, so, let's just say we get one and they get it done, pow. Any things to consider as they do it?"

"Noise." He pointed to a poster. "You can be noisy in the day, but they have to go home at night. Don't do that, more complaints, more trouble. Speaking of, you need to warn your neighbors before construction begins. Ideally, at least a full week's notice, if not a full moon."

Comforting rolled a hand slowly. "Let's pretend. If the construction company were quiet, really quiet, would you need any notifications?"

The pony arched a brow. "If you can find a construction company that can do it at a volume no higher than we're speaking at right now, then no, no noise warnings would be required." He shook his head slowly. "I doubt you can manage that, ma'am."

Comforting clasped her hands together. "Watch me."

He was stunned by that declaration from the chaos pony before him. "You aren't being serious, right? You cannot be serious." He laughed tensely. "Well, alright. Let's assume past that. If you build it basically silently, no noise notices. If you don't create dust or debris, no notices about that either." He raised a brow. "Do pass on the business card of the construction ponies that can perform such miracles. Still, avoid all of that, and you can just get it done. Once complete, you have to submit it for inspection. If they don't find anything wrong, you're done! Your library would have another floor and you can enjoy it."

Comforting thrust a hand at the stallion, capturing his hoof. "Thank you for your wonderful assistance, pony. You're my little pony-go-go. It has been delightful and amazing chatting with you about this important issue." She giggled a little. "Wow, way easier to ask a lawyer about law."

He was quiet a moment before it clicked. "Oh! I'm glad you came to me, ma'am. Plenty of ponies think they can just look up a few laws and they'll be covered. It's a bit more complicated than it looks."

Author's Note

A chapter about the legal steps involving urban expansion of a library? Why not!

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66 - Little Favors

Amber pounced Comforting when they least expected it, mid-book return. "I heard about you snooping around and it's making me nervous!" She hugged her chaotic friend. "How are you going to just make a third floor? I thought you were pretty clear about chaos just being a short thing, and a third floor that's only around a moment hardly seems like a good idea."

Comforting hadn't exactly expected her old friend to rush in and grab her like that. The swift and tight hug gave her an excellent opportunity to just be happy to feel those familiar arms around her, hugging her close. It took her a moment to parse there had been questions attached to the warm hug. "Calm down." She took hold of Amber to nuzzle the unicorn. "Just a trick I plan to try. Worse case, we don't get a third floor the easy way."

Amber laughed despite herself, wiggling softly against that sweet little touch and nuzzle, though she did pause at the implication. "We are still talking about adding a third floor to my library, yes?"

"Of course." She tickles at Amber's sides a little. "I do think a magic floor's a good idea, I really do." Comforting set Amber down on her own hooves. "I'm just going to play a trick, on the city, and the universe, is all."

Amber sighed and crossed her arms, tapping her hoof nervously. "Fine, fine. I do suppose I trust you. I'd just really prefer there was no potential destruction." She waves her hoof absently, fanning the air with her mane and her flowing tail.

"There shouldn't be! Like I said, worst case, we're right where we started." She put her hands to her chest. "I haven't hurt the library so far. I don't plan to start now."

Amber relaxed, having gotten what she hoped to from their discussion, and sat down in a seat, choosing to hang around Comforting while the chaos entity finished what she needed to do that morning. "Thank you again for helping me run this place, you're being such a help, even more than I realized."

Comforting clasped her hands together at the front and leaned in a bit towards Amber. "Happy to do what I can to help the ponies in Equestria, especially you." She ruffled Amber's mane. "Though I do wonder. As lovely as your efforts are here, don't you have some dreams past these walls?"

Amber was still from the hoof playing with her mane, reaching to slap Comforting's away, though her hooves just missed that flitting touch and had to give up. "No. I'm pretty happy with what I have going here." She reached for a book. "When I first came here, I had a saddlebag of books. Now I have a whole building. I've learned magic, and am passing it along. I don't feel like I have room to complain."

"You still have me, you know." Comforting shook her head. "We aren't stuck here, Amber." She used the opportunity of that hoof up on her mane to put it up under her chin to tilt up the librarian's gaze and hold it. "This is a nice place, but a rut is still a rut, even if it's a cozy one. As your resident chaos spirit, trust me on that."

Amber blinked slowly at that and sunk a bit with a long sigh. "Yeah. I know you're right. It's just, after everything..." She stood up and away from Comforting. "I think I'd rather not take you out of a quiet place where you belong."

Comforting gestured with one hand. "So we don't have to go that far." She floofed up Amber's mane, chuckling when it was flicked right back at her face. "We could go see how much the town's grown. Then come back? Start small, but start. Also, if it means my little book horse is happy, it's alright to drag me out of my own comfort zones a while. Don't fret over me. I'm a big girl, literally." She loomed over Amber with a grin.

Amber groaned. "That's a nice offer, really. Just, not right now."

Comforting reached for Amber's hooves to squeeze them. "Amber." She slowly kneeled down in front of the librarian unicorn, looking up to meet that lovely gaze. "As your friend, I want it to be super clear that I don't want you to worry for me. I can handle myself, and I'm trying to handle you too, silly thing."

Amber blanched slightly. "Oh. Yeah. Right." She rubbed a hoof along her arm. "I'll think about it." A thought came to her even faster than she had predicted. "Oh! There's something I always wanted to do but never had the chance to."

"Tell me?" Comforting leaned in with a curious expression. "Don't leave me hanging."

"I've heard about cruises." Amber hopped up onto a seat at a computer and pulled up a cruise quickly, showing its large boat and happy ponies. "That looks fun! I never went on one of those. No time when I was going between books, and then it was impossible to leave here." She smiled sadly. "But I really wanted to. It's supposed to be an amazing vacation spot, where you get to see stuff and also enjoy your own time to rest. See the world and curl up with a good book at the same time."

Comforting gasped with a warm smile at the thought. "A book lover's dream cruise, then." She nuzzled Amber with a wink. "Let's get ourselves on one of those cruises. Get you the nice, cozy experience." She stroked her own chin. "I should talk to Toots. If he can come too, that'd be delightful. A chance for us all to unwind and relax for a while."

Amber pushed back into Comforting to counter-nuzzle. "And let you take a little time to relax yourself, without work, sounds pretty good for all of us. Maybe, hmm, not be gone for too long."

Comforting looked past Amber at that screen. "Looks like most of them are a week or two at the most. Not too long. The other librarians can keep this place going for that long, hm?"

"Sounds like a plan." Amber stood up. "If you think it'd be okay." She stood up. "You're probably right." She whispered to herself. "It might do me some good to take some time off, finally." She started away from the computer. "Check with Toots. It'd be nice to have a friend or two along."

Comforting nodded, considering the plans, the paths, and everything else. "Alright. Let me do that right now, actually." She got up. "Be back, my dear."

Comforting fizzled away from the library abruptly. In the space between here and there, she swam with a grin, to emerge just behind her target. "Whatcha working on?"

Toots jumped in surprise at the sudden emergence of his chaotic wife in the seat behind him, giggling from that hoof tickling along his mane. "Uh, so many things at once." He hoofed at his screen. "It's either slow or way too fast." He pivoted his chair to face her. "What brings you here? You don't often visit during work."

"Amber needs some vacation." Comforting sank a little bit deeper into that chair. "A cruise, sounds fun! And since Amber wants company, I was hoping you could come along. Please?" She bounced with a pleading face.

Toots rubbed at his chin. "Cruise, cruise." He snorted at the thought. "Like I can afford that on my budget!"

Comforting hiked a brow. "You're married to a suspiciously wealthy chaos creature, I remind." She tickled under his chin. "I'd be covering. This is my idea and all." She hopped up. "So long as we can go together, and stay together, it sounds nice." She clasped her hands together. "Toots, I wouldn't really get a vacation otherwise! You both know what I'm like!"

He considered that in silence a bit more before pushing off with a sigh. "I'll talk to my boss. If they give the hooves up, alright." A moment after he said that, he thrust a hoof at Comforting. "And no chaosing them into saying yes, or any other tricks."

Comforting tsked him, pushing his hoof aside. "That wasn't necessary to even bring up." She put her hands together, enjoying the prospect of time alone, but together. "So it's not really about affording the cruise. We have plenty of money and our boss likes you. What is it?"

"It's me actually asking him." He kissed her closer cheek. "So let me ask him. Now, Little Miss Teleporter, I was in the middle of a project. Love you, but I really should get back to it."

She returned that sweet little kiss to his cheek with a soft purr in the back of her throat. "As you were, Toots." She spun his chair to face his computer once more, wiggling his mouse with one finger for him before pulling back away, vanishing away.

She appeared back on the second floor of the library and began a circuit with a smile. She saw ponies creating and collaborating. She saw a group of four students gathering together, trying to create something bigger with one of the printers. They were industriously assembling parts to then press together.

Comforting drifted closer curiously. "What have you got going on there? That looks bigger than the usual thing."

One of the students looked up from the plans laid out on the desk they were using. "Oh, a little thing I've been planning." They patted at the top of their head for a moment before touching it, proud of what they were creating. "Half the challenge is getting the printer to make each piece just right so they can slide together. As they lock together, they make an arm, with a hand at the end."

Comforting perked with that curious detail and watched the arm building process for a while. "Ah, that's a really wonderful little idea, but why build such a thing?" An arm with a hand at the end? Really? Not what she expected her little ponies to dream up.

One of the ponies pointed a hoof at it. "For anypony that needs a helping hand."

Another hiked a brow and motioned to one of them. "In case their arm isn't working, y'know?" They flexed one arm proudly. "Sometimes a pony has a weak arm that just doesn't wanna lift or hold things." The group nodded together.

Comforting orbited around the printer as it works. "That's a nice idea. But the printer can only make plastic. That won't make it move. What will be the moving parts to make it work?"

Another one piped up at that question, and quickly handed over a paper schematic of the planned parts. "We can't make that part here, but being able to work out the not-moving parts is a big help."

Comforting examined the paper and put it down carefully with a chuckle. "Goodness me, but this looks like you've really thought about it." She tickles their forehead. "Sounds like a ton of hard work ahead for you."

A third hoof bumped one of theirs on the desk with a nod. "But it'll be worth it!"

Comforting smiled at the industrious ponies resuming their work. She drifted off to look over the other ponies on the floor. There were quite a lot of ponies doing crafts together and practicing teamwork. Comforting clasped her hands together and pulled away, stepping downstairs for some book restacking. She stopped when she almost bumped into a little pony. "Yes?"

The little pony smiled up at Comforting with wide eyes. "Wow, they weren't lying. You're huge!"

Comforting blushed faintly. "That I am. I'm Comforting. You are?"

She perked with a proud expression and bounced. "I'm Catching. And, and I heard that you like, go all over Equestria sometimes!"

Comforting hoofed herself under the chin, humming in thought. "That is true. What of it, little one?" She bounced a little when Catching started bouncing, before the young filly noticed, blushing sheepishly. Comforting waved a little. "Go on. A little bounce isn't hurting anypony, hm?"

Catching danced from hoof to hoof. "I also heard you could make miracles happen if you want."

Comforting sucked in a deep breath. "There is... a story like that, but let's not focus on that one."

Catching leaned in and tugged along Comforting. "I just wanted to ask a little favor. It's tiny, um, if you have a moment?"

Comforting really looked at Catching in the moment that she touched that young and inviting hoof. The child's eyes were such a soft teal green. Her hair was the same shade with black tips. "I'm listening. What were you thinking about?"

Author's Note

A full Comforting Chapter. She deserved it.

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68 - Time Out

Comforting walked along the boardwalk with her two favorite ponies flanking her. "They've really touched this place up."

"Really." Toots nodded as he looked around the bustling place. "Feels like it just came out of nowhere, but as places to idle away an evening, I've seen far worse."

Amber weaved around some incoming traffic. "What's that?" An open part of the crowd was up ahead, where an older vending machine stood. It didn't appear to be plugged in and was quite dormant.

"Let's take a look, shall we?" Comforting glanced around and hopped the crowd into that patch of quiet just around the abandoned machine. "Yeah. Now this looks old and crusty."

Toots walked past a sign proclaiming the machine had a limited time only run, having stopped sometime about five years ago. "Still looks nice for an ancient relic like this."

Amber clapped her hooves in front of it. "But what did it used to have? Makes you wonder what it used to give." She leaned in to try to examine it, but all the writing was old and worn, making that fairly impossible.

"Yeah." Comforting tilted her head slowly. "Not that we have to wonder." She put a hand to the side and gave it a sudden slap. The machine trembled, shook, then jumped as her chaotic magic took root within it. A glowing golden screen popped up on it. "Woops. Forgot the whole color scheme." She clicked the mouse hoof. "Tiny changes. Like the colors, right?"

The screen adjusted its colors to a very similar blue instead of the new and improved golden screen, complete with a swirling background that had no characters displayed on it.

Toots inclined his head one way and the other. "Uh, it still doesn't say what we can order from it. I don't get it, Comfie. How does it work?"

Comforting winked at him. "You're thinking too literally. Just ask for what you want, something edible likely. Junk food, if I had to guess."

Toots touched his chin in thought. "Hmmmm." He stepped up to the machine and tried to click the hoof-printed buttons on the machine with one hoof. "One cold bowl of pink grass, please?"

The machine buzzed and hopped before a bowl popped right out the bottom into Toot's waiting hooves. "Woah!" He laughed even as he took a nibble. "Tastes good too!"

Amber gasped with a pleased expression and took a seat on one of the stools by the stand. "What else can you get from it?" She reached to touch it with her hoof only for it to tingle faintly against her own skin with static electricity that prickled slightly. She withdrew her hoof quickly with a wince.

Comforting danced over and plopped onto a seat next to Amber, despite their large size difference. "You okay? Just ask for what you want and it'll spit it out. Nothing more complicated than that."

Amber flexed her hoof experimentally with a faint smile. "It sort of buzzed me a little when I touched it. I'm not quite sure what I want from it anyway." She tapped her chin in thought before suddenly brightening. "I think I want something cool and refreshing. How about a cold bottle of pop, orange flavored?"

The machine shook for a moment before spitting out an old-fashioned soda bottle that looked suspiciously like glass or plastic with an old fashioned style cork on the top rather than a modern twist-off cap. Amber caught it as it sailed towards her. "Look at that!" She turned it around in her magic. "That is so retro." With a twist of her magic, she got the cork out of it and brought it in for a sniff. "Smells good."

Comforting telekinetically popped herself open a fresh lemonade soda and enjoyed its cool touch against her lips with a soft hum. "And these machines don't expire." She chuckles softly. "At least, mine shouldn't? Maybe it does." She shrugged. "Hard to predict sometimes when you get to chaos, hm?"

Toots dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "Expire?" He scoffed softly. "What does that even mean for chaos machines?"

Comforting hid a smirk behind a hand and raised her brow at him. "Exactly what you think it means."

Toots perked in surprise. "Wait! Does that mean your magic has an expiration date?!" He laughed at that strange thought before breaking into a fresh burst of laughter at the thought of chaos being expired.

Amber shook her head at Toots. "Most of her magic expires. It just, what, stops? She makes stuff, and it unmakes itself." She turned to Comforting. "Speaking of that, how do you plan on making a floor of the library and having it stick around for longer than a few moments?"

Comforting held up a lone finger. "Patience. I have plans. She grabbed a box of popcorn from her machine to munch on. "Got all you want?"

Toots snickered under his breath, muttering something about expired chaos that made him giggle every few words. He slapped himself on the forehead when he felt his eyes water from laughing so hard. "Oh, ow."

Comforting tickled her husband, making it worse. "Stop laughing at me, not very nice."

Toots struggled against his wife's tickling fingers with laughter still bubbling up his throat until he managed to wiggle free with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He started to chuckle again but just stopped himself. "Um, nice job at least. But we're here to relax, not stuff our faces. I say we check out some of those rides."

Amber giggled and followed along after him with a bounce in her step and a pop in her step from her hooves lightly thumping the boardwalk while they made their way down the length of it. "A great idea. They sure do have a lot of them." She pointed at a roller coaster. "That looks like it could be fun."

Toots quickly hopped on line with the others in tow, bouncing slightly in place with eager anticipation. The line was quick to pass and they were at the head of the train when it stopped to unload.

Comforting was stopped by the stallion at the station. "Sorry, but if you're taller than that statue, you're too tall." He pointed a hoof at the statue of Discord holding out a hand.

Comforting's eyes went wide. "Wow." She didn't imagine him getting made into a ride warning sign, but the idea amused her all the same. "I can fix that." She walked up to the sign and put her head under Discord's extended hand. Pushing up against it, her body condensed until she wasn't stretching to reach it, perfectly sign-sized. "How's that?"

He blinked at Comforting before sighing. "That's fine."

She lifted up slightly to take a spot next to Amber and Toots before settling back down again.

Toots gripped his harness and braced his hooves on the restraints and let them do their work securing him in.

Amber thumped her armrests with a grin. "I can hardly wait!"

Comforting buckled herself into position without waiting for help. "All set. Let's get this moving."

The cart jerked to life and moved steadily forward towards the big dip ahead. Toots grinned at his wife and wiggled in his seat eagerly in preparation for the rush of the drop ahead. Comforting threw her hands in the air to allow the air rushing against her to flow along her palms as she whooped out a hearty cheer. She kept an eye on her companions, enjoying their excited reactions as well. Toots joined in with her hoots and hollers and once Amber had recovered from the first plunge, she added her own happy calls to the mix.

Other ponies were with them, cheering with each sudden swoop down, gravity allowed to bring them towards the ground as it so desperately wanted to do, just to be denied with the slope of the tracks. That was not quite all though. There were parts of the track where it flipped them upside down with little notice beyond some pressure pushing them into their seats from those controls. Toots threw his hooves into the air when the next flip came along, flailing outwards with all his limbs.

By the time they reached the end, they were panting, frazzled, and ready to fall out of their seats. The assistants unlatched them from their seats along with the rest of the crowd to dizzily stagger to the landing deck. Toots scratched at his head with a hoof, groaning slightly. "That was, uh..." He wobbled and grasped at his forehead again. "I feel like I'm flying?"

Amber grinned and straightened up when she felt she could walk straight again. "That was intense." She twirled on Comforting. "I bet you just shouted along for the fun of it."

Comforting blinked. "What, me? No! I was just as excited as the rest of you." She blew into a thumb, inflating to her usual size. "What would give you any other impression?"

Amber smirked and waved a hoof around. "I don't know what it is, but something about you just makes me think you're crazy enough to do that kind of thing for the fun of it." She put her hooves together and interlocked them. "You fly around all the time. I doubt a few ups and downs are enough to really rattle you. Be honest!"

Comforting laughed quietly with her chin low and a smile on her lips. "Alright, you got me. I could handle that no problem, but that wasn't about me! It was about watching you two have fun!" She ruffled the top of both of her companions. "You two made such delightful faces, and sounds. That's what made it fun for me, and worth every single moment. Don't go thinking about me at all, just let loose and have fun! I can do anything anywhere at any time, but with a friend? That suddenly makes it harder, and so much more precious."

Toots exhaled slowly. "Fair enough." He gestured for Amber and Comforting to follow him towards another ride. "I could go for another ride or two, what do you guys say?" He poked Amber in the side playfully when she stayed quiet for too long. "This one's less intense, but it has a better view."

Comforting craned her neck as she looked to the top. "Oh, a Ferris wheel! That looks like it could be fun."

Amber raised her hooves. "I'm not that dumb. That's meant to be enjoyed first by romantic couples." She glared at Comforting and Toots. "Like you two. I'd just be the third wheel."

Comforting snorted back a laugh. "Third wheel? On a Ferris wheel? Don't be silly. There are three seats in each car!" She glanced between Amber and Toots quickly. "Aren't there?"

Toots nodded as he headed up to the kiosk to buy tickets for it. "Yep! Perfect for all three of us." He shrugged with a smile. "We aren't getting on this for smooches."

Amber colored at the thought. "You two are married, last I checked."

"We are." Comforting curled around Toots. "Which means we can smooch whenever and wherever we want to. What makes this spot any different?"

Toots continued towards the Ferris wheel, ignoring Comforting's unrelenting squeeze around him. He did spare a moment to grab Amber's hoof and pull her along with him though. "Come on, grouchy girl, you're going on it with us."

Amber submitted to the tug and allowed herself to be led along by Toots towards the Ferris wheel with Comforting letting him drag them both along happily. Amber fidgeted with her steps. "If you're sure? I just don't want to be in the way."

Comforting laughed, reaching out to tickle Amber on her before leaving them to wiggle freely without her fingers between them. "We know you're not. Now hop on up before we go up without you!"

The three got into the car. "You're a friend, Amber. If we wanted a personal day out, we'd have gone on our own. You're here because we want you to be here, the whole time."

Amber perked up at that gentle assurance and giggled softly with a grin when she looked out the windows and saw the horizon spreading out in front of them and felt the breeze tickling her mane and tail softly as they got higher into the air. "It is a nice view." She slid a little closer and leaned against Toots, closest pony there.

Comforting reached across to tickle at Amber. "If you want a special somepony, I can and will hook you up. Just say the word."

Amber tsked Comforting and shoved her tickling hand away with a firm snort. "Focus on the moment! I'm happy here."

Toots reached over Amber to snag Comforting's hand, bringing it down to his lap. "Just relax and take it in."

Comforting only scooted closer, resting against Toots, looking out over everything below them with a quiet sigh. "I really am glad to be here with you both."

"We're happy you're here with us." Toots shifted back against her with a soft hum. He let out a little chuckle. "And it seems I'm stuck with two lovely mares, one to a side. A stallion couldn't ask for too much more."

Amber snorted back a laugh at that turn of phrase. "Alright there, cheekypants?"

"Stuck fast and feeling free at the same time." He reached over to give Amber's hoof a pat and wiggled his own hoof around when Comforting squeezed it tightly with her fingers and she chuckled softly against his mane with her warm breath wafting over him from behind.

Comforting drifted a hand into Amber's mane to pet gently through her mane and started to purr faintly when Amber didn't resist her advance at all. "Less exciting than the last one, but so relaxing." She hushed herself, enjoying the ride alongside the others. Some moments were meant to be slow and savored, and she did just that.

After they were done with the Ferris wheel, they moved along down the boardwalk to look at some of the different stands available. Some were offering food, some games to play for prizes, but it was a steady stream of opportunity for ponykind to get into shenanigans and tomfoolery.

Author's Note

In this episode, they just have fun. I also retro-explain where that vending machine came from. Pity she didn't make it 'coon proof.

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69 - Adventure Calls

Misty's eyes sparkled and shone as she looked over some of the toys offered by the stand she was checking out. There were stuffed animals of many kinds, including some that were traditional plushes or filled with beans, to ones with bells inside them, or special little goodies tucked into secret pockets.

She saw Amber wandering past and waved at her in a frantic moment. "Amber! Come here! Take a look at this!"

Amber wandered over towards Misty and looked at what she was so excited about. "Hmmm? What's this? A stand of trinkets and baubles?" She saw a display with some fancy jewelry and stopped in front of it to admire its delicate beauty. "Looks pretty enough."

"Not that." Misty took Amber's head and directed it at the stuffed animals. "These. They're so cute! Just look at them! They've got feathers and felt and little bits of ruffle sewn in places. You can tell they put a lot of love into these!" She picked up one of the little animals in particular that caught her eye and snuggled it close to her chest, cooing softly.

Amber smiled at the sight. "Which is your favorite then?"

Misty floated the animal back, horn glowing. "Now that's a hard question! With so many great choices, how does a pony pick just one? How do you decide between something so cute and soft? I really think I might have to just get one of each!" She tilted her head towards Amber with a wry smirk. "But since you asked so nicely, my favorite one is this one right here." She pointed to an armadillo that looked like it wanted to give a hug.

Amber clapped gently. "That is pretty cute. Excuse me?" She waved the vendor down. "I'll take this one." A moment later, she offered it to Misty. "From magic buddy to magic buddy. Consider this my thanks for making magic happen."

Misty accepted the little plush with a wide eyed look of awe on her face that rapidly melted into an expression of deep joy and touched tenderness at being gifted such a precious thing from a friend. "You are the best." She hugged her plush, then Amber. "Are you going to get one for yourself?"

"Tempting, but, mmm, nah." She threw an arm around Misty. "I already have something I can hug."

Misty softened and touched her plush in consideration, then nudged Amber with it with a smirk. "Hugs are always good."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Amber nuzzled against Misty's side softly before slowly pulling away from her friend. "Enjoying yourself? I was with Comforting and Toots. We went on rides and did all sorts of things."

Misty quivered with the effort of suppressing her excitement. "Did you really? Sounds like fun!"

Amber grinned and mussed Misty's mane with a hoof playfully. "I'm still here, and clearly you are too. If you want to do something?"

Misty backed up from that hoof, craning her neck around to find anything interesting on offer nearby. "Do I ever! I wouldn't mind checking out some of those stalls and booths around here for some more magical amusement! Maybe some ice cream! Or anything that's magical and tasty!"

Amber tapped at her chin. "They have tasty, but I didn't run into much that was magically tasty." She waggled her brows. "We'd probably have to make that up ourselves, or get really lucky. Let's go check out some of these other booths and see what they have to offer?"

Misty bounded alongside Amber, leading her towards the next booth that looked promising for such things, though there were stalls full of treats and gifts that intrigued her just as much, so they were constantly darting around to check them all out and explore everything that was available. There were fried dough confections that came in various shapes, some apple flavored, some chocolate dipped, others dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Amber kept up with Misty, nodding as she gushed over the things that caught her eyes. "You're having a good time."

Misty drew to a sudden stop. "Oh no. Am I dragging you along? Do you feel forced to be here?! You're supposed to be enjoying yourself too!" She grasped Amber's hooves with both her own in a panic. "This is supposed to be about you! And me! Not just me!"

Amber shook her head calmly with a little smile curving her lips upwards. "I am having fun seeing how much fun you're having." She touched noses. "And you are having a lot of fun, so I'm happy."

Misty settled slightly, looking uncertainly at Amber, then returning her gaze to the world around them. She had stopped in front of a large building with a casino inside it for some gambling or betting, whatever the case may be. "I didn't think they had anything like this. Want to check it out?"

Amber nodded at Misty's suggestion and started to lead her inside with a curious bounce in her step. It was warm inside with a strong scent of spilled drinks on the ground from gambling games or fun or bets lost or won. "Be careful in here. Don't spend bits you aren't already comfortable with having lost." She curled a hoof to her chin. "Think of it like money you're spending to have fun, not to make more. You probably won't. I read about that."

"Interesting." Misty hurried inside to take a look around at the sights offered within and soaked in all the sights and sounds, flinching slightly at a slot machine that was making a lot of noise with a jangling chorus of metal in motion from whatever was happening behind that curtain of lights and the grim pony pulling the lever at it. "Huh." She turned away, ears pinned against the wild noises. "There are so many ponies in here!"

Amber spread her arms with a soft huff of laughter when she spotted some cards being played at one of the tables on offer inside and headed towards it with a calm smile on her face. "There sure are. You know how to play this one?"

"Maybe?" Misty stepped closer to try to watch what was happening at the table. "They seem to be dealing out cards and tossing some chips around. A little confusing though, but it looks like they're playing against each other for now?"

Amber waved Misty to her side. "We'll play a round together. I'll show you how it works. Hey." She waved over the nearest pony in charge, an employee judging by the outfit and how they helped her out, getting them a table to sit at with some other ponies taking part in the game, and giving them the basics of how to play quickly and easily before walking off again.

Misty lifted the cards tossed at her and looked at them curiously.

"Don't say what you have." Amber leaned over for a peek without saying them herself. "Alright, so you may want to put that one down." She pointed." She straightened up to examine her own hand. "Yeah, go ahead and discard it if you can. Let's see here..." She squinted at her own cards with a smile that she fought back quickly. "Hmmmm." She had a good hand, but the odds of that working out well were still against her. She could do it though. "Alright, I'm ready."

Misty blinked at Amber before examining her cards more closely and comparing them against what she could see of her friends and what little she knew of the game. She went with Amber's suggestion for what card to put down. "I think I'm good."

The pony dealing out cards shuffled through his deck and dealt everyone a card each until everyone had six cards total in their hooves and went through the betting phase.

Amber slid some chips forward with a sneer.

One of the other ponies tapped out, crossing their arms.

Another slid their cards forward to show their hand for a simple exchange of more chips for any other pony with better cards. They lost their bet though.

The pony across from Amber glared at her, but not at the cards in her hooves, only at Amber herself before they showed their hand.

Amber did not win. It wasn't a bad hand, but it wasn't the best at the table.

That was Misty's, who looked amazed, and confused, as chips were pushed at her. "I won?! But how?"

"Probably your straight flush." Amber let out a huff of laughter under her breath. "Go ahead and scoop up your winnings."

Misty dragged a hoof along the top of her pile of chips, but they kept rolling off each other in clumps that threatened to get everywhere. The dealer offered her a bag to store them in. "Congratulations, ma'am."

Amber chuckled softly when she got handed a couple chips from Misty's spoils. "That was really impressive luck. Guess you're one lucky pony." She perked up when she heard someone call out behind them and saw Comforting was waving at them from outside. "Let's go say hi."

They had to pause briefly for Misty to turn her chips into actual money. "You got real lucky, walking out of a casino with more than you went in, after I gave that warning and everything." She laughed under her breath at the thought. "But you did get lucky. Nice."

Misty grinned from ear to ear as she pocketed her cash before bouncing alongside Amber towards Comforting with the bag of money in tow. "Comforting! Hey! What brings you out this way?"

"Wanted to check on you both!" She got a hand on either of them, ruffling her two uni-buddies. "Up to magical chicanery?"

Amber shook her head. "Only if you count having some fun as that."

Misty jumped beside Amber with an eager expression on her face. "Yeah! Checking out the shops, games, and more!"

Comforting let go of them to spin around with a chuckle. "This boardwalk is full of distractions, isn't it?" She stopped, facing them. "I heard something, big news for our magical tutors. Wanna hear?"

Misty leaned forward eagerly with her eyes shining brightly. "Yeah! Anything big enough to catch your attention is worth hearing about!"

Comforting gathered up both unicorns, whisking them off towards some distant corner of the boardwalk with a brief glitter of chaotic magic. She set them down on a bench facing her. "Your students, some of them went home." She made a walking gesture with her fingers. "But they're spreading magic. Magic is returning to Bridlewood!"

Amber's jaw dropped for a moment. "They went back and told others about what we were teaching them?" She covered her mouth with a hoof and looked away for a moment. "That's amazing. And fast!"

Comforting leaned in towards the two. "A good idea can travel really far in a day. I've seen it happen before. The question is what to do with it." She poked at each of them gently with a single finger. "And how far do you want it to go?"

Misty grabbed onto Amber's hoof tightly in her own and gave her a pleading expression with her eyes and face both. "This is great news! I just hope they use it without getting into too much trouble, but they deserve the chance to try."

Amber squeezed back against her and looked down at the ground. "It is good news. I don't know if it was the right choice for the ponies who left, but I want to think it was." She took a slow breath. "I would have preferred they finished our lessons before they galloped off, but, still." She shuffled in place. "I am glad unicorns are getting their magic back. I just hope they use it carefully."

Comforting gave a little wink. "You never know. Oh! Amber. You had learned a spell, but what happened with it? The partial transformation. I really liked the idea of it, but did you get anywhere with it? And if you did, would you be willing to share?" She held a hand up to her chin in thought. "We could have a whole class on it."

Amber blushed and glanced away. "It's a bit complex, and dangerous, so I wasn't rushing to teach that one. But I did get the magic words for a few other parts of a few other critters. I'd love to get some other creatures, but the only one around that isn't a pony is you, Comforting, and not sure I should be looking at chaos spirits like that."

Comforting raised her brows. "Really?" She glanced around, then back, before vanishing into mist, reforming next to them with her wings spread. "Well, go on, if you want to see a griffon. I'm happy to help a hoof out."

Amber whirled on Comforting. "You know where griffons are?! You could take me to them!"

Misty hopped up and down in a circle. "What's a griffon? You sure sound excited by them, whatever they are."

Amber pointed back at the library. "I've read about them in books. Never actually saw one, but they're amazing creatures. They look like birds in the front." She waved at her top half. "And cats down here." She waved at her bottom half. "I'd love to actually meet one." She waved at Comforting. "You know where they are?!"

Comforting raised her hands. "I have an idea. I might be able to get you there."

"Please! I'll do anything!" Amber hopped back and forth. "Take us there!" She cantered in place. "A lost creature, found! If they're nice, we could even invite them to pony cities."

Comforting flickered next to Amber. "Whoa there. That's a lot of energy for no reason." She glanced back and forth between the two ponies with a raised brow. "We're not going today. You two already spent most of it having fun around here. Dragging you off on a wild adventure hardly feels right."

Amber ducked slightly with her hooves covering her mouth with embarrassment written on her face in pinkish tones. "Sorry." She stepped back towards Misty quickly to give herself some distance from Comforting without losing her altogether and thumped into Misty's side. "You're right, I got a bit overexcited. We did have fun earlier, so it might not be the best time for more adventuring."

Comforting let Amber gather herself for a few moments before asking gently, "Tomorrow, after breakfast?" She looked to Misty. "You want to come along?"

Misty brightened up at that offer and bobbed her head vigorously. "Yeah! I want to come!" She leaned in against Amber with a chuckle. "If we're going together, that is."

"Of course." Amber hugged Misty, the two giggling with clear thoughts of griffons, even if the two weren't imagining exactly the same thing at that moment.

Author's Note

Did somepony say griffons?!

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70 - Griffons!

The next day, Amber was up early. She was so excited to meet a griffon that she was in her seat waiting long before breakfast. Comforting came in the front doors of the library to find Amber waiting at the front desk. "Did you even go to sleep?"

"I did." Amber waved for Comforting to follow her. "Just woke up early, is all. Griffons are going to be cool to meet." She brought Comforting over to the section of the library where information about other races was kept and tugged a book off the shelf. "These books are all incredibly out of date. Nopony's seen many other creatures in forever."

Comforting nodded with her lips drawn tight. "Well, that ends today. You just have to be patient for a little while. We need to get through breakfast first."

Toots strode in with a wave to Comforting and Amber. "That's what I'm here for. We have a promise. Breakfast and dinner. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone." He rolled his sleeves up and gestured for the two of them to join him in the kitchen. "So where are you two running off to anyways? For this whole adventure of yours?"

"Please still be here!" came a worried voice as Misty raced into the library huffing for breath. She wheezed in relief when she saw Amber standing by the shelves. "Thank the sun. Was worried I'd missed out on the fun." She slumped down to catch her breath before following along with the others.

"We're going to go find a new species. A new creature!" Amber reared back with an excited smile. "A griffon!"

"That is wonderful." Toots blinked. "Uh...what are they?" He placed a pot of water to boil on the stove and set about preparing tea for himself.

Comforting darted to Toots' side, one arm wrapped around him. "Half bird, half cat. All sass, last I knew them. I'm looking forward to seeing how they've done after all these years."

Amber laid down on the ground, excitedly drawing out her imagination's image of what a griffon should look like on paper.

"They sound interesting. Just stay safe and keep your wits about yourselves." Toots was focused on making breakfast, keeping himself busy with his husbandry tasks.

Comforting watched him quietly, her attention divided between him and Amber. "Toots has a point, by the way." She turned to Amber with her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Even though you've practiced together, it's your first time venturing somewhere together. Be mindful of that when you reach the griffons. Make sure you don't end up regretting the trip somehow." She went quiet when food was passed to her, savoring the taste while thinking to herself silently about everything else at stake.

"You are lovely at cooking, in case it need be said." Comforting smooched Toots' at the end of his snout.

"Thanks." He passed a plate along to Amber and Misty before returning to work. "Now let's eat up so you three can go find yourselves some feathered beasts to talk to."

Amber took a deep swig from her cup and wiped off her muzzle with a pleased huff. "Much appreciated."

Misty nibbled at her own food. "This is so exciting! How long should it take? Is this a day trip, A week? A moon or three? So much could go wrong..."

Toots shrugged. "Could be a long journey. Can't tell from here, sadly."

"Comforting will be with us the whole time." Amber smiled up at the tall draconequus beside them. "She's yet to steer me wrong. Now, she has made it so I could steer myself wrong, but that's more of a me-mistake. Comforting doesn't usually guide anyone astray."

Comforting smirked. "Usually, you're not trying to go somewhere. Today we are, so finish eating." She scooped up her plate. "Afterwards, we should head out for our little field trip, to see some birds."

When they had eaten and finished up their tea, Amber trotted alongside Misty towards the library's front entrance, leaving the dusty tomes that she'd pulled out behind for another day. "Where do we need to go, exactly? Are you going to magic us there?"

Comforting followed along behind the pair, stopping in front of the open doors, ready to leave. "As far from here as we can get, and yes." She produced a crystal ball, turning it in the air with waves of her hands. "As fun as trekking there on our own would be, we do want to get there within the chapter."

Misty blinked at that. "Chapter?"

"Never you mind." Comforting ruffled Misty's mane. "I love your mane style, by the way. Very unique."

Misty squeaked softly under her breath before frowning at Comforting with a serious pout. "You are trying to confuse me with flattery so I stop worrying!"

"And it worked," teased Amber. She waved at the space around them, no longer just in front of the library. "See? Wherever we are now."

Misty glanced around themselves quickly at the empty clearing that they'd arrived at the edge of. "That is a neat trick." She bumped hooves with Amber. "So, where are those griffons?"

"Coming to see who teleported into the middle of their village," whispered Comforting. She lifted an arm. "Good afternoon."

Misty cowered at Comforting's side. "Did you have to dump us on their heads?"

Amber looked beyond the clearing, taking in the signs of the small village they were in the middle of. It was truly a village, a small one at that, closer to Bridlewood compared to Maretime Bay or Zephyr Heights. They, the buildings, were made of mud and reached two to three stories tall. They had roofs that arced at the ends and there were posts embedded into the walls with stairs leading from one level of the houses to another. "Wow."

The nearest griffon stepped closer to the group. Their feline tails lashed and their beaks clacked softly. They were proud hunters just at a glance, unlike ponies. "Who, and what, are you? No offense but you're kind of weird." The speaker had dark brown feathers with white markings across their legs and wings. His tail curled around his hindpaws while he sat there.

"Thank you. I know." Comforting stuck her tongue out at them. She went quiet though, looking to Amber and Misty to do the heavy lifting in the conversation.

Amber glanced sideways at Misty. "Um. Well. We just wanted to come by. This is really cool! We don't have a map, but Comforting told us you existed so here we are!"

Misty bobbed her head. "She's Amber, and I'm Misty. Hello! It is an honor to meet you! Um. Are you doing okay here?"

Amber swallowed softly to wet her throat, letting out a little nervous laugh. "Yes, sorry, didn't mean to come off so eager. I've only heard stories of griffons."

That first griffon laughed softly. "You're ponies, aren't you? Wow. Grandpa wasn't joking when he rambled about those. Weird, but welcome I suppose. My name is Floraugh." His tone had lightened a little towards something resembling curiosity. "Heard of us? From who? You have a grandpa that told you stories too?"

Other griffons sat just as far away, looking at their visitors with clear curiosity. They muttered amongst themselves but otherwise stayed away.

"No. I learned about you from books! Old ones. Griffons haven't visited Equestria since... Um." Amber tapped at her chin. "Since at least magic was sealed away a thousand moons ago!" She glanced off to her side and gave a soft giggle. "Sorry for coming off so excited, but I've never met something that wasn't a pony before. So this is awesome!"

Floraugh snorted softly under his breath and gave a wing beat towards a nearby home. "Well, here we are, and welcome to town, or maybe townlet? I'd get the elders, but they're sleeping at this time of day. Also, not like we knew you were coming or anything." He tilted his head in the sharp way a bird could. "But you're welcome here, I suppose. Don't cause trouble. Would hate to kick you out and make this meeting go badly."

Comforting held up a finger. "Best behavior, promise."

"Speaking of that." Floraugh peered at Comforting. "You don't look like a pony. I don't recognize you either."

Comforting chuckled. "Of course not. I'm a Draconequus! Nice to meet you." She bowed.

Floraugh clicked his beak thoughtfully. "And you must be friends with them since you got them here?"

Comforting straightened slowly. "That'd be right. Though she said you were the first non-pony, clearly she met me." She nudged Amber lightly. "But I won't be in the way of introductions, either."

"Well, you are all welcome here, I guess." Floraugh extended a clawed forepaw. "What exactly were you looking for though, or did you come here just to say hi?"

Amber eyed Floraugh's extended paw uncertainly before reaching out to shake it with a hoof. "Honestly? I mostly came because I was curious about other types of creatures. Ponies are pretty neat, but I want to learn what's going on outside my hometown."

"Ahhhhh." Floraugh spread his wings briefly before settling again, claws clicking against the packed earth beneath their feet. "Well, alright."

He spread his arms wide. "Welcome to our small home," he got out in a song, clearly musical notes to his words. "Such as it is, all alone."

Another griffon joined in, showing they could experience a heartsong just as a pony could, "Out here in this village green." They gestured out to where the ground sloped downward. "Barely on a hill."

A window popped open, a griffon hen joining the song, "A griffon home is rather chill!" She waved at the new poneis. "With mudbrick wall and clay floor tile." She spread her arms wide. "Each window filled with love and smiles!"

Floraugh pointed off into the distance. "The valley sits just past that peak." His finger indicated where things tilted upwards sharply. "Down along a steep slope. A beautiful sight to behold." The song completed, he sank to his haunches.

"That was amazing!" Amber huffed out under her breath. "Griffons can sing too? Oh, wow. That was amazing! I loved hearing that. Do you all have such lovely singing voices? I am impressed, amazed, and so excited! Thank you, all of you! That was really sweet of you." She danced from hoof to hoof in place while her companions watched.

"Oh. It was nothing much. Floraugh smirked mildly. "Does mean you're officially alright around here. Keep your furry noses clean and we won't have to kick you out. Though..." He stared at them silently. "Ponies, right? Weird bodies, but okay. Stay well out of trouble. Cause none and you'll fit in great around here. Not many rules."

A hen grabbed Misty from behind, almost getting kicked for it, not that this stopped her from pulling the surprised unicorn closer. "Look at you! Such lovely eyes. Shame about your mane. Want me to preen it?"

"Preen?" asked Amber.

"Groom." Floraugh gestured along his feathers, sliding claws between them and the skin underneath. "She's talking about your frazzled mane. Want her to fix it?"

Misty hopped away, twirling to face the smiling hen. "It's frizzy this way on purpose. Thanks, but I'm fine."

Amber edged in. "I can take that offer!"

The hen nodded. "Fine by me!" She held her clawed limbs aloft. "Come here, you adorable thing! She drew Amber in and got to playing with her mane like a very overgrown doll that she was officially allowed to groom, making pleased humming sounds as she did it.

Comforting sidled over to watch closely, appearing oddly pleased at the sight of the grooming happening. She poked Amber with a single finger. "Is it ticklish?"

"Yes. Try to stop her though, I dare you." Amber giggled, but stayed still for the griffon working on her. "Besides, I want to try a griffon mane style. That sounds amazing!"

Comforting chuckled and shrugged off Amber's comment easily. "Enjoy yourself then." She faced Floraugh. "There any nests free in your homes? Wouldn't mind being around a few days to see what's what."

Another griffon landed, an older male one. "You're all ponies. Ponies have bits. Show us the coins, and you can borrow the nests." He crossed his arms firmly and stared expectantly, not leaving any room for debate on his offer. "They'll be in good shape and safe."

Comforting made coins appear between her fingers, holding out a handful for him. "Fair enough. Some poor banker will be very confused."

Amber perked an ear at that. "Why?"

Comfort handed the coins over to the griffon. "I had to withdraw bits from my account. I left a note for them."

Floraugh turned, spreading his wings. "Follow along then!" He started walking. "Welcome to our village!" He leapt skyward, flapping to carry himself aloft and show the way from above.

Their temporary nest for the evening ended up being a spacious round structure that looked like any other. The biggest difference was that it only had one other griffon in it, that older male that was on the first floor. "I don't feel like taking the effort to fly up to my roost anymore, so I don't use the second floor very much. It's yours for however long you three want it. Don't disturb my belongings though. My room is right below yours on this floor, and I can hear it when you make noise."

He glared hard at the newcomers before softening. "Though I shouldn't mind talking to you over a shared meal."

Comforting clapped. "What a gentlegriffon. Nice to meet you. Sleep tight down there."

The older griffon rolled his eyes, trudging towards his bedroom.

"Sleep?" asked Amber. "Should we? We just got here, I'm not even kind of tired yet! We should explore! We might never get the chance to see griffons again!" Amber darted out of the hut with an energetic toss of her head, keen to get out and see more of the world around them, starting with the village and surrounding areas.

Author's Note

Griffons! They seem to have chilled a bit, but that prickly edge sure is still there.

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71 - Birds of a Feather

They were outside the nest they were offered for the night in no time flat and roaming freely through the streets. Griffons could be found just as readily out here, watching with passive curiosity at what the equines got up to with every step. Though they were clearly being watched, animosity wasn't the problem, just curiosity.

"You don't have beaks."

Amber jumped, coming down facing a little griffon child. "Oh, hello. You do have one, and what a nice beak it happens to be."

The child giggled, hiding his beak behind his claws. "Thanks. Name is Kaltor." He fluttered his wings briefly. "You're so short! Do all ponies have manes?"

Misty circled around the child. "We're taller than you, and about the same size as most of the griffons around here. But, yeah, manes are a pony thing." She ran a hoof through her own frizzy mane. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"It looks weird," remarked the youngster, hopping backwards in mock terror. "It's fluffy." He shook his head. "Not right to have fuzz there. You look like a sheep."

Amber imagined herself as a sheep a moment. "We're not quite that fluffy, but I suppose fluffier than a griffon overall. Nice to meet you, Kaltor. Mind showing us around your village?"

Kaltor gave Amber a firm nod. "Yeah! This way!" He took flight and headed off, flying low through the street. "No market today." He waved to a place with stalls and tables, but no griffons at that moment. "They'll be back tomorrow at the first crack of light."

They passed close by the center of the village and the mudbrick buildings surrounding them. Most seemed like average homes, places to lay down and rest one's head after a hard day of hunting or relaxing.

Misty edged closer to the chick. "Question! Do griffons perch? We saw a few poles in the room we're sleeping in."

Kaltor nodded eagerly. "Yep. Sometimes you gotta just find a good spot and go with it."

Amber frowned, thinking back on that room again. "Makes sense." She paused, focusing on a single part of that response. "But only sometimes?"

"Sometimes." Kaltor twirled around to face the ponies. "Ponies don't? Weird."

"I know!" Amber bounced excitedly. "I want to hear more."

Comforting was between Amber and Misty were she was not but a moment before. "You two look like you're having fun!"

Misty darted aside to avoid bumping into Comforting. "Of course we are." She looked around the village and its residents carefully. "A bit quieter than Maretime Bay, but so cool! Kaltor, what do griffons do for fun?"

Amber cut in, waving eagerly. "Or what are the best parts about living here?"

Kaltor grinned and shrugged. "Being together! Being near the others in our village is what matters most."

Comforting clapped together her hands. "Aw! Griffons sure have mellowed out over the years, that's so nice to see."

Kaltor flicked his tail curiously, glancing over Comforting. "How long have you known about us?"

"A couple thousand moons, give or take a century." Comforting chuckled, spinning around on the balls of her feet to regard Kaltor. "One thing hasn't changed, you're all still adorable. It's just easier to approach now than it had been before. A real shame, that. We were friends with all sorts of other people and races in the distant past."

Kaltor shrugged mildly and bounded towards the forest. "Want to see the trees we get to hang out in?"

"Yeah!" Misty darted after him with a laugh, followed swiftly by Amber who waved back towards Comforting.

The trio traveled along a well-trod path heading into the forest, following it for many minutes. This ended at a place where the trees grew tall and straight with nary a bough until high above.

Amber whistled at the sight. "You'd have to be good at climbing, or have wings, which we do not, to enjoy these trees. Look how tall they are!" She held a hoof against the trunk of the nearest, patting the solid wood.

Kaltor flew up into the canopy of leaves. "Are we really all that different? Same body shape. Four legs, two eyes, claws instead of hooves, a beak instead of a muzzle, and I don't think your tails are used for steering. Otherwise, you seem pretty similar to a griffon." He dropped back to the ground.

Amber and Misty moved their legs in near tandem, matching pace for pace. The unicorns let themselves get lost in thought at Kaltor's comments. Amber caught up with Kaltor. "We're all creatures in the end. It's nice to meet another." She put a hoof to her chest, just to pause. "Actually, we haven't shown you what we can do. You've shown us griffon tricks, it's only fair."

Kaltor glanced at Amber, tilting his head. "Show me what?"

"Magic!" Amber took a deep breath to steady herself and began to cast, the glow lighting up her horn until a full sized orb of raw, arcane power floated above her cranium. She threw her head down, bringing the magic down on herself. When the magic cleared, Amber had a beak. "Ta da!" Her words were slurred mildly, not used to having one of those.

Kaltor burst out laughing. "Your beak's all wrong! I can fix it." He climbed onto Amber's back, placing both talons on either side of the offending feature.

Amber froze at Kaltor's touch and how he balanced himself on her shoulders. "I don't, um."

Misty reached up to pat the small child. "She's just new to having a beak, is all. Give her a chance. Let's see if it works once Amber is settled in."

Comforting paced a wide circle around the ponies and their young griffon acquaintance. "Having fun without me?" She laughed without sounding that upset about it. "You three make a lovely group. Kaltor, hate to but in, but do your parents know where you are?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Kaltor waved it off dismissively. "They said I should make new friends whenever possible. Especially since that's important, and that I don't really have many. Or any, besides family."

Comforting brought a talon to her fuzzy chin. "Griffons really have changed."

"You're weirdly familiar with us." Kaltor glided off of Amber's back to the ground.

Amber shook her head, magic puffing out as her snout returned to its usual form. "We're here to make friends, just like you are. You've been nice, so why wouldn't we be nice too?"

"We're friends," confirmed Misty. "We'd be nice even if you weren't, really. We're the guests poking our noses into things. Don't want to be rude."

Amber shuffled to walk ahead of Kaltor and Misty. "Maybe we'll come back to visit sometime! The trip isn't bad." She paused with thought. "Actually." She whirled to face Comforting. "Where are we? You teleported us here. Are we close to home, or far away? There weren't really directions to follow. At least, I don't remember there being any."

Misty gaped. "I forgot you teleported us. Where did you even find this place? How?"

Comforting took a seat, crossing her legs comfortably on the forest floor. "It's just a spell, dear. And, not super far. No real directions."

Kaltor tilted his head to Comforting. "How far is not far?"

Comforting walked her fingers through the air. "Aren't you the curious little chick? If we just walked, it'd be, hm, a week or three?"

Amber's eyes went wide. "We're that far away?! But we have to get home to do research! To teach classes! To run my library!" She darted from foot to foot with nervous energy coursing through her. "Comforting!"

Comforting held out a hand. "Relax. We don't have to walk. We can always teleport back."

Amber sank to her haunches, panting. "Don't scare me like that."

Misty laughed gently. "You did ask. So, Comfie, could you draw us a map? We can't always ask you to teleport us, if anypony else wants to visit." She lifted a hoof into the air. "Maybe they want to visit Maretime Bay, or even Zephyr Heights. Travel makes new connections, and we all need those."

"Uh-huh! I want to go someplace else now!" Kaltor looked out towards the horizon. "There are pony towns? I want to visit! Please? Will you show me them?"

Comforting scratched at her cheek with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I would gladly create a map for you, but it will be by your own hooves, or wings, or whatever else that you actually make the trip. I'm only giving a delivery service to those two, and only promising this one time at that. Don't want people to get too used to Comfy rides."

Amber winced softly. "Can't expect you to just ferry us around everywhere."

Comforting shrugged. "I mean, you can. Just saying I won't do it all the time. You can't learn and grow if I'm your answer to everything, now can you?"

Kaltor spoke up. "And I can't come along?"

Comforting smirked at Kaltor. "You're cute, but I'm pretty sure your parents would rip me apart for snatching their kid away, and they'd have every right to do it. I couldn't even be angry. So, no, sorry. Ask them, nicely."

Misty nodded with a knowing look on her face. "She's right. I was taken from home when I was a filly, it's not fun."

Kaltor glanced sideways at Misty. "Sorry for mentioning it." He rubbed behind his head. "I'll just fly then."

Amber laughed at that. "After you ask your parents, I hope. You are too eager to run away from home. You are an egg in griffon terms." She tapped Kaltor's chin softly, making sure he was looking her in the eyes. "Stay safe. Then go find the fun. The rest will follow."

The sun was drawing high in the sky, and the ponies remembered that the day's explorations were building a powerful hunger. They decided to return to the village proper. Thankfully, this was just a matter of following the path backwards. Back within the griffons' homes, they found food already prepared.

It was laid out in baskets before each house, fruits and roots of several varieties piled high. Comforting looked at them with some mild confusion. "I somehow figured griffon lunches would have more meat involved. Have they gone veg?"

Amber hunched down to grab at one root, chomping on it with pleasure. "Surprisingly delicious." She chewed with a smile. "For not being cooked, pretty good."

Most of the food was filling if plain fare, lacking in spices or any real adornment save the variety inherent to each root or fruit.

Kaltor was gone, as if he'd just wandered off, but he was a child, and they weren't above doing just that. Fortunately, another familiar griffon landed. Floraugh was there, holding an apple between his claws. "Welcome back. Glad to see you've gotten into lunch already." He tossed his apple high to grab it beak-first.

Misty lifted her head. "We were hungry. You eat raw vegetables? This seems really unprepared compared to breakfast."

Floraugh waved off the concern with his wing. "Breakfast was more important. Now what's that I heard about meat? That's for special meals. Meat isn't easy to get."

Misty leaned towards Floraugh. "So you are still hunters?"

"We catch fish." Floraugh's face screwed up briefly. "Or did. Not much water nearby, sadly. We can hunt game too, but a lot of animals aren't keen on getting hunted, and can make hunting them interesting for the hunter."

Amber's hoof hovered around the stem of a single berry. "Well, you could trade for it. Ponies would love to trade with you."

He looked shocked at that. "Ponies have meat?!"

Amber shook a hoof quickly. "Not game meat, but we do catch fish. We came from Maretime bay, they do lots of fishing."

"I love fish!" Floraugh sat upright quickly with a grin on his face. "Do they salt them? Make them last?"

"Yes!" Amber bobbed her head and glanced sideways. "Not sure how many bits it would cost, but they have dried fish available at stores."

He got a scheming look on his face. "Then I'll have to stop by. Maybe we could trade a thing or two. So, uh, where is this place?"

"Just ask Comfy." Misty jerked a hoof at Comforting.

Floraugh looked to Comforting. "Miss?" He dipped his beak politely.

Comforting looked up from her cartography desk, which surely hadn't been there a few moments before. "I'm working on it! Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a good map?! It takes time, work, effort, dedication, and talent!" She wiggled her digits in the air. "If anypony asks, it was magic. Maps don't make themselves." She resumed her scribbles on parchment.

Amber licked crumbs from her lips. "The important bits are done though, right?" She was watching the work carefully. "See, this here is Maretime Bay. Here's the path along the sea cliffs, then we go inland, wind around those mountains, through the, hm." She followed the path with her eyes. "It's a bit of a journey, but it doesn't look impossible."

Floraugh trotted up beside Comforting to join Amber and watch the drafter's progress. "A map is all we need, right?"

"I'm adding a few notes." Comforting drew a mountain symbol in ink. "It'll be up to you to copy this masterpiece once I'm done with it." She kept scratching in notes and details alongside the paths that led back to Equestria.

Amber focused on Comforting's writing with a studious glint in her eye. "Writing it all down means remembering it better." She clopped her hooves. "And it'll be a lot easier to copy once we're back home." Visions of a photocopier danced in her mind. "But I don't see one of those around here. Floraugh, can you make a copy? For yourself or future griffon explorers?" She smiled softly. "We've enjoyed meeting you already. I'd like to see griffons around Maretime Bay, someday."

Floraugh stared down at the map for a long minute before nodding his head firmly. "Yeah. Of course, I can do that." He gave a little chuckle. "Leave it to me." He got out his own paper and started scratching a quill against it.

Author's Note

Griffons? But we have those at home.

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72 - Don't Ask How It's Made

With lunch done, and map made, Misty approached Floraugh while he put together his copy of the original document that would eventually be carried by future griffon explorers. "Floraugh? Would you mind talking for a bit?" She tilted her head. "Tell us about growing up around here?"

Floraugh tucked his paws against his chest, then sprawled on his side with his tail curled up at the end. "That came out of nowhere!" He rolled upwards with a little smile. "Seriously. Never had to talk about myself before."

Amber joined them, laying on the other side of Misty. "Floraugh, you probably have stories to tell, especially considering how remote this is compared to even Bridlewood, let alone Zephyr Heights." She was excited about meeting these new people, so hearing about what they'd been up to sounded like something she wanted to get involved in.

"Well..." He rubbed his chin with a clawed hand. "I remember catching bugs in the garden, hunting for beetles, chasing dragonflies." His voice fell to a whisper. "Learning how to catch them without smashing them. Harder than it looks."

Misty giggled at the mental image. "That wounds adorable, but I think we were wondering about what childhood was like, besides the fun hobby you had. Nice hobby, but besides that."

Floraugh's tail twitched slowly back and forth. "Childhood. Hm. I was kind of a rotten chick. Didn't listen to my parents. Kept getting in trouble because of it, of course."

Amber put a hoof over her mouth. "But you seem so nice now!"

Floraugh scrunched his beak in annoyance. "Don't sound too surprised, please. I worked hard to be good. Just didn't start out that way." He closed his eyes, remembering. "Once, I tried to fly beyond our town's limits, wanted to see if there was anything else out there in the wide world. Almost got eaten for it. My folks had to chase off a hungry monster and bring me home. Dad told me to never scare Mom like that again. Said I had nothing to prove."

Amber cocked an ear at Floraugh, eyes slightly narrowed. "Well, I think anycreature that can grow up from that to the lovely creature we've learned about has done a nice job for themselves. Besides, you weren't hurt. Probably worth it."

"Yeah, yeah." Floraugh waved away Amber's comment, his feathers fluffing up. "I was such a rebellious little griffon." He leaned in. "You had those two kinds of chicks, the good ones, and the bad ones. Take her." He pointed up to a griffon hen watching them from her window. "She's a good one."

"Hello!" The other griffon waved, seeming to notice she was being spoken about. "Um, is something happening?"

Misty shook her head and smiled up at the stranger. "Just having a nice chat." She waved at the female griffon before turning her gaze back on Floraugh. "So she listened to her folks. And you didn't. What was your mom like? Did she look like you?"

"Not quite like me." He trailed the patterns of color on his face. "Different patterns, but same colors. She listened to her folks, and all the other authorities. If they made a rule, she'd follow it, unlike me at the time. The good chicks protected the bad chicks like me. She was the one that squealed on me when I took off, and that's why my parents got there in time before I got eaten." He laughed tensely with a blush. "So I owe her."

"Do you keep in contact with your mother?" asked Amber.

"Of course! I send letters. She lives just outside the village." He smirked at the ponies. "You can't meet my mom today. She doesn't take new things very well, and I'd have to warn her at least a day in advance. Even then, I wouldn't give odds she'd agree to meet."

Amber huffed. "Someday then. When we next meet your mother, we shall pay our respects. Can we hear more about your younger self? Come on. No shame in that. Everycreature starts somewhere. We were children before. Were you smaller, rounder?"

Floraugh burst into fresh laughter. "Was I smaller? Pretty sure all creatures start smaller, and most rounder too. I don't have any pictures though, so, sorry." He paused, turning in place a moment. "Ah, there!" He pointed sharply. "There's a little chick."

They turned to follow his gesture. A young griffon was wandering in the shadows underfoot, shuffling around with tiny feet. The ponies grinned at the sight. The baby had rounded edges instead of harsh angles, but his feathers and fur were already starting to gain their natural hues.

"He's adorable. And small." Misty darted closer to investigate the cub. The chicks' parent did not approve, the mother shooing Misty away with quite the irritated squawk.

"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Misty trotted quickly away from the pair of griffons. "Didn't realize I was intruding on something personal."

The chick hid behind her mother, peering nervously around her at the group.

Floraugh waved Misty closer. "They're not mad, but griffons can be awful territorial about their chicks, especially when they're that small. You can't just rush up to them like that, unless they're already super close friends." He kept an eye on the mother and child. "You guys did well at breakfast with that kid, so I assumed you knew what you were doing. Don't worry, I know now that's not the case."

Amber rubbed her hooves nervously. "Sorry, we just wanted to say hello. But did you just say you know now we don't know what we're doing? That isn't very nice."

Floraugh huffed softly. "I meant I know you two weren't trying to cause any trouble. So what else do you want to know about?"

"What's a normal day like around here?" Amber spread her arms to indicate the buildings around them, drawing her hooves over the ground. "What do your days look like?"

Floraugh inclined his head sharply. "You've seen a lot of it. We talk, hunt, grow food. Some of us practice crafts." He hiked a thumb at himself. "I like drawing. Lots of paper lying around, you can make it from bark." He chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

Amber chuckled. "Oh, I have to see this now. In Maretime Bay, everything is manufactured. The lack of factories suggests this isn't true for you. Show us how you make the paper?"

He shrugged lightly. "Why not. Come on." Floraugh turned to head deeper into the village.

Floraugh brought them to a structure that seemed identical to the others around them, save for the sharp smells and rough scraping sounds emerging from it. "This is where griffons come if they want to make paper. Also where you go if you have bark you want to get rid of. They can never have enough."

He stepped inside, pulling the door open and leaving it ajar to permit the others entry. Inside were more tools and tables, vats of clear water and thick sludge, both standing apart from each other and being mixed into muddy slurry, eventually ending up pressed into sheets left drying on racks. The ponies gazed with wonder at the whole process being done manually by the griffons inside.

"Whoa." Misty stood staring around herself. "Everything is handmade here, isn't it?"

Floraugh shrugged casually, smirking. "Nothing but handmade. Griffon culture!"

Amber watched closely how the pulpy substance was mixed and spread between the griffons going about the business of producing something from nearly nothing. "Seems complicated. Though, we are impressed. All of this coming from wood?" She frowned with sudden realization. "I don't know how ponies make paper, come to think."

Floraugh edged through the factory to the far side. "From logs, barks, other tough parts of plants. We break it down, shred it until it's tiny bits, add water, press out the mess and let it dry. There's some stuff we add, to make it all ready, but that's the basics of it." He waved to a small pile of ready paper. "And here's what they made!"

Another griffon landed besides Floraugh. "We just finished with that lot." That male griffon sounded quite proud of his work. "You come looking for more paper to draw on?" He gestured towards the fresh stack, inviting Floraugh to take it for himself.

He reached out to grab several pieces. "Yes please. Have a nice day!" Floraugh left the paper maker behind.

Misty waved at the new griffon with a smile. "Nice to meet you! This is very nice paper, um, sir. Thank you for making it."

The paper maker chuckled pleasantly, seeming quite pleased with the praise. "Anything for a friend of Floraugh. See ya later! Maybe we'll see you here again, someday."

They headed back into the fresh air outside, away from the strange chemicals that went into paper production. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the other buildings in the village, Floraugh serving as tour guide and telling them about what went into the construction efforts and maintenance of a griffon town.

Though not as advanced as Maretime Bay, it was clear the griffons were no primitives, clever and industrious in their own, different, ways.

Amber nodded with approval. "All fascinating. Fl—" She didn't get to finish, becoming the perch of an entire flock of griffon chicks suddenly, covering her back with talons and pinions, playful cheeping filling the air around her. "Ack! Help, help!" Her words were accompanied by laughs at the sensation. She felt dozens of small pinpricks across her hide where the little ones had landed.

Floraugh laughed at the sight. "Oh, guess you didn't cause trouble afterall. Looks like they like you!"

"Thank goodness." Misty swatted gently at the baby birds with a hoof. "Go on! Off! Back to your nests with you all. Shoo, shoo!"

The grifflets hopped away one at a time, fluttering off with annoyed trills to head back to their waiting parents, who had been close by and watching the entire exchange like the hawks most of them were in part. With a little bow in apology to the visitors, they too rose into the skies to ferry their children off.

Comforting strode past, seemingly appearing out of thin air, patting Amber lightly on the back. "Who knew you were such a chick magnet. I was starting to get suspicious, but this confirmed it. Congratulations." She cackled softly and started walking off. "No rush on returning. Just try to keep it down."

Amber flushed a shade of pink. "You're phrasing that with implications that are entirely unwarranted, and I know you're doing it on purpose."

Misty trotted quickly in Comfy's wake. "I thought we weren't taking much longer? When did you plan on heading back?"

Comforting considered that. "Well, no rush. If you're having fun, keep having fun."

Amber shook her head. "Oh no. We need to return sometime tonight."

Comforting blinked. "How's tomorrow night sound? Give them more time to study us."

Amber shuffled from hoof to hoof. "As long as I'm home soon... The library shouldn't be without its head librarian for too long. At most, three days."

Comforting bowed her head low to the ground. "As you wish. Tomorrow night it will be then." She began to walk off.

Misty sighed, hoofing at the ground. "Comfy. I feel like I barely have a grasp on things. Two more days of research might not cut it. And there's not exactly a public internet around here either."

Amber circled on Misty. "They have the map to get to us. They can fly. Hopefully, we'll see some griffons around closer to home and we can invite them over to share dinner with us for a change. We'll get more chances to learn about them, and them about us. I think it will work out wonderfully."

***

It was late at night when the three mares finally returned to the nest that they were borrowing. Floraugh and the other griffons bid them pleasant dreams before splitting off to head to their own respective quarters.

Amber settled onto the bed while Misty laid down beside her. She grabbed Misty and drew them close. "Thank you, for keeping me company. I don't think coming here alone would have been nearly as fun, even counting Comforting."

Misty nuzzled into Amber's embrace. "Thank you for coming up with the idea in the first place." She bumped her snout against the top of Amber's neck.

Amber coiled her neck around Misty's, seeking warmth and comfort. The two snuggled together. Amber idly kicked off the blankets from under herself and tossed it over herself instead. "I don't think I'd ever have met a griffon otherwise." She gave a slight toss of her head, which wasn't much, given how tangled her neck already was.

Misty rubbed the side of her snout against Ambers. "It's been a blast! Hasn't been since the breezies that I met a new creature before, and it's just as exciting." Her horn lit up with dim, green energy that flowed across them both, sliding underneath their hides, passing along the softness of their hides to the smoothness of muscle and tendon within.

Amber stretched and sighed, flopping in place. "When did you get a massage spell! My magic buddy's been keeping a secret from me. Unfair." That last part sounded more sleepy than angry, fading under the influence of that spell working her over.

"Learned it recently, actually." Misty cast the spell until Amber relaxed into unconsciousness. "Glad you liked it." She shut her own eyes and leaned in to close the last hair's width between herself and Amber, falling asleep soon afterwards.

Author's Note

Well, that felt comfy. Exploring a new people without being rude about it, the ponies eagerly poke their snouts about and make more friends.

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73 - Cultural Exchange

Mornings came swiftly when they were expected and far too slowly when dreaded. The two ponies found themselves awake before Comforting, who was still peacefully slumbering at the base of their shared nest. However, breakfast could only wait so long, and Comforting proved to be a very light sleeper. They headed downstairs and out onto the road.

The village was already bustling, with older and younger alike sharing foodstuffs with each other and breaking their fasts together in the pre-dawn gloom, enjoying what little light pierced through the early morning, or chose not to use lights at all, relying upon superior night vision to navigate safely.

Floraugh emerged from the darkness. "Good morning!"

"Goooood morning!" Misty chirped right back. "You're looking ready to tackle the day."

"It helps that there's nothing in particular I have to do today." He puffed out his chest proudly. "Let's find something to do! Besides food, of course."

He led them towards breakfast. It seemed that breakfast that day was a communal affair, with a set of long tables out and griffons filling each of them. The only griffons not at them were the ones serving up the food for the rest.

Amber inclined her head at the whole thing. "This is lovely, but we didn't see this the other days. Is today a holiday? Or something special?" She looked up at the sky. "Is something important happening tonight? An alignment of celestial objects perhaps?" She had stars in her eyes, anticipating a wonderful spectacle in the night sky that evening.

"Nope!" Floraugh answered immediately. He hopped up to sit and started eating. It had to be special, as there was meat available, which is where he started. "Our best hunter came back last night, and everygriffon's really stoked about it."

Amber cocked an ear to one side. "Stoked?"

Misty giggled, reaching past Amber to fill her own plate. "Sounds good." She grabbed a piece of cooked steak from the main tray and plopped it onto Amber's plate. "Amber, your 'something special' is griffons coming home. I doubt we'll see more than this for spectacle."

Amber rubbed at the side of her head. "Well, friends coming home is a special thing. Were they hunting, or something else?"

Floraugh bobbed his head. "Hunting. A bit of scouting." He pointed a claw at a large avian whose head dwarfed a pony's. "Our hunter. Great guy!"

That hunter turned a sharp eye on the visitors. They were seated at the head of the table, the star of the day. He clicked his tongue on his beak. "Are those the guests I heard about? Ponies, back from the dead. I thought they were quite gone." He raised the skin around his beak, making it wrinkle up, clearly amused by something about the situation. "Hi. Why're you here?" His question sounded honestly curious, without malice.

Amber waved at the hunter. "Hello! We've come because you're here. We wanted to meet griffons, and say hello. Thank you, all of you, for being such lovely new neighbors, even if a bit distant."

Misty clapped her hooves together. "Yay! Being polite, aren't we? I was worried you were going to say something about how scary you are, and then he'd be offended, and—"

The hunter burst into laughter at Misty's awkward words. "I would be pleased if you called me terrifying." He brought his claws into view, talons gleaming even in the low light. "Being fierce is part of my position."

Misty swallowed. "Okay, glad that worked out. Who am I talking to? You seem like a very big deal around here. Hunter is what they said you do, but why are you the star of this show?"

"You just answered your own question, pony." He put his hands down on the table. "Only the hunters go looking for meat, and the meat you enjoy today is my doing. It is tradition that a successful hunter shares with the town, and we celebrate, together. After a meal, I must share all I learned."

Misty grimaced lightly at a plate full of something unappetizing. She'd skipped the meat. "Oh dear. But congratulations on bringing back plenty of meat for everyone!"

The hunter sat up, proud of his deeds clearly. "It was a thrilling hunt, as many are. There I was." He started into a story, and had the attention of quite a few griffons around him. It seemed they hadn't heard it yet, saving their questions for after the meal so he would be able to answer them all at once. "Coming across a trail of droppings, hoof prints of goats, shed horns scraped against trees. I knew I was on the right path."

Amber watched for a few moments before shaking her head. "This is such a different culture. It's amazing!" She clapped her hooves in little taps. "Thank you again, Comforting. This has been nothing but delightful. And thank you to our hosts. You've made us so welcome, even when we're clearly outsiders."

Floraugh spoke quietly, whispering so he wouldn't interrupt. "To be fair, it would be pretty rude to act like we couldn't hear you if you were close enough to hear us."

Comforting giggled softly. "Is that a griffon saying? Interesting. Well, I won't ignore you when you're close enough to hear me." She reached over to ruffle Floraugh's headfeathers. "Wouldn't want to risk your ire. Terribly sorry, dear."

Floraugh blushed slightly at her affection. "Yeah, yeah."

Misty turned towards the hunter, a bit of interest entering her voice. "Excuse me."

The hunter paused his tale. "Hm? Yes?" His focus slid sideways to center on Misty instead of the assembled griffons at large. "Do speak up, little miss, please do. I assure you I'm not hungry to eat anything besides your words."

Misty flashed a bright smile. "T-thanks!" She calmed herself, getting centered. "When we met Kaltor yesterday, he told us about how, even if we gave him a map, it was possible he might not have permission to leave, even to visit our homeland."

"Little Kaltor?" The hunter frowned at the idea. "He's too small." He brought up his hands close together. "Barely out of his egg. Unless his parents happen to go and bring him, we wouldn't let him stray far from the town. That'd just be irresponsible. Do you allow your young to wander far afield?"

"N-no!" Misty stomped a hoof down softly, wiggling a little. "Of course not! Young creatures need protection and guidance. I thought maybe Kaltor might get permission later, if he grew up into a proper explorer."

The hunter relaxed at that. "Oh, well. If they grew up and wanted to explore then, I doubt many would stop them. A griffon has to decide their own destiny, then hunt it down, just as I do." He pounded a hand against his chest. "Decisions of the heart!"

Misty stared down at her hooves, looking almost embarrassed. "I just wanted to be sure I understood." She dipped her head softly in a brief bow.

Amber rubbed to the side against Misty. "Don't look so worried. You didn't bother them or anycreature else. Besides, it wasn't like you asked a stupid question. You could have asked the color of the sky and then they woulda been confused."

Comforting laughed openly. "Why do we have such colorful skies, anyhow?" She leaned in closer. "Do you know?"

Amber froze halfway to putting another bite in her mouth. "Wait. Colorful?"

"Yes." Comforting waved to the brightening morning sky. "See, those lovely reds and oranges? Sunrise is a magical time of day. The purples of the sunset and the blue of daytime are fine, but the colors shifting always strike me deep. I've never gotten used to it."

"That is beautiful," agreed Amber.

Once breakfast was done, and all had eaten their fill, it was time for stories to start. Notably, the hunter from before was still talking. He seemed to know it, leaning into the task with gusto. Once his own adventure was finished, the other griffons broke up, many going separate directions.

They had smiles on their face, and glad voices to one another. It was a good time for their community, and moods were lifted by it.

Misty pointed out an older griffon that was standing atop a bench with some ease of balance. He held in one paw a sheet of bark written densely in markings, while pointing to it with the other. "What are they doing?"

Floraugh glanced briefly to check. "Teaching a class. Writing class, specifically. Something we all gotta learn." He shrugged gently. "Sometimes they teach math or something else. It's a village thing." He waved a talon at the gathering crowd in front of the elder. Most were younger chicks, but even a few adults sat to listen and learn.

The teacher glanced their way. "Floraugh? Why don't you show our guests the basics? Might give your learning a boost too."

He scratched at the back of his neck, then nodded firmly. "If they wanna hear it?" He looked to the ponies. "How about it? You need a brush up on writing? Or maybe something else?"

Amber trotted over to peek at the elder's held paper, examining the letters. "Thankfully, you use letters I can make out. So, I can already read this. Nice writing, by the way. Did you do this?"

The elder looked smugly pleased at the compliment. "With my own talons. It did not come out so well at first. Practice is important, ponies." He turned his attention back to his students, giving instructions.

Amber backed up, glancing over the assorted lessons she could observe underway. Griffons didn't have computers, or printed material. Watching it be done with raised voices and manually written words was fascinating and so very different. "It's like the libraries of old," she whispered.

The elder noticed that moment of wonder, laughing warmly and softly. "There is no need to marvel so at such a simple thing. If you find yourself needing knowledge, come to me anytime."

Amber colored at being heard and scurried back to her friends. "That was amazing, in its own little way. To think, so many years ago, Equestria was the same way. Knowledge passed through words or hoof-written texts. All of that seems lost, somehow."

Misty inclined her head. "Silly billy. We teach magic that way, remember? We write spells on the chalkboard and give lessons out loud, just like that guy's doing right now. It may not be as popular, but it's still alive. I bet there'll be teachers lecturing even way into the future, and hoof-written notes."

Amber sighed. "I suppose so. Even after thousands of years, some things will probably remain, changing a little here or there, but mostly the same." She turned to Floraugh. "As for lessons, we, uh, I think we know most of the things you'd want to teach us. We know how to read, write, and math. Oh! History. Is history an option? We'd love to hear what griffons were doing all these years."

Floraugh poked himself in the chin with a clawtip. "We got a library."

Misty shot a sidelong look at him. "Are there a lot of griffons who'd appreciate ponies barging in, rummaging through their shelves and bothering them with questions?"

Amber looked baffled. "You have no printers. How do you have a building full of books!?"

"We make it." Floraugh laughed openly at Amber's jaw dropping in disbelief. "We write and rewrite copies of important knowledge and store them together, easy as pie."

Amber kept her jaws half open. "That must take ages! But... Your teacher said something about practice." She closed her jaws again and set them tightly in determination. "May we? Please?"

"Follow me." Floraugh started into the air. He led the way. It wasn't terribly far to the library. Unlike the one Amber ran, it was full of scrolls. Each scroll had the scratches of ink left there by a griffon that had written it out, by their own talons. That was all, just rows upon rows of wooden rods that held pieces of parchment. Yet each seemed to glow from within to Amber's eyes.

Floraugh strode past the librarian, giving them only a wave, which was returned. "The rules are simple. You take down one scroll, you read it, you put it back. You never take a scroll out of the library, and just one at a time. That's it. Oh, and try not to damage them."

"Of course." Amber settled into place in front of the arrayed scrolls and selected the first that caught her fancy. As her hooves touched it, the griffon script shimmered in her eyes. She couldn't hold back her broad smile. She was really reading Griffon books, er, scrolls.

"A Brief History of Griffons." She smiled and gave the scroll a tug, pulling it down from its shelf. "This is so exciting!" She sank to her haunches. "Misty, you don't have to watch me read if you don't want to. Why don't you two find a game to play or something."

Floraugh looked startled, then thoughtful. He exchanged a glance with Misty. "Why don't we see what else is on the shelves?"

Misty bobbed her head. "That sounds like a great idea. Like, this one." She put her hoof on one, plucking it off the shelf. "Ancient stories? I'd love to know what griffons have for ancient stories." She looked to see if there was an objection.

Amber murmured in approval and refocused on her scroll.

Misty led the way to a pair of pillows that seemed intended to serve as seats, since they were by low, wooden desks.

They day turned into one of reading, not that any of the ponies involved looked at all upset for the idea. Their reading included everything from fictional tales of adventure and romance to works on philosophy and magic theory. In other words, the three mares devoured knowledge like starving creatures that had been given a feast to satiate their hunger. Only near sundown did they depart the library, filled with new ideas, thoughts and information.

Misty waved back at the library. "Do you think we could copy those scrolls? Imagine if we could offer them to other ponies."

Amber cocked an ear backwards. "Those are priceless treasures though. Could you imagine them letting us bring originals back to Maretime Bay?" She sighed, deflating slowly. "It's a nice idea."

"I was hoping, like the maps, they'd make duplicates." Misty twirled, wings fluttering. "They copy them to keep them from fading away."

"They also don't give those copies away." Amber twirled to face Floraugh. "Would they?"

He shook his head. "Not the library ones. That would defeat the whole point of having the library. Still, we can write down some excerpts, things you find interesting. For, you know, personal reference." He scratched at his cheek. "Now I kinda want to see what a pony library looks like. My turn!"

Amber grinned and bounced a bit, tossing her mane behind her. "Deal! I'll gladly show you around when you get there." She threw open her arms. "Come on by, see the books and the city. You'll be our guest that time, and we'll take care of you. Right, Misty?"

"Right!" She grabbed Amber and drew her closer with a hug. "Thank you for being awesome."

Floraugh stared down at his hands. "Thanks." He turned to walk onwards, returning to the house. "Tomorrow's another day. See you in the morning."

The trip back was quiet, mostly taken in silence. Everyone seemed worn out and happy for the comfort of company alone.

Author's Note

Books! I mean scrolls! Almost as good?

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74 - There and Back Again

Misty stirred before dawn. She got up silently, easing away from her companions. She knew she had a bit before they'd be waking, but she still tried to let them rest for now. There would be time enough for activity and talk later on. For now, she wanted to consider in detail what her final day here would involve, especially the return home.

With nearly silent wings, an owl of a griffon landed before her. "Oh, one of the ponies." He considered her with brilliant eyes. "You are up late, or early. What troubles your dreams that you needed to fly away? Come on, out with it."

"Uh..." Misty froze in surprise. "Um, nothing! I mean, hi!"

"Hello." The night-eyed griffon purred softly. "So what brings you out here? Planning out the day ahead?"

"Well... Yes, actually." Misty turned in a slow circle, taking in the sight of the pre-dawn streets. "We're leaving today, and I wanted to see all that I could before we did." She sagged a little. "But it's so early."

The griffon chuckled softly, a low noise. "So early few are awake, and no stores are open. Little pony, you should finish resting. Get all of your sleep out." He reached to tap at her horn with one sharp nail, clinking it off the edge. "Sleep until the others wake. Time and tide wait for none."

Misty shook herself, then snorted softly at the griffon. "Hey. Listen to me. Okay, maybe you're right. Sleep would be best, and it's still dark. There's no shops or anycreature open yet, and I could spend the entire day here and not learn enough." She sank to her haunches, talking reason to herself. "So, uh. This isn't fair. I want to see so much more."

He patted her head. "If you really want to experience our little community, visit again. We'll let you come back, if you want."

She perked up considerably. "Really?" But that elation faded. "It's not up to you, but thanks. Comforting took us here, and she'll take us back. Getting here on our own would be a really big trip." She looked up at him. "Unless griffons fly super-fast and it'd only take a couple hours? Or teleportation spells exist..."

"We can fly rather quick, for a few minutes or so." The owl inclined his head. "I haven't seen a map to where your nests lie. Maybe tomorrow, I'll ask Floraugh for the route. We could compare times that way."

Misty sagged again. "Well, thanks for thinking about it at least. Anyway, I guess it's too bad." She shuffled in place. Gathering her will, she spread out her arms at the new griffon.

He looked confused a moment before it started to become clear. "Oh." He stepped in and wrapped his arms in kind, embracing the pony. "Ponies are more tactile than griffons normally are."

"I'm a unicorn. We use magic a lot, but I also like touching. You're soft, warm, cuddly, even when you have talons like yours." Misty felt reassured, breathing easier.

He snorted at that, closing his talons just enough for her to feel it through her pelt without harming her. "I am not cuddly." Despite his words, he was doing just that, cuddling the upset pony. "Go on to bed. Hurting yourself, or startling sleeping griffons, won't help."

"Oh, sorry." Misty reluctantly let him go and stepped back. She gave the owl-griffon a single nod. "Um, thanks, for listening." Then she turned, walking away.

Before she made it five steps, he called after her, "Safe travels!" His voice was light, friendly. "Perhaps I'll see you soon."

She smiled, looking back over her shoulder. He wasn't there, leaving just as quietly as he had come. "Good luck out there. Don't run into any tree branches!"

There was no response. Only the rustling of leaves marked his departure.

Once back inside her temporary home, she laid in her blankets with Amber beside her and Comfy curled up at their backs.

When the sun rose later, Amber was the next to stir, and wasn't long in gently shaking the others, only to find Comforting shaking her back before she could finish.

"Good morning to you too." Comforting hugged Amber gently. "Now, your friends are missing you, back home. Ready to head back?" Comforting slipped into the middle of the room, beckoning the others to join her.

Amber groaned. "We barely said goodbye. Can't we have breakfast with the locals? I'd like to say bye to Floraugh at least. It feels awkward, leaving this suddenly."

"We will have breakfast, yes. But I suggest sooner better than later." Comfy hugged the others tight, both at once. "The longer we stay, the more attached we could get to this place and the creatures in it."

Misty huffed gently. "Too late for that. Just look at me; I'm a bundle of feels!" She hugged herself to emphasize her emotions, before throwing her arms around the other two instead. "Let's get breakfast in town and get the chance to say goodbye."

Comfy chuckled lightly at Misty's antics. "Very well, have it your way. Come on, breakfast awaits." She led the way out, holding open the door for the other two so they could precede her. "A chance to say our byes isn't a terrible thing."

"Bye?" Floraugh landed next to them. "Heading out so early?"

Amber bowed her head politely to Floraugh as she stood tall. "Yes, it is time. Comforting brought us here and has offered to take us home today, and she feels the need to do it before the morning advances too far, apparently. Breakfast first. Where are you headed, Floraugh? We can join you for that."

He smiled gently. "I'd like that. Thanks. The central street has lots of options. Lots of friends, too. Let's go find 'em." With a wing flick, he eased them down the lane, pointing out stalls already opened, or opening, for hungry griffons trying to start their day. "Breakfast isn't a heavy meal. How about some veggie-cakes?" He pointed to where it seemed pancakes made of vegetables were being cooked on a flat iron.

Comfy edged her way over to investigate. "Sounds like a delicious plan. I'll cover our fare." She pulled coins from a bag to pay the cook.

Amber took Misty and Comfy aside to a table while Floraugh collected the meal. When he came back, they all shared out the food between themselves, chewing contentedly together.

Floraugh was watching them. "Wow, end of an age. I'll miss you crazy creatures. I have the map! I'll try flying that way." He shook himself gently. "Anyway, I'm glad to have met you all. You're all wonderful!" He pushed away from the table, turning. "Have fun, okay? Goodbye."

Misty grabbed him, hugging him from behind. "Wait! You're in such a rush."

Floraugh winced faintly. "Look, byes are hard, okay? I don't want to dwell on it. So. I'm leaving before it gets painful. Thank you for everything, though. I'm grateful." He shuffled back from her gently and stretched his wings. "I'll leave now, and we'll always have our time together." He smiled awkwardly. "Maybe I'll make that trip and we'll get more fun times. You can return the favor and show me around that pony town of yours."

Amber cooed happily, grabbing his shoulders to drag him closer to herself and Misty. "Of course we can! Make that trip, and we'd love to show you around our city, Maretime Bay." She leaned in to hug him alongside Misty, making the hug a triple-creature affair. "Thank you. You've been wonderful."

Floraugh sighed, patting her head and Misty's. "Yeah, yeah." He began to carefully extract himself. "Stay safe." He hurried off, wings fluttering a little as he did.

Comforting tapped at either pony. "That's our cue, I imagine. Shall we be off?"

"Yes please." Misty shuffled towards Comfy, ready to return to where they had started. "Time to go home. I wonder what our friends have gotten up to."

"One way to find out." Comforting wrapped her arms around them. To them, her arms were titanic, blocking out their view of anything a moment. When that hug ended, they were standing in front of the library, ponies already coming and going from it just like any other day. They were back in Maretime Bay, just like that.

"Well, I am off. See ya later." Comforting waved goodbye. Before either of the ponies could respond, she leapt up. A pair of ethereal, transparent wings flapped twice, carrying her higher and higher into the air, vanishing into the bright sky.

Amber stuck out her tongue at where Comforting had been. "That chaos spirit can be hard to predict at times." She waved into the library. "C'mon, Misty. Let's see how much we have to clean things up." She giggled, flicking her tail. "Or maybe see just how much they cleaned in our absence."

Misty nodded quickly. "Yes, we wouldn't want to keep customers waiting." She giggled a little and moved towards the library.

The two trotted inside to find that the library had, overall, kept running just as it would have on any other day. The other librarians were happy to see them, but nothing was on fire, and the books were on the shelves. Misty breathed a sigh of relief.

"Nothing at all went wrong." Misty turned in place, smiling. "They didn't need us at all."

"It doesn't seem so," agreed Amber, idly pacing through the hallways. "On one hoof, good! On the other, I can't help but be a little annoyed. What happens to the place if I'm gone for months? Probably nothing." She stomped her front hooves against the carpeting. "Where's the challenge!? Hah!"

A librarian mare stepped in front of Amber. "Only because you left us in a good place, ma'am. Thank you for your hard work." She raised a hoof to Amber's nose. "Please don't run away too soon. We're happy to have you with us."

"Thanks." Amber nodded slowly to her, then nuzzled against Misty, and tugged her away.

"You two seem close." The other librarian watched the pair trot off. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" Amber turned an ear at the librarian. "We had an amazing trip. Have you heard of griffons? They're even more astounding than the books said!"

Misty nodded vigorously in agreement, shaking her whole body along with the motion. "I'd never heard of griffons before, but they were wonderful to meet. They may visit, sometime. I hope soon." She sighed at the thought of it. "Can you imagine Floraugh or another griffon poking their beaks in here?" She grinned. "They'll probably be impressed at just how many books are here."

Amber laughed lightly, rolling her eyes a touch. "Compared to their scrolls, this place would be beyond their imagining." She threw a hoof wide. "I'd be happy to show them around, the moment they arrive. But that isn't today. Today, it's us, back here. We should take care of our own things."

Misty grinned softly. "Yes ma'am, boss lady. Let's go check the catalog. I want to read more on griffons." Her hooves padded across the floor, towards her personal desk.

"Hm?" Amber trailed after her. "You just met them. You know more about griffons than most ponies who wrote about them in those books. What did you want to read about now?"

Misty winked back at Amber. "You never know what might be true, in those dusty old tomes." She fanned herself with her hoof. "If they're really bad information, I can at least take them down and start writing up corrections." She folded her arms. "It'd be a real shame if ponies only had bad information about them to go with."

"True." Amber tapped at a hoof against a stack of books, sending them tumbling. "Oh... Oops." Blushing, she got to fixing the mess of her own creation.

Author's Note

But you never come back the same person as the one that left.

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75 - I'm Back!

"What'cha gonna do today, Sunny?" Zipp tossed her phone onto her dresser, pushing past a rack of clothing to draw forth her adventuring gear.

Sunny Starscout glanced up from the mirror where she'd been brushing at her hair, which she immediately realized was a pointless task, since she plunked down a helmet to cover it all. "Finally, I have a day all to myself. No smoothies, no quests, no friendship stuffs, just me and—" She broke off with a sigh. "What're we doing today?"

Zipp laughed lightly, teasing, "I asked you first."

"But—" Sunny huffed, drawing her jacket around herself and sealing the magnetic catches. "Fine. Do you wanna, um..." She fished for ideas, finally gesturing out towards the town at large. "Explore town? Be heroes?"

"I've got better things to do than running errands for strangers." Zipp poked Sunny gently. "I mean, if an emergency comes up, of course, but I'm not a superhero, looking for trouble, Sunny. I get the idea you're forgetting how to relax."

Sunny flexed her arm at Zipp. "Relaxing? Me? Pffft." She released a pent breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I need a break. I'm feeling..." She clapped her hooves suddenly. "The boardtrot, but I'll be there just to enjoy it, not run my stand!"

Zipp cocked an ear at her. "Just you?" She turned her focus to her phone, checking over messages received and firing off a few. "Could invite someponies else..."

Sunny paused midway through a step, catching herself on the edge of a chair. "Like a certain pegasus I know?" She flashed her best smile at Zipp, wiggling her brows.

Zipp put her phone away, but continued the conversation, tapping her chin lightly. "Pipp is definitely getting up to something." She pulled out her phone again, glancing at it. "Her socials are blowing up with hype." She stuffed the phone away, silent a moment. "Oh! You meant me!" She looked a bit embarrassed for being slow on the uptake. "Sure, yeah! Let's go have some fun!"

Sunny pressed close against Zipp's side, pulling her into a hug. "Awesome!" She twirled to disengage from that grip, grabbing Zipp's hoof. "Come on!" Tugging, Sunny pulled Zipp along. "Boardtrot time!"

Zipp let herself be dragged along a short ways before digging in her heels. "The trot's not going anywhere, let's mosey on down there, not gallop like we're trying to get away from a fire."

***

"I have a question." Comforting circled around the considerable tree. "You don't have to answer, if you really don't want to. I'm not good at forcing your branches, but why did you let all the creatures stray so far away from ponies? I thought you were taking them in too."

A soft chime sounded. She dug out her phone to find a message waiting for her.

🌲Together: I did take them in. They sing the song of harmony. You just meet the griffons. Weren't they different than the ones you left behind?

Comforting flopped down onto one of the benches around the tree. "True, they did seem to have some of their rough points sanded off. They were nice. Practically neighborly, really. But what about your agents, the Student Six?"

🌲Together: It is sad, but all agents only have so long. They served well, but they have returned to The Harmony. Their marks are still felt. Could you not feel Gallus among his descendants?

Comforting waved to the tree. "Fair enough, friend."

Together rustled its foliage.

Comforting sighed lightly, letting herself relax, limbs spreading wide. "You do have some comfortable spots here. I wish everyone could come by." She traced shapes into the bench with a clawtip.

🌲Together: They do! Since you had those benches placed there, ponies come and rest beneath me once in a while. It's quite nice. Thank you again for the idea.

"You are very welcome. I am glad you like it. You deserve to be used for more than one thing. Hey." Comforting leaned in to hug against Together's side. "Is it lonely?"

🌲Together: Never. I have a whole world to watch, and you are in it. I cannot be lonely while you are there, my Comforting Shade. Oh, since you brought it up, how goes your relationship? I would love to hear it from your lips how you feel about Toots. Is it well?

"Ahaha, it's good, thank you. He's..." She considered the tree and its curious questions. "You haven't ever known love. I'm sure you want to know." She brushed her mane back into shape from where it'd been ruffled. "I almost had you, before you went 100% tree on me. You were a delightful boy/girlfriend."

🌲Together: An awkward time of experimenting, I still look back on it with joy. Though, yes, it is the one aspect of life that I lack.

She tilted her head side to side to stretch herself. "Toots is somepony who cares about me. I have you, and new friends I've made in this city." She flopped back with a laugh. "Still getting used to that. I didn't think I'd end up living in such a modern city one day again, but here I am."

🌲Together: Does that mean you're settling down in Maretime Bay?

Comforting smiled softly. "Yeah. I have a home again, after so long." She rose back upright, looking over herself and giving her clothes a once-over, removing wrinkles. Not that she had been wearing clothes a moment before. "Not that I mind traveling, but having a reason to come back to a fixed location sounds nice." She counted on her finger. "Toots, the library, Amber, yeah, got plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Oh! Shouldn't forget Sunny and her friends, even if we don't hang out every day."

🌲Together: It's nice to have someone to chat with.

Comforting bowed to the tree. "Agreed." She considered the display of her phone, reading over the text. "But really, are you okay without love in your life?"

🌲Together: I have love. Do you not love me?

Comforting colored faintly. "Low blow! Of course I love the bark right off you." She hopped up to go in, hugging her arboreal friend. "Look at you, turning me into a real tree hugger."

🌲Together: ...Yes. Yes you are.

The chaotic spirit kissed Together's bark gently. "I'll never stop loving you, bestie."

🌲Together: You're my favorite. Now, as your friend, I will remind you that you spoke to Toots about time together on the water.

Comforting blinked rapidly, refocusing on her phone. "Oh shoot! I lost track of time. Guess you'll have to tell me more of what's going on, later. Bye bye!" She vanished without another word of warning.

She stepped out a paragraph and blocks away just behind Toots. Without delay, she grabbed his shoulders. "Hello!"

Toots jumped with surprise at the sudden contact, shuddering with shock before his brain caught up to whom it was that had accosted him. "Gosh! Don't scare me like that. I almost spilled the fish."

He laughed as he turned to face her and went in for gentle nuzzles. "Breakfasts were so lonely while you were gone."

She returned his affection readily enough, curling against him. "I'm back." She squeezed him close to herself.

He smiled at her antics and reciprocated fully. "So how was the trip? You three made it home safe. Where are Amber and Misty?"

"The library." She winked to him. "And why shouldn't we get some privacy to ourselves?" She pulled back so she could grab his hoof. "Toots, let's do that boat cruise we'd been talking about, before."

He followed after her with a little confusion. "Sounds fun, but do you mean right this second? I'm just on a lunch break."

"So's Sunny." She gave his hoof another squeeze, dragging him along at greater speed, tail lifting in a happy swish. "C'mon! There's a cute boat that's leaving soon!"

Toots went in, kissing her cheek. "You're excited, and it's wonderful to see. But let's get this moving, properly. I'll ask for time off. Didn't you want to invite some others? Go tell them, so they can get ready too."

She released him, jumping ahead a little so she could turn on him. "Alright! But hurry, or we'll be late. Cruise waits for nocreature."

Toots tipped his hat to her. "I'll hurry then." He went right on finishing his lunch.

Comforting slipped between here and there, popping out just beside Amber as they talked with a library patron. To Comfort's credit, she let that conversation finish before saying, "Hey there, pretty girl."

Amber blushed fiercely, staring at her, but eventually found her voice, managing a squeak. "Hi Comfy. How can I help you?" She rubbed a hoof behind her head. "Pretty? Comfs, you have a boy. You shouldn't run around calling ponies that."

"I call it as I see it." She tapped Amber on the nose. "And I see a delightful pony who could use a cruise!"

"Are you serious?" She edged in close. "Comfy! You're so nice to me, but I couldn't possibly." Amber paced around behind her desk. "Besides, I should work. We just got back."

Comforting followed along. "All the more reason to kick back. Relaxation. Sunlight. A meal to die for, plus wonderful friends to share it with. What else are weekends for?"

Amber's ears lifted. "Cruises are usually longer than a weekend, I thought? How long is this cruise exactly?"

"A few days, there and back, on the sea." She waved off in the general direction of said sea. "Do I have to pack your bags and shove you in the ship, personally?

"You wouldn't!" Amber swatted at Comforting with light buffets of her hoof. "If we're just doing it for a few days, that isn't so hard to plan around. It's just one little thing. I feel bad." She spread her arms wide. "The other librarians had to work all through our last trip. They deserve a break too!"

Comforting snickered at her. "Well, if you're taking the whole library staff, we might at least get a bulk discount. The boat will practically be ours, at least for a few days."

"I-I—uh." Amber covered her cheeks. "I didn't say that. Why'd you say that for!?" She kicked at Comfy. "Not everypony can come!"

Comforting rolled her hands. "Make the offer. The ones that can, will tell you. All I ask is that you do your asking today. I want to get moving, nowish."

"O-kay." Amber steadied her nerves and looked to a nearby librarian. "You have time to talk?"

After that first interruption, Amber turned from librarian to librarian, asking each about their interest. Many of the ponies showed excitement about the notion, until they remembered they had families or other obligations. Comforting sprang up to note they could come too, which turned some neighs into yays.

Comforting passed a brief exchange of smiles with Amber, then popped off to make arrangements with the ship.

Once she was satisfied, Comfy left, heading for the Crystal Brighthouse, materializing within the entryway. "Temporary library workers! Your help has not been forgotten!"

Sunny Starscout peered around a corner, then ran in to greet Comforting with open arms. "Heya Comforting!" She tugged the taller mare into a warm embrace, then stepped back. "I didn't help out at the library, but what's up?"

Comforting waved that away. "I'm offering to all the ponies that live at this address, which includes you. I'm taking Toots on a weekend cruise, and we're taking friends along if they want to be there! Wanna be on a ship with us?"

"I do!" Zipp called over Sunny's shoulder. "Hear that sis? We're gonna go sailing away." She twirled her hoof idly, then considered that a bit.

Pipp flew in. "Get out! That sounds totally fabulous!" She turned her phone on herself. "You hear that, Pippsqueaks?! I'll be streaming from a cruise!" A flood of fresh emoji scrolled on her screen.

"We're setting sail soon!" Comforting informed them. "Just let me know how quickly you can be ready." She reached to pet Izzy as the unicorn approached and started hugging her.

Izzy spoke up, "If everycreature else wants to go, then count me in!"

"That settles it, then." Comforting threw an arm wide. "We're going to go swimming. Leave work behind, except maybe a few work buddies, and let's have a great time." She dropped them a wink and slipped right back out of the house.

At her next destination, she waited to be let inside by Toots, then pushed on in to wrap around his arm, hugging it tight. "The wheels are turning, as you requested. This will be so much fun."

Author's Note

Comforting, you just got back! Dang chaos spirits.

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76 - Just Sail Away

Comforting Shade and Toots watched together from the railing of the ship, passing by ponies doing yoga and sunbathing as they headed towards the bow of the cruise liner. Once they reached it, she took out her phone and drew Toots in close, stretching her arm out and aiming it just right.

With a loud click, she captured their first of many pictures. "Welcome to our weekend adventure!"

Toots peeked at the result before putting away his sunglasses. "Nice one! Looks lovely. And that's a real camera app you're using, none of that silly nonsense the youngsters add to these phones."

Comforting waved a hand in front of her face, each time it went past allowing her to take on a new apperance. "You don't like me with a filter or three?"

"No, no!" Toots chuckled, waving both his hooves. "That sort of thing is great and looks mighty spiffy, but, for memories of important times, sometimes I like things plain and simple."

Comforting pulled Toots closer. "I'm just playing with you."

"Comfs!" Izzy waved wildly. "They have a pool! Isn't that nuts? A pool, on a ship, in the middle of water!" She laughed in delight, rushing in for a quick hug with each of them, then turning away and gesturing with her entire forelimb. "I gotta try this out!"

Izzy hopped along, diving right into the deep waters with a tremendous splash that caught several ponies by surprise, to a mixture of expressions.

Toots chuckled at the antics. "Did you want a dip, or something else?" His hoof drifted towards the bar.

"Oh, you know me!" Comforting latched onto his offered arm, humming contentedly at his touch. "Drinks sound amazing." Her eyes locked onto the drink menu. That menu hadn't been there before, but that didn't bother her. "They have some interesting options."

Amber was running, but getting nowhere at all. If she wasn't on a treadmill, she would be upset at this. Instead, she just tried harder. After a few minutes of that, she was sweaty and panting. "Nnf..." She slowed, letting the machine come to a halt, and drank heavily from her canteen. "Phew! I never really had the chance to just workout while I was doing the librarian thing."

As she worked on controlling her breathing again, she paced back and forth. Before her hooves touched down on one spot twice, Sunny walked up beside her and waved hello. "Hi there!"

"Oh!" She returned the wave. "Having fun? The fitness options in here are a little overwhelming, in a good way!"

"I'm here because I thought you were missing out!" Sunny tugged on Amber gently. "Come on!"

She willingly trotted forward. "Hm? What'd I miss?"

"Nothing yet." Sunny nudged at Amber. "And I don't plan to let you start. There's a show about to start." She took a pose like a performer, striking it perfectly, then releasing it with a soft exhale. "It's dancing. Lots of dancing. Would be a real shame if I couldn't dance with the nicest pony on this ship!"

Amber colored at that. "Is Misty coming?"

Sunny blinked. "She should be there." She leaned in closer even as she led Amber along. "Why, you want to dance with her?"

Amber shook her head quickly, clearing it. "Nonono. But we should definitely go to her room. If she knew we were skipping out on the dancing, I think she'd cry."

Sunny laughed at that. "I promise, she'll be there, at the dance. And you can totally sweep her off her hooves." She winked and threw open the doors to the dance hall.

Every kind of music pumped through the speakers, reverberating in their chests. Ponies of all sorts moved in time to the beat.

Misty was on the floor, rocking along with several unicorns, putting them to shame with her perfect form, the beat infusing her movements with life. Spotting Amber and Sunny, she beckoned to them. "Join us!"

Misty stretched gracefully, extending both arms to reach for her sister and study buddy.

Amber accepted it with mild coloring, hugging right back. "Good to see you're having a great old time."

The song ended and transitioned smoothly to a slow one.

Amber grinned, drawing her friend closer. "Let's show these ponies some real moves!" They started moving in tandem, going through practiced motions. Sunny stood aside with another stallion, watching with keen fascination.

On the side of the room, outside of the circle of dancers, Zipp was reclining into cushions. "Ah, this is some fine relaxing. Like when we were back at the palace. Remember that, Sis?"

Pipp basked under the light of attention upon her, giving soft cheers to ponies who paid compliments to the display on stage, flashing hearts on her own phone and shooting some hearts out. "Oh yeah, totally. Every day was relax, then not relax. Back and forth!" She held her phone high for a new angle. "But, right now, all relaxing with my pippsqueaks!" She blew kisses to the phone before waving and walking off with it.

Zipp trailed after Pipp with a stretch. "Where we goin'?" She walked along comfortably, turning to face ahead. "Or are you just giving your streaming buddies a tour?"

"They'd love a tour, but I wanna go to the spa part!" Pipp spun to walk backwards with ease, never breaking eye contact with her phone. "It's so huge, Sissy! You've just got to see it!"

Zipp raised a brow. "Huh, a time for you to enjoy what you're usually giving out, huh?"

"Exactly!" Pipp hugged in against her sister's side, snapping a selfie of the two. "It'll be fun! Nothing says vacation like letting somepony else do what you're usually working so hard to do. I can barely imagine how wonderful that's going to be..."

They soon entered the spa and sat down, side by side. From there, a whole range of treatments awaited, everything from facials to massages, mani-pedis to hooficures, and every shade of color imaginable for application of subtle, or garish, colors afterwards.

Comforting nodded gently. "And all the ponies we brought are having a good time. That's nice. Some of them really needed a vacation."

"I'm glad we could do this for them." Toots smiled at Comforting gently. "You're a real sweetheart for thinking of it."

Comforting giggled. "Don't make me blush!" She tapped her chest. "Inside, though, I'm screaming in delight." She casually pulled out her filly self, caught in a silent squeal of joy. "But let's put them aside for now." She put down her filly and she dashed out of view. "Right now, I say we enjoy each other and let the other ponies handle themselves."

"Yeah!" Toots bumped hooves with Comforting. "You and me! Let's go!"

A pair of young mares spotted Toots, gazing at him dreamily. One whispered to the other, "Check out the hottie, mama! Mm-mm!" She turned fully to regard him. "Where's he been all my life? Maybe I oughtta introduce myself." She pointed both hooves at herself. "Think I wouldn't?"

"I mean, you could give him a smile..." Her friend trailed off.

"Ooh, yeah! Good thinking!" She turned back towards Toots only to find he was now gone.

Comforting had casually swept has stallion away from the eyes of curious mares. "I swear, the moment a stallion's taken, the interest goes up." She rolled her eyes before going cheek to cheek with him. "There's a magic show starting in half an hour, if you want to watch that?"

He adjusted his bow tie lightly. "I suppose it would be interesting to see how it compares to a unicorn's real magic. Not that they can't pull off impressive stuff of their own."

Comforting reached to help adjust the tie, using her cheating fingers. "You look great." She kissed the very tip of his snout. "Stagecraft is different from unicorn magic." She thought back. "I knew a unicorn magician, great act! She tried to use stagecraft whenever she could, but she wasn't above sprinkling in some unicorn magic in there, keep it fresh. She really wowed crowds, because you weren't sure if the next act was going to be pulling a rabbit out of a hat, or conjuring a dragon!" She kissed him again. "But let's check out the non-magic performers."

Toots laughed on the way inside the ship and towards that show. "You knew a lot of ponies."

"You get old enough." Comforting drew out a calendar that began to flip and tear, showing untold years. She grew old and wrinkly as it did so. "You learn ponies." She tossed the calendar away, returning to her usual form. "But, yes, I'd love to see what modern day magic can do."

***

Lights flashed and sirens whirred to life, bathing the darkened stage in brilliant color. Two pegasi wheeled around overhead, juggling glowing balls between themselves, passing them on in perfect rhythm. An earth pony on the floor shot upward on a pillar of air, landing atop it like nothing happened. His hat flipped up off his head, followed by the rabbits bursting free and dancing off. "I'm so glad all you lovely ponies and creatures could make it." He nodded at Comforting, the creature in the room.

Comforting waved back idly, tossing popcorn kernels between herself and Toots so they could catch them in their mouths. "Howdy! Glad to be here!"

The earth pony laughed as he put his top hat back in place on his head. "I have quite the show planned for you all today!" He hopped down off the pillar. "I hope you're ready!" With a wave, he directed the other performers from view. "My name is Spectacle! It's a pleasure to meet all of you." He bowed before pointing to random audience members. "I hope I'll get to meet each and every one of you, but first... It would seem some of you tracked mud in here. Naughty foals." He shook his head as ponies gasped in shock, noticing some of them did have mud on their hooves they were sure hadn't been there earlier.

Spectacle waved a hoof over a bucket of water, a wave of sparkling rainbow spraying outwards. When it hit the ground, the mud was washed away. "Now, where was I?" He clapped his hooves together. "We won't let a little dirt stop things!" He looked from his right side to the left. "I can't see why not." He jumped, grabbing the front two legs of a chair. He twisted himself, climbing onto it, then flipping midair to stand on it. "You!"

He pointed at Toots. "Please, please join me on stage."

The whole crowd turned to stare at Toots.

Toots puffed himself up, clearing his throat and putting on his game face. He marched up to join the magician. "How can I help?"

"Hold this." Spectacle produced a box and set it down before Toots, then jumped off the chair and backed away.

The stallion gave it a light shake. "I wonder what it contains."

"No peeking," sang out the magician as he bounded off.

The audience laughed.

"Aw geeze." Toots blushed fiercely, but stayed in place to observe the magician and his shenanigans. "You got it." He managed to stay perfectly upright, though he wavered slightly.

Comforting jumped as she was poked. One of those pegasi from earlier was gesturing quietly to be followed. Being a good sport, she did with a little giggle.

The magician returned to Toots. "Sorry for making you carry that heavy box all this time. Your arms must be sore!"

"It isn't that heavy!" Toots reassured him. "It's more the suspense that's weighing on me!"

"Allow me." The performer shoved his head up into the box, falling in entirely, vanishing inside.

Comforting popped out head first, turning to look at Toots. "Oh, there you are." She smooched him, to the wild cheers of the crowd.

She leapt from the box and took another kiss from the stunned stallion. "How is it you manage to pop up wherever I'm about to go?"

"How'd you like my trick, folks?" The magician was back, bowing at them all. "Thank you, thank you. Give another round of applause to these great volunteers, the stars of our show!" He bowed to Toots and Comforting.

Comforting took Toots back to herself and their original seats, leaving the magician standing alone on stage. They were happy to applaud his tricks as he went on, bedazzling and surprising the crowd.

Author's Note

They're all enjoying themselves, from librarians to fashionistas. This boat has something for everypony!

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

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77 - Cold Touch

Toots sat down with Comforting at one of the small tables nestled among many others. "This boat really does seem to have everything." But what he wanted was right there. He took her hand with a hoof, holding her with a smile.

Comforting wrapped her claws around his hoof in turn, leaning to be cheek to cheek. "It's so romantic." She flicked at his bow tie. "Maybe you'd like to be a little less clothed, before we go on deck."

Toots colored at that suggestion. "Maybe later. The sun's out, time to be out and frolick, you wicked chaos creature." He nuzzled gently with her. "Like it or not, your friends are pretty sure you're the one in charge of this expedition." He laughed warmly at her. "You did invite them and all. Besides, the others want to play with us."

Comforting gestured for them to approach, waving happily.

Toots turned to follow her gaze, watching the other girls arrive. "Hi everypony."

Hitch was there as well, Sparky perched on his back. "Hey right back at you. This has been incredibly fun." He patted Sparky on the head. "Hasn't it?"

Sparky chirped in the affirmative and bounced excitedly.

Hitch looked up and pointed a hoof. "That one looks promising!" He trotted over towards a water slide that led into the pool. "Water rides on a boat in the water? Why not!?" He climbed aboard.

Izzy was beside him at a moment, tail flicking in anticipation. "You know what this needs? Foam!" She rubbed her hooves together. "Who likes soap foam slides?"

Sunny swatted at Izzy. "I don't think that's allowed. Points for the idea, but we should save that for when we're not on someone else's slide."

Izzy nodded slowly, settling down. "Fine! Be safe and normal then! It would still be fun. Foaming, cool liquid pouring across our bodies!" She started salivating heavily.

Sunny gave Izzy a push, sending her down the slide with a loud squeal of delight. She landed with a splash, hopping up to spread the water everywhere. She clapped her hooves. "Whooo!"

The ponies followed Izzy down the slide in turn, each enjoying the experience thoroughly. Once everyone was in the pool, Sunny shouted, "Let's do that again!"

Comforting angled her head at the ponies. "I think they're having a fine time. I don't have to foalsit them constantly. They are adults, silly adults, but adults none the less."

A loud noise rang through the air, a high pitched shriek, then the sound of wood and metal crunching.

"What the heck was that?!" Toots stood up, alert. "That sounded really bad."

They hurried towards the sound as others were moving in the opposite direction. The path led them out onto the deck, where a giant chunk of ice was melting rapidly, but not so fast they couldn't see it.

Comforting peered at the ice. "What in the world?" She turned in place. "What left that there?"

Toots shrugged his confusion, looking from the ice to her and back.

Sunny Starscout pressed on, nearing the ice chunk. "We should investigate that!" She patted at the ice chunk, though it was rapidly melting to nothing at all, revealing the damage that had been inflicted on the ship.

"It hit us!" Hitch stated the obvious, pointing a hoof at the hole in the ship's railing and the damage to the deck itself. "It hit the ship!"

Amber glared at the damage. "Ugly, but won't stop the ship from functioning, from the look of it. Do any of you know a creature that would leave or use ice?"

Pipp raised a hoof, but put it down without stating anything.

Comforting waved to draw her attention. "Pipp? Do you have something to share?"

She cleared her throat. "Well, I might know somecreature. She has a real magnetic personality, but I wouldn't think she'd be on a cruise ship of all places."

"I can be wherever I want." They all twirled to see Allura perched above them, glaring down at them. "You ponies are ruining everything!" She fired off her cold beam, which Comforting caught with ease.

"Hi there, Allura." She tossed the beam behind her out into the ocean. "What brings you by? We're all out of kitty treats."

"Don't mock me." She leapt athletically to the deck, towering over most of them. "I was told this can take you far away. I mean to use it to go where I want, but the ponies refuse to listen to me." She prodded Comforting with a paw. "If you're so smart, how do I get them to shut up and listen?"

Comforting looked between the captain's cabin and the ice cat. "You shouldn't be here."

Allura growled lowly, a rumbling sound that resonated in their hooves. "I demand you tell me how to get them to listen to me!"

Misty peeked out from behind Comforting, who served as a fine shield. "Um, sorry, but they don't owe you, Allura. Where did you want to go anyway?"

Allura scowled down at the unicorn. "What use are you?" She swept her tail dismissively. "None. Just like the rest."

The chaotic spirit placed herself between them. "No, don't you dare go there. These are my friends." She pushed Allura away. "I'll not have you talk to them that way.

Allura let out an almost meow as she slid on the smooth deck so easily. "Stop that! I want to go home, and this boat can go to distant places. I demand you get them to listen to my demand!" She jabbed a claw towards the cabin. "They won't listen to me! Make them listen!"

Toots raised a hoof. "Miss Allura, you're welcome to join us on the cruise, but you've gotta pay like everyone else."

Comforting elbowed her husband. "I don't think she wants a relaxing ride."

"Not unless it's going where I want." She lowered to glare at Toots. "You, tell me how I can reach them." Her eyes sparkled as she let out a hypnotic purr.

He blinked, staring at her. "Well, you should probably just knock."

The cat stopped abruptly, raising a brow at him. "I tried that."

Comforting chuckled. "I doubt the door is going to hold her out."

Allura puffed herself up. "I will knock it down if I have to." She sat up. "But I was hoping you knew a less, hmm, crude way. I'm trying to be reasonable here."

Comforting gestured to the cabin. "Go try again."

The group of them followed Allura up to the cabin, where she tapped on the door. A voice from within replied, "Go away."

Allura waved at the door, huffing with a hint of growl. "See? They won't even listen to what I have to say."

Amber trotted up towards Allura. "Hello, um, scary kitty. Have you tried speaking, gently, through the door? Somepony is there, clearly."

The snow leopard blinked. "Oh, you're right." She turned and spoke to the door. "I wish to go home."

"We'll be going back to Maretime Bay in just a few days. Enjoy your cruise!" The voice was clearly nervous, and the door didn't open.

Allura growled again. "No, not there! I need to go to my home!" She slammed her paws against the cabin door. "Listen to me!"

Comforting slid in to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, don't be like that. They have a schedule and everything. Detouring to take you somewhere isn't on it. I know what a pain it can be, other creatures stuck on their schedules."

Allura suddenly turned on Comforting, tackling her to the ground, not that she looked terribly upset about it. "You! I've heard you can go places. Why don't you take me home?"

Comforting slid out from underneath her. "It doesn't work like that. I don't really travel to places. I can get places, but I don't travel to them. Not the way you're expecting, at least." Comforting rubbed at her cheek. "Besides, I have no idea where your home is, so going there would be tricky. Do you know where your home is? Maybe point it out on a map?"

Allura sank to her haunches, teeth clenched as frost misted the air in front of her snout. "N-no... No! That's, that's the problem!" She slammed her paws on the deck, which frosted over. "I don't know where home is. I just want to go back!" Her cry echoed in the open space.

Comforting hugged Allura, surprising her, though she didn't attack this time. "Are you trying to catch me? It won't be that easy!" Her voice lacked conviction.

"Nope!" She kissed her forehead. "I just want to help you."

"You'd be better off helping yourself!" She pushed Comforting away, sending her into the arms of Toots.

"Hey." Toots held her close. "Careful, Allura. I won't let you harm Comforting." He glowered at her, something fierce lingering in his eyes. That faded the moment she gave him a stern look back. "Never mind."

Comforting hugged him briefly. "Points for the effort." She walked back to Allura. "If you want to go back, there's only one way."

Allura stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to deliver.

"Well, if you don't remember how you got here, we just have to retrace your steps." Comforting made a walking motion with her fingers. "So where were you before here?"

Allura sank to her belly. "Near the auroracorns. And don't ask where they are, where it's colder and less annoyingly warm." Her eyes darted to Hitch. "He was there, briefly. Him and his friends ruined what I had going there."

Hitch rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you were kinda bullying them. So I was protecting them."

Sparky hissed at her, jumping off his back to confront her directly. He blew out a tiny puff of smoke and fire in her direction. She blew back a cold blast that sent him tumbling across the ground.

Hitch was there instantly to gather up his little dragon. "You leave Sparky alone! We're not here to fight. We're on a vacation. A vacation you weren't invited to."

Comforting swept in to stand between the two. "Don't escalate this any further, you two." She turned to Allura with a little smile. "Look, you're a cat now stuck on a boat in the middle of water. I'm pretty sure you don't want to swim."

"I do not." Allura lashed her tail. "What are you suggesting?"

"Just hang out." She gestured around them at the others. "We aren't your enemies. The only reason we fought before was because you attacked us. You picked a fight, and then lost. Let's just cool off." She paused. "I take credit for that pun, but seriously. Even you deserve some time off, so take it, relax with us. Let's have a little truce until you get back on solid ground."

Allura narrowed her gaze. "And then we'll fight to the bitter end?"

Comforting raised her hands up in surrender. "Nah! No more fighting. I think you could really use some friends."

"Friends, ha." She looked around a moment. "Fat good those are." But she didn't press the conflict, instead hopping up onto the roof of the ship and settling for a good sulk, as felines were good at doing. "I'm going to sit up here until we get to the land. Don't bother me." She glanced at Amber. "Except you, shorty. You can be around me if you must."

Amber pointed a hoof at herself, jumping with surprise. "Me? Um." She let that go, turning away to lean closer to Comforting. "Why would she want to talk to me, of all ponies?"

Comforting shrugged. "Not a clue, but hey, a chance to make a friend. I hear cats that like you are awesome cuddle buddies, so take the chance. I think you'll be fine."

Author's Note

Allura, you weren't invited on this cruise. Bad kitty! Bad! Don't make me get the water bottle.

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79 - Purrfect Audience

Amber watched Allura from afar for a good while, not sure what to think. She was scary, but also kinda cute, in a weird way. She trotted up beside Pipp and nudged her. "Think I should talk to her?"

Pipp regarded the ice leopard. "Yeah, you should go say hello, introduce yourself. I'm pretty sure she won't bite you." She paused. "I think?" She drew out her phone. "Either way, I will be sure to capture it for everypony else, and rescue you."

Amber swallowed hard. "Great pep talk. But I think she likes me for some reason, so I'm going to find out why." She trotted over towards Allura, waving. "Hi! Nice to see you again, Miss Kitty."

Allura abandoned sipping something through a curved straw. "Hm? Oh. You." She flashed her dangerous teeth. "I was hoping you'd come by. I'm bored. You ponies have so many ways to be a little happy. How do you stand being so small?"

"I dunno, it feels normal." Amber giggled. "And you're not that much bigger." She leaned back to look over all of Allura. "Um. So. You called. What's on your mind?"

Allura rumbled softly a moment. "I could smell you all over the large one. You brought them, didn't you?"

Amber nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, that's my fault. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" Allura prodded Amber with a paw. "At least it means you're useful. If you can summon something as big and powerful as that, maybe you can go the other way, and send me where I want to be."

Amber blinked. "Uh, teleportation? That's a really high level spell, one I'm not familiar with. Um." She rubbed a hoof on the back of her head. "I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm not sure how to do that."

Allura frowned. "Fine, don't say you can't." Her voice turned wistful. "That creature seemed able to go wherever they wished. Can't you do the same?"

Amber crossed her arms. "Comforting's magic is whatever she wants. The only reason she doesn't get everything she dreams of is she likes the challenge of not cheating to get it, I think. Usually." She frowned with mild thought, adjusting her glasses. "She still plans to extend the library, and I'm almost certain magic will be involved."

"Another world of books?" She watched Amber nod. "Interesting, and that creature can do anything she wants. Maybe I should have kept them close."

Amber shrugged. "Not likely. Comforting doesn't care about power. She doesn't like using her power to 'fix' our problems. She does love watching us work towards solutions to those problems." She huffed gently. "It can be frustrating sometimes, knowing your friend could just make some issue go away, but won't. I understand it, though. Makes us stronger to work for our own wins."

Allura snorted, a puff of cold air leaving her. "I don't care if she wants to fix my problems, just that she does." A faint growl escaped her. "How do I convince her to do it?"

"By working with her. She'll be there to help us, but we need to put in the work too." Amber shrugged. "Not that hard." She tilted her head. "Unless you feel like you'll fail."

"I won't!" Allura spread her wings, anger flaring a moment before she settled down. "I'm working on it. I haven't failed anything."

"Yet." Amber held up her hooves to placate Allura. "Why don't you tell me about your friend, and maybe we can find them?"

"Maybe." Allura glanced around. "But I doubt you've seen them, if I'm the first of my kind you've ever laid your eyes on."

Amber nodded along. "True, but you must know them well, if you want to find them."

Allura's voice turned softer. "I've lived alone until Twitch came along, in my cave." She shook her head. "Getting distracted. Yes, of course I know them well, or at least I did." She clenched her teeth. "How much they may have changed in all those years. Do they even remember me?" She sipped her colorful drink. "This is becoming a depressing topic."

Amber's hoof landed on Allura's foreleg, giving it a rub. "It's going to be okay, I promise." She sat down. "Now, if I were to run into your friend, what would I notice?"

"Besides the fact that you're addressing a large winged feline?" Allura chuckled at the thought. "Still pretty sure that'd be the first thing you notice."

Amber couldn't argue with that. "Sure, but I can imagine that. What would you say about your friend? What's something that's really special to them?"

Allura gazed out at the sea. "That used to be me. We were inseparable." She paused in thought. "Alterro is my brother, if that helps somehow." She sank to be as close to even with Amber as she could get. "Does that get Comforting closer to sending me where I wish to go?"

"Maybe." Amber gestured to the cruise ship. "And being on this ship, might help."

"How?" Allura looked around. "It's just floating along while ponies waste their time, and mine." She sipped her drink. "At least they make decent things to try while you do it."

Amber tapped Allura's drink with her hoof. "Exactly. You're experiencing new things. The more you know, the better chance of finding out something to tell us where your friend is, and how to get you back there."

Allura blinked slowly. "Oh. I'm not sure the way you're hinting at will get me back very quickly." She stretched a powerful leg, claws slicing the air. "Very, what is it, zen. Calm your mind, the secret was inside you the whole time, that sort of thing."

Amber laughed. "Maybe it is! Maybe you'll remember the exact place you used to live, and then we can find it." She spread her hooves. "Besides, it's a vacation. Just enjoy yourself!"

Allura rolled onto her back. "I understand that, at least. Maybe I do need one of those. Why did it have to be such a warm place? I'm more of a snow leopard, you realize. This thick fur is made to hold in heat."

Amber reached out to stroke along the exposed belly. "It's quite soft. Do you like belly rubs? Most cats do, I've read."

Allura went still. "You are being brave. Touching any cat's belly is an open invitation to be attacked. You are inviting it." The tension in her voice was thick with every word. "That you are an ally of that possible answer is the only reason I am telling you this instead of letting you learn the hard way."

Amber jerked her hoof away. "Sorry! I didn't know. I just wanted to feel how soft it was."

Allura sat up and stretched, a low rolling purr escaping her. "If you must touch me, do it almost anywhere else. You ponies sure are tactile, aren't you?"

Amber reached up to scratch Allura's ear, which felt natural. "Some ponies are more than others. We're all friends."

"Sure, friends." She leaned into Amber's hoof, purr growing in strength. "That is a better spot." She closed her eyes. "When we return to land, this little 'truce' will be over, if you have forgotten."

Amber's hoof didn't slow down. "I think you could be a better friend if you really tried." She moved to the other ear, which jerked away after a moment of stroking. "Bad spot?"

"No." Allura rumbled, eyes on Amber intently. "But you are being awfully familiar. Are you trying to seduce me? You're not even the first pony to try that. I will not be so easily swayed."

Amber stared back. "Is it working?"

Allura's jaw worked silently for several seconds. "I refuse to dignify that with a response."

Amber laughed softly. "Don't let me distract you, though." She lowered her hoof. "If there's anypony else around that you want to talk to, you should."

Allura rolled away from Amber, facing anything else. "I am done with this conversation, and you. Begone."

Amber backed off slowly. "Okay, I understand. Take it easy, Miss Kitty. And please don't cause trouble."

Allura waited until the pony had left before she stood, stretching out fully with a long, lazy sound. "This boat, what little mad pony decided this was a good use of their time? It's so wasteful." She trotted towards one of the large windows to peer out at the vast ocean beyond it, seeing nothing but water in every direction.

"Excuse me?"

Allura looked down at another little pony. This one was a pegasus, and familiar. "Weren't you one of the ones that stole my chance away from me?" She growled with clear frustration. "Come to rub it in?"

Zipp glared at her, wings flaring slightly. "You tried to force creatures to do your bidding. Not okay." Her wings went back to rest against her sides. "I don't expect you to apologize, but I want you to understand. That wasn't cool, so we stopped it. Doesn't really matter who's doing it, pony or not."

Allura sat down, tail lashing. "You foiled my plan, but you could have made things much worse. Thank you for not destroying my efforts utterly, I suppose." She huffed, frosty air billowing out in front of her. "That doesn't explain why you're bothering me, unless it was just to remind me not to try forcing ponies to help. You're not an auroracorn, and neither are your friends. I have no need of any of them, except maybe one."

"Right." She sat down. "Listen, Allura. We're all stuck on this ship. I don't want you making trouble." She spread her wings. "But if you're here to relax, I'm fine with that too." Zipp looked up and down over the big cat. "What do you like doing, for fun?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "Fun? You really think that's my goal?" She sipped at her colorful drink again. "It isn't exactly a bad place, I can see why ponies might like to be here." She rolled her eyes. "They can tolerate heat better. Now if this little boat were drifting in artic waters." She half-lid her eyes in imagination of such a chilly voyage. "That would be lovely. Yes, that, and keep the rest. At least that would be enjoyable."

Zipp stared. "Okay, you can enjoy things! I wasn't sure, but that's good. Maybe try having some? You could relax by a pool, eat some food, have drinks, dance."

Allura tapped her large glass. "I am doing one of those. I was trying to relax, but here you are, with a thousand comments and questions, ruining that effort."

Zipp's jaw worked. "Okay, you're making it difficult to see you in a positive light. Why are you so defensive? I just wanted to see what you were about."

Allura turned, lashing her tail once. "Because I don't want to be here, and nocreature seems capable, and willing, to get me where I do want to be."

"And where's that?" Zipp drew out a notepad with one wing and a pen in the other to scribble notes. "That would get us somewhere."

"I don't remember!" Her voice raised several octaves, her fur standing on end. "If I remembered where home was, I wouldn't be stuck here!" She sank to her haunches. "I swear, you ponies do love repeating the same question. Are you trying to annoy me?"

Zipp scribbled down a note. "You're very hostile when uncomfortable."

"I am a large predatory cat!" Allura hissed softly at Zipp. "What are you doing with that?" She swatted the pad, sending it flying a few feet away.

"Hey!" Zipp quickly grabbed the notepad up. "I'm taking notes on you, so we can figure out how to help. You're welcome!" She scrawled a few extra lines.

Allura snapped her head to Zipp, glaring. "Don't write about me. I'm not your fun weekend project. I am not a cat to be coddled, pet, and fawned over. I am a fearsome creature of legend."

Zipp took in the sight. "Right, terrifying." She held up a hoof. "I mean, you are, really. But we have a truce, right? You're just another creature enjoying the ship right now. Come on, Allura, it's not a bad thing to enjoy something. You're not betraying your people, or yourself, or whatever, by having fun."

The ice leopard looked away with a sigh. "Of course you don't understand. Look, I have one little thing I want. That's it."

Zipp scribbled that down as well. "Go back home, find your brother."

"Yes!" She jabbed a claw at the notepad, stopping just short of touching it. "That's it. Why is that so hard to accept? Nopony will listen to that!" She glanced back. "Except her. But even then she has a lot of rules." Allura mused quietly a moment. "I don't suppose you know how to get Comforting to use her magic and fix something?"

"Have you tried asking?" Zipp suggested. "I mean, she is really powerful, but also kinda shy. So maybe ask, nicely."

Allura lashed her tail, frosty air swirling around her in a light mist. "I did try that. She seemed more eager to see me 'try harder' in some way. A lamp of wishes, if one knows how to ask them. She is an infuriating creature." She smiled to herself. "Still better than most others."

Zipp looked around slowly, before turning back to Allura. "And, just checking, you're enjoying yourself, right?"

"I'm..." She took a sip at her drink. "No comment." She flopped facing away from Zipp. "Shoo, pegasus. Find a different creature to interrogate. Maybe I'll talk to you again. When you have something worth talking about." She curled up, tail laying along her side.

Author's Note

Poor Allura. She's still a bad kitty.

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80 - Fun in the Sun

Zipp headed to the pool area, settling down on a chair beside her sister. "Hey."

Pipp looked up from her magazine, hooves holding it over her face. "You look frazzled! What happened?" Her sunglasses slipped to reveal her expression of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Zipp worked back into the lawn chair as she pulled out her notebook. "I was just trying to work through this case."

Pipp swatted at Zipp. "This is a vacation, remember? You don't have to work, especially on something like this." She shook her head. "You're always trying to solve something."

Zipp nodded along. "I know, I know. How are you doing, sis?"

Pipp pulled out her phone and started swiping through images. "Glad you asked! I am getting so many pictures of me doing interesting things. I love it, and the Pippsqueaks are too! Double-win!"

Zipp leaned over to look. "Nice shots! Looking good, sis. Any good ones of the ocean?"

"Naturally." Pipp paged to one image, and another, until she found it. "There. See? Great shot."

Zipp clopped her hooves together. "What do you plan on doing next? The rate you're going, you'll hit up the whole ship pretty fast."

Pipp shrugged, pulling down her glasses. "Then I'll just have to make the most of it. You should join me, it's more fun with more ponies."

"I know." Zipp looked around, watching other ponies enjoying the warm day by lounging on deck chairs or playing easy games there on the deck. Some were swimming, but all were smiling. "Maybe I am working a bit hard right now. But it'll help later."

Pipp put her phone aside to regard Zipp. "You are super good at your work. And you don't even have to work right now." She held her hoof out. "You do that all the time! This is relax time. Put your hooves up."

Zipp lifted her hooves up. "You make a strong case."

"I know!" Pipp gestured behind her with a hoof. "I've already taken some great photos with Comforting, she's so photogenic!"

Zipp snorted at that. "Really? I mean, she's nice and all, but not what I'd call 'traditionally pretty', you know? No offense, I still like her." She held her hooves up quickly. "How did the photos look?"

"Just look." Pipp held the phone out so Zipp could see. "Okay, I had to do a lot of work, but we got there, right?"

Most of them were a bit heavy in filters and decal emojis, but they were still pictures of Pipp and Comforting at various points of the ship, smiling or making faces at the camera. Zipp paged through them. "Oh, wow. Okay, you are a good photographer. And you look so happy."

"Thank you, thank you!" Pipp hugged her phone close. "And I want you to be just as happy, Sis. Tell you what, how about I take a picture of us, right here? Come on, get into the sun, you'll love it."

Zipp rolled her eyes. "Sneaky! You know I'm not big into—" Pipp's camera flashed, interrupting her speech in favor of taking a picture. "Sis!"

Zipp trotted closer to lean beside Pipp. "Here, a better one. Don't you dare take it before I'm ready."

Pipp waggled her phone. "Okay, you get three." She clicked a fresh pic the moment Zipp stilled herself. "There, look." She flipped her phone to show it off. "You look fabulous! You're glowing in the sun."

Zipp regarded the image a moment. "Maybe I do." She smiled at Pipp. "I'll still probably keep up with a little work."

Pipp groaned softly, but relented. "You do you. But this ship was made for relaxing. Even Allura's getting into the groove, slowly. You should be too!"

Zipp nodded. "That's fair." She leaned against Pipp. "Hey, thanks Sis. I'm glad you convinced me to come along."

"You are super welcome! I'm glad you came too." She leaned back against Zipp. "Don't worry, I have plenty to keep us busy."

Elsewhere on the ship, Comforting casually plucked up a pony. Fortunately, that pony was alright with her doing that. "Where are we going?" he did ask, dangling from her grip as she walked off with him.

"This has been fun and all." She smooched the top of Toots' head. "But I need to decompress in relative quiet a bit. I don't do well with crowds for long periods of time."

"You do?" He rubbed his chin. "You always seem like you're okay with any social situation thrown at you."

She stopped at the edge of the boat, looking out into the waves, which she greeted by raising her free hand as if it could wave back at her. The way water crashed just then, perhaps it had. "I didn't say I was antisocial. I love talking with people, but all good things have their limits. A pony can hurt themselves breathing too much."

Toots considered that a moment. "That sounds about right. It doesn't help I'm not good with crowds. So, just a nice, quiet, private time?"

"Exactly." She put her hand on the railing and peered over the edge. "Just one pony, my favorite." She lashed her tail over to brush against him. "If you don't mind."

Toots laughed. "Of course I don't! But I'm just a regular little earth pony. What's so special about me?"

"You." She set him down, hugging him from behind and lifting him up to rest in her hooves again. She snuggled him aggressively, as if he were an agreeable plush doll. "My special, wonderful, amazing, fabulous, adorable pony."

He squirmed gently in her grip, laughing. "Flatterer!" He hugged her hooves and snuggled back against her. "But I'm all yours."

"And I'm yours, that's the deal." She pressed the side of her face to his, both looking out over the water. "This has been a nice trip, hasn't it? Just a nice cruise to nowhere important. No big threats, no danger, just ponies."

He nodded along. "I like that. I'm glad you let me come along." He lifted an ear. "There was that one threat, but you all handled it pretty well. How's that, um, Allura was it? How's she doing now? Better?"

Comforting bobbed her head slightly. "Much. I gave her some hope she can get home." She smiled warmly. "I can take her home whenever." She smirked faintly. "But I won't. If I start fixing everycreature's problems for them, it'll become assumed really fast. Got a problem? Hit up Comforting. That's no way to encourage my friends to be their best selves."

"I get it, but isn't she kind of an enemy?" He pointed out with a tilt of his head. "Should you be giving enemies hope?"

"She's more like a desperate lost cat." Comforting rubbed Toots' belly slowly. "I can't work up the proper ire at her a true enemy deserves. Maybe it's unfair of me, but she's cute, and also lost. I feel bad for her more than I feel bad things about her."

He reached out. "I see." He stroked along her arm. "But you'll stop her from causing problems, right?"

"Of course." She flexed the arm he wasn't rubbing, watching the muscle shift. "But I have faith she won't cause trouble. We have a deal, and she's having a decent enough time. Even oversized kitties like relaxing when they feel safe."

He looked back out at the water. "I guess. I'm still not sure how to feel about all of it, but I trust your judgement. You're pretty wise, after all." He rubbed over her chest. Like most ponies, that was just another part of her with no special meaning, but the affection was clear.

She threw her head towards the inside of the ship. "Shall we retire for the moment? I could use some private snuggle time. I think I need to recharge a little."

He laughed softly and nodded. "Sure! I could use a little of that too." He nuzzled her chest. "So, take me away, big pony!"

Amber saw them going past and waved, but let them go. They looked like they had something on their minds, and interrupting the happy couple felt rude. She turned to Misty. "Did you see Comforting and Toots? Isn't it nice of them to invite us on this trip? This is their special getaway, but they still scooped up their friends."

Misty nodded slowly, looking them both over. "They seem happy together." She closed her eyes a moment. "More to life than books, after all. Even my favorites. Friends are better company."

"Right?" Amber leaned in against Misty. "Are you having fun? Anything you wanna try?"

Misty considered that. "Well, we could visit the pool area again, there are some interesting things going on there."

Amber brightened up at the suggestion. "Sure!" She pointed the way forward. "Onwards, to water games!" She got up to lead Misty down the hall. "I've heard the waterslide is really fun, we should give it a try. Do you like waterslides?"

Misty kept up easily with Amber. "Oh yeah! Izzy was talking about that. I want to give it a try. They have these floaties, you ever try one of those?"

Amber giggled. "A couple times, yeah. I've been swimming before. I don't get to do it often, though."

"Really?" Misty perked an eyebrow. "You live surrounded by water."

Amber huffed at that. "Misty, we were both born with the unicorns, in a forest. I didn't come to Maretime Bay until I was thoroughly an adult. I'm still getting used to having so much water everywhere all the time. It's a bit unnerving."

Misty nodded along. "I get it, it's new, but it's also awesome. I like it."

Amber smiled warmly. "That's fair."

The two emerged onto the deck near the pool. "Slide's still open." Amber pointed over to it, a pony coming down with a cheer and a splash once in a while. "Want in line?"

Misty watched a larger stallion slide down and flop into the pool. "I don't know." She bit her lip gently. "Wouldn't we get in the way?"

Amber bumped Misty forward. "No chickening out now. Besides, we're all in the way of each other. Just be polite about it. Come on!" She led by example, trotting towards the line for the slide. "I bet we'll make it to the front in just a few minutes. There's not a lot of ponies around."

Misty followed slowly, watching the line and its occupants. The other ponies were, for the most part, younger than either of the adult unicorns. Some of them were large, but most were small fillies and colts. "Maybe you're right."

They joined in at the end of the line, which was a series of colorful painted boxes and rails on the ship's deck. Amber pointed when somepony did an especially flashy splash into the pool. "Are you going to try for a grand entrance, or just a smooth dive down the slide?"

Misty blinked at the question. "I'm not sure. Is it better to be fancy or just get out of the way quickly?"

Amber shrugged. "Depends on what you wanna do, and if you have an audience to play to." She snickered gently. "You'll take about the same time, so don't worry about that. I think I'll go for a splash. I could use a cool-off, with all this sun beating down." She glanced up at the sky. "Not that I don't like it, but still hot."

"I'll go for a splash!" Misty lifted her legs up one at a time to inspect them. "Might make a mess."

"That's fine, Misty! Anypony near the pool knows they could get wet. Half the fun, really." With the energy lifted, Amber waited with Misty until it became their turn.

The attendant pony lifted a hoof to get Misty to wait until the previous pony was in the water. He then gave a nod. "Okay, go ahead, Miss. Have fun!"

Misty stepped forward, setting a hoof onto the slide itself. With a yelp, she fell down onto the side, squealing the whole way down and splashing into the pool below. Her mane floated out around her a little, but it was easy enough to straighten it out. She turned and waved. "You next!"

Amber settled onto the top of the slide. "Cannonball!" she shouted as she threw herself forward and curled into that ball the moment she was airborne. She hit the water with a great splash, sending water everywhere. A few seconds later she came up with a gasp. "Oh, that's great!" She brushed back her mane. "Want another run?"

Misty's head bobbed eagerly. "Yeah!"

Author's Note

Everypony's having a pretty great time out on the water! Ever been on a cruise? What was your favorite part?

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81 - All Good Things

It appeared small in the distance, but they were approaching it. They were sailing back towards Maretime Bay, where they had started. The trip was mostly over.

Allura sat by the bow of the ship, looking ahead at the land that would become her home for however much longer it took to get back to her own homeland. She let a low hiss out. "I don't want to go back." She glanced around, seeing she was still alone for the moment. "I never thought I would hate the idea of a return, but it's boring."

Amber looked aside at the great feline. "Boring? I rarely get a break from what I need to do there. Boring isn't the word I'd use. What do you do?"

Allura waved her paw in the air in circles. "Find things to pass the time with. I have a few hobbies." She grinned widely. "I do like a good game. It can be difficult to find a suitable opponent. Mostly, I look for ways to get back home. That takes most of the time, and I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked. Perhaps I will be able to make a breakthrough now." Her tail lashed once. "I will be spending time with you, won't I? You can help."

Amber laughed softly. "Yes, yes I will be helping you. At least, I do have a full library to search through for any hints of your kind of creature. There has to be something written somewhere by somepony, and then we'll have a much bigger hint."

Allura leaned in closer. "And if there isn't?" she asked, her voice soft. "If there is nothing to be found, then what? You will give up, and I will be left alone once more."

Amber held up a hoof. "One thing at a time. We research. If there really isn't a single book, in the whole city, that means nopony has ever run into your kind, ever, and wrote about it. Fantastic to consider. Means I should write about you, to fix that." She tapped at her chin. "I have a lot more experience caring for books than writing them, but I don't know who else I'd call for this."

Allura hissed, but it was faint and she was facing away from Amber. "Wonderful. I shall be an exhibit, to show off to eager young faces." Her ears flattened to her skull and her wings came up, blocking her face. "I am not here to amuse ponies. When this ship stops, our truce is at an end, to remind."

Amber shook her head. "I'll only write what needs to be shared. There will be details that need to stay hidden, but I'm not going to write about things you want to keep personal." She made a writing motion with a hoof. "In the end, it will be written with you, not just about you. How does that sound?"

Allura turned to face Amber. "Better. Much better." She rose to her feet. "Now, I must prepare for the next phase. You may not see me for a time." She leaped quietly, as only a cat could.

Amber considered the space that had Allura in it a moment ago. "Working with her is going to be an interesting challenge."

***

Misty gazed up at the library's exterior. There was an extra floor, just sitting there, like it had been there the whole time. There was a sign hanging on that new floor, 'Constructed by Comfort Crew, doing it fast and quietly!' She tilted her head left and right at it and reached up to ruffle through her curly locks. "Wow. They really did it, just like that."

Amber trotted out to join her. "I know! Pretty cool, right?" She glanced towards Comforting, who was watching the two. "Thank you, again."

Comforting zipped over the hug both unicorns close. "Anything for a friend. Besides, I live and work here too." She waved up at it. "Also, one of my finest cheats. I figured a way to slip one past the universe in a whole new way that won't fall apart in an instant."

Misty's eyes roved to take in the whole structure. "You sure did, and you sure did." She shuffled out of the embrace. "You said there were books up there?"

Amber followed Misty. "There will be books up there. We have to put that floor to work. We should get on that, I've been waiting for a chance to expand our collection."

"Really?" Comforting leaned in. "You have been? I admit, I did it more on a personal hunch that we might like a whole lot more space." She chuckled softly. "And I wanted to have fun."

Amber nodded to them both. "Of course. We can't keep up with every new book coming out, but we can do better at collecting older works. And, like you said, a little more proper space for our magic and flying lessons will be nice. We can move them up to the third floor and return the first floor to being books only." She gestured over. "And I do like the glass ceiling above that garden area. It's very nice for reading in, even more than I thought."

Comforting pointed out over the bay. "We live in a wonderful area. No reason to blot out sight of it all. The windows help." She shrugged. "I do like having the view."

Misty looked out towards the water, sparkling and shimmering in the light of the sun. "We really are lucky. It's beautiful." She tilted her head aside. "If only we could get more books about creatures like Allura." She turned back to Amber. "Is that all of our job now, or are you doing that alone?"

Amber waved that off. "If you're willing to help, I'll gladly take it. There are a lot of books to root through and Internet catalogs to check. I think the magic section may have something relevant." She frowned in thought. "And we should look up legends, I think. If they have been here before, some pony had to have noticed."

Comforting looked around. "Speaking of, have either of you seen Allura since we got off the boat?" She shrugged lightly, arms spread. "I don't think she's been to the library yet."

"No." Amber's frown turned into a smile, though with effort. "But I don't expect her to spend all day, every day, here. In fact, it may take a while before she does. I hope to have something for her when she works her way up to that."

Comforting nodded slowly. "I get that, yeah. Not exactly the easiest kitty to work with. But still worth it." She paused a long moment. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Both unicorns shrugged. "Well, she has two friends at least working for her." She hugged the two. "Now, I should get home. Dinner and breakfast, that's what I promised." And, with that, she casually hopped into the next scene.

***

Comforting landed besides Toots. "Finished unpacking?" she asked.

He nodded. "Sure am." He looked around slowly. "Something the matter?"

"Not really, just worried about Allura, a little." She shrugged lightly. "She's a big girl, but still sort of stranded." She hugged Toots, wielding her official hug license. "And I wanted to say how much I enjoyed that trip, with you in it. That was wonderful."

He patted her back. "It sure was. I'm glad you had fun. I sure did." He smiled up at her. "Want me to look into Allura? I could ask around a little."

Comforting considered that with a soft hum. "I appreciate you being willing, but where would you look? I don't know that you'll find anything Amber or Misty can't."

"I know a few creatures that owe me some favors." He shrugged. "Maybe I can dig something up."

"You sly pony!" She elbowed him lightly. "Well, it can't hurt to look. Share whatever you find with me and Amber so we can all stay on the same page." She shook her head. "Actually, you just need to tell me, and I can play telephone." She held up her hand to her head like a telephone receiver.

Toots lifted his phone. "I can text you both as easily as texting one of you." He poked her with the phone. "You're still getting used to them, huh?"

"I forgot!" She threw up her hands. "I spent quite a long time without them. I used to know how they did their things, honest." Laughing at her own follies, she tickled at his sides, hovering over him. "Now, what's for dinner today?"

Toots squirmed, trying to speak between laughter. "I-I was thinking, w-we order in tonight, s-since we're still tired out from the ship." He managed to grab her wrists gently. He kissed one of her hands, and was soon nuzzling into it.

She gave up on the tickles, instead rubbing over his held snout. "That sounds fun. Tomorrow though, I want something that has your love cooked right into it. They're the best."

"Agreed!" He snorted softly. "And you do a mean meal, yourself." Toots turned to kiss her palm. "So, I'll order something, and we can relax after."

A quick few taps at his phone, and food was on the way. "How are things at the library? That's where you hopped off to, right?" he asked, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, it is." Comforting flopped back onto the bed. "I gave them a new third floor to fill up with more books. Amber's already got ideas, but that'll take a long while." She waved a hand in the air above her. "But, right now, it gets to be the new home of the magic classes, and that'll be great."

Toots snuggled in with her the two sharing heat and space without complaint. "So, how'd you do it? I thought your magic was only good for a little while."

"Oh, yeah." She chuckled softly. "The big trick was cheating the system. I went through all the steps you'd expect of a building. I consulted a lawyer, put up signs, covered it up for a few days. The surprise of a new floor coming out of it in the end was a lot less, even if it was suspiciously quiet and fast. Cheating the system." She snapped sharply. "And got it done. Slow, for me, but way faster than doing it by hand or hoof."

Toots curled in under her arm. "That sounds very clever. Good idea." He nuzzled in closer, resting his cheek against hers. "Why not put a whole house there?"

She stroked along his cheek, the other hand rubbing over his chest. "Cute idea, but it's still a library. How would a house on it help?"

He lifted his hoof slowly. "It would give you a place to live. It's gotta be lonely to spend all your time in this room." He gestured around them. "I do worry, you know."

She grinned down at him. "You're so sweet, but I'm not actually living here, remember? This is a place for me to visit, not spend all my time." She nuzzled at him. "Not like you stay here all day every day either. Like you, a very comfortable place to recharge, and get some time with my favorite pony." She hugged him as she slid up atop him. "I'd say it does a pretty good job."

He squirmed in the embrace, laughing. "Ah! Alright! I give, I give!" After a few moments of squirming, he relaxed with her weight on top of him. "You do a very good job at keeping me happy."

"Right back atcha." She lifted an ear at a knock. "And I think dinner just arrived. I'll get it!" She hopped out of the room to collect the delivery.

Toots laughed and rested back. "Hurry back, please!"

Comforting returned, taking up a seat beside him and putting the food down. "You don't have to tell me twice!" She began laying out the trays right there on the bed. "Already smells great." She popped them open, releasing more of those smells to tempt the two of them.

Toots breathed it in, eyes shutting with a sigh. "That's the good stuff. Thanks for dinner, Comf." He leaned in to kiss her cheek before beginning to dig in. "Ah!"

"Silly pony, you ordered it." She grabbed a disposable fork that had come with the food and joined Toots in enjoying the food. "Mm, not bad at all. Not as good as Toots-made, but close enough." She swayed her feline tail, watching him a moment. "After dinner, what do you want to do?"

Toots chewed slowly in thought. "I dunno." He tapped his chin. "How about a movie? We could rent a movie, watch it together, and relax."

"Ha, I have you beaten for a change." She wielded a remote that hadn't been there a moment before. "We have the Internet. Almost infinite movies are available. How about we start with something simple, like a musical?"

Toots smiled. "Sounds good! What sorta musical?"

"A charming classic." She began tapping at the remote until the screen displayed 'A Charming Life' in bright colors and high detail. "This one had a great song and dance routine in it." She played the movie and set the remote aside, eyes watching the television and the opening credits.

The two leaned on one another, nibbling their food and enjoying the show at the same time. "Thanks."

Comforting perked. "For what?"

"For keeping your promise. For being home for dinner." He took a fresh bite. "It's, um, really nice. It's something to look forward to, and you're always here, just like you said." He wrapped his arm around hers. "I like it."

"I promised." She returned the half-hug with one arm, squeezing him gently. "Breakfast and dinner. Sorry for that trip to the griffons. Ruined that for a few days."

"You did warn me before." He nuzzled her cheek gently. "And made up for it after. I'll forgive you this time."

She rubbed his cheek. "How generous of you." She kissed the tip of his nose, then turned her attention back to the screen. "We're about to reach my favorite part."

Author's Note

Slice of life? Nah, cake time!

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82 - Taking Flight

Allura had made it her business to know her way around every part of Maretime Bay. Not because she particularly liked it. It wasn't bad, but it was just not home. Just barely tolerable. A place to inhabit for the moment. That was why she had to know every nook and cranny. That the library had changed? That bothered her. It had two stories, coming up to eyes easily.

Now, three, a little over her.

That meant she needed a way in. Fortunately, she had more than one friend. She walked into the front doors with a smile. "Good morning!" She kept her voice chipper and friendly, or at least that's how it sounded. "Amber, could you please help me?"

The unicorn turned, regarding Allura with caution. "Yes? With what?"

Allura swept a hand upwards, at the third story. "I need a way up there."

Amber raised a brow, looking between the immense cat and the top floor of her library. "Unless you get smaller, that's going to be a challenge. We mostly teach pony magic up there anyway. What would you do with that?"

"Look for myself." Allura shook her head. "If I am to be a subject in your book, I deserve to be a part of the process."

"Fair enough. I suppose it would be best to write with you, not just about you." She rubbed her cheek. "But you don't need to get up there for that. Are you that curious about earth pony magic or how to fly? I imagine you're already pretty good at flying. You have wings."

Allura glanced back at her wings. "True, they are functional, but that does not mean there are not tricks pony magic could teach me." She regarded Amber carefully. "Besides, it would make a better book, would it not?"

"You're teasing now." Still, she mused on it. "Tell you what, I'll ask that the flying instructor include you. They often head outside anyway, and you can join them and see what they're up to. How's that sound?"

"That will suffice." Allura bowed her head slightly. "When does the class meet?"

"Every week day, early afternoon." Amber pointed. "We have flyers. Want one?" She trotted inside and returned with a slip of paper floating along in her magic. "Here you go."

Allura took the flyer from Amber, looking it over. "Thank you." She gave Amber a small grin. "See you tomorrow."

Amber waved. "See you tomorrow." She watched Allura walk away before turning back to her work. "Hope Zipp doesn't mind this little change of pace."

***

Zipp stood before the group, looking left and right over her trainees. "Today's a great day. Feel that breeze." She extended a wing out despite flapping to hold herself up, rustling in the soft winds of the morning. "This morning, we have a guest joining us. Welcome, Allura, to the beginner's class."

Allura dipped her head slightly, looking around. Other than herself and Zipp, there were only five other students present. Each of them was an adult, but none of them appeared to have mastered flight at all, based on their wobbling nature in the air. She pondered what could have caused an adult of the species to be so poor at the art. "Are you ill?"

Zipp floated in front of Allura with a nervous laugh. "They're not sick. Don't be harsh. Look, magic just came back to us. They lived most of their life not being able to fly, but now they can, and I'm happy to show them how." She nodded, wings stretching wide. "Some have better natural instincts, but all can learn with a good teacher."

Allura regarded Zipp a moment, then shrugged her wings up. "I wish to learn new tricks. Show me how ponies do this."

Zipp saluted. "Hang tight. I'm going to go over some basic drills with the cadets today. Pay attention, even if it's simple, you might see something." She turned and zipped back towards the group. "Alright, let's practice the basics, everypony!" Zipp demonstrated the movements for her trainees to copy.

Allura watched carefully. The way Zipp moved, the motions that meant the most, the ways the other pegasi failed. She could see the differences between pony movements and her own. Ponies moved as if they were small, which they were. Her motions were more suited for a larger being. Strength versus dexterity, baked into the very basics of how each took flight. Allura tried adjusting her flight to match more of how Zipp flew, and found herself staying steady far easier than normal. She grinned, and began experimenting further.

Zipp was not a professional instructor. She had been recruited just because she had been there and hadn't said no. "Keep those wings in sync!" She waved at a stallion that had the two flapping just a little out of sync. "It's easier once you get that down." She watched him correct and catch himself before drifting too far. "There, like that!" One wing to a mare who drifted low. "Don't flap so hard, you'll wear yourself out."

Zipp twirled in the air. "The idea is to do just what needs to be done. right now, that's hovering. If you're doing more than that, you're wasting energy. Overly strong flaps will ground you, huffing for breath. Flap too weak, and you'll drop. Now, let's see some of those wing positions! Remember, you can turn with just a twitch."

Allura watched, then tried to emulate. She knew how to hover and turn, but learning the pony way was, at the least, a welcome distraction. That the wind was refreshingly cool up there was another reason to be in no hurry to rush back to the ground.

Zipp continued to fly about, offering tips and corrections. She looked up at Allura. "See how it's done?"

Allura looked down, grinning slightly. "Indeed. I am quite impressed by the way your wings flutter so quickly." She reached to brush one of those flapping wings. "Your skill is quite ahead of the others. Did you 'regain your magic' sooner?"

Zipp shook her head quickly. "Nah, but I was an athletic sort, and used my wings even when I couldn't fly. These babies were making me even more mobile before I got up here, which was great! You can ask my sister, I used to jump everywhere all the time." She gestured at her trainees. "These ponies spent their lives on four legs, and that's the difference between them and me." She flew right up to one of her students. "Nothing wrong with that. You're all getting better!"

The stallion blushed and nodded. "Thank you, Zephyr."

Allura watched, her head tilting to the side. "You are kind to them." Her ears flattened slightly at that. "Do they owe you something?"

"Huh? No." Zipp backed away to see them all more easily. "The class is free, don't get a single bit out of this, just get to see ponies enjoying flight more, and I like that." She gestured around them. "Don't I get to decide what I want to do?"

Allura tilted her head the other way. "I suppose. Do you enjoy this, then?"

"The work is work." Zipp waved over the line. "I like what happens because of it, but work is still work. So I can't say I 'enjoy' it, but knowing what it will lead to makes it worth it. I want more pegasi up in the sky with me, enjoying what their wings can do."

Allura gave a nod. "Reasonable." She tilted her head the other way. "My efforts are quite trying at times, but thinking of the reward at the end makes it worth it." She purred at the thought of her eventual return to home. "And so I keep going."

Zipp nodded. "Sometimes, that's all you can do." She waved her wing towards Allura. "Want to try flying with the class, see how you do at following instructions?"

Allura laughed at that. "I have already been following your directions." She did a quick turn in the air, the pegasus way. "Pegasi fly differently than I do, but perhaps more suited for tight turns and maneuverability. Perhaps, had I stayed home, I would have been shown some of these tricks."

Zipp nodded slowly. "You know, you've mentioned your home before, and you sound really homesick." She tilted her head, thinking a moment. "Is there something I can do?"

Allure resisted the urge to pounce on Zipp. "That depends, can you whisk me away to my home? Are you any good at portals? Tell me your powers, little instructor."

"I have no clue how to use portals." Zipp shrugged lightly. "Sorry, guess I can't be of much help there."

Allura nodded once. "Then, no."

"I can listen." Zipp floated closer. "Sometimes, talking about it helps."

Allura chuckled. "You ponies adore talking, and being talked at. Such a curious species."

Zipp grinned. "Oh, like you don't? I saw you purring earlier. Looked like you were imagining some fun times with friends and family. Got any?"

Allura rolled her eyes at Zipp. "Of course, I have friends and family. What sort of creature doesn't?"

Zipp chuckled. "I dunno, just curious." She shrugged lightly. "Alright, back to training, everyone! Allura, I'm sure you can keep up fine, just watch me and follow my lead. There's going to be some exercises you'll have to skip, but we'll figure those out." She soared, leading the class in some motions besides hovering and moving. "Time to do some banks!"

Allura did indeed keep up, though there were a few moments of difficulty where her large size was not properly suited for the exercise. Still, for the most part, she was able to keep up with the lesson with relative ease. By the time the class came for a landing, she was breathing a little hard. Not from the flying, directly, but the times she had to work to pull a tight move that her large flight didn't normally do.

***

It was late evening, and Misty was walking towards Tootsie and Comforting's shared apartment. When she knocked, the door opened almost immediately, and there was Toots.

Toots smiled warmly. "Hey! You're one of the librarian's at Comforting's library."

"Oh, um, hi." Misty waved at the larger stallion. "It's, uh, more of Amber's library, but the two are pretty close, so I doubt either would be that upset." She rubbed behind her head. "I mean, hello."

Toots chuckled softly. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Toots."

Misty nodded. "Cool to meet you, Toots. I met you once before, at the wedding. That was nice." She shuffled awkwardly in place. "Sorry, I'm not used to being around lots of ponies, and... um... yes." Her ears lowered, hiding behind her hair. "Is Comforting around?"

"Yes." And she was. "Misty, come on in. Have you had dinner yet? We've barely started cooking. You should join us, plenty to go around."

"Oh! Um, well..." She smiled timidly. "If you're alright with it? I don't want to get in the way of—"

"Get in here." Comforting threw an arm over Misty and drew her inside. "You remind me of my mom sometimes." She looked at the smaller unicorn a moment. "History doesn't repeat, but it loves to rhyme." She tapped Misty on the nose. "Welcome to our home. You're not in the way."

Misty smiled warmly. "Thank you, Comforting, and you too, Toots."

"Absolutely, you're always welcome." He trotted after the two mares to the kitchen. "I hear you're learning how to do all kinds of crazy unicorn magic." He waved a glowing green hoof. "I only know how to do earth pony magic, which is pretty neat, in a different kinda way."

Misty nodded quickly. "Yeah, Amber's teaching me everything I need to know. So, um, what are you cooking?"

Toots looked over towards a cookbook that he had propped up on a stand, open to the right page. He glanced over it. "It's a sort of stew, with some vegetables, and chicken." He gestured over to where a bowl was full of prepped ingredients.

Comforting clapped her mismatched hands, causing the bowl to suddenly transition from starting to ready. "No time for that when we have guests already over. Grab a bowl!"

Toots giggled at that. "Well, I suppose that works." He went over to cabinets, grabbing the bowls, silverware, and other eating implements for the three of them.

Misty looked around. "For being the home of, uh, you, Comforting, this looks normal."

Comforting snorted at that. "That's a habit I didn't pick up from my dad. I like having a normal place to return to. I can be wild during the day. Here, I just get to be me." She took the ladle from Toots and started filling Misty's bowl first. "But, there's still surprises." A shelf lifted itself and pushed forth a container of cookies, which opened to a sweet smell. "Some by me, and others by Toots. We keep each other guessing, half the fun."

Author's Note

Allura takes a flying lesson, and it isn't entirely worthless, to her surprise.

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83 - Three Heads Are Better Than One

Misty sat at their table, smiling nervously at Toots and Comforting. "Pretty sure this is the first time I had dinner here before."

"That's because it is." Toots settled in with the other two. "Glad you decided to stop by." He looked at Comforting, then at Misty. "So, Misty, I've been curious since we first met, and after hearing some stories. You're the other half of the 'magical duo' they have at the library?"

Misty blushed. "Um, well, I'm learning, and I can already do a lot, yeah."

Toots smiled. "Well, that's great! I admit, I don't know a lot about unicorn magic, so I hope you won't mind explaining." He tapped at the side of his head. "I just barely have earth pony magic going, and that's very different from what I've seen of unicorn magic. Is it hard to do?"

Misty shook her head. "No. Well, I mean, it depends." She looked up at her glowing horn. "This is the main way I cast spells, and it's like playing a song. The bigger spells have bigger, more complicated songs. But, the more you play, the better you get at it, so it kinda evens out."

Toots chuckled softly. "Ah! I like that analogy. It's easy to start, but gets more complex over time." He looked to Comforting. "You were involved in this, I bet."

Comforting shrugged. "Only a little." She held a hand up, fingers close together. "I just helped Amber remember how to use her horn again. I could have jumped her forward, but that was personal." She danced her fingers against one another. "I gave her the first step and let her wander down that path on her own, eyes wide with wonder. Her and Misty here have been eager devourers of every magic secret they can find."

Misty nodded eagerly, holding her hoof up. "We started writing what we found. I know Amber has a secret! We share almost everything, but she's hiding one from me. Not even fair!" She huffed a soft breath and slurped her soup. "Mmm, this is nice. Thank you."

Toots grinned. "Thank you, Misty." He twirled his spoon in the air. "So, Amber's keeping secrets, huh?"

"It's not even fair!" Misty flopped back. "I think she got it during the cruise, and I'm still trying to figure out what she could have learned while on vacation."

Toots' eyes flickered to Comforting, then back to Misty. "Oh, a new trick?" He chuckled softly, taking a drink of his soup. "I bet it's something impressive, then."

Comforting leaned in, tail swaying behind her. "Well, far be it for me to ruin it, but I bet whatever it is, you'll know it when you see it. Amber is careful, but she is also prone to showing off. If you ask, maybe she'll show you." She smirked at Misty. "Maybe she'll show you regardless." A wink.

Misty pouted at the idea. "You know exactly what she learned, don't you?"

"Maybe?" Comforting sipped with a smile. "Focus on your meal. Did you visit just to ask about Amber?"

"Kinda, but it's good to see you too." Misty ate her meal. "Between you and her, there's a lot of magic going on, and I can't keep up with all of it, but I want to know more."

Toots inclined his head. "Oh, am I in the way?"

"No!" She thrust a hoof towards him. "This is your house, for one thing. Sorry for being all about magic. Actually, how has earth-pony magic been for you? Did you make up any new plants?"

Toots rubbed his chin. "Not really." He looked aside to a house plant, and reached out to brush his hoof gently along its leaves. "It has been helpful to know, though." His hoof glowed softly, the leaves shifting slightly in color to become more vibrant and healthy. "I'm not great at growing crops, but I'm good with flowers."

Misty clapped at the sight of the restored flower. "Wow, I'm not all that good with houseplants. They, um, don't do so good if I'm left in charge of them." She shrank guiltily at that. "So I let Sunny lend a hoof. She knows how to do tricks like that."

Toots nodded. "Yeah! She's one of the first earth ponies to get it right. Imagine, having all three tribes? Too much for me." He clapped his hooves. "One's already plenty, right?" He gave Comforting an expectant look.

"Oh, sure." Comforting waved a hand. "The way I was made, there aren't types or kinds for me." She gestured over herself. "Not a pony and all. Back when I was one, just one. I was a little unicorn, like you, Misty. I was learning magic, also like you. I had a lot to figure out, and I wasn't always sure I was getting it right, but I kept trying." She chuckled, ear flickering. "And here I am. So I guess I got something right, at least once."

Misty took in Comforting's curious form. "Will learning unicorn magic make that happen to me?"

"Probably not." Comforting lightly tapped Misty at the end of her snout. "But, if it does, I call dibs on being chaos buddies, okay?" She grinned at Misty. "You can learn about me by being me, if that happens." She glanced at Toots. "We have plenty of room for another here, right?"

Toots nodded with a laugh. "Dear, you don't really seem to 'take up space', as it were. I don't think you'd be the sort to get territorial if another chaos spirit came visiting."

Comforting covered Toots' mouth. "Hush. You're tempting it. Ugh, they'll show up this chapter or the next, I bet. That's going to be a whole thing. Maybe it's time for me to learn a friendship lesson."

Toots nickered under Comforting's palm. "Dare we tempt it?"

Comforting looked away. "Let's not invite trouble. One disaster at a time. We're dealing with Allura now, right?"

Misty sat up at that. "She's been a good kitty. I heard she's started flying with the pegasi and even having a good time. It's really nice to see!" She giggled softly to herself. "Maybe I'll go out flying with her soon."

Comforting raised a brow at that. "Are you more advanced than I gave credit for? You're a unicorn, and they don't, usually, fly."

"Well, I've been practicing." Misty leaned aside. "A little. I haven't gotten very high, but I can lift myself off the ground a little, I'm sure I could do more if I had to." She pushed away from the table and hopped to her hooves. "Watch!"

Her horn glowed softly as she slowly raised from the ground, hovering on a platform that held her up. "Ta da!" It wobbled a little as she looked around, but it held her a foot up off the ground. "See?"

Toots smiled and applauded. "Well done!"

Comforting just sat and watched. "Misty, why did you make the platform?" She tapped Misty's platform in question. "Not an invalid approach. I'm just a little nosey, don't mind me. What inspired you?"

Misty looked down, staring at her construct. "I just, um, thought it was what I was supposed to do? I, uh, make something and lift it up." She wiggled her hooves in place. "It works, mostly." She looked upwards and the platform wobbled beneath her. "Woah, but I do have to keep it steady." With focus, she got it still again.

Comforting reached for the platform and touched it. "What if I changed what it is?" And changed it, the platform becoming solid and real.

Misty blinked at that. "How'd you do that?" She danced from hoof to hoof on what seemed to be a metal floating disc. "Silly to ask, I guess. You can do these sorts of things."

"That, yes." Comforting set her hand back. "I just wondered if there was a way for you to do something like it." She tapped her own nose. "I am chaos magic. I'm not sure what you are yet, but I bet you'll know it when you get it, you know?"

Misty hopped off the metal platform and landed on a new magic one. "I think this works for me. I have to get better at it. I can just, um, hold me mostly. I can do up or down, and not many other directions." The platform faded to nothing, leaving Misty on her hooves. "And, I can only do a little before I'm all out of energy. That's really tough."

Comforting chuckled and patted Misty on the back. "Still, quite a show." She zipped over to behind Toots, holding his shoulders. "Remember how curious you were, when you first got your magic?"

Toots nodded. "Yeah, I do. Took me a bit to figure it out, and it still doesn't work quite the same for me, but I'm getting good at it. Like Misty said, it's a lot like learning an instrument." He rubbed his hooves together with a green glow. "Maybe I should practice more often? I get distracted with the daily grind."

"Speaking of grind, dessert!" Comforting produced a tray of ice cream with a flourish. "Tonight, I'm giving you mint." She popped the tray down on the table. "Mm, I love the smell."

Misty sniffed gently. "Mmm!" Grabbing a cone, she munched into the thickly flavored minty treat. "Thank you. You two are super nice. Sorry for dropping in all of a sudden like that."

Toots shook his head. "Nonsense, you're always welcome. Besides, we're glad you came by. It's always nice to have company." He licked at his cone. "And someone to talk about magic with." He took a bite of the mint and shivered with mild brain freeze. "Mm, not bad! It's hard to talk magic with Comforting. She can do what she wants, so talking technique gets tricky."

Comforting nodded. "I do, and I don't, have any techniques. It's hard to describe when it just happens. Sometimes, it feels like I don't do it, it's just done." She snapped her fingers and a new creature appeared. "Like that?"

The creature was a chimera, with three heads. One of them, the goat, spoke first, "And a fine to-do! Summoned right in the middle of things."

The second head, the dragon's, laughed. "What's new, old buddy? You're being rude again."

The last head, the lion, roared at the dragon head, "Shut up, or I'm eating you first, I swear."

The goat bumped against the other heads. "No fighting, we have an exterior threat. Look." All three did look at Comforting. "Another chaos spirit, right there. A strange and unusual one."

Toots and Misty watched in awe as the creature walked and talked. Comforting laughed, holding up the chimera. "You're very astute! I see I picked a good talker today."

The chimera was abruptly a few feet away. The lion frowned. "We didn't say you could touch us."

"Ask first," continued the dragon. "Mind your manners. You've gotten far too used to being the only chaos agent in town."

The goat added, "We'll be around, and you're in for trouble."

Comforting sighed as the chimera vanished. "I did call that. Tell me I didn't." She sank onto her chair. "I'd come up with a brilliant plan about this, but the chapter's almost over, so we'll have to face this in the next one, I imagine."

Misty blinked slowly. "Chapter?"

Toots shook his head at her. "I've learned not to ask about those. It's something she sees and only she sees."

Author's Note

Oops, new potential bad guy/antagonist? Ah well, Comforting needed one.

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84 - Look What I Can Do

It was a quiet afternoon when Misty made her way to the library. The doors opened and she trotted inside, ears perking at the sight of Amber already there. "Hello? Amber?"

Amber lifted her head from the desk, rubbing her forehead. "Ah! Sorry, sorry. There we go, awake and ready for work!" She gestured with a hoof. "Come on, I was waiting for you."

Misty hurried over. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Amber shook her head. "You weren't." She hopped down to the floor. "But I did want to show you something, something you've been wanting to see." She led Misty deeper into the library, towards the new third floor. "Come on, upstairs. We'll need the quiet."

Misty looked around, confused but eager. "Do I finally get to see your new trick?"

"Maybe," sang out Amber, trailing with a giggle as she ascended the stairs. "It took practice to get this working properly. I think you'll like it."

Misty grinned. "I'm looking forward to it." Her eyes scanned the upper floor, seeing mostly empty shelves. "Is this a lesson in shelving?"

"No." Amber turned to face Misty. "This top floor will be about pony magic, and we don't have a lot of books on that, yet. We're writing the unicorn one right now, you and me."

Misty nodded. "Right, we'll finish it soon."

"Yes, but that's not what matters right now." Amber looked around. "Is it good up here?"

Misty glanced around. "A little empty, but that makes sense. More teaching spaces, less things to look up, for now."

Amber chuckled gently. "Good, now, eyes on me." She stretched out in a very feline way, horn glowing with magic. Her tail grew an inch, then two more, rapidly extending until she had a great feline tail swaying behind her where once there was a pony one. "Meow. How's that?"

Misty's eyes went wide. "You have a cat's tail!" She circled around Amber, watching the tail in awe. "That's amazing!"

"It is." Amber closed her eyes, focusing on the tail. With active concentration, she could make it flick and curl in ways pony tails did not. "While speaking to our grumpy feline friend, I took note of a few of her songs. Her tail was one of them." She curled the tip. "It takes focus, but it works."

Misty stepped up to Amber and hugged her. "That's so cool. Can I learn to grow a tail?"

Amber shook her head. "In time, in time. You'll note the tail looks a bit large on me. That's because it came from her song. She's a big kitty, so her song is a big tail." She reached back, curling her tail to meet her and let her hug it. "Allura's tail, on me."

Misty reached to touch the tail, running her hooves through the soft fur. "It's really there. You can feel it, even touch it."

"I certainly can, yes." Amber's ear flickered. "It's not an image of her tail. I turned my tail into hers, but it won't last for too much longer." She nuzzled into the soft feline fur just as it began to shrank, slowly returning to its original pony form. "But it isn't the only song I learned from her. Just one of many." She looked at herself. "That reminds me." Her own form shifted, growing taller and fuller, still a pony, but not one that looked like her at all. Her hair was long, her eyes bright green, and her coat was a darker shade of pink. "A song of her size. I didn't think size, by itself, had a song." She stepped carefully, lest she hurt anything with her new bulk. "But it does, for Allura."

Misty gaped, staring. "You're huge." Her horn glowed softly. "It's really you, and you're really bigger. I can tell that much."

Amber gave Misty a little poke, still almost enough to knock her over. "Stop checking for illusions. This is all a transformation spell, just different songs for the target. Being a large purple pony is exciting, but of limited use as a librarian. It's a curious side effect of the song. Maybe it's just part of the full song?"

Amber shrunk back down to her usual self, sighing with relief. "More manageable. Every new friend we make is a chance to learn a few new songs. Just a side benefit, as if making friends wasn't reward enough." She smiled at Misty. "But, you already knew that. So, what would you like to practice?"

Misty flexed a hoof. "I was practicing my floating spell. Now I can do a whole minute." She hopped up but didn't come all the way back down. "See? Barely any effort now."

Amber applauded the effort. "Very nice! You've been practicing, clearly. I am very proud of you, magic buddy. You make me feel a little guilty. I should practice more instead of always looking for new new new."

Misty blushed, setting her hooves back down. "It's not that good, but I'm gonna get better." She nodded. "Practice makes perfect."

"Quite, I just keep seeing new things." She ran a hoof down her face with an embarrassed grin. "Okay, I'll make a promise. No hunting new songs for a whole week at least. I'll work with the ones I've collected. They should be plenty to keep me happy. Oh, speaking of that, have you practiced at all with the part changing spell?"

"Oh, um, no. I haven't." She held a hoof over her mouth. "I haven't thought about it, honestly." She gave a sheepish grin. "I guess I got focused on other things too."

"We've both been trotting in our own direction." Amber booped Misty on the nose. "Now, how about we trade? You wanted to know my trick. The catch, it's part of that part switching spell." She dug out her book and laid it flat on the ground. Her magic flipped it to the part switching spell. "Here."

Misty looked. "Right, the spell with a big blank spot." Her eyes went to that blank first. "That you have to fill in, with what you want to turn into, and what part of you is doing the turning."

Amber raised a hoof. "About that! I've learned that the song for what you turn into often has the part about what is changing already kinda built in. A song about Allura's tail is going to already be about tails. If you wanted to have her tail as an arm, you'd have to really work at that. Not sure why somepony would want that."

Misty shuddered at that thought. "That's creepy."

"Agreed, but it does mean we can leave that blank spot. You can just sing the song and hope you're on key." She tapped at her horn. "And that's the trick, isn't it? Practice! You've been practicing your hovering, and me, these transformations. Both lovely spells, but we can't master both of them at the same time, now can we?" She smiled. "So, I think we're doing alright, each with a favorite spell we're working on."

Misty nodded, smiling. "Okay, I'll get this one next, promise!"

***

Comforting faced her rival, one she hadn't even known she had until just a chapter before. "So, what do you want exactly?"

The goat answered first, "Your head and your wings, plucked from your corpse."

The dragon snickered, "With a side of fries, please."

The lion frowned at them. "This is no laughing matter."

Comforting made a face. "If you're a chaos creature like me, you know death's hard to come by for us, on any lasting level."

The goat nodded, "We are aware, and we also are aware of the solution to that conundrum. We needn't kill you to end your miserable existence. We just need to pull you inside out."

The lion rolled her eyes, a female, unlike the other two. "Metaphysically, that is. You have a tie that keeps you going. Just have to separate you from it. You have a mortal tie, and we can break it."

The dragon laughed softly, "And that's easy. We already know what you're tied to."

The goat nodded, "And it's not going to last forever, which makes this easier than ever."

Comforting slammed her hands on her hips. "I don't appreciate you making threats on anyone I happen to like, but I'm not my dad. I don't have any one person I'm tied to. I have quite the collection. Look, what do you want? Attacking me is great and all, but to what end? Surely you have an end game in there somewhere?"

The goat chuckled, "Yes, we do." He tapped his snout. "We're going to replace you. There can only be one chaos being in this world. Your existence keeps us from being able to stay, so we're removing you."

Comforting blinked at that. "I'm only taking up space around this city. I thought I was keeping things to myself. Why can't you haunt any of the other places?"

The goat sneered at that. "Your presence makes it impossible. It isn't about territory, but about order." She held out her hoof. "As chaos, we do not fit into this ordered, rational world."

Comforting considered that a moment. "Mm, well, Together does run a fairly orderly ship, but she's not as strong as she has been in the past. I'm not interfering with her, so maybe I could help you find a spot to work around us. I can sense Together, and help you avoid that, or I could ask her to let you stay in this world."

The dragon peered at Comforting with a new curiosity. "You can communicate with this world's order spirit?"

"Yes. I have been, for decades. I used to be mortal, and I was her agent, one of many. After I became a chaos spirit, that never entirely changed. We're in good!" She balled a hand and put it into the air just in time for a sparkling image of a tree to collide, completing the brofist before the image vanished. "Together and I are friends, if not family."

The goat looked dubious, "Then why is she so powerful here?"

Comforting threw a hand wide. "You're next to her, literally. She lives in the pony cities. Go away from the pony cities and you can find lots of room to do what you want without her watching." She snapped a finger. "She's not the strongest there is, not any more anyway, and hasn't been for some time. She'd probably let you stay without being a problem."

The dragon considered that, looking towards the lion. "What do you think?"

The lion frowned in thought, but her expression slowly softened. "We didn't think we could speak to order." She looked at Comforting. "It has never, in all my times, been able to speak with order. Maybe you have a use besides being a target for destruction. What does your order call herself?"

Comforting smiled brightly, "Together."

The dragon blinked. "How delightfully on the nose."

The goat chuckled. "Well, I suppose we'll give it a try."

The lion gave a low purr. "To avoid Together, we have to stop being so close. That fits. Order, at this strength, is hard to be near. Take us somewhere more comfortable, if you're serious about helping."

Comforting smiled. "Alright! Glad to be of service. As it turns out, offering comfort is a thing I love doing." She went up to the less irritated chimera and gave them a soft hug. "Isn't it nicer to make a friend or two?"

The lion chuckled. "I admit, I didn't think of it that way. You have certainly given us reason to reconsider. Come, let's get away from that big, horrible, tree."

And so they vanished.

Author's Note

Oversized kitty tail? What a fine spell.

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85 - Spreading Magic

Toots sat down for breakfast, and his wife across from him. That was unusual, if only because she hadn't been there a moment before. "Just finished?"

"Good morning." She reached across the table and went in for a quick smooch on the nose. "I found a place for them to be and cause trouble. I hope I don't regret it. It sounds like it's only a matter of time before you and I will be living with another chaos spirit."

Toots blinked at that, setting down the utensils he'd just picked up. "Should I be worried? A lot? A little?"

"A little." She held up two fingers close together. "I brought them to the griffons, who haven't had a chaos spirit in forever. It'll be good for them! But the griffons will get here eventually, so we'll probably run into those three eventually. Still, for now, everycreature's happy about it." She looked down at Toots' food. "What are you eating? Looks delicious."

Toots looked down at his meal. "I made eggs with some sides. It's simple enough." He took his fork back up. "I was hoping you'd show up."

"Promises are promises." She took up her own, using her fingers instead of oddly capable hooves as Toots was doing. "It's good to be home. Allow me to be thankful for what I have." She reached across to touch his hoof with her hand. "I do have a lot."

He blushed. "You're sweet." His ears folded back. "I have a lot too."

She winked at him, mouth already full as she enjoyed breakfast.

"I had a question."

Comforting paused in her moment of gluttony. "That sounds like a new question. What's on your mind, my dear stallion?"

"I don't know much about chaos spirits." He looked up at his wife, a pony with limbs that weren't pony limbs and a torso that was clearly equine, though not quite a match for his own form. "But, can I ask a favor?"

Comforting clasped her hands together. "You've waited this long before asking for one, I'll at least hear it. Did you want a new rocking hairdo? A new car? Shapely mares to hang off either arm?" She shook her head. "Not that last one, I would get jealous."

"No, no." He smiled, shaking his head. "I wouldn't want that. It's a gift I'm hoping you can help me with, nothing more."

Comforting shrugged. "Alright, I'll consider it. But first you have to say what it is. Stop keeping me in suspense, lovely pony."

Toots chuckled softly at that, looking down at his meal. "Comforting, you've known Sunny for a long time, and you have a lot of magic. Do you think you could help her with her magic lessons?"

Comforting blinked with obvious surprise. "She is a dear and, well, sunny pony. But she only spends a small itty bitty part of her time as a unicorn. Does she even want to learn more unicorn magic than she needs to help her friends, which she seems to be doing pretty well on her own?"

Toots bowed his head. "She works hard. I think she would like to learn more, and she can do more for the ponies and other races. If she can do more, maybe she'll feel happier and prouder of her skills?"

Comforting leaned in over the table. "This is all your idea, I can feel it." She reached across to ruffle his mane. "A lovely idea, but, hear me out, I'm going to just ask her first before assuming it's what she wants. She's a dear, but she also keeps herself very busy. Insisting on lessons sounds like a fast way to make her frazzled."

Toots nodded, looking up. "That's fair. Thank you."

"It's nothing." She waved a hand. "I'll ask her about it, I promise. I'm curious to hear how she feels. Maybe she'd love the idea." She tapped her fingers together. "But, if she does, I still wouldn't give it to her."

Toots paused. "What? Why not?"

"Because she has two friends that'd love to do it." She threw up her hands, two holographic images appearing, one of Misty and the other of Amber. "And I wouldn't steal the chance from them. Besides, I love seeing my students be teachers." She smiled at the images, then waved her hand to make them vanish. "I'll ask, I will. But, if she says yes, I'm passing the task and the joy of teaching along. It'll be better for her to learn from fellow ponies, instead of a well-meaning chaos spirit. Speaking of that, I should check on my time-displaced pegasus buddy. I wonder how Rain Shower's doing."

Toots looked up, curious. "Rain Shower? Wait, is this the same one who's showing pegasi how to control the weather? That's amazing, by the way. I didn't know they could do that! I guess they didn't either."

Comforting nodded. "It is pretty cool! I'm glad she's getting along, I'll check in later. But first, breakfast. Delicious." She reached to touch his hoof. "And thanks."

Toots slid to his hooves, just to come around and hug her for a change of pace. "Always a pleasure. Thanks for hearing out my little, uh, request. It wasn't that big."

"Barely anything at all." She ruffled his mane. "Doesn't even count as your 'one'."

***

Sunny had taken a few hours off from work, a light day of duty, and decided to go shopping. She was making her way down a lane in Maretime Bay, lined with shops on either side. "It's time I treat myself for a change. How about..." Her eyes wandered left and right before settling on a display of sparkling jewels. "A little something to wear."

She took a step and bumped into a large furry form that hadn't been there a moment before. "Sorry." She backed up and could see who it was. "Comforting?"

Comforting smiled at Sunny. "Heya there, Sunny. Going shopping?"

Sunny smiled at the chaos spirit. "Yeah! I've been thinking about getting a few new things." She put a hoof to her chin. "But I can't seem to find what's right for me."

Comforting held out her hand and let a bit of jewelry appear, dangling from her finger. It was a necklace with an apple at the end. "Try this one, for the fun of it. I didn't come here for fashion advice, but since you're asking."

Sunny laughed. "It looks nice!" She put it over herself, then set it back in place. "I think it's a good start. I was thinking of a bit of bling for my mane or tail.

Comforting hiked a thumb at where to actually buy that pendant as the one she made vanished. "We got plenty of that around here. I wanted to ask something though. You're a unicorn, for a bit at a time. Have you ever thought about learning unicorn magic, like Misty's doing?"

Sunny blinked in thought. "Magic? Well, I mean, I mostly turn into an alicorn to save the day in the moment, not really something I do casually, but I always thought that was all I could do. Not like Amber's been hiding things from me." She sat, looking properly pensive. "If I learned magic, I wouldn't be able to use it most of the time. It's not a secret that I spend a lot of time as an Earth Pony. I mean, I'm sure you can understand. I am one of those, after all." She turned as if to display her lack of wings and horn. She was a sturdy earth pony, and proud of that. "I appreciate the thought though!"

Comforting inclined her head, "Of course. But, if you wanted to, I bet Misty and Amber would be happy to teach you themselves." She waved her hand, making a hologram of her two students appear, both beaming. "They love giving magic lessons. Now, let's get you some of that bling you were hunting for." With that said, she started walking into the nearest boutique.

Sunny followed after, smiling at the thought of Misty and Amber giving lessons, and how adorable they were, even though Sunny wasn't really interested in becoming a student herself. Her thoughts drifted to the various glittering bits and bobs. "Oh!" She spotted the apple pendant Comforting had offered before. "Well, gonna have to get this. And a few others." She smiled, enjoying the rest of the day just shopping and chatting with Comforting.

"Since you came to check on me, let me do the same." She looked aside up at Comforting. "How are you doing? You were quite new to Maretime Bay when I first met you. Settled in nicely?"

Comforting rubbed her muzzle, her hand on her chin in a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, I'm happy." She hugged Sunny gently. "Thank you for asking."

Sunny hugged back. "Of course." She giggled softly. "You do enjoy giving those, hugs that is. It's one of your endearing qualities."

Comforting chuckled. "Well, I always was a hugger, just be sure I see you before you hug me. Unexpected hugs are, mmm, not my favorite." She tickled Sunny under her snout. "But now, in your mane, how about one of those?" She gestured at some crystalline charms. "How about the heart?"

"Aw, that's so cute!" She picked it out of the case and set it over her head. It was bright pink. "It goes nice with me!" She trotted up to the counter to actually buy it. "You have a good eye for this. I expected to spend an hour just looking around. Maybe we should go shopping more often."

Comforting bowed, "If you can stand a little chaos, I'll happily help. Just don't expect too much fashion sense, or consistent fashion sense." She snickered softly. "Just playing around, but yes, sure. I'd love to come along on other little jaunts." She floated along after Sunny. "Feeling properly blinged?"

Sunny giggled. "I think I am." She did a little spin in the center of town, showing off her new accessories. "Now I can be fashionable and ready to be a princess, whenever needed!"

Comforting clapped. "I like your enthusiasm. You're a wonderful addition to the royal court." She paused. "On second thought, you are the royal court these days."

Sunny glanced aside. "Yes, well, I don't exactly have company. Could you tell me about that? What it was like, back when there were other alicorns?" She clapped her hooves with sudden excitement. "Did you know them? Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash and Applejack?! Was Pinkie also a chaos spirit? The writing about her made me wonder at times."

Comforting held up her hands, gently pushing against the questions with her palms, slowing the barrage of questions to a trickle she could manage. "Haha. You sound almost like a filly. So full of questions, and not giving me a chance to think about them." She settled on a bench to do just that. "I did know them. They were wonderful ponies, all dear to my heart. They were dear to all of Equestria. But, I think, I think that I'm going to leave it there. You'll learn more in due time, I'm sure."

Sunny tilted her head. "Why not just tell me now?"

Comforting reached out, drawing Sunny closer. "For one, it's a little bit of a painful topic. One of them was my adopted mother, you see, and thinking of her makes me think of other things that just aren't around anymore. Time, it marches on, not caring about the little feelings of chaos spirits or ponies. It's like that. Tell you what, ask one, specific, question."

Sunny frowned at that, but she could see in Comforting's eyes she was telling the truth. "Okay, I'll ask one question. Um, um... Okay!" She settled on a question with heavy pondering. "Was Twilight Sparkle as good at magic as they said she was?"

Comforting chuckled. "Better! She was the best! The absolute greatest. Nopony else could match her for sheer power, except her best friend, Starlight Glimmer." She folded her arms, nodding. "Those two, always up to something, not always intentionally." She sighed at the memories of it. "But, yes. Twilight took great pride in her arcane knowledge, and always took joy in expanding it as she delved into the magic of friendship."

Sunny smiled, nodding to show she understood. "She sounds wonderful." She sighed, "And I suppose, I shouldn't ask anything else." She hugged Comforting again, letting her set her hoof down after she'd gotten a proper squeeze. "Thank you. Mmm, I have so many more questions, but I'll keep it to one for now." She danced from hoof to hoof. "You are a walking museum of historical facts, and I mean that in the best way possible."

"Thanks, I think." Comforting huffed a sigh and leaned back, stretching her arms to their limits. "I do miss them, I do miss everyone who came before, but it's not good to dwell. We live in the present, and it's a gift, that's why they call it that. I'm surrounded by lovely ponies that are so adorable and full of their own life. It feels like my life started over when I came here." She reached and poked Sunny in the side. "Meeting you, and Zipp, Hitch, Pipp, and the rest, you've all been such a blessing."

Sunny nuzzled into Comforting's neck. "I think I understand that." She only realized she had been picked up somewhere along the line, but went in for more hugs with Comforting rather than worry about it. "Maretime Bay, as a whole, has gained so many new friends, and it wasn't a small place to start. It's overwhelming, but only in the best ways."

Comforting nodded. "Agreed. It's not easy being me, but I love it anyway. And I love you, all of you. I hope you know that." She set Sunny back on her own hooves. "Now, glad to have helped you have a wonderful day. Do poke Misty or Amber if you want those magic lessons, alright?"

Sunny nodded, "Of course. I might take you up on that offer. I'll have to think about it first."

Comforting gave a two-finger salute and vanished with a snap.

Author's Note

Does Sunny really have the time, as a unicorn, to learn uni-magic?

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86 - Checking the Weather

Amber and Comforting stood before a flight of stairs. A ribbon barred the way upwards, bright red and bowed, but ultimately flimsy. Its only job was to be cut, and Amber wielded the comically large scissors to make that happen.

Amber held up a hoof. "I, Amber Skyray, hereby officially open this floor to the public." With that, she cut the ribbon.

Her magic flowed into the blades and sheared the flimsy fabric. It fluttered away, leaving the stairs accessible.

Amber set down the scissors and approached the stairs, climbing slowly, a step at a time. Behind her, curious library goers followed her up into the new floor. "This will be where ponies can not only train their talents, but." She swept a hoof over the bookcases, far less dense than the other floors. "We gathered every book we could find, or write in our community, about it!"

She turned to address the ponies behind her. "There is a place for books donated by you! And, if you wish, any book you write. Write about the magic of ponies, and it will have a home here for others to learn more about themselves." She took a bow and gestured out at the floor. "Welcome to the Talent Training Terrace."

One eager filly came forward. "What kinds of talents can we learn here?"

Amber laughed, "All of them! Or at least I'll try my hardest. Come, I'll show you." She gestured for the filly to follow along and she took her hoof up to a desk set near the entrance. The filly was an earth pony, so she led on towards that section, thick with flowers, small trees, and other flora.

"Every tribe of pony will be covered, from earth to pegasi to unicorns. We want ponies to be the best they can be, and sometimes you need to know more than what's in your heart." She gestured around, "Sometimes you need a friend, a teacher, or a book to really flourish." She held up a book with an apple on it.

Comforting snatched the book away with a smile, hovering over Amber. "One might learn the basics on their own, but with friends, teachers, and a helping hoof, you can dig deeper than that. We'll have classes, schedule at the entrance. No cost, unless you see one beside the class."

A young colt raised a hoof. "Are there requirements to join?"

Amber nodded. "Yes, you have to want to be better. You must have a desire to improve yourself. That's all." She reached up to adjust her glasses. "Like the library itself, we're here for the community, the city. We're here for each and every one of you."

The crowd broke into applause, the floor flooded with eager young ponies and adults alike. They all went exploring, looking into the shelves to see what they had to offer.

Comforting flipped through a book. "I'm impressed. You managed to find more books than I expected. It seems ponies are eager to write about their returned magic, and that's, well, swell." She threw up the book, it vanishing back to where it belonged on a shelf. "How do you like your gift?"

Amber blinked at that before it clicked. "Oh, the floor? Thank you for it. I'm still not sure how you did it, but you did and I'm happy to have it!"

Comforting tapped her chest. "I'm magic. I do magic things that don't make sense. And, well, you deserve this." She gestured around. "It wouldn't exist without you. You're the one already hosting magic lessons, it's just grown a bit larger than a few rooms on the first floor would hold. Your students and teachers should have a better time where they can stretch."

Amber laughed, "I will, and they will. I promise, I will use it to its fullest extent. You're right, it's what I wanted to help ponies be the best they could be." She clapped, imagining what would happen vividly in her mind. "It'll be great having more space to play with during magic class with those eager foals."

She paused, thinking of that. "I've seen adults learning about flying and plant magic, but not learning unicorn magic. Why is that?"

Comforting chuckled at that. "You're used to being a unicorn, but earth and pegasi never saw their own magic." She pointed at the wings on a nearby pegasi. "Flying? That's attractive to everypony of any age. Unicorn magic is, maybe, something you really should learn younger. Or, maybe, we're not reaching out the right way to appeal to older students. Hm." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Could be either."

Amber looked down at herself. "Maybe. It could be different ways of advertising, or maybe adults don't feel like they have time to learn it." She snapped a hoof. "I'll have to think on that, maybe come up with a solution. Regardless, it won't be a huge issue. We have plenty of students, just that they tend towards the younger."

Comforting patted Amber lightly. "I trust in you to do your best. Now, I really should check in on a friend if that's alright."

Amber smiled and nodded. "Go right ahead, enjoy yourself. You've helped plenty today, more than enough. I think I can take care of everything."

Comforting grinned at Amber and took to the air. She grabbed the edge of the paper and pulled herself to the next page. She came to a rest just in front of Rain Shower's beachside house. "Hm, this really is a nice place. I shouldn't have waited so long to see it."

Rain stepped out of her house with a towel slung over her shoulder. "Hello, Comforting. Nice to see you." She gave a casual wave, smiling. She took to the sky, heading out across a stretch of sand towards the water. "I'm about to hit the waves, if you'd like to join me."

Comforting was already at her side, which helped to hear the fleeing pegasi's words. "My, you're eager to get to the water today. What has you in such a good, or at least wet, mood?"

Rain laughed at that. "It's just a lovely day to go out for some surfing, I guess. Come on." As they neared the shore, her board appeared beside her, and she dropped onto the waves.

Comforting stayed up, floating over the water. "Glad to see you're doing alright, but surfing? That's a new hobby. Not complaining, good to see you enjoying yourself."

Rain gave a playful wink before paddling out further from shore. Comforting followed until Rain stopped and peered around. She found what she was hoping to find and climbed up to sit on her board. Comforting came up beside her, and Rain whispered, "This is where the best waves appear."

Comforting leaned in. "You seem so eager to ride them. What's gotten into you?"

Rain looked back to see Comforting. "Nothing, I'm just happy living my life."

Comforting stared at Rain, looking her over. "Huh. Well, that is what you're here for." She zipped in for a hug, just in time for a wave to loom over them. "Oops!" She tried to pull away but was too late. Rain took off, Comforting clinging to her back as the board shot down a wall of water. "I think I'm too tall for this!" She yanked on the back of Rain's mane, trying to guide her towards the crest of the wave.

Rain Shower was too busy laughing as she rode the wave, her wings spread. "It's not too unlike flying in a storm, but you can do it whenever you want!" She leaned to either side, slicing through the water and gliding back out to open waters. "It's fun, but there's a trick to it."

Comforting let go, floating after Rain's surfboard. She smiled at the fast movements and control Rain was showing. "And I was worried about you. Clearly, just me being silly. Oh!" She flitted in closer. "How are your classes going? Are ponies picking up weather magic nicely?"

Rain sat back on her board. "It's hard. Pegasi are so used to flying they don't do the more intricate things. But, they're getting it. I think so, at least." She used her wings to propel herself towards the shore. "Some of them pick it right up! Like Zipp and her sister? They got it almost as quickly as I could explain it."

Comforting flew alongside, hands behind her back. "That's great to hear! I knew you could do it." She gave a thumbs-up. "You go girl. If you need help, of course, I'll lend you a hoof, hand, and wing, but you're doing so well! It's only natural that ponies pick it up slower than you do. You had years of practice before they were ever even born."

Rain laughed, "Yeah, true!" She touched down and took her board with her. "But I did everything before they were born, hardly fair." She held up the board in her wings and started back for her home at a casual trot. "This city though, it's like Manehatten, but it has its own energy, and I'm learning to love it more every day."

Comforting nodded, "It does have an energy. I feel it too. I'm glad to see you're adjusting so well." She paused. "I'm sorry again about the whole 'not asking' thing."

Rain threw a hoof at that. "Please. I'm very glad you yanked me out of that forever place. It was nice enough, but I wasn't really doing anything other than existing. Here, there's tons of things to do and see. It was an adjustment, but not one I'm at all sorry to have done."

Comforting gave a friendly rub on Rain's head. "Good to hear. Sometimes I do worry, but you are your own pony. I get it, and I'll be here for you if you ever need anything." She floated back and up. "I don't have too many friends from back then around, you know. You're a living link to that age." She smiled brightly. "And you're a lot like your mother. She was also a good friend of mine."

Rain's wings fluttered at that. "Oh?" She turned to look, "You knew mom?" She glanced away. "She, uh, you know, was gone before I could get to know her very well. Died when I was just a filly."

Comforting's ears drooped. "Yeah, she and your father were killed by the Storm King, a bad king, a conqueror. They were good ponies who died too soon. She loved you, very much." She sighed softly. Coming in, she delivered a hug that neither objected to. "But, I feel confident saying they'd both be proud of the life their daughter has, and continues, to live."

Rain sniffled, rubbing her face clean with a wing. "Th-thanks. Glad to hear that. I hope to continue to make them proud." She nodded. "That's my plan, anyway." She opened the front door with a hoof and placed her board right inside against the wall. "Oh! Have you seen the view I get from here? Come inside."

Comforting was already in. "I have, but I wouldn't say no to looking out another time."

***

Rain Shower opened the sliding glass door to a view of Maretime Bay, stretched out before them. There were great windows across that entire side of the house, allowing a commanding view of the entire beach front. "It's a magical view, inside or out here on the balcony. Good or bad weather, you can just soak in the sea. Magic, isn't it?"

"It is." Comforting breathed deep the sea air. "It really is." A flicker and her sunglasses were on. She leaned over the rail, gazing down at the beach below. "If you want to get back to riding the waves, I'll be happy to watch over you. I didn't mean to get in the way of what you were doing."

"Nah." She threw a hoof. "I just like to go out, catch one good wave, and come back. Just enough to be fun, but never get boring. Another advantage of a beach house, I can do that whenever I want. It's nice to live near the water. But, when the urge strikes, I'll be back out there." She threw a hoof out towards the water.

The two watched together for a time, just letting the world pass before them. Comforting put an arm over Rain Shower. "Well, even if you don't need any of my help, I'm glad I stopped by today. You're a sweet pony, Rain, and I don't mean to neglect you."

Rain looked up, chuckling. "I'm not a filly. I can take care of myself, but thanks for checking up on me." She paused. "So, how are you? You deserve as much to be checked in on."

Comforting laughed, "Fair enough. I'm fine, I'm fine. I've been helping get Amber's library going. She has a talent training floor, teaching magic. Mostly to fillies and foals, but I think she'll work that out." She snapped with a thought. "Speaking of, you have more space to show pegasi how to weather wrangle, if you want it."

Rain waved a hoof. "Nah, not yet at least. The beach is good, and I like the open air for now." She shrugged, "But, I might change my mind. Fortunately, Zipp's already got it down, and she loves teaching. If you give her the floor, she'll show off her skills. And I'm sure Pipp's waiting in the wings to sing us all a song about it."

Laughing at the idea of a song about weather magic, Comforting agreed. "She would do that, or show us what sort of prettying up tips work well with weather wrangling."

Author's Note

The weather appears to call for rain showers through the afternoon.

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87 - After These Messages

"You? Need me?" Pipp directed a hoof at herself. "Not that I doubt everyone has a little need for Pipp, what can I do specifically?"

Comforting smiled, sitting across from the pink princess. "It's nothing big. I just need an audience."

Pipp tilted her head. "Audience? Well, I am pretty good at drawing a crowd. What did you want them to be there for?"

Comforting waved that away. "No, no, not like that." She waved around the top floor. "All of this. Your sister's already involved, and we want everypony to know about it." Her voice dropped. "We also want older unicorns to take part, but Amber thinks they won't feel like they should or could attend. It's a little bit odd. We're trying to figure out why that is."

Pipp considered with a hum. "Well, my audience tends to skew towards the younger demographic, but I can make a video about the place. Do you mean the whole library?"

Amber poked her head in from the hallway. "Just this floor, where ponies can learn more about their magic, for all tribes."

"Ooohhh." Pipp gestured, "So, like, flying lessons for pegasi, earth magic for earth ponies, and unicorn magic for unicorns?"

Comforting clapped, "That's what I said, but with fewer words." With a grin, she zipped over to Pipp. "Can you do it?"

Pipp smiled, "Of course! Anything for a friend. I'll make a great video to show off the new area."

Comforting and Amber smiled at one another, then back at Pipp. "You are a hero of the day."

***

The video began with Pipp flying into the camera's view, a unicorn, an earth pony, and a pegasus all beside her. All four of them landed and Pipp introduced them, "This is the Talent Training Terrace. Parked right on top of the library, they're ready to help ponies, all ponies, learn about that magical spark that's hiding inside them!"

Pipp turned, gesturing at the unicorn. "I know what magic you're interested in, and it's unicorn magic." The pegasus came into the shot. "Or, maybe, you want to fly like a pegasus." She paused with a thought. "Warning, they can only teach you about the magic you have. Pegasi get pegasi training." She leaned in towards the camera. "Which now includes weather control! How far out is that?!"

The earth pony came in with a chuckle. "Don't forget, earth ponies can learn to be stronger, faster, tougher, and grow better plants."

Pipp gestured at them all. "Learn how to reach for your inner glow and share it with the world around you. We all have that spark, time to reach for yours!"

The video continued, with the trio of ponies, along with Pipp, going through various lessons with the library staff. Some earth ponies and unicorns showed up for the video shoot, just to watch, and Pipp recruited them on the spot, getting them involved too.

***

Amber Skyray walked through the library, her hooves clopping against the wood with every step. The place seemed quiet, but there were students there, reading books. The Talent Training Terrace was getting use, even if it seemed quiet. "So many ponies, learning." She let out a happy sigh at the thought of it. "Exactly what I had hoped for."

A student passed by, Amber's ear flicking to track the sound of their hooves. "They are coming." Another student walked by, a pair of hooves clopping on the wooden floors, making just enough noise for her to follow their paths. Coming in ones and twos mostly, the video proved it had reached ponies as they arrived, looking for lessons.

One young unicorn walked by with his parents, all three beaming with smiles. They each had a copy of the same book, which seemed to be about unicorn magic. "It's wonderful to see them." Amber clapped with joy at all the activity. "Oh, if anypony's never been to a city library before, I can help you get a library card. That goes for anypony that lost theirs too."

More students were there than usual, and it was more diverse than she was used to. Not only young colts and fillies, but their parents, and some older folks besides. It was a lovely sight to see. Amber had plenty to do, helping those without a card for one reason or another. It was the only requirement to get into the class, but cards were free to all residents of the city.

But that one wasn't a resident. Amber blinked. "Floraugh?! What are you doing here?!"

The griffon bowed his head slightly. "I came to check out this new floor I keep hearing about. I'm also here to see my girlfriend." He grinned at Amber, "But I'm happy to see you too."

Amber burst into laughter. "Did the griffons find Maretime Bay? That's wonderful! But what are you going to learn up there? It's for pony magic, and you're a griffon."

The griffon waved that off. "I have wings. I bet I could learn anything they're teaching to pegasi. I want to go find out, but I need a card first." He held out a taloned hand. "Please?"

Amber laughed and levitated a card out towards Floraugh. "Here, this will grant you access. You should be able to learn, just like anypony else." Her eyes moved from Floraugh towards the nearest window. Outside, she could see there were other griffons, but they were, by far, the minority of the creatures in the sky. "It's nice to have other creatures in town."

Floraugh looked out the same window with a smile. "It's nice to visit. It's a nice place you've got here. I might stop by more often now I can." He clutched his card in his claws. "I'm going to go up there and see what the pegasus classes are all about. I'll be back after for a book. How do you have so many of them?!"

Amber chuckled, "You'd be amazed at the books we have here. If you want one that isn't here, we can ask the other libraries in the city to get the one you're looking for."

Floraugh bowed. "Thank you, for real. I'll see you around, Amber." He took flight towards the stairs heading up.

Amber moved on to the next pony in need of a card. "Have you been to a city library before?"

They shook their head, "No, I haven't. What is this?"

Amber tapped her hoof on the counter. "It's where ponies can get books on almost any topic you can imagine. Like this one! Getting a card is easy, just fill this out." She floated over a short form. "Then I give you a card. That's it."

They filled it out, and Amber took a glance. "Very good." She levitated a card over to them. "Now you have access to everything this library has. Including the third floor. It'll also be good at any other library in the city, that belongs to the city."

She skewed an ear with a fresh thought. "I should check out some not-city libraries. Wonder what they're hiding." But she returned to business, waving the next pony forward. The day proved quite busy, getting ponies, and the occasional griffon, ready to wander around, or go directly up for lessons.

By the end of it, she was panting gently and leaning against the desk. "What a day! But I got to see so many happy faces." She reached over the desk to take a drink from a mug. It had been there all day and was, by that point, cold. But the taste barely registered, she needed to hydrate.

"That feels nice. Comfort?" They appeared with a pop. "How did things go everywhere else while I was stuck here?"

Comforting looked up. "Oh, great. Ponies are really getting into the video. I think it's going to pay big dividends." She gestured at Amber with a finger-gun. "I was surprised by how many ponies were talking about the video. I think they're really excited to 'learn their spark' and all." She giggled with obvious joy. "And the griffons! Did you see Floraugh's back?!"

Amber nodded at that. "I did! I'm glad they came, but you didn't call them."

Comforting looked away. "Well, I may or may not have talked to them, or a few of them. I didn't help them, but I may have given a few encouraging words. I didn't want them to wait too long before making the trip."

Amber nodded with agreement. "It is a long flight, but they did seem interested." She paused and squinted. "You just said you didn't do anything, then admitted you did. What is going on, Comforting? Something's different about you."

The chaos spirit turned away, but smiled back at Amber. "There are different levels of 'doing' something." She raised a hand up to the ceiling. "There's me clapping my hands and, poof, griffons are around. That's the most doing." She lowered that hand a foot. "There's giving people the tools to do it, like if I gave them all cars to zip over here. Still a step I try to avoid."

She lowered her hand further yet. "And so on and so on. All I did was mention the lovely things Maretime Bay has to offer, rev their engines as it were. They were still the ones to make the choice, and the ones who actually got themselves here, on their own. I'm okay with that level of involvement."

Amber nodded. "Alright, that is a pretty non-intrusive way of going about it." She laughed gently. "I'm sure they would have come anyway, sooner or later. But it's nice of you to hurry it along." She offered her arms and shared a hug with Comforting, both pleased for it. "Glad we made it through that day. Felt like that line was never going to end."

Comforting laughed at the idea. "You did great. This place is going to do amazing, and you're going to help everypony here reach for that spark inside them." She pulled away, smiling, "I'm glad to have been here for you today."

Amber reached up and got a high-hoof with a clap. "It's a team effort. Speaking of, let me check in with the other librarians and see how they're doing."

Comforting nodded, and she slipped away. Amber moved across the floor, pausing at desks and counters, speaking with other librarians, keeping a careful eye on their thoughts and feelings. They were tired, but otherwise happy to have been part of the process. She approved a few of their vacation requests. "You were overdue for a day to yourself, don't even worry about it."

One of the library goers went past, beaming at Amber, and she beamed back. "Hi there, having fun?"

They nodded. "I'm learning how to do magic like Misty." Their horn glowed as the mare skipped in place. "She's a fun teacher."

"Oh, good for her!" Amber clapped with joy. "Have fun, alright?"

The mare nodded. "Will do, boss! Oh, I mean, Miss Skyray." She dashed away with a giggle.

Amber sighed with relief. "So far, so good." She levitated up a checklist to examine the various points of interest. "Ah!" She hurried up the stairs and over to the earth pony room. "Hitch? How are you holding up with these new ponies flooding in?"

Hitch smiled back, "Doing great! We're learning how to dig deep into the earth." He demonstrated with a hoof, striking a patch of dirt and watching the plants grow. "There's a lot here to learn."

Amber slid to a stop, watching Hitch go on about the specifics of it. "You're really okay? I thought this might have been enough to make you see two jobs at once is a little hard."

Hitch laughed at that. "I got help. The deputy is doing his thing. I got this handled." He flexed his forehooves, "And I can always come here if I'm stressed out, get those emotions out in the earth, you know?"

Amber sank to her haunches with a little laugh. "If you're sure? But you can always call for help from any of us if things feel overwhelming. We want our sheriff to be at his best, and we care about you. So, yes, if things get too stressful, please do tell us. Any of us." She gestured at herself. "I'd be glad to help."

Hitch nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, but I think I'm fine, thanks." He hopped up and came down on a flower that served as a lounging chair. "I'll be headed home soon, after I check in on the deputy one last time."

Amber stepped forward and wrapped her hooves around Hitch, giving him a tight hug. "Don't stay out too late, alright?"

Hitch leaned into that. "Sure, I won't." He let her go and slid to his own hooves. "I'm not a late-night kind of pony anyway."

Author's Note

The griffons are back, in Maretime Bay! Hey, Floraugh, we missed ya.

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88 - Be Prepared

Allura inclined her head. "They likely deserve it, but what do I get out of it?"

The leering bipedal feline laughed at the idea. "Once we control this area, we can do whatever we want, which includes making your dream come true."

She snorted at the idea. "It would be a dream come true. But it would also be the start of something far grander than any other has tried, or even thought of." She smiled and waved her claw. "You really think you can take over the ponies? They're not easy to keep control of. Trust me, I've tried." She rolled her eyes with thoughts of her past attempts.

He nodded, "With you at my side, nothing can go wrong. We will rule them, and with that power, you will get everything you want. You want to live forever? I can do that. You want more power? I can do that too. All you have to do is say yes, and this is all ours for the taking."

Allura leaned in, a puff of cold air frosting her visitor. "You're offering a lot. Too much, perhaps." She paused, hearing something.

A small rabbit rushed into the area, gibbering something.

She frowned at the rabbit. "You dare to return? After abandoning me?!"

He stopped. "Please! I-" His ears drooped. "Please! A-are the stories true? You can grant any wish? Anything, even eternal life?"

She flicked her tail. "That is what this guest is spouting. I'm unsure if I believe him, or you. Twitch, where were you hiding all this time?"

Twitch's legs shook. "I went to the mountains, but they kicked me out of the village. And I got lost in the caves and ended up in this strange, underground city. But then the queen kicked me back to the surface."

Allura blinked at this message, delivered in little noises only she understood. "I thought you were with Comforting, last I heard. How did you end up in the mountains?"

The rabbit shifted on his feet. "Comforting told me to go where I wanted, so I did. And I wanted to see the world." His ears flopped. "But then the snow started to melt, and avalanches rolled down the mountain, burying the city. I couldn't find a way in, or back to the village."

Allura put a paw over her face. "She didn't keep her leash tight, and you ran away, again. What will I do with you, Twitch." She put a paw over him and slid him behind herself. "Now, about you."

The bipedal feline smiled. "We just need your physical might. Then we can begin the invasion. All I need is a yes from you."

Allura pondered this. "You really think you can pull this off?" Twitch was looking up at Allura, his eyes big and watery. "Stop pouting." She pet him a moment before shoving him back. "I already forgave you."

The strange creature nodded at Allura. "Of course. With you, we can do it, together. We will be unstoppable."

She tapped her chin with a claw. "Very well, I'll go along with you. But if this looks like it's falling apart, I'm out."

***

Comforting read over the last portion with a frown. "That's going to be trouble."

Amber looked up from where she was indexing new books. "What will be?"

"Nothing!" Comforting tucked the book page back where it belonged. "Nothing that you can't handle, I'm sure."

Amber frowned at the evasion, but let it slide, returning to her work.

Comforting stretched as her phone rang. She picked it up and talked into it, "Oh? It's been ages! Right now? Really? Give a girl a little warning." She rolled her eyes. "Oh well, if it's happening now."

She slid the phone away. "Just got a call from an old friend. Looks like I'll be out of town a few days."

Amber looked up. "If you're going to be gone a few days, I'll hold the fort down here."

Comforting smiled, "Thanks, Amber. I shouldn't be long." She floated over Amber and reached for her. With a silent consent given, she drew up the librarian for a zero gravity hug. "I love you."

Amber hugged her back tightly. "I love you too." They pulled apart and Comforting was gone in an instant, vanishing from the library.

She looked around to be sure Comforting was gone. "Why did she say that?" She rubbed at her cheek. "I do love her, but we're not special someponies." She shook her head with a nervous laugh. "Just friends, but very close friends." Her cheeks flushed pink.

Misty poked her head around the corner. "Who are you talking to?"

Amber started. "Nopony." She laughed nervously. "So, you need anything Misty?"

"Nope!" Misty approached at a casual walk. "But since we're talking, how about that spell of yours? I'll trade some words you learned for my levitation disc. That's a fair trade, right?"

Amber pondered this. "Yes? I suppose so. It doesn't feel like a trade, since I'd gladly teach you, but the thought still counts."

She looked around the busy library. "But maybe not in work hours." She gently poked Misty. "Afterwards, okay? Our wizarding comes after being librarians."

Misty sighed, "Okay, I guess."

They both did their part to make sure the library ran smoothly, but almost galloped to one another the moment the last visitor, a griffon, was seen out and the doors locked behind them.

Misty bounced in place with her excitement. "Alright!" She curled and got out her spell book. "I swear, this thing keeps trying to show me things." She held it open in her magic. "I'm trying to study the basics, but it keeps skipping around."

Amber tilted her head. "Maybe you should try studying the stuff you keep finding?" She drew out her far less enchanted book. "Maybe it's leading you to something wonderful. You might find what you're looking for already in there, and not know it yet. What have you seen that keeps pulling your attention?"

Misty hummed at this. She flipped through the book with her magic. It landed on a page she'd seen a few times. "Like this one." She tapped at it. "It's not even a spell, not really. It's a breathing technique. I'm not sure what I'd do with that."

Amber hummed and looked over the instructions. "Try it, maybe? See where it leads you?" She looked around, her eyes landing on the stairs. "Up or down? There's the training terrace, and there's the old magic room." She chuckled at the thought. "Still has the original blackboard in it we first wrote down the alphabet in."

"Down! Downstairs sounds great." Misty led the way to the first floor, then towards the magic room that had seen several stages of change as they went. "I remember coming here so much more often." She went up to the blackboard. "Remember when you had to explain the word 'apple' to me?"

She drew it on the board with her magic and held it aloft. "It was one of the first words, after doorknob." She made a doorknob appear and fall to the ground. "That was a silly first word, but it led to so much more. I wouldn't give up those memories for anything."

Amber nodded, "I wouldn't either. Now, what's that breathing exercise? Let's try it."

Misty flipped back a few pages and set the book down on the floor. The two came in to examine the instructions together and the room filled with the soft sounds of them trying to breathe as instructed.

At first, both felt a bit silly, but they were getting the hang of it. Misty tapped at her head. "It's weird, like my horn's getting more air, which I didn't think it needed."

Amber chuckled at that. "Well, we're unicorns, we should do unicorn things."

Both clapped as they turned to their respective spells and got to trading them from one eager student of the arcane to the other. Amber picked up Misty's spell easily enough, but Misty struggled with her own new spell.

"Wow!" Misty looked at her written copy of the spell. "Yours is, like, way more complicated. And you just cast this?"

"Practice makes anything easy eventually." Her horn glowed before her front hooves became great paws. She batted at Misty with the new feline paws, then returned them to being hooves. "You've got this, just give it time."

Misty nodded and tried again. This time, she got something, a flicker of magic through her mane, but it vanished quickly. She returned to the start, playing the magic with slow precision. It was too slow to make the spell launch, but she did it again, slowly. "You have to walk before you can gallop."

Amber nodded, "Good one. Keep at it."

With a clap of her hooves, Amber was floating atop a thin disc of force, made by her new spell. "Your spell's a lot simpler." She leaned forward, and the whole disc leaned with her, causing her to flop to the ground. "Ow, okay." She stood up with a laugh. "Yours is easy to cast and just as easy to mess up once you do it."

She cast the spell again, this time standing straighter. "But, I'm starting to get the hang of it. And look at you." She gestured at Misty with a hoof. "Looks like we both have practice to do. Neither of us was wasting our time, just complicated in different ways."

Misty gave a firm nod. "Right! And I'm going to keep practicing until I have it down." She laughed, "Maybe I'll master this spell before I figure out what that breathing technique is all about."

Amber considered that, hoof at her chin as she balanced on the disc. "Well, if it makes our horns feel funny, maybe try it while you're casting a spell, especially a big one like the transforming one."

Misty gasped. "That's brilliant! We've never tried breathing techniques before." She looked at the spell. "I'm going to try that!"

With a determined expression, Misty tried the new breath while attempting to cast the spell. Her horn glowed with brilliant force as her form obscured under the expanding sphere. When she was visible again, she had a feline head, but her curly mane remained atop it. "Woah!" she got out in a surprised purr.

Her eyes grew wide. "I can talk!" She laughed, "I mean, I could talk before, but I'm doing it in this shape. I sound so cute!" She was purring louder with excitement. She looked to Amber, who was just standing there quietly. "Amber? Did you see?"

"Yes." Amber didn't move, staring forward.

"Say something." Misty reared up, hooves on the disk.

"Something."

Misty blinked at her empty-eyed friend. "This is so wierd." She hummed with thought, turning into a new purr. "Amber, stop that. Is that a joke?"

Amber blinked. "Huh?" She immediately fell off the disc in her surprise, flopping to the ground. "Ow, what happened? Ow!" She sat upright, rubbing her head.

Misty looked at herself with a smile, her normal head having returned. She turned to her notes. "That worked! But why?"

Amber stood, shaking herself off. "What did you do?"

Misty looked at her notes. "I tried the breath, and it changed the spell somehow." She looked over at her friend. "I think I made you all crazy nothing. It was so strange. Like, your mind was made of clouds. And you were just standing there, staring forward."

Amber blinked. "I don't remember any of that." She looked at her hooves. "I just fell off a magic disc. That's going to take some more practice. Now, did you try a new spell? Some kind of hypnosis spell maybe?"

Misty blinked. "Oh, I don't know." She looked over her notes and the book. "No, no hypnosis spell, but it sure felt like that's what I did. I just got a kitty head, that's all."

Amber folded her book shut. "We both have practice to do, but congratulations. Wish I coulda seen that." She slipped her book away. "that was odd. Still, it was fun swapping spells. See you tomorrow?"

Misty smiled at her. "Yeah!" She got a little closer. "And I think we need to spend more time together. It's like, you're my best friend, but it's like I don't see you outside work."

Author's Note

Nothing is happening here, move along.

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89 - The Silent Paws

The pony defense system was more robust than one might have imagined. It was also designed to stop the mythical threat of unicorns. It wasn't very good at that job, and fared even worse against the marching paws of the felines that set upon the town. It was hardly a threat, to them at least, and they smashed through the defenses like paper.

One of them roared, and their armor plates rattled against one another. "Attack!" They poured through the streets, scattering the citizens in a panic. Ponies fled in any direction that didn't have a feline in the way, screaming for help and generally being terrified.

One of the felines leaped onto a fleeing pony's back, flattening the earth creature with a heavy thump. "You are mine!" He put his claws to the pony's neck. "And you'll stop screaming or I'll get upset."

Hitch perked at the sudden noises of upset. "Sounds like a sheriff is needed!" He tucked Sparky away. "Be right back, little guy."

He charged out, leaping over a fence and onto the nearest street. "Excuse me!" His hoof came down firmly on a feline nose. "I don't know who you are, but that pony is not yours."

"Yes, he is," purred another voice, Allura leaning in from above Hitch. The soldier feline scrambled to his paws, saluted, and marched off with his pony without resistance.

Hitch just stood there, paralyzed with the hypnotic purrs. Allure patted him gently on the head. "Your little one needs you right now."

He went back to his post and calmly closed the door on all the noise. "I'm Back, Sparky! It wasn't any real big deal at all."

In the Brighthouse, Izzy slammed her back against the door. "Nopony panic, but we're being invaded by a whole load of angry cats! They have two legs and no heart and they're rounding up every pony they can get their other paws on!"

Sunny rushed to join her. "What's going on out there?!" The other three crowded around and peeked out the windows. "There's so many of them." She turned back. "We have to help them!"

Outside, the streets echoed with the noise of stampeding hooves, and the hissing, snarling of angry felines.

Elsewhere, in a normally peaceful library, Amber gaped at the many ponies that had decided it would double as an emergency shelter. "What is going on?! Why is there a sudden influx of ponies?! This isn't a shelter."

A unicorn rushed by, snatching up several books. "We're being invaded by cats! No, really, and not the regular kind, either. Do you have a book on what to do when that happens?"

Misty shook her head. "I don't think we do." She went to a window to get a peek at things. "Woah, they're not lying."

That got Amber and other librarians around her to see the town being invaded rapidly by agitated felines. Amber fell back, hoof to her cheek. "They'll be here any second. Where's Comforting?!" But the chaos spirit neither appeared nor gave any other sign. "Of all the times!"

Misty whirled on Amber. "We have to help. Maretime Bay is where we live, and they'll take over the library too, I bet. We have to do something!"

One of the felines came up to the window beside Misty. "Hello!"

Misty screamed and fell to the floor. Amber rushed to help her to her hooves, but the cat had moved on already. They kicked open the door to the library, causing the tense still to erupt into a new wave of panicked screams.

Amber pointed at the felines, her horn glowing. She sent out a bolt of energy that bounced between the three that came, knocking them to the ground, but it was a brief respite, with so many more charging in over the fallen forms of the others.

Misty directed her horn, but her magic went down, plucking her from the ground on a disc of light. "What?! How'd you get up there?"

Amber turned. "Misty, watch out!"

The felines were upon them, but the two mages were too stunned to resist. The felines bound Amber and Misty with rope. "Got two!" One called, and a pair of felines took them by the ropes and dragged them out of the building.

Amber growled, which turned into a roar as her body grew free, bursting the ropes as she became too large to even fit in the library. She pinned herself, becoming a great feline version of herself, but her hissing teeth and swiping paws were enough to give the attackers pause. "Back off!"

Several dozen felines turned to her and hissed back. Amber flinched, shrinking slightly by the response. "Or not."

More of them rushed the great form and she was quickly bound again. Her size was too much for the ropes to hold, but she was soon buried in felines and her magic fizzled out as she was pressed. Soon she was just a pony, one thoroughly tied up with an extra helping of rope to be sure it stuck that time.

With Amber secured, they approached Misty, laughing low at that one pony. She swallowed nervously and leaned her disc away, swooping right out a window and towards the Brighthouse. "We need help!" As she went, she could see the felines rounding up every pony in the city beneath her. "This is bad, so very bad." She cringed, imagining how scared everypony had to be, not to even mention herself.

***

Zipp tapped her hoof to her ear. "Hitch, are you there?" She frowned. "I think we lost Hitch. Izzy, can you whip up something for this? You have something crazy none of us saw coming."

"Misty." Izzy pointed outside, where Misty was soaring towards them. "I didn't know she could fly. I thought flying was a pegasus thing."

Misty swooped down to land, her disc vanishing beneath her hooves. She looked at the others with a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank hoofness you're alright!" She gestured back the way she came. "Those cats are taking over the whole city! We have to stop them, somehow. Amber and I tried, but there were too many. I don't know where she is right now." She swallowed nervously. "I'm scared, this is not what I was prepared for."

Sunny stomped a hoof. "We have to help." But the steam fizzled as quickly as it had come. "But there's too many of them. This calls for ponies, all of them." She took a slow breath as she stood up tall. "We have to stand as one to be any match for them. Zipp, Pipp, time to call your mom and report in. Izzy, Misty, we're headed to Bridlewood to recruit the unicorns." With one last clop, her magic wings and horns appeared for just a moment. "We will take back Maretime Bay!"

Misty cheered along with the other ponies. "You tell them! Wait, what's going to keep them from taking over Bridlewood?"

Izzy peeked out through the window. "There's a lot of them, but enough to hold here and take Bridlewood at the same time? I doubt it. Sunny, you rush there and get them to head to Zephyr Heights. From there, we can make our move."

Sunny nodded at that. "We've got a plan, let's make it happen!" She looked at Izzy. "Can you build us something to get there faster, and get back with a bunch of unicorns?"

"Faster, no." She went over to a tarp. "But loading up the unicorns, I've been planning for this!"

Pipp leaned aside towards her sister. "Why was she planning on loading up a load of unicorns?"

"Better not to ask." Zipp clapped instead as the tarp came off, revealing a sizable trailer ready to be attached to their flying machine. "That looks perfect. Get the unicorns in there."

Izzy threw up her hooves with excitement. "Yes, yes I will!" She hopped onto the flying machine and started it. "To Bridlewood, zoom!" She zoomed off the moment Sunny and Misty were on board, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Zipp was hovering in the air, wings flapping. "Hey, mom. You're not gonna believe this." She waved for Pipp to follow as they headed towards Zephyr Heights. "Turns out keeping the guards ready for a fight wasn't a terrible idea after all."

***

Izzy pulled in for a bouncy landing in the middle of the unicorn village. "Welcome home!" That applied to at least two of them. "Let's get out there and tell them impending doom is coming towards them."

Sunny laughed nervously. "Let's not phrase it that way. We don't want to create a panic in two pony places at once. Misty, ready to go?"

She nodded, hopping out the other side. "Let's get the unicorns together." They had barely landed before they were off, galloping around Bridlewood, spreading their urgent message to anypony they passed.

Unfortunately for them, the unicorns seemed more baffled than ready to surge into action. "Hey!" One spoke up, a purple unicorn. "What do you mean 'cats are taking over'? That sounds like nonsense."

Another, orange, joined in. "Besides, we're perfectly safe here." Several unicorns nodded in agreement with that.

An older unicorn waved a hoof at them. "Just because the bay ponies have a problem don't mean it'll come for us, here in our safe forest."

"Right!" The purple unicorn stamped. "If they want a piece of us, they'll have to get through the whole forest, and none of us are letting them through that border!"

Izzy gasped and pointed. "It's already happening! Look!"

They all turned to see a housecat looking back at them. The small creature meowed and jumped out of sight. "False alarm," Izzy laughed out nervously. "But they will come, and when you see them, it'll be too late!"

A blue unicorn folded her hooves. "Then they'll get a hoof full of magic. You're not making a very convincing case. Why don't you go back and take care of this yourselves?"

Sunny sighed, but didn't back down. "Other ponies need your help. As ponies, we need to stand together. An attack on any one of us is an attack on all of us. Those cats aren't just going to stop with one town. If we don't stop them there, they'll come here next. Then, when Zephyr Heights hears about Bridlewood, it'll be too late for any of us!" She swept a hoof towards Zephyr. "Speaking of that, we're mobilizing them as we speak. Our plan is to meet with them and face this feline menace, together, as a united pony front."

That got them to pay more attention to her. They began talking amongst themselves in quiet murmurs. A pink unicorn approached them. "We should help them. What use are our magic powers if we're not using them to protect our fellow ponies?"

"Yeah," piped another.

A colt tapped his head. "I'll pull their tails! That's something cats don't like."

The murmurs of agreement grew louder and more excited. Izzy nudged Sunny. "Looks like you're not half bad at this."

Sunny smiled. "Thank you, but, hmph, this feels so strange in front of a real battle. We don't usually prepare for that." She coughed into a hoof, raising her voice, "Everypony, head into the trailer! We'll fly you all to Zephyr Heights, where you'll be safe, and ready to move with the pegasi against those cats."

They all agreed and started filing into the trailer, but a blue unicorn stopped, "What about Comforting?" Her eyes were filled with worry. "She's always there for us. We should ask her, first."

Sunny shook her head. "Comforting isn't here, right now. I don't know when she's getting back, so we'll have to go on without her." She laughed with worry. "Sure could use her right about now, but we'll have to use our own skills and teamwork to get past this."

Despite her assurances, several of the unicorns seemed more wary, but they filed into the trailer, leaving it far more crowded than when it started. Sunny checked inside. "Are you all ready?" A crowd of yesses, maybes, and a few muffled nos reached her. "We're off!" She circled around to the inside of the Marestream. "Let's go."

Izzy nodded and got the vehicle off the ground, pulling the trailer with her into the air. "Wohoo! Unicorns fly!" She laughed, "And, to think, I thought they wouldn't before today." She pressed a hoof to her cheek. "Which is silly, come to think. I was flying before now. Anywho! Zephyr Heights, here we come!"

They flew over the treetops, and over the plains and rivers that separated them from the heights. Sunny leaned back and shouted to the ponies in the trailer. "Can you hear me?" A muffled sound replied. "We'll be there soon. Don't be scared. The moment we're there, we'll let you all out."

Misty was staring at her magic book. "I had these spells, and I just froze. All I could do was get myself away. At least Amber tried to fight them. What kind of wizard am I? I couldn't cast a single spell!"

Sunny turned to her. "You'll get a chance to show off what you can really do, soon enough. I know you can do it."

Misty sighed, but nodded, looking out the window. Sunny threw an arm over her, hugging Misty gently.

Author's Note

War, huh, what is it good for? It sure won't validate my parking, I'll tell you that.

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90 - Assemble

They touched down in one of Zephyr Height's great plazas, landing on solid stone. The trailer rocked slightly before falling still, its inhabitants remaining silent inside. Izzy hopped out of the cockpit and landed on the stone. "Let's get them out." She unhooked the trailer and threw open the back.

She was buried a moment later as other unicorns charged out around her.

"They were a bit excited." Alphabittle offered a hoof to steady Izzy in her wobbling. "Thanks for the ride."

Misty was out a moment later. "Dad!" She galloped to him. "You made it."

He smiled. "Of course I did! You didn't see me hop in with the others?" That didn't stop him from giving her a hug. "So, Zephyr Heights." He looked around, a thing many other unicorns were doing. "Bet the others are a little shocked. Most never saw this city."

Queen Haven and Zipp approached from the castle, with Pipp coming from another direction. Haven gave her daughters a hug. "Good job. You made it safely."

Sunny approached the royal family, waving with a bright smile. "I'm so glad you're here. We've brought everypony we could. This is an all hooves on deck situation."

Haven nodded towards Sunny. "I've been updated. An angry swarm of creatures has laid siege to Maretime Bay! Well, the pegasi won't sit idly by and wait to be next." Around her, pegasi saluted sharply with their wings. "We are with you."

The gathered crowd began to cheer at that, with Sunny joining in. She jumped up to Queen Haven. "We have to hurry, while we still can. Every moment is precious, now."

Haven gave her a stern nod. "Of course, but galloping in whatever direction feels good is hardly how one wins a war." She trotted with purposeful poise to the unicorn mob. "I'd like you all to organize yourself, with the most magically crafted here." She pointed to one side. "Going to the least over here." She pointed to the other side. "Look to your left and right and compare yourself to the unicorn on either side and start ordering yourselves."

The unicorns began to chat amongst themselves, a few pointing their hooves or horns at one another, but otherwise didn't move. Haven smiled. "What are you waiting for? Order yourselves!"

With a communal squeak, they started moving around, comparing and swapping positions in an organized scramble. Slowly, the crowd resolved into something of a line, but only something. With so many unicorns, there had to be some mistakes and gaps, but the general idea held. Haven raised a brow, seeing Misty at the far end for magical skill. "Aren't you one of the sister's friends? Misty was it?"

Misty nodded. "Yeah. I'm new to learning spells, but a lot of other unicorns haven't even gotten out of the basics, so I'm one of the best by default really." She laughed nervously. "I do know a few spells, like this one!" She lit her horn and hopped up, coming down on her hovering disc. "Ta da!"

Haven nodded. "That's very impressive." She leaned in, her eyes narrowing at Misty. "You know, you're such a magical pony, you could do a lot better than just a spell to make you hover."

"Well, yeah." Misty rubbed in her frizzy mane. "Still learning more. So! Now that we're mostly in line, what should we do?"

Haven turned back to the mob of unicorns. "You're all going to be learning a spell, right now, together. We need to be able to strike back at those felines." She turned to Misty. "Being the expert, I surrender that to you. Do you have a war spell that you can show them quickly?"

Misty blinked and looked back at her father, who was just a few unicorns down from her. "I don't know any war spells. That's not what I wanted to learn."

Haven tapped a hoof. "Go through the spells you did learn. Surely one of them could be used for this if you're a bit creative."

Misty tapped at her chin. "That one! No, way too complicated." She dug out her book. "You've been really nice to me. Could you show me something that'd help us all?"

Flipping through the pages, Misty stopped on a new page. "That's it! This is the spell." She turned to face the unicorns. "Alright! Here's one we can use to help." She held up the book and pointed to it.

The unicorns clapped excitedly, but that died quickly. One raised a hoof. "What is it?"

Another pointed. "That's magic! I learned it at her class."

Misty flashed a smile. "Oh, thank hoofness at least one of my students are here. Can you help me teach everypony else here this spell? It's nice and simple."

With a nod, the green unicorn came forwards and helped explain the spell with Misty. The crowd was attentive, but also excited to be learning new magic, especially with a threat to their homeland so near. The spell had once been common to many unicorns, an age prior. It was time to return it to them.

Haven was inspecting her own soldiers, pegasi ready to take flight at her command. "Looks like they've figured something out. I was sure they would. " She ducked as a bolt of magic soared too close to her head. "Alarming, but also good. Looks like it'll pack a punch."

Sunny trotted up to her with a confident smile. "I see your soldiers are ready to fly. The unicorns are going to provide ranged support. Together, we can take the city back. I wish I could offer more earth pony assistance, but they're the ones that got attacked first, so I don't have many of them."

"What about one more pegasus?"

Sunny twirled in time to see Rain Shower descending to join them. "Oh, hello there. You got out in time?"

Rain flapped her wings despite being on the ground. "With these babies, it's not easy to catch me. I want to help too!"

Haven put a hoof at Rain's chest. "Are you willing to follow my every command? I need pegasi that will move in formation and move with the others."

Rain nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Good." She gestured with her wing. "Take a position by the others. You'll be with them on this mission."

Rain bowed and trotted to join the other pegasi.

Haven leaned in, whispering to Sunny and her daughters, "I'm glad she's with us. An old age pegasus? She's already shown us such interesting tricks. When we return, victorious, she will have much to show us." She stepped back. "We will have a lot to do, afterwards." She swept a hoof to gesture at the gathered ponies. "Sunny, return to your flying ship. Unicorns, mount up. Pegasi, with me! We're all going to Maretime Bay, and we're not leaving until its ponies are free!"

The gathered ponies roared their approval.

***

At Maretime Bay, there was a different roar. The streets echoed not with the noise of hooves, but with the thump of paws. Allura stalked along those roads, pouncing up on a building to find her quarry. "There you are." She hopped down beside their leader. "When do I get to go home? I've helped you take this city." She rolled her eyes. "I did my part, you do yours."

A yellow eye looked at her with disdain. The leader was a great tiger with long fur and a long tail. They were dressed in fine robes and carried the same authority of royalty. "You have helped us, but there are two more pony cities. Until all three are in our grasp, the campaign isn't finished." He brought his hands together quietly. "Then, and only then, can we look for, locate, and get you to your home."

Allura groaned and leaned back. "I don't have time for this!" She kicked her paw against the street. "I want to go home! Not help some cats rule ponies." She turned towards the great tiger. "Besides, what do you need me for? You have this city. You'll have the others."

A dark chuckle left the tiger. "We don't know if they will have defenses like here. You were invaluable to our victory, Allura, and you will be invaluable to our future victories." He turned to face inland. "Do you know if the ponies of the forest or the mountain are more guarded?"

Allura grunted with clear dissatisfaction. "I know it's blazing hot, as usual." She spied a smoothie stall and gently batted her way into it, but there wasn't a single smoothie inside. "Typical. Wait, did you say mountain? Let's go there." She nodded, confident it would be cooler up in a mountain.

The leader shrugged and raised a paw to address the other cats in the area. "Our target is the mountain city! We will be sure to bring home much plunder for our families, and we shall not fail them! Forwards!" The army replied with a chorus of hisses and roars.

One soldier rushed up, snapping a salute. "Sir! What should we do with the prisoners?"

He grunted softly. "Keep watching them. Leave behind enough soldiers to get that done, and the rest will march."

They set off immediately, marching past a row of tied up and locked away ponies that were left behind. Hitch sat with them, his mouth gagged with cloth. "Hmm mmph mm hmmph!"

The ponies near him leaned in. "What was that?"

"I think he said, 'get me out of here!'" They nodded and went to work. "Well, we'll work on that, sheriff. Just hold on tight."

Hitch just sighed and stared out towards the road. Sparky leaned against him with an unsure noise. Hitch closed his eyes.

***

The army of cats were getting close to the borders of Zephyr Heights, when a roar of engines sounded above. They looked up to see the Marestream pulling along a unicorn filled cart, along with a group of pegasus soldiers. Haven was at the front. "It seems we don't have to go far to confront them. Soldiers, advance!"

A pegasus soldier approached from behind Haven. "Your majesty, would it not make more tactical sense to let the unicorns strike first while we draw closer?" His eyes widened when she fixed him with her most regal glare.

"You have a point," she admitted with a sigh. "Unicorns, fire!"

The unicorns had been preparing and they fired their spell bolts in rapid succession. Magic rained down upon the felines below. The cats hissed and tried to dodge out of the way, but they were out in the open and had nowhere to flee. The faster among them found rocks to dart behind as others were jolted and singed under the hail of magical assault.

The unicorns cheered at their success even as the pegasi swooped in. "Charge!" Haven cried out, leading her soldiers with her. They darted towards the felines, trying to snatch some in their hooves, but the agile felines dodged their grasping hooves, snarling and swiping with claws in response.

Zipp went with a flying kick, crashing into the side of a startled cat even as she bounced off them to punch another. It was a field to be parkoured over, and she was ready. She had the claws and fangs of the cats to watch out for, but they had to catch her first. She laughed as she bounced among them.

Allura slammed down a paw in front of Zipp, ceasing her advancement. "You specific ponies are always in my way." She roared loud enough to blow Zipp's mane back. "Get lost."

Zipp snorted and rushed at her, but the cat was faster, smacking her out of the air. She rolled across the ground before coming to a stop. "Ugh, I forgot how fast cats are."

Allura batted her to the side, right off a cliff. Were she not a pegasus, it would have been a far more serious fate. Allura set her eyes on the unicorns blasting any cat that was away from the fighting. "They're next." She lowered herself, preparing to pounce. "Then I can go home. I'll do it with a clean conscious too. Ponies can defend themselves."

Zipp gasped and flew over, dropping in front of her. "I thought we had a truce!"

"A truce for as long as I was on that boat." Allura rolled her eyes. "I don't seem to be on a boat anymore, so no more truce." She batted at Zipp, but they were gone a moment before the paw could come down. Twitch hopped up between Allura's ears, gibbering something as he pointed at Zipp.

Zipp stood at bay, awaiting the pounce of Allura, her wings spread wide to catch the air and carry her away the moment before Allura would land. Twitch jumped away, leaving the cat's ears free.

Author's Note

Action scenes! War! This is suddenly high-octane for this story. Should probably slow things down back towards our chill mood. Still, behold, I started a problem and didn't fix it in a chapter. Praise me!

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91 - Cat Fight

A unicorn aimed their horn, but a feline warrior knocked them down before they could cast a spell. A pegasus swept by and managed to pick up the feline and toss it aside. Many cats were climbing over each other to try and reach the trailer mounted on the Marestream. But a rain of horn bolts sent the structure toppling down.

"I hope you like fighting in the rain," came a shout from above. Rain Shower, cackling with glee, did as her cutie mark and name demanded. With a little dance atop the gathered clouds, rain poured down over the battlefield at her command. She danced to bring the wind and lightning too.

Many of the cats hissed, fleeing to hide under rocks and trees to avoid the storm, but they had to stay in the open battlefield to fight and have any hopes of victory. Their leader thrust his hand forward. "Stay in the fight, the ponies only have so much spirit left in them."

Meanwhile, Sunny was throwing her own punches and kicks at the felines, knocking back several. Her magic wings glowed and she threw a punch with a glowing hoof, sending a feline soaring back. A cat landed on her back, which turned into several more. With a yelp, she was buried under felines as they busily tied her up.

Sunny squirmed beneath them, but there were too many claws and teeth for her to move freely. "I'm stuck!" She called, "Help! Please!" But they were too busy fighting.

Most of them, at least. Misty soared in on her floating disc to send out a stream of heart bubbles. The felines popped them as they rose, and with each heart burst open, they fell asleep. The weight eased from Sunny's back. "Thank you!"

"I was not sure that would work." Misty laughed nervously, looking to the rest of the battle going on before them. "Let's get back to work!" They leaped back in the fray. Misty used her disc to keep out of reach, firing off heart bursts whenever a cat seemed to be gaining on her, putting them to sleep.

A great shadow loomed over her, the leader of the cats. He grabbed her by the scruff and hopped to the ground in one pounce of a motion. "What a naughty pony you are." He casually threw her at the ground without letting go, bashing her like an especially unliked bag of produce. "Stop."

Misty felt pain lancing through her abused form, the world spinning around her. It was hard to make out who or what was where, or why the sky was moving. With a groan of effort, she tried to cast her spell again, but the tiger was prepared, slapping her down to the ground before the hearts could get too high.

"I tried asking." He kicked her in the side and she went limp with a low groan. "Hard way it is. Attack, their wizard is down! To victory!"

"Misty!" Alphabittle rushed in, a look of rage painted across his face. He was upon the tiger a moment later. "You hurt my daughter, you monster!"

The tiger snorted and swung his claws, met with an equally determined horn. Alphabittle was no wizard, but he pressed his bulk against the cat, gaining nicks and slices for his effort. He had to knock the tiger away before it could get any good hits on him. With a grunt, Alphabittle lowered his head and charged.

He crashed into the tiger and they went tumbling, exchanging blows the entire way.

Lightning crashed down, catching a feline mid-pounce. They yowled, jerking and twitching as they slapped to the ground. "You're welcome," shouted from the clouds above, Rain Shower still laughing as she worked the clouds with her ancient skill.

Hitch lashed a hind hoof, knocking one feline back with a pained yelp. Stepping forward, he swung a hoof into the shoulder of another cat, knocking them free of a pegasus that had been caught. "This is, whooof, more fighting than usual." He ducked just in time to avoid a sweeping swipe. His head swung in low, cracking into the cat's stomach.

He'd been untied a good while ago, though it was only recently he was able to escape with Sparky. Speaking of that dragon, they belched flame just over Hitch's head, driving the feline ahead of them back with its heat. Sparky clapped his hands with joy, confident that he was helping.

Hitch couldn't be so confident, not with how many cats he could see. "We're losing numbers." He threw a punch, but it went wide, leaving him open for a paw to the stomach that shoved him back.

"No, you're not." The voice was new. Hitch looked up to see new flyers joining with the pegasi and veering down into the frey. They had talons in the front and paws in the back, with lashing long tails as they screeched like angry birds of prey. The griffons had joined the battle.

The leader of the cats gasped, stumbling backwards in shock. "How, where? No matter! Fight, soldiers! We can win this yet!" He turned to Alphabittle with a glare of hatred. "You're just a pony!"

Alphabittle had to agree, he was. The tiger pounced onto him. With a grunt, he braced his hooves against the tiger's chest, his hooves digging into their flesh while his hind legs kicked, fighting against that thrown bulk.

"Pathetic." Allura pounced on Alphabittle, his bulk meaning little to her large form. "This battle is going poorly. Are you certain you can win it?"

He looked up at her with a glare. "I am certain! The cats are superior! We will win this battle, for the glory of all cats!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You said this was a winning move, and I don't see that." She flicked her great tail across the tiger's face. "I'm leaving. Good luck." With a single, massive leap, she was gone, vanishing into the distance. Twitch laughed from her shoulders.

The leader sputtered, "Wait, what?" He stumbled off of Alphabittle, who lay still a moment before struggling to stand. "Stay down!" the leader practically screeched with frustration.

All around them, the felines were losing, their numbers driven to the ground. The griffons had tipped the balance, and they had finally reached the point where there was no return. They began to flee with pegasi and griffons harrying them until they were captured or driven clear off the mountain.

The sounds of battle started to fade. "Don't think this is over!" shouted the leader. "Cats will rule!"

Alphabittle gave them a swift hoof to the stomach and he fell back with a wheeze. "Not as long as we ponies stand together."

Haven landed beside him. "Brilliantly said." She put a wing over him. "As I'd expect from any coltfriend of mine." The two shared a kiss as the leader scrambled away, but found nowhere to go, surrounded by pegasi and unicorns. "You can go with the rest of your kind. You may walk to your prison cell."

The tiger snarled, charging right through the line with terrific strength. "I'll be back, later." Then, they were gone. Into the wilds, but now, they were alone.

Zipp landed beside Haven. "Mom, you alright?" She looked over her queen of a mother, finding no marks at all. "Or did you not fight?"

Haven laughed at the question. "Dear, I'm a queen. Queens give orders for others to fight, so we win. We don't wade into battles ourselves unless things are truly dire. It would be bad for morale to see their queen not looking her best."

Alphabittle sighed. "That's queens, I guess. How's Misty?" He rushed to her side and gently stroked her head. "Sweetie?"

Misty woke with a start. "Wha, where? Oh." She sat up, wobbling a bit. "Did we win?"

Alphabittle hugged her close. "Yeah, we won. They're running. A lot of cats are in jail right now."

"That's great." She smiled and returned the hug. "So, um, we're not done."

Alphabittle recoiled. "Not done? But we definitely won here. How isn't that done?" He waved a hoof at the field, bereft of combat as things were being cleaned up in the aftermath. "There's nothing else to do."

Misty shook her head, her mane waving with her. "Maretime Bay is still controlled by those cats. We have to go free them now that we made sure they wouldn't take Zephyr Heights."

Alphabittle blinked and groaned. "Right. I forgot about that." He paused and frowned. "You're not coming."

Misty gasped and reared back. "What?"

He took a hissing breath. "You're hurt. You can sit this one out and let the rest of us go charging in this time." He gave her a smile. "It's okay, I promise. Your friends can handle it, and so can I."

Misty was still unsure about that, but she nodded anyway. "Okay, dad."

Alphabittle hugged her gently. "I love you, Misty."

The same conversation was had in many places, with the injured being taken off for triage, willingly or not, and the rest forming up together to discuss the next step. The rain abated overhead, the sun peeking out moments later.

Rain Shower descended to join them. "Looked like we won from up there. We all done?"

Zipp shook her head. "Maretime Bay still needs to be freed from the cats. I'm sure that's not the only place attacked either. We have a lot of work left."

Haven spread her wings. "Let's get right to it, then." She turned to face her pegasus warriors. "You all did splendidly today! But our work isn't finished. Maretime Bay is being held by those brutes, and we don't abandon fellow ponies, do we?"

The pegasi called out a firm agreement. "No, we don't!"

She nodded. "Let's move, then!" Her hooves clopped against the ground with purposeful power. "Let's fly, we'll get there faster."

The griffons lifted off as the pegasi did, becoming one enlarged column of warriors.

Izzy waved for the other unicorns, herding them into the trailer for another ride. "To Maretime Bay! Let's clear it up, then we can get a shake from Sunny. They're super good, let me tell you. If you haven't tried one before, this will be the perfect time!"

They settled into the trailer. It lifted off the ground shortly afterwards and zoomed into the sky with the others. "I can't wait for my smoothie. I hear they're really tasty!"

Sunny laughed at that. "You've tried my smoothies plenty of times, Izzy. Don't act like you never did. But if even half of those unicorns want a taste, I'll be really busy after this."

Everypony ready, they joined the flying brigade as they swooped down from the mountain, Maretime Bay off in the distance. "Let's save my home." Sunny leaned forward with a little determined frown.

Author's Note

The fight isn't over until all ponies trot under a free sun!

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92 - Clearing Dust

The pegasi and griffons came soaring in first, a great wave of fury unleashed upon the city of Maretime Bay, tearing through any resistance offered by the occupying felines. Those who guarded the fringes of the city stood no chance against the united front. The city interior was a different matter. The streets were filled with debris, the felines waiting to ambush any who would pass.

Ponies were cheering at every turn, freed from captivity by the felines. They joined their saviors, sweeping up what weapons they could find. The earth ponies weren't terribly prepared for war, but joined in the effort all the same for the liberation of their own city. The felines were driven back, many fleeing, but their numbers had already diminished before the battle had ever begun.

There was a tiger, the leader, who put up a fierce resistance, striking down several ponies before they even realized they were under attack. They were able to surround him, but he fought all the more viciously for it. The ponies gained a moment to breathe when he slipped away, but the fight continued for some time.

A chubby pony slipped from the battle to Sunny's side. "Thank hoofness you're all here."

Sunny twirled at the voice. "Toots? Hello! Nice to see you, but I'm trying to play leader right now." She laughed nervously, hovering on her magic wings. "Are you fighting or looking for a good place to hide?"

Toots circled to put her between himself and the cats. "Both, but not in the order you're thinking." He puffed himself up. "Comforting may not be around right now, but I know we can handle this."

Sunny smiled. "Of course we can, you don't even have to say that!" She took to the air and looked down at him with a look of concern. "Do we need to talk, Toots?"

"That was it." He waved her away. "Get back to generaling, general." With a satisfied nod, he trotted away from the battle he didn't seem interested in joining.

The pegasi were putting their all in, but the cramped streets in the inner city limited their key strengths. Even worse were felines hiding inside sizable buildings where one couldn't fly much at all. Still, they were able to make the most of it with the aid of the unicorns firing off blasts to flush out the cats. Every street became a battlefield, and despite their initial successes, the cats were pushed back.

Floraugh led the charge into the old factory turned communal space. Cramped or not, he was a griffon, and his talons were as sharp as any cat's claws, with a beak to go with it. The cats fought back, scratching and biting to defend themselves. "Is that all you've got? We griffons are tougher than rocks!"

And yet, a moment after his boast, a cat leaped from an overhead catwalk, slamming into the griffon's back with force enough to stagger him. It didn't stop him, but it was enough to show the others the truth. Griffons were flesh and blood, and could be harmed. The cats redoubled their efforts and Floraugh went down under the sudden surge of cats clawing him. He roared with fury, but it was no use. In seconds, his body was covered in cats.

"Misty?!" Aplhabittle shoved away the cat he had been fighting, having spotted his daughter trotting with determination down a street. "You were supposed to stay back!"

Misty winced and ducked a pouncing cat, throwing herself down an alley. She emerged into a clearing and came to a stop with a gasp, her eyes widening at the sight of the tiger that had beaten her before. The tiger spun and glared at her, and the two faced each other, breathing heavily.

The tiger snarled at her. "Why won't you leave me alone!"

Misty tried a smile, awkward as it was. "Why are you attacking us? This whole thing could have been avoided. Um, we could have been friends. Did we do something to bother you?"

He growled louder, his tail lashing behind him. "You ponies don't know about us. You could have helped us, instead of hiding away in your homes like the cowards you all are. But no, you have to fight us instead. I suppose I'll have to conquer you ponies after all."

Misty swallowed nervously, backing away. "Hiding?" She paused in thought, leaving the leader to battle with a pegasus that had flown too close. "Do you mean when magic was sealed away? I'm sorry if that was a bad time for you, but we didn't know what caused that, and it wasn't a good time for us either."

"You were better off than us!" He roared back. "Without your magic, you still had your towns and homes, you had food and water." His claws dug gouges in the street.

"Well, you're here now." Misty sank to her haunches. "Tell us how we can help now? We can't change the past."

The tiger stared at her with wide eyes. "Help us now?" He stepped forward. Misty flinched, but there was no blow. Instead, he had an almost pleading look on his face. "Is this some trick?"

"N-no! No. I really want to know." She offered a hoof towards the tiger. "You're obviously very upset, upset enough to do all of, um, this. So, how can we fix it? Tell me."

The tiger stared down at her hoof with a blank face, his emotions impossible to read. He finally sighed. "We were beyond the badlands, barely remembered before you fled, and entirely forgotten after." He flexed a finger, claw sprouting and hiding as if a twitch. "Did you even tell stories of us anymore?"

Misty swallowed, nervous. "I'm afraid I don't know, I haven't heard any."

The tiger sighed again. "I thought as much." His eyes were heavy and tired.

Misty moved a bit closer, slowly lifting a hoof towards his back, only to bring it down on the ground instead and abort that attempt. "I can only imagine how hard that must have been. Um, if it helps, at all, we did defeat what started all of this in the first place." She smiled tensely. "But that doesn't undo what you went through. I'm really sorry. Can we help now?"

The tiger nodded. "I believe you. Thank you, for defeating whatever caused us such suffering." He took her hoof, which turned into a little hug between them. A pegasus flapped nearby, looking confused at the whole thing. "So, uh, you got this?"

Misty grinned wide, happy to finally have the tiger listening. "Yes, we got this. If you'll let us help, I'm sure we can make life easier for the cats."

The tiger sank, crashing to his butt in a bipedal sit. "I have a lot to think about."

Misty waved over the city. "Not to put any pressure, but your cats are still fighting. I don't want them to get hurt if they don't have to be."

He stood up with a grunt. "Fine, fine." He stomped forward and whistled, making every nearby cat turn to face him. He raised himself high and spoke, drawing out a megaphone to go even further, "The battle's off! Gather at the center of the city, no fighting."

The cats yowled and slunk into the shadows, but they obeyed. Within minutes, the sounds of battle had ceased entirely. The tiger nodded to Misty. "They're not happy about it, but my word is law to them." He rolled his eyes. "Unlike that cat. A coward and a traitor."

Misty blinked. "You mean Allura?"

"The same." The tiger looked baffled at the mention. "You know her?"

Misty frowned. "I don't think she's a coward. We hurt her feelings before, and she wasn't happy. That's why she joined you."

With a rapid series of clops in a proper run, Alphabittle scooped up Misty into a fierce hug. "I'm so happy you weren't hurt!"

Misty laughed softly at that. "It's okay, Dad."

"No, it isn't! I saw him, I was sure he was going to hurt you, and I don't know if my heart could take that." He set her down carefully. "You're still hurt from the last, uh, oh." He nodded to the tiger watching them. "Glad we're stopping this before things got worse, then."

Misty turned to face the tiger. "I never did get your name. Mine's Misty, and this is my father, Alphabittle."

He purred and gave a small bow. "I'm Prince Grudge." He rubbed his chin. "Perhaps a bit on the nose, now that we're setting this down, but I've grown used to it as names go."

Sunny landed on Misty's other side, facing Grudge. "Nice to meet you. I see we're stopping things? You're the reason why, aren't you Misty?" Misty nodded quietly and Sunny went on, "Thank you." Her wings and horn vanished, their need over. "That wasn't very fun for anycreature involved."

Prince Grudge bowed to her in kind. "And who might you be?"

She smiled warmly at him. "My name is Sunny, nice to meet you." She offered a hoof, shaking with him. "It's a lot nicer to see you when we aren't fighting."

Grudge huffed. "It was for a good cause. I hope."

Misty nodded rapidly. "It is! It's for a good cause. We'll find something." She tapped her chin. "They need our help."

A griffon landed on the other side of Misty. "They need help? They're the ones that did all of this to your city!" He shouted at a volume only the screech of a bird could easily reach. "You're going to be cleaning this up for a while, and you want to help him?"

Grudge looked down his muzzle at the griffon. "Are you their king?"

The griffon gave an affronted squawk. "No! I'm Floraugh. Who are you, besides the one behind this?"

Misty put up a hoof at either of them, cutting off their chat. "Easy easy. I'm sure the cats will help us clean things, but we still need to help the cats. I imagine they have plenty of kittens back home that are suffering and weren't part of this at all."

Grudge cleared his throat. "Yes, we do. I'll take what I can, and help keep my kingdom alive." He laughed dryly. "Not like I'll have much left after this, but that's on me." He put a paw to his face. "This is a mess."

"Sir!" A cat rushed up to Grudge. "Should we really just, you know, stand there?"

Grudge looked between the gathered ponies. "I think so. Let's let them take stock of the damage."

Sunny looked around. "I think this place has seen enough fighting today." She offered a hoof towards the feline soldier. "Let's put that energy into building, instead of tearing down."

The soldier shifted to face her. "What?"

Misty stepped in. "We're going to build, to fix up what we broke, and we're going to help cats once we get done with that. Oh, by the way, what did you do with our sheriff?"

The feline soldier pointed back the way he had come from. "Locked up, and that little lizard he carries everywhere."

Misty let out a relieved phew. "Let's get Hitch out of there." She gestured towards a wall, which was riddled with holes from magic blasts. "We'll have plenty of time to work on the town later."

Watching from nowhere, Comforting smiled at what she saw. "Fighting the pony way, though that was violent at the start." She wriggled her fingers at the image floating before her. "I'm still proud of you all, and you made some new friends." She hugged herself with a little squeal. "Why I love you all so much."

She grabbed her phone and got to texting. "Hey, Together! Did you see that? Of course you saw that. Our ponies were so good!”

Together responded quickly, "Yes! I saw it. It was so cute, and I love it so much! They did so well, and I'm so proud of them."

Comforting typed out her answer. "I'll go visit soon. I think the cats are gonna make good friends for those ponies." She leaned back. "Pity Allura's still on the fence. Why's the big kitty have to be the hardest one."

Author's Note

This is still MLP. A bloody fight to the end would have felt very unpony'sh, in my view. Instead, Misty pulls out her special talent to extend a hoof to the cat.

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93 - War Denoument

Prince Grudge, or rather, King Grudge now, stepped up to his new throne. It wasn't as shiny as his last, but the old palace had been devastated by the collapse of magic before his time. He sank down onto it and looked out over those assembled, a few cats looking at him hopefully.

"We are the proud survivors of Kludgetown." He slapped the armrest of his throne with a balled fist. "And we will rise again."

The cats below cheered. They weren't many, but they would be enough.

"We are going to be a nation of merchants." He waved a paw through the air. "We are going to trade, we're going to make deals, and those hoity toity ponies will respect us." He cleared his throat. "But first, we will take what they give, and thank them. As insufferable as they are, they are being good neighbors." His ears went flat. "And I'm not about to reject that for us."

They looked less pleased about that, but they understood.

"I'll take visitors," Grudge declared, leaning back in his seat, but keeping himself balanced.

***

Comforting slid in from the front door into a pounce on Toots. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Toots grunted at the sudden weight on his chest that drove the wind out of his lungs. "That was unnecessary."

She giggled and kissed his cheek, getting up. "You don't want to be greeted by your best friend?"

"Always do." He smooched either of her cheeks. "I missed having you around. You left just in time for some excitement, but I get the idea that was your plan." He rolled his eyes. "You're way too clever, Comforting."

Comforting went wide eyed in surprise, but quickly grinned. "You're right, I did. But you can't blame me, it's fun to watch! And I'm not involved." She darted into the kitchen, grabbing a peach. "Besides, you all learned some valuable lessons, which you would not have if I just clapped and the cats were banished. Other than, maybe, call Comforting to fix any problem."

Toots huffed and walked in, flopping into a chair. "I was terrified for Misty, and she was the one that talked Grudge into giving up." He took the peach she offered, taking a bite. "She's real hero material, but she is hanging out with Sunny and the girls. The whole lot of them are pretty good at coming together when things get dicey and making it work out alright."

Comforting nodded, finishing off her own peach. "I was real worried for her too." She tossed her pit into the trash. "But, she came out alright, didn't she?" She smiled brightly. "No more cats attacking, but there is still more left to happen." She wriggled her fingers at Toots. "Also, it wasn't just her. All the ponies came together, It was amazing. Pegasi and unicorns coming in to clear the city. It was like a storybook, but real."

Toots nodded, slowly. "Yeah, it sure was. I've never had to fight for anything before. Wasn't really fond of the experience." He rubbed behind his head awkwardly. "Are you mad I mostly hid away from the fighting?"

She blinked, "No, not mad. Fighting's not for everypony. Even I try to avoid it when I can. Sometimes you just need to, and that's okay. You did your part, and I appreciate it." She grabbed him up into a hug. "I wouldn't want to see you hurt anyway. You're pretty adorable as you are right now." She squeezed and wiggled him around.

Toots sighed contentedly. "That's what I needed today. A good cuddle." He laughed and returned her hug. "And maybe a good nap."

"Wish granted." She nuzzled in against him with a happy giggle. "But do you have work today?"

Toots shook his head. "I already told the shop I couldn't make it. I made a lot of excuses, but they bought it, and I can go in tomorrow. I just wanted you."

"How daring!" Laughing, she carried him off towards their bedroom. "Daring ponies get snuggles, sleep, and whatever else we think up, hm?"

***

Misty hummed happily, carrying a tray of drinks, along with a bowl for Sparky, down to the beach to join her friends. The pegasus and unicorn guards were chatting with each other nearby, making sure no creatures disturbed the royal outing. "That's new." She sank to her haunches, eyes on Queen Haven. "When did you get a unicorn guard?"

"When I saw how good they were in a fight to have around." She waved one unicorn closer. "By themselves, largely useless, but as support for more 'front line' shall we say combatants? Amazing!" She smiled brightly at Misty. "But how are you?"

Misty sat beside the princess, offering her a drink, and passed around the rest to her friends. "Better. I was actually able to sleep last night without waking up."

Sunny laughed tensely. "That was a real hectic thing, but it had a happy ending." She accepted her drink to sip from. "A drink I didn't make, always a nice change of pace."

"You make great drinks!" Zipp laughed. "But it is nice to take a break, I bet."

Hitch sat up, hooves on Sparky's sides. "They knew what I'd do to them, so they took me out first. Dirty tactics, but effective, I have to admit."

Zipp's eyes were rolling. "That was pretty incredible, though." She shook her head, sipping from her drink. "One of the few times I got to see the guards really doing what we train them for." She looked at Pipp, "And you put on such a good show! Singing like that and all. I wish I could sing, but you know how that goes."

Pipp smiled at her sister. "There's room enough for one singing princess," she sang out, snapping a picture of herself and Zipp. "We all did our part. Totes happy right now. Thanks." She took the drink just then. "Oo, got one of my fave flaves. You know me, girl!" She sipped at it with a happy little wiggle. "Mm, perfect for a hot beach day." She held up a hoof to shield her face from the sun.

Zipp nodded, grinning. "Yeah, we did. And we also helped those cats. Kind of amazing, if you ask me."

Izzy bobbed her head as she took her soda. "Now we're working with them, talk about a turnaround! And they love unicycling, so they're alright in my book. Funny thing, they said it was nostalgic."

Zipp leaned in. "Nostalgic? But you only came up with it, um, recently, right?"

Izzy nodded. "Yeah! I have no idea why they think they've done it before. Maybe they have more wizards, who knows?"

Sunny shrugged, equally lost. "If they like what you make, that's fantastic. Let's get those cats on their paws so we can be happy neighbors." She drank, smiling around at the others. "We may not be related, but this feels like a family beach day. You can't tell me I'm wrong on that, because it feels right."

Hitch threw an arm over Sunny's shoulders. "We've been a family for a while, Suns. I've been harassing you since you were a little filly. Now, we've got a bigger one. It's great." He leaned closer. "You should adopt Sparky, and you'll have an actual family. If you want."

Sparky sat up, looking between them both with some confusion.

"Just kidding." Hitch placed a hoof on Sparky's snout, rubbing gently. " I already have you, and I'm not letting go. Not until you don't need me anymore, anyway."

Sparky didn't know what he was talking about, but cooed anyway.

Queen Haven nodded, sipping from a fruity drink with an umbrella and straw. "This is a lovely way to spend a day after all that. But! The business of a queen rarely waits. Also, I see Alpha waving for me." She rose to her hooves with a chuckle. "Seems I have a meeting sooner than expected. Goodbye, everypony, and thank you again for handling all of that."

Sunny waved after her, the queen walking over to Alphabittle. The two walked off, close to each other. "Aw, nice to see those two getting along."

Izzy turned and bounced up and down. "Oh yeah, Misty's dad and the queen! I saw them earlier. They seemed happy. Happy's good, and I'm glad they have each other." She seemed to be reasoning it out as she said it, nodding along with each beat. "What do you think of it, Misty?"

Misty shrugged. "Not my business who my dad spends time with, though he did seem happier when he was with her." She gave a tiny sigh. "It's weird when mom comes up, though. But he deserves to be happy." She rubbed behind her head. "And I feel weird because I don't really remember who she was."

Zipp smiled and draped a wing over Misty's back. "It's alright. He seems to really enjoy being with Haven, and that's great." She chuckled. "He does deserve to be happy, and we all deserve to be on the beach without any worries." All the ponies there tapped their drink against each others with a round of cheers, and Zipp finished with, "Here's to making friends!"

Sparky looked up at them with wonder and confusion, his head turning at each voice that spoke, his eyes wide, his mind awhirl with questions. One day, he hoped he could understand. For the moment, he cooed and reached for their place of union, as if he could be part.

Zipp smiled and pulled him closer, the group moving in to form a hug around the little dragon. Sparky's tail wagged rapidly, his eyes closing with happiness, a soft sound coming from deep within his chest. Even if he didn't understand what the larger creatures were doing, that they loved him was never in question.

Hitch leaned close and rubbed noses with the dragon. "Love you, Sparky. Even when you're setting things on fire." Sparky cooed softly, nuzzling into him. "We'll have to work on that, won't we?"

***

Amber flipped the sign in the window from closed to open. "Finally!" She trotted away from it with a pleased grin. "We're open for business again!"

The shelves had been repaired, with a variety of books and other goods available for browsing. The windows had been replaced, and the carpet restored. There were new couches to lounge on or read. The whole library was a library once more.

The first ponies of the day trotted inside with smiles. They spread apart, seeking books or other fun things to browse. Some stayed to read in those comfy couches. A few gathered around a table with some board games for them to play.

Amber shared a nod with her fellow librarians. They had work to do, but looked pleased to be doing it.

***

Allura's ears were flat against her skull, her tail lashing with frustration. "I hate this." She turned an ear and it bounced against her rabbit companion. "You don't like the heat either. We need to get away from here." She sank miserably to the cave floor, kept at least mildly chilly with her frosty abilities. "But it feels like a world away."

Twitch nodded in agreement. He walked over to the cave mouth, looking out at the sandy beach and the ocean. The sand reflected light right back at them. Waves lazily crashed against the beach. He retreated from the opening, hopping to Allura's side and nuzzled at her neck.

"Don't run away again." She curled in place, pleased enough to have her companion back. "Tell me before you go somewhere."

Twitch nodded again, hopping away to seek out a meal, his eyes falling upon a berry bush growing just outside the mouth of the cave. He plucked them down, returning to her with several clutched between his hands with an excited jibber.

Allura inclined her considerable head. "Are they any good?" She sampled one despite her concerns. "Not bad, but you only brough enough for a taste, Twitch. I'm a big cat." She licked his head. "I do appreciate the thought, however. Go grab me some more, will you? Or whatever else is tasty out there."

Twitch took off with an excited bounce. He climbed trees and dug up roots. He harvested fruits and berries, and even a few flowers that looked edible to him. Soon, he had a huge mixed salad of things in front of Allura that he waved for with an almost 'ta da' of a sound.

She regarded the food with interest. She used a claw to pick at a few of the bits, sampling them with a series of small, curious sounds. "You're a very capable hunter," she finally admitted, reaching out to rub his ears. "Good to have you back."

Author's Note

That deserved a ramping down episode, I think?

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94 - She Said It

The city of Maretime Bay had taken a beating, but it was recovering. Houses were being repaired, stores rebuilt, the streets were busy with ponies going about their daily lives. It was hard to find any traces of the fierce fighting that had taken place. The largest shift, the hint of the events, was that there were some felines added to the mix. They were outnumbered by the ponies, but they were there and they were helping.

The feline population was small, but significant. Their king had sent them to learn trade, to make a profit for the city. The felines did their part, eager to help the place that had been their enemy. Some had just moved on their own accord, curious of what the ponies had built.

The city was alive with activity, and the ponies were enjoying every last bit of it, including Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow, bouncing about the city, making sure to visit every building and every pony to check up on them. Neither were qualified to be construction overseers, but that stopped neither from lending a hoof however they could, mostly passing tools and materials between workers.

Izzy watched a pair of earth ponies pulling construction materials around with a hefty wagon, and called to them with a smile, "Need a hoof?"

One looked up to the excitable unicorn. "Well, if you're asking, grab that bucket from over there while we're, mmf, moving so we don't have to loop back for it."

Sunny grabbed it, carrying it by the handle. "Here." She passed it along. "Anything else?"

"Not right now. We'll find you two if we need a hoof."

Izzy and Sunny trotted off, finding another pair of ponies to lend a hoof to.

The day was full of little things to do, done without complaint to help their city recover from the attack. Both were happy to do their part, and the day was filled with laughter and chatter, along with the occasional song. The day ended in a bright sunset, the ponies watching together at the top of one of Maretime Bay's highest buildings.

Misty swooped in on her hovering disc, her personal spell. "There you are." She touched down next to Izzy and Sunny. "I was looking everywhere for you." She gave a little laugh, and Sunny trotted over to wrap her in a hug. Misty leaned against her with a happy little sound.

Sunny kissed the side of Misty's neck, just to bounce back. "What were you looking for me for?"

Misty cleared her throat, a tiny whine escaping her. "Um, I wanted to talk to you."

"What about? Something wrong?" She looked Misty up and down, checking for injuries, but finding none immediately.

Misty shook her head quickly. "Not wrong." She looked away shyly, unsure how to put what she wanted to into words. "I, um, I want get closer to a friend of mine, but I'm not sure how to tell her. She's really nice, but I don't know what to say to her." She turned back to face Sunny. "Can you help me?"

"Of course I'll help." She looked away to watch the sunset. "What are friends for?" She glanced away briefly. "Is it somepony I know?" Misty nodded, but remained quiet, making Sunny tilt her head. "Who is she?"

Misty blushed and looked away. "It's, uh, it's Amber." Her cheeks grew hot at the admission.

"Really! That's wonderful!" Sunny hugged her tighter. "I don't know Amber that well, but she seems nice. You should ask her on a date and see how she feels about you, too." She leaned back for some clopping of her hooves. "You two work at the library, right? Running into her will be really easy then."

Izzy laughed and bounced over. "Ooh! Amber? How great. I'm so excited for you!"

Sunny's eyes sparkled and she giggled, a sound that was contagious.

Misty's laughter was far more strained. "You two are laughing with me, right?"

Izzy wrapped a leg around Misty's middle, hugging her tight. "We're totally with you. You and Amber would make a cute couple!" She squealed, "Can we come to the wedding?"

Misty's eyes widened. "Wedding?! I'm still thinking about telling her I like her at all. Don't be so fast, Izzy!"

Izzy laughed at that, and Misty couldn't help but laugh along. "Fine, fine, but you gotta tell me how it goes. Deal?"

"It's a deal." Misty's ears went flat. "But are you sure she's going to be happy, if I tell her? What if she doesn't, and I just make everything awkward? I don't want to stop being magic buddies, even if she does say no."

"If you two are good friends, it's not going to be weird if you ask. But it's okay to be nervous. You don't want to mess up what you've got, but maybe you can have more if you try." Sunny put a hoof to either shoulder. "You're already willing to take a no, which is good. It's her choice. If you accept her answer and keep on being a good friend, then you have nothing to be worried about."

Misty bowed her head. "That's a relief." Her breath escaped in a huff. "I've never been in love before. At least, I don't think I have." She rubbed behind her head. "A lot of things are kinda blurry before, um, you know, her." She frowned, thinking back on Opaline. "She kept a lot about my past from me, so, uh, I'm not really sure. I only remember bits and pieces."

Izzy wrapped her in a tighter hug. "It's okay, Mist. You're with friends now." She nuzzled in against her neck. "You can talk to us, okay? Any time."

Sunny nodded, joining their hug. The three made little sounds of content friendship before they separated. "I say you ask her tomorrow. Delaying will just be an excuse to get more nervous about it."

Misty bit her lip. "I suppose." She sighed. "I'll do it."

"Great!" Izzy cheered. "I'll be in the audience cheering for you. Go, Misty! Go, Amber! Go! Woo!"

Sunny rolled her eyes at the exuberant cheer. "We'll both be rooting, for either of you. To change the topic a little." She made a swirling motion with a hoof. "Can you show us some magic besides the floating disc? Though that one is nice."

Misty brightened. "Sure!" She concentrated and rose into the air, hovering beside her friends. Her horn began to shine with blue light, and she cast a bolt into the sky. The bolt exploded like fireworks, and Misty laughed happily, casting off a multitude of bolts.

The ponies who were out looked up at the sounds, and smiles spread through the city. Phones captured it and spread the word, and soon many more were watching it with wonder, the city glowing brighter with each burst of light from the unicorns horn.

Misty sank, gasping for air. "How was that?"

Izzy jumped, doing a flip in place. "That was amazing! But I need to know. I've been really patient, but when do I get to learn magic too?" She tapped at her horn. "I've got one of these too!"

"I know you do." Misty smiled warmly at the excitable Izzy, rising again to hover. "We can work on that tomorrow, okay?"

Izzy nodded quickly. "Okay! Oh! That means I get to visit, and you get to talk to Amber and maybe I'll get to see that happen. That would be so great! So great!" She cheered, "Go, Misty! Go, Amber! Go, Misty! Go, Izzy! Woo!"

Sunny laughed at the unicorn's antics, giving Izzy's back a gentle pat. "You're getting a little too excited, though that is you. Misty and Amber give magic lessons, you could have signed up whenever you wanted."

Izzy went still, processing that a moment. "Oh yeah."

They laughed together, a happy sound that echoed through the city, and the sun set beyond the horizon.

***

"I really enjoyed your fireworks last night," Amber admitted to Misty with a giggle, watching ponies entering and leaving the library with a smile on her muzzle. "I wasn't expecting it, and you must have been feeling it, with the display you made. I'm still impressed!" She made an explosive motion with her hooves. "Pow!"

Misty ducked her head. "I'm glad." She looked up to Amber's face, admiring her features, then looked away again. "Say, um. Can I ask you something?"

Amber nodded quickly. "Go ahead."

Misty rubbed at her neck nervously. "Do you want to meet me for dinner tonight? I can cook." She brightened. "It'll be a date."

"Su—" Amber stopped right there, blinking. "Do you mean a date date, or just something we schedule so it's that kind of date?"

Misty swallowed hard. "A romantic one."

"Romantic?" Amber blinked at the unicorn again, this time with some surprise. "I, um, I've never considered dating anypony." She looked around nervously a moment. "I am not at all prepared for this." She left without saying goodbye, her eyes set on the stacks as she wandered up and down the aisles, muttering to herself.

Misty sighed and trotted up the stairs, but not before taking a look over her shoulder to see where Amber had gone to.

Amber paused near a rack, reaching out to pull out a book on romance, opening it up and reading through a few passages before slamming it shut and trotting with it floating beside her. She returned to where she had started, but Misty wasn't there. "Where did she go? I'm ready, I think." She floated the book around to in front of her. "I studied, I'm good at studying."

The other librarian on duty walked over. "What's the book for, Amber? Romance? I thought you were a library girl." He laughed at himself for that. "But good on you for being curious. I think Misty went upstairs, if you were looking for her."

"I was. But, um." She looked at him with a nervous smile. "What does 'library girl' mean?"

"Oh! It's when you just, like." He gestured to the books all around them. "Like the library more than anything else."

Amber blinked at that description. "Well, I do like the library quite a bit." She tucked the book under a leg. "But that doesn't mean I can just ignore a pony saying they want to, um, go on a date." She colored, thinking about it. "Have you seen Misty?"

"She went upstairs."

Amber nodded, trotting off. "Thanks." She went up the stairs, heading for a small area of cushions. It was the reading room. Some were lounging around, some with phones, others on laptops, and still more reading physical books. Among them all was Misty, looking like she just needed a place to crash to her haunches.

Amber approached quietly. "Misty!" She winced at the volume of her voice. "Sorry, I'm just, um." She gestured behind her. "I went and read about, you know." She floated the book up to wiggle it. "About how to woo and be wooed. The first step is this." She took up a formal pose and went quiet a moment. "Misty, I accept your invitation and would be delighted. Where did you want to go?"

Misty rubbed her neck, smiling softly at the mare. "You didn't have to research that, you know. I just wanted to hang out and see if you wanted to, um, take things farther than friendship."

Amber rolled a hoof at that. "Exactly. You are starting a courtship, and I never did that before. Fortunately, we have a lot of books, including several on that subject, so I grabbed one and feel far more prepared." She let out a relieved sigh. "So, where did you want to go?"

"I don't have anything planned yet. I could make some dinner at your place?" Misty smiled, tension still visible.

Amber smiled warmly at that. "Yes, that sounds great. How about after my shift, when the library closes? I'll lock up and we can go."

Misty nodded. "That sounds good to me. It gives me a chance to prepare." She looked around. "Do you like fish, fruit, vegetables?"

"All of them. I've got a sweet and savory tooth." She did a little dance in place. A glance at her book revealed her mistake. "Oh! How rude of me. You're trying to make something I'll especially like. Let's go with fish, the local delicacy. I've learned to appreciate it greatly."

Misty perked up. "That sounds perfect. I'll go and, uh, do some research." She bounced off. "I guess we're doing our homework in reverse today."

Amber waved as Misty started off. "See you later."

Author's Note

The question had to be asked eventually, and that eventually was today!

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96 - Skating!

"I love the idea, but." Toots tensed, rejection scenarios playing feverishly. "Keeping that much water cold enough to be ice? That'd be a big undertaking! And outside, in our weather? You like to think big!" For her declining words, Sunny sounded chipper about it all. "But! Why don't we try the next best thing?"

"N-next best?" Toots put his phone down on speaker phone. "What's the next best?"

Sunny kept on, though she did something that sounded like metal touching down on something else, "A roller skating rink! It's like ice skating, but you can do it on a nice sunny day, outside, which we have a lot of. Sunny days, I mean. Right next to the boardtrot, they could have fun rolling around and still hear the ponies having a grand time. It could be really fun!"

Toots considered, his hoof going to his chin. "Roller skates? That sounds pretty awesome, actually." He tilted his head to the side. "Can't believe I didn't think of that myself, actually."

"You had the first idea, Toots. I just tweaked it a little." Unseen, she waved it away. "Still your idea. I give you all the credit."

Toots perked up with a smile at that, his eyes looking away from the phone to bounce ideas off Comforting.

Comforting took the hint and spoke up. "So, roller rink next to the boardtrot?" She zipped in, floating over the phone. "That could be a fun addition. I bet some ponies already have skates, or skate boards."

"Skateboards are a thing? That's neat! I never thought of them." Sunny giggled at herself. "Well, I don't skateboard, so maybe that's no shock."

"I prefer skates on my hooves." She paused, doing something. A wrinkling sound? "But some ponies love a board. So long as you have rules for the road, so to speak, both kinds of ponies could have fun there!"

Toots chimed in with his two bits. "If you agree to the rink, Sunny, I'll go over it with the city. See if they're interested in putting up some bits for the project."

Comforting clapped her hands eagerly. "I love a project with two of my friends involved. A roller skate rink should be a lot simpler. What do you need besides some smooth pavement?"

"Not so fast!" Sunny laughed as a fwoosh of fire dimly came through the speakers. "A good skating place is more than flat pavement. You want some irregularities to do tricks with. Toots? I'll text you some pictures of some great parks I've seen, so you can get an idea of what you want."

Comforting bobbed her head. "I'm not the builder, but that sounds like it'd be fun. A good ramp is one of the better things to do tricks off of."

Toots smiled. "So, we're in agreement it's a good idea. I'll talk to the city about building the thing." He picked up the phone. "Thank you so much, Sunny! Hope to see you there when we open."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Toots! Have a great day!"

Toots returned her farewell with a similar warmth, and ended the call.

Comforting clapped her hands excitedly. "Looks like you have a project. Hm, exciting." She went in to hug Toots from above. "If you need help, you know I'm a step away, but I think you can do this all on your own, and I'll be so dang proud."

Toots blushed, rubbing his neck. "Well, uh, thanks. I appreciate the confidence."

Comforting booped his nose, getting a laugh out of the stallion. "That's just what friends are for, Toots. And we're married, so basically super friends." She shook a pom pom she didn't have a moment before. "I'll be cheering you on!"

Toots beamed and wrapped his friend up in a tight hug. "Thank you. That means a lot to me, Comforting. You've always been so nice to me."

Comforting held him close, rubbing his shoulders. "If your wife isn't nice to you, it may be time to consider your life choices, Toots." She pressed her nose to his, gazing into his eyes. "You know who to talk to?"

Toots nodded quickly. "The city hall is a quick trot. I'll get to that now. I don't want to miss them. I want this done while the weather is good!"

Comforting gave the stallion a gentle pat on his back. "Off you go then. Oh! If you're aiming for their bits, be sure they know it'll be a public space. Nopony's trying to get bits from it. That'll get their attention."

Toots nodded quickly. "It'll get lots of ponies out and about, and doing something active!" He patted his ample belly, "And I think some of us need that."

Comforting laughed at his self-depreciating tone. "I'm fairly sure most of that is your natural shape, which I happen to like. If you want to get moving, I certainly won't stop you. Shoot, we can do it together. But don't feel bad for being you."

Toots blushed and rubbed at his neck. "I know, I know. I am just teasing myself." He walked over, poking his stomach with a hoof. "But it's hard to be motivated to move, sometimes."

"Keeping up with your wife on the pavement is one motivator." She made skating motions in the air, doing a twirl at the end. "Like I said, if you want to move, I'm there with you. It's not a contest, so don't feel like you have to 'win', just have fun with ponies you happen to like."

Toots beamed. "Thanks for that. Now, I think I have to get to city hall, don't I?" He grabbed up his notes and books. "I'm going to make a case to them, and I'm not leaving until they give me an answer, one way or the other." With determination in his eyes, he marched from the house.

Comforting sighed gently. "What a stallion." She made a square gesture in the air, summoning a viewscreen to watch him go across town. "What luck, my favorite show is on."

***

Allura paused in her approach of the boardtrot. "What is this?"

Twitch had no idea, and was happy to express as much, shrugging expressively.

Allura leveled a paw at the construction happening near the boardtrot. "Are they expanding it? Isn't the boardtrot large enough?"

Twitch bounced down and rapidly over to a sign. He pointed at it, calling to Allura.

She considered it with a hum. "A skate park? Ponies, I don't understand them."

"It'll be fun." A griffon landed near her. "I've seen ponies skating around. I'd love to try it myself."

Allura blinked in surprise at the sudden presence of the gruff older griffon. "Oh, hello. Who are you?" She gestured at him with a claw, "You look familiar."

"Don't think I've seen you before. I'd remember a huge, oh wait! You were mixed up in that little spat with the cats, right? Huh, guess the ponies let that slide. They are nice things, ain't they?" He rubbed over his beak with thought. "But, yeah, I wanna try this place out when they open."

Allura stared at him. "Fancy yourself an athletic thing, then?" She waved her paw about. "The boardtrot, it does draw the athletic sorts. I suppose you'll find it fun." She snorted softly. "More active than that teacup ride you like too much, Twitch."

Twitch stuck out his tongue, the raspberry he blew not having any language barriers.

The gruff griffon gave a booming laugh at that. "I remember you. You like that teacup ride, huh?"

Twitch nodded vigorously.

Allura rolled her eyes. "He's such a child sometimes." She gently picked up Twitch and put him on her back. "Why I have to keep an eye on him."

The griffon shrugged. "Nothing wrong with liking childish things. I remember being young like yesterday, it feels like." He gave a sigh, "Then my back reminds me it wasn't, in fact, yesterday."

Allura snuffed at the griffon. "Changing the subject, what are you, exactly? Lately, I've been seeing a lot of you, whatever you are."

"We're griffons. Not from around here, obviously. We're just visiting. Going home soon, in fact." He gave a wave to a trio of griffons he knew well. "But we like visiting. It's a nice place, the ponies have. Full of stuff we don't have. Not a crime, last I checked."

Allura nodded along. "No, it's no crime. Yet. But you all are such odd things. I can't figure you all out." She tapped at her chin. "I'd like to learn more, I suppose." She pointed at his face. "Bird." She lowered that paw. "Feline." She lashed her own feline tail. "An interesting mix."

He laughed at that, a cackle a bird could give. "And you're a bird cat yourself, unless you think cats normally have wings. Not the ones I've seen. Fine by me. Wings are nice to have."

Allura fluttered her wings at that, landing next to him to peer up. "They certainly are. What are you called?"

"Name's Gus, if it matters." The griffon gestured to the construction. "Anyhow, if you'll excuse me, I want to see them build this. Might take notes for the trip back."

"Enjoy yourself." Allura shook her head and smoothly returned on her path towards the boardtrot. "Are you going to want to visit that, Twitch?"

Twitch jumped up and down, nodding energetically.

"Of course you will. Well, I'll humor you once, if we haven't already found those blasted shards by then." She pressed into the boardtrot proper, full of ponies laughing and playing. "For now, focus on those shards. I'll let you have a try at the teacup on our way out."

Twitch cheered at the idea of later rides.

"But that's later." She stalked over and past the ponies with a low growl. Most just stayed out of her way, and none dared to try and stop her. As if they'd have much of a chance. "Now where are they hiding?"

A glint caught her eye. There was one of them, hovering and sparkling with whatever strange magic ponies were using them for. "There you are." She hunched low, shaking her back a moment before launching up at it, claws extended in her predatory pounce.

"Woah!" Izzy bumped into her, which was surprising for both of them. "Wow, I did not expect to run into you on the way down."

Allura wiped her face clear of the pony in it, sending Izzy to the ground. "Why exactly were you plummeting from the sky, pony?"

Izzy grinned at her. "I was testing a new spell I learned. Something Misty showed me, actually." She bounced lightly in place. "It took so much begging for her to open up and show me one! It's like they don't trust me or something. I happen to be very responsible with my magic."

Allura considered the bouncing pony before her. "You do realize you're currently acting like an excitable child, yes?"

Izzy smiled at that. "I know, and it's amazing!" She clapped her hooves together. "Well, that's why I was in the sky. Why were you? I don't see you flying around very often. Was sure not expecting a kitty along the way, not that I mind."

Allura coughed into her paw, looking away. "Well, I don't know why I was in the sky. Just felt like it, I suppose." With her true intentions covered, she hoped, she turned away from the shard. "Say, since you're here, perhaps you could tell me something."

Izzy tilted her head curiously. "What's that?"

"Why is this place so popular?" Allura gestured widely to everything around her. "What's so special about this place?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Izzy sat so she could wave around easily. "It's got yummy food you can eat while you move. It's got tons of games and rides. You can get wet, or stay dry. It's full of fun!"

Twitch eagerly nodded.

"Yes, well." Allura looked around, unimpressed. "Not my sort of entertainment." She flicked her paw dismissively. "Though there is that teacup ride."

"Tea cups?" Izzy turned, rising to her hooves as she did it. "Oh, that one! You know, I never actually tried that one. But, now I want to. Want to join me?"

Allura gazed at her flatly. "I am larger than any of those teacups. I think I'll pass. Twitch?"

She didn't need to have asked, Twitch already rushing to join Izzy. "Figures. Bring him back after you have a go."

Izzy laughed brightly. "Oh, I will. Promise."

Allura watched them go.

Twitch chattered away, pointing to himself and waving his arms.

"Oh, you've ridden it a lot? You can show me how it's done then, little rabbit dude!" Izzy joined the line of others waiting their turn.

Author's Note

Good thing I like kitties, so having Allura around is fine by me.

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97 - One Down

Comforting walked through the floor she had created, a smile worn for the world. She could hear unicorns practicing their spells, pegasi were flapping, and even the earth ponies were doing their own thing, making plants grow and change at their will. It was a nice thing to be a part of.

And then there was one elderly unicorn just perched on a small chair.

"Hello there." Comforting stopped by her, peering down with a smile. "You enjoying yourself?"

"Well, yes, of course I am." The elder mare looked around. "I get to listen to them all doing so well." She pressed her forehooves together. "And it reminds me."

Comforting looked around. "Oh, what does it remind you of?"

"My school days, of course." She smiled fondly. "My friends. My teachers, most of whom were awful. The good memories, too. Flying a kite, working on my own magic." She frowned with new thoughts. "Went so long without it, I've forgotten more than I know at this point, but seeing it come back? It's a wonderful thing. Thank you for giving us our magic back."

Comforting reached down and rubbed her hoof gently, making the unicorn look back up. "Now Now, I didn't bring magic back. I think that was Sunny and her friends. I just worked with Amber to teach it to anypony ready to try it."

The mare grinned at her. "Still, you're helping so many ponies do something new and wonderful. I don't care if you don't think you deserve praise, but I'm giving it anyway." She slid to her hooves, shaking lightly with the effort of holding herself up. "Funny thing. I can't remember what day I had just given up. I just pushed magic to the side and figured it wasn't ever going to come back." She gestured to the other unicorns practicing. "Seeing it back brings joy to this old mare's heart. I hope they don't make the same mistake I did. I put my horn away, because I thought I didn't need it."

The temptation to pluck the elder's horn from her head was there, but Comforting fought it off. "You're not alone. I bet a lot of ponies did exactly the same in their own ways. A lot of pegasi just figured they wouldn't fly again, and made the best of what they had." She raised her head, gazing around with a soft smile. "They're flying now. Every pony in here is doing what they thought was impossible. They're using their magic, they are using their wings." She wriggled her fingers. "They're even using their hooves, new magic or not."

The unicorn blinked at that. "Well, I suppose that's earth ponies for you. Always the quiet ones, and the hardest workers. Good ponies, though."

"I agree." Comforting stood up with a stretch. "Now, I should leave you be. Enjoy yourself."

The unicorn beamed at her. "Thank you for talking to me, Comforting." She paused a moment. "You know, I read a book with you in it, a long time ago." She gestured to her. "I didn't think you'd be so big. Or colorful."

Comforting giggled at the idea. "Maybe that me was a different me. I change sometimes, just for fun, and I am pretty colorful. Maybe I was feeling gloomy that time, because the book writer wasn't cheerful?"

The unicorn pondered the very idea. "The thought tickles a little. But I think it's just seeing you in person is just, hm, more than reading about you, as wonderful as the words were."

Comforting continued giggling at that. "If I'm ever written down again, I hope the writer finds me just as nice. Have fun, I'm going to see if I can't make a few more smiles."

The two shared a wave, each going their own way.

***

With a near-silent pounce, she landed atop a shard and came down to the ground looking almost surprised. "I didn't expect that to work." She looked under herself where the shard glittered impotently, caught under one of her paws. She picked it up between her claws. "There you are, a piece of my way home." With the shard between her teeth, she began to stalk towards the exit of the boardtrot.

She nearly bumped into the same unicorn that sent her sprawling previously. "Oh, it's you again."

Allura regarded the pony with narrowed eyes, speaking with the shard in her teeth, "Yes, it is." She shooed Posey away. "I'm in the middle of something."

Posey huffed at the large feline. "You and everycreature else! Really, acting like you're the only thing here that's trying to do something. I'm here to enjoy myself!" She paused. "Well, not here specifically." She shook herself. "But I'm here to have fun. You know? Fun?"

Allura nodded, already walking around the pony. "Yes, yes, very important, I'm sure."

Posey scampered in front of Allura. "You hold it right there!" She gestured at Allura's face. "Do you think you can just walk over me?" She cleared her throat. "Besides, I actually need you to do something."

The feline froze, her hackles rising with annoyance. "Ugh, what do you need me for? Do I even know you?" Not that she memorized a great many of the little ponies, but that one wasn't reminding her of anything, other than being a pain.

The pony gave her own annoyed sigh. "No, you don't know me, I don't think." She waved at Allura. "I know that you seem like a creature that could actually help a little filly, and I know the others might not." She huffed softly. "If you have a moment? Then we'll both get out of each other's manes and get on with the day."

Allura considered swatting Posey aside, but getting attention drawn towards her while she had that shard in her mouth seemed a poor idea. "What does this foal need then?"

"She's lost." Posey gestured behind Allura. "You're big enough to see over most of the boardtrot." The mare rolled her eyes. "Which I guess is just being able to see over a crowd? She's this big." She held up her hooves. "Light blue fur, blue and purple mane. Oh! Goes grey towards her hooves if that helps." Posey sighed, "I just wish I had seen where she went."

Allura blinked slowly. "I am not going to search for your missing child, I'm afraid." She stepped around the mare, but Posey got right back in her way. "You really won't let me go, will you?"

"Not until I get her back." Posey huffed. "Look, I said I'd keep an eye on her, and she vanished one moment to the next. Help me out."

"I have nothing to say for you. I have places to be, and things to do." Allura glanced off. "Things I need to finish. I cannot help you, I'm afraid." But she did see the filly, by accident really. The small pony was reaching for a candy apple, eyes looking between the sweet and the pony making more of them. The filly had no money to spend, but she wanted that apple very badly.

The mare huffed at that. "I guess I shouldn't have expected you to be different."

"Hold on." Allura made a downward gesture with a paw. "I think your little nuisance is about to start a career in petty theft." She chuckled darkly at the thought. "Wicked thing."

Posey gasped at the idea. "She wouldn't dare! She knows better than that." She stomped a hoof. "If she even thinks about it, I'll make sure she learns not too. Where is she?!"

Allura gestured. "Over there. About to make a grab for it. You can see the sweet from here."

Posey grunted with the exertion of trying to see. "I'm afraid I'm not gifted with your size, or height. Can yo—Woah!" She flailed her hooves as Allura casually picked her up and sent her flying towards the filly.

"Also, you could have mentioned they were a pegasus." Allura rolled her eyes, able to proceed without Posey in the way. "There, I did a good deed. Not like me at all."

Twitch appeared from around the corner of a building and leapt to her back.

"Ah, my little friend returns." Allura turned to look at him. "Did you enjoy your little ride with the crazy mare?"

He nodded eagerly.

"Good. I found us one of those shards, and now we are one step closer to getting home. Let's get this safely tucked away so I can find the others." She glanced at the various games going on around her. "These ponies never rest, it seems. Such energy for games."

Twitch pointed at a game that involved tossing rings on a peg.

"No, we aren't doing any of that." Allura waved at the games. "First step, get this put away." She jumped easily over a knot of ponies, coming down far closer to the exit. "Focus, Twitch. It's just a few more shards to find and then we're on our way home." Her eyes gleamed. "I'm not stopping until we're out of here, so get some good rides in today." She gestured at the teacups. "But if you go back, you're walking yourself back to the cave. My patience can only be stretched so far."

Twitch gave her a thumbs up, eager to do his own thing.

Allura rolled her eyes at her own annoyance. "Fine. If it makes you happy, I'll let you do your silly thing."

She stalked home without her rabbit friend. In her icy cave, she put the shard under a rock. "You wait patiently here, little jewel. I'll have your other friends back in no time at all. Just you wait and see."

She prowled out of the cave and returned to the boardtrot, eyes on the prizes of any number of games. "Where are they hiding?"

Her gaze fell on a ring toss game. It was the same one Twitch had pointed to. She could see ponies trying, and largely failing, to toss the rings into place. That was all pedestrian and boring, but one of the prizes caught her eye. "Oh. There you are."

She stalked over to the stall. The pony running the stall leaned over to her. "Welcome to the ring toss! For three bits, you get five rings to toss. If you get one on a peg, you can pick a prize from that row!" He gestured behind him with a grand wave of a hoof.

"Is that so?" She sank to her haunches. "What about the prizes not on a row?"

He gestured to the larger items hanging. "Those are the best, and require the most rings to win. Even then, you only get to try for one. They're very special!"

Allura's eyes followed a shard that was hanging there, used as a hairpin for a plushie. "I see." She studied the sign a moment. "Three on the center ring is it? Kitten's play. Give me the rings."

"Three bits." He put out his hoof expectantly.

Allura rolled her eyes and dug out some bits for him, trading for the rings.

"Five rings, one on the center peg wins!" The stall owner twirled in place. "You look like you have the spirit for the game, show us what you have!"

Allura stared flatly at the pony. "One moment." She bounced one ring up and down. Each time it came down, it dangled at the end of an extended claw as she got a feel for its weight and general flight. "I have to get this right."

The stall owner chuckled. "If you get it wrong, you can always pay for another game!"

Allura snorted at him, but didn't bother replying. She flicked her claw and the ring flew out, clanging against the peg before bouncing off. She snarled with the fury only a feline could muster. "Blast it. I meant to do that, just a trial run." She switched to the next ring. "I have a better grasp of it." With a clatter, that ring also missed. She flexed her claws. "Third time's the charm." She launched the ring at the peg with a swish and miss. She flicked the final two rings, both of which missed.

She threw up her paws, rearing onto her haunches a moment. "Blast it all! I will not be defeated by some pony's child game!" She slammed down a few bits. "Again!"

Time passed. The stall owner was left laughing at her efforts. "I've never seen a creature get so worked up over not getting a plushie."

Allura flicked her final ring. It clattered around the edge, nearly slipping on before falling away. She slumped miserably, drained of her bits. She felt a presence coming up on her and turned warily, just to find Twitch. "Oh, done your distractions? Come to find me trying to find those shards."

Twitch nodded rapidly.

Allura waved the bunny over. "I have an idea. I need you to help me, however. If you're willing?" She casually picked him up between her paws. "If I launch him at the peg, does that count?"

The stall keep shook his head, fighting a snicker. "Afraid it doesn't. Has to be a ring, and the bunny ain't a ring, Miss."

Twitch shook his head at Allura.

Allura gave an annoyed grunt. "Of course, you'd tell on me." She set him down before pointing at him. "We're going to talk about your attitude."

Author's Note

Allura is a fun character, fite me. She inched a little closer to her prize, and even saved a filly, technically?

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98 - Ollie Up

The skate park opened with a sign announcing it to be a municipal park, open to all comers. There were rules posted on said sign, but most were fairly straight forward. Keep to one's area. Don't knock others down on purpose. And of course, don't take others stuff.

Toots, Comforting, and Sunny all attended, each with something to skate with.

Comforting adjusted the helmet on her head, as unrequired as it was or not. "Toots, I love that you're here, but I didn't figure you'd be that interested in skating, let alone with a board. Where'd you even get that?"

Toots laughed at that, holding his skateboard up for inspection. His wheels had been heavily modified. "I made it! I couldn't find one in blue, so I had to make one. I used to shred things up when I was a foal." He dropped the board and hopped on it, just to end up on the ground an instant later as the board zipped away from him.

Sunny giggled into her hooves. "I suppose it's been awhile since you did much skating?"

Toots got back to his hooves. "Something like that." He chased after the board. "Come back here, you!"

Comforting looked out over the park and its residents. "I didn't think the griffons would be so eager."

Sunny grinned at the griffons that were rolling around on their own skates and boards. "Hey, they're welcome to enjoy themselves. I'm glad that they found a place they like to be." She raised her skate-adorned hooves to clap. "Just another way we can find common ground. I've heard some pegasi like it, maybe for the same reason. It's like flying, without actually flying."

Toots zipped by with a "WhoooaaaaaaOOOoooooooo!" He was still unable to manage it well, but he was having fun. "Come on, slowpokes! Or I'm going to get there first."

Comforting pushed forward, rolling on her inlines smoothly. "There is no 'there' to get to first, you silly stallion." That didn't stop her from giving chase after him with a big smile.

Sunny started with a giggle, looking out over the skate park. "I'm glad they have so much fun with this." She started forward at her own pace, enjoying the breeze flowing through her mane. "And I have a place to practice right next to the Boardtrot. Thanks for the idea, Toots!"

Toots managed a little bow, only to have the board zip out from under him again, dropping him on his rump. "Dang it!" He rubbed at his sore spots.

Comforting rolled up next to him. "Keep your eyes on what you're doing." She slid to a top and gathered him into a hug, as if her kiss would chase the pain away. "You're getting your skill back quickly enough."

Toots held her tight. "I'm trying, at least. It's not so bad when I have someone watching who likes me."

Sunny rolled up beside them with her hooves on her hips. "Are you two skating or smooching?" She had a laugh in her tone. "Some creatures."

Toots shrugged. "A bit of both? I have to practice my moves." He winked at her, "And I have to make sure Comforting knows how much I care."

Comforting laughed at that, leaning gently against him. "As if I could forget, though being reminded is still nice." She reached impossibly far to snatch his board and bring it back. "Now let's get you back on this."

He smiled at the two of them. "I love it when the two most amazing creatures are right next to me."

Sunny giggled at that. "You are so silly, Toots." She hit an incline and balanced on the edge before hopping off back to the smooth lower platform without pause. "Woo!"

Toots managed to get back on his own skateboard and moved back and forth smoothly, the board rolling without much trouble. "You know, I could get used to this. I remember learning to keep my balance."

"And you'll remember how it works." Comforting clapped as she floated around Toots, her skates doing little practical. "You just have to keep at it if you want it. Like most things, really."

Toots bobbed his head from side to side. "Yeah. Yeah! You're right. If I want to get better at this, I need to practice. I just want to do it right now, not tomorrow!" He pushed against the ground, propelling himself and the board away and through the park. Fortunately for him, the others there seemed to know to avoid him rather than counting on him to avoid them.

Comforting shook her head with a smile and sped off after him. "Still need to watch where you go!"

Toots waved off her concerns. "I'll be fine!" He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He leaned to turn, and almost managed to avoid the creature he'd nearly hit. Unfortunately, he ended up hitting the next creature instead.

"Ow!"

Allura stared up at him from her place on the ground, her skateboard nearby.

Comforting caught up quickly. "Kitty on a board! Oh, wow, that is; You like skating?" She clasped her hands. "I support your sporting decision."

Allura growled low, picking herself back up. The wing that she had fallen on was sore at the shoulder. "This had better be a dream." She retrieved her board and skated off without giving them another glance.

Toots rubbed behind his head. "She's still prickly, on a board or not. She's, uh, actually not all that bad." His eyes followed after Allura as she hit a ramp and went up into the air, the board twirling beneath her before she landed. "Wow, she's good."

"Very good." Comforting agreed with a nod. "I think I'm surprised."

Toots shrugged. "She has claws on her paws. Maybe it's easier to grip the board for her?"

Comforting prodded Toots at that. "Ponies are actually better grips with their hooves these days. That's not an excuse I'm accepting. You just need more practice."

Sunny hit a ramp and went flying through the sky. "Wooo!" She spun a few times before landing back on the ground with barely a wobble. "That's a perfect way to do it!"

Toots colored at the peer pressure from all sides. "I'm practicing, promise." He kicked forward, resuming his journey of getting used to his board.

***

In the distance, Sunny waved. "Hi Twitch! You enjoying yourself?"

Twitch waved back, and gave a thumbs up.

Allura sighed. "You're enjoying yourself entirely too much. You are forgetting why we're here."

Twitch blinked up at her and pointed to her board. He held up a hand for her.

"I don't have any bits for that, so you'll have to wait." She picked him up anyway, placing him on her back. "These ponies like their money a lot more than the others." She rumbled low. "I miss those pesky arctic ones."

She spun in place, her board spinning with her. She hit the ramp and launched up into the sky, flipping around before landing on her board with ease. She skated along, sliding her paws to make her board turn and roll in the direction she wished. "At least they have this distraction."

Twitch yammered in her ear. "What?" She turned an ear towards him. "Like your teacup? Hardly. You passively ride in that thing. I am the one controlling this."

That got a renewed stream of excited dialogue out of the rabbit. "Yes, yes, I've seen you twirling that thing in the center. That's not the same thing. You don't decide where, ugh. Are we really arguing this?" Twitch nodded. "Sometimes I hate you." She stepped free of her board, her tail lashing it to kick it up into the air where she caught it in a paw and folded it in the crook between her torso and front right leg. "That work has left me with a thirst."

The pair headed off to the nearby juice stand. It turned out to be a smoothie stand. The pony working behind the desk paled when he saw her, but her smile grew in reply. "Oh, look who we have here." She leaned in. "What was your name? Starstreak? Flying rock? Oh! Comet. Yes, hello, Comet."

The stallion gave an uneasy laugh, looking around for anyone who might save him from his predicament, but finding none. "Hello, Allura. Can I help you today?"

"I'd love a smoothie." She pointed a claw at her selection. "I've been skating, and that works up a thirst, little auroracorn. Mmm, why are you here? Shouldn't that Sunny be here?"

Comet gave another uneasy laugh. "I took over the shop so Sunny could enjoy a little time to herself. I'm sure she'd be here otherwise." He didn't sound sure, not at all. "But one berry blast coming right up!"

Twitch raised his hand. "What is it, Twitch? You want one too? I'm hardly surprised." She held up two claws to Comet. "That's two berry blasts, please."

"On it!" He rushed from place to place, getting everything in order expediently. "So, uh, turned a leaf? That's nice. We didn't like worrying about you." He shuffled from foot to foot. "Better to be friends, right?"

Allura narrowed her eyes at him, lips curling into a smile. "Oh, but I like when others worry about me. Keeps them on their toes." She plucked her smoothie up to take a sip. "Thanks." She turned away, leaving Twitch a precious moment to snag his own before they were gone. He yammered something at her, pointing back.

"Pay him? I have no bits left to do that, Twitch. What do you want me to say?" She turned around and batted her eyes. "Sorry, we have no money, I'm afraid. We'll be off." She turned and marched off. "I doubt he'd be happy about that. Not that I care all that much about his happiness."

She took another drink of her smoothie. "I'm sure he'll get over it, or not. Whatever he wishes." She took another drink. "Mmm, this tastes really good." She glanced at Twitch. "Are you going to drink yours? I went through the trouble of getting it for you."

Twitch drank from his cup. His ears shot up. "So it's good? Well, I am happy I got it for us, then. It was worth the effort, I think."

Comet walked up behind Allura and coughed.

Allura twisted around to face the small pony, at least compared to her. "What do you want? Shouldn't you be at your stand? Sunny will be so very upset with you."

Comet fiddled with his hooves, his voice soft. "I was just wondering when we'll get paid, Allura?"

Allura set her drink aside, placing it on a table with her claws. "I am not a pony." She leaned in, teeth visible with a faint growl. "I don't have a job. How do you expect I get any money to give to you?"

"Well, um." He shrank back a step, ears folding. "The griffons manage to pay, and they're not ponies?" It all came out in almost a squeak, clearly terrified of being there.

"You have them pay to use something that is free?" Allura snarled, but got back to her full height. "Disgusting behavior. No, I will not be paying you anything." Her tail twitched angrily. "Some ponies are even more aggravating than others."

"But it's not free." He didn't try to follow her as she stalked away. "Oh well." He scampered back to the stand, but not before putting Allura's abandoned drink in the nearest trash bin.

Author's Note

Time to roll!

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99 - Kitty Thoughts

"No way." Sunny assisted in cleaning up her stand. "We had a theft? Ponies don't normally do that kind of thing."

"No pony." Comet gave a shake of his head. "That... big cat thing? She stole two smoothies, and I had to chase her down." He shivered. "It was the single most terrifying thing I've ever done."

Sunny looked around. "I mean, I don't think we can make them pay if they don't want to." She patted Comet on the shoulder. "That was very brave, but I don't want you getting hurt. Was she violent?"

"N-no! I mean, she just said she didn't have bits, and left." He resumed cleaning and helping shut down the stand. "She said she didn't have any way to get more bits."

Sunny frowned at that. "Allura? No way to make money?" She put a hoof on her chin. "Well, that sounds like a problem. If we want her to be a good creature, we should give her a way to make her money."

Comet burst into a brief fit of laughter. "Ponies in Maretime Bay see her way differently than we used to. Maybe we were doing it wrong, considering how well it went for us. How would you help her then?"

"I'm not sure yet." Sunny gazed off. "But I have some ideas. You know how we're hiring griffons? Around the city, I mean." There were clearly no griffons at her stand. "If we look around, surely we can find a few where Allura would not only be able to work, but welcomed in eagerly. She has skills and abilities that are hard to find."

"Can't argue that, I suppose." He gave Sunny a sideways glance. "But, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of business would hire something like her?"

She gave him a playful shove. "You're being mean. Look at her positively. She doesn't get scared when talking to just about anypony. She's large. She can fly. She'd, uh, make a really good bouncer, for one. Nopony would get past her without her say so."

"Sure, but she doesn't seem like the nicest creature around. Maybe it's just my impression of her." Comet shook his head. "But she still scares me."

"She scares me too, but I know we can be friends with her." Sunny swung a hoof through the air in hopeful pump. "Let's do what we can. If we give her a real way forward, maybe we can move past this. When she has her own bits, she won't mind spending some of them."

Comet gave a soft nod. "You're right. If she wants bits, and we help her get them, she'll be happier. Happy creatures don't need to scare others. I'll go looking tomorrow."

"We'll all go looking." The talking died down as both finished up with closing the stand. With a shared nod, they trotted home for the day.

***

"You're what?" Amber paused in her book-return process to look at Misty.

"We're looking for a job Allura can have." Misty pointed to the door leading outside. "I'll be helping when I'm not here. Any ideas?"

Amber pondered, hoof to her chin. "Well, she's large, and can be fairly frightening when the mood strikes her. She'd be a good, hm, bouncer?"

Misty giggled. "That was Sunny's first idea. I bet she'll look into that. Any others?"

Amber tapped her chin with her hoof. "Hm, I think she'd be able to work construction. She could lift more than most unicorns could with their magic, and get them wherever they needed to go." She spread her arms as if they were wings. "Big and winged could be pretty useful for that."

"I'll keep it in mind." Misty pushed the door open. "Thanks Amber! Bye bye now."

"Bye!" Amber called after her departing friend. "I'll keep thinking on it, too!" She looked to the bin of books. "After I get these away." Her horn glowed as she bid them soar towards their proper places. "A librarian's work is never done."

***

Allura was back at the skate park, gliding smoothly on her board. The griffons had largely cleared out to pursue other things, so the crowd was primarily made of young pegasi and earth ponies, though there were still unicorns among them. Still, by and large, she was left to relative peace as she practiced her moves.

She hit a jump, flipping over in a spin. "And there!" She landed without a wobble. "Perfect. I am amazing."

Twitch appeared from the edge of the park and clapped in approval.

"Oh, there you are." She hopped from the board and caught it all in one smooth motion. "Any progress? We need the next crystal."

He shook his head, then pointed to a structure nearby and held up some cash.

"A smoothie?" She looked around at the other creatures. "Where did you get those?" Not that this stopped her from gathering the coins Twitch was offering. "Still, yes. With these, we can get one of those smoothies if you want it so badly."

Twitch made celebratory noises as he scrambled up onto Allura's back, clapping eagerly.

Allura huffed. "Yes, yes, you can get whatever kind you wish. If I must be here, I will indulge myself. And you, apparently." She walked over to the stand to see what options were available.

Sunny was there that day. "Welcome back, Allura. Now, I do have to ask." She waved a hoof up at the imposing feline. "You are ready to pay before we make your smoothie today?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have your money right here, Sunny Starscout." She held out the cash she'd received from Twitch. "See? Now, I would like a smoothie, please."

Sunny swept it up, just to return some of the coins in a pile. "That's too much for one shake."

"That's because I want two." She threw her head back at the rapidly nodding Twitch. "I guess I have to buy two of these for myself. One for me, and one for the annoying rabbit." Twitch blew a raspberry at her, which only got Allura to stick hers out back at him. "For me, I will have the raspberry blitz. Which do you want, Twitch?"

Twitch tapped the picture of the blueberry blast, making eager noises.

Allura huffed loudly at his excitement, shaking her head. "Fine, he wants the blueberry blast. Can you do that?"

"Of course!" Sunny made a salute, took the rest of the coins, and got herself to work busily making the two shakes. "Will you be staying around? Or are you just passing by? It is so good to see you, Allura, really."

Allura's tail twitched at the questions, not quite sure why that was relevant to the order. "Until I figure out a way home, I'm stuck here, Sunny. You should know that much."

Sunny nodded. "And we're glad to have you! Just, are you finding ways to spend your time?"

"I'm skating." Allura gestured with a paw to the skate park, her board dangling from a claw. "And working on that 'getting home' thing. I don't suppose you've found a way to hurry that along, hm?"

"I have been trying to think about it, yes." Sunny finished one smoothie to put it in front of Twitch. "But nothing on that front yet, I'm afraid. But, here's an idea, have you ever considered..." She slid the two shakes into easy reach of Allura. "While you're here, I mean, you could get a job, earn your own bits to spend however you like."

The snow leopard gave Sunny a skeptical look. "Why would I ever need to work for ponies?" She took a long sip of her smoothie. "I can always find what I need."

Sunny rolled a hoof. "Well, yes, you have been managing that, but it'd be easier if you could just walk up to us, like you did today, and we'd give you what you want in return for a few coins."

Allura gave a slow nod, a claw tapping lightly at her cup. "What sort of work? You can't possibly think that a pony job could interest me."

"Maybe not a 'pony' job." Sunny leaned against the counter. "I've been looking into it. There are jobs you would fit into fairly well. Though used against us more than not, nopony can deny you have many specific physical and mental advantages." She tapped her hooves with each of those. "It's just a matter of using them."

"I'm listening. Have something that would be suited to me?" Allura drew a long slurp from her cup, sighing with relaxed pleasure at the flavor.

"You could do more than that." Sunny tapped the stand itself. "The first option that comes to mind is being a bouncer. I'm still pretty sure you could keep ponies from entering a place you wanted them not to enter. How well would you let the ones in that should be allowed in?"

Allura's tail swayed slowly side to side with thought. "I suppose that would not be difficult." Twitch tugged on her fur, yammering in her ear. She groaned at him. "Really?" She turned her head to face him. "What?"

He yammered something, pointing to his empty cup.

"Another? You are being a little glutton today." She checked her sides, but she was all out of coins. "Ugh. Would such a position give me a lot of coins?"

"Not a lot, no." Sunny shook her head. "More than not working at all, but it wouldn't make you fabulously wealthy or anything. But if it isn't something you want, maybe you could help build new buildings." She lifted both hooves as if carrying something weighty. "You're very strong, and large, and have wings. Those three together make you possibly very good for the role."

"Pass." Allura sank to her belly. "I will not sweat for you ponies. I think you've forgotten that I am a feline."

Sunny gave a nod. "Good to bear in mind." She refused to stop smiling. "But if I have your alright to continue, my friends and I will keep on looking and bring you a list of what might work. It is, of course, up to you which, if any, you want to try."

"I suppose." Allura rose again. "Is there anything else?"

Sunny thought a moment. "You can be a bit scary. Is that something you can turn on and off?"

"Being this powerful means I tend to terrify others without trying." She chuckled softly with a little purr. "I don't think there's an 'off' face.

Twitch said something Sunny couldn't make out. "What? I do not have that kind of resting face. I'm a cat, Twitch. You should know that better than anycreature else." She rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Thanks for the drinks." She strode off with Twitch on her back, and he had to quickly toss his cup. It bounced off the rim of the trash, but fell over into it. The rabbit cheered.

Sunny watched them wander away. "They aren't bad. I know they're not. Just have to keep being patient." She took a cleansing breath and turned to the next customer. "How can I help you?!"

***

"Comfort." Amber ascended to the third floor, spotting Comforting on a bench. "There you are!"

Comforting waved. "Hi Amber! How are you? Need something?"

Amber drew up before Comforting. "We're trying to find a job Allura would do. What did you think she'd be good at?"

"Oh? A job?" Comforting looked down over herself with a smile. "She's a curious creature, like me in some ways. With fantastical powers a pony struggles to deal with. Naughty mind-control purrs just being the start. Then there's her ice powers." Comforting clapped as if it all amused her, more than worried her. "A pity that ice rink didn't happen. She'd be just the creature to keep it nice and cold."

"She'd be good for that, wouldn't she?" Amber put a hoof to her chin. "But that didn't happen. She does like the not-ice skate park. I hear she's in there a fair amount."

Comforting nodded along. "Yes, yes, she does like it in there. I've seen her myself, too. She'd be good at entertaining creatures. Quite by accident, but she does it." She considered a moment. "She likes it where it's cold, and she can make it cold. There is an ice rink in the city. Not the one we imagined, but still, ice rink. She'd be welcomed there, hm?"

"Hm, probably so. I'll keep it in mind." Amber waved goodbye and trotted back off.

"Have fun, Amber! See you again soon!" She waved after the unicorn mare until she was gone from sight.

Author's Note

All the ponies are pondering where to put Allura where she's happy and has some bits to spend when she wants to. Doesn't get her home any faster, but maybe her stay can be made better?

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100 - Get A Job

There was a knock on the ice rink door.

"Who would come knocking when I'm closed?" The earth stallion in charge of the rink opened the door to peer out, and promptly went stiff as he was confronted with Allura's gaze, nose to nose with him. "You, uh, need something?"

Twitch poked out from behind Allura's head, waving a paper at the pony with an excited burst of yammering.

"As he said. We were led to believe you need somecreature that can keep things chilly around here. I can do that." Allura snorted, air brushing the stallion's mane. "Are you who I talk to?"

He nodded rapidly, shrinking back. "I am! Yes, I am! I just didn't realize she'd send a..." He gestured to all of her. "Whatever you are. You can really keep this place cold?"

"You doubt me?" She threw up her nose with offense even as the area around her frosted over with her grunt. "Cold happens to be my thing, little pony." She swayed her tail over the ring of ice that had formed. "Do you need more examples?"

"No, no, that is quite sufficient. I mean, thank you." He looked around. "Uh, do come in then, please."

Allura stepped inside the rink. The chill of the room was comfortable for her, drawing out a pleased little purr as she looked around the large building. There was a foyer, where she was, with sizable hallways leading to the main room itself, where it got even chillier, to her approval. There was also a table, where the pony began to look over papers he had piled on top.

"Thanks, I, uh." He looked up at her again, shrinking under her gaze once more. "It's just, not being a pony, I doubt you have any of the things I'd normally put in here for you."

Allura rolled her eyes. "They've hired those squawking birds. Griffons were they? If they can manage those, I shouldn't be too much of a challenge."

Twitch gave agreeing sounds, glaring at the pony.

"Oh! Yeah, good point. The griffon rules should cover you just fine. They're for anycreature that gets work." He got to filling the form out with more confidence. "They're so new, I didn't even think of that. Now, this is an all week job, but it doesn't have to be long each day. Come in, make sure it's still the right temperature and the stuff looks right. If it is, great, you did your job. If it isn't, you fix it. Got it?"

"It is simple enough. What time of day?"

"After the ponies go home, but the next pony won't come until late tomorrow. So come in after sunset most days. If we have something later than that, we'll post it right there." He pointed to a schedule. "Sporting events sometimes." He tapped his pen to the paper. "Looking good. Go ahead and add your name here."

Allura took the pen in a paw, holding it as delicately as a mouse by the tail. She managed to fill out her name as the listed worker, though with difficulty.

"I'd say you could write it yourself, Twitch, but I doubt they'd accept your scribbles." She chuckled at the very mental image of such an attempt. "Here. Is that it then?"

"That's it, oh! Since you're here, you can get right to it." He hopped up to his hooves, tucking the paper away. "This way to the cooling engine." He led her to the back where a massive device was pumping cool air through vents into the rink itself. "Now, to be honest, it doesn't usually break down. Not completely. But sometimes, it gets a bit warmer, and we don't want that." He pointed to a device, a thermometer really. It showed an arrow inside a band. "If it gets outside that band, either way, something's wrong. Then it's up to you to make it back in the band. Too cold's just as bad as too warm."

Allura looked over it with a sniff, then turned to the machine. It wasn't too complex. A basic air cooling system. "If something goes wrong, it'll be in the refrigeration system, right?" She sat down with a slow feline grin. "I think I can handle this. If it doesn't cooperate, I can intercede directly, hm?" She gave a cold breath of ice, barely a puff from her furred lips. "We will keep your ice rink properly chilled, little pony."

"You will? I mean, good!" He gave a nervous laugh. "I'll be leaving you to it then. Don't get in trouble, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Allura perked an ear with an idea. "But, just in case, do you have the manual for this? If I'm bothering to do this, may as well do it correctly."

He brightened at that. "Oh! I'll fetch you that!" He left, leaving Allura to give a soft chuckle to herself.

"Well, it isn't getting back to Starlight Ridge, but at least it will keep us occupied for a bit, hm?" She reached up to pat Twitch lightly. "It'll keep you on teacup rides and I wouldn't mind being able to procure a few things more easily. Don't think you won't be helping in this assignment, Twitch."

He made a querying noise with a tilt of his head.

"You are small." She held up her forepaws close together. "As lovely as I am, I won't be able to reach all the problems. I will send you to address things I cannot reach. You want to spend my bits, you can help me earn them." She purred out a laugh. "That's fair, isn't it?"

Twitch gave a small groan, but he gave an affirmative wave of his paw. "Yes, yes, I thought you would agree. We'll handle this together."

The earth pony returned with a few books. "Here's all the docs we have." He set it down next to Allura. "Glad you asked, actually. Last pony thought they all worked the same and messed it up really good. Now, uh, sorry I looked atcha a little funny at first. You're on the job now. You get it done, I don't care what you happen to be." He gave her a smile, and a little salute with his hoof. "Welcome to the team. I'll leave ya to it. Uh, I'm out, but you can reach me by phone."

Allura slapped a paw down in front of the pony. "I don't have one of those."

The pony gave a nervous chuckle. "I can tell Sunny to get you one, if you want to be contacted."

"We'll be fine, little pony. We don't need your silly devices to know when to come in." She mused a moment. "But being able to reach you would be good. Give me that number. Twitch, take this down." She waited for him to hold his paws ready before she repeated the phone number, making Twitch nod along. "Got it?"

Twitch repeated it back, getting a nod in return from both Allura and the earth pony.

The pony laughed at the sight of the big and small creature working together. "You two are a real team. Glad to have you both on—" He slid to a stop, put a hoof to his face, and turned around. "Wait. Is that a critter or a creature?"

"Creature, obviously." Allura puffed out her chest. "I would not settle for mere animal company. And he would be insulted if you considered him anything less." Twitch nodded quickly and made a rude noise at the pony.

"Figured. Hm." He trotted off, just to return with an identical copy of the paper he had Allura finish. "Then he has to be put in too. He's an assistant, right?"

Allura perked a brow. "He is, yes?" She watched him scribble on the new paper. "Does that mean he'll earn bits too?"

"Yeah, though not the same amount. That's only fair. You're bigger and can do more work, right? But he'll have a bit salary." The pony handed it up to Twitch, who took the paper in both his hands. "Sign right there at the bottom."

He took it back with Twitch's oddly flowery signature. "There we go. Once ice technician and one assistant. I'll get you both in the system and you'll get paid for your first shift, that's today." He started for the exit. "Once you've done your inspection, you should be able to head on home."

Allura purred. "Good. We look forward to it." She started out onto the ice, sliding along it with a laugh. "The ponies had been hiding this! What a wonderful, mmm, place they've built."

Twitch tried to join her on the ice, but promptly fell on his rump, sliding along it. His squeak of surprise drew a laugh out of Allura.

"Yes, I suggest you watch yourself, Twitch." She circled around him once before zipping out further onto the ice, her laughter growing louder as she went. "I think I can enjoy this 'job'. Make sure the cool place stays as cool as I already like it, then enjoy it." She purred with approval, eyes almost closed. "This may work."

Twitch got up to his feet with difficulty, slipping and falling twice, getting laughs out of Allura, before he made it back off the ice to the concrete. Once there, he pulled out his papers, looking them over. He made some complaints about his amount being lower than hers, which she ignored in favor of trying a few tricks on the ice, wings helping stabilize her when she got fancy about it.

***

Sunny smiled at Allura and Twitch. "Hello! You come for a smoothie or something else on your mind?"

Allura glanced up at the menu, but quickly brought her eyes to Sunny. "Something else. We have a number, for our boss, but we have no phone. You do. Assist us in this task."

She reached back to tap at Comet. "Keep an eye on things for a little bit, okay? I'll be right back after she gets a phone."

"Right!" Comet gave a casual salute.

Allura followed her along. "Your friends have been quite useful. First with the job, and now this. I didn't realize creatures could be so useful. At least, without me pressing the issue." Behind her, Comet shivered.

"It's amazing how far you can get just asking the right question in the right way." She pointed at herself. "We have a history, but I want you to succeed, Allura. I'm not sure I could say we're 'friends' yet, but little steps. We're getting there, I hope? Now, this is where I get most of my phones." She waved at a small phone outlet store. "It's a bit small, but I can get one for you. Is this for you, or you." She pointed at Allura, then Twitch. "I should get one the right size."

Allura gave Sunny a sour look for that. "If it is small as I've seen, I would find it hard to use."

Twitch gave an emphatic thumbs up with an affirmative squeak.

"One Twitch-sized phone, coming up." She vanished inside, just to come out with a small smartphone held on one hoof. "And here we are. This should do it." She held it up in Twitch's reach.

Twitch plucked it from her hoof, and tried to make it work, poking at the screen with a finger. He managed a few things, but it was a struggle.

Allura put a paw on it. "You'll break it."

Sunny shook her head with a little laugh. "It's not that delicate. He's doing it right, but he has to learn how it works. Twitch, here's my number." She recited it. "Try giving me a call."

He typed it in slowly, but correctly, making her ringtone go off. She showed off her ringing phone with a grin. "And there we go! We can always call each other now." She pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

Twitch jumped and danced at hearing Sunny coming out of his phone. He yammered eagerly back into it, not that Sunny could understand him.

Sunny made a funny face, but still looked happy. "Press that one." She pointed. "That makes it louder. Then you and Allura can talk, though I imagine Allura will do more of the talking."

"Indeed." Allura chuckled lowly. "Thank you, Sunny." She smiled more softly, but still a smile. "I am glad to have a means of reaching you so easily. I should be going. Work." Her tail flicked side to side. "Thank you," she got out mid-turn. With a flare of her wings, she fled.

Sunny shook her head at the spot the feline had been in. "You're welcome." She started her way back towards her cart. "Being nice isn't so bad, silly, large and sometimes scary, cat."

Author's Note

Kitty likes this place. Maybe this could do, until she figures out a way to get home.

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101 - Let's Go

Amber popped open the box. "New book day! Always so exciting." But inside was a small paperback with the words 'Would you?' printed on it. She blinked in confusion. "Would I what?" She puzzled over where to put the book.

"Would you go on a date." Amber looked up to see a blushing Misty on the other side of that box. "It was supposed to be romantic. Um, I wanted to ask if you'd like to go on a date with me. We haven't done anything since that movie."

Amber set the book aside. "I would love to." She pointed at the book. "But you have to tell me what kind of book this is. Otherwise, I have to read through it to figure out where it goes."

"Oh! It's a choose your adventure." Misty flipped the book open to show the inside. "Each page has you pick an option. You flip to the page of the choice you made. Until you win or lose."

Amber tapped the side of her head. "Oh! That's a good name for one of those." She nodded, satisfied. "I'll get that put away so some other pony can enjoy it." She leaned in, touching noses with Misty. "That was very cute. I appreciate the effort you put into that."

Misty giggled. "Well, I'll go get ready for our date. See you soon!"

Amber waved to the retreating Misty. "Bye bye! I'll see you later tonight!"

It was an hour later that Amber realized a problem. "Where are we going to have the date?" She tapped the side of her neck, thinking deeply. "We didn't talk about that part, did we?" She paced a little, trying to come up with answers. She turned to a librarian about to pass her. "Where should we go?!"

The librarian laughed, patting his boss pony on the shoulder. "You two'll be fine. Just go to her and let her pick. It was her idea, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Amber trotted to the front door of the library. "I'll go right over to her place, then, and let her decide. We'll figure it out!"

Amber went to the Crystal Brighthouse, shaking her mane free of the work frizzies on the way. "This'll be fun."

When she reached the door, the knocked on it with a smile. "Hello," she called to the lighthouse, unsure of which pony would answer.

What she especially did not expect was Comforting to be the one to open the door. "Are you sure you have the right place?"

Comforting snickered at her jest. "Hey, Amber. I was just saying hi. What are the odds?"

Amber shook her head with a smile. "The universe has its ways, doesn't it? Where's Misty? We're supposed to go out on a date."

"Oh! A date, huh?" Comforting clapped her hands together and fluttered her lashes. "At least your second, or is it? How many dates have you gone on at this point?"

Amber had to think a while. "Well, I mean... movies and smoothies... walks and..." She tapped the ground nervously.

"So a lot?" Comforting giggled at Amber. "I'm glad for both of you." She reached for Amber, mussing her mane gently. "You two make a cute pair."

"Who's at the door?" Sunny peeked from behind Comforting. "Oh, Amber! Hey! What are you doing here?"

Amber huffed. "I'm here for Misty. Are you having a party in here or something?"

"Comforting and I were just chatting while we did some chores." Sunny moved out from behind Comforting. "Misty! Amber's here."

A distant 'coming!' drifted through the brighthouse.

"She's coming." Sunny nodded, passing that on as if it wasn't fairly clear. "Have fun!" She darted off towards her earlier business.

A pony dropped in to take her place, Zipp landing with a folding of her wings. "I got a question."

Amber inclined her head. "Hey, Zipp. What's the question?"

"Okay, so." She thought a moment. "You and Misty are a thing." Zipp paced in place. "How does that work, exactly?"

"Sis!" Pipp bowled into Zipp. "You cannot just ask that! Seriously! Unless you think unicorns have funny courting rituals or something? Which I doubt. I bet they're going to go do something fun together. Right?" Pipp's expression was pleading, eager to hear what the two of them were going to do together.

Misty joined the gaggle at the door. "Oh, uh, hey Pipp, Zipp." She squeaked around them to get at Amber. "There you are!"

Pipp got right up in front of Misty with a gasp of delight. "Oh, you're so cute and shy! Okay, so, what are you two gonna do?"

Amber put a hoof around Misty. "Whatever she wants to do. This evening is all hers. She planned the whole thing out, right?"

Pipp oozed joy and hope at Misty. "Yeah! What's the plan, Misty? Come on. Spill. Please."

Misty laughed nervously. She tried to back away, but Amber had her in a fairly good hold. "I was, um, actually just thinking we'd go for a walk, and see what caught our attention."

Amber released Misty in surprise. "Oh? Huh. I did not see that coming, but I'm not against the idea. Maretime Bay has plenty to see. Are we going by the beach?"

Misty pointed into the heart of the city. "I was thinking we could try downtown. We so rarely head that way. It'll be fun!"

Amber gave a nod, smiling to her partner. "So let's go." She started off, beckoning to the other unicorn. "Let's see what's new in the world."

Misty set off with Amber at her side. "I'm glad you're alright with it. I was worried you'd be, you know, a little upset about such a, uh, loose plan. No offense, but you hit me as more of a properly planned pony."

Amber giggled softly at that. "I can understand. I guess I do tend to be like that, but I know you wouldn't have picked something boring. Besides." She leaned against Misty as they walked. "It can't be that boring if I'm with you."

Misty let out an aw at the thought. "That's really nice."

Comforting nodded at the receding forms of the two unicorns. "That's that." She turned to Zipp. "Have you really not met a mare and a mare that liked each other before?"

Zipp laughed nervously. "What? Of course I have! Like dozens of them.

Pipp rolled her eyes. "Name one."

Zipp looked shocked. "Just one?"

"Just one, yeah." Pipp gave her sister a challenging look. "Come on, it shouldn't even be hard."

Zipp shifted nervously. "Well, there was, um." She rubbed one leg with the other hoof. "Look, fine! I haven't. I just wanted to know more. I wasn't getting in the way."

Pipp threw up her hooves. "You can't ask two special someponies that just before they start their date, if nothing else. Either way, sis, it's really not that big of a deal."

Comforting nodded along with Pipp. "They do most of the same things any other ponies would do together. Talk, hug, sometimes some smooches." She kissed the air. "Just not too different."

Zipp scowled. "I wasn't asking because I thought it was gross or anything. They're two really great mares. I was just wondering." She looked around. "If you two are experts, fill me in. There has to be some differences, so what are they?"

Pipp considered. "Hm, I mean, I've been thinking. You know how a lot of mares and stallions like each other? Well, they get the same butterflies when it's just mares." She tapped her cheek. "If they want foals, they can't do that together, but they could adopt. There are foals that could use a loving family, and why not two mares?"

Comforting nodded along with that. "For most things, they're just two ponies. They'll do what two ponies do that are falling for each other. A lot of awkward questions and giggles, I imagine." She leaned in at Zipp, fluttering her lashes. "Why? You got a special somepony?"

Zipp shoved her away. "I don't have anypony. Not yet! I'm not leaving this conversation without learning anything, though."

Comforting chuckled. "Well, the only difference is the pony they love is another mare." She gestured over herself. "Toots went and fell for a spirit of chaos, but you haven't asked how that works. Mostly the same. We hug, we kiss, we plan fun things to do. Oh! We have a special thing. Dinner and breakfast. Two times I need to be there for. Speaking of that." She vanished, off to do dinner with her special somepony.

Pipp laughed at where Comforting had been. "Now I'm feeling left out." She glanced aside at Zipp. "Wanna be special someponies?"

"No! Sis, seriously." Zipp turned away with a snort. "You have a bajillion fans. You could take one of them."

"Ugh, no!" Pipp followd after Zipp. "That almost never works. They look up to me way too much. Can you even imagine what that'd look like?! Nuh-uh, just not the way I plan on going."

***

The downtown area was, despite being downtown, not particularly heavily trafficked. Ponies went by with bags on their backs, or pulling carts loaded with groceries, but it wasn't nearly the press of creatures one might have expected. Misty was a little ahead, pointing out the stores as they came across them. "Woah."

An import from the pegasi, the store they found next was a huge thing offering videogames of all varieties. The blinking, beeping, and other sound effects had Misty gaping a moment. "Wow. Just wow. Look at that thing!"

Amber was trying to focus on Misty, but the games kept catching her eye. "Hm, I'm not one to play a game much myself, but I imagine these would be a big draw." She went in next to Misty. "If we played one together, I bet that'd be fun."

Misty clapped her hooves. "Let's do that then." She drew Amber into the noisy interior of the store, looking around with wide eyes.

Amber followed along. "This isn't like any store I've been in before." She put her hooves to the sides of her head. "It's so loud. Wow. It's like a party in here." She avoided the loudest pockets, trailing after Misty. "You like this?"

Misty stopped suddenly, causing Amber to bump into her. "There." She pointed to one large monitor that showed two digital pony playing tennis against one another. "That looks fun."

Amber squinted at it, watching the ponies bat the ball back and forth. "It doesn't seem to take a lot of skill to figure out, but maybe a fair amount of practice to master." She coughed into a hoof. "But we could play that, for real." She pointed outside. "You want to try?"

"Really?" Misty blinked at Amber before bobbing her head. "Yes! Let's do that. After we're done in here." She pulled a game off the shelf, one much closer to the sports themselves. "This is more like what we'd be doing, right?"

Amber laughed nervously. "I don't think you can get much practice doing it for real by playing a game about it. Still, I won't be a spoilsport. If you want to challenge me with this, let's play."

They found a few other games they both enjoyed the look of, then purchased them and headed back to the Brighthouse.

Sunny perked up at the sound of the door. "Is that you, Hitch?"

Misty's head peeked into the front room. "Hi Sunny!"

"Hi Misty!" She gave a wave. "I thought you went out with Am—Oh, hello there." She saw Amber coming in, and that they were both holding things in bags. "What have you got there?"

Amber dropped her bag on the coffee table. "Games! We thought we'd play one together."

Sunny tilted her head. "You mean like a board game or...?"

Amber shook her head firmly. "Misty wandered past—"

"Video games!" Misty dug out the console and got to plugging it in with excited little giggles. "We can all try them."

Amber laughed a little at Misty's excitement. "Our walk hit this store selling a lot of these and Misty got a little star struck."

Sunny shook her head as she watched Misty assemble the gaming system. "Well, if you two were enjoying a night, I wouldn't want to get between you two."

Amber went to Misty, helping her set things up. Soon, the title of the game was up on the television, awaiting the start of the game. "Ta da." She waved at it. "We went through all that effort, may as well give it a spin."

"I've never tried anything like this before." Sunny got up and joined the others near the TV. "How does it work?" Amber handed her a controller, showing her how to use it with a quick demonstration of her own.

Not that Amber was an expert, but she knew which parts were for moving and which was for going. "Good luck!"

Misty pressed the start button and got things underway. "Here we are." She grinned at the other two ponies. The game started and their little digital ponies took off running around the screen.

"Wait. What? How are—" Sunny's pony went over a cliff and she got off to a bad start indeed. She made an irritable noise, but pressed a button to try again. "I got this." It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but she was learning with each failure.

Misty's pony took the lead. "This is pretty fun." She laughed as Sunny's pony missed another cliff. "It's nice being able to do things so casually."

"Yeah." Amber yanked her pony off track, getting herself stuck. With Sunny settled, she had joined for three pony fun. "But let's not get too sucked into this. A nice diversion."

Sunny nodded her agreement. "It is nice, having something to do when we're not busy. Do ponies do this often, the games, I mean?" She tried to go up a mountain, but ended up rolling back down to her starting position, making her sigh with exasperation. "This has a lot of tricks." She set down her controller. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

Misty was barely paying attention, moving her pony along with an intense expression. At least until she was smooched. She recoiled in surprise to find Amber was right there, moving right back into place for noserubs. "H-Hi?"

Amber giggled, kissing her partner's cheek. "Focus too hard on these and you'll miss out on the real world." She put a hoof on her chest. "You're a great mare, Misty. I love spending time with you, even if you want to play these silly games." She flicked her tongue out at Misty's nose. "But I'd rather take you out to a real mountain."

Author's Note

Sometimes people get a little sucked into games.

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102 - Playing to Learn

After some discussion, the old first floor magic room was repurposed. With all the magic learners up on the third floor, that meant they had that room sitting vacant a while. "Ta da!" Amber waved at the remodeled area. "Filled with the latest educational games for anypony to sit down and enjoy."

Misty clapped her hooves at that. "This is way better. Ponies can come and enjoy them whenever they want."

Amber gave a nod. "Exactly! They get to play games, and hopefully learn some things while they're at it." She placed her hoof on the closest console. "It took some digging to find these. Ponies aren't waiting as eagerly for the next release of educational things as much as the ones focused on just playing."

Sunny nodded her agreement, taking a look at one of the games. "Oh! It says this is about the history of Canterlot. I'll have to try it. I'm curious." She clapped her hooves. "Where did you even find one focused on something so ancient?"

Amber shrugged. "Like I said, a lot of digging. We're lucky this is a library." She nodded to some shelves that now contained boxes of cartridges. "I can give some credit to other libraries in the city. Some of them had a few games and when I asked for this—" She waved around the stocked room. "—many stepped forward and gave me what they had."

Sunny tapped her hoof to her chin. "Huh. That's interesting. I thought you two ponies bought all this."

Amber smiled at Sunny. "We didn't have to buy it all ourselves. We still had to make some purchases, though. We made sure the room had enough for ponies to want to come and see what was here."

Misty bobbed her head. "And some of the bits we used are part of the library. Amber, as the head librarian, gets to spend some each month on behalf of the city." She threw an arm around Amber. "It's a big responsibility."

Amber sighed in relief, gazing around. "We've spent months on this project. I'm glad to see it done." She looked between Misty and Sunny, grinning. "You don't know how grateful I am for your help." She trotted for the door. "Now let's tell the ponies what we've made for them."

They made an announcement in the main room of the library, gathering a few dozen ponies to see the grand opening. Some of them were surprised by what was waiting there. Others were skeptical, but the games lured them in. The room, previously quiet, became fulled with the chimes, beeps, and energetic music of the various games as ponies played them and, one hoped, learned something from the process.

***

Pipp panned her phone over the audience of cheering ponies. "They are really worked up, little Pippsqueaks! With the home team going at it on the ice—" She trailed off, a flick of movement catching her attention. "What the?" She lifted into the air and flew after it, heading into some hallways she normally didn't think about.

She gasped loudly as she turned a corner and found Allura there. "W-what? Are you, what, trying to do something totally awful to the ice machine or something?"

Allura blinked slowly at Pipp, a grin spreading across her face at that. "Is that the worst thing that comes to your little mind? Destroy the ice machine, that is." She tapped a paw to the wall beside her. "Little pony, haven't you heard? This is where I work." She pat herself down as if searching for something.

Twitched popped from her back and held out a badge for her. "Oh, there it is." She closed two claws on it and held it out towards Pipp with smug pride. "My badge. In fact, mmm, it would seem that one of us is trespassing, little pony. That pony would be you." She prodded Pipp in the chest. "Really, storming into the hallways so close to the engine like that? So rude. You could even be dangerous, hm?" She looked Pipp up and down.

Pipp snorted, turning the camera back on herself. "I am not dangerous. I'm just curious about what a giant monster cat thingy is doing here." The emojis floating up showed her fans supported her. "What do you know about how engines work anyway?"

"I know they make cold." She pointed across the room to a pile of books. "And I know how to read. I happen to enjoy making cold, pony. If I want it to stay cold, it's in my interest to keep this thing operating, don't you think?" She smirked at Pipp, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "And you, my little pony? Do you know how these things run? Should we call security? Get you in trouble?"

Pipp flinched at the very idea. "That will not be needed!" She laughed tensely, backing up a little. "If you're not up to trouble, then I'll get out of your mane." She fled rather than risk Allura's threat.

Allura shook her head. "Most cats don't have manes."

Twitch yammered something in an agreeable way. "Exactly. Not everything is a pony, hmmph. Would she say that to a rabbit? I bet she would." She pet her friend lightly. "That was fun though. Did you see her flee? Hilarious." Allura chuckled lowly. "Now." She pointed at the nearest vent. "Go check the vents for blockage."

Twitch saluted and ran off to do so, hissing and spitting to clear any he came across. Though they were not the usual ponies one might expect for the job, both took it seriously enough.

It wouldn't be until later that evening that Allura would get back into planning. The trick was that she could fly over the gate, but all the crystals seemed to be hidden. "Keep your eyes open. They have to be around here somewhere."

She stalked to the game where she'd seen it before, but it wasn't among the remaining dolls. "Blast it all."

Twitch made a soft sound, pawing at the sign over the booth. "Hm?" She glanced at him, and he gestured at the sign. "Yes?" He pointed up towards a shelf above the counter that held some of the better toys.

Allura chuckled at that. "You have bits, Twitch. I will not steal for you when you could just buy it when they're open." An excuse to tease her rabbit friend wasn't one to let up either. "Really. Now, look for the crystals. They're more important than any specific toy."

Twitch whined at her, but turned to look for them anyway.

Allura made her way around the booths, but couldn't seem to find them anywhere. She let out an irritable noise. "The crystals come out for those little ponies to play in. When they go home, so do they, wherever 'home' is for a fragment of rock!" She swiped at the air with a low growl. "Tomorrow. We have no work tomorrow. I say we come here, first thing in the morning. Before sunrise. We will find the secret entrance then."

With her decision made, Allura made sure she was unseen, then flew off towards home. The sky had grown very dark during her search, and the streets were empty. She preferred it that way. Easily, she made her way to her cave and settled for a little catnap. She was ready when the first rays of the sun began to lighten her cave.

With the morning's arrival, she rose and stretched. "Ready to go? We need to hurry if we want to arrive before anypony else is out and about." She moved towards the cave's exit. "Let's go." She gestured, then stepped out to begin walking to town. Like a flea she had invited, Twitch bounced after her and bounded onto her to ride the rest of the way.

Inside the park, she could see Sunny and her friends, preparing for the day ahead. Allura hissed softly. "On one paw, we need them to get the others in here, and to open it for them. On the other, they probably won't let us search for crystals. Hmm." She looked around. "I suppose I am simply going to have to be sneaky about this. Let's see..."

They waited until the gate was opened and the first wave of ponies began. She kept herself low and tried to flow with them, an almost success.

Hitch put an arm in front of her, blocking her passage. "Where are you headed, all sneaky like that?" He gestured at the ponies around them. "Going to cause some mischief?"

Allura frowned at Hitch, shaking her head. "No mischief." She gestured to herself with her tail. "I earned so many bits, I thought I'd spend a few here. Twitch adores the teacup ride." She rolled her eyes at the thought of her silly helper's fascination with that ride. "I couldn't deny him."

"Oh, alright." Hitch grinned and stepped aside. "You be good, alright?"

"Of course!" She gave a nod and continued on her way, heading deeper into the fairgrounds. She didn't have any reason to, but she did take her little friend on his favorite ride before they started in earnest. "Those crystals have to, ah, look at that." She pointed up where a crystal hovered near one of the many waterfalls that seemed to fall from the sky. "There's one, right in the open."

Twitch yowled and gestured for her to go get it.

"Yes, yes." She trotted over. "You want it, you get it." She leaped into the air, but when she got close, the crystal seemed to vanish. "What?" She landed gracefully, but without a crystal. "You saw that?" Twitch quickly nodded. "Unfair." With a low rumble, she snatched Twitch up and resumed her hunt. "They weren't doing that earlier. It seems to me the crystals know we are hunting them." She huffed softly. "If only we had help, but we must do this alone."

Twitch yammered something in her ear. "You have a point. If somecreature else knew, they might want the crystal for themselves. That would be a pain, at the very least. It's probably better we keep this to ourselves."

Twitch made another remark. "I'm not worried they'd be better, just that they might also get in our way."

The rabbit gave a sigh and shrugged off Allura's back. She watched him head off towards one of the many games. "If you see a crystal, win it for us," she called after him. That said, she stalked ahead with a frown. "How do they hide both in plain sight but impossibly far away?"

As if to taunt her, she saw one just over Sunny's booth, twirling slowly in place. It was right there, but approaching it meant approaching Sunny and her crystal pony assistant. "Blast it all." With a growl, she crept through the tents, trying to find another crystal to grab, but every time, they vanished like smoke on the wind.

She was forced to return to her rabbit friend empty-handed. He, on the other paw, was holding a plush animal a bit larger than he was. "Had a good time?" She rolled her eyes. "You were supposed to look for crystals. Did you spot any in your rush to get that?" She gestured to the thing in his arms.

He gave a sheepish nod and pointed to a specific game. She had just enough time to see a crystal flicker in and out of sight. "Blast it all. Well, at least you were trying." With a low and unhappy noise, she headed for the exit with a delighted Twitch on her back.

Author's Note

The library's moving places, but so is Allura. She just needs a few crystals, that's all.

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103 - Comforting Change

"Miss Skyray." The severely dressed pony pressed her hooves together, steepling them. "You've had a year of operating the new facility." A sign on the wall beseeched the reader to keep hanging in there. A window showed a nice view of the city she was in charge of. "How do you feel you've progressed in that time?"

Amber cleared her throat, trying not to be too intimidated by her boss's office. "I think I've been doing fairly well, ma'am. We've not only attracted ponies to the library for education and entertainment, but we've expanded, both a floor and in what we offer, twice!"

"Twice." The pony leaned forward a bit. "Yes, I remember. First, the third floor. I can understand wanting an area for yourself, but why on earth did you fill the second with video games?" She rolled a hoof. "That aside, you do realize it is customary for the city to decide when any of its buildings gain an additional floor? That was a breech of protocol, at the least." She took a slow breath. "On the other hoof, you continue to delight your zone."

She reached down to a shelf and pulled out a thick wad of envelopes. "Do you know what this is?"

"No, ma'am." Amber swallowed hard, trying to guess.

Her superior sighed. "They're love letters to you. From your zone." A smile slipped through the icy demeanor. "I think, on the whole, your innovations have helped your zone grow." She ran a hoof slowly down the stack of letters. "They sent me these, crowing about how that spot, once empty, has become something new, and wonderful. They like you, Miss Skyray, and I think we should listen. I will allow the floor and the... games."

Amber let out a long breath of relief. "Thank you, ma'am."

"One thing." The mayor leaned forward. "I'm told the games are educational in nature. Is that true?"

Amber went bolt upright. "Yes ma'am! I made sure each and every title we got can be learned from, at least indirectly. I want ponies to have fun and come out knowing something new."

The mayor chuckled softly at that. "Well, if they can come out wiser, I don't think we have a problem. Continue your work, Miss Skyray."

"Thank you, ma'am." Amber dipped her front down and scampered to the door. "Oh, um. I'll make sure we ask before we go adding any extra, um, architectural anything."

The mayor raised a brow at that. "I am more amazed how you did that without going over-budget. Still, yes. I can't operate a city without knowing what's going on in it. Stop by, or send a letter." She tapped the pile. "I do read them."

***

Amber got back to her library and let out a huge sigh of relief. "That went way better than I hoped." She trotted inside, heading over to the third floor. "Misty? Are you up here?"

Misty poked her head out of a room, rubbing sleepily at one eye. "Oh, hey Amber." She looked in that way. "Where were you?" She shook herself out as she emerged. "Watching a library is a lot harder than you make it look, sheesh! You are amazing, Amber."

Amber blushed hard, leaning on Misty. "I was just talking to the mayor. I thought she'd have some problems with what I've been doing with the library. But, as it turns out, she's mostly happy. Just no more sudden extra floors."

"She doesn't like them?" But that wasn't Misty. Comforting was there, as if she had been part of the conversation the whole time. "I really think we're putting this space to good use."

Amber jumped and squeaked at Comforting's presence, but calmed almost instantly. "Oh, sorry. Yes, the mayor likes that it's being used for good purposes." She scratched under her chin. "But she wants us to tell and ask her before we go adding to the library, upwards or sideways." She realized her error an instant later. "Or downwards! In any direction, real or imagined. She is the mayor, we should tell her before we do that."

"I think I understand." Misty nodded, closing her eyes. "We need to not do unexpected things without the permission of the mayor. That's what I got out of it." She put a hoof over Amber's shoulders. "Well, I don't plan on doing anything like that." She looked to Comforting. "You'll ask first, right?"

Comforting pouted a little. "I'm lucky I got away with what I did, but fine! She really should allow just a little chaos into her city planning." She huffed a little before joining in with the hug. "I will ask. I promise."

Amber breathed a sigh of relief, glad that was settled. "That's good, I don't want either of you in trouble." She stepped back, looking thoughtful a moment before her mind caught up. "Oh! I don't think I told you." She pointed to Misty, then herself. "We're special someponies now."

Comforting clapped, cheered, called, and jumped, several copies of her appearing to get it all done in the same moment. "Congratualations," all of the copies got out at the same time before they melded back into one Comforting. "How delightful!"

Misty nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I'm really excited. It's a lot of work, but really rewarding." Her smile grew a little wider, and she leaned on Amber. "Also, like, half the reason we got that was because of what we're doing here." She pricked her ears at Comforting. "I meant to ask, and you don't have to, but do you, um, have a special somepony, or creature?"

Comforting put a hand to her chin. "Well, I am married, to start. That's a step past special somepony, which he still he." She sighed with a smile. "Delightful little thing he is. But I have a special sometree on the side." Both ponies looked confused at that. "What? Didn't I mention that before?"

Amber shook her head. "You did not. But now you have to."

Misty bobbed her head quickly. "Yeah, tell us about her! What's she like?"

Comforting rubbed the back of her head with an uncertain chuckle. "Well, she's, um, a tree. Also I never said she was a she! Bold of you to assume. A tree can be a guy too."

Misty laughed awkwardly, turning her eyes to about anything else. "Just a lucky guess. But, um, so what is she like? Can you have a 'special tree' and also be married? Does Toots know?"

Comforting giggled, waving Misty to calm. "Yes, I have permission. I adore him, and he adores me, but neither of us have quite the same feelings for trees. Besides, this is a special tree. They've always been a tree, for as long as I've been this." She waved over her curious form. "Which is a long time. She watches quietly over all ponies, trying to help them grow and be happy. But she is a tree. She tried not being a tree for a while, but she went back to tree."

She frowned at that memory. "We were an actual pair, when she walked around sometimes. But, that wasn't for her, and I can't tell somecreature what they are more than they can. She is a tree, and if I can't accept that, well, maybe I'm not as good a friend as I claimed to be." She spread her arms out. "So I love her, but I love her more like a tree. Get me?"

Misty nodded slowly, taking that in. "I think so. I'm sure I'd want a tree to do whatever would make it happy, even if that meant staying rooted."

Amber pressed a hoof to her cheek. "Comforting, you have quite the past. Thank you for sharing a little of it with us. Um, do you still talk with them? The tree that is. Can you talk with a tree?"

Comforting beamed. "Sure! It just takes time, patience, and the will to not move around all day." She rubbed the back of her head, looking sheepish. "I'm joking around. She may not move, but she's surprisingly fast at sending texts. Thanks to that, I can send, and get back, messages with her." She fished out her phone to display it to both of them, moving to let a pony walk past.

The phone had a root icon, and when Comforting opened the recent messages, she was presented with the last one, which contained one word: Hello.

"Really talkative." Comforting smiled fondly down at the screen. She swiped downwards, showing a lot of other messages, but all too quickly to read. She stuffed it away without revealing what else had been said one way or the other. "She takes her job seriously, but so do I! I have half an eye on a little bit of growing chaos you have in the city."

Both ponies looked surprised. Amber asked the question on both their minds. "What do you mean? Do you think something's wrong? Can you tell us?"

Comforting paused, tapping her chin. "I don't think it's something that'll hurt anypony. But they need to find their way, and they aren't one to give up easily. I wish them luck, and hope they don't mess up a few things along the way. I think they can be better, but that's going to take time. I'm watching and waiting."

Amber and Misty shared a look of confusion. "I have no idea what that means." Amber shook her head. "But I trust that you're doing your job. What exactly is your job, aside from helping me run the library."

"That was always a side gig." Comforting tapped Amber on the snoot. "I'm a chaos spirit. But I like to think of myself as positive change. I'm watching a creature grapple with change. It's hard, frustrating sometimes. But, still rooting for her. I leave a few clues where she can find them, but it's only her own will that will carry her forward, or not. If I do it for her, well, that's not really growth, now is it?"

Amber scowled slightly. "That's a bit unfair, I think."

"Not everyone needs the sort of help you give. Sometimes, a little chaos is the only push needed." Comforting grinned, patting Amber on the back. She looked to Misty. "You went quiet."

Misty squeaked. "Well, um." She fidgeted in place. "It's just, well. Sunny works with the power of harmony and friendship. How does chaos work with, um, that?"

"Oh!" Comforting chuckled softly at that. "Life isn't just about harmony. Change is scary, but with the right kind of help, you can make the change into a good thing. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to get someone thinking about something differently." She tapped her fingers together. "Think of Sunny! She was quite the force of chaos when she went out determined to get all the ponies back together. What change! What disorder that introduced. I'm fairly sure that's part of what woke me up."

The two stared, a bit slack-jawed, at the idea. "Sunny, chaos?" They looked at one another, then back to Comforting.

"Well, that was certainly a new and different idea." Comforting nodded with confidence. "And things became quite chaotic around here before they eventually settled. That little spike was enough of a prod to get me moving, and so I met you, Amber. You know how that story ended up. Harmony isn't always order. Things grow. Things change. That's how you know they're alive."

Misty nodded slowly. "So change is a good thing, and you help change happen?"

"I like to think that change is a vital part of life." Comforting gave Misty a wink. "But, yes. I think you get it. Change can be bad, but it can also be a doorway to whole new possibilities of goodness too. Part of it is how you take it and react to it."

"Head Librarian, ma'am?" Another pony, a stallion, trotted up. "I need your help, please."

Amber nodded. "Of course." She went right back to her duties, leaving Comforting to her chaotic ways.

Author's Note

Comforting is watching this whole Allura thing. What pieces did she nudge into place?

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104 - New Friends, Old Problems

Sunny trotted towards the ice rink with a hopeful smile on her muzzle, Zipp following behind. "I hope she's been getting along. I don't want her to feel like we're spying on her. We're not, but—"

"But she's literally an evil mind-controlling kitty." Zipp smirked as she followed along. "I think checking in on things isn't all that strange. If they're all having a good time, we're not here to mess things up."

Zipp fell in a step beside Sunny. "I bet she'll be here, looking annoyed that we even showed up."

"Maybe." Sunny gave a light shrug. "Maybe she'll be having the time of her life." She waved over the rink and up at the sun. "Or, maybe, she'll be home sleeping considering it's the middle of the day."

Zipp snickered. "You know, I hadn't even thought about that." She gave a light shrug. "I hope she's here, just so we can see how she's fitting in."

They both arrived at the rink. Other ponies were coming and going with smiles on their faces and a pep in their steps. Sunny nodded at the traffic. "Well, that's a good sign."

They went inside to see ponies playing a game of hockey out on the ice. One team appeared to be unicorns in white, and the opposing team was a mixed group of pegasi and earth ponies. "Hm." Sunny nodded at the play, but her eyes went to the front desk. "Let's ask the ponies that work here."

They headed over to find a single pegasus working at the counter. He gave them both a wave. "Hey. Are you here for hockey practice, or do you wanna book the ice for a private event?"

Sunny raised a hoof to her chin. "You can rent the whole thing? Neat, but I actually wanted to ask how Allura is doing. She a big, um, help, or she still adjusting to things?"

"Ah." His ears pricked up, wings spreading. "You came to check on her, huh? I thought some ponies might. I'm glad! I know she looks scary, but she's a real sweetheart."

He waved to a wall where Employee of the Month awards were. Though most had gone to a middle aged earth pony, they started being awarded to Allura for the past two months. "See? She's keeping all the machines really humming. We haven't had to have a single day of downtime since she joined the crew."

Sunny and Zipp looked surprised at that, glancing among themselves. "She's really been doing such a good job?" Sunny tilted her head with clear amazement on her face. "I mean, that's great! I just, wow."

Zipp went in closer. "She's huge! Nothing against her, but how does she even reach all the little parts and stuff?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "I dunno. She gets the job done." He shrugged. "I mean, you'd have to ask her." With that he jerked a hoof towards a hallway that led further in. "Oh! She has an assistant." He held up two hooves close. "Twitch? They say he's a creature, but I can't understand him."

"We know them." Sunny smiled and nodded. "Actually, I think I'll take you up on the invitation. We'll go talk to her."

"Alright, if there's trouble, give us a call!" The pegasus waved a wing at the two as they wandered off.

They found Allura easily, but she wasn't scheming, or sleeping. She was reading some thick book. "Now found the small red lever." Some gibbers echoed to her in the wall. "Grab it and turn it clockwise until it clicks."

More chirping. "Yes, yes! I hear it too. It is working again, good. We have fixed another machine today, Twitch." The bunny gave a happy squeal, then emerged from under a panel. Twitch saw Sunny and Zipp there with their surprised expressions. He pointed them both out with new noises as he rapidly took his place atop Allura.

Allura turned her head, the rest of her sitting down. "Oh, you two. What did you want?"

Sunny trotted forward a few steps. "Just seeing how you've been doing."

"I see. And if I was doing poorly, would you kick me out of this city?" Her tone was more tired than accusing, but she didn't give them space to answer before continuing. "I do not wish to leave, or to be thrown out. This is a good city."

Zipp flew up to the large kitty. "That's awesome! I hear you're doing great." She pointed down at the book Allura had just been reading. "That the manual for this thing? I'm impressed." She twirled in the air to face the vast apparatus that kept things cool. "Awesome. Wow, that thing is huge, and you keep it going? Alone? Or with Twitch."

Allura chuckled softly. "You have not changed, young pony. Curious, and a little wild, but you mean well." She stood and stretched. "Twitch and I are doing fine, I believe. He is my assistant, reaching where my size works against me." Twitch made a sound that was perhaps agreeing. "He can get to parts even a pony would struggle to reach. Together, we get this job done rather well." There was pride in her words, and a low purr of satisfaction.

"That's great!" Sunny put her front hooves together, beaming at Allura and Twitch. "So, are you enjoying yourself here? Not causing any problems for other ponies?"

Allura gave a little huff at that. "Who has time to mess with the ponies here when I'm keeping this thing where it needs to be? I'm not paid to 'cause problems'." She rolled her eyes at that. "I can do that when I'm off the clock, Sunny."

Sunny laughed awkwardly at that. "That makes sense." She was quiet a moment. "Are you doing that off clock then?"

"That was a joke." Allura poked Sunny gently. "This job will not get me home, but it has improved my, mm, comforts. I can afford some things. I don't feel like I'm just surviving at the edge of the city." She flopped in place. "It's not a bad feeling."

"Well, I'm happy for you." Zipp smiled and nodded. "Come on, Sunny. I don't think she needs us breathing down her neck."

"Sorry, sorry. It's good to know you're doing well." Sunny reached out, brushing one of Allura's legs with a hoof. "If we can help, just let us know. You still have my number, right?"

"I do." Allura nodded her head. "I will call you, if I need you." She smiled at Sunny. "Thank you, for giving me a chance. Forgive me if I don't believe I deserve it."

Sunny was ready to head back but hesitated at Allura's words. "Of course you deserve it."

Zipp spread her hooves, hovering as she was. "Sure, you may have caused some trouble in the past."

"But that doesn't define who you are." Sunny lightly tapped the ground, echoing off the tiles. "We all make mistakes. I, at least, am delighted that you're finding a place. We'll get you home, I promise."

Allura looked away for a moment. "Thank you, but I cannot trust that promise."

Sunny nodded at that. "That's fair. You can trust we're trying." She tapped her chin. "Actually, there's somecreature we haven't really pressed that may have a clue or two."

Allura perked an ear at that. "Really? Who?"

"Comforting. She was a spirit of chaos, and that meant she could observe the world in a way that other ponies just couldn't. Maybe she knew something." Sunny nodded with confidence. "If we can get her to talk. She can be secretive about some things."

Zipp flew over in front of Allura. "Can't hurt to ask. We'll go give her a prod and let you know how it turns out, alright?"

"Please do." Allura gave a slow nod, ears up. "Thank you." She rose up, looking down at the both of them. "I won't forget this kindness." She fell quiet, struggling for words. "I won't forget you silly things, if I get home."

"Good to hear." Sunny beamed. "We'll be back to check in. You keep on being that employee of the month!"

The two headed out, looking pleased with how things went.

***

"Why would I tell you that?" Comforting was organizing the books on the second floor, making them fly about as she directed the orchestra of literature with waves of her fingers. "That'd be giving away the whole game!"

Sunny frowned. "We're not talking about a game here, Comforting! I'm worried about her. She deserves to go home. Can't you see that?" She looked around the room, watching the books fly to new shelves. "Can't you give a hint at least? Point us in the right direction?"

Comforting stopped moving books to rub her chin thoughtfully, eyes wandering to the side. "I'm a chaos spirit. We thrive on change. I can't help you bring things back to the way they were." She wriggled a bit in place, tail lashing. "On the other hand, she's been away for so long, maybe going back would count as a change at this point." She mumbled softly, thoughts of how that would play out. "Could be interesting."

Sunny frowned. "Comforting, please. She misses her home."

Comforting stopped, books around her suddenly falling to the ground. "Fine! Fine." She gestured sharply at the air, and a book slipped off a shelf into her hand. "She wasn't always cold." She clapped her hands together. "She used to be quite warm, but brave, too brave. Given the chance to see where a portal led, she took it."

"Can you tell us how to make a portal, then?" Sunny asked hopefully.

Comforting shook her head. "I don't know the first thing. It sounds fun, though. I'd like to go through a portal." She snickered softly. "Just kidding. Making portals isn't all that hard when you get the hang of it. But you aren't a chaos spirit." She poked Sunny on her snout, making it wrinkle. "You ran away with something that made portals once, didn't you?"

Sunny's eyes went wide. "Yes, I did! When we were with the auoracorns. But it..." She trailed off, pacing in circles. "It, oh." She brought a hoof to her chin, eyes sparkling. "Comforting! Thank you!" She hugged the large creature. "I know where to look!"

Comforting chuckled lowly, patting Sunny on the back. "You're welcome, you adorable little thing." She pushed Sunny back and away, looking her over. "You know what to do now?"

"I hope so, but at least you've pointed me in the right direction. Thank you." She dipped her head and fled away, breaking the no running rule of the library in the process. Not that Comforting had the heart to bring that up in the heat of the moment.

***

It was a good day for a creature to look for crystals in the boardtrot. For once, it wasn't Allura. Sunny flew around on her temporary alicorn wings, inspecting the place critically. "This is going to be difficult."

Zipp lowered aside her, matching her speed. "What will be?"

"I think the crystals that power this place may be the same ones that could get Allura back home!" Sunny waved at the boardtrot. "But I don't want to take everypony's fun away!"

Zipp smirked. "You don't want to steal a bunch of crystals, you mean?" She chuckled at Sunny's blush and slight frown. "Hey, hey, just a joke. Look, if we get it all together and send Allura home, can't we put it back in the boardtrot afterwards?"

"I'm not sure." Sunny rubbed her chin, frowning down at the park. "It's not easy to get these things. Can we even get enough for Allura to go home? Can we be sure they're coming back?"

Zipp shrugged with an unsure noise. "The crystals didn't stop being there the last time we used them. One of us can open the portal and hold it as she goes on through. Everypony wins!"

Sunny considered that a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Let's try it. We'll have to gather a lot of crystals." She sighed softly. "Ponies are gonna miss the boardtrot."

Zipp moved in, bumping Sunny lightly. "They'll miss it, sure, but we'll have good news when we put it back together. It'll just be a little bit, then we'll be back open for business."

Sunny chuckled, smiling at Zipp. "Thanks for having my back."

They flew down towards the nearest booth. A game where the goal was to land a small disc in holes along the sides of the wall. "Let's get gathering."

Zipp saluted. "You got it. I'll get the ones in the air. You get the ones on the ground."

Sunny nodded, and Zipp kicked off the floor. With speed that could have won her races, Zipp began to gather all the crystals she could find and set them aside. Sunny trotted about, picking up crystals and putting them into her saddlebag. The hunt was on to gather those crystals.

Author's Note

The mane ponies get in on the act, and they don't need to be sneaky about it.

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105 - Crystal Chronicle

Hitch staggered into the Brighthouse with wide eyes. "Emergency! Calling all ponies! Emergency!"

The others looked alarmed by the frantic nature of his entrance. Sunny rose, trotting forward. "What's wrong? Did something happen to the town?"

"No! Worse!" Hitch gasped, waving his hoof. "The boardtrot, it's gone! Most of it anyway. Ponies are confused and angry. All the rides look like they've been abandoned for moons!"

"What?" Zipp took flight, hovering. "That shouldn't be possible." She turned to Sunny. "Do you have any idea what could have caused this?"

Sunny laughed awkwardly as she walked towards a bin. "Well. We have been collecting these." She threw the bin open, the room glittering brightly with the collection of crystals they had found in pieces large and small. "If the Boardtrot's gone dead, that's probably why."

Hitch gaped at the sheer amount of crystals in that bin. "Sunny! You can't just steal crystals out of a whole amusement park!" He gestured at the bin.

"It's for a good cause, letting Allura get home again. We can put them back afterwards." She took a soft breath. "Izzy! We need unicycling power!"

Izzy was there in moments, a blur of movement. "Izzy unicycles are the best! If you need me to balance, I'm your mare!" She gave a salute, then burst into giggles. "But you probably don't mean it that way. What's up, Sunny?"

Sunny waved at the bin. "We have a lot of crystals. Time to put them together. No glue, no extra parts. Just figuring out what crystals fit in to what other crystals."

Izzy looked at the bin, then into Sunny's eyes. "There's so many, though."

"That's why we're all helping." With that, she went to the bin and dragged it closer to the center of the room. "Let's figure out the big pieces first and we can work down from there. We're all in this together, everypony! The future of the Boardtrot is on the line."

Zipp landed nearby, rubbing her head. "Why don't I go keep an eye on what's going on? Try to calm everypony down."

Hitch saluted at that. "Good idea! I'll help. They need to know the law is on their side." He marched alongside her, eyes clear with determination.

***

"You can't fly, you can't run, and there's nowhere to hide." Allura crouched low to the ground. "You know what happens now."

Twitch squeaked fearfully and hid behind a cardboard cutout of Sunny Starscout, holding his ears.

Allura swatted the cutout aside and pounced her rabbit companion. "Now where did you hide that remote, blasted creature?!"

He tried to hop away, but it was futile. Allura had him pinned beneath a massive paw, batting at him gently. She chuckled darkly, patting along his sides.

Twitch squealed with laughter, unable to suppress the sound. Writhing with the agony of the tickles, he relented. The remote clattered to the floor beside him.

"Finally!" Allura scooped up the remote, turning to the television screen. "Now I'm going to watch the news!"

On the screen, a unicorn with a deep pink coat was speaking, "With the word of the Board Trot being closed, ponies are reporting being very upset." She held out a microphone to a pony passing by.

"I'm very upset!" The pony tossed his head up and stormed on by.

"The local sheriff reports that this is a temporary situation." She turned to where Hitch and Zipp were trying to calm ponies down.

"We just have to put this crystal together, then we'll get things back up and going." Hitch nodded firmly. "Stay calm, everypony. The fun will be back, we promise!"

Zipp spread her wings. "If you have any concerns, please direct them to me."

The screen changed to show what seemed to be a reporter in the park. "So much of it has changed."

Allura suddenly sat upright, eyes widening. "Wait a minute. Is that...?" She stalked towards the television, glaring at it. "They have my crystal! They sent me to get that job so they could get it themselves!"

Twitch squeaked with alarm. "Grr." Allura turned to Twitch. "No. I'm not mad. I just want to know what they're doing." She frowned, rubbing her chin. She took a calming breath. "Ponies aren't very clever things. Maybe they think the crystals will give them candy if they rub them right or something." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "Please."

She turned for the exit, not responding to Twitch quickly leaping on her. "Let's go pay them a visit. I think this rates as worth interrupting our day off, hm?"

"Grr?" Twitch nodded quickly, hanging on tight. "Grr."

"Excellent." She made her way towards the door. "If they're putting it all together, they are saving me time. I wasn't looking forward to figuring that out on my own anyway." She emerged into the bright light, frowning at the warmth it provided. "Ugh. Let's be quick about this."

They made their way towards the Brighthouse. The crowds of ponies had already parted and it was late in the afternoon. They got to the front door without trouble, but it was locked.

Allura grumbled, leaning down to squint at the doorknob. Twitch yammered something behind her. "Knock? Well, hm, worth a try." She struck the door twice in firm pats. "Any of you in there? Open this."

There was a sound of hooves clopping, and then the door opened. Izzy stood there, smiling. "Oh, hey! Allura! Welcome." She stepped back, making room. "We were working on your project!"

Allura stepped in with a raised brow. "My project? I mean, of course, yes." Her confusion was barely hidden. "How proceeds, hm, my project?" She stepped over many little bits of crystals towards what seemed to be a forming central mass of them.

Sunny waved at the crystals. "We're getting pretty close, but I'm not sure how to get these last few bits together." She turned to Allura. "I know you said you didn't know, but do you think you could give us a hint?"

Allura frowned a little. "Why?" The ponies looked at her with confusion. "Why are you putting them together?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Izzy gestured over them. "To send you home, of course."

Allura felt her heart constrict painfully. She grabbed the top of a chair, struggling with herself. "I'm your enemy!"

Sunny set a hoof on Allura's hind leg. "You were, but now you're a friend, and friends help friends. You want to get home, and I think this will help you do that."

Allura wiped a tear from her cheek, sniffing softly. "You really are too good, little pony."

Sunny laughed a little. "So are you. You deserve better than hiding at the edge of society." She put her hooves on her own sides. "Though you've been doing less of that! I hear you're quite appreciated at your job. I bet you'll get employee of the month again if you're still around."

"I'm still around." Allura turned to look the crystals over, then began to push bits into place. "But only with these." She held out her paws. "Bring it here, Twitch, before it falls apart."

Twitch hopped down and started slotting small crystals into each other, speaking something indecipherably as he did so. He sounded excited, working with quick snatches and placements of his furry hands.

Allura nodded, giving the ball a nudge once he was done. But it did nothing, just sitting there, looking mostly like the crystal that had brought her to Maretime Bay. "It's not working."

Twitch called to her, making gestured about burying something and pointing away.

Allura put a paw over her face. "Right. I did locate one of the shards, a good sized one. You cannot complete this without that." She sighed deeply. "I buried it in my cave."

Sunny put a hoof on her, looking up into the larger feline's eyes. "We can go get it. It'll be okay."

Allura looked to the side. "It's my cave. I can get it on my own." She was quiet a moment. "Thank you, for the offer." She stood up, Twitch back in his place. "I don't understand entirely why you're doing this, but thanks. I'll be right back."

Allura trotted out of the Brighthouse, turning to head down towards the beach below.

Sunny smiled at where they'd gone. "I'm already feeling good about this."

Pipp directed her phone at the almost completed crystal, snapping a few shots. "We can do a good deed and get the ponies their fun spot back?" She flipped the phone in a circle, keeping it in her hooves. "Win win!"

***

The trip along the beach was pleasant, but short. The cool winds and lapping water calmed Allura's heart, which was still beating fast in her chest. "We are so close." She reached up to give Twitch a pat. "Closer than we've ever been before."

Twitch squeaked happily.

They got down into their cave, finding it empty, but intact. "Good, good." Allura trotted inside to the area where she had kept the piece. Digging through the straw and ice, she worked towards it. "I knew those ponies would help. I just figured I'd have to be more forceful about it." She pulled out the piece, setting it in front of her. "I knew I could count on them. I suppose, hm, perhaps they could count on me." She smiled at the idea.

Twitch said something quietly.

"Yes, I suppose so." She turned for the exit. "Maybe I will miss the wretched things. They are sweet, but foolish." She sighed softly. "But, no, I cannot stay here." She took a few steps, then came to a halt. "He's waited so many years, and so have I."

She padded out into the sunlight and the wind. She basked for a moment in the feeling.

Twitch made a nervous noise, gesturing around at the beach.

Her eyes widened and a shiver passed over her frame. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late." She gave Twitch a pat. "It'll be fine. I just have to get to the Brighthouse."

They made quick time, bursting through the door to find some surprised ponies and the crystal just sitting there, forgotten for the time. She shut the door behind her and moved forward. "It's okay, I'm back."

Sunny nodded. "We're ready to go, if you are. You can go home!"

Allura smiled slightly. "If this works, which it better." She produced that last bit of the crystal. I, hm." She found her words failing her. "You didn't have to help me. I didn't bend your minds, or even shout at you."

Zipp rolled her eyes. "Kitty, you'll get more help if you don't do either of those things. Besides, we want to help you. You have family, and friends, and a world waiting for you, right?" She gestured at the crystal. "So let's send you home."

Allura looked down at the crystal. "Right. Of course."

Twitch squeaked quietly, patting Allura on the head.

Allura laughed at that. "What? You can come with me, you insufferable rabbit. I'll introduce you to him, and my family. You'll get along, or I'll eat you, either way."

Twitch made a worried noise with squinted eyes, looking for exits.

"I'm joking." Allura gently stroked her small friend. "You'd probably give me indigestion anyway."

Sunny cleared her throat, gesturing at the crystal. "Are you going to, um?"

"Right." Allura set the last bit of crystal into the rest of it. "Come on, now."

That final crystal slid smoothly into place, the whole thing glittering with ancient magic. Allura grabbed it with a laugh. "Finally, I have it! Now, um." She looked to the gathered ponies. "You really won't try to stop me?" Her question was genuine.

They all shook their heads.

"Well, I don't know why. I certainly would try to stop me." She sighed softly, looking over the gathered ponies with a smile of relief. "You ponies are hard to grasp." She reached out, placing a paw atop Pipp's head. "And yet, easy to grasp." She closed her fingers around Pipp's head, stroking her fur with their claws. "Silly things."

Pipp swatted the paw away with a pout. "Ask before you get to petting." Not that this stopped her from snapping a shot of the finished crystal and Allura both. "Now go ahead! You've waited long enough for this big homecoming! This is all you, queen!"

Allura laughed at that, but it was a warm sound, rather than her usual derision. "We shall see, I suppose." She looked at the crystal. "Open up!" It did nothing. "Oh, right." She focused on a mental image of her long lost home. "There, a portal to there."

Author's Note

Is it happy ending™️ time?

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106 - Returning Home

Before their expecting eyes, a portal stretched open. A glowing pool of purple that slowly churned. Allura beamed at it, then reached into a bag around her neck and pulled out two tickets, handing them over. "They gave them to me, to watch an event at the rink. You'll have more use for it than I will."

She wriggled her back end as if preparing to pounce, but she was the one pounced as something burst from the portal and tackled her to the ground. "Oof!" It was about the size of herself, and also a feline, with purple fur, darker purple spots, and fiery colors highlighting the ends of his wings and tip of his mane. "Get off me!"

"No." Alterro settled right on Allura. "Last time I let you get out of my sight, you were gone for moons."

Allura tried to push him off but failed, sighing in resignation. "Alright, fine, you win." She glared over him to the gaping ponies. "It's, um, good to see you again." She forced a smile. "But must you make a scene in front of all of them?" She could hear Twitch snickering at her predicament. "Traitor."

Alterro raised a paw to wave at them, but didn't move from atop Allura. "Hello! Nice to meet you." He grinned at them. "What's your opinion of Allura?"

Sunny advanced, if confused. "She's a nice creature, and I hope you are too? I'm Sunny, and these are my friends." She took the time to introduce them all, pointing at each with a name. "Izzy, Zipp, Pipp, Hitch, and Misty."

Alterro nodded to each. "It's good to meet you all." He finally climbed off of Allura, but he kept a wing over her. "So you know Allura?" He looked hopeful, like he was ready to hear the most fascinating story ever.

The portal casually closed itself with a swooshing sound, simply gone.

Pipp flew in closer. "Woah, check you out." She snapped a picture of Alterro. "For a feline, pretty handsome. Now, not to burst any bubbles or anything, but you just came a long way. Was that on purpose?"

Alterro frowned. "No? I mean, yes? I mean... sort of." He shook himself out, wings stretching wide. "The last time I saw a portal like that, Allura and I were much smaller, and I let her hop in without me. I, um, figured if I jumped in this one, maybe it'd bring me to her, and I could apologize for being an idiot."

Allura glanced away. "No. I mean, you're not an idiot. I was for jumping before I looked." She poked Alterro with a paw. "Which you just did! I was about to go home, you idiot! You're stuck here, with me."

Alterro shrugged lightly. "That doesn't seem too bad. We could explore this place together."

Zipp rose an eyebrow, flying up to him. "Hey, handsome, what are we talking about here? You're going to move into Maretime Bay, just like that? Not even a little upset?"

He looked down at Zipp with a shrug. "Why should I be? Ponies are cute, and this place seems beautiful." He turned to look Allura in the eye. "I've waited years for you. I never forgot you, you know. I was sure, eventually, we'd find each other again."

Allura trembled as she sank to the ground. "Miserable idiot." She flopped to the side. "I missed you so much. You were looking for me? All this time? Why?"

He tilted his head. "What do you mean why?" He padded over, laying next to her, foreheads touching. "We were siblings, weren't we?" He pawed at her, claws running through her thick fur, clearly to no harm to her. "Is it odd to miss your sister after she vanishes like that? I was wo worried something bad happened to you."

Allura snorted. "Bad did happen, but I survived it. Twitch here helped me." She reached over to pat her rabbit friend, who smiled with excitement. "He was so helpful."

Sunny watched the siblings with a smile. "I think this calls for a celebration."

Izzy danced excitedly in place. "Ooo, we just doubled the big kitty population and I'm here for it!" She spread her arms wide. "Welcome to Equestria, Alterro! We're gonna throw you the best coming soon party! I can teach you games and crafts! Do you have crafts where you're from?"

Alterro laughed gently at Izzy's words. "We do. I was never, um, that good at it, but I know what they are." He sat up next to Allura. "You have such interesting friends, Sis."

She nodded softly. "I know. They're very sweet." She patted the ground. "But you have so much to tell me. Have mom and dad been worrying about me, or were they not minding too much? How about my friends?"

He rubbed the back of his head, blushing lightly. "Well, mom and dad have been worried, of course, and it's been a long time. I'll tell you everything." He threw an arm over her back. "Let's go talk."

As they wandered off together, Sunny pointed to the crystal. "Well, that did what we wanted it to. We should get it back to the boardtrot before we have a riot on our hooves." She laughed lightly.

Zipp nodded. "I'll go return it, then." She grabbed it up in her hooves and pulled at it with a grunt. "How do we get it back to little pieces again tho?" She tugged anew, but the crystal was pleased with its restored form.

Izzy laughed and flew over, patting the crystal with a hoof. It suddenly split into dozens of pieces of varied sizes, just like that. "There you go, a puzzle!"

Pipp swooped in, starting to gather them into her hooves. "Everypony grab some and let's get them tucked away all over the boardtrot like they were the first time."

The ponies gathered pieces and flew out together, making their way back towards the boardtrot.

In the corner of the room, Misty observed Allura and Twitch. Twitch had gone into another of his fits of mumbling gibberish. It looked like the rabbit was trying to explain something to Allura and Alterro, with only one of them easily understanding.

Fortunately, Alurra seemed to be translating for him, passing Twitch's comments and questions along to Alterro without hesitation.

***

A pair of large cats walk around Maretime Bay. They were talking about their pasts.

"So that's basically what's been going on." Allura finished. "Want to see where I've been working?"

"I would love that. A place where these ponies love it colder? What a nice sounding place." Alterro bumped into her from the side. "Lead on, and don't be afraid to point things out."

Allura rolled her eyes. "This isn't going to be a guided tour. I just know where a few things are." She gestured at the clock tower. "That's a big tower with a clock on top." She chuckled softly as she picked up speed. "When going to work or coming back, I usually don't sight see all that much."

He nodded. "Still, I want to hear about all of it." They walked along the boardwalk. "And if you don't mind me asking, how did you survive when you first arrived?"

Allura put a paw over her face. "Poorly. First, I went to a much chillier place. It was nice, in that way, but had far fewer ponies, and they were afraid of me." She glanced off. "Perhaps for some good reasons. Either way, it was alternatingly boring or fruitless as I tried to get them to get me home."

"Until?"

Allura chuckled softly, shaking herself out. "I made a mistake, and ended up here." She waved a paw around. "Where it's insufferably warm, but never entirely boring. The ponies here have, hm, accepted me. Which speaks poorly about them considering." She smirked at her caustic statement. "But they've grown on me. Their warmth is not like the sun. It's... nice."

Alterro poked her with a paw. "Do I hear a hint of fondness?"

She poked him back, lightly, making him sway. "Don't tease."

"I'm not. Oh! Is that it?" He could see the rink ahead of themselves, advertised with a big sign that didn't make it subtle. "Larger, but wider, not that tall." He moved his paws, taking the dimensions in his head. "It looks fun! What do you do in there?"

Allura chuckled lowly. "I, as it turns out, am an exper." She waggled her brows on the way in. "I keep their cool machine working."

Alterro shivered as the temperature plunged stepping inside. "Wow! That's a lot of cold air." His ears perked up. "Are you sure they're okay? Do they need a coat or something?" He looked over the ponies in concern, but they were laughing, happy and healthy."

Allura shook her head. "They come here for the cold, even if they are normally much warmer. I've learned not to ask such questions. If they get too cold, they can just leave."

"Hm, clever. Are there many places like this?" Alterro looked around with naked wonder at each and every thing he could find.

She shrugged. "There may be, I'm not certain." She scratched at a cheek. "First and only one I found. This way, let me show you the machine that keeps it cold. Twitch and I work together to keep it happy." She lifted him into her paws. "Come on, Twitch, time to get to work."

"Grr?" Twitch was mildly concerned, but he let himself be lifted. He said something indecipherable.

"Yes, yes, of course." She ruffled her rabbit companion as they went down into the hallway that housed the great machine. "There it is! Behold the magnificent cold making machine." She gestured at it grandly. "It hums so beautifully, and keeps the ponies happy. A wonderful arrangement, is it not?"

"It certainly looks like you enjoy it." Alterro sat on the cool tiles, eyes on the contraption. "And it keeps everything nice. It was getting a bit warm out there." He pointed back where they'd come from. "And the ponies pay you for this?"

"Yes. I'm paid money, which I use to buy things." Allura gestured at Twitch. "We both enjoy some, hm, creature comforts." She chuckled softly. "That's what ponies call anything that isn't a pony, but they may have a chat with, a creature. I used to hate the name, but it's grown on me."

Alterro nodded, watching her work. He got a few strange stares from ponies passing through the halls, but most seemed used to Allura and her companion. He, apparently, qualified as 'another one', so none of them panicked, just gazed curiously on their way past. "Well, I'll have to find a job of my own then. I can't do this, you're already doing it, Sis." He smiled warmly at her. "I can't wait to find out what I'm good at."

"You're good at a lot, Brother." She poked him in the shoulder, smirking. "You just need to get around and see what you like. Oh! Until you do, I'll take care of you, dummy. I won't let my brother starve on the street after running off to find me." She huffed gently. "Mother would never let me live that down."

Alterro laughed and nudged her. "Thanks, Sis." He took in a deep breath and let it go. "I want you to be proud of me, you know. You're amazing." He suddenly grabbed her cheeks. "You came to such a faraway place, but you made it work. I would have panicked! I would be panicking right now, actually, but you're here." He let her go to nuzzle instead. "I'm so proud of you."

Allura's eyes sparkled with emotion. She wiped a tear from her eyes and cleared her throat. "Of course." She turned away slightly, hiding a smile. "If you're done looking, I can show you our cave."

Author's Note

What, you thought I'd throw Allura off camera?!

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107 - Kittens in Paw

In the middle of the day, ponies of all types walk about a beach below the Maretime Bay city boardwalk. There was a group of ponies watching two large cats building a sandcastle together. The sandcastle, as befit the large cats, was larger than the ones most of the ponies had made. A few pegasi were delivering water, and the ponies were dragging in more sand to help them build it taller.

Sunny approached Allura and Alterro with Zipp flying above, the two landing by the big cats. "Wow!" She waved over the massive castle. "Look at you two go! I didn't expect to see a castle down here on the beach. What inspired you two?"

Allura laughed gently. "I believe we just went along with it." She glanced at her sibling. "It was his stupid idea."

"That you went along with." He swatted at her, prompting both to laugh as they wrestled. "You love me, admit it."

She shoved him into a mound of sand. "Oh, alright, fine, I do."

Alterro laughed. "See?"

Zipp chuckled at them both, then waved at the structure. "Still, pretty impressive. You going to claim it in the name of all cats?"

Allura rolled her eyes at that. "It's a sand castle. It will wash away, and that is all that's meant for it. Some things don't last." She put her paw down on Twitch before he could scurry past. "Unlike some friendships. But this is just a sandcastle. It was a way of having some fun."

Sunny looked to Allura. "That is, I'll admit, um." She shrank back with a nervous laugh. "I didn't expect you to say that." She looked to Alterro. "How's he settling in, by the way? I haven't had a chance to talk to him myself."

Allura gave Alterro a pat. "He's doing fine."

"Great, more like it." Alterro leaped over Allura easily, landing before Sunny with deceptive grace despite his size. "I'm stalking some jobs. It's the first time I ever had one before. It's kind of exciting, to be honest. I can't wait to start earning and helping my big sister."

Sunny clapped her hooves gently. "Good luck! If you want some references, I know some places. Oh! What are your talents? That'd help in the search."

Alterro blinked a few times, looking unsure. "Talents? Um... I don't know."

Zipp laughed. "That's a hard thing to answer, sometimes. It took a while for me to figure out mine." She did a flip in the air, wings flapping. "Turns out, not flying. Not that I don't love flying, but investigating, that's my thing!" She shrugged. "I don't have anything right now, but I'm keeping my eye out."

Sunny looked to Allura. "What about you? You seem to be great at fixing machines."

Allura made a sour face. "I taught myself." She pointed her paw at Twitch as he put up a flag on the castle. "He helped. Still, it was something we both decided to do, not because we were talented, but because we wanted to. Having a cool place to work felt worth it. Now, Alterro, I don't think you want that job, it's all mine."

Alterro nodded. "I know, I know, I wouldn't take your job even if you asked me." He looked around at all the ponies going about their lives, playing, walking, laughing. "You really found a home of ponies. They're so, oh." He sat with a goofy grin. "That's what I can do."

Allura looked curious, an ear tilting. "Hm? I'm not sure I get you."

Alterro gestured at the ponies. "They are all so friendly and fun. But they're small. They'd love a big, fast, ride." He spread his wings. "That can fly. Most of them can't do that. But I can. And you can. We can offer rides! I bet ponies would love that."

Zipp flew over and sat on his nose. "That'd be different, alright. You'd need to get into some permits with the sheriff, for safety concerns, but I bet she'd be all over it." She sat on Alterro's snout. "Also, you're a comfy seat."

He grinned, giving her a light push. "And I bet you could give me some tips. Come on, let's take a flight, and see if we can't work some things out."

The two took off without another word, leaving Allura shaking her head. "For all his hesitation in coming in the first place, he's hitting the ground running." She turned her eyes on Sunny with her piercing predator eyes. "Have you any siblings?"

Sunny rubbed the back of her head. "No, I don't." She smiled slightly. "But sometimes it feels like Hitch is my older brother, or maybe a cousin." Her smile grew larger. "I won't pretend to know exactly how you feel, but I imagine it must be great, to have him back. I know he's thrilled to be here with you."

Allura blushed, dipping her head low. "Well, of course. He should be." She cleared her throat. "Say, Sunny, um, it occurs to me we've never really had a chat, just the two of us." She rolled a paw. "Without either of us wanting something from the other. Not trying to be, hm, sappy, but thanks." She leaned in close. "For lending a paw."

Sunny laughed brightly. "My pleasure. So far, you've been a delight, and I bet that's not always the case."

Allura gave Sunny a shove, but she was laughing as she did so. That Sunny tumbled into the sand was only more reason to chuckle. "You've known me long enough to know being on my bad side can be, hm, trying at best."

Twitch took the highest point on the castle, calling out in triumph. He made the sounds of a crowd cheering.

Sunny laughed, brushing sand off herself. "And I'm betting Twitch knows a lot more than anyone else." She looked to him. "I know you speak a different language than we do, but I can't help but think you're talking."

Allura gave a half-hearted swat at him. "Trust me, he is. He talks a lot. Just because a lot of creatures don't understand it doesn't stop him. Hmmph, not sure I like the idea of my brother playing the part of a taxicab. But, if he likes it..." She trailed off, ears dropping back. "Then I guess that's his choice."

Sunny nodded. "You'll be here for him if he needs help." Stepping along the sand and offering a hoof, she smiled up at Allura with pricked ears. "And we'll be here, if you want any help. Just give us a shout. It's nice to have you as part of things, Allura."

Allura chuckled, gently thumping Sunny on the head. "I'm glad I've become part of this little city. I thought it was insufferably hot at first, but there's more here than meets the eye." She narrowed her eyes. "Still too hot." Twitch gave a cry of agreement. "See?" She rose to her paws, Twitch hopping atop her. "Have a pleasant evening, Sunny. I intend to enjoy mine."

Allura wandered off towards the boardtrot, leaving Sunny shaking her head. "She's so different from when we met. I hope that she keeps growing as a person."

***

Comforting whistled as she circled the magic practice floor. There were no ponies, save one or two peeking at the few books up there. It was mostly her by herself, which was fine by her. She didn't need anypony asking questions as she took a turn into a wall and casually passed through it.

The room on the other side was a secret one. It was a storage room, but the contents were mostly empty except some old books, scrolls, and a few strange artifacts. Comforting's ears perked up in excitement. "It's going so excitingly." She clapped her hands gently as she danced around the books and blew the dust off a scroll, which carried the dust away in so much nothing. "Oops."

A few moments later, a unicorn appeared. She had a purple mane, along with purple eyes. Her coat was light grey, almost white in the right light. She wore a black cloak and a hat with stars on them. "Comforting, is it my turn?"

Comforting grabbed the new unicorn by her cheeks. "Almost! Almost. They're learning magic and they're doing it so well. I want them to be the ones that do it though. If we just hurry the old stuff back into their hooves, well." She grinned impishly. "It wouldn't mean the same thing."

"Comforting." The unicorn said gently, removing the chaos spirit's arms. "You're very invested in this, aren't you?"

"Always." Comforting smooched the very end of the unicorn's snout. "I owe it, to the ponies I once knew, and the tree I still know. Also, this is exciting. Together, and me, spirit buddies on a plan? Too much. I feel like I could burst."

"Bursting would be very bad," the unicorn stated matter of factly. "Please don't burst." She looked at the door behind herself. "I suppose it's not time yet, to send me forth." She let out a soft sigh. "You let out a pegasus, and you led them to the griffons and the sea ponies and other things, but not time for unicorns?"

"Not time for this unicorn." Comforting tapped that mystery unicorn on the nose. "They have plenty already, and don't need spoilers on magic just yet. Let them spread their own wings, lift their horns, you know? I'm sure the horn-lifters will appreciate the surprises."

"I suppose they have been doing so well." The unicorn nodded. "So, I will continue to wait, until you call me." She sank to her haunches. "I can get excited too." She didn't sound it. "I want to talk to them and show them."

Comforting smiled. "And you'll be a huge help. They're all so young. So fresh." She clapped her hands together with a squeal of excitement. "And I'm so happy. This batch of ponies, you can see the smiles on their faces. They approach life with such zeal." She snapped her fingers. "You'll love them, if they don't bother you. I bet they'll think your accent is adorable. You do have a bit of one, you know."

"Do I?" The unicorn's ears perked up. "You never told me that before." She tested her voice, but proved quickly how little one could detect their own accents. "Is it a good one?"

"Oh, yes, very. It's the accent of a time long past, when things were different." Comforting put a hand under her chin. "I wonder how many surprises there will be. Oh! I know one big one, but I won't spoil that surprise. I want to see the look on your face, I'm sure you'll be excited. You're going to fit right in with them. I just know it."

"I trust you, Comforting." The unicorn turned back to her books. "Now, I need to finish this chapter before I go back."

"You remind me of her." Comforting gave one parting pat before she danced for the door. "Two good ponies." She vanished in a swirl of light.

Author's Note

Comforting has other plans and schemes for these new lovely pony friends of her's.

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1 - Hello, World

A unicorn with blue eyes, a golden mane, beige coat, a cutie mark of a stack of books, and wearing large silver-rimmed glasses walked into Maretime Bay. Being a little bit shy, she ignored all the earth ponies and walked up to the first unicorn that she saw. "Um, excuse me, but is there a library in town?"

Misty shyly tilted her head. "Oh gee, uh, I don't know? But I know ponies that would, follow me."

Amber started walking after Misty. "T.thank you. Oh, where are my manners, my name's Amber Skyray."

Misty walked towards the Brighthouse. "A.and mine's Misty Brightdawn." Misty glanced over her shoulder. "That's a nice name."

Amber smiled at that, hastening to her new friend's side. "As is yours. What's your favorite book?"

Misty tensed. "Uh, hm..." She frowned, thinking of the few tomes she'd seen laying about. "I'm not really sure..." She pointed to the brighthouse they had arrived at. "But I bet some of them would know."

Amber glanced up at the lighthouse-shaped house before them. "Oh my, this looks lovely!" She clopped up the steps, her glasses slipping down her muzzle.

Pushing the door open revealed a batch of ponies coming to see them. Hitch, the stallion, tipped the hat he wasn't wearing. "Howdy! Welcome! If you're with Misty, you must already be a friend." His dragon rider squealed with joy at the meeting.

"Don't mind him." Izzy bounced forward, eyes wandering over Amber curiously. "He doesn't know how special it is to have a new uni-buddy!" She whirled on Misty. "You didn't mention you knew another uni-buddy!"

"Uni-buddy?" Misty angled her head towards Amber. "This is Amber Skyray. She's looking for a library. She, um, seems nice?"

Sunny stepped to the fore. "Welcome! This isn't a library, I admit... But there's nothing wrong with a good book. Hello, I'm Sunny Starscout." She began listing the names of the others, pointing as she went. "Nice to meet you."

Amber blinked in surprise at the enthusiastic welcome. "Oh my! It's wonderful to meet you all." She dipped her head politely.

"I'm so sorry to intrude - I was just following Misty, hoping to find a library here in town." She glanced around. "This home looks so cozy. Thank you for allowing me inside!"

Her gaze landed back on the exuberant unicorn. "And uni-buddy does have a nice ring to it! I haven't met many other unicorns since arriving in Maretime Bay."

Amber tucked a hoof self-consciously. "I'm traveling and researching myths and legends across Equestria. Your town looked so charming from afar that I simply had to visit."

She turned her earnest blue eyes back to Misty. "You have a lovely community here. Perhaps we could find a cafe to chat in? I'd love to hear any local tales you have to share!"

Misty shook her head. "She's being nice. She really wants a library."

Izzy nodded in sage agreement. "Mmmhmm. She's another unicorn thinking she has to change herself to fit in." She put a hoof on Amber's shoulder. "You're welcome just the way you are! Also, nice glasses." She grabbed Amber's face between her hooves, adjusting those glasses. "So chic!"

"You wouldn't know chic if it bit you, Izzy." Pipp bumped Izzy aside with a chuckle. "Really. Welcome! I do love the glasses. Silver? Very stylish. Are they ornamental or do you need them?"

Amber blushed, embarrassed by the sudden attention but also touched by the group's friendliness.

"Oh, no need to change a bit!" she reassured Izzy. "I'm quite content being my bookish self." She nudged her slipping glasses back up with a hoof.

"And I do need them to read, I'm afraid. Everything is just a blur without them." She went cross-eyed for effect behind the large lenses.

"A cafe sounds absolutely lovely," Amber added, turning back to Misty with a grateful smile. "And I would be delighted to hear any stories or legends from all of you!"

She paused, glancing around the room and taking in the eclectic decor and furnishings.

"I must say...this home seems to have great character. Have there been any curious happenings or supernatural sightings here in town or near this lighthouse? It looks like the perfect setting for a ghostly tale or two!"

Sunny looked ready to deny that, but... "Maybe once or twice," she admitted, deflating. "I really should get back to my stand though."

"The salon won't run itself." Pipp launched into the air. "Be fabulous!" And she was gone.

So soon, most of the ponies had scattered, leaving just Izzy behind. "They're like that." She thumped against her new uni-buddy. "Let's go get a snack!" She joyfully led the way away from the brighthouse. "You're from Bridlewood, right?"

"Sure am." Amber fell in behind Izzy. "But they were never big on... books, especailly a lot of them together... They have a lot of unkind terms for that."

"Spook nook?" Izzy bounced along. "Curse closet?!"

"And more," sighed out Amber. "I was hoping the earth ponies didn't share those ideas.

She perked up as Izzy led the way. "It's quite refreshing to meet such a friendly group here! So open-minded."

As they walked, Amber took in the charming seaside sights. "Your town has such a cheerful energy about it. And perhaps, in a port like this, even earth ponies have encountered enough travelers to overcome old prejudices?"

She stroked her chin thoughtfully with a hoof. "In my research, I have found seaside towns often have the richest stories...sailors do love to tell tall tales! Have you heard any mysterious accounts from ships coming and going from your docks?"

Amber's eyes sparkled with curiosity behind her glasses. "Things they dare not repeat back home, but share freely over drinks in a dockside tavern here? I'd love to collect those stories as part of my work documenting folk legends across pony kind’s many lands and tribes!"

Izzy suddenly thumped against Amber from the side. "If we don't find books, sounds like you could just write some yourself."

Amber colored at the thought. "Nopony would want to read a book I just... wrote for fun..."

"Pfft." Izzy bounced around Amber, somehow going forward despite that. "All books are written because a pony just decided to do it. The reasons, are many, but in the end, we have a book. Most ponies have no idea why a pony wrote it. They just get to read a fun book! Isn't that good enough?"

Amber pondered Izzy's words as they continued along the seaside path. Gulls cried overhead, sailing on ocean breezes that carried the scent of salt and seaweed.

"I suppose you have a point," she finally conceded, a small smile playing at her lips. "Many great works of literature did start out as simple stories, shared organically between friends. Who's to say some tavern tale couldn't inspire an entire saga!"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully with one hoof, glasses perched atop. "In fact, I met a mare back in Bridlewood who spun the most fantastical stories off the cuff - tales of perilous journeys, mystical lands and fierce creatures. Ponies would gather every night just to listen!"

Amber chuckled softly at the memory. "Perhaps she did take some creative liberties with the strict facts. But her vision so transported us, held us utterly spellbound! Nopony cared what was strictly true or invented. We simply delighted in the magic she wove with words."

Glancing sidelong at Izzy, Amber's grin widened. "Rather like now with you! Just the enthusiasm of your company makes this new town feel like a wonderland full of possibility...who knows what inspiration lurks around the next corner?" She winked playfully. "Maybe that old tavern there has a masterWordsMare holding court inside this very moment!"

Izzy waved at the little seaside cafe they'd reached. "I doubt there are any masterwordsmares in there, but they do have this perfect seaweed toast, mmmmm." She hopped for the door. "Worth the trip," She sang, bursting inside with a giggle.

Amber hesitated. Did she see something shine? She wandered over towards the trash and danced slowly on her hooves. Searching the trash was not one of her first impulses, but she'd seen something.

Giving up against the urge, she leaned in over the can and peeked inside.

"Find something fun?"

Amber fell back with a squeak to find Izzy there, peeking too. "I thought you went inside?"

"I did, but you weren't there, so I came out, and here you were." She pointed at the trash. "What were you looking for? Ooo a shiny thing!" Izzy bounced over to peek into the trash can too. "Maybe it's a pirate treasure map! Or a magic jewel!"

She scrunched up her nose. "Though this trash is kinda stinky. We better go inside and get our snack before somepony else grabs the comfy seats."

Izzy headed for the cafe entrance but paused to glance back at Amber. "You coming? I bet if we ask nicely they'll bring your toast out here so you can keep digging for buried treasure!" She giggled.

Amber laughed tensely. "I don't... want to advertise this... Let's just... look really quick." She hurried up and almost threw her head inside, peeking. She found a book, with golden foil and a big bookmark. "Look at this." She fell back, book hovering in her magic. "It's..."

"A book!" Izzy threw her hooves wide. "Neat! And..." She sniffed at the book gently. "It doesn't smell, score. Let's take it inside and get that toast. It is to die for. And if you literally die, we found a story worth telling, yeah?"

Amber carefully examined the book her magic had fished from the trash. It seemed old but well preserved, its leather binding embossed with elegant gold detailing that had caught her eye.

"Remarkable!" she murmured. "What a lovely edition - and the binding is still so finely crafted after all this time." She gingerly opened it to the first pages. "Why, these illustrations are exquisite...hoof-painted, if I'm not mistaken."

She blinked in surprise at the sight of the bookmark tucked amidst the pages - it seemed oddly out of place given the age of the volume. Tracing a hoof gently over the lettering on the insert, she read aloud: "The Ponyville Chronicles: Tales You Never Knew."

Glancing up at Izzy, Amber raised an eyebrow. "Ponyville! Why, that's a famous town back in Ancient Equestria. But the bookmark looks so new..." She trailed off, flipping carefully through the fragile pages. "How curious to find such a token placed in this antique tome here, ages away."

Her stomach grumbled, reminding Amber of their original quest. With a laugh, she closed the book. "A mystery for later! You've quite got my appetite whetted for this famous toast of yours now. Let's step inside and continue our adventures over some well-earned luncheon, shall we?"

Tucking the volume safely into her bag, Amber headed eagerly for the cafe door, wonderings dancing in her eyes. What other secrets might Maretime Bay hold for a curious unicorn visitor?

Izzy was quite happy to introduce her new uni-buddy to that toast she had been hyping up. As it turned out, it was pretty good. No ponies died for it, despite her claims. Fortunately, they accepted bits instead of souls or sacrifices, so that worked.

"So, no libraries." Izzy chomped on her toast, humming happily at the seaweed coating. "Gonna give up?"

"No way," Amber flipped her new book curiously. "This is a sign... I can't give up. If there's no library... Then I'll just have to make one."

Izzy inclined her head. "If you were gonna do that, why not Bridlewood?"

"Because unicorns?" Amber pointed up at her own horn. "They don't like libraries. Earth ponies don't have them, but they don't mind them. I'll... build a library here, for the earth ponies. Think they'll like it?"

"Sister." Izzy slipped down some glasses she hadn't been wearing before. "I know at least one unicorn that'll stop by."

Amber smiled with radiant joy. "That means so much... I'll get started."

Another story began with eager hooves and open arms.

Author's Note

We begin a new tale. Will you walk along with me? I promise it will be Comforting.

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14 - Do You Believe in Magic?

"Sorry for such short notice." Misty was trembling and distraught. "But I have to go, now. I won't be back for, um, I don't know."

Amber cut off her speedy retreat. "Hold on! Are you okay? Misty, you're a part of this little work-family. If you need help, please tell us."

Misty took a shaking step back from Amber. "N-no, it's just—" She glanced fretfully about. "—I have to go." She galloped in a circle around Amber, charging under a floating Comforting who wasn't trying to stop her, and out the doors.

Comforting swooped in to land next to Amber. "She'll be back--" She paused a moment. "Hopefully."

Amber was quivering now. "What happened? She's so sweet. What did we do to her?"

Comforting's ear and feather drooped. "She has things she has to work through, and we can't help her with that." At least, not without possibly bothering Together's plans. "Let's trust in her, and get back to what we were doing. Fussing over her is actually what she's hoping we won't do." She went back to putting books away. "You just have to believe in her."

Just to be sure, she sent an internal email to Together about what just happened.

The reply was swift. It was all according to plan, and nothing had been done wrong. It also included a heart emoji, which made it double worth reading. Comforting giggled with joy at the little touch and redoubled her stocking speed.

Amber finally put her hoof down, hurrying to catch up with Comforting. "What was that about? Comforting, she's a member of my team. I have to keep track of them."

Comforting turned away from the shelf she had been inspecting. "There are things you can control." She placed a finger on Amber's snout. "And things you can't. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Amber shrank a little. "You're the reason I have all of this." She raised a hoof to wave over the library. "I owe you a lot, but what does that have to do with Misty?"

Comforting sighed. "It has nothing to do with her. Like I said, she has to figure something out on her own." She stood tall, which was quite tall compared to Amber. "And when she gets back, she'll be ready to discuss that with you if it comes up. That's up to her, not us, right now."

"I just want to do better." Amber lowered her head. "I don't know what I can do, but I feel like I should do something. If there was something I could be doing for my team, I should be doing that, shouldn't I?"

Comforting reached out her hands in an offer, soon gently drawing Amber in for a soft embrace. "You're doing your job, I promise. Misty just needs to face this alone. Any chasing we do will just make it harder for her. Let her face her problems." She leaned her cheek on Amber's head, the shorter unicorn staying close. "I'm proud of you for caring so much, but sometimes, you just have to accept you can't do everything for your friends. We'll all be happier that way."

Amber closed her eyes. "I know you're right. You always are. I just hope she's okay, whatever's happening."

"She's tougher than she looks. You really have no idea. Let her go, and wait." Comforting rubbed at Amber's back, easing her nerves. "But if you still want to do something, how are you feeling about your letters so far?"

Amber perked her ears and hopped back. She took on a firm stance, horn glowing as she began running through the letters one by one, her glow shifting subtly as she went from one to the next to the next, proudly showing off her progress.

Comforting clapped with joy at the sight. "You're doing them so well! I was starting to think I'd never see a unicorn doing their magic again. So good, so good." She ruffled Amber's mane with a giggle. "You're about ready to learn your first spell. It's not a huge one, but it's a spell. You'll be about the only unicorn using one. Excited?"

"Very much so." Amber rubbed her chin. "But why haven't I seen it before? Hasn't anypony else picked up on anything magical?"

"Sadly, no." Comforting put her hands at her hips. "They forgot it during my nap. How and why, I couldn't tell you, I was sleeping. But there was that time when there wasn't any magic, so they couldn't practice it, and if they couldn't practice it, they couldn't teach their foals, and they grew up never casting it, and they sure couldn't teach their foals, even when magic came back, and on and on." She sighed with a shake of her head. "It's been a mess."

Amber had to stop and take that in. "That sounds awful. That must have been horrible for them, er, us." She smiled back at Comforting. "But we can fix it now. Speaking of that." She raised a hoof at Amber. "Why is this a super secret? Shouldn't we be shouting this at every unicorn that is ready to listen? There's a whole world of unicorns waiting to learn this!" She danced giddily in place, eyes shining with images of uncountable unicorns learning such things. "Can we do that?"

"Sadly, no. Um." Comforting ran her hand down her face. "I don't even want to try explaining why that's a bad idea." She took a soft inhale. "But that's rude, sorry. Easy, slow and easy. You're the trial run. If it works out for you, maybe I'll let you share it along. So do well, and responsibly."

"I promise to be responsible." Amber rolled her eyes but then smiled. "And I know you don't want to talk about it, but I wish you would. It sounds like something really serious and important. If you tell me, maybe I can help. I want to help."

Comforting wiggled her fingers at Amber. "Ah, but then I would have to snatch you away, and you'd be stuck in my room forever. You'd have a great cuddle buddy, but you don't want that."

Amber laughed at the nonsense. "No, I do not. If I don't get to cuddle with you, I want to go back to cuddling my bed at night. I actually sleep, which you're missing out on, you know?"

Comforting leaned in, touching nose to nose. "I do know that. I miss her, come to think."

"Miss who?"

Comforting stood up properly. "Just an old friend. She knew how to chase nightmares away." That it was done in person, Comforting left out. "Back then, I had dreams. These days, not so much. Now! Since you made so much progress." She snatched a book from the shelf. "After work, it's time for that first spell."

Amber bounced up and down. "Really? Right away? This is going to be so amazing."

"It will be." Comforting gestured to the nearby shelves. "But remember, you don't get to show off just yet. You're the pilot run. Show that unicorns are ready for this." She vanished without pause, simply ceasing to be there in a casual editing error of the universe.

Later, with the library closed, they were in their learning room. The board was covered in runes, which Comforting was directing a pointer at. "Follow along, with your horn." Each rune she pointed at, Amber glowed with that one's signature. "Good, good, so good, mmm, practice that one, good, good."

When they reached the last one, Comforting folded the pointer up into a little wand. "Good! Not perfect, but quite enough to learn this first one. You know the innate spells, picking things up, and moving things. What sort of trick did you imagine, on your wildest days?"

Amber stopped and considered that. "Something, silly. Something simple, but interesting. I don't need to fly or, or, or do big things. I just want to do something I could impress little fillies with."

Comforting ruffled the top of Amber's head. "You are adorable, but I was hoping for a direction, not a magnitude. Small is already for sure."

Amber frowned with thought, tapping her hooves as each thought came and fled her. "What about making a pony feel better? Like if they got hurt?"

Comforting winced even as she smiled. "That is a very lovely and caring magic you want to cast, but I actually don't have a spell for that. The unicorns of the past never had a healing spell, as nice as that'd be. But yes, that's the kind of idea I meant. Try a different direction."

"Ugh." Amber slumped with disappointment. "Okay. Something useful. How about an umbrella, or rainmaker? I bet I could do that."

Comforting hummed a little as she considered that. "Conjuring? Sure! Prepare to be a master conjurer." She drew a special book from the air. The cover showed a smiling unicorn with a cloud over their head. "What's in that cloud?" Comforting gestured over it. "Whatever that unicorn wants."

Amber giggled to herself, gazing on the cover. "I like that." She traced her hoof over the design. "A pony with control over the clouds. They have the power to change the weather."

Comforting inclined her head. "You're taking this too literally. You could, with a lot of study, summon up whole clouds, but today, we're just popping new things into being, small things." She popped open the book and it flipped obediently to the right page. "Right here, a foal's guide to their first spell!"

She waved at the board and most of the letters vanished, the others taking a specific order and redoubling, creating a string of runes. "This is your first spell. The trick is that you have to play this spell while keeping a firm image of what you want to summon. Up for trying it?"

Amber focused. She remembered the feel of her horn in use. She thought of what she wanted to summon, a small and cute umbrella, one that would protect her and any that she used it on. She played each note faithfully one after the next, her eyes trailing along the board as she went. With a strange, new, tingle, the spell completed with a rush. Something landed on her head.

Amber reached up to find a small umbrella, fit only for a small doll. But it was an umbrella, looking just like the one she imagined. Her eyes widened, struck speechless a moment at that tiny umbrella that meant so much. "I did it." She hugged it close. "I did magic. I'm a real unicorn. I'm..." Tears slipped from her eyes as the reality settled in.

Comforting patted Amber on the head, reaching then for the umbrella. "Cute little thing. As you can see, this spell will only make little things. They won't be very durable either. It's a practice spell, so you get to practice with it. Still, neat, right?"

Amber nodded weakly, sniffling and rubbing her nose. "Yes. Thank you. Can we do more?"

Comforting folded her arms. "Your job for today is to practice this spell, and get the rest of the letters mastered. Show you can use that spell responsibly. It looks small, but you could do a lot with it, good or bad. Be a good pony." She grinned at Amber. "Which you already are."

Amber applauded as her horn glowed, already trying the spell. The umbrella suddenly vanished and Amber squeaked in surprise. "What happened?!"

Comforting waved at where the umbrella had been. "Limitation of this spell. If you summon something else, or start to, the magic of the first one comes loose. On the bright side, that magic helps fuel the next thing if you keep going. You stopped, so that magic is free." She spread her hands, fingers with them. "Back into the air, recycled into the world."

Amber tried the spell again, a determined expression on her face. She failed again, but managed it on the third try. She got a second umbrella.

"I have to show my girls this." She thought better of it almost as soon as she said it. "Right, super secret. Um." She tapped at her cheek. "If I don't show a unicorn the spell, can I show them the things I make?"

Comforting considered that a moment before nodding. "Just say it's a trick you have, and don't explain past that."

Author's Note

Misty has a big mean bully to stand up to. Comforting knows she can't put a finger in that pie.

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32 - Put a Ring on It

Sunny flew with her close friends in the Mare Stream, cruising rapidly towards the forest of unicorns. Izzy giggled excitedly. "Always nice to say hello. Haven't been home in a while, and it's getting more cheerful every time we stop by." She bounced from hoof to hoof as she hopped along mid-air, at one with the Mare Stream they rode in on.

Pipp beamed happily at her enthusiasm. "Glad you're with us. Let's find that filly and get her home." She sped up as they approached the forest and was the first to dive into it and begin scouring the ground for the lost filly. The only problem being the Mare Stream was not really made for such tight turns and places, and they thumped into a tree in short order, bringing their travel to a stop.

Hitch rubbed at the side of his head, wobbling and woozy from the sudden stop. "Well, guess we're getting out here. Come on, gang, let's go find this lost filly." He rubbed his hooves together as he strode purposefully through the woods, leading his little group onward to do some good in the world and bring back a lost pony home where she belonged.

They fanned out across the woods, calling to her as they went. "Little filly! Little filly! Where are you?" Hitch looked left and right as he walked through the forest, wondering what sort of unicorn that had ended up here and why.

He eventually found a riverbank with a little purple filly near it who was totally at ease. That wasn't the one they were looking for. for one, they were a unicorn, rather than the earth pony filly they were hunting.

Sunny approached with a smile anyway. "Hello. I don't suppose you've seen other fillies around here?" She tilted her head with curiosity as she came closer on light steps towards the girl.

The filly turned and smiled brightly at the group of new arrivals. "No, but welcome to my home!" She jumped to her hooves and threw open her arms as if greeting friends long unseen. "You're bigger than most of my other guests."

Sunny glanced at her friends and back at the filly. "Are we? We'd love to see your home, and those other guests." She felt like there was a story here to hear. "What's your name?"

"Aloe!" She stood up on two legs, balancing precariously for a moment before returning to all fours. With a giggle, she started at a care-free canter into the forest. "This way!" She soon turned back to them with a flick of her tail as she stopped by a set of colorful flowers that suddenly flared to life in an array of rainbow hues. "Welcome to my home!"

Sunny approached and brushed a hoof across the colorful display of flowers. "It's very, hm, colorful?"

Pipp was taking snapshots with her phone busily. "These are totally gorge! I am loving it." She flew up a little for a different angle, clicking rapidly. "Seriously! Love! Loving this!"

Izzy chuckled at Pipp's delight and bounded over to Aloe. "My name's Izzy. Nice to meet you!" She dropped into a squat in front of Aloe, getting down to her level. "How old are you?"

Aloe sat back on her haunches with a happy smile on her face. "Old enough." She burst into giggles. "Aren't they great?" She hugged one flower close. "Take a nice sniff." She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly with a sigh. "Magic can do amazing things."

Sunny scanned around the clearing as she leaned in towards a flower of her own and sniffed it carefully.

That would prove to be an interesting decision.

Toots took an unsure step back. "O-Oh! I mean." He adjusted his tie nervously. "I'd be, um, honored? But we're not even a thing yet. Aren't you skipping a few steps?"

Comforting put a few fingers to her chin as she went over things. "Mmm, I guess you're right. Most ponies wait until after marriage to start thinking about that." She ruffled the top of Toots' head. "Sorry. Time, as a concept, gets a bit loosey-goosey when you've seen so much of it fly past you. I'm not trying to force you."

Toots leaned in and hugged her gently. "Thank you for understanding." He lifted up on two legs to be more at eye level with Comforting as he was hugging her. "So we just wait?"

Comforting tapped at her cheek. "If you prefer. That, or we speed up. Either way." She suddenly smiled. "Right! Silly me, nothing stopping me from just asking." She dropped to a knee, still above Toots' four legged stance. "Toots, would you marry me?" She offered a velvet box towards him. "I do think we'd make quite the pair."

Toots quivered with disbelief. "Yes!" He lunged at her with a loud squeak of joy as he shoved Comforting to the ground and hugged her tightly with tears in his eyes. She coiled around him and they hugged one another with equal joy, all uncertainty banished away by that question and answer.

She soon let him go and rubbed at her eyes. "It'll take time to set up, but yes, we're going to be parents." She gave him another quick hug and kiss. "If you're okay with that?"

Toots reconsidered the question, its flavor changed with them on the way to being married. "Oh, um. I've never been a father before. Do you think I have it in me?"

Comforting smooched Toots right between the eyes. "I know you do, and you won't do it alone. You have friends, yours, and mine too. We have plenty of ponies ready to help us." She fluffed Toots' mane. "We just need one more thing, but it's a big thing."

Toots laughed at her goofy fluffing, running his hoof over his head to get it back into place as best he could. "Oh? What is it?"

"We need to buy rings." She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Now that is an interesting prospect."

He bumped into her with a nuzzle of his own. "Do we? We could get anything for free, couldn't we?"

Comforting popped open that velvet box from earlier, revealing a dazzling ring with a comically oversized gemstone in it. "Well, yes. I could make one, but it wouldn't last very long. Easy come. Easy go." She tossed the box over her shoulder. "If we want one that'll last, we have to get it the old-fashioned way." She gripped Toots' hoof gently. "What do you say? Ready to go out on a little shopping trip?"

"Yes!" Toots galloped for the door. "Come on!" He hurried out of the house and trotted up and down the street in excitement as he waited for Comforting to catch up.

Comforting laughed as she zipped through the air after him. "You're suddenly very excited about all this." She plucked him off the ground, twirling him in the air before catching him again. "Tell me about it?"

Toots returned her affectionate nuzzling as he dangled from her grip. "I, uh. Well, I was never sure if I'd be doing this. This is all amazing, and a little overwhelming." He pulled himself in close to Comforting with a faint sniffle of tears. "Thank you for letting me be a part of it."

"Of course!" Comforting wiggled her fingers under Toots' chin with an impish grin on her face. "This sort of thing takes at least two, unless you really want to be boring about it." She set him on his own hooves. "One thing. I don't want to throw cold water on this, but there is a little thing we should be clear about." She dropped her voice for that, hushed tones for such an important topic. "It's important that we be totally honest here. You, are a pony."

"Yes." He stopped his advance at her serious tone. "And you're a chaos spirit. I know that."

"But not what it means, for this." Comforting put a hand to her chest. "You will eventually grow old, ponies do that. I won't, spirits don't do that." She played with her hands nervously. "You'll die eventually. You'll grow older and older and older." She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. "That isn't something I want you to sign up for without knowing."

He sagged with those words. "So we can't just forget that and be happy together?"

Comforting pet Toots gently. "That's exactly my plan, actually. I'm going to enjoy this, and your silly pony butt, for as long as I can, but roping you into this without at least making it super duper clear feels like I'm just taking advantage of you, and that's not what nice wives do, hm?"

"Hm?" Toots fidgeted with his collar as he mulled over those thoughts. "So we both enjoy it, and I still might live for quite a while? What do I do if you're still here when I'm too old to do anything?"

"Then you get a nurse that cares about you." She pet his mane, eyes growing a bit misty with old tears returning. "I've done it before. I'll do it again. I won't go until—" She hitched up, unable to continue as the tears escaped her eyes to fall into Toots' mane. She cursed inwardly as she let out a frustrated growl and tried to shake off those feelings of melancholy.

Toots pulled Comforting into a tight hug of his own, trembling faintly at those words. "It's okay. I'll be fine." He leaned back a little. "You're not making it worse, right? I have exactly as many days as I was already gonna have. Um, so." He fidgeted in place. "It's not your fault. I can't be mad about that." He poked her chest lightly with a scowl. "So don't you dare feel bad about it."

She jerked back with a cough of surprise at that accusatory gesture. "I mean, yes, technically." She felt her smile creeping back. "Technically, I will do my best to keep my rolly-polly plus one happy and healthy." She cupped his cheeks, scratching gently through his fur. "So I may get you a few days." She tapped her forehead to his. "But let's forget that. We have today to worry about." She giggled as she bounced on her toes like a filly herself. "And today we get rings!"

Toots walked with her slowly, his mind wandering over the complexities of it all even as he continued to smile at his now fiancee. "I know the place to go. I've walked past it tons of times, but I never had a reason to go inside. Until now, that is."

"Nope!" Comforting reached for the door handle, pulled it open, and slid in past Toots, gesturing for him to join her inside the fancy jewelry store where all sorts of pretty baubles and trinkets could be seen on display. "Now, you're an earth pony, so I'm thinking—" She darted over to a collection of bands thick enough to go around a pony's entire leg. "One of these!"

Toots laughed at that selection, entirely too much jewelry for him, he'd drown in all that shiny splendor. "I'm going to need a smaller one, something closer to the hoof." He ducked his head to examine the bands more closely, going for the ones made of platinum. "This one has a nice shine to it."

"It does!" Comforting snatched it right off the wall, twirling with it as she held it up. "Lovely. But it's missing a stone. That's classic, a stone."

"Can I help you?" One of the salesmares had wandered over. She eyed the ring in Comforting's hands carefully, noting the lack of price tag on it. "If you need any assistance, just ask." She approached Toots, checking him over with a critical eye. "That's for you, I assume?"

Toots turned towards the newcomer. "Hi! Um, yeah, you see." He waved up at Comforting as she floated past. "We're going to get married, and, um."

"Congratulations." The salesmare glanced over her shoulder at Comforting and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper to Toots. "We do wedding rings too, if you want me to bring them over." She winked and turned her eyes to the band that Comforting still held. "But that one's for you. It looks about the right size, but." She reached up for it. "If I may?"

Comforting surrendered it without a fight, watching on curiously.

The salesmare took it, just to raise one of Hoot's hooves and slide it onto his leg. "It's a few sizes too large." She let go of his leg and made a quick scribble. "But don't you worry, we can adjust it. We can adjust it after you buy it too, that's included in the price. Now, I think I heard something about a gem?" She clapped her hooves together happily as she started walking deeper into the shop. "We have some amazing options, but here's a few that work well with the style you're looking for." She gestured to a case filled with various gems of different shapes and sizes.

Toots wandered towards the case with seemingly countless glittering gems in it. "I, hum. They're all pretty."

Comforting swooped in to press her cheek to his. "But we need to find the one that reflects you." She jumped as her right hand was touched. It was the salesmare. "Hm?"

"You need one too, don't you?" She brought out another velvet box and placed it in Comforting's free hand. "Like this one? We have plenty more, of course."

Comforting took the box, lifting the lid to reveal an exquisitely crafted ring with a cut and polished green gemstone in it that twinkled in the light like stars at night. "It's gorgeous!" She slid it on and raised her finger to see it sparkle all over again. "I need it."

"We have similar ones with other stones too, like this blue one or this red one." The salesmare flipped open two more boxes for Comforting to look at, each with a unique jewel of a different color.

Comforting waved it away. "If I second-guess myself, I'll be here all day. This one is fantastic, end of the story."

Toots laughed as he turned towards Comforting. "I envy that. No second-guessing, okay. No more." He turned back to the case and leaned over, sweeping until his eyes tripped over a lustrous purple gem. "That one." He pointed towards it with conviction.

"Great choice!" The salesmare pointed the gem out to Comforting who was now dancing around with her new ring with a delighted grin on her face. "Ma'am?"

Comforting blinked and turned in air. "Oh!" She swooped in for a look at it. "Love it, but I don't think we should have one big one."

"No?" Toots inclined his head. "What do you have in mind?"

"Little ones." She darted over to another case and tapped the glass repeatedly, pointing out the way certain jewels were studded through various items like the handles on knives or the bows on dresses. "Going all around."

The salesmare nodded gently. "We can do that. Smaller stones, but more of them." She leaned for a peek at what Toots had selected. "Let me check if we have that in stock in the right size."

Comforting snapped her fingers and pulled out another band in the same style that fit Toots perfectly. "You like?" She ran a finger along his spine as he slipped the band off and onto his hoof properly. "What do you think?"

Toots gazed down at the ring on his hoof with a strange feeling settling over him. "It's enchanting." It was the style he had picked, and the gems he had picked, but the number and size that Comforting had chosen. "It's a little of each of us. Oh! Oh. Let me see yours." He lowered his legs and looked up at her with a bright smile. "I'm sure it's great, but lemme see!"

Comforting slowly stuck out her hand to let Toots see it up close and personal, grinning from ear to ear as she did so. "I love it! We're going to be officially engaged! We're going to be whole family together!"

"Congrats." The salesmare held a receipt up for Comforting to take and fly away with as she prepared their purchases.

Comforting fanned the paper in front of her face dramatically as she left the shop. "Freedom! We're engaged!" She immediately punched the air in celebration with a little happy jig.

Toots laughed at her playful display as he kept up with her energetic stride through the streets. "To the park? You said something about having friends in there?"

Comforting perked. "Great idea, and we get to share the news with every creature that looks interested." She grabbed a hoof of his and they sped away, both looking cheerful about the future.

Author's Note

They're so cute! They sway from heavy to light topics, and seem to be ready to be together, hm?

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44 - Magic See, Magic Do

Amber turned her attention to a cat. Those were easy enough to find, and a little coaxing with food and attention got one to hang around long enough for her to study it intently. The word for its mane was simple, compared to a pony's, at least.

She shook her head at the memory of the strangely complex rune sentence that covered pony manes. Why were they so complex?

Regardless, she had another, thanks to her feline friend. With the word for mane, and the word for a feline's mane, she could proceed, and she grinned at the opportunity.

With a glowing horn, she reached out to touch the cat, sending tendrils of her magic through it and around it to check it over for a new part. Not mane, but something she could write into the spell's gaps for herself, and get a proper transformation to match it. She paused with a frown. "Getting ahead of myself." She gently released the cat to its feline business.

"Practice what I have." She nodded to herself as she drew out her notebook that had the words she'd discerned on it.

"Time to have a feline mane!" She took a firm stance, horn glowing with power as she cast the transformation spell, targeting her mane and weaving in that feline word she'd just learned.

The spell wrapped around her head and ran through her mane as it clung there a moment, sinking into her locks even as it sank into her scalp as she felt her hair shift, shortening as it grew denser and rougher in texture as she held her hooves out for balance as she was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness that rolled through her head.

She let out a giggle of delight as she glanced over to a mirror nearby to see what she had done to herself.

What looked back at her was hardly a pony. She had basically no mane, though her neck had gained more fluff than it had before. She was a housecat, at least there. "Wow." The missing mane struck her more firmly than she had guessed. "That certainly is a look." She ran a hoof through the smooth fur atop her head, where her mane used to be.

"Different than I expected, but wow!" She giggled again with a little wiggle of glee as she paced back and forth happily as she took in the reflection in the mirror before letting out a sigh of contentment at her success even as she focused on returning her mane to its normal form. She knew the word for mane, and the word for a pony mane.

It should be easy.

But the word for a pony mane was long and complex. She failed to cast it, and her hair remained missing. "This will need more practice, or I have to wait." Her spell wouldn't last forever, she was fairly certain.

Just being patient would eventually return her lovely locks. She just had to walk around with no mane for a while. "I should have thought this through a bit more."

She patted her hoof against the floor and turned to her desk. She could do some writing about how her experiment went and why it had gone the way it did instead of how she had intended it.

With a floating pen, she made some quick notes about it. She could hear activity though. She couldn't hide all day.

With a smile, she trotted out into the library proper to get to work, missing her hair or not.

Hitch approached Amber quickly with a wave of his hoof as he leaned over the counter of the front desk of the library and pointed off to one of the book shelves with a confused expression on his face. He was trying not to look at her missing mane, but doing a poor job of it. He sagged, giving into temptation. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Amber leaned back from that intense look and adjusted her glasses with a hoof. "You mean my hair?" She shrugged at that as she turned around to grab a book and offer it to him before responding properly to his question as she set it on the desk for him to collect. "Magic mishap. Good things come to those willing to risk a little. It'll come back, promise. Just, you know, not right now."

Hitch looked less than convinced by that assertion, but he did gather up the book Amber had given him with a thoughtful hum as he slipped it into his saddlebags. "I guess, if you say so. Glad you're not hurt." He wandered off, peeling his eyes free of the strange sight.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one. Each pony that approached the counter took a moment just looking at her before they remembered what they had originally come for. The fact they kept looking back at her probably wasn't helping, but she endured their gawking until she was able to excuse herself from behind the desk for the day.

There were more important things than helping patrons at that moment. Like sorting books! Yes, the books had no care about if she was having a strange mane day or not. She cast the Twilighting spell, sending them flying back to their proper shelves with a smile. "Now to finish my personal research!"

As she raced away, she almost missed Sunny approaching the counter with a basket of cookies in her hooves as she sat down with a quiet hum as she looked around for Amber only to make an odd face at her lack of mane. "Are you alright?"

"Everypony keeps asking that!" Amber approached the counter from behind. "I'm fine, thank you for your concern. I just made a silly mistake. It'll get better, eventually." She huffed gently, though the scent of cookies drew her attention. "What are those?"

Sunny pushed them towards Amber even as she leaned forward with a warm smile on her face. "Want one? Fresh from the oven." She beamed happily at that announcement. "I thought I would share!"

Amber eased a hoof into the basket and drew out one of the warm cookies with a sniff. "I shouldn't." That didn't stop her from taking a soft bite. "Mmm, oh my. Fresh cookies are on a different level."

Sunny bounced happily in place with a laugh. "See? I told you so!" She giggled gently before leaning forward slightly as she focused on Amber's hair again before holding up a hoof to keep herself from continuing to ask about it as she bit down on her tongue and hummed in quiet contemplation even as she avoided making eye contact with Amber's face.

Amber sighed softly. "You are obviously holding yourself back. Did you have more questions? Go ahead." She took a second bite of the cookie, the sweet gooey flavor calming her nicely.

Sunny squeaked before pointing at Amber's head with a nervous laugh before putting down her hoof again. "I don't want to be rude."

Amber leaned against the counter on her forehooves as she stared down Sunny with an irritated expression on her face. "Is a pony without a mane that strange looking?"

Sunny sat down suddenly, her eyes wide as she nodded quickly at that as she pushed the basket of cookies towards Amber even as she gesticulated wildly with her hooves. "Very much so! Barring a visit to the hospital, I can't think of too many times I'd see something like it. I do hope yours grows back quickly."

She grabbed her cookies. "But I just wanted to share, really."

Amber scooped up another one from the basket even as she shook her head firmly at that explanation. "That wasn't exactly reassuring." She took a bite even as she gestured with her cookie for Sunny to head off even as she sank into her seat behind the counter with a quiet huff of annoyance before letting out a content sound as she focused on finishing off that baked treat.

Comforting appeared with a comical pop. "Oh." She took quick note of Amber's new appearance. "Bold!" She leaned in. "Magic gone wrong?"

Amber huffed loudly even as she swiped her hoof at Comforting playfully even as she shoved Comforting's face back from hers with an annoyed snort. "You two are so mean! No sympathy for your friend and coworker? Just insulting me?"

Comforting plopped into a chair next to Amber as she shook her head gently with a giggle on her lips. "Magic is like that. What were you trying to do?" She swatted gently at Amber's back. "Good on you for trying, very proud, but you have to tell me what happened."

Amber didn't answer right away, instead letting out a loud huff as she looked over Comforting's face with a wince before shaking her head gently. "I was practicing the magic you taught me!"

"Did I mention I was proud?" She ruffled across the smooth fur that should have had a mane. "So, what did you do exactly?"

"I wanted to change my mane to match that of a cat's." Amber ducked away from Comforting's touch even as she looked around briefly to make sure that there weren't any more ponies hanging around the counter who might overhear her speaking with Comforting. "I might have not considered that cats just don't have manes, so, it worked. I have the mane of a cat."

"Adventurous!" Comforting waggled her eyebrows with a cheeky smile on her lips at that before flicking at Amber's side with a mischievous expression on her face. "Any idea how long it'll take to come back?"

Amber pressed her hooves under her head, supporting it. "Unsure, until the spell wears off. Unfortunately, I was pretty excited, so I cast it pretty well. It could be who knows how—" With a sudden pop, her mane exploded back into being, spilling out over the side of her head. She shot to her hooves and lunged for a mirror nearby to stare at herself in wonder. "It's back! Wow!" She fluffed up her mane roughly even as Comforting crept up behind her silently to inspect her with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"We've learned a valuable lesson." Comforting leaned in from behind. "Pony manes are hard to affect by magic, and it's usually a bad idea anyway. Not a mistake I see you rushing to repeat."

"I guess that's one way of saying it." Amber reached up to give her mane one last thorough inspection to ensure it had returned properly. "I'm very glad my mane came back." She snorted as she turned from the mirror. "So, how's upstairs doing?"

"On schedule, working on organizing all the new arrivals." Comforting made herself comfortable against Amber's backside as she flicked at Amber's mane. "Headed up there?"

Amber pondered for a moment before letting out a content sigh and rocking in place where she stood for a moment. "I want more words, but that takes time. Time and effort. I'm just going to guess you're not giving me those for giggles."

"For giggles, maybe." Comforting waggled her brows. "But you wouldn't want what I gave for that. Want the word for ear?"

"Hmmm." Amber glanced at herself in the mirror before leaning in and tracing her hoof along the rim of her ear. "Yes, I think so."

"That one's easy." Comforting snagged a hoof and pointed to the top of Amber's ear. "Just a few scribbles." She motioned through the runes involved, not many, and none of the difficult ones. "Of course, you still need targets. What will you be taking the ears from, I wonder?"

"Maybe ponies, maybe some other creature." Amber drew out a small notebook and jotted down the word that Comforting had provided her with as she pursed her lips thoughtfully at that question. "No, ponies would be silly. Most of them have about the same ears." It hit her and she turned suddenly to Comforting, almost letting her large assistant fall over in the process. "You have interesting ears."

Comforting managed to right herself with ease before focusing on Amber with an odd look on her face at that assertion. "Not really?" She ran a hand along the back of one of her own ears as she gazed at Amber curiously. "Why my ears?"

Amber snickered. "One of them's basically a feather, and the other, I'm not sure." She reached up, trying to bat at Comforting's bat-like ear. "I want that word. So stay still and let your student work."

"Whatever you say, boss mare." Comforting offered up one of her ears for Amber to inspect it fully even as she shifted awkwardly in place. "We can head up there once you've got it. You've done transformations, you can do this one too."

"Ears aren't complicated." Amber traced her hoof along the rim of that odd ear that rose and fell like a strange hill, tracing it carefully to memorize the shapes even as she mouthed it under her breath in an attempt to imprint it in her mind so that she could work with it later in private.

The word came to her with the inspection, her horn glimmering faintly as she worked out the magical notes that fit the being of that ear.

Excitedly, she dug out a pen and jotted down her new word for a bat ear. With a smug look on her face, she returned her attention to Comforting. "Shall I try it now? Or should we wait until after the library's closed, in case of accidents?"

Comforting bounced happily in place before clapping her hands together lightly in anticipation. "You've got this! The worst that happened last time was you looked funny, which you'll do again, but ponies will get used to that."

Author's Note

Nothing can go wrong from this point. It's impossible.

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60 - Weather Management

Rain nodded at Zipp soaring through the air with her. "Still blows my mind that pegasi aren't doing weather magic anymore."

Zipp laughed loudly at that with delight at Rain's odd mannerisms. "What! Haha! You talk like such an old pony! It's so cute! We don't do magic."

"I used to." Rain flapped closer just to dart away. "Besides the obvious. We fly. That's magic right there. But there's more we can do." She flew right up to a little fluffy cloud. "Like this." She landed on it and sat on its soft surface. "You're going to tell me this isn't magic?"

Zipp dropped down onto the cloud next to Rain with a laugh. "Okay, this is weird." She poked at the cloud. "How are you making this? I didn't think clouds were solid!" She bounced up and down on the cloud and back off of it. "Well, this is super cool! I don't know if I could just land on a cloud and have it hold me like that."

Rain Shower folded her arms. "You just did it. I didn't make the cloud solid, we're just pegasi. Clouds are exactly as solid as we want them to be when we reach out and touch them. If some earth pony, somehow, tried to sit on this very cloud." She pointed to the one she was perched on. "They would just fall right through."

Zipp touched her hoof to her face. "So, what was the big secret about it then? You know, I'm gonna say it, I love your style, I'm loving this cloud sitting."

Rain burst into merry giggles at that. "There's more to it than sitting on clouds, as fun as that can be." She pushed back into the air, leaving the cloud to its business. "There's pushing them, encouraging and discouraging them. It's all about managing the weather." She came up on the cloud from the side, pushing it with a soft huff.

Zipp let out a noise of delight at the sight of Rain playing around with the cloud like this and dove down into the cloud to circle it. "This is awesome! Seriously! So, what's the secret? How do you do that?"

Rain drifted away from the cloud and waved at it. "Well, why don't you give it a try? You're a pegasus. I know you can do it. You just didn't think to try. Now you've seen it. Do it."

Zipp dived straight into the cloud and pushed at it like she was wrestling with it, like a big, fluffy sponge in the sky just for her. "Okay! Push! Pushing! Wow! I can't believe it's working!" Slowly at first, she was nudging the cloud through the sky. "How do I do it faster?"

Rain flew right next to Zipp, watching her progress. "How do you fly faster? Same answer. Once you have a good grip on the cloud, it'll go as fast as you do."

"So, fast!" Zipp laughed loudly and the cloud took off like a rocket through the sky with a twist and a turn, taking them back to over the suburban area where she let it settle down in a quiet spot in the sky over some farmland.

Rain whistled softly. "Wow, great aiming. This is a perfect spot to go right into the next lesson. I feel like part of you really does want to learn this without even knowing it. Ready?"

"Ready!" Zipp held up her hoof. "Bring it on!"

"Don't ask me how it works, because I'm not sure myself, but, clouds gather moisture." Rain circled around the cloud above Zipp, moving in to whisper in her ear. "And we can make them give it up. We are bringers of sun and rain." She threw her arms wide, hooves shaking. "Pegasi are masters of weather."

She dropped down on the cloud and bounced up and down on it. The cloud darkened swiftly and before long, it opened up into a torrential downpour of rain and thunder that quickly vanished along with that tiny cloud, all spent in that tremendous, but brief, display. "You can come on a cloud more gently if you want a sprinkle." Rain giggled softly. "I was just making a show of it. As you can see, clouds kinda are rain. If you make them rain too much, no more cloud."

Zipp spluttered out a cry of surprise at this torrent of rain that hit her like an avalanche and soaked her completely through and then vanished again just as swiftly as it had appeared from nowhere. "Mind. Blown." She clopped her hooves to either side of her head. "That was amazing! Is that all you did? Did you use any magic at all?"

Rain watched Zipp spin in place as she tried to dry herself off again with a smile on her face at this experience with having a little magical show. "Now, lucky us, there are always, usually, more clouds." She pointed to the ocean. "You guys are right by a whole ocean! I doubt you're running out of clouds any time soon."

Zipp perked up at that idea from Rain about having access to an ocean and an endless supply of clouds for her to play around with to do this sort of magic with her. "That's perfect!" She zipped through the air excitedly. "Okay! Let's get this started! Lesson three, I guess?"

Rain glided alongside Zipp on her back with a lazy look on her face. "Well! Today we learned about cloud solidness for pegasi. We learned about pushing clouds around, kinda related to the first one, and about shaking rain out of them. Hm. This one isn't a specific trick." She twirled to have her back to the sun properly. "But that's how a pegasus can chase away bad weather when you need to. Clouds all stormy? Push the clouds away, or even give them a sharp kick and bust them right on the spot."

Zipp watched Rain at work, chasing clouds around with hooves and wings alike like they were slow-moving objects she could just rearrange in the sky by moving them around enough. "That is really cool!" She threw a hoof up. "Wow, I've been teaching ponies to fly, but leaving out all this cool stuff! I'm going to have to rethink a few lesson plans." She kept up with Rain even as she tapped at her chin with thoughts of class.

"Pegasi are an old and proud bunch! You can be proud of that." Rain went right up to a cloud and took a bite out of it to swallow a chunk of the water inside of it with a giggle. "And it's fun!" She pulled the cloud down to hop up atop it. "Every tribe has a wonderful set of things, but only pegasi, and extremely rare unicorns, can curl up on one and let the sky be our bed." She flopped down onto the cloud with a content sigh.

"Huh? Really?" Zipp approached cautiously and flopped down next to Rain with a bit of effort to get comfortable on the cloud enough to start dozing off in the middle of the day in the sky like this with a warm smile on her face.

The two drifted where the cloud felt like going, neither really putting in a vote, for sleep felt like a better option at that moment.

Zipp roused from her impromptu nap in the afternoon sunshine from a buzzing noise from her saddlebag. "Ugh." She sat up and dug into her bag to pull out her phone and looked at it blearily. "Oh! Gotta go!" She waved to Rain. "Thank you for the lessons!" She was gone in a flash, propelling back towards the city.

Rain Shower sat up with a smile. "Lesson complete." She wiped her hooves together with satisfaction on her face. "A weather pony is born. It's good to see one after so long."

She dropped off of the cloud with wings spread wide and angled just so to land gracefully in a field. Her hooves sank into the soil and she reached down to pull a tuft of grass from the ground to chew on thoughtfully. It was a basic bit of food, sure, but she just wanted something to chew on as she started the hike back towards the city. "Mental note, be a little more careful about snoozing on clouds. They have places to be too. Wow, we drifted a way."

When she finally arrived back in Maretime Bay proper, she ended up at the outskirts of the neighborhood by the shoreline. She glanced up at the sprawling houses lined up next to each other for sale, but not sold and paused there. Curiously, she went up to one of the little homes. "They look adorable." Houses looked different in that age compared to the one she had started in. "Ponies have it so good."

A commotion in the house drew her attention and she stared through a window to see what was happening inside of it while keeping out of sight of anyone looking outside. A unicorn stallion was shouting at a pegasus mare about how she couldn't move out if he didn't let her.

Rain shrank back with a squeak. Ponies got into arguments, clearly, even in that idyllic-seeming age. Butting into that domestic argument felt very wrong, so Rain crept away as quietly as she could.

A coughing noise drew her attention to another building nearby and she paused to look inside of it curiously only to find there was nothing in that one besides dust and emptiness and closed curtains covering every window of the place that blocked out even the slightest hint of light coming inside from outside.

"Looking for a home?"

Rain jumped with surprise, coming down facing a smiling earth pony stallion. "Oh, um, hi?"

The stallion tossed his head to motion towards the empty house. "It's been on the market for years. I was thinking of putting up some of my own ads for it to see if I could drum up some more interest in it from local ponies here in town that might want a new place to live. It's really a nice spot. Close to all the amenities, and in a good neighborhood too! If you're looking, I could show you around."

Rain blinked at this earth pony stallion. He sounded like a sales pony, but he wasn't saying much of anything about what he sold, except this house apparently. She tilted her head at him with curiosity. "I don't have many bits." She curled a hoof. "But I know a friend who does." Comforting leapt into her mind, wealthy chaos being she was. "Um, sure! Show me around, please. I'd love to see the inside."

The stallion let out a jolly laugh and nudged Rain towards the door. "Let's take a look then." He reached out and pulled the door open with a faint little squeak. "Come on in." He waved for her and went in himself. "It looks bigger on the inside."

Rain slipped inside of the building and glanced around curiously at the wide open floor plan and all the empty space it had in it for somepony to do what they wanted with it to turn it into a home that felt right for them. She followed him as he led her towards wide windows. "This whole side of the house is clear, and for good reason." He waved beyond the glass to the beach visible below. "You get a commanding view of the sea!"

"Wow." Rain crept up to the window to stare out at the beautiful sight of the water in front of her from inside of the house and drew a breath at the breeze blowing against the glass to reach her nose faintly with a salty smell of the water nearby. "I love it!" She could see the clouds forming and coming. "I never lived so close to the ocean before." And she felt like she was enjoying the idea of it. "It's wonderful."

"That's what I like to hear!" The stallion patted Rain's shoulder firmly with pride on his face at having gotten such a positive response from her to the house and it's stunning views. "We can talk about buying it later if you want, but you seem like a serious customer already prepared to jump on a good thing when you see it."

Rain gave him a little nod with a warm smile on her face. "Maybe so! I don't know where I'm going yet, so maybe it's time to just pick somewhere and call it home." She tapped at the floor as she went along, inspecting it as best she could. "Hm, I'd need to get some furniture."

"I know a good store or two." The stallion waved it away. "Not sponsored or related. I just have stopped by them a few times to get a few things. Good ponies. They'll get you all set up with what you're looking for."

Rain let out a pleased laugh at that. "That's perfect! I'll have to go and see them, thanks for the tip." She hugged him suddenly. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She scurried back a step. "I didn't mean to, um, sorry."

The stallion was laughing, not looking upset. "I'll take a glad hug from a happy mare any day. Now, get that friend of yours to stop by and we can finish the paperwork properly. I'll keep a hoof on this house a few days while you get that sorted."

Rain rushed out of the house excitedly. "It's lovely!" She kicked her hooves at the air excitedly with her wings fluttering behind her. "I can't think, actually." She held up her hooves. "Right there, and right there. Yeah!" Her mind buzzed with where to put various bits of furnishings. "Oh, I'll be right back!" She took off in an excited buzz, leaving the stallion behind.

Author's Note

I am clapping for Rain Shower. A pony out of her usual time, but adapting so cheerfully about the whole thing.

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67 - One More Instant

Catching led Comforting along towards the reference section. It was no great room of old newspapers, instead a single dedicated computer. There she clicked her hooves on the keys and brought up a specific newspaper article dated from about a year back. "Here." She pointed to it on the monitor. "Have a look."

Comforting peered over at the article about the accident and felt that dread begin to well up and manifest. "Mmm, alright, what am I looking at?"

Catching jabbed at the screen. "Some ponies hurt ponies, like on purpose." She flipped an ear back. "I was hurt in it." She flipped to the next page, displaying the scene. The newspaper had taken a reasonably safe picture, with no injured, or worse, on display. "My cat didn't make it." She took a slow breath. "Just a cat." She swiveled a chair towards Comforting. "Not even a whole pony. Can you save them?"

Comforting kicked to look at Catching with a wince, looking for the bandages or hints of trauma on the filly, but no, Catching looked hale and healthy. "Save the cat, you mean."

"Please?" Catching gave her best smile. "She was the best little kitty ever. She never made a fuss. She always came when I called. I loved her so much... You can make anything happen, I heard."

Comforting counted softly, like ticking away seconds before speaking again. "It's not a thing of time or place, I can go anywhere and change anything if it pleases me. The magic I have is my own, and it responds to my own desires." She clapped her hands gently. "Which has its perks and its downsides. My magic follows my whims. So, even if I did want to get into the pet revival business, the pet would only be around for as long as I whimmed at it."

Catching prodded her in her lower belly, as high as she could reach. "I heard you wanted to make the library bigger. How are you going to do that, but you can't fix a pet?"

"One, because I have an idea. That idea would not work for a pet, or anything alive, really." She curled a finger to her chin. "Actually, since you brought it up, huh. Is that why dad was able to save me? That makes sense, looking back on it."

Catching's eyes shone with infinite hope. "You just realized a way to save her?!"

Comforting waved her hands in the negative. "No no. That only worked at that instant, before it, really." She raised a brow at Catching. "Not that you know—" She trailed off as Catching went back through the archives and found the ancient article from when Comforting was in the hospital. "Oh, maybe you do."

Catching frowned. "Yeah, that wasn't even about you, actually." She sniffed in the dry air, just to have her nose itch, and she rubbed her nose. "There was somepony in there while you were there. You were second fiddle on your own deathbed." She looked Comforting up and down. "You recovered nicely."

Comforting crossed her arms with a huff. "Some could argue I didn't recover well at all. Either way, this won't work on your kitty. They've been gone for about a year. I'm sorry, I really am. It sucks, a lot, to lose a pet. I'm not trying to say it doesn't."

Catching tugged along Comforting again, nodding slightly with an intense look that melted into sadness. "Yeah. You can say that again. But! You could bring them back for a little bit. Make my memories alive again! Please? Maybe if we save a photo. They weren't even that old."

Comforting dropped to Catching's level. "You want a moment with them? You want to tear open that wound all over, and lose them again?"

"Yes! I would have traded the world for another day with her." She pet along her arms, hunching at the memory of hugging that adorable and wonderful little kitten, snuggled with her and grooming her mane and learning.

"It may not even be a day." Comforting flinched at the idea. "A moment, perhaps, a single breath. Is that what you really want?"

"Yes! I'd have given anything to go back." Catching crossed her arms. "Please. That one thing. That's it, really, really."

"I think there is one thing we can do." Comforting clasped her hands together. "Bring up those pictures."

Catching did so, bringing up a picture of that cat. The cat never made it to the paper, but she had some on her phone. "Here she is."

Comforting captured one image and transplanted it into her phone. "Right, then, little miss." She pulled out that phone, image waiting on it. "I really think this is more pain than it's worth. Are you absolutely sure?"

"Absolutely. One hundred percent sure." She pulled out her phone, at the ready, determined expression on her face. "Bring her back and I'll make it work."

Comforting put her hands together. "Alright. Hm, something got in there." She wriggled her hands just so as if pretending something were fighting to get out between them. "What's this?" She threw her hands aside, allowing a cat to fall to the ground, on its paws of course.

"Meeowww..." A kitten tumbled from Comforting's hands onto the floor. Its body was dainty and skinny, not too large. Their fur was all white except for some brown and orange spots that shaped a few vague and lopsided spirals. Catching grabbed up the kitten with an excited almost squeal. "My kitty! Oh gosh! Hi again, Kitten!" She looked the kitten over quickly, recognizing the one she had known and loved for so long.

"Mrrr!" The cat replied, then started to struggle in Catching's hands.

She released the cat, just for the cat to dash away. "Wait, come back!" Catching took off in a gallop after the summoned cat.

Comforting shook her head at the departing filly. "There's no way this ends well."

Catching bounded down the steps to see her cat starting for the door. She raced for the door as quickly as she could, thrusting her head outside and scanning around rapidly, but she could see no cat. It was as if the cat had never been there. "No... no way."

Comforting floated beside Catching. "Sorry, dear."

Catching was silent, staring outside without actually seeing anything.

Comforting sighed slowly. "I did warn you."

Catching dug out her phone with a trembling hoof. She opened the picture of the kitten again and stared at the happy feline, wishing her back, begging, praying, hoping. But the cat didn't emerge. She slumped in place. "That was the moment?"

"A moment longer than most get." Comforting sank to a seat next to Catching. "But just a moment. I'm sorry if it helps, they looked happy to see you, and not upset."

"Yeah." Catching whimpered softly, just like the cat that wasn't there anymore. "Just one more moment? She really was happy. That helps, but..." She stared out the door before dashing out the door again, hoping against hope she had just missed seeing that precious cat. She twirled around, searching wildly with her eyes, but any cat she did see, it wasn't hers. With a groan, she eventually returned to Comforting. "Thanks." Her voice was quiet and sad. "You did your part."

"Yeah." Comforting touched Catching on her shoulder with a hand. "Sorry to get your hopes up. I'm a huge jerk."

"But I was happy to see her again." Catching pressed her hooves together. "And I'm the one that asked you to. I didn't really get my hopes up at all, not like that."

"At all." Comforting frowned. "Not even a tiny bit, huh?"

Catching pinned her ears back. "Maybe a tiny bit." She buried her face in Comforting's fluffy side, and she wept almost silent tears. Comforting lowered one arm over her shoulder. She nuzzled softly at the filly in turn.

"Sometimes a kitten just has to grow up and move on." Comforting stroked softly over the back of that weeping child.

"Not like that!" Catching fell back on her haunches, wiping her eye with an arm. "It's not fair." She took a shaking breath. "Not fair at all."

"Life seldom is." Comforting brushed through Catching's hair, but that motion got caught and started to groom. She hesitated to correct that hoof before she just decided to go along with it. Straightening Catching's mane was a pleasant distraction for the moment. "Are you alright?"

Catching was quiet a few moments more. "Yeah."

Comforting pulled the filly against herself in a strong, warm hug. "Let it out, whatever you need."

Catching sniffled, still snuggling Comforting close. "Just a moment is all I wanted. To let it last one more time..."

"That was plenty." Comforting smooched Catching on the forehead and set her down. "You're a clever filly, digging up all those articles. Not many know where I'm from. You really surprised me."

"Oh yeah? Did it?" Catching glanced up and rubbed at her eye again. "So, it was on purpose?"

Comforting inclined her head. "With dad, you can never be entirely sure one way or the other, but I did make a choice in the end, and I'm living with that choice even now." She throws her hands apart. "Comforting, spirit of chaos. I could have just stayed a filly, but then we wouldn't be having this chat right now. I'd be long gone."

Catching pointed her hoof up. "Oh! What does being a chaos spirit mean exactly? What can you do that isn't regular magic?"

Comforting laughed light at that. "What we just did, to start. I skirt the rules, instead of trying to pen my own. It's very different. Now, this may be mean, but I think it's far past time you took your eyes off the past, and started looking at the present. You are full of talent I'd like to see you using, for yourself or others."

"I had plans..." She whispered, then held up a hoof. "If it's alright?"

Comforting nodded quickly.

"I did have a plan I made up about it." Catching bounced and scurried back off up the steps for her seat, which Comforting followed. She hopped up into her seat and got tapping with her hooves quickly. "I like looking things up." She brought up an article. "But how do you look up articles about things that don't exist yet? It's kind of a past thing."

"Yeah, good question." Comforting ran her finger along her chin a moment. "The future can still make the news. Ponies learn something could be coming, or start a big project, and other ponies write about that. Possibilities, really, for a better future ahead."

Catching clicked through some sites until she found one talking about the return of pegasus magic, and what weather magic could mean for ponykind in the future. "Huh." She laughed at the article. "Weren't you involved in that?"

"Indirectly." Comforting smiled a little deviously. "I just brought an old friend along, but it was her, the friend, that did all the work, not me. I just happened to be in the right place."

Catching leaned forward to the computer. "This says ponies can control the weather if they manage to do something with the magic they have now? That does sound kind of amazing."

"Doesn't it?" Comforting ruffled the top of Catching's head. "The present is bright, and the future is glimmering with possibility. I know it stings, but the past should be left there."

"That sounds amazing." Catching started searching around to see what other sorts of cool future things were happening or might be in the near future, ready for ponies to enjoy. "If ponies learn how to use these spells, there are gonna be lots of places where ponies can finally get to!"

Comforting shut up, realizing Catching was already looking away from that painful moment. "Amazing, isn't it?" She pat Catching on the back. "Just imagine what may come next."

Catching jumped and squeed with joy at all the potential for cool new things in the near future, what she could potentially study and enjoy in school, what her hooves might find at work. She hopped to her hooves with a bounce, racing down the steps before remembering her manners. "Oh! Sorry, Comforting!" She spun around quickly to face the large woman. "Um, thank you."

"And you!" Comforting bobbed her head towards Catching with a chuckle. "Go on." She blew a final kiss, smiling as Catching dashed away towards brighter things.

Author's Note

What would you give for one more moment?

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78 - You Gotta be Kitten Me

Comforting lay on her back, rubbing a hoof through her mane. Toots had been with her a few moments earlier, but left to fetch them some drinks for the warm day. She considered what she was doing here, laying on a cruise ship's deck in broad daylight, with most of the other ponies and creatures on board ignoring her or actively trying to avoid her. Which was pretty standard when it came to most people. She understood. To them, she was larger than life and also a source of endless fear and anxiety.

Smiling at them only worked so much, and so fast. Most of them didn't know here outside of reputation. At least the reputation was mostly good. Yup, just laying back and sunbathing was the thing to do. Sunbathing, sunburns, that sort of fun in the sun. She'd had a lot of those, in her life. Not that she'd burn unless she wanted to, for comedic effect probably.

She felt something large beside her and cracked open an eye. Something else that scared ponies had joined her. "Hello there." She swept her vision up and down Allura. "What brings you around?"

"I'm bored." She sat down beside the equally large creature and rested back. "What are you doing?"

Comforting waved a hand vaguely. "Sunbathing. You know, like cats do in the sun, where they lay out there until someone or something bothers them." She laughed, clearly not bothered. "I thought you were doing the same."

"And I still am." She prodded Comforting with a paw. "I just decided to do it here. Why did you take him?"

Comforting sat upright, peering around to see who she was talking about, before she looked back at the cat. "Take who now? I don't think I've ever kidnapped anyone."

"Twitch, you fiend!" She hissed as only a feline could. "You spirited him away. Is he safe? Are you keeping him as a hostage?"

She laughed softly. "No, he joined me willingly. I'd never take someone against their will."

"You're lying!" Allura's paw pressed close to Comforting. "Tell me where my assistant is!" Her voice turned sullen. "The cave is lonely without his incessant yammering."

Comforting pulled Allura into a hug. "Do you miss him? You big old softie!" She held on tighter, even as Allura tried to pull away.

"Give me my assistant!" She tried to casually rake her claws, but hurting Comforting was like trying to slash at especially clingy pudding. "At least tell me where he is."

"I suppose that's fair." Comforting released Allura with a sigh. "He's home, my home, relaxing and nibbling on the food we provide. He's a bit of a sourpuss, but he seems to be enjoying himself. Toots is in charge of his dailies, can't understand him, but cares and shows it."

Allura's jaw worked. "Is he? Is he truly okay? No magic tricks or tomfoolery?" She watched Comforting warily. "Nothing strange, I suppose?"

Comforting held up both hands. "Besides being near me, nothing strange. You two got in a fight of some kind, he ran away and found someone who didn't yell at him so easily, that's all."

"I didn't yell!" she yelled out. "We have disagreements. It happens. That's not enough reason to just abandon somecreature like that." She sank to her belly with a pout only a feline could master. "Ingrate."

Comforting wrapped an arm around Allura. "You know, you could just ask if you could visit, when we're back on land. See for yourself if Twitch is okay."

Her ears perked. "You would allow that, curious creature?" She huffed. "Speaking of that, what exactly are you, really? You give the impression you could do anything, but you mostly do nothing."

"I'm me." Comforting offered a lazy wave, her entire body undulating. "Just a pony that can do a lot, so I just live life." She grinned at Allura. "Or, maybe I'm actually an ancient chaos god trapped in a pony form." She winked. "One or the other, maybe both. Either way, I really do get it, Allura. Being big and scary, kinda sucks really."

The cat snorted. "I'm not scary." She flexed her claws. "I'm terrifying." Her tail lashed. "And I'm not like you."

Comforting turned to look Allura in the eyes. "Well, I'm not feline. You're pulling that off quite well. I love the colors! So bright and vibrant. And that tail!" She gave it a gentle tug before Allura could jerk away.

Allura purred at the touch. "Thank you. I do happen to like it." She preened. "Look, if you're so ancient and wise, maybe you can help me." She leaned in. "I just want to get home, to my friend. That's all I've been wanting, and nocreature's been able to help me."

Comforting nodded along. "I can understand that desire. We all just want to go home and be with our loved ones."

Allura went still. "I never said I loved them!"

Comforting put a hand to Allura's chest. "But you do." She smiled at the cat's venomous stare. "And that's okay. It's natural to care. Love comes and goes, but friendship stays." She sighed with a smile. "Any idea where you used to live?"

"If you're asking me to point it out on a map, you're out of luck." She crossed her forepaws with a low grunt. "I've been asked that before. If it helps, there are more of me there. There shouldn't be too many places like that anywhere."

Comforting nodded slowly. "I've seen them myself, your species. Long before you came to Equestria." She gestured at the sky overhead. "It's been a long time since I was in the Beyond." She waggled her brows. "And by a long time I mean never. I was asleep during the big lights out for this place, and haven't really stuck my nose out much. Except once with griffons. Nice folk. Were you near them?"

Allura shook her head. "No griffons. Ponies, a few of them. Then the auroracorns. Now this place." She narrowed her gaze at Comforting. "If not a map, what are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting—" Comforting placed a hand on Allura's nose. "We start searching, but you'll need to apologize to the ponies you've been fighting with, then work with them. They don't want you being upset around them either, I promise."

Allura growled at Comforting, leaning back. "And why should I? They were being less than cooperative." She bared her fangs. "If they want my claws out of their backs, they shouldn't resist." She sat up then. "I tried asking the auroracorns, but they were useless, scared, and not one help at all. Fortunately, easy to manipulate. I almost had it, but Sunny and her friends showed up to ruin that entirely."

Comforting leaned in closer, patting Allura. "Maybe, but you did hurt several of them. I'm sure you know how that feels."

The cat's eyes went distant for a few long seconds. "What was that saying? Two wrongs don't make a right. They took away my one chance to get home. I would have been out of their way. Everycreature would have won in the end."

"Did you tell them that?" Comforting lay comfortable on her back, one eye on her big feline friend.

"No." She sat up, looking down on Comforting. "Because it doesn't matter. If they're the ones that get in the way of my goal, and I just have to go around them."

"Pragmatic, but it hasn't been working." Comforting sat up. "But don't think I'm here to lecture you. You do you, you adorably terrifying kitty. But it hasn't been working. You're still stuck, still lost, and still trying to get back. You don't even remember where home is."

Allura's voice dropped almost to a whisper, a low sound only audible because she leaned in close to Comforting. "I don't know where my friend is." Her ears twitched, showing off her earrings. "And that's not a good thing. If I could have just traveled through the portal, no problem." She sunk with a low grunt. "Now, tell me this. Why are these ponies having such a grand time floating in water? I don't get it. This water makes me nervous, and it's not even good to drink, which is the one thing water does well, usually."

Comforting stretched out, hands behind her head. "They get to relax and have fun without worrying about things. No bills to pay, no mouths to feed, just fun in the sun and lots of good food and drink to enjoy. You know, if you call a truce, at least until we get back to land, they'd probably share with you. You've earned a break."

Allura glared. "I'm a mighty predator! I don't need a break." She sank to her haunches, rolling around slightly. "Though I guess it can't hurt." She closed her eyes. "They are properly scared, but they aren't taking me where I want to go." She peeked a half open eye. "You really could help me?"

"I can." She tapped a hoof on the deck. "But I don't know if I should, right now." Comforting shrugged. "I don't think you're ready. I'm a bit of a last ditch button for anyone. I still vote for friendship as an option." She smiled with a wistful look on her face. "A lot of good friends would agree with that, if they were here."

"They sound weak." Allura glanced away. "No offense intended." She turned back. "Do you think I could really work with these ponies?"

Comforting nodded quickly. "Yup! Without that controlling purr. Now, if you want to purr at me, go ahead. I adore purring cats. But stop command purring, it puts ponies off of wanting to be around you, besides the whole terrifying feline thing."

Allura considered that. "Perhaps you're right, they have proven rather intransigent when faced with me." She rolled to her side. "Do I just walk up and say it?"

"Ease into it." Comforting made a wavey motion with a hand. "Why don't you start with telling them you're just here to enjoy the ship with them, and you won't be causing any more trouble until they're back on land?" She offered her hands. "See, nice and easy, simple, and not threatening. They'll be so relieved you aren't going to freeze them to death."

She laughed a little at the mental image. "They'd deserve it. Fine. Fine!" She prodded comforting's snout lightly. "You are very insistent. I'll talk to them, tell them I'm just here to 'enjoy the sun' like they are. Ugh, at least the sun is predictable."

Comforting sat upright, then stood, offering a hand to Allura. "Come on, it'll just take a few moments to clear things up." She winked. "Besides, when's the next time you'll get to spend a few days on the water?"

"Hopefully never again." She prowled at Comforting's side towards the nearest pony wearing an outfit. "You." The pony looked up at her with obvious fear. "I am staying to enjoy things. I'll leave when we get to land. Nopony will be harmed."

Comforting shook her head. "No, not that, silly!" She stepped forward. "Sorry, what she meant to say is she'll be relaxing with us. We worked out a truce until she gets back to land."

The poor pony looked between Allura and Comforting, both scary in different ways. "Oh, um, that's good." He forced his best smile. "I'll inform the captain then." He coughed into a hoof quietly. "Um, I don't suppose you purchased a ticket?"

Comforting pat at the pony's shoulder. "You know the answer to that before you even asked it. Still, I'll pay for another ticket if that helps?"

He nodded quickly, his mane bobbing. "I'll get right to that. I hope you two have a lovely day. Oh, and don't worry about the damages. We can cover those." With a nervous laugh, he trotted away from both of them.

Comforting turned to Allura with a shrug. "See? Easy. Come on, I'm sure you'd love a drink, or a snack."

Allura padded along beside Comforting, looking around slowly. "They won't try to attack me, as impotent as that'd be?"

"Nope." Comforting snagged a colorful drink off a table and held it up towards Allura. "You're a guest now." She sipped through her straw. "I think you'll enjoy this, if you like sweet and sour."

Allura leaned in to sniff, but backed off. "I've had enough experience to tell me that smells bad, but it tastes good." She hesitated a moment, but ultimately tried a sip. "As predicted." She licked over her furry lips. "You can have whatever you want?"

"That's how it works. If you're on this ship, you can eat and drink, and enjoy the attractions." She spread her hands. "Just be careful. You're a biggun, like me. Don't damage things not made for your impressive stature. Such as." She gestured towards a fancy glass hot tub that wouldn't support any weight.

Allura lashed her tail. "I'm not getting in that! I don't want to get wet!"

"You don't have to." Comforting could still imagine the cat in it. "Just giving an example. You be a good cat and enjoy yourself. You're on a vacation too for a few days. You deserve it."

Allura stared at her, ears twitching. "Well, okay. I will, then." She looked around. "I'll see you later, probably." And with that she prowled away to explore and enjoy the ship's many features at her own pace.

Author's Note

That just felt adorable, to me. Good kitty. Would pet. Might get clawed. Worth it.

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95 - A Date With History

The sky darkened over Maretime Bay, the library closing for the day. Amber and Misty stepped outside together, walking side by side through the streets of Maretime Bay.

Amber filled the air with her chatter about the library. But Misty's mind was on other things. She pointed down a street. "I think we should go this way, um, today."

"Really?" Amber peeked down the road, seeing nothing unusual about it. "If you like." She took the turn pointed out to her. "Not the usual path I take, but nothing wrong with it. And I have good company doing it."

Misty smiled at that, her ears going flat with a nervous laugh. "I'd hoped you thought so. I like spending time with you, too. I'm glad you took my offer. I was, well, a little scared you might not." She stopped and twirled. "Ta da!" She pointed to an eatery with her best smile. "They have fresh fish straight from the docks to your plate, or so their ads say."

Amber's ears perked up, a happy little sound coming from her throat. "Ooh. I've never eaten there. This will be nice." She trotted over, looking back to Misty. She saw some writing beneath the menu posted at the door. "Oh, you need an appointment to eat here outside lunch hour."

Misty smiled confidently. "That I have." She trotted right past Amber. "Let's enjoy our meal, Amber." She opened the doors, walking inside. She held the door for Amber to trot right past.

The restaurant was lit by soft lamps in each corner and in the center of the tables, their lights giving off a soft golden glow. It seemed only half the seats had ponies, leaving plenty of room to sit down and not feel crowded. Amber had barely floated her menu into view when a waiter approached at an energetic walk. "Welcome! How can I help you two delightful mares this evening? May I suggest the bream? Practically melts in your mouth, it's so good."

Amber cleared her throat. "Yes, please. I'll have your bream."

Misty nodded. "Same for me."

The waiter nodded and trotted off.

Misty and Amber sat in silence, staring at each other with shy smiles. Misty coughed into a hoof. "Um." She shrank a bit. "We're both adult ponies. Right? But we're both." She worried her hooves together. "New at this kinda thing. How about we give each other a pass and just pretend we're really good at this dating thing?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Amber nodded eagerly, her ears flat. "It's like a game, then." Her ears perked up and her smile returned. "I'm good at board games." Her magic went to her side, drawing out a little game to spread on the table. "A travel board game. You try to make words out of the letters you get, see?"

Misty leaned in to study the rules on the back. "Oh. That looks fun." She drew her letters in front of her, studying them with a critical eye. "What do I have to work with here." She floated a few letters out onto the board. "Dog! They're so cute. Woof!"

Amber laughed at the mental image of Misty somehow being a frilly-maned dog. "Very cute. Let me see." She examined the letters before her and played a word of her own, connecting to the G of DOG. "Game."

"Perfect." Misty looked up from the game, meeting Amber's eyes. "Would you ever get a pet?"

"As part of a game?" Amber snickered at her own joke. "But a pet? I never really thought about it. They'd have to be a pet that's good around books, or they'd be lonely most of the day, and that'd be sad."

Misty nodded along. "Yeah. Pets deserve love too. Just like anypony."

"Or anycreature." Amber played another word. "Cute." She grinned. "I'm doing well at this."

Misty snorted softly. "Yeah, you're really good." She tapped her chin, considering when a plate landed in front of her, making her jump.

"Didn't mean to startle you." The waiter placed Amber's before her. "Would you like a drink with that? I suggest a white as a delightful match for any fresh catch."

Amber nodded. "Sounds great. I'll try a white."

"Red, please." Misty rubbed her hooves together with excitement. "It smells amazing."

"It does." Amber and Misty turned their attention to the food in front of them. For a moment, there was nothing but pleased sounds from the good food, joined shortly by fine drinks. Amber nodded at Misty. "You picked a really nice place."

Misty blushed and looked away. "I just wanted it to be memorable." She gestured around. "And it's not crowded, so we could be alone."

Alone. That made Amber stare blankly. With a pop, her book on dating tips appeared next to her and she read furiously a moment. "Oh, yes, of course. As two courting ponies, alone is a good thing to be." She clopped her hooves together with a nod that was a little too firm. "I meant to ask, um. Technically, I am kinda your boss? Are you alright with that?"

Misty blinked slowly at that. "I didn't think of that. Um, yes? You're great to me, and you care and you're so nice. I like being around you." Misty rolled a hoof. "I figured I worked more for the city. You're just a, what, supervisor. You keep me on track, and I try to return the favor."

"You're very much appreciated." Amber's cheeks colored, and she coughed into her hoof. "And this has been lovely. I'd like to do it again sometime. Would you?"

Misty considered before she considered her considering. "I don't mean to keep you waiting. Of course I want to do more with you. They don't have to be all the same thing though. Um, oh! Next time, you pick. We can take turns." She sipped from her glass. "The important part is we're together."

Amber's hoof touched the page she was reading, but she closed it and shoved it back where it came from, along with the travel game. "You're right. I don't think these books are very accurate at this point." She tucked the book of dating tips aside. "I'm just nervous, you know? I don't want to mess this up. You seem like a nice mare, and I don't want to scare you away by messing it all up."

"I'm nervous too, remember? I said we can do that. Messing up." She winked. "We're both new at this, and I want to try and make it work." Misty reached across, resting her hoof closer to Amber than herself. "Amber, if you'd like, I want to be your special pony. I'll be yours, um, if you want?"

"I think I do." Amber's hoof touched Misty's, the contact making them both smile.

With that line shattered, the two having become marefriends, the meal passed with far less tension and more smiles on either side. Afterward, they stepped into the night with the moon lighting their path and each other's faces. Their hooves touched together and coming apart, not daring to go further than that, but promising more.

They waved at one another with a mutual call of good night.

***

Allura tapped at the locked gate. "The ponies don't seem to want anyone lurking about after hours.

Twitch hopped up and down with a few fresh gibbers.

"Yes, I could jump over." Allura rolled her eyes. "But the stones only seem to come out when the park is open, and full of those ponies. We'll have to come back when they're enjoying themselves.

Twitch made a hopeful noise.

"Ugh, yes." Allura slumped. "You can do the teacup ride." Even as Twitch rejoiced, she stalked away from the boardtrot. "I don't see what you get out of these juvenile distractions."

Twitch tried to explain to her, yammering and waving wildly in pantomime of the various forces one felt on any of those ride, the fun race.

"I can get that with a good jump." She purred at the thought. "A challenging leap one lands perfectly? That's a rush, and gets you somewhere you want to be. Those rides race around getting you nowhere. It's hardly the same thing."

Twitch huffed. "Yeah, but it's FUN." Twitch crossed their arms, looking annoyed.

Allura blinked down at the bunny. "For you, perhaps. You enjoy your ride." She put a paw on his head, spreading his ears as she rubbed her small minion/friend. "I will seek my own diversions, when I require them."

Twitch looked away from her, but his irritation faded, and he let himself be ruffled. He grumbled something about Allura needing more relaxation.

"Hm, perhaps." Allura smirked at the bunny, "But I have a pressing matter to attend to. If we can get those shards back together, I could get home. That's more important than any amount of teacup rides." With a lash of her tail, she prowled towards her icy cave. "Now, come. I need a plan to steal those shards from beneath the ponies noses."

***

Comforting's eyes lifted from what she was reading to examine Toots' doing much the same thing. "What are you reading?"

Toots glanced at his book and back to her. "This? Just a little number on what's legal and how on the construction of beachside attractions."

Comforting blinked. "That's awfully specific." A smile spread on her face. "You have a plan in mind? Care to share?"

Toots cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "I wanted to make an ice skating rink, you know? That's a cool attraction."

Comforting nodded. "That sounds like it'd be fun. I haven't gone skating in what feels like forever." In her mind, she could envision the time she went with eager younger creatures. "That was a lot of fun. You want to put it by the beach?"

Toots bobbed his head. "I was thinking that. It should be fun. The unicorns and earth ponies can skate, Pegasi, well." He made a fluttering wing motion. "I'm not sure if they'd get the same kick out of it. Maybe? We'll find out. But yeah. With the boardtrot right there, it's already the place ponies go to for physical game. A rink next to it would fit right in."

Comforting nodded along. "I'm sure the ponies here would love that." She tapped the floor. "Why do you have the book though? Do you think there will be problems?"

"Just covering my bases." He snapped the books hut between his hooves. "I'm making sure there won't be any before I dig my hooves in and try to get to work. I have to talk to Sunny and her friends. They have dibs on the boardtrot, and trying to move in next to them without asking feels rude."

"It would be. You're putting me in a room with someone else without asking first." She giggled. "You don't seem like the kind of stallion who doesn't ask."

He rubbed the back of his head, looking guilty. "I try not. Uh, then after all that, I get to toss it past the city. The city has the bits to make this work. Me? I do not. Before you ask, I don't want you pulling from your infinite bit vault. No cheating!"

Comforting raised her hooves. "Alright, alright! I've been scolded!" She giggled at his expression, her tail flicking with amusement. "I won't spend money if you don't want me to." She pulled out her phone and checked for the number. "It's not infinite though. Large, sure, but not infinite."

Toots rolled a hoof. "Go on and call her."

Comforting gave a nod and dialed the number.

The phone rang only once before a cheery voice answered, "Sunny Starscout speaking."

"Sunny, hey!" Toots turned, one hoof holding his phone up. "I was thinking of a really fun thing for next to the boardtrot."

"Oh, really? What do you have in mind, Toots?" Her voice sounded genuinely excited to hear him out.

Toots smiled. "I'd like a skating rink."

There was silence a moment.

Author's Note

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