//------------------------------// // Act 2 // Story: Spade Con // by AizakkuHorooee //------------------------------// With me, Diamond Tiara, Atomic Archive, and Timeless Tale outside, we catch Lorien trying to pull out the decoration off of Atomic’s sports cap.  He notices us and promptly tosses it behind him in an attempt to bury the cap, or maybe more likely, the decoration latched to the cap.  Timeless floats it to her and dusts it off for Atomic to wear. Lorien looks up to me, worried about what might happen to him now that he’s surrounded by us ponies.  But I never once lower my eyebrows, in fact, I’m not even remotely mad at him, just disappointed. “Lorien… what’s gotten into you?  Why did you steal and try to destroy Atomic’s hat?” On his stomach, Lorien now shifts his sights on Atomic, growling at him. “I noticed he was trying to get rid of the artifact in particular,” says Timeless.  “Good thing we were hot on his tail, so no casualties.  And hey, there’s always next time too, right?” Atomic nods in agreement, but then looks at me and Diamond, the “artifact” as Timeless calls it glowing when we see only the front of it.  The trinket itself represents an eye with three golden feathers below on each side. Diamond and I are overcome with a growing bout of drowsiness, and the last thing visible to us is Lorien attempting to snatch Atomic’s cap again as he takes it off and flies away. So much for attending the Q&A panel. After what feels like forever, Diamond and I wake up to the same rooster from before at the same stable.  Lorien is by our side again, so at least he never went anywhere.  Diamond and I yawn, only to be alerted by feedback from the siren next to the convention center. Good morning to everypony visiting the Baltimare Convention Center for Spade Con day one!  We really hope you enjoy your time! The announcement confuses me and Diamond.  “Wait.  Day one?” I say.  “Wasn’t that yesterday?” “Yeah,” replies Diamond.  “Didn’t some pegasus fly off before lunch or something?” The three of us enter the convention center once again, and I look to the magazine shelfs that contain the convention guide pamphlets. “Huh, didn’t see one of these in the stable,” I remark as I grab one of the pamphlets. Once again, Lorien leads us to the Q&A hall at the other end of the main corridor, where Atomic and Timeless soon after walk up to us from backstage, Timeless taking note of Lorien before looking at me. “I thought I heard clicking.  Aren’t you Princess Aita’s organizer?  Cozy Glow?” Diamond and I look at each other.  “It is Spade Con day one!” we exclaim together. “But- b-but that means all that progress was wasted!” I add.  “Was that why Lorien stole Atomic’s hat?  To prevent that?!?” All my babble leaves Atomic and Timeless stunned in a perplexed speechlessness.  But that does give Lorien an idea from the looks of it.  He silently walks under the table as well as Atomic to reach backstage. Timeless rapidly shakes her head to regain focus.  “Um, are you two okay?” “I think so,” answers Diamond.  “But we were close to actually solving the friendship problem!” “It might sound crazy,” I add. “but we remember being here yesterday morning…” I pause for a moment as Lorien passes by with Atomic’s hat.  “At least until that hat incident happened.  Atomic, Timeless, I’ll be back.” Atomic spots what I’m talking about, as Lorien dashes through the hall, and puts his hooves on the table.  “I’ll go.  It is my hat after all.” While I do let Atomic fly off for his hat, I join him anyway, but not before leaving Diamond with my saddlebag again.  “And Lorien is my fox!”  We arrive outside to see Lorien throwing the hat behind him.  “And there he is, trying to take the artifact out of the picture.  Which one even is it anyway?” Atomic swiftly swipes the hat before any soil can land on top of it as Lorien attempts to bury it.  He dusts the hat off and puts it on backwards.  “It’s a replica decoration of some artifact that loops time, just with different behavior.  I think it’s called, like, something-twirler… so, you have memories from another version of today?”  I nod to Atomic.  “Okay, Cozy.  Then let’s head back to the panel hall and inject this today into another.  Start you on the right hoof.” In the corridor, Lorien and I stay by each side of Atomic as I talk to him. “So Atomic,” I start, getting his attention.  “How’d you and Timeless start the Shadow Spade novels to begin with?” “That?  I’m not sure myself where Timeless got the inspiration, but we were in college when she wrote the first book.  She got me involved when she needed some input when including the murgese falcon.  I even wound up writing the dark room scene.  Our classmates loved the final cut of it, so Timeless made copies for the whole campus, then eventually published it for real.” “Well that’s fascinating.  Probably enjoyed reaching out like that, huh?” He confirms my assumption with a nod. So, with the second time the artifact activating on me and Diamond, we awaken at the stable once again with Lorien. Diamond Tiara takes a quick yawn.  “Okay, Cozy.  So what did Atomic say last time?” “When I asked about him and Timeless’ series’ inception,” I say as I sit up. “he couldn’t say where Timeless got the inspiration, but did manage to explain its upbringing.” “Do you think that might be our opening?” asks Diamond. “Not necessarily.  Atomic’s hat will remain backstage until either he retrieves it, or Lorien steals it.” Diamond and I cover our ears while Lorien hides in the stable corner when the feedback from the siren fires up to the same voice announcing the same day. At this point, I forego the pamphlet once inside, having memorized where everything is in the convention center.  We just need to make the right move in order to solve the friendship problem… wait a minute… I turn my head back to Diamond.  “So how do we go about this?  Lorien stealing the hat didn’t work; distracting Atomic and Timeless didn’t work…” “Does this really have to do with stopping memory farming?  This is supposed to be a friendship problem after all.” “Of course, Diamond, but I think I know how to break this loop.  Why don’t we tell them our stories?” My suggestion leaves Diamond slightly puzzled, judging how she stops just by the first door on the right on the long end of the corridor.  “Our stories?  I’m not sure I follow…” “We have similar upbringings, and one of ours is going to inspire one of them enough to give us the hat, rather than Lorien!  WE could reset the day on Atomic that way and give him a taste of his own medicine!” “Okay, but I have the next loop, okay, Cozy?”  I nod at her.  “So the pony getting that hat should be you.  All I have is donating my money for a new playground at the school back home… but YOU… you have a streak I can only sit back in amazement to!  It inspired Chrysalis and Aita after they ran off, and it inspires me too.  Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll be done with the loop.  In the meantime, let me see the bag so that I can get us all some breakfast.” “Sure thing, Diamond.”  I take off the saddlebag and put it on Diamond.  “And take Lorien too when you head out, okay?” “Wouldn’t dream of anything else.” Diamond, Lorien and I continue down the corridor into the our target panel hall.  Lorien’s claws striking the ground with their signature click attracts the attention of Atomic and Timeless. “I thought I heard-” Timeless starts before I interrupt. “No time for that right now.  My friend, Diamond Tiara, here wanted to take one of you guys out for breakfast.  Atomic Archive I believe the name was.”  Diamond smiles as I turn to Lorien and pet him.  “And won’t worry about my fox, Lorien.  He normally doesn’t leave your sight if he accompanies you without me.” “So he’s coming with us?” Atomic guesses as he approaches me.  I confirm with a nod.  “Okay.  Wait here while we’re at the vendor hall.  Sound good?” “Golly!” I lightly exclaim with delight.  “If you say so, Mister Archive!  I promise to keep Miss Tale company in the meantime!” Diamond, Atomic and Lorien leave the hall with grins on the ponies’ faces.  I turn to Timeless in the silence of the room, broken by her. “That was… really impressive, Cozy Glow.  How did you manage to do that in one go?” “What can I say?  I’m an organizer because Aita believed my skills could be used for good.  Though truth be told, Diamond and I were subjected to two other versions of today while on a friendship mission between you and Atomic, so…”  I hover and put my forehooves on the table. “What did you figure out?” asks Timeless. “Well, Diamond and I split up both times and came to the solution of him experiencing the loop with us to gain some perspective.” Timeless’ jaw drops before she puts it back with her hoof.  “So wait… Atomic has been sending you back to the beginning of the day?  Why?” “I dunno… maybe he just doesn’t want things to go so haywire like they did for him the last two times.  He does tend to carry the Q&A sessions from what I heard.” Timeless’ irises shrink.  “H- how did you know?” “Honestly, I kind of know what it’s like, not only because of the result of my old class incorrectly guessing why I planned field trips with the school board, but also a recent nightmare I had; it depicted what I would’ve done if Chrysalis and Aita were never in my radar, and one of those plans I laid out was almost ruined by Chancellor Neighsay hijacking a friendship school that Twilight left behind… just… I know you won’t remember it the next loop, but at least I got to tell you something I can relate with you guys.” “Don’t worry about it, Cozy.  I think I know how I can help.”  I tilt my head as Timeless momentarily goes backstage and comes back with Atomic’s hat.  “With your explanation, I realize you have a powerful skill set.  I never heard of a student that plans her classes field trips.  I certainly did not expect a fox to accompany you and Diamond.  And nopony would ever expect a filly could execute such an elaborate plan with no benefit to her.  It’s very inspirational.  Go with your plan and give Atomic some much needed perspective.  Okay, Cozy?” I beam and jump in the air with a salute.  “You got it, Timeless!” I hurry through the corridor into the vendor hall, where I immediately see Diamond Tiara paying for some fruit for Lorien, with him and Atomic right behind her.  Looking at the back of Atomic’s hat, then back to Diamond and Atomic, I’m presented with a mental dilemma. I could very well make Diamond and Atomic lose out on breakfast this loop if I do this.  Should I really send them and myself to the next loop at that cost?  Though this is for Atomic’s own good, and this might even be the only way to solve the friendship problem.  What did the tree of harmony say about me when talking to Chrysalis before we moved in with Aita? She has given back to her student body back home, led to the acquisition of Trace Light’s cutie mark, and selflessly used her double-edge skill set for the good of her friends… If all that was true, which it was… it’s the tree of harmony… then I should’ve dismissed my reconsideration; backing out here means we lose our only chance at solving the problem, which is something the map is counting on. I fly over and tap Atomic on the shoulder.  When he turns around, he looks straight into the front face of his own artifact.  With him falling asleep, Diamond Tiara jumps on top and follows suit.  When it’s my turn to send myself back, I feel a twinge of guilt, but pull through and land on my side, tossing the hat onto the floor around us.