//------------------------------// // Loop 7 // Story: The Time Thief // by Reading4HalfMyLife //------------------------------// Astral woke up and realized three things; Time had once again reset She would be going to school once more She did not want to go to school She lay there for a moment, joints aching as she mulled over these three facts, and slowly, an idea began to form in her mind. Could I skip all four days of school? She sat up, and seriously considered it. I can probably get two days off, but any more than that and mom will be mad. She shuffled awkwardly at the thought. Unlike Jam, who seemed to enjoy being grounded, Astral hated it when her mom's became annoyed or exasperated at her. Goody-hoof-shoes, Jam had called her, and it was true enough. But . . . she really didn't want to see Jam or Butterscotch again. She wasn't ready yet. Probably would never be ready. She glanced at the clock. She had seven hours before school actually started, and as that time passed, the idea in her mind of just skipping grew and grew until it seemed completely possible and reasonable. It's not like I'll get in any real trouble, everything will just reset by the end of the week. The thought didn't disturb her like it did the first time it had appeared in her head. "I don't feel so good mom," she admitted, putting on her most pathetic sounding voice. Starlight frowned at her, and put a hoof to her daughters forehead. Quietly, Astral cast her temperature spell, and her body temperature skyrocketed. "Wow, you're burning up! Hang on, you get up to bed, and I'll tell Cheerilee," Starlight watched her daughter trot up the stairs, before quickly writing a letter to Cheerilee and sending it. Astral shut the door, and breathed out a sigh of relief. Did not think that would actually work, she admitted as she climbed into bed. During the last loop, she had put together several notes and lists, all to do with her current predicament. Time Loops Ways to get out; Death (NO) Leaving the room where you loop Finding the right sequence of events Killing the culprit of the time loops (is there a culprit?) Time magic (Forbidden, and I'm not strong enough to use those) Bringing someone in with you (Don't do this) Tested Bringing someone in with you - Failure Goals Get a cutie mark Help CMC get cutie marks See Alchemy Graduate from Beginner to Intermediate Reading over the list, she once more let out a sigh, shaking her head. Okay, I'll test being outside my room next time. Although, will my notes vanish if they're not in the same room as me when I loop? A troubling thought, but she pushed past that to focus once more on her magic. She was decent at all the Beginner spells now, but they still needed refinement. Or so said her mom. She puffed out her cheeks as she concentrated, using the temperature spell to make the room slightly colder. Instead, her magic shot out like a crashing wave, and for a brief moment she was blinded by light. Once she could see again, she let out a sound that was a gasp mixed with a groan. Her bedroom floor was covered in snow. What the- how?! She refocused on the temperature spell, and the room heated up instantly, making her feel uncomfortable in her own fur. But the snow melted almost instantly, and the water evaporated. She brought the temperature back to normal room heat, and sat down, stumped. How did I do that? "Sorry sweetie, but you can't miss three days of school." As expected, when Wednesday rolled around, both Starlight and Twilight insisted Astral go to school. "Missing out on valuable knowledge!" Had been Twilight's words, while Starlight just rolled her eyes and shoved Astral out the door. She walked down the road to the schoolhouse, but, once she was sure nopony was around to see her, she dived into the bushes, and started heading out towards the Everfree. She remembered a small clearing Aunt Fluttershy had shown her once, and it seemed as good a place as any to hide from her mom's and their friends. Quickly looking around to make sure she was alone, she pulled out the Hippogriff Games. She wasn't that much of a reader, but the Hippogriff Games would always have a special place in her heart. She had just finished the second part of the book when she heard the school bell ring, signalling the end of classes for the day. Quickly shoving her book back inside her saddlebags, she stood up, and started back towards the castle. She was greeted by the sight of Miss Cheerilee sitting in the kitchen, flanked by both her parents. Astral's eyes widened infinitesimally. Ah, hell. "Astral Stellar Plane," Twilight Sparkle was certainly living up to her Princess title, somehow looking both regal and disappointed at the same time. Full name, oh Gods. "Care to explain where you've been?" Starlight asked, placing her hooves on the table as she stared at the frozen filly. "I- uh got lost?" Wow, just, just wow. "Uh-huh," Starlight said, raising an eyebrow, before turning to smile at the other two mares. "Well, how about one of us walks Astral to school tomorrow, to stop her from getting lost again." The smile the three adults gave her were saccharine, and Astral gave them her sweetest smile in return. "Of course, mom." On Thursday, Twilight stood by the door, waiting for her daughter to appear. After a couple of moments, she frowned, and started up to the bedroom, throwing open the door, only to find an empty bed. Starlight couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her wife's bewildered face. "Oh, she is so grounded," she said, smiling with all her teeth. Astral, meanwhile, was cantering down the path to the clearing, saddlebags tied tight around her barrel. She became aware of the smile on her face, and frowned as guilt pulsed through her. Get over it, unless you want to see your friends again? She shuddered. I'm going to have to learn how to get a thicker skin if I want to keep doing this. She curled up in the clearing after finding her page in the book. Her mom's would undoubtedly send out search parties to look for her, but only Fluttershy, Jam and Butterscotch knew about this place, and even then the clearing was so out there that she was certain her aunt wouldn't think of it. When she was sure school was over, she went back to the castle and climbed through one of the open windows. Falling gracelessly to the floor, she carefully picked herself back up and make herself look presentable, before trotting out into the throne room. All her aunts were there, no surprise really, and when she walked in, they all turned to her with varying degrees of confusion and annoyance. "Where have you been?" Twilight asked, wings and eye twitching. Astral schooled her features. "In the library, why?" She tried to infuse as much innocence as possible into her voice. "Why were you in the library?" "You said you would walk me to school," Astral reminded her. "I was waiting, but you never came up, so I went down to the library to find a coloring book." She made her eyes as big as possible, and good actually feel the halo forming above her head. Twilight's mouth twisted to the side as she glanced at Applejack, who frowned at Astral. "Ah know when you're lyin', ya know." She said, raising an eyebrow at the filly. "Aw, shoot." She looked up to see her moms looming over her, and laughed nervously. "Uh . . . okay, this looks bad but . . . I've got nothin'" Grounded for two weeks and having to be walked to school, can't believe I'm saying this, but thank Gods for the loops. Astral was lying in her bed, with a digital clock beside her and her notes levitating in her magic. Once the clock got closer to twelve, she threw off the covers, and trotted just outside her door. She levitated the clock close to her, and put her hooves over the notes as she carefully watched the room and her clock. 11:58 Nothing 11:59 Still nothing 00:00 Movement! Before Astral's very eyes, the marble which had fallen off her desk so many loops ago flew back up onto her desk. At the very same moment, however, her little alarm clock was crushed in her telekinetic grip. Astral jerked backwards, and the clock fell into ruins at her hooves. She shoved her muzzle close to the wreckage, cautiously inspecting it. Her notes where still there, that was a relief, but still, What just happened?