//------------------------------//
// Loop 8 
// Story: The Time Thief 
// by Reading4HalfMyLife 
//------------------------------//

Astral grit her teeth as the birds chirped outside. Many other ponies would find their song to be beautiful, but after hearing the same song over and over again, her love for nature was starting to be worn a bit thin.

She was still reeling from her discovery of last night. Only items on her or around her would stay where they were. Well, she had already guessed that. But what was with the sudden surge in telekinetic magic?

And, just to be sure she wasn't imagining it, she had tried to lift her own bed, and had done so with ease. Her magic had improved during the loop.

There has to be a logical explanation for all of this, she reasoned. But nothing sprung to mind. Mom would know  . . . but she doesn't even know I'm in a loop. Astral frowned, before a look of determination crossed her face. It was time for the parents to be brought up to speed.

She trotted out of the bedroom.





Twilight was just preparing to leave for Canterlot when Astral appeared behind her, face grim and serious. "Mom, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked, and Twilight stopped packing for a moment to turn to her.

"Of course, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Astral hesitated as she tried to think of a good way to articulate this. It would take confidence, class and subtlety to get this across to her mot- "I'm stuck in a time loop, endlessly repeating the same four days over and over again" she blurted out.

Or there's that.

Amusement crossed her moms face, and she puffed out her chest, going into lecture mode. "Sweetie, you know that Time Looping is just a myth, right? I enjoy playing make believe with you, really, I do, but you shouldn't be up in the morning so early for it."

"But I am in a time loop!" Curse her habit of playing make believe.

Twilight cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Can you prove it?" At Astral's silence, Twilight sighed, rubbing a hoof over her face wearily. "Tell you what, I'll write out a note, and give it to you. And, if you are looping, you can give that note to me as proof. That okay?"

At Astral's nod, Twilight quickly scribbled down something on a piece of paper, and passed it over to Astral, who scanned it;

I was the one who broke into the Canterlot Archives just to reorganize them

and gave her mom a blank look. Twilight blushed, then shoved Astral forwards with one wing. "Go on then! Back to bed with you!"

Astral groaned and did just that.





Astral watched at Apple Jam and Butterscotch bounced around like Pinkie Pie on a sugar high. "What's with you two?" She asked, pulling away from them.

She had accepted now that she would eventually have to meet them unless she convinced the adults she was in a time loop.

"I don't know!" Jam said, a big grin on her face. "I woke up today feeling, I dunno, energetic?" Butterscotch nodded rapidly beside her, and Astral stifled a groan, only to hear a muffled gasp from behind.

She turned to see Misty Rose standing stock still behind the three friends, her pupils so blown out her blue iris' were just pale bands. Her mouth was hanging open as she stared at Jam and Butterscotch, and even when Cheerilee called, she did not move an inch.

Astral kind of knew Misty, their mom's were friends after all, and she was best friends with Anarchy, Luna and Discord's daughter, before she and Pinkie had moved back to Ponyville. Since Astral was quite close to Anarchy's brother, Eclipse, the two had crossed paths from time to time.

So, she swallowed down the nausea that was rising in her throat from the thought of socializing , and approached the frozen figure that was the filly. "Hey, uh, Misty, are you alright?" She asked, and hesitated before reaching a hoof out to touch Misty's shoulder.

The other filly turned to her, looking caught between awe and horror. "What is wrong with Butterscotch and Apple Jam?" She whispered, and Astral's heartbeat skyrocketed. 

She knew Misty was observant, to the point where Twilight Sparkle herself admitted she was like "a mini Fetlock Hooves" and "a bona-fide genius," but was it possible she knew about the loops? About Jam and Butterscotch's deaths?

"W-What do you mean?" Astral cursed herself for stumbling at the start, and, by the fact that Misty's eyes narrowed, the filly caught it.

"I mean, why do they have so much earth pony magic?!" Misty reared up and flailed her hooves dramatically. "Where did they even get so much of it?"

"Wait," Astral frowned. "Is that why they're so energetic?"

"Probably. Gods, it's like looking at the sun. I hope it wears off soon!" With that, the earth pony trotted inside, Astral at her hocks as she mulled this over.

Jam and Butterscotch both have a surge in earth pony magic not two loops after they .  .  died? That can't be a coincidence. She hadn't been in on the Monday they had been killed, so she wasn't sure if they had an increase in energy then, but it was starting to look like it.

I need to get mom in on this . . 





"Hey, mom?"

"Yes sweetie?" Starlight looked up from the book she was reading.

"I'm uh, trapped in a time loop, and I need something from you to prove to future you that I'm actually in a time loop."

Seeing her mom's blank look, she scowled slightly. "Just, roll with it."

Starlight looked at her daughter for a moment. Stuck in a Time Loop sounded impossible, but, well she had also done the impossible by improving Starswirl's Time Spell. Just to be safe, she told herself, and smiled. "Okay, here," she levitated one of her favorite kites down from the roof of the castle (after she and Twilight got married, she insisted that kites be part of the decorations) and gave it to Astral.

Astral put it on the flat part of her back, and smiled. "Yeah, that'll do. Thanks mom."

"No problem, Assie."





It was the last day now, and Astral was once more in her room, with the note and kite laid out in front of her. She closed her eyes and breathed out as time once more reset, before opening them again and smiling.

Showtime.