Sweetie snuggled into her sleeping bag, considering going to bed. After remembering her Mark, she sat up and looked toward the clock that was technically hers now. Levitating it over, she waited as time slowly ticked over.
11:59…
12:00
Sweetie glanced to her flank, and sighed in relief. Her Mark was still there. Rubbing it, Sweetie smiled warmly, remembering the moment with crystal clarity. It was something she was never going to forget, that’s for sure. The question was, how could she use the loops to achieve it? Sweetie sighed and shifted further into her sleeping bag.
Rarity would be looking for her in the morning. Groaning, Sweetie sat up and quickly packed her things into a corner. Sweetie knew none of the Crusaders would be coming to the clubhouse, so it was safe to leave things here. Turning, Sweetie trotted outside, closing the door with her magic.
Shivering in the cold, she walked through the deserted streets. Eventually she made her way back to the boutique, and entered quietly. Sneaking upstairs, she quickly checked her sister’s room. Creeping into her room, she was pleased to see the damage was gone, and slipped quietly into the sheets.
Giving a yawn, Sweetie settled into wonderful dreams about her Mark. Sweetie dreamed of her friends seeing it, and praising her. Sweetie smiled in her sleep. Finally, all three of them could potentially gain their marks. That might be the key to getting out of the loop. Sweetie dared to hope it was, finally slipping into slumber.
Sweetie cracked her eyes open to the midday sun in brief confusion as her mind struggled to comprehend it. This wasn’t normal. Where was the call for breakfast? For Pancakes…Always pancakes. Slowly rising: she looked to her hoof, and then to her open door. Wandering out and down to find Rarity and Twilight downstairs. Worried.
Strange…
“Good morning Sweetie. I-“Cutting Rarity off: Sweetie lifted a hoof firmly, and spoke. “What day is it?” The two shared a glance.
“Saturday,” they spoke eventually. For a moment: time froze for Sweetie. Gaze lowering as her eyes flicked left to right wildly. Her breathing grew quicker and faster as her body shook, and she dashed upstairs to her room. Closing the door. Leaning against it: her eyes closed tightly shut as she began to softly cry.
Wrong. It was all wrong. This was wrong. She wasn’t supposed to get free without reason! Where was the solving!? Where was the answers!? A hoof slammed into the door as she gave a cry in anguish.
“DAMN YOU STARSWIIIRL!” She cried out as sobs racked her body. Slowly slumping against the door before curling up. Free…no. No.
“You’ve cursed me… I’m cursed…I can’t live a normal life after this.” Shivering as her body convulsed: she noticed a pair of eyes under the bed. Opal slowly walked out: regarding her calmly. The cat stepped forward and placed a paw on sweetie. A presence. A feeling.
‘If you wish to forget: I can help you. You will live a free and happy life. But you must truly wish for this. You need to let go.’ That voice. Was that Opal? Sweetie’s expression dilated, and then narrowed to pinpricks.
“Star..swirl….” Her magic grabbed the cat, and pinned it down. Sweetie rose to her full height: shaking once more. But with a far more violent emotion.
‘The choice is yours. We can either go with the predicable outcome: me in jail yet again: or you can let me go.’ The voice was cold: dispassionate. As if he was talking down to Sweetie.
This man….No. This…this villain! Sweetie couldn’t believe it! Did he honestly believe she’d just FORGIVE and forget!? After all he did to her!? That she’d just let it go because he said ‘sowwy?’ Madness was not yet a thought in her mind.
“Never,” she growled at him. Then she dragged the cat downstairs: so the adults could handle it.
Sweetie would then return upstairs, and curl up in her blankets. Wondering if she’d made the right choice as visages of her friends continued to laugh at her.
“Sweetie Belle…hasn’t been doing well.” Spoke Rarity gently.
“Aww….but we haven’t seen her in weeks!” Retorted Applebloom with a whine.
“Go away,” shouted a voice from Sweetie Belle’s room. The three flinched, and the two fillies retreated. A sigh escaped Rarity, and she ascended to her sister’s room. Opening the door she looked in solemnly. Sitting in the darkness: staring at old letters.
“Sweetie…maybe it’s time to let it go.” Reaching out for her sister: she flinched as one eye turned to her with pure rage.
“Never! I will never give up!” Pivoting: Sweetie gripped her sisters shoulders.
“I’m going to find Starswirl. Not these fragments. Echoes of the true one.” She narrowed her eyes.
“And I’m going to bring an army. I don’t care if it takes me my life: I will break through and back into the loops. I will find him. And see this ends. Properly.” Letting her go: Sweetie turned back to the notes.
“Sweetie…it is ov-“ Rarity was cut off.
“NO IT IS NOT!” Screeched Sweetie as she rounded on her sister. Pointing a hoof as she spoke.
“Twilight herself can back me up on this. There is only one explanation as to why the loop suddenly halted like this. I’m not some fool! Each loop creates a separate universe!” Sweetie placed a hand on her chest, and proclaimed loudly so the world could damn her actions.
“I’m going to go to each and every one. And make sure Starswirl sees Justice.” Her horn began to spark as threads of powerful and ancient magic curled around her horn. Rarity reared back in alarm as her sister began to float in the air.
“You have to stop this Sweetie! Think about us! About your future!” Rarity couldn’t believe what was happening. Tears springing to her eyes as she reached out only to be slapped away.
“I love you sister. Goodbye.” And with a sharp CRACK-̴ ̸r̵e̴a̸l̸i̶t̸y̶ ̵o̷p̵e̷n̶e̷d̴ ̵u̷p̷.̴ ̵A̷n̷d̸ ̸S̸w̶e̵e̴t̷i̸e̸ ̵s̸a̸w̶ ̶t̴h̶e̵ ̸t̷r̴u̶t̷h̷ ̶o̸f̵ ̶t̵h̵e̵ ̶s̵p̸e̴l̶l̸.̶ ̷A̶n̵d̷ ̵j̵u̴s̵t̸ ̶h̷o̶w̷ ̴f̷a̴r̶ ̶t̷h̶e̵ ̴l̶o̵o̵p̵s̴ ̴t̸r̵u̸l̵y̴ ̵w̴e̵n̸t̵.̷ ̸F̶o̶r̸ ̴a̸ ̶m̶o̵m̶e̴n̶t̸:̵ ̶s̶h̸e̴ ̶h̷e̶s̷i̶t̷a̸t̷e̸d̵.̵ ̵D̸i̷d̴ ̴s̷h̷e̷ ̴d̴a̸r̸e̵ ̴g̸o̸ ̶t̸h̴r̴o̴u̸g̶h̴?̶
̵̟͖͛͝B̵͚͈̮̄͝r̴̻̼͐͐͠i̴̧̯͓̐̓̃e̴̢̠̝̋f̴̪͗̀͊l̸͙̫̰̋̕ý̸̯̓͠:̷̹̥͌͠ ̷͉̌s̶̰̖͛̋h̶͈̑ë̴̜̹̓ ̵̩͖̳̀͛g̶̨̳͌l̶̡̘̳̑a̴͔͍̮͗͆̈n̶̺͕͆̽̽c̵̨̛͓̕ė̵̞̯̹d̵̡̀̂ ̸̣̭͘ḅ̷͇̽̽͐à̴̦̥̙c̸̲͊̕ķ̶͠,̶̣̜͈͐ ̸̙̝̈́̀ä̸ͅn̵̡̖͑͘͝d̴͇̝̭͐̕͝ ̷͎͆̀̍ş̴̦͕̇͊a̶̭͈͇̒w̷̺͆ ̵̡̮̓t̴̖̊͌h̶͍̩̄͝͠e̷̡͕̝͒̇͝ ̷̲̯̘̑͐s̶̤͈̬̊͂l̸̡̟̘̀̄̔ö̴̫́̉͜͝w̴͕͆̍̿ ̷̓̋̅͜d̷̦̬́̚ę̷̡̽g̶̻̻̤̒ŗ̵͚̆ã̶͍͚̭̉d̵̨͎̒̏̕â̶̭ṫ̷̛̗̐i̶͎̘̒̀̀o̸̡̡̺̔͋̃ņ̷̯̰̏̄͠ ̶̤̖̐o̴̙̳͓͊̈́f̷̼͆̿ ̵͍̱͋e̶̱͐ả̸̡͍c̷̝̲͜͝h̵͉̗̿͒̚ ̵̡̨̻͘S̵̗̘̈́̀̄w̴̧͉͉̌ę̶̺̲͋̌̐e̶̝̣͍͋t̴̞̬͋̕i̸̞̤̱͑͒ę̸̇.̴̨̞̺̊̄ ̷̰̠̍̇A̷̡̅̊ ̸͚̺͛͐s̸̫̟͍̆͘͠ö̸̻͚́̋f̴͈̺̿́̚t̷̖͎̝́͌͝ ̴̘̑f̶͖͕͒͊͜ŕ̷͔͘̕ọ̶̏̑͝w̴͔̃́̍n̶̹̈́͝ ̴̬̿o̷̢̙̅͊̈́ņ̶͎͒ ̶̙̻̄h̵̫͇̞͆̚͘è̶̠͎̪̃͐r̶̲͘͜ ̴̰̈́f̸̥̆a̶̹̬͖̾͐c̶̟͇͝é̴͓́͑.̴̪̈͑ͅ ̸̜͆̈́Ṋ̷͚͒o̸̻͋̈́ ̶̭̣̣͐̒͌ḓ̵͇̀̏͘a̸̙̭̘͆͆m̴̟̋̀͜å̷̗͙̩͊g̴͖͑̈́e̸͕̤͑͋.̶̲̭̩̃̀͛ ̵̰̮̑S̸͙̺̹̏o̵̜̗͊m̷͍̈́e̴͕͗̅͘.̷̦̜̹̈́̽̔ ̸͔̌̾͑R̴̹̠̯̈́̃͠ě̵͖̊̾s̸͍̟̙̃̓i̵̓ͅs̷̨̿́̆ţ̴̛̼ͅĩ̸̝̯n̴̤̼͔̒̍̅g̴̢͓͓̕ ̷͔̦̆h̴̭̥͚̕͝ǐ̴̢̯̀͑s̴͕͇͝ ̴̲̍̀s̷̥̐p̴̟͛e̷̘̤̾̋͝ḻ̶̛̼l̶̲͈̔̚s̸͎̲͊̌͗ͅ.̴̼́͘ ̶͚͙̯͆Ä̸̭́n̸̝͛̈g̵̯̈u̶̳͗̀ì̷͚̗͛̉s̶̮̿͂̅h̴͐ͅ…̸̲̻͛H̸̪͗͊ō̶̩̻w̸̡̅̏̏ ̸̯͚̬̕m̷̧̯͋̓u̸͎̪̝͒c̵̢͈̬̅̊͘ḧ̷̫͇͓́́͊ ̵͙͔̒̀p̶̺̤͆̌à̷̖̯͓i̷̹̳̤̓͛̄n̸̙͖̆̐͗ ̸͍̿̊̀w̵̨̙̋ͅo̸͚̹̤͑̽̔u̸͙͋̉l̵̨̥̉̈͠d̶̻̭̙̀̀ ̷̡͖̐b̶̡̫͇͋è̶̮̥̋ ̶̻̝̄͌ç̶͓͙̑̈̎ä̴͍́͘ų̸͊͊̀s̷̱̲̜͆e̶̙̱͍͝d̷̮͒ ̶̛̬̥ì̵̺̹̼͝n̶̨̛̲̏̑ ̴̬̦̾f̴̩̒u̸̢̅ṭ̴̥̐u̴̗̱͌̎̚ͅr̴̲̊e̴̡̲͑̒ ̴̱̯͓̃l̵̻͚͊̽͝ơ̸͔͒́ŏ̷̲͕̏̓p̴̨̘̀s̵̡͎̥̆͋?̴̰̫̿ͅ ̸̧͒̅͠H̸̪͂̍͌e̵̛̙̞̽͌͜r̴̲̀́̄ ̴̢̖͛ḡ̵͉̱͝a̴̼̥͌z̵̲͉͈̀̈́ḙ̴̩͐͛̚ ̷̠̘̍̓ͅw̵̼̬̓̚e̴̢͚͊n̷͉̝̈́t̴̖͊ ̷̩̚t̴̖̉o̷͍̍̇͂ ̶̳̺͒̉̎͜t̸́̂ͅḥ̶̢͙͂̄͘e̶̘̦̳͌̇͗ ̴̼̜̆̒̐b̷̗͔͐l̸̞̖͆̔́͜ǔ̶̧̪̼ŗ̴̭̩͒̀r̷̛̪͍̓y̴̝̺̐ ̷̲̠͖̉f̶̫̺̙̔̎u̷͕̹͂t̴̳͒͋͆u̷̼͒r̶͔̥̃͛è̴͐̇ͅ.̴̛̥͑́
̴̘̕͠ͅ
̵̪̩̝̣͍̭͐̆͘“̸̡̟̣̺́͋͜İ̶̟̩̈̎̈́̆̎̚͝ ̷͖̙̊̄̇̄̓̓͝h̵̤̲̠̮̲̀̿̚ą̸̨̬̠̞̙͑̍̀͘ṽ̷̛̪̫̻͎̙͒͜è̵̤̞̈́͋̿͘͝ ̶̯͈̩͛̐̾̓͝ţ̶̨̜̲̄͌̀̓͆̎͝ͅǫ̸̢̨̲̰̂̿̏͂̋͘͘ ̸̧̙̐̆̈s̴̡͖͙̹̭̒͆̀͛ả̴̉̄͜ͅv̴̨̤̲̼̜̳̒̇̐͊͂̏́ͅe̸̤͓̮̩͑͐͒͜͝͠ ̸͕͖͚̱̮̎m̶̛̲̅͂̈́̏̐͜ỳ̸̡̱͎̙͕̮̔͛̾̏͜s̶̗̙̐̽͗̆̃̏̂̐͜ḝ̵̧̤̩̞̯̗̳̔ľ̵̛̳͓̯̈̾̀̊̀f̵̙̹̺̞̫̬̬́͝ͅ…̸̪̘̰͓̲̝̀̾̈̇͘̕Î̷̢̛̠̎̏̍̇͝’̸̦̫́̂̾ļ̵̜̝͎͕̙̭̭́͊͘ḽ̸̋̀̄̑͆͒̓͝ ̶̹̞̩̓͋͋͘c̵̡͔̝͕͆̎͋̓o̴̼̊̎̑̓͐̚m̷̞̹̗͕͆̍͋͗̂̏̐͝ͅͅe̷̘͙̓͗̌̽ ̶̢̝̤̗̮̳̽̇̈̓̏̽b̸̯̤̳͇̦̲̰͖̈́a̴͖̿͌̈́̇̀͘͝c̶͙̫̙̦͓͗̈̄̑̑̕ķ̴͇̩̦̼̆̽͛͜͠ ̴̜̙̮͂̈́͘ș̸̲͋̌̉̈́ȯ̵̢̬͓̩̘̿̀͘͜ṃ̸̥͔̤̫͒͋͑͂͝ȩ̸͚̪͔̦͔͐̇̔̈ͅd̸̮̫̫̀̿͝å̶̫̩̲̮͙͐ȳ̶̮̮̖͊̈́̕ͅͅ…̵̤̮̙̏̈́͆̈͋̀̿̚I̸̧̫̻͘̚ ̶̟̹̓̿̽̓̋p̷̪̼̮͉̹̠̀͛̎͐̾͗̽͘r̷̲̞͓͉̩̥͚̔̉͗̑̾́͗͘͜o̷̤͆̀̏̄̀̓m̴͉̮̳̂̒̇̄ͅi̴̯̹̝̐̍̓̏̔̌ṣ̶̡̭̥͕͑̊̿̈͝é̴̹̃̇̓̊͊…̴̡̧̮̼̮͖́̔̋͘”̵̻͎͓͔̬̀̃̓̽̀͂͑
̵͎̭̠̲̻͇̮̝͗̌
̵A̷n̷d̸ ̷j̴u̸s̵t̶ ̵l̸i̴k̶e̶ ̴t̴h̷a̸t̵:̷ ̵she was gone.
“I’m sorry Rarity, this is my fault,” sighed Twilight softly. “If only I’d not mentioned my parallel universes theory…” The sobbing Rarity had no words left to add. What more could be said. Sweetie was gone, and they had no way of knowing if or when she’d return.
“I couldn’t stop her Twilight. I’ve failed as her sister.” There was nothing that could be done. And yet…Twilight bit her lip and glanced away.
“…We might be able to follow her,” She spoke eventually. That faint spark of hope was enough to get Rarity to lift her head. They could follow her…
“…Please…” she gripped Twilight: begging her. “I just want to keep my sister safe. Please Twilight…” Nothing else: this was all Rarity could think about. What else mattered? Not their deadbeat parents back in Canterlot that’s for sure.
“Alright Rarity.” Hugging her friend: Twilight closed her eyes.
“Just know: this might be a one way trip. If where she’s going doesn’t have a way back…” Even then: Twilight already knew Rarity’s answer.
“I don’t care. She’s my sister.