//------------------------------// // MLP Loops 218 // Story: MLP Time Loops // by Saphroneth //------------------------------// 218.1 (Scorntex) Level 2 Cliché Storm Warning The door to the library opened. Spike looked up, rubbing his eyes just to check, as Twilight Sparkle walked in, her mane dishevelled and her eyes barely open. "Hey, Spike," she said wearily. Spike just blinked incredulously. "Hey?" he repeated. "Where'd you go? You said you were just going over to Sugarcube Corner. That was a week ago!" "'m sorry." Twilight said, as she slowly made her way across the room. She fought down a yawn. "Stuff happened." "Stuff?" Twilight grunted in the affirmative. "Got dragged into an epic adventure. Sword fights, evil villains, betrayals, ancient secrets, fate of Equestria." She blinked again. Spike remained respectfully quiet. After several minutes, it was clear Twilight hadn't just closed her eyes to reflect on what she'd just said, or why she'd said it with such irritation, but had actually fallen asleep. That she jolted awake when he cleared his throat helped. "Anything happen while I was gone?" she asked. Spike rubbed a foot against the floor. "Well..." he coughed again, "you got some letters from Shining Armor and Cadence. Also, Rarity kept showing up while you were gone." He tried to keep his tone level, but even a half-asleep Twilight was able to notice the tenor of his voice. "What was she asking about?" "You, mostly." There was an odd look on Twilight's face Spike didn't like. "I see." She said, "Well, I'm going to go get some sleep." She yawned again. "Or try..." Twilight sighed, and took another sip of her tea, the one from the special reserve in her pocket, saved for only the most exasperating situations. It was especially good tea. Just what the Anchor had ordered, after a long week of harrowing and unwanted adventures, without one of her friends along for the ride. It had started innocently enough, just going over to Sugarcube Corner. Then Luna had shown up asking for her help, and before Twilight could actually respond, she'd been teleported away, and... Well, it didn't do to dwell. It was over now. Now there was tea, and only tea. She'd managed a nap (as had Spike, who'd gone the entire time she was away without much sleep), tidied up the library slightly, and was now waiting for it. It being the next thing that was to come along, and she had a good guess as to what that was. There was a knocking at the door. Twilight sighed a different sigh, and took another drink from her tea. She made her way to the door, which burst open to reveal Rarity. "Twilight, darling!" Rarity exclaimed, embracing her. "I'm so relieved to see you again!" "Thanks." Twilight said. Behind Rarity, she saw the mare's fainting couch. "I have something important to tell you." Twilight felt her calm mood start to evaporate. She had a feeling as to where the conversation was about to go. "Something soul-shattering and world-destroying, which I could only tell you." Rarity stopped, and took a deep breath. "You see, it turns out I am adopted." "You are." Twilight intoned. "Yes! And my true parents are-" "Secretly out to overthrow Princess Celestia?" Rarity stared at her in astonishment. "Why, yes, actually." Rarity composed herself. "I knew I made the right choice in telling you, Twilight. You've always been a good friend. Loyal and honest and kind." She started to advance on Twilight. "It has been heartbreaking, nerve-wrenching, nay heart-stopping, waiting through this week, wondering where you were." "Fighting for my life." Twilight said, taking some careful steps back as she did. Rarity stared blankly at her for several seconds. "That sounds horrific. Oh, Twilight, I wish I had been there for you." "I was fine." Twilight said. Technically, this wasn't true, but she had a feeling the un-Awake Rarity was on her own script, and wasn't about to accept any ad libbing. "Twilight," Rarity intoned, "there is something I must tell you, something I have been keeping from you for some time. I love you, Twilight." From behind Twilight there was the sound of shattering teacups. Twilight knew if she turned around right at that moment she would see Spike standing there, having dropped a tea tray at the sight and sound of Rarity's proclamation. And she knew if she tried to say anything, Spike would run away before she could explain what was happening. "Rarity," Twilight began, "please listen to me carefully: I am really not interested in you, or anypony really." Rarity stared blankly for several long seconds. "I... see." She said, with all the speed and appropriate warmth of a glacier. "I thought you understood me..." "What?" Twilight asked, but Rarity's eyes were already beginning to well up with tears. "How could you, Twilight?" Rarity wailed. "How could you?" And with an astoundingly melodramatic sob, she turned and fled the library. Twilight sighed. She turned toward the kitchen. First things first, she was going to talk to Spike, then find Rarity and clear up what had just happened. It had taken a long talk over tea before Twilight had managed to reassure Spike she wasn't about to start dating Rarity, and that there was no need for despair and/or running off into the night (or early evening, as the case may have been). After that, she went out to find Rarity, only to find the boutique abandoned. The spa, likewise, had no trace of her. An exhaustive search of Ponyville failed to provide even the slightest hint of Rarity anywhere. It was as she was returning to the library Twilight saw Applejack walking along the road, minding her own business. Twilight waved to her. "Hello, Twilight," Applejack said. "What's bothering you?" Twilight had been about to explain about the situation with Rarity, when she stopped and stared intently at Applejack. "Is everything alright?" she asked. Applejack looked about, without concern. "I'm perfectly fine." She said, "Why? Is something the matter?" Twilight rubbed a hoof in her ear. She had definitely heard Applejack speaking, just without any trace of her usual accent. But as far as weirdness went, that was merely a blip on the week's events. "Sorry, long day." She admitted, "Rarity's been acting strange." Suddenly Applejack's expression turned amazingly dark. "Rarity." The farmmare scoffed. "What's she done now?" Twilight eyed Applejack suspiciously. "You have an argument with her, Applejack?" "No." Applejack replied. "She's just the worst. Always being so melodramatic and obsessed with status. The worst." Twilight paused carefully. "Right." She finally managed, before making a note to have a long talk with Applejack at a later point in the Loop. "Well, if you see her, can you at least tell her I've been looking for her?" To her relief, Applejack just nodded, before going on her merry way. Twilight awoke to the sound of someone ringing the library's doorbell. "Wuzgon?" she heard Spike mumble. "Door." Twilight said, as she lit up her horn, preparing to do just that. Then the memories of the last few days came back to her, and she stopped. She considered the likelihood of something going hideously wrong if she tried to cast a teleportation spell, a spell she cast day in, day out. She considered how the Loop had been going so far, and didn't like her odds. There was a high chance of another adventure happening. There was an equally high chance of her winding up a different species. Which wasn't exactly a severe roadblock, but it was a horrible thing to deal with before your first cup of coffee. So, half-asleep, she made her way downstairs. On opening the door, she saw Celestia standing there. "Twilight," she said, "thank goodness you're in." Twilight decided it was best not to point out that she was obviously going to be in her home in the morning. "What's the matter?" she asked. There was a look on Celestia's face. Or more specifically, a Look. This was one of those Celestias, it seemed, the type who engaged in circuitous and nebulous plans to make Twilight do things that, in most cases, she would've done anyway. The kind of Celestias who'd get dizzy if someone suggested she walk in a straight line. They weren't quite as problematic as the evil Celestias, but they were definitely a nuisance. (Admittedly, in the same way Vinyl playing her music too loud was a nuisance, or an un-Awake Diamond Tiara was a nuisance. But a nuisance nonetheless.) "I heard about what happened between you and Rarity." Celestia said, "and I was troubled." "Oh, that." Twilight said. "Yes. I'm hoping I can find Rarity and explain..." she stopped, as she got a good look at Celestia's expression. "Is something wrong?" "About your friendship with Rarity?" And Twilight noticed the odd emphasis Celestia had put on that word, "no. But there is another matter I must talk to you about." Twilight still wasn't sure how it had happened. Even though she'd been wide awake for the entire conversation with Celestia, and had been listening intently, she still wasn't sure. Somehow, Sombra had unexpectedly come back from the dead, and because of some strange obscure law which Celestia had never felt any need or desire to revoke, this now meant Twilight Sparkle was meant to marry him, in order to prevent Equestria's "corrupt and scandal-ridden government" from collapsing. And for some reason, nopony, not Princess Luna, or her friends (barring the still absent Rarity) or her parents or brother seemed at all concerned about any of this. And every attempt Twilight had made to try and get out of this insane arrangement, short of just fleeing to the moon for the rest of the Loop, had failed. "If anyone objects to this union..." Celestia began. Twilight looked at her friends, who were all grinning cheerfully. There evidently wasn't going to be any help from that quarter. Then there was a crashing from the door to the chamber. Twilight closed her eyes and silently thanked whoever Yggdrasil had sent. She didn't particularly care at that exact moment who or what it might've been, even if it was an incredibly lost yak on a stag do. "I object." Twilight turned to look. There, hovering in the doorway, was another Sombra, albeit in a lighter shade of grey than the version hovering next to Twilight. "...huh." She heard Rainbow Dash exclaim. "What's the meaning of this?" Celestia exclaimed. "I am Sombra. When I was hit by the Crystal Heart, I was split in two. This version," he jabbed a hoof towards his scowling counterpart, "Is my evil half." "Makes sense." Twilight heard Pinkie Pie state. "How, exactly?" she asked incredulously. "I could not allow this state of affairs to continue." Good Sombra intoned, "I have too much respect for Miss Sparkle to allow her to be disgraced, sacrificing her happiness for Equestria's sins." "We haven't even met." Twilight valiantly tried to point out. "There's no need to be rude, dear." Twilight Velvet spoke up. Before Twilight could say anything else, there was a crash, as the roof was torn away, but in such a fashion as to not cause bits of masonry to fall on any of the alarmingly large crowd of ponies gathered for the wedding (and the guards, who were more to stop Twilight running than, say, guard anyone). Then, with a flutter of wings, Rarity entered. It was, Twilight had to admit, a pretty impressive entrance. That Rarity had clearly gone Nightmare, meanwhile, was a serious concern. "I hope I am not too late." The dark mare announced. Behind her, Twilight heard Applejack scoff. "Told you. The worst." None of the others saw fit to question this comment either. Rarity fixed Twilight with an alarming stare. "I too heard of your situation, and naturally I have hastened to your rescue, my love." "I am very confused right now..." Twilight heard the Sombra beside her murmur. Twilight looked at the situation. She looked at the expression on Celestia's face (bemused puzzlement, with a side of trying to work out how to incorporate the new developments). She looked at her parents' expressions (aghast). Her friends (mostly just glowering furiously at Rarity. Even Fluttershy looked like she wanted to throw something heavy). She looked at Rarity. She looked at the Good Sombra. And then Twilight Sparkle sighed, and deciding it didn't really matter what happened at that point, began casting a teleportation spell. She was quite satisfied when the spell actually worked, and she momentarily popped out of existence. She was especially satisfied when she reappeared exactly where she'd been meaning to go, and was still a unicorn. THREE WEEKS LATER: Twilight looked at the world, from her little house on the moon. She'd thought about bringing the library up, but time and experience had suggested that was not a sensible move at the moment. She'd spent the time terraforming a small area to live in instead, partly just to pass the time. She sighed contentedly, and went back to reading her book. 218.2 (Evilhumour, Anon e Mouse Jr., Skaz of the Void) [MLP/Marvel] Flashing Steel Flash Awoke to find himself taller with things looking different from he was used to, which meant he Looped somewhere else replacing someone. “Okay,” the normally teenage boy that was sometimes a pegasus asked himself. “Where am I?” “Hey bub, first time here?” a gruff voice to his side caused him to jump slightly. Turning his head, Flash saw a slightly shorter than average man giving him an amused smirk. He was wearing jeans and a sleeveless white shirt, and had a can of something in one hand. “How can you tell?” Flash asked, noticing he had a thick accent which made him think he was from Russia in this Loop. “Eh, Tinman has his own way of moving an’ acting; ya suddenly just shifted in everything Ivan normally does,” the man said, stabbing open up a beer with a claw that came out from his centre knuckle and began to drink it down while keeping eye contact with him. With a loud burp and toss of the empty over his shoulder, the man gave him a wider grin. “Besides, I’m sorta known in the loops for being the best at what I do… and what I do ain’t very nice. So where are ya from newbie?” “Equestria, mister…” Flash began. “Yer a pony?” he grunted. “Sometimes,” Flash shrugged his massive shoulders, which he just noticed were very well developed. “I’m from the human side, actually.” The man grunted nonchalantly before raising a thick eyebrow. “So what’s yer name back home kid?” “Flash Sentry mister…” Flash tried again to get this Looper’s name before he snorted. “With a name like that, I’d’ve thought you’d replace Quicksilver, not Tinman,” the man said as he grabbed another beer and began to drink it the same way as the first one. “Why’s that?” Flash asked as soon as he was done with his beer. “Peter, the person yer replacing, ain’t known for being quick,” the man said tossing the empty can over his shoulder. “And with how the damn Tree loves its jokes, it’s odd yer ain’t replacing a speedster.” “So what can I do?” Flash asked, looking at his own hands which were calloused, telling him that he was someone who used his fists often. “Just focus on an inner part of yerself kid,” the man said with Flash focusing on that odd part he normally associated with his pegasus magic. Within a few seconds, his hands and arms turned from flesh into a metallic sheen. “Whoa!” Flash said excitedly, looking at his fingers wiggle and make a few metallic squeals before noticing a slight change in his voice. Licking his cheek confirmed that the change was to his face which probably meant it was to his entire body. “This is cool!” He then blinked and looked at the grinning man. “And I see why you call the guy I’m replacing Tinman mister…” “The name’s Logan, bub.” The man cricked his neck before grabbing two more beers from the cooler at his feet, tossing him one. “I’ll tell you more about my Loop and what we do, but first.” Logan said as both of them began opening their beer and taking a drink. “Let me teach you something we call the Fastball Special.” With a grin on his metallic face, Flash nodded his head. “Sounds like something Dash would love back home, so sure. What do we need to do?” “Okay bub,” Logan said as he crouched lower to the ground. “Listen closely...” Flash, or as his Loop name was Piotr "Peter" Nikolayevich Rasputin, stumbled into the mansion-converted-into-a-school which was also a secret superhero base slightly buzzed from the drinking and slightly from the workout that Logan had put him through. He was still muddling over what he had been told about this section of this Branch when he felt someone tackle him over. “Peter!” a voice squealed. A moment later, the person got off him, allowing him to roll over. “Where have you been?” Flash let out a groan as he tried to get to his feet. “I’m sorry, who are you?” “Peter?” The girl looked at him in concern, before it hit her, and she looked dismayed. “Visiting Looper?” “Yeah.” Flash finally managed to stand up. “Flash Sentry.” The girl held out a hand. “Kitty Pryde. And… sorry about that, but you’re replacing my sometimes boyfriend, and…” Flash held up a hand. “Say no more,” he said. “I understand perfectly.” Kitty looked relieved. “So, what Loop are you from?” “Equestria, technically.” Kitty’s eyes lit up. “You’re a pony?” “Only part-time,” Flash said. “How much do you know about what they call the Equestria Girls side of our branch?” “Um…” Kitty considered. “Oh! The side with human versions of the ponies? Where Sunset Shimmer lives?” “That’s the one. I’m from that side of things, usually.” Kitty “aah”ed. “I didn’t know that side had any native Loopers yet.” “It’s a recent development,” Flash told her. “I didn’t know you’d met Sunset.” “I haven’t, really. But one of my best friends in the Loops is Peter Parker, and he’s met her.” “He’s your Anchor, right?” Flash asked. “Spider-Man?” “Yeah.” Flash nodded. “Sunset told me about meeting him - or showed me her journal entry, at least. He seems like a nice guy.” “Like, he is.” Kitty frowned. “Dratted reflexes…” Flash looked confused. “Sometimes, my speech patterns from that one variant leak over when I’m not expecting them,” Kitty said. “I don’t normally talk like that.” “Right.” “Anyway, I don’t think anyone from your branch has actually been part of our team yet,” Kitty said with a smile. “I keep hoping Spike will pop in as Lockheed though. Anyway, should be fun to see how it goes.” “We’ll see,” Flash said. “So, who else is on the team?” “Well…” Kitty tilted her head to the side. “Between different times and variants, there’s a lot of us. In our baseline, the original five were Scott, Jean, Warren, Hank and Bobby - Cyclops, Phoenix, Angel, Beast and Iceman, and they’re led by Professor Xavier. Scott, Jean, Bobby and the Professor are all Looping. The next big team revamp brought in several new members, including Ororo, Kurt and Logan - Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine - who are all Looping. That’s also when Peter joined, by the way, but… he isn’t a Looper yet.” She looked dismayed. “I came later, and eventually we got Emma Frost. And that’s without going into everyone who isn’t Looping yet. Overall, including all the splinter teams we’ve had, there’s been over a hundred of us.” “Wow.” Flash looked surprised. “That’s… a lot.” “I know.” Kitty shook her head. “Oh, and Magneto’s Looping. Technically he’s our enemy, but… there’ve been times when he was part of the team too.” “I think Logan mentioned about him and the professor being friends at some point?” “They were,” Kitty replied. “They had a falling-out, because the professor believes in peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants and Magneto wants to take over and force people to accept us.” “How bad was it? Maybe they could talk things out or something?” Flash asked. “You’re definitely from Equestria. No offence Flash,” Kitty said. “None taken.” “The thing is, they actually have come back together at times, and they still respect one another.” Kitty paused for a moment, then continued. “A lot of the time, Magneto still wishes the professor would come around to seeing things like he does, so they could work together and build a better future together. And the professor feels the same way about Magneto.” “Huh.” “But, as long as Magneto’s still using violence to try and get what he wants…” Kitty looked at Flash as they reached his room. “We have to oppose him, and any others who’d try to conquer the world or destroy us.” Flash sat down on his bed. “So what caused them to have their big fall-out? I mean, why does Magneto have such strong views?” “It depends on the variant, but usually… he’d seen a lot of bad things when he was younger, but what really pushed him over the edge is because some mutant-hating humans burned down his house with his daughter inside.” Kitty looked at him. “He’s seen the worse side of humanity and prejudice, and it’s shaped his whole belief system ever since. The professor never had to deal with that kind of thing, so Magneto sees him as an idealist who won’t go to the extremes that Magneto feels are necessary to keep mutants safe. He wants to keep things like genocide from happening to us, and he’s willing to use deadly force to make sure of it.” “That’s…” Flash struggled to think of a proper word for that before giving up and saying. “That’s horrible. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like.” “That’s why he gains a lot of followers,” Kitty scratched the back of her head. “Some of them are just jerks, but there are others who feel the same way he does. Peter actually joined them at one point, when he’d been hurt so he couldn’t change out of his armored form and wanted an alternative to us, and he stayed so he could try and temper their more extreme methods. It didn’t last, but at least he tried. And that’s just baseline, in one of the variants he joined them because Magneto forced him to by threatening his family.” Flash nodded. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that with me. I’m sticking with you guys this Loop, no matter what.” “Spoken like a pony,” Kitty giggled with Flash laughing back. “Still, should be fun to have a newbie like you in our Branch.” “Yeah.” Flash smiled. “I think it will be.” "How ya doing, Flash?" Wolverine asked as the man ducked a blow from the weird alien before launching himself at another one. Flash ducked a laser zap and punched the insectoid alien with a metallic fist in its gut. "Okay!" he shouted as he did his best to focus on the fight, his eyes shifting from each opponent. "Who are these guys again?" "They're called the Brood," Wolverine replied. "We meet them in baseline, and a couple of variants." Flash nodded, then threw himself back into the fight. But as he let himself go, lashing out by instinct at the alien creatures and following what Wolverine had taught him earlier, he couldn't help but be reminded of what had gone on to lead him here. First and foremost, Kitty had finally admitted that the one 'variant' she'd mentioned, where she'd gotten her valley girl accent from and where Peter's family was threatened by Magneto to bring him into the Acolytes, was in fact the one they were in right now. The main difference was that the professor had apparently found Flash (as Peter) first, before Magneto could, and had brought him (along with nine others) to the Institute over the summer following an incident at a place called Asteroid M. This was why she'd been so excited to see him so early, when in this version of events, she normally wouldn't have met him for months yet. Second, Logan had found them in Flash's room, with the door wide open, and decided it was the perfect time to introduce Flash to the Danger Room. Now, he was fighting his way through this simulation, against the Marvel Universe's first natural predators, and wondering what he'd gotten himself into. “Yer doing pretty well for a pony,” Wolverine snarked as he used his claws to spear some more of the Brood before Flash threw several of the more basic grunts into one that was sneaking up on him. “I told you, I’m human. Originally, at least,” Flash grunted back. “I like being a pegasus when I’m in Equestria, but I was born human.” “Point stands,” Wolverine said as he deactivated the simulation. “Yer doing pretty decently for a normal teenager.” Flash shrugged his shoulders, going from metallic to flesh. “Like you said, I’m a teenager most of the time so I know a lot of my subjects by heart now so that gives me ample free time to really learn new stuff. Not to mention one of my closest friends dedicated herself to learning and honing new skills during her travelling period, I’m just following her example.” “Sunset was a travelling Looper when she started; she had to learn and hone her skills, you’re being proactive,” Wolverine said. “So why yer pushing yourself?” Flash sighed and leaned against the wall. “I’m just a human; everyone else can do all these amazing magical things and I’m just an average teenage human boy. I haven’t told anyone but I’m terrified of Looping into Equestria by myself and having to deal with the stuff that Twilight does. So… I’ve been preparing as best I can. Learning how to fight, and about what might be out there for me to face. Working both smarter and harder.” Wolverine gave a noncommittal grunt at that. “Well you picked a good place for that,” he said. “Yeah, I certainly did.” Flash looked around. “What other kind of simulations can this place do?” “All kinds, from both loopers and non-Loopers. You should see some of what the kids come up with in some of our crazier variants. After the laser-shooting hamster incident, some of us have never been able to look at a pet store the same way.” “Yikes.” “Eah, it gets nuts but yer doing good. And yer a heck of a lot more mature than some of them about this. They whine and moan, especially the ones who aren’t Awake, but I haven’t heard a single complaint about it from you since you got here.” Flash shrugged. “Didn’t see the point. I need the training, and unlike some people back home, I don’t like to let my ego get the better of me. Usually, anyway. Had a couple of moments there during some of the expansions that happened before I started, but I’m past that for the most part.” “Heh.” Logan looked at him. “You need to meet Wedge Antilles sometime, from the Star Wars branch. Now there’s a guy who can keep his ego under control most of the time. And when he doesn’t, bad things happen to the Imps who get in his way.” He shrugged. “Plus, you said yer a pegasus part-time. If you like to fly, he’s one of the top Looping pilots out there and could teach you a thing of two.” “I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” Flash said as he rocked his neck back and forth before he went back to metallic. “Okay, I think I’m ready for round two.” “That’s the spirit kid,” Wolverine said with a grin. “Let’s move to something more challenging. How does a Sentinel sound?” Flash took a moment to think, recalling what Kitty had told him. “The big bulky kind you face later this variant, or one of the models from the baseline?” “The kind from this variant,” Wolverine said. “Half-pint told you, right? One of the ones that nearly took out all us X-Men, and the Brotherhood, and even Magneto when we were working together?” “She did,” Flash said. “But even if it’s just me against one of those things, I’ll give it a shot.” “You’ve got guts, kid.” Logan left the room and went to start the next simulation. When the giant robot materialised in front of him, Flash narrowed his eyes as best he could at it. “Bring it.” In the control room above the Danger Room, three mutants - including two recent arrivals - watched the battle with impressed looks on their faces. “He’s good,” Scott “Cyclops” Summers said. “Thinks on his feet and everything.” “Doesn’t let his added bulk slow him down,” Jean “Phoenix” Gray said. “He’s pretty good at changing back and forth.” “Yeah. Kid’s a natural.” Wolverine watched as Flash managed to dodge one of its missile strikes before ducking behind the Sentinel, shifting back into his armoured form and striking its joint. He seemed to be focused on this method, avoiding its attacks while trying to hit its weak points, and Wolverine knew the kid hadn’t been kidding about working smarter. Finally, as the Sentinel’s power cables were ripped out and it came crashing down, the simulation ended, and a panting Flash reverted to flesh and blood before the door opened. “Well done,” an unfamiliar voice said as a taller teenage boy, wearing a uniform and some kind of visor, said as he came in, followed by a girl with red hair. “You did a lot better than my teammates did the first time they faced this kind of Sentinel.” Flash gave a strained grin. “I had the advantage,” he said. “I got warned ahead of time what to expect.” “But still, you kept your cool and thought things through,” the other boy said. “You planned rather than panicked, and you figured out the right place to hit it.” He approached Flash and held out his hand. “Welcome to the X-Men, Flash. You’re definitely one of us.” “Thanks,” Flash said as he accepted the handshake. “Glad to be here.” “We’re glad to have you here Flash,” the teenage girl said with a kind smile while holding out her own hand which Flash took as well. “Yer ain’t too bad for being a pony, kid,” Wolverine said, giving him a slap on the back. Flash would have corrected him again, but at this point, he’d figured out the older man was just teasing him. “Thanks.” “So Flash, how are ya enjoying your first fused Loop?” Peter asked a few days later. Flash shook his head. “From what I’ve heard, it could have been a lot weirder,” he said. “This place is actually a lot like home.” “Superheroes a regular thing?” Peter Parker gave him a wry look, holding the soda can to his lips. “Well, if you count my ex and her friends having to deal with random magic outbursts, yes.” Peter chuckled at that. “I see what you mean.” Flash chuckled back, even as his mind went elsewhere for a minute. From what Kitty had told him, Peter wasn’t actually a part of this variant in its Hub backup (in fact, only one other hero was, and he had been cryogenically frozen at the variant’s start and end), but with the rules of Yggdrasil in play, he tended to turn up in New York City on a regular basis in spite of that, and luckily, this Loop had been one of those times. Consequently, Flash had been able to get a lift down to the city to meet with him. “Still, I’m kinda curious how you’re so good with this, Flash.” Flash turned with the can raised to his lips and saw for a moment the sheer age behind those eyes. Peter might not have been one of the Original Seven but he was tied with Dick Grayson for being the eighth Anchor Activated and thus Peter was ancient to the point Twilight was like him in comparison. That look forced Flash to let out a sigh and drummed his fingers on the table they were sitting at. “For my baseline, I’m just a teenager with zero powers and nothing really special. Most of the time, I can’t even get to where my Anchor and the rest of the Loopers from my Branch live,” Flash let out another sigh, running his fingers through his hair. “So I got time; a lot of time on my hands. Time to read up on everything I can, research whatever I think I might need one day, prepare for what may happen so I could be useful.” Peter regarded him for a minute, then nodded. “I see where you’re coming from,” he said. “I’ve been there in a couple of my variants. When I’m the new guy and there are a lot of older, more experienced heroes. So believe me, I understand exactly what you mean.” “I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming.” Peter nodded. “Don’t let this take over your life, Flash. I’ve seen more than a few people who did, and they almost forgot who they were in the process. Improving yourself is one thing, but if you focus on that and tune out everything else…” He left his words hanging, but Flash could understand. “I know what you mean,” he said. “And I do take time off. I just…” He sighed. “I wish I had more Loopers on my side of the mirror, you know? Sunset’s there usually, but not always. I’d like to know there was someone around to watch my back.” Peter cracked a grin. “You’re talking to your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, remember? I tend to have to work alone most of the time, so I know exactly what you mean about being lonely.” Flash smiled, then something occurred to him. “By the way, completely different topic.” “Yeah?” “When you heard my name the first time, you kind of… cringed a bit. Why was that?” “Oh, that?” Peter shrugged. “One of my classmates, from when I was in high school, is nicknamed Flash, and he’s a real jerk most Loops. He gets better sometimes, but it’s still irritating.” “Ah.” Flash nodded. “So… what’s his real name?” “Eugene.” Flash cringed. “So end of the Loop?” Flash asked several months later, sitting next to Kitty in the Xavier Institute’s gazebo. Kitty nodded. “Apocalypse is gone, everyone’s back at the mansion or the Brotherhood house, or wherever Magneto lives… this is pretty much it, this variant.” Flash smiled. “Well, aside from Apocalypse and the bigots we had to deal with after that first Sentinel, it’s been fun.” “Yeah.” Kitty smiled back. “It’s been great having you with us, Flash.” “Been great being here, Kitty.” Flash sighed. “Maybe I’ll be back some day.” “I hope so,” Kitty told him with a smile on her face. “And maybe I’ll be in your Loop some time.” “That’d be great,” Flash said with a sudden blush on his face. He was surprised when he felt her putting her arm around him, and returned the gesture, looking down at her with her looking back at him. Flash felt his heart start to race as they began to lean closer to each other. And that’s where they were when the Loop ended. Suddenly Awakening to find himself back in Canterlot High, Flash sighed as he remembered everything. Please let me not be the only one around on this side, he thought as he Pinged. There were a few in response, and he smiled. Then, he felt something… off, a bit, and concentrated. And as he saw his hand turn to metal, just like it had in his previous Loop, he grinned as he realised what must have happened. I am so glad I kept this ability… it’s going to be really useful. He then blinked as he thought that he had almost kissed Kitty. Was it real, or was it just the Loop railroading us because I was replacing her boyfriend? he wondered to himself for a moment. I guess I’ll have to talk to her about it, next time we meet. The thought of meeting her again made him smile, and he walked off to class with her face on his mind. 218.3 (Venku) [MLP/DDLC/Dragon Age] To Common Ground This was, as far as Natsuki was concerned, an interesting loop. With the arrival of the Iron Bull replacing Hiroaka, and Dorian filling in as a teacher advisor for the Literature Club, Natsuki was unsure at first how to respond. The Iron Bull, while not as openly flirty as others she had the misfortune of meeting, still managed to make the smallest Doki uncomfortable with the innuendo from the start. Even as it was explained that the Bull always did that, it still didn’t make Natsuki any less unnerved. While the loops did help settle most of the issues from her baseline, she was still a small bundle of tsundere who was uncomfortable with overt flirting. After the Iron Bull explained that his flirting was an attempt to diffuse the situation and break the ice, Natsuki relaxed. A little bit. She was still nonplussed with how the man had managed to irritate her to that degree. In the spirit of cooperation, however, she was willing to let it slide. And share poetry. Everyone present had taken some time to write something which ‘spoke to their heart’ as Monika had put it. During the required sharing moment, the Iron Bull went first. His poem was short and to the point. With a clear, slightly gravelly voice, he spoke: “Existence is a choice. There is no chaos in the world, only complexity. Knowledge of the complex is wisdom. From wisdom of the world comes wisdom of the self. Mastery of the self is mastery of the world. Loss of the self is the source of suffering. Suffering is a choice, and we can refuse it. It is in our own power to create the world, or destroy it.” Though Dorian appeared unmoved by the poem, the other four just blinked and said nothing for a few moments. Finally, as the leader of the Looping Literature Club, Monika asked the most basic question. “What… does that mean?” The Iron Bull shrugged his shoulders. “Recall I said that I am both Kossith by race and ex-Qunari by choice. The Qunari belief system was written by this sage Koslun in a text called the Tome of Koslun. And no,” he replied as he looked at each of the women. “I don’t have a copy of that text in my Pocket. The only one who does is the Warden, the original Anchor and they’re refusing to budge on sharing that bit of information.” “It’s theft caused a bit of a debacle in our baseline, so I can understand their stance, Amatus.” Dorian chimed in. He waved his hand to the others. “Pardon the interruption, and I might just share that story later.” “Aww. Isn’t he a big bundle of exposition?” The Iron Bull teased the other man, which caused Sayori to grin in a sappy manner and Yuri to issue a smirk. The Iron Bull ignored the other man’s protests before he continued. “But to answer your question, this poem called the Body Canto basically states you make your world. It’s your actions which shape it. Or that’s my response to it anyway.” “Oh. I see.” Monika replied. Thoughtful for a moment, she acted as if she wanted to dissect another point but instead nodded her head. “Well put. If we loop into your world I may ask your Anchor to get a glimpse of that book.” “Feel free.” the Iron Bull replied. “Depending on which iteration he is for that branch, one of us might be even able to point out his special interest.” “Wait, what?” Yuri asked. Interestingly, it was Sayori who chimed in. “I’ve heard of these loops.” she mused. “It allows for multiple paths with the same goal in mind. Like you know how the book’s going to start and end, but you’re not sure of the path taken. And each path creates another path.” “Very good, young woman.” Dorian responded. “The Warden has had the misfortune to live through each iteration from their baseline form. Man. Woman. Elf. Dwarf. Murdering psychopath to gentle healer. Two others in our world have had the same issue, Hawke and the Herald of Andraste. Most recently...” he nodded his head to the Iron Bull. “The Herald had the option to even be as a Kossith or a Tal-Vashoth. Those who rejected the Qun.” “Hah. Those few times were fun. Once the Boss even looped in like me. A man on the front lines. The blood and guts and viscera flying everywhere. Was absolutely glorious!” the Iron Bull quipped. “Good catch, Pinkie!” He was confused when the Looping Literature club winced. “What? I didn’t fart on anything.” It was at that moment the door itself opened and a woman with bright pink curly hair, a cheerful pink top and pink ruffled skirt, and skin which was even more bright than her hair walked in. “Who called for me?” “Pinkie?” Sayori asked, surprised only with her appearance in this loop. “Pinkamena Diane Pie, Sillyori.” the other woman replied. "Remember that's my name when I'm not a perfect Pony!" She grinned, before approaching Sayori and giving her a tight hug. “Thought someone asked for me. Oooh! Two New Loopers?” she asked, seeing Bull and Dorian remain gobsmacked at her appearance. “Hi! Look me up when you’re in Equestria. And what’s this?” She spotted a barrel by the Iron Bull. “I’ll be sure to pay you back.” as Pinkie grabbed the barrel and began to carry it with her. “Young lady…” Dorian began. “Bup bup. Look me up and I’ll offer a good trade.” Pinkie walked out the door with a ‘pop’. “Did she just steal the Marass-lok? One of the stronger alcoholic blends?” the Iron Bull asked, dumbfounded. Natsuki shrugged. “Eh. She’s Pinkie Pie. You get used to her.” All four Dokis laughed at the sheer confusion on the visitors' faces. After the brief appearance of Pinkie Pie in her human form, the rest of the loop continued almost the same as if per baseline. Though Monika tried to get the visitors to write poems, that idea was quickly tabled when Natsuki and the Iron Bull tried to outshine the other in the ‘First Annual Most Lewd Limerick’ competition. Yuri’s face turned beet red while Sayori just looked confused. Natsuki privately thought the other woman knew what was being said but kept up the innocent act for the hell of it. Instead, the loopers branched into two separate groups. Monika, Yuri and Dorian were apparently in deep discussion about the Dragon Age branch and ‘Magical Theory’. While Sayori could understand the general concepts, she had no wish to engage in such theoretical discussion. Instead she wandered over to where the Iron Bull and Natsuki were engaged in friendly banter while baking. “No no. You pair the Aggregio with pork. The natural tartness will compliment the meal, especially if you have a salted meat dish.” The Iron Bull was emphasising this point with the sharp knife in his hand. He paused, looked at the knife, then resumed preparing the vegetables for their meal. “How’s the bread coming along, short stuff?” “Sure. If you want to see if a Looper can get a diabetic emergency or spew their lunch everywhere. That wine is too tart!” Natsuki retorted as she was working on a lump of dough, kneading it and adding flour. This would be a normal situation, as far as Sayori was concerned, save for the fact Natsuki thought she would cook better in her Majin form. Indeed, while she worked the bread, her twin antennae turned a slab of beef into a mound of chocolate.. “Only a Majin can handle sweets as its baseline diet. I’m the only Majin in this group. And I’m not ‘Short Stuff’!” she barked, taking a swipe at the Iron Bull, who dodged it with a laugh. Seeing as the Iron Bull and Natsuki were handling the cooking without issue, Sayori went to her room to work on one of her cosplay costumes, content she didn't need to be sure neither side would try to hurt the other. The loop was coming to an end. Monika, in homage to the visitors and with the blessing of the others, tweaked the code a little bit. Banners inside of their club room, instead of showing “Welcome to Literature Club” showed “Welcome Dorian and Iron Bull to the Looping Literature Club.” Minor decorations were added, including changing the walls to reflect a castle setting with candle sconces. Desk tables reflected a small banquet hall, and the various trappings of a castle keep. “It’s only for this one time to welcome them,” Monika elaborated when Sayori questioned the extent. Her Vice President nodded her head once, listening to Yuri and Natsuki chime in their agreement. Her decorations apparently had the desired effect, as both Dorian and the Iron Bull expressed their surprise and appreciation. While Dorian assisted with setting the table, much to Natsuki’s chagrin, the Iron Bull disappeared into his pocket for a moment. He returned with a couple more casks held against his shoulders. “What…?” Natsuki asked. “Well, you all have the wine and Dorian brought the aggregio. I just thought we’d have some Marass-lok for those interested.” Bull replied as he prepared the casks, adding a spigot to them. Dorian sighed. “You would really serve…” he yelped, his question cut off as Natsuki shifted to her Majin form. “Young lady, what...?” “It’s supposed to be a powerful badass drink, right?” Natsuki chirped, her voice a bit higher in this form. “So! Gimme! Gimme gimme gimme! I'm a Magical Girl Warrior Badass!” “Magical girl warrior?” “Of course!” Natsuki replied. She approached the Iron Bull with a mug in hand. Pouring herself a healthy cup of the drink, she turned to Dorian. “Who else in here is wearing a panty-shot miniskirt and midriff-baring school uniform? Who else can turn anything into candy and eat said candy? I’m Natsuki! The Tsundere of the Looping Literature Club and a badass bitch!” she self proclaimed, slamming the beverage down in one gulp. She then proceeded to turn from a healthy Majin pink to a bright green and passed out, much to the laughing delight of the Iron Bull. “Oh, her I like!” The other Dokis sighed while they left Natsuki passed out. Sayori just mashed her fingers together. “Ehhehe. Let’s eat. She’ll wake up on her own.” After a while, Natsuki did indeed wake up. Grumbling good naturedly, she joined the table, and the feast. “Shame the loop’s ending soon.” Dorian commented as the meal ended. Each of them had not left the table, instead choosing to just sit and gossip. “Indeed. There’s still a lot more that I’d like to discuss with you. However, we usually go up to the day of the School Festival. That's about a week or so out, sometimes two, from the start.” Monika commented. A small nod of her head as she added. “Who knows. We might loop into your branch and pick this conversation back up.” “I’d like that,” Dorian replied. The Iron Bull clapped his hands together as he grinned. “And you have to come by to see me and the chargers!” he added. “Who knows. Do well and we might make you honorary chargers! Even you, short st- OW!” The Iron Bull leaned forward in his chair and rubbed his knee where Natsuki had kicked him. Both were sitting across from each other. She smirked and gave him a challenging glare. “With that being said… I propose one last toast… if that’s ok?” Yuri asked. She held her glass high and cleared her throat. “To Common Ground. The one thing that makes these loops less of a hell.” The others lifted their glasses and mugs and clinked theirs with hers. “To Common Ground!” 218.4 (Masterweaver) [MLP/RWBY] Logic? What’s That? Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping... The first few seconds of every loop were always taking stock. Where am I now? a looper would ask, followed by Can I ping? and then usually How many pings have I heard? Going over loop memories generally happened in the first few minutes, after a looper had made sure they hadn't Awakened into a dangerous situation. Cinder ran through the usual loop-opening check with ease born from eons, not even breaking stride as she walked down the streets of Vale. Twelve pings, well well well. It was tempting to stealth, just to see how everyone was handling... well, everything. Idly, she let her sith abilities extend, reaching out through the Force to sense what the other loopers might be feeling-- --and then she halted, her eyes widening as it brushed against something ancient and familiar. She was here. Her force senses snapped back to a bubble around her as Cinder broke into a run, rushing toward the hideout her pre-awake self had set up. It didn't matter that she was using looper powers openly, no, she just needed to shut everything down as fast as she could-- --and three minutes later, she burst into the room, catching her breath. "Emerald, change of plans--" "I'm Awake and loopy--" "--Good, she's here, you know the drill, get Mercury and--" Cinder paused for a moment. "...wait. Where's Mercury?" "He, ah..." Emerald cringed. "He headed out. Said he was going to buy some food, but he was acting like he does when he thinks we don’t know he's Awake--" "What?!" Cinder grabbed her shoulders, her panicked gaze looking into Emerald's eyes. "Mercury's Awake?!" "I'm pretty sure? You know he doesn't Ping because of--" "Oh no. Oh no no no no..." Cinder broke off, leaning against a wall. "Nobody's warned him about her, have they?" "Just to clarify, by her you mean Pi--" "SHhhhshhshshsh don't say her name!" Emerald put a hand on her hip, one brow raising sardonically. "This is like Ruby and rabbits, isn't it?" "Maybe we can find Mercury before she does," Cinder muttered as she began to pace. "I mean it's not likely they'll run into each other, and it wouldn't be obvious he was looping anyway, and Mercury would probably not let details about the loops slip to a random girl he met. I guess she could recognize him, but he's low on the list of her priorities, so we might still have time, right?" "I mean you two are in a club together," Emerald pointed out. "Looping Sith ladies. And she's intense, sure but I'm pretty sure P--" She rolled her eyes at Cinder's glare. "That she whom you fear to invoke isn't nearly as scary as you're making her out to be." "Emerald," Cinder said slowly, "I realise that you haven't done anything to really attract her ire. As somebody who has, though, I can safely say this panic is entirely justified." "Riiiiiight. Anyway... take a deep breath or two, okay? I'll go out and find Merc, and we can meet up at, I dunno, Higanbana? Sound good?" "Right. Right, that should be far enough that there'll be time to plan." "And relax, alright? The odds of Mercury running into 'The Impossible Color' are pretty--" "Well hey," Mercury drawled as he sauntered up to the girl with poofy magenta hair. "That's a lot of sweets for a single cute girl." "Yeah, but I've got a wacky metabolism." The girl jammed a large scone into her mouth, locked her lips shut, and proceeded to move her jaw like a jackhammer for ten seconds before swallowing. "Wow. You're a regular food processor, huh?" "And your pickup lines could use some work," the girl replied with a grin. "Fair enough. I'm Mercury, by the way. Mercury Black." "My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Her grin grew sly. "My friends call me Pinkie though." "Well, Pinkie," Mercury said as he sat down next to her, "you want to know a big secret?" "You're looping and telling each of your friends that they're the only one that knows you're looping because you think it's funny to keep them in the dark and manipulate them for blackmail and also you want to know where you stand with each of them before coming out and admitting it?" Pinkie rattled off brightly. "...uh..." Mercury blinked. "...Well... I... was actually going to say something like I know Ozpin--" Pinkie's grin started to spread. "Waaaaaaaaait. I just realised... you haven't had a welcome to the loops party yet!" "Uh--" "OH THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT!" she exclaimed as she rocketed out of her chair. "I've got to invite everyone and set up a venue and we're going to have SO MUCH FUN come on let's get started on the biggest reveal party yet!" Mercury, his arm clamped in Pinkie's hand, found himself swept off his feet quite literally as she zoomed out the door and down the road. 218.5 (DragonQueen) [MLP/Mario] Shadows of the Past Twilight hummed to herself as the train rolled towards the Crystal Empire. The story this time had a twist, so to speak. Namely, there were four evil shadow monsters. For many years, they ruled the Empire with an iron hoof. Finally, one took notice of the suffering of her subjects and stood up to the other three, banishing them. The other three, naturally, retaliated by sealing away the Crystal Empire and it had just reappeared. "Huh, weird that the shadows didn't try to come after us yet," An Awake Rainbow Dash noted. The rest of the Main Six, Spike, Cadance and Shining Armor were all Awake, so they could most likely handle the three shadows even if the friendly one wasn't a looper. Once they arrived, Cadance and Shining Armor came to greet them. Standing with them was a figure that barely resembled Sombra. Beyond being female, she was dressed in a red and white striped cloak rather than armor, and her facial expressions were friendly and somewhat shy. "And who do we have the pleasure of meeting?" Rarity asked. "My name is… Vivid Shadow," She answered. "Uh, question, any of you feeling loopy?" "All of us are," Twilight replied. "Oh! In that case, my name is Vivian and I'm from the Mario Branch," She added in. "If you don't mind me asking, are you a new looper?" Fluttershy asked. "Fresh from the Crisis," Vivian replied awkwardly. Pinkie Pie was already zipping around. "Pinkie, save the party until after this is done," Twilight said. "Right! Sorry!" Pinkie said as she took her place back with the Mane Six. Vivian gave a bemused chuckle at the pink pony's antics. "So, Vivian, care to explain where the Crystal Heart is?" Shining asked. "Uh...I kinda left it hidden," Vivian admitted. "I was going to get it, but I was worried it would kill me!" "I have just the thing!" Twilight said quickly as she pulled a choker out of her subspace pocket. "As long as you wear this, you should be safe." "That would be a good thing," Vivian said as she let Twilight place it around her neck. "I suppose I should show you to the Crystal Heart?" No sooner did those words leave her mouth, three sets of laughter rang out as the outside of the Crystal Empire was surrounded by shadow. "Make it quick!" Spike said. Much like Twilight had predicted, things went quickly. Between Vivian helping and her own looper powers, the Shadow Queen and her two henchgirls were quickly beaten back and destroyed. Much like with every new looper, Pinkie wasted no time in throwing Vivian a New Looper Party. Speaking of her, Vivian was perfectly happy to let Shining and Cadance have the Crystal Empire, saying she didn't want to be a ruler anyways. Twilight, however, felt like something was wrong. "Hey, Vivian?" She asked. "Could I ask you something?" "Huh? Oh! Sure!" Vivian said as she hastily hid the photo she had been looking at. "Is something… bothering you?" Twilight asked. Vivian just sighed as she pulled out the picture. Twilight looked over it. She could make out one of the people in it almost instantly. It was Meta Knight. The other person was a black haired boy. "Who's that?" "Duncan, from the Total Drama branch. He started looping around the same time I did. We both ended up in Dreamland together and Meta Knight kinda just… took us in," Vivian explained. Twilight could instantly tell what was up. "You miss him, don't you?" She asked. "A lot," Vivian replied. "Meta too. As I'm sure you no doubt noticed, my sisters in baseline aren't great, to say the least." "Oh yeah," Twilight replied. Some of those insults had made her physically cringe. "And well… I guess I just enjoyed my time with them so much I kinda just stopped thinking of them as my real family," Vivian wistfully. "Sorry if that sounds dumb," "Not at all!" Twilight replied as she wrapped a hoof around Vivian. "A lot of loopers have families of choice. Heck, I have one!" "Really?" Vivian asked. "Yes. She's not here right now, but I have a daughter from a variant. Her name is Nyx and whenever she isn't around, I miss her dearly. However, I savour the time I do get with her and I just think about her whenever I feel down," Twilight said. Vivian smiled. "Thanks Twilight," Vivian said. "Um, actually, before you go, I do have one more thing to ask you," "Anything," Twilight assured her. "...Would you be willing to teach me magic? Duncan won't stop bragging about how Robin Hood taught him archery and I want him to shut up," Vivian asked. Twilight chuckled. "I think we can make something work." 218.6 (Shimmer712) [MLP/RWBY] Salem Hates Parties The Seer split open, smoke rising from its decaying form to reveal an image. It was not one anyone present had expected. "WHY! WON'T! YOU! DIE?!" Salem screamed, hurling blasts of power at the bouncing pink form. "Aww. Don't be such a grumpy-pants!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, glomping the witch enthusiastically. "...The fuck?" Harriet blinked. Salem didn't seem to notice she had an audience as she threw the pony off of her and resumed her murder attempts. "Can anyone see if there are any balloons on the pony's butt?" Yang asked suddenly, remembering something an Unawake Qrow had told her Unawake self. She got some weird looks. Ruby just shrugged and said "She's bouncing a lot. But it should be three balloons, right?" "That is correct," Vine blinked, spotting the cutie mark. "Have you encountered it before?" The sisters shook their heads. "Uncle Qrow did but he and his sister were tiny and everyone said they imagined it all," Yang explained. She paused. "There was a bit about her literally eating Grimm, just so you know." "Yeppers! Qrow and Rae were really surprised by that! You should have seen the look on the baby birdies faces," Pinkie exclaimed, bursting out of Ironwood's drawer. Panting, Salem whirled around to see the group watching her through the Seer-smog...smoke...stuff. She huffed. "If that thing is at Atlas, I am not going anywhere near that floating cesspit!" she hissed before her image faded. Nobody said anything for several moments. "Why do I hear crickets?" Marrow asked, looking around. "It's too cold for them, right?" Pinkie just giggled. Ruby wondered how Pinkie wasn't a famous urban legend in Remnant this loop. You'd think a pink, Grimm-eating pony would be more famous.