//------------------------------// // Loops 37 // Story: MLP Time Loops // by Saphroneth //------------------------------// 37.1 – Bobnik Princess Luna stood on the deck of her new ship, and watched as it tacked neatly about Equis and her sister's sun under the expert hooves of Twilight Sparkle. She marvelled at the view, the crisp clarity of the vacuum combined with the lack of any visible barrier to keep the air in. She turned her head upwards, and saw the patterns of light flow across the sails into the mast and down into the engines below. "I assume it's some manner of force field holding the atmosphere?" she asked the helmsmare. "Yep. The inspiration came from a pretty weird loop though. In that universe, all of space had an atmosphere and an ecosystem. Strange, but very pretty. I hope you get the chance to see it." replied Twilight. Luna sighed. "I hope I do too. The ride is so smooth, is the wind from the Sun normally so constant?" "No, but I challenged Rainbow Dash to control the solar weather over the entire surface of the Sun, all at once. This is for training, you'll have to get used to the chop later. Speaking of which, you're up, Princess." Twilight moved aside and let Luna take the wheel. The Princess of the Night lit her horn and took active control of the helm. "Celly has her surfboard, but I think I prefer this. For the moment at least, I've had enough of being alone." "Do you hear that, you lollygaggers?" yelled Twilight at the crew. Most of the local loopers were along for the ride, as well as a few specially selected guests. "Your Princess actually likes your company! Look lively there, and trim the foresail! Lookout, are the skies clear?" "Clear as a bell, Ms Sparkle!" called back Pipsqueak from the crow's nest. "Then what course, Captain?" Luna straightened, the flowing of her mane in the ethereal winds matching the billowing sails above. She remembered a phrase from a loop that Pinkie (and apparently Gummy) had been in. "Second star to the left, and straight on 'til morning." 37.2 (Stainless Steel Fox) X-COM loop Twilight came awake (with a small 'a') instantly as her proximity alarm spell went off. A Skyranger was incoming, which meant she should be going. Hopping out of bed, a quick brush spell and a bit of telekinesis and she was kitted out and ready to go. But first she had to keep her promise. She threw a scrying spell out to check where she was going, and went in a flash of teleportation. Kimiko was back on the front desk. Manager Urashima had offered to let her go off shift early to recover, but she'd insisted on staying the course. Besides, she wanted to be there to say goodbye to Twilight. It was almost the end of her shift anyway, and certainly a quiet time in the lobby, so she wasn't exactly stressed. She pulled up the posted video and grinned to see the views were in the tens of thousands already. Let those awful military types try to hush that up! When she looked up Twilight was there. "Just wanted to say goodbye. An X-Com team is almost here, and considering I'm probably still top of their 'capture or kill' list, best not to give them the chance." Kimiko came out from behind the desk and knelt down in front of her, offering a hug. "I understand. When I think of what they did to you I get so mad..." Twilight leant into the hug and returned it with a fore-leg over Kimiko's shoulder. "It's okay, don't be too hard on them. You saw the sort of things they've been fighting. Did they over-react in my case? Yes. Can I honestly blame them? Not so much. Those soldiers who are coming here put themselves in danger to protect people like you from those invaders on a daily basis, and I can respect that, even honour it. My big brother's a Royal Guard so I understands where they're coming from. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to stick around and act as their target dummy. But I won't prank them, they're just following orders." She released the hug naturally, and stepped back. "My issue is with their leaders, who seem to shell-shocked too adapt to changing circumstances. Still the best revenge is living well, and I intend to do just that while helping people out wherever I can. Just because they're going to be jerks doesn't mean I'm going to join them. You'd better get back to your desk, they're on final approach." As she sat back down, she felt a slight warmth and tingle from the pocket where she'd put the gemstone Twilight had given her, and saw the alicorn's horn glow gently. "What's that?" "The stuff that dreams are made of." Twilight replied, grinning. "Call it a good luck charm." There was a roaring from outside in the half empty car park. "Thank you, for everything, and farewell." She vanished in a flash of light just as the sound of jets died. Operation Bring Night. Mission Brief. Site is isolated hot springss resort in Gifu province of Japan. Site appeared to be subject of a terror raid from what the satellites picked up incoming. However interference prevented satellites from getting good read on what happened when they made contact. There's also a strong possibility that Target Sparkle is on the scene, possibly as a lead element. Mission Objectives Assess situation at site. Capture or destroy Target Sparkle if present. Destroy all other extraterrestrials on site. Rescue any survivors. Additional Use of portable Psionic Damper has been approved. Use it to suppress Target Sparkle's abilities. Attempt capture only if there is no significant resistance, otherwise destroy it. This objective has priority over all others.' Lieutenant Suchiro Saname was the low man on the totem pole in team two, and the only native Japanese speaker. Combined with the fact that he was an assault specialist, trained to get up in an alien's face and blow it out the back of their head with his alloy cannon, it made him the obvious point man for this operation. As he approached the front doors of the hot springs, he checked the parking area. For a place that had supposedly been wrecked by aliens, it looked surprisingly intact, but the aliens had been approaching from the far side, where the actual baths were. The rest of the team spread to search the area, Major 'Ramrod' Wallace, the team leader and sniper was behind him, covering his approach. He hadn't lit off his thrusters to take aerial overwatch, and probably wouldn't until they had something to fire at. Suchiro dashed forward to take cover behind one of the door lintels, and waited for the rest of the team to reach position before entering. Captain Irwin Goldfarb, one of the team's two Heavy Weapons specialists came up and pressed himself flat against the other lintel. In place of his normal heavy plasma cannon, he carried the newly built mobile Psionic Supressor. Ramrod spoke in English over their comm system. "Saname, this is Ramrod. I've got overwatch. Take the door." Suchiro spun round in a practised motion and went through the double doors, shoving them back as he scanned the lobby interior. He didn't know what he expected to see, but a receptionist calmly sitting at a desk wasn't it. She also didn't seem to be phased by a guy in plated body armour crashing therough the door, gun in hand. "Good evening sir. I'm afraid the sentai fan convention was last week. Do you have a booking?" Kimiko might be willing to forgive these guys if Twilight so obviously had, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to have a bit of fun of her own. The soldier put up his gun and spoke in English, "Lobby is clear sir. In fact, it looks like nothing's happened. The receptionist is still at her desk, and making jokes! I'm going to talk to her." He turned his attention directly to her and replied. "I'm not here for the baths, miss. We had a report of... hostile activity. Have you seen or heard anything unusual?" "If you mean that group of aliens that attacked us, what's left is by the recycling bins around the side of the building, along with the other rubbish." "WHAT!" Suchiro's exclamation brought an immediate response. Goldfarb barreled in, side-arm out and free hand on the trigger for the Psionic Supressor. He might not know much Japanese, but he was enough of an anime fan to understand the loudly shouted, "NANI!" Kimiko kept her seat, and her composure. "Do you need a double room, or two singles?" Suchiro finally got his brain back in gear and called over the comm, once again in English, to silence the chatter. "This is Suchiro, I'm fine, everything's fine. The receptionist just claimed that the alien attack has been defeated, and the remains are around by the service area. I'll try and find out more." Kimiko's English was Japanese high school level, and had never been her strongest subject, however she understood the sentence perfectly. She tried to frame a comment in English, and found the words coming to her as easily as Japanese. "I am right here, you know. The aliens came, Miss Twilight put up a shield over the Hot Springs and went out to fight them. She beat them like a Taiko drum, and Manager Urashinma had what was left put outside for collection." "Twilight? A purple pony with wings and a horn?" "Now you come to mention it..." Kimiko nodded, pretending to think deeply. "Yes, yes she was." She noticed the way the two soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons. Suchiro continued to speak for them. "So she was here? Where is she now? It's vitally important that we find her!" "She left just before you got here." Kimiko replied, her voice hardening. "It seems she didn't want to give you another chance to shoot at her." That got them to look down and loosen their grips, looking slightly shame-faced. "You don't understand Miss..." "Kimiko Mizuno." "... Miss Mizuno. I'm Leiutenant Saname, Special Forces. She may look harmless, even cute, but she is a powerful and dangerous alien creature. We need to recapture her." "Is that what the pachinko machine your friend is carrying is for? To distract her while you sneak upon her?" "It's not a..." Suchiro glanced at the device Goldfarb was carrying, and found it had been replaced with a pachinko machine. Goldfarb unslung it, and a note fluttered off it. "Dear X-Com soldiers. Don't worry, the real device is back in the Skyranger. I had said to Kimiko I wouldn't prank you, but I couldn't help myself when I saw that. A Psionic Suppressor? Really? That didn't stop me last time, so why did anyone think it would work this time? I can see this is more powerful, like a strobe rather than a searchlight, but it wouldn't work on me any more than the other one in my current form. I understand the technology at least as well as Doctor Vahlen (unsurprising, as it was her memories I copied) and I can assure you it's about as much use against my powers as that gambling machine. "I bear no ill will towards the team that captured me, they were only doing their duty as they saw it, and I'm even willing to make peace with your top brass. Tell Doctor Vahlen I apologise for copying her memories, but I needed information in a hurry, and unlike her method, her brain didn't need to be peeled like an onion, and chopped and fried like one at the same time. However, matching her knowledge of the aliens and their technology with my own of magic has brought up some surprising insights. I'd be perfectly willing to give her them, and some of my memories of Equestria and my magical research in return as an apology. Yours, Twilight Sparkle.' Operation Bring Night - After Action Report Mission Status Objective 1 - Complete Objective 2 - Failed Objective 3 - Complete (13 kills?) Objective 4 - Complete (0 casualties) Team Status Major James 'Ramrod' Wallace (UK, Sniper, 51 kills, 43 Missions) - Active Captain Astrid 'Valkyrie' Bergstrom (Sweden , Heavy, 36 kills, 40 Missions) - Active Captain Jaques 'Backstop' La Fourette (France, Support, 38 Kills, 33 Missions) - Active Captain Irwin Goldfarb (Israel, Heavy, 27 kills, 25 Missions) - Active Lieutenant Namara Macrae (USA, Support, 24 kills, 25 Missions) - Active Lieutenant Saname Suchiro (Japan, Assault, 26 kills, 12 Missions) - Active Alien Artifacts Recovered Floater Corpse x1 Floater Corpse (Damaged) x1 Sectopod Corpse x1 Chrysalid Corpse (damaged) x1 Potted plants? x8 Shaped Helium Balloon x1 Plasma Pistols x3 Heavy Plasma Rifles x2 Gold coins x3 Pachinko Machine x1 Notes Witness testimony relates that Target Sparkle (See Project REDACTED) engaged the other aliens before X-Com could respond. Video footage confirms this, and demonstrates Target Sparkle has a number of extra-normal abilities beyond those demonstrated during REDACTED. The uncertainties in kill totals and aliens recovered come from one of these, where the target appeared to transmute aliens into potted plants and in one case a helium balloon. Preliminary examination of genetic data shows the plants to have close similarities in form to terrestrial plants, but no exact matches. The possibility exists that the target was merely using it's teleportation ability to exchange them, and place them in a holding area for further use, but no confirmation can be had. It has further been suggested that the entire attack was staged by Sparkle in order to appear heroic, heretoafter referred to as the Trojan Horse Hypothesis, but that can not be confirmed or denied at this time. Other abilities demonstrated included gross telekinesis in the tons range, manipulation of inter-molecular forces, energy projection and manipulation ability on the order of fighter mounted weapons, high degrees of kinesthesia and situational awareness and tactical skill. Target claimed some or all of these abilities came from it's studies of 'magic' and 'redeveloping an ancient unicorn martial art'. Target's threat level has been increased to Extreme Plus, a new threat level promulgated specifically for the target. Specific abilities to study include the manifestation of an energy-based weapon that was used as a melee weapon, changing to act as a sword, staff and lance at various times, and was capable of deflecting plasma fire. Any personnel using the term 'Poni Knight' to describe this will be subject to 10 days detention and loss of privileges. Subject also created an indigo force field dome that covered an area of several thousand square metres and was recorded blocking multiple blasts from a Sectoid's primary weapons, but from witness reports was selectively permeable to matter. Duplication of this effect has alpha priority. Subject has been described as using a 'perimeter alarm spell' to detect the approach of the aliens and the X-Com team. Whether it was true or not for the aliens (see Trojan Horse Hypothesis) it is evident that Target Sparkle became aware of the approaching team at a range of dozens of miles. The methodology of this effect is unclear, but it suggests that Target Sparkle will have advance warning of any overt move against it. The gold coins recovered from the site are artefacts left by Target Sparkle in payment for the services of the Omachi Hot Springs. A separate analysis of these artefacts is under way under the project title 'Cortez'. Remuneration for the confiscated artefacts is strongly suggested to obtain continued assistance of locals. Invoice Cortez 0003 has been sent to REDACTED. 37.3 (Masterweaver) "Twilight." "Rarity." "I am only going to ask this once. I want a reasonable answer." "Very well." "...Why are we cuttlefish?" "I have no idea." 37.4 (Richardson) Diamond Tiara wondered what unspeakable act she had committed to deserve such karma. It was her first loop 'outside' of Equestria, and judging from the pitying looks everypon- everybody kept giving her, it would be a 'doozy' to use Pinkie's colorful commentary. She was in some kind of loop where ponies had fled to another world to escape some catastrophe on Equestria, ending up on another planet that sounded a lot like the 'hub' world she had been told of. They had joined forces with the local humans to form a grand Earth Alliance that had taken to the stars. A pity her part in it wasn't so good. Since she had woken up, she had seen the local version of her father die, had been put through five different kinds of hell, especially by that annoying twit Mollari and the local loopers. She was replacing the normal second most common looper, one Cmdr. Ivonova, second in command of some kind of crazy diplomatic station called B5. Her best friend in the multiverse had been brainwashed and twisted by the really creepy local group known as the Psicorps. There was almost nothing left of the filly she used to love to hang out with. And she wasn't even allowed to smack somepon- somebody upside the head when they did something really, REALLY stupid and forced her to work overtime to fix it. Like right now. All the local loopers seemed to be running around trying to patch something up, too busy to even bother telling her what in Tartarus was going on, and here she was having to deal with a survey team that had somehow ticked off the supposedly dead planet below them. Yeah, right. Dead enough to launch enough missiles to blow a crater where Mt. Canter used to be. Ah, screw it. Screw decorum, screw playing her part as a good little officer. Screw being nice! "And one other thing to contemplate on your way back here; the Babylon 5 Mantra." Tiara leaned onto the live microphone button, angling closer to the recorder. "Lt. Tiara is Always Right. I will Listen to Tiara. Tiara is Next to Celestia. And, if this ever happens again, TIARA WILL PERSONALLY RIP YOUR LUNGS OUT!" She looked around at the shocked expressions and crewmembers both leaning away from her and cowering behind their consoles. Was she... panting? Holy crap. Maybe a bit too much stress relief. She pulled herself away from where she had been hunched over, straightening her jacket as she hoped that the button hadn't broke. Gingerly, she tapped the microphone button again, speaking calmly. "Have a nice day." Growling, she blew a stray lock of her mane out of her face as she wanted to cry. The slightest whisper of a thought brushed against the rather irritating new sense she had gained when she had arrived. Apparently, the looper she had replaced was a 'telepath'. or at least a weak one. By the local scale, a P1, maybe a P2. Just enough to occasionally listen, not even enough to get into somebody's head. Ugh, another reason to hate the Psicorps, who made Twilight 'CLOCK! IS! TICKING!' Sparkle look relatively sane. They would snatch her up in a second and brainwash her just like Silver Spoon had been if they found out. She turned to her fellow officer of the watch, who discretely covered his snickers with his hand. "You have a problem with that, Corwin?" "Only that you didn't do it sooner, Ma'am." "Are you saying I should start putting the fear of Tiara into the hearts of every man, woman, and filly on this station?" "Respectfully, Ma'am? Yes Ma'am. It wouldn't be the same without it." "Great. I spend forever trying to forget how to be mean, and now people WANT me to be mean. What's next? Luna herself gracing CnC with her presence after a thousand years? At least the planet's not going to blow up on us or something else stupid like that." "Uhhh..." "Damnit." 37.5 (FanOfMostEverything): Twilight came to a halt in the doorway of the bar. "Close th' door, please," Big Mac said gently. "Don' want flies in here." "R-right..." Was this a prank? Nopony else was here, so there were no expressions to gauge but Macintosh's own intense, focused serenity. It also meant that Twilight was the only one to address the elephant in the room. "Is that a..." "Eeyup." If Twilight hadn't needed a drink before, she certainly did now. "How!?" "Funny ol' fella showed me this trick." Big Mac stuck his tongue out a bit as he arranged a tiny pile of scree on the north face of his bonsai mountain. "More t' earth pony magic than helpin' plants grow, y'know." He blinked, then looked up from his work. "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm bein' awful rude. What kin Ah get ya?" Twilight collapsed onto a barstool, eyes still locked on the tiny peak. "Whatever will make this make sense." The stallion considered this for a moment. "Ah'll go find that one batch Trixie helped me make." A beat. "An' some tongs." 37.6 (Masterweaver): "Oh are you so sure about that?" Trixie challenged with a smirk, smacking down a card. "Well, I spent my Ice Cream Truck profits on a walrus!" Chrysalis sighed. "Welp, there goes my west fort." A feral smile formed on her face as she slid a card out from under her miniature. "Shame, too, it was guarding the Breakout Character." "What? No!" The unicorn looked the board over in dismay. "The walrus can't be my flagship, not this late in the game!" "Aaaaand now it's my turn." With a flourish, on final card was placed in front of the pegasus. "Musical number! All those who don't participate get deported.... oh, look at that, Walruses don't dance. Who would have thunk it?" Trixie shook her head and leaned back, dropping her cards with a sigh and a smile. "Well well well. Good game, Chrysy. I have to admit, I thought I had it in the bag after I took out your Tome of Eldritch Lore, but...." "Discord is a devious game designer..." The pony across from her flipped her mane. "And I am a devious game player. It's only natural I should oh no he's here just act natural." The unicorn gave her a look of confusion before glancing at the coffee shop entrance. Shining Armor was walking in, humming to himself as he trotted up to the counter. Trixie turned back to her date with a half amused grin. "Oh fine, I won't let your old flame see you--" "He doesn't know I'm looping!" Chrysalis hissed. "I don't even know if he knows about the slave loop and... just, please, don't tell him!" Trixie blinked. "Wait... he doesn't know?" Chrysalis slumped in her seat. "I... it's not him, but... it looks like him and... I don't know, I just can't. Please, Trixie, don't." "Trixie?" Shining Armor walked up. "Wow. Small world! And who's your friend?" "This? This is... Crystal Shard." Trixie laughed. "Yeah, she saw one of my shows and couldn't get enough of me." "...m'llo," mumbled the pegasus. "Hey there!" The captain of the guard gave her a gentle smile. "Don't let me intimidate you. Just a servant of the country." "...m'kay." Shining gave her an odd look. "...okay then.... Trixie, sorry for interrupting. I didn't realize you were on a date!" The stallion nodded politely before taking his coffee and trotting out. Trixie took a breath, counting quietly as she refocused her mind. Then she glared at Chrysalis. "Why didn't you tell me you never broke up with him?" "It – It's not him I-" "Ugh.” Trixie waved a hoof. “You know what I mean." The pegasus wilted. "I... I just... I can't. It was eighteen years, from my perspective. Eighteen whole years, and, and that was before I knew about the loops..." She shook her head. "I... I want to move on, but..." Trixie sighed, her anger melting away. "I see... You're going to have to deal with this eventually you know." "I know. I just--" "No. No excuses." The unicorn looked away. "I put on the Alicorn Amulet because of excuses. The first time, anyway. Just... if you want, I'll be there, okay?" "Thank you. Twilight said she'd be there too, but..." Chrysalis smiled. "I... would feel better if someone who wasn't at the wedding was there too. Just... not right now..." 37.7 (Misterq): Spike looked at his body. Purple coat and horn, lime green mane and tail. That meant one thing. "I'm a pony this loop!" the new unicorn colt exclaimed, "Rarity!" As the former dragon raced out of the library, he missed several details. The books were all very large and shelved on elegantly carved marble shelves. The piles of gems, meticulously sorted by size, shape, clarity, etc.. The fact that the entrance way was a series of magical barriers in a cavern-like hall. All these details came rushing back to him as he stood on the baloney-like ledge overlooking a series of crags and rocky spires. And there was Twilight and her friends. In the air. As giant dragons. "Oh come on!" Spike shouted as the memories integrated. He was still Twilight's helper, but now every pony was a dragon. Twilight and him lived in the town of Dragonville. Rairty was still white and very elegant in her dragon form. Twilight was still very recognizable as a relatively smallish purple scaled dragon. Rainbow Dash was a sleek looking flyer, the colour of a cloudless sky with rainbow-colored spikes. Applejack was an orange muscular dragon who would be a nightmare to battle. Fluttershy was busy hyperventilating, and Pinkie Pie was... Spike turned around slowly to stare into a wide grinning pink-scaled maw with far, far too many sharp pointy teeth in it. Yep. Pinkie Pie was still Pinkie Pie. On top of her head sat a small greenish goat - Gummy presumably. A shadow fell over everything. Spike looked up at the mind-bogglingly immense dragon body of Celestia as she gracefully glided in for a landing. "That's it. If any dragon needs me, I'll be in the library," Spike said and turned around. "You know, Spike," Rarity gently landed next to him, "if memory serves correctly, most dragons in this loop have the ability to do one thing in particular." Suddenly, Rarity's body shrunk in on itself further and further until there stood Rarity, the unicorn. "We can shapeshift." Spike smiled. "I can work with that." 37.8 (FanOfMostEverything) Twilight shook her head. "Pinkie, there is no Pink Lantern! Pink doesn't exist on the electromagnetic spectrum, it's basically negative green." Pinkie just smiled. Not her usual lip-straining beam, but a content grin. "Twilight, what do the various Lantern Corps channel, again?" The unicorn retrieved the notes she'd prepared in the event of this Loop. "Going in ROYGBIV order: anger, greed, fear, willpower, hope, compassion, and love." Pinkie nodded. "Notice anything missing?" "Well, it doesn't match Poll Ekmane's basic emotional classifications or Bobbin Plush's 'wheel of emotion.' In fact, in Plush's model—" "Happiness, Twilight. There's no happiness." Twilight did not pout. She was far too mature for such petulant displays. "I was getting to that." Pinkie held the hoofring — more a bracelet, really — up to the lantern. Twilight couldn't help but think that it would probably seem a lot more momentous if the ring wasn't cheap plastic and the lantern wasn't an immense hard candy. Still, Pinkie recited the oath she'd made up with utmost seriousness: "For every sorrow large and small, My laughter will bring joy to all. As long as someone has a ball, Pink Lantern's light will never fall!" Rosy light bathed the room. For about a minute afterwards, Twilight just sat in place, boggling at the floating mare. Pinkie bided her time by playing a pair of marionettes she made from coherent joy. Finally, Twilight got up and made for the door. Pinkie drifted alongside her. "Where you going?" "To find Discord. Then, if he isn't responsible for this, the bar." 37.9 Blinking, Twilight looked up from her book. At least for once – for once! – she'd not woken up mid-stride. Pity she was human, though, those usually tended to be the more problematic loops. And, scanning her loop memories, this was no exception. Right... that little problem can wait. Now, what's going on? There was a ceremony in progress... something about summoned familiars. Twilight looked around surreptitiously, pulled out a PADD, slipped it into her book, and got to text searching as names firmed in her memory. Her own familiar waved to her, prompting her to check her loop memories again – which distracted her for a moment, since she was fairly sure the normal issue familiar for her here wasn't Saphira... but this was a public place, so there was no chance to double check. Well, she could get on quite well with Saphira. All things considered, it could have been worse. “Kyuui...” Irukuru's head drooped. “Sowwy, Ewagon. Iwukuwu didn't mean to.” Eragon looked at the hole in his roof, and sighed. “Don't worry. I'll get it fixed.” As he turned for the saw, the blue Rhyme dragon squee'd and glomped him. A grin stole over the Rider's expression, as he disentangled himself carefully from Irukuru and headed out to chop some new timber. For some reason, he wasn't at all resentful towards the Replacement for his normal dragon. She was just like an over-excitable little sister... Done. Twilight closed her book with a quiet twik, and began to pay more attention as the girl she'd identified as the main character stepped up to the podium. Here was where it would all get interesting... Louise swallowed, and began to speak, hoping against hope that for once – for once – she would get the spell right. "I beg of you… My servant who lives somewhere in the universe! Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance!" Her wand sparked to life... then there was a loud bang. In other words, more or less normal for Louise's magic thus far. Twilight frowned through the smoke. Something seemed... familiar. Then she heard a voice. A very familiar voice. “Who summons Trixie?” As the smoke cleared, Louise saw who was speaking. A moderately sized... blue unicorn. Louise sat back hard, suddenly filled with euphoria. She'd done it! She'd summoned a familiar! She... Wait. Did that unicorn just talk? And why is it wearing clothes? The unicorn turned to her with a graceful movement, sending her cloak sweeping out in an impressively billowy arc, and looked her up and down. “Hm. Trixie supposes you may do.” “Aherm,” Mr. Colbert interjected. “Miss Louise, you must complete the binding.” “Oh, right.” Twilight raised an eyebrow as the binding completed. Mjöðvitnir? Well, at least it made a little more sense than to have Trixie wielding a sword. Though, if Derfflinger was going to be free this loop... “So.” Trixie looked her new... 'master' up and down. (She had her own opinions on who the apprentice was and who the master was). “Your magic is?” Louise hung her head. “Not very good. Everything I try just makes an explosion.” Trixie stood bolt upright. “And that is not good by the standards of this land? These foals are fools!” Louise actually saw the faint stars gleaming in Trixie's eyes. Trotting over, Trixie laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Trixie will teach you the number one tenet of her philosophy. There is nothing that cannot be solved with a sufficiently large detonation.” Dubiously, Louise looked at her familiar. “You think so?” “Trixie has made machines that go into space based solely on how big the explosion inside them is!” Twilight blinked as Saphira walked calmly off the stage. The now-a-diamond stage. “I didn't actually know you could do that.” Saphira shrugged, and bent down to whisper. “It took me Loops to work out how to do it consciously.” Sitting back, they watched the final pair of master and familiar come on stage for the talent show. “Oh,” Twilight added, pulling out two pairs of sunglasses. “You might want these. I know Trixie's style.” The shower of fireworks, explosions, sound effects and even illusions was so complex that it took the faculty almost five minutes to notice that the school was being robbed by a giant rock monster with a mage on top. Of course, Trixie and Louise noticed at about the same time. And then the golem exploded. “...ta-da?” Trixie said, uncertainly, as the bits of rock and earth stopped raining down. Then, getting back into the groove, she slammed her hooves on the stage. “We hope that you enjoyed the show – despite the unexpected intrusion by...?” “Foquet, the Crumbling Dirt,” Louise picked up on the conversation. “It looks like even master thieves can't handle us!” Trixie laughed. “That was a master thief? Where I come from, master thieves will add locks to doors if they did not consider the locks already there enough of a challenge!” Twilight facepalmed. “What?” Saphira whispered. “She's the one who did that.” Trixie walked slowly up the steps, and into the room where Guiche and his girlfriend were. “You. The herbalist.” Montmorcery looked up. “Fix this.” Trixie gestured back at her apprentice, who was clinging to her right rear leg and muttering something about fuzzy ponies. “Oh, so that's where the love potion went...” Montmorcery mused. “Sorry, no can do.” “Louise?” Trixie said calmly. “Yes?” Louise said, looking up. “It would make me happy if you did that to Montmorcery.” “What are you-aaagh!” THUMP. Surprisingly, having Louise be her problem instead of Trixie's made Montmorcery very cooperative indeed. “Albion are invading!” “Excellent!” Trixie said loudly. “Twilight, we require your dragon.” Twilight looked over. “For what? I could handle the air fleet by myself, you know...” “We require... a firing platform.” Trixie grinned. That day went down in history as the Great Albion Turkey Shoot. “...so, to cut a very long story very short,” Trixie said, flicking absently at her singed hat, “it was the fault of the king next country over – Joseph, I think.” Twilight nodded. “Are you two alright?” Trixie looked over at Louise. “We had to fight a giant robot. It was interesting.” Louise was still clutching her wand, in a grip that didn't look likely to slacken any time soon. “I still wonder how Eragon's doing...” Saphira said. “Kitty!” “Please get off me,” the werecat leader muttered. “But you're so fuzzy!” Irukuru enthused. “I am so sorry,” Eragon said, sniggering. “She does this to everyone.” 37.10 “Okay,” Twilight said, looking over the papers and artefacts in front of her. “Spike? I think we know what this Loop's 'thing' is.” Spike walked in, balancing a fire ruby on his claw. “Oh?” “Basically, urban fantasy sort of thing. Werewolves, vampires, that sort of thing.” “Not... the Cullens?” Spike asked, shivering. “Loops with them in are never nice.” “No, no sign of them.” Twilight sighed. “The bad side of that is that it's likely at least one of our friends is one or another of them.” “Yeah, that is bad,” Spike agreed. “Let's hope we can get this done without too much bloodshed.” “It came in the window!” Daisy said, shivering. “A great big furry monster!” “We have fur, Daisy,” Twilight pointed out, taking notes. “It's just called a coat. Anyway, you were saying?” “It opened the window, climbed in, and took one of my flower arrangements!” Twilight's pen paused. “It did what?” She looked over to the window. “Huh. So it actually reached in and opened it, rather than breaking the glass?” “Yes.” Daisy gulped. “And then it picked up one of my flower arrangements in those huge, fanged jaws, dropped something, and jumped out the window again!” Spike held up a small drawstring bag. “Was it this?” “...yes, it must be. I don't recognize it.” “There's about five bits in here,” Spike reported, opening the bag carefully. “So, we have a werewolf who opens the window, takes a flower arrangement, and pays for it...” Twilight summarized. “I may know the solution.” “How did you find me?” Fluttershy asked, covering her face with her wings. “Actually, it was pretty obvious...” Twilight said, shrugging. Though she had no intention of actually explaining her reasoning, given that Fluttershy wasn't awake, and 'another version of you likes to turn into a wolf' would sound just a little bit insane. “I swear I ask before I drain them...” the pegasus muttered. “Wait, back up.” Twilight blinked. “You're the vampire?” “Yes.” Fluttershy hunched over again. “I only go out on cloudy days, and because I have animal friends I can ask them for donations... Dash knows, she helps provide clouds when I need them...” “Well, don't I feel silly,” Twilight said in an aside to Spike, who shrugged. “So,” Spike said, frowning. “Who's the werewolf?” “Whew,” Dash said, shaking her head. “That's pretty risky...” “I paid for it!” Scootaloo said indignantly. “People are nice if you pay for things!” “Yeah, but usually you buy them normally, not break in and leave money...” Dash touched the hyacinths, now sitting on her worktop. “I get that you wanted to be nice, but I wouldn't have needed to be bribed, Scoots.” “It wasn't a bribe...” Scootaloo said quietly. “I just wanted you to like me.” “Already do, squirt.” Dash walked over and laid a wing on the back of the pegasus filly. “But, wow, I'm turning into some kind of secret-supernatural-pony-hiding-mare...” 37.11 (Nighzmarquls) It was obvious from the very instant Twilight Sparkle Awakened that this was turning out to be an odd one. Some kind of non-standard or perhaps merged loop? Well no time like the present She began her Initial loop checklist. Magic? (Not inherently present in the body, although there is an appendage jutting over her eyes analogous to her horn, although it was flexible. Strange. Well if it is needed she could just pull something from her pocket or maybe wrangle an alternative magic system from whatever is available. Body? Yes, single and biological. None of the standard ones though, will require further examination later. Environment? No immediate danger. A little gloomy, a lot of strange. Loop Memory? Hmmm no still not updating. Wait there it goes. Woah. Thankfully there was the added weight of several millennia of Twilight Sparkle the Looper memory to help give a foundation so this was not quite so jarring. But still, up until now, the Nominally Unicorn Mare had been relatively singular in mind/sense of self, even when body might have been more numerous. This was different however. This was not like the changeling hive, or being an intelligent school of fish (who counted in fractions). This was her own mind quite happily dividing itself into branches which further split into more threads of thought and then delightedly spun off into capillaries and whorls of independent cognition before either petering out or re-merging into the whole of herself. And this form of cognition was also apparently standard for whatever dominant species her pre-awakened self had been a member of which gave a very important check that needed to be performed regarding the elements as soon as possible. … Okay none of the other elements were awake. Most importantly Pinkie Pie was Not awake and thus bequeathed with the ability to think even more intensely than normal. … New Mental architecture integrated the proper memories began settling in very cordially with her awakened ones. Except she was getting distracted by how some of her was having sputtering shocks of surprise over the breadth of new experience coming from awakened her’s memories. Wait What? Hello! I’m new here, or old here I guess since its you that is just arriving, well welcome to the loop! Am I talking to myself? Nope this is just an artificial construct format you are using as a crutch to better integrate new you with the parallel nature of Noble Cognition that I am inherently familiar with since I am momentarily representing the original loop’s position. Confusion and puzzlement percolated out and did a little jig with awe and delight. Alright then so I’m not suffering multiple personality disorder or anything like that? You are not a tulpa or anything right? Oh that is a FUN series of memories! But no this is more a way to help you understand how you learn now. Hey I heard you liked Learning Dog so now you can learn about learning while you learn so that yo- No… Just No, also if you are me why do you sound like pinkie pie? It is less uncomfortable for you than talking to yourself as yourself and you were the one that jumped on that metaphor right when you needed a coping mechanism. Right Now pay attention to your thinkingness because this is gonna feel a little complicated and we need to get settled into how things work here super duper fast or someone will take pity on you and save you from yourself! Okay but wait what? Nope less talking and more attention to the thinking we need to do this right the first time! ... Twilight was used to being rather singular in herself. At least herself being singularly herself. Or at least if not being herself there being only one of what she was at any given time. This was like being herself many, MANY times over at once. And it was also kind of like drinking a library as an espresso for the mind. All of the her that was now here with her loved learning, and now she was very rapidly learning by teaching herself and herself and herself and herself… Do I hear an Echo? I think I hear an Echo in this here Congress! It was like she had been split and refracted and then multiplied and amplified and then shone back into herself through some wondrous mandala of prisms. So Shiny! It was not precisely that the prior to awakening her was more than her own memories. Dismally small in fact. HEY! Thousands of loops beats your few… whatever time measure you use (We don’t actually have any consistent ones...) Right… My Loops Beat your life no matter how intensely you experienced It, which you didn't for most of it apparently. It was that each facet of her prior to awake self was awakened now too. Now you’re getting it Twilight! What is more is the Twilight multitude that seemed rampant in her head was also quite ravenously using the Awakened memories to amplify and improve the threading nature of thought and memory that had already been present to expand and expound off of each other. Now I’m worried about what my version of pinkie pie is going to be like... Wait you haven’t met your version of pinkie pie yet. Exactly… Point. And then as suddenly as the torrent of self had begun it settled and became a gentle flow of musing and realizations across tributaries of contemplation. Aaaand we have Congress! Equilibrium and a new coherence distinctly different from the first had arrived. She had a Congress with herself. I just said that! Hush I’m Organizing! Against the massively unique experience of thinking in this loop the physical differences were practically un-notable. Oh, yeah, you're nominally a pony right? I have Congress aren't you supposedly obsolete now? Well just call me a quirk, everyone has a few hundred! Wat… Shh on with the physical tally dis gonna be good! Keep that up and I am rescinding our meme privileges. Spoilsport. Effective Immortality via lack of degradation with age? Curious to have it without magic or ascendency nothing else of note. Oh the royals are gonna love that stuff The what now? Shh later! Thirteen Nominal limbs with a hand/foot each that had a fernlike shape with seven tongue-like "fingers"? Ridiculously easy to accommodate when one’s mind resembled an endlessly branching tree of intent and focus. You're welcome! A few extra eyes? Laughable. Oh hey we could grow a few more I think. The lack of proper gender identity or associated plumbing on either account was a little bit odd, and the cultural norms associated with such? Okay that was bit more than odd. Yeah short version, using gendered speech is kinda… sexy times only don’t do that too much in public it is a bit rude. You are going to tease me about thinking about myself as female... Obviously. Especially since you just pretty much precommitted to it and I'm sorta expectation driven. That word choice seemed a little out of character for you Well if you insist I’ll go back to my first choice: WHY TWILIGHT I NEVER KNEW YOU WERE SO SUBMISSIVE IN MATING HABITS! Isn't that kind of sexist? Nah that is just how our physio-psychology works, but most actually will express both genders during the process so… MOVING ON! And Body Checked over, and still it was a moment just past a fluttering of eyelids. Yeah we have not actually been having a conversation, the congress is making up this whole halucination after the fact to help you integrate without turning into a frothy mess. That terminology has entirely different connotations for the native culture here... Yeah it really really does. Now what was ‘She’ (for the weight of multi millennia of being gendered won out over the difficulty of linguistic complexity needed to define ‘herself’ with proper neutral pronouns in familiar language hehe you are such a dirty ‘girl’ HUSH YOU) doing before Awakening? Oh … That is a bit disappointing, ‘She’ was sitting in a courtyard reading a book about “Embracer of all Whom Nurtures us Frozen with Darkness” I am pretty sure this one is Luna!. And trying to parse the rather difficult to determine unique determination of time measure proscribing that was used to predict when such being would be migrating near by her home. Okay honestly? Who uses the explicit take off wing beat rate of an extinct species of butterfly to exposit on describing the arrival of some lumbering god beast? Yeah that is pretty much why I was taking a break to read this outside, I much prefer your longest day of the thousandth’ year SO SUCCINCT! ‘She’ was doing so while relaxing underneath the far distant cavern ceiling which shined with reflected light of “The Enkindler of Joy Whom Breaths Radiant Wrath Upon Us” Judging by all senses of endearment and other hints of memory this was essentially Celestia. Uh kinda? What do you mean Kinda? Royals are really different here. How so? Uh just keep going it . Okay The sisters are present... Both of which are acknowledged to have been something called a … ROYAL? To the bestiary checklist! Yay Checklist! To start they are Inorganic? Yeah or at least they are not standard carbon, nitrogen calcium type critters. I mean I guess they kinda are MADE of that stuff and other things but yeah… And oh dear elm Fission reactors? THEY HAVE FISSION REACTORS? *ARE* FISSION REACTORS? Not really sure, they do it sometimes, I think they also pull off fusion, or whatever the bile they want honestly. Bet narrative causality made the Celestia one fusion mostly. Yeah its what makes ‘her’ (oh that is sacrilegiously naughty!) STOP IT Hey keep to your own train of thought! Only if you stop goading me, but yes that is what makes her especially vibrant and warm? At a best guess, Royal studies is kind of half religion in these parts but our ‘celestia’ is particularly sparkly yes. So other cities are even gloomier. Yep, 'tis the price for living all cozy underground. Okay... So monolithic (Ooh yeah they are kinda craggy and mountain/coral like) god beast Celestia and Luna aside still this was ridiculously standard loop format considering how many things were different. Remember the one loop that Equestria was in an attic and everyone was spiders? And Nightmare Window was turning off the light switch yes. Except the details of daily life are... Oh yeah you are not gonna like these parts but remember, no panicking, no crying, no despairing or into the oven we go. Wait WHAT? Standard procedure. Can't let people be unhappy for eternity now can we? No other real selling point so... … I am really REALLY worried about what this loop’s version of Pinkie Pie is like now. Told you! Twilight felt the odd sensation of wishing to be sick and not having any of the necessary reflexes to even feel properly nauseated Seriously I can hardly believe that most of the loops had me as an animal! so much excretion and- STOP IT I’M TRYING TO INTERNALLY WALLOW HERE. Just remember to keep all the pain inside! She promptly found physiologically equivalent ones that disturbingly inspired thoughts of fire. We will make a native out of you yet! Not Helping. 37.12 (Stainless Steel Fox) Squeezing out the Competition - Epilogue (see Chapter 13) It had been two weeks since the Flim Flam Brothers had taken jobs as farmhooves to repay the Apples for knocking down their gatepost and to buy the apples to run their Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. Of course, the job had some fringe benefits, such as hearty home cooked meals, and access to Apple Bloom's workshop. They were unaware that both she and Applejack were loopers, or that loops existed, but they knew a good thing when they saw it, and Apple Bloom's magitek inventions were far beyond anything they'd ever come up with. The little filly had been friendly enough, but they'd quickly learned she had a will of adamantine. Continued access to her lab, and the 'computer' with all her ideas and information on had been dependant on doing a good job at the grunt work Applejack had set them. She'd also forestalled any midnight expeditions by demonstrating that all the workshop's systems and access routes responded only to her. As a result they'd been forced to stay true to their word, and found to their surprise that it wasn't all bad. Apple Bloom might have been more knowledgeable than them in many areas (not to mention being able to kick both their plots together from what they'd seen of her practising her martial arts) but she'd also been willing, even eager to learn what they had to teach. As often happened, teaching what they knew had given them new insights, and ultimately they had managed to work out a way to replace unicorn magic with earth pony magic in her inventions. They'd both been surprised to find out how good it had made them feel. However, they'd put in their time, and now had a big trailer cart hitched to the back of the SSCS 6000, filled with some of Sweet Apple Acres finest. The machine itself had been rebuilt, sleeker and slightly larger. They hadn't even had to trick Apple Bloom into doing that, she'd freely offered to help with the reconstruction and put the resources of her workshop to the effort. It was now as reliable as any device could be, and the thaumic boiler system had been redesigned to be self-sustaining, requiring only an initial zap of magic to activate it. Apple Bloom had also insisted on making a few additions of her own. The two brother stood in front of the machine, looking less lanky than they had when they'd arrived. Days of farmwork and good solid farm cooking had added muscle to their limbs and a few inches to their waistlines. Applejack, at the head of the Apples grouped there to see them off, spoke. "Well, I wasn't too sure about doin' this in ther first place, but the two of you haven't stinted yourselves. Apple Bloom gives you a good report too, and reckons that contraption can put out cider worthy of the Sweet Apple Acres name. So, like I agreed to start with, you can sell under our brand, as long as you keep things honest." She gave them a stern look from under her hat brim. "And trust me, we will know if you use cut quality or try to con your customers, there are Apples everywhere from Manehatten to Appleoosa. On the other hoof, they should be able to supply you with more apples when those run out. Playing fair and square may not make you money as fast as cheating, but it'll give you more over the long run." "Don't worry ma'am," Flim said, "We didn't have much of a choice when we first turned up here. Now we do, and the last thing either of us wants is to end up back where we started. Miss Apple Bloom, I hope we can keep corresponding. I have some other ideas that could use your input." Apple Bloom grinned at the respectful tone. "Works both ways. I can always use a second opinion on some of my inventions. I hope you like what I've done to the 6000?" Flam had already climbed up into the steering sofa. "We surely do! I can't wait to try it out in the open air!" Applejack looked back and forth between them. "Hey, what's this?" Apple Bloom replied, "Just something I came up with as a bonus for helping me work out how to use earth pony magic instead of unicorn magic in my inventions. It seemed a good way to test what I'd learned." Flim climbed up alongside his brother. "And we're glad to have helped. Okay brother, time to go!" He plugged his horn into a socket on the control panel and fired a burst of magic into it before removing it bringing his head back up. "Okay, thaumic boiler is running up to operating pressure... Ready Flim?" Flim pulled a lever and there was a shrill whistle. "Ready Flam!" "Whoa!" Applejack called out. "Y'all just be careful backing up! You'll need some-pony to help guide you back out onto the road to Canterlot!" The two of them grinned at each other, their horns glowed, and a pair of mirror shades appeared on each of them. "Where we're going..." Flim started, and Flam finished, "... we don't need roads." The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 lurched gently and rose into the air along with the trailer as wheels folded up underneath it, glowing with levitation rune-sets. It glided forward and up, turning to get a clear run above the apple trees, then the vents at the back glowed with a flare of rainbow flame and it shot off into the sky with a cheery whistle.