//------------------------------// // MLP Loops 89 // Story: MLP Time Loops // by Saphroneth //------------------------------// 89.1 “Okay,” Sweetie said, over cocoa. “You guys up for this?” “Yep.” Gilda nodded. “Suits me fine.” “Your plan is one to which I accede.” Zecora sipped some more of the hot drink. “At what time do you wish we proceed?” Sweetie adjusted her scarf. “Well, tomorrow afternoon's the Wrap-Up... let's go with eleven in the morning.” “Attention, Ponyville!” Sweetie announced, standing on top of a box. “The amazing Zecora and I will perform step one of the Winter Wrap-Up – blooming this tree!” She pointed to the library. “Miss Sparkle,” she added in a voice she deliberately made deeper. “What kind of tree is that?” “My home?” Twilight checked. “It's an oak.” “Really?” Sweetie winked. “Right, let's go. Zecora?” The zebra nodded wordlessly, flipped her wooden staff, and began dancing. Sweetie pulled a flute from behind her ear and began playing. Drums, trumpets, stringed instruments and the sound of multiple voices chanting issued forth from the silver instrument, building to a crescendo as Zecora pointed extravagantly at a bare branch. There was a flicker of light and shadow describing a circle around the branch, then it pulsed and flowered into a blaze of cherry blossom. At the back of the astonished crowd, Gilda moved carefully from one place to another, and kept her inky tailtip raised. Her beak moved slightly with a repressed grin. By now, almost the entire tree was coated in sweet-scented pink flowers. Zecora's dance had gotten more and more energetic, there'd definitely been some breakdancing in there, and for the last minute there'd been an orange sitting serenely on her head for no apparent reason. Then, as the music grew to a final crescendo, she stopped moving. Sitting on her backside, facing the tree, she made six sharp gestures. A final circle of cherry blossom spun around the tree- And petals exploded outwards. “Eh heh heh...” Sweetie said, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. “Guess we overdid it, huh.” “Looks like,” Gilda replied with a shrug, looking around at the entirely not-snowy-at-all ground around Ponyville. “Thought only those special enchanted trees did that. Hey, I see blossom over at the Apple farm.” “You do?” Sweetie craned her neck. “...oh, great. That's cherry blossom. Zecora, think you could go fix it so they don't have to become the Cherry farm?” “I will, ensure, their crop, is steady,” Zecora panted, “As soon, as my breath, is not, so heavy...” 89.2 So You're Time Looping A short guide, by Twilight Sparkle. Hello! Welcome to the wider universe. If you've just been given this short booklet, then either you're in a world you don't recognize, or someone you don't know is taking the place of someone you do. Don't worry, this is entirely normal, and you should be back to the world you're familiar with next time around. This booklet is intended to make you, the reader and newly contacted looper, familiar with the terms that more experienced loopers use. It will also let you know what you can expect in the future, and a little about why. Loop (noun) This is each individual time that you go back in time. So each time you wake up back in time, you're in a new Loop. The term is also used to refer to separate worlds – so I, for example, am from the Equestria Loop. Loops have a usual start point and a usual end point, but neither is guaranteed. End points are more likely to be the same loop-to-loop than start points. Looping (verb) The process of going back in time, and the process of turning up in a new loop. So I occasionally Loop into the world known as Berk, and I am said to be “Looping into” Berk. I have Looped in the past; I am a Looper; you are also a Looper. Yggdrasil (proper noun) Yggdrasil is the tree that is the multiverse. All loops are, to extend an analogy, 'branches' of Yggdrasil. It has recently suffered severe damage, though the situation is contained. That's why the loops happen. Awake (noun; verb) To be Awake is to have memories of having gone back in time; that is, to have Looped this time. Sometimes people Awaken before or after the time that everyone else does – my friend Princess Celestia, for example, sometimes Awakens nearly a thousand years in the past from when I Awaken. You have to be a looper to be Awake, but not all Loopers are Awake every time. Anchor (noun) Almost every known Loop has at least one Anchor. The Anchor is (one of) the first to start looping in a given Loop. I am an Anchor, for example. The Anchor for a given loop is easy to work out – they're the one who's always Awake. (Well, almost always.) They're the one who's able to be the only one Awake. So, sometimes I'm Awake and none of my friends are. The death of the last present Anchor within a certain period tends to instantly end the loop. Replace (verb) To take the place normally occupied by another individual, looping or not. This includes if you have swapped places with a friend, for example, though it is normally used when the place you are occupying is in another loop. Fused loop (noun) The term “Fused” loop is somewhat fluid. The more general meaning is that it is any iteration of a loop where elements from more than one world – looping or not – are present. So, for example, a world where my world and yours were mixed together might mean that I'm there. It might mean that everyone was ponies. Or it might just mean that there's a few of my fellow Equestrian loopers there, as humans. The more specific meaning is the middle one – where there are things other than loopers from both worlds. Or from all three, or more. Baseline (noun) The events of the first run-through of a loop, and the events that tend to result with no outside interference. If, for example, your home loop had none of its loopers awake, and I was a million light years away and never got any closer, then the events back at your home region would be baseline. Admin (noun) The admins are the deities who run Yggdrasil and who are working to fix it. If you meet them directly, there are a few things to remember. First, they spend a substantial fraction of their existences working to keep you alive, so allow for that. Second, they are essentially gods of a power beyond anything you have. Yes, that includes you. And third, they do care for the worlds they run – try to stay on their good side. It's just common courtesy. Sakura Syndrome (noun) Named after the unfortunate Sakura Haruno, who was the first documented case. Loopers with a case of Sakura Syndrome tend to focus on the fact that things are returned to their original state when a loop restarts, and begin to use this to their advantage. The stricter definition is that they begin behaving like this to fellow loopers – who are not reset in this manner – while the less strict definition is simply that they exploit the loops to mistreat non-looping individuals. People with this problem tend to come about because they have become bored or apathetic as a result of the loops, and turn to one means or another to enjoy themselves. This becomes gradually more extreme over time. The process is not inevitable, but care should be taken. Sufferers of Sakura Syndrome are unfortunate. They are also potentially dangerous, and as a new looper I cannot guarantee your safety near them. Setsuna Syndrome (noun). The opposite of Sakura Syndrome, named for Setsuna Meiou. This is the case when a Looper comes to believe that the events of the baseline are sacrosanct and must not be interfered with. This is especially dangerous – and risky, both for the sufferer and for others – when they are not the only one Awake. Sufferers of Setsuna Syndrome may get violent to preserve what they see as the true timeline, and they can easily bite off more than they can chew. Setsuna Syndrome, unlike Sakura Syndrome, has a known and reliable solution in that it results from a simple misconception. Admins can help to talk sufferers around if other measures have not sufficed. Subspace Pocket (noun) An ability most loopers eventually develop. This consists of setting up a storage space inside one's soul, into which objects may be placed. The size of the pocket grows with time and with your own personal discipline and power. These objects are carried between loops, which is of course very useful. Punishment Loop (noun) You may have had one of these already. Don't worry, we all do. They're bland, often embarrassing, and unpleasant to be in, you tend not to have access to most of your normal abilities, and you probably ended up there after doing something stupid which backfired spectacularly. These are usually quite stable places, where you're put while the admins fix whatever you damaged. Just grin and bear it – trying to end a punishment loop early doesn't end well. Eiken (proper noun) The most common punishment loop. Generation (noun, adjective) Generations of loopers are essentially groups who started looping at about the same time. For example, I first started looping several thousand loops after the world of Berk, so I am technically from a younger generation than the Berk Anchor, Hiccup. But given how many loops there have been, we tend to be spoken of as being part of the same generation. First Generation (noun) The loopers who started looping first. All Anchors, all very powerful. Owing to calculation issues (they've all lost count), it is unclear whether there are five or seven. The broader definition is: Ranma Saotome, Shinji Ikari, Harry Potter, Naruto Uzumaki, Lina Inverse, Usagi Tsukino and Ichigo Kurosaki. (Evidence exists that Ichigo is younger, but evidence that he is the same generation also exists. Usagi, meanwhile, appears to have pretended that her friend Rei was the Anchor for a considerable time.) Ping (noun, verb) A combination of several different types of abilities that only somebody who had been to multiple universes could perform. You send a ping when you want to know if anybody else is Awake, and they (usually) ping back. However, you usually can't identify the source of a ping. Some Loops, such as my own, might have other ways of identifying Awake individuals. Like with the Subspace Pocket, you might want to ask the person who gave you this pamphlet about how to do this. I hope that this booklet was helpful. If you ever find yourself in Equestria, then drop by for a chat. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I tend to be a unicorn and live in a library-tree, and the secret code phrase is 'Hi, I'm a visiting Looper'. I'd like to hear if there's anything that should be added to this booklet. Good luck! “...well, that was surprisingly cheerful,” Mercedes Thompson said, looking up from the pamphlet. “Do you just... carry these?” “Yeah, I do.” Leah rummaged in her jacket for a moment, and pulled out a photo album. “Here's the author, by the way. Twilight Sparkle – I owe her a lot.” Mercy blinked. “That's where I recognize the... she's a My Little Pony, isn't she?” Leah nodded. “Yep. Hey, don't get too smug – I've got copies of your books. So, when are you getting married to Adam this time?” The skin-walker went bright red. “What the – but-” Her consternation was answered by a grin. Then Leah clapped her on the shoulder. “Right, to business. Do you want help from me, and if so how much?” “...give me a minute to think about it, please,” Mercy requested. “But yeah, if you're willing that'd be huge.” 89.3: “Rarity?” “Yes, Twilight?” “Can you fix this dress for me? I'm afraid a chandelier fell on it.” “Certainly, Twilight. It'd be a pleasure.” 89.4: “Well...” Luna began, awkwardly. “This is... new.” “You're not wrong there,” replied Trixie. “Wonder where Twilight is?” “She will turn up,” Luna dismissed. “Eventually. What is the greater concern, however, is how we are going to do this.” “And does this mean your name is Luna Moon?” Nyx piped up. The other two looked at her. “Well, I mean, I'm Nightmare Moon, and Trix is Trixie Lula Moon, so, since you're kinda our mom this time...” “Neigh, to have the name of Luna Moon is silly,” Luna pronounced. “As that would make me Moon Moon.” Trixie sniggered. “...so, how do we do this?” she asked, after a moment. “And can we send envoys to the Changeling lands by yesterday?” With a pomf, a letter landed between them. “Ah, excellent,” Luna pronounced, taking it up and opening it. “Hm. Well, it would appear that we know where Twilight Sparkle is...” “I've had some strange families in the loops before, I'll freely admit,” Twilight freely admitted. “But this one takes the cake.” “What is it, then?” Gilda asked, adjusting her big floppy chief-of-staff hat. “Well... I'm the gryphon empress,” Twilight pointed out. Gilda shrugged. “You're not telling me you've not done that before.” “Not as an owl, no,” Twilight said. “And the fact that my ruling clan includes you, a tortoise I can only assume is Rainbow Dash, and a certain psychopathic bunny-” “Sociopathic,” Gilda said firmly. “I think.” “Right. Correction tentatively accepted. Anyway. I sent a letter to Equestria. But I can pick up all three elements of Kindness... any ideas where they are?” “Ask Dash,” Gilda suggested. “She'll know.” “Are we team shapeshifter?” Silver asked, as all three Elements of Kindness padded, trotted or floated down the hallway. “Presumably,” Chrysalis replied. “I appreciate you two blocking yourselves out of the hive for now, by the way.” “I'll keep it up... unless you want me not to, that is,” the wolf next to her replied. “I know we looped in as changeling sisters and we're supposed to fight over the position of queen, but... that seems altogether too unkind...” “Okay, that's great.” Chrysalis nodded to her. “Let's see... hey, what kind of bedrooms do you two want? I learned interior design once, so now the whole swarm knows.” “Matte black,” Silver replied promptly. “I officially declare myself the teenage rebel technically-a-changeling princess.” 89.5 “Uh...” Sunset started, wincing. “I didn't think about how this conversation would actually go...” Spike raised an eyebrow. “What is it?” “Well...” The unicorn shook her head. “I... look, you two are kind of famous in the multiverse. Almost everyone I visited, once they found out where I was from, had a few words to say about you.” “Oh. Right. That.” Spike blushed. Rarity smiled. “Well, I suppose it must have been my wonderful personality.” “And what am I, a handbag?” Spike groused, barely restraining a happy grin. “Well...” Rarity considered. “Yes. But in an attractive colour that goes with my hair.” “I should have known you only wanted me as an accessory...” Sunset blinked, head moving back and forth as the two bantered easily. “Accessorize well, and the world is your mollusc,” Rarity said sagely. “Largely because the great big strong dragon accessory will pry it open for you and turn the pearls into jewellery.” “Unless he's feeling peckish,” Spike rejoined. “In which case, you'll have to live with the terrible privation of getting a necklace made out of nacre. And slightly more dragon.” “Well, more dragon is a net plus,” Rarity allowed. “I wouldn't go so far as to say you're a hot water bottle, but...” “Okay, how the hell do you do that?” Sunset asked, unable to restrain herself any longer. “I mean... you've been married for, what, longer than some loops have been a thing! And...” She slumped. “And you seem so comfortable together. I have to work so hard at that, and I never really get it down. I'm starting to wonder if I can.” Sunset sighed deeply. Spike shot a glance at Rarity, who returned it worriedly. “Sunset...” Spike began, carefully. “It might amaze you to know this, but it took us over a hundred years to get to the point we were officially dating.” Rarity nodded, seeing where Spike was going with this. “It wasn't always easy – we had our own traumas to work through, at the time, and even now there's the occasional thing which troubles me-” “Us,” Spike interjected. “If it's your problem, it's mine.” “And right there,” Sunset said, shaking her head again. “I understand it's how this loop works – how home works,” she added in a tone of slight wonderment. “But after so long places where the loopers will do things like rig traps the size of small towns and trick one another into compromising situations as a matter of course... it's going to take a while to get used to that kind of teamwork. Trust, I suppose.” “That's a lot of it, yes,” Rarity confirmed. “But the rest... we're comfortable with one another, we're comfortable with ourselves for the most part, and as such we just... relax. Spike closed his eyes, and raised a hand. “May I?” Sunset looked lost. “I'm a Jedi, remember,” he pointed out. “Mind if I give you a quick once-over?” “...sure,” she said warily. For the next thirty or so seconds, no-one spoke. Spike's breathing became deep, steady and even, and while Sunset wasn't able to relax nearly as much as he had, she found the quiet reassuring nevertheless. Then Spike snored. “Oh, Spike,” Rarity said with a long-suffering smile. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he jolted. “Did you fall asleep meditating again?” “Probably not,” Spike replied in a hurt tone. “Anyway. Sunset, you do have a bit of darkness in there – but that's really not surprising, most loopers tend to be grey. By the feel of it, you've got it well under control.” “So... what's next?” Sunset asked. “Well,” Rarity took over. “The point I was getting at before is, Spike and I are as comfortable together as we are because of long association. You've been shuffled from world to world repeatedly up until very recently, so you've never really had a chance to put down some roots.” Spike nodded along. “I recommend a course of treatment. First off, have a few sessions with Fluttershy, because she's so non-threatening that she should circumvent any combat fatigue you might have. After that, spend a few loops working on the Apple farm – Twilight can see about getting you hired. That's steady, monotonous work, but more importantly the Apples are as steady as the earth. They'll help reassure you you're here to stay.” “And what then?” “Then, next time Celestia's looping, just... talk to her. As much as you can – about an hour every day – about whatever comes to mind. Where you've been. What you've learned. Show off a bit, perhaps.” Spike's smile was gentle. “I think she's missed you, as well. She doesn't talk about it much, but I happen to have noticed on several occasions that whenever she has a Sisters loop she connives to have you get a good position in court. Nothing stressful, just... something with a lot of free time.” Sunset considered that, then nodded slowly. “That does sound nice.” “Which is half the point,” Spike confirmed. “It's slower than the more exciting ways of building friendships, but if anything more secure.” “Sure.” Sunset shot a glance at Spike, and grinned. “Live long, and prosper, and all that.” Spike returned her grin. “And may the force be with you.” 89.6 “I call it an 'honours list',” Celestia said brightly. “Do you like it?” “It seems as though thou art granting knighthoods to all manner of unsuitable candidates,” Luna answered, looking down the list. “For certes, I can see the appeal of those like Twilight Sparkle and fair Applejack, but... whence is Fluttershy a warrior?” “You've never annoyed her, I take it,” Celestia replied. “She's scary.” “This one for the Mayor of Ponyville?” “Above and beyond the call of duty,” Celestia explained. “She tried to tackle you when you turned up as Nightmare Moon.” Luna frowned, but let it go. “Who is this 'Trixie'?” “A travelling performer.” Celestia shrugged. “I like her shows.” “Right.” Luna kept reading down the scroll. “Rainbow Dash makes sense... A mare called Berry Punch?” “She makes the most lovely banana cordial.” “Scootaloo?” “A filly who Dash adopted. She's good on a scooter.” Luna raised an eyebrow. “Ditzy Doo?” “She delivered a nice letter to me. Granted, it was six months late, but...” The other one joined it. “Angel Bunny?” “It was under duress.” “Queen Chrysalis?” “Diplomatic purposes.” “Vinyl Scratch?” “I like her music. Must you interrogate me on every choice?” “Not every choice, dear sister.” Luna scanned down the scroll, occasionally muttering under her breath. “Pony Joe?” “He gave me a free donut last time I went.” “Celly, this doth seem much like a frivolous use of the royal prerogative...” “Oh, no,” Celestia denied. “That's when I ennobled a squirrel as the duchess of the Everfree.” “...you what?” Silverleaf put the royal proclamation down. “...okay, wasn't expecting that.” Diamond Tiara, who was for whatever reason her 'owner' this loop (pet squirrels had been 'in' at some point pre-loop), took the paper. “Huh. Okay, I'm going to request that Applebloom builds the biggest treehouse in local history as your ducal residence.” 89.7 They Awoke running. Being less experienced than most loopers with running, at least while bipedal, they staggered, tripped, one hit the other and they ended up in a heap. “Ow,” Luna complained. “It's not my fault I landed on you,” Celestia replied grumpily. “Where are we?” As she spoke, she pushed herself off Luna and stood up. Luna followed, favouring her right leg slightly. “I'm never used to this,” Luna grumbled. “Right. Start-up check. Pocket?” “Check,” Celestia replied, producing a slim wooden stick out of thin air. “Magic?” “Check,” Luna replied, as her own wand jetted red sparks. She then turned into an alicorn. “Oh, show-off,” Celestia groused. “Just because you put in the effort to get your animagus form...” “It's a sensible precaution,” her sister pointed out. “Now, why were we running?” Celestia nodded at some figures approaching them at a ground-eating sprint, with twisted faces and sharp fangs. As they approached, the monstrous humanoids seemed startled by something, and slowed in confusion. “Wait, are those vampires?” Luna checked, squinting. “They've got the fangs.” “And I think it's safe to assume that they're not good ones, seeing as how they're after us,” Celestia agreed. “Right. You take the ones on the left?” “Not just the ones on the left, thanks,” Luna answered. “Sorry in advance, sis.” The moon went down, and the sun came up. With some very abrupt screams, the vampires dematerialized into clouds of dust. “...well, that worked,” Celestia allowed. “But that's also probably going to be on the news. Now, where's the local anchor...” Alexander 'Xander' Lavalle Harris blinked in what was apparently the 2am sunrise. “Huh. Guess that means I've got visitors. Couldn't they just do the easy type thing and turn up at the library tomorrow morning?” He rolled over in bed and pulled a pillow over his head. Sunnydale Awakenings could be at all hours of the day and night, and he needed some less-ugly sleep. 89.8 “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Equestria, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hoofs unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life, Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.” Zecora shrugged, and held up a sign. 'It's a job.' Then paused, thought for a moment, and threw the script over her shoulder. "They won't actually do it, though. They're much smarter than Romeo and Juliet. In fact, my thought is that it'll be done by four." That said, she began rummaging in her pocket for something to cook popcorn with. Spike felt words leap to his lips as he entered the party. Words in Iambic Pentameter. Screw that. I know how this goes... A moment's check showed a few salient details. The ruler of the city of Equestria – yes, city this time, not country – was Prince Solaris. His kinsmen were Count Macintosh and one of Spike's friends, Armorio. Other familiar faces also turned up, as usual. Twilight, for example, appeared to be his cousin. But most of the important roles in the play were left clear – as they should be if it was Spear Shaker's play. From long experience, Spike knew there were two ways to handle a loop with a strong sense of narrative. Either make a clean break from the conventions straight away, so they had nothing to cling onto, or ride the story until it offered an out. Let's try option one. “Lord Capulet,” he began, sweeping an elegant bow. Time as a pony over many loops meant that it was as graceful as anyone could want. “Might I have the honour of asking for your daughter's hand in marriage?” He shrugged a wing, flipping his facemask off and revealing himself to be of house Montague, as the various unicorns and pegasi stared. “If it helps, I'm fairly sure it would end a feud, and-” Rarity glomped him. “How do you always know just the right thing to do?” he asked in a whisper, as bedlam erupted. “I know you,” she replied. “Quite well.” “Well, that was a bust,” Spike sighed, some hours later. “Looks like option one didn't work. Any ideas?” Twilight shrugged, flaring her own wings. “Assuming you don't want me to just go alicorn? I suggest an incredibly convoluted scheme which doesn't involve anything in the way of poison, though sleeping potion and poison joke might work well. I'll let Rarity know, she'll start on her own similarly elaborate and similarly complicated scheme, and I'll carry messages between the two of you.” She gave him a look. “And be careful with duels!” “Always,” he replied. “This was not a cunning scheme,” Twilight pointed out, barely half an hour later. “It worked, didn't it?” Spike defended. “I thought getting the local CMC involved was inspired.” “You did get my sister running the streets with urchins, darling. The shame!” Rarity flounced, then grinned. “Like she wasn't doing that already, admittedly... I have to admit, though, a moving siege tower that sings Volare was the most improbable thing they've come up with in a while.” “Yeah, they're inventive when they've got a challenge.” Spike peered over the side. “Okay, this looks like far enough. Girls! You can stop now?” “What is this stop you speak of?” Scootaloo's voice drifted up from inside the contraption. “Is it like go but less?” “Yeah, that'll do!” Spike replied. “Oh. We may have a problem there, then.” “Look, brakes are hard,” Applebloom whined. “Especially with these materials, they're appalling. Abominable.” “Atrocious?” Sweetie suggested. “Thanks. Yeah, that. Also, I think there's woodworm.” Spike, Twilight and Rarity exchanged glances. “Abandon siege tower!” Twilight announced. Spike picked Rarity up. “Hope you don't mind.” “Not at all, dear,” she assured him, and then the dramatic scene where they escaped the runaway siege tower was abruptly stymied as it hit a clothes-line. Assorted crashing noises filled the area. Prince Solaris blinked as a unicorn, a pegasus, three fillies and enough wood to manufacture a war galley avalanched through the front door of his throne room. Twilight flew in through the opened front door, alighting on the floor next to her dazed fellow loopers. “Afternoon, my prince. These two want to get married, and it'd prevent the Montague-Capulet feud. Should I call a priest?” She looked behind herself. “I'd hurry, though, I think the House Capulet guards noticed us.” “And why should I accept this betrothal?” Lord Capulet demanded. “My eldest daughter, with a Montague!” “And my son seduced by a Capulet!” Lord Montague added. “Because otherwise they'd have been in love anyway, they'd have started climbing walls to see one another at night – or, for that matter, Spike would have just flown in – and then there'd have been a duel, and Spike would have been exiled, and Rarity would fake her death with potion to get out of the planned wedding because they'd already have had a clandestine wedding, and they'd plan to run away after the funeral, but Spike wouldn't get the message, and he'd think she was really dead and take poison, and then she'd take poison and stab herself, and you'd reconcile but with your eldest children dead.” Everypony stared at Twilight. “Seen it happen,” she shrugged. “Look, they're thirteen years old, do you think they'd behave rationally?” Solaris spread his wings. “The betrothal is binding. Montague, and Capulet, your petty feud is through.” After much grumbling, the two lords shook hoofs. Zecora smiled at the back of the hall, noting that the clock read three fifty-seven. “Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny; Converting all your sounds of woe into Hey nonny, nonny.” “That's from a different play,” Twilight pointed out. “The one I quote is comedy, which this is more than tragedy,” Zecora replied promptly. “Fair enough.” 89.9 Twilight yawned. “Aah, it's sometimes nice to Wake up Asleep.” She stretched, which brought to her attention the fact that she was human. Then a body moved next to her in the bed, which brought her attention to the fact that she wasn't alone in the bed. She got up quickly, making distance from the other person in the bed, already thinking about how this was going to go – and saw a head of long, blonde hair with familiar-looking red highlights. “Sunset?” The other humanized pony yawned. “Morning, sis.” She blinked, then her eyes widened as the loop memories hit both of them. “Huh. You are my sister.” “Twin, I seem to recall?” Twilight checked, getting a nod. “Right. And I think I know where we are.” “In what sense?” Sunset asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. With a flash, her keyblade appeared, then vanished. She frowned in concentration, and her clothes blinked twice. “There we go...” “What was that?” Twilight watched, interested, as Sunset's clothes flowed from pyjamas to jeans and a T-shirt. “Magic clothes, like Sora has. Kinda convenient when you're human.” Sunset grinned. “I should remember to show Rarity, she'd reverse engineer it in about a day. Oh, where did you say we were?” “Right. Well, in terms of geography, we're in Washington state in America.” Twilight grimaced. “And in terms of loop, we're in-” The door opened with a bang. Leah Clearwater stood in the doorway, with her hair in disarray and her eyes wet with unshed tears. Her gaze skittered across Sunset, widened in recognition, and then onto Twilight, and her face seemed to crumple with relief. “Thank Fenris, it is you.” “Leah,” Twilight replied, blinking. “What happened?” “Later,” the shifter replied. “For now... just give me a few minutes, okay?” And Leah, tough-as-nails werewolf, sat down on the floor and started crying. “Is she okay?” Sunset asked in a low tone. “I mean, she seemed fine last time I met her. Valdemar-” “Yeah,” Leah hiccuped, and scowled. “Yeah, I remember,” she went on. “But my last loop... kind of brought everything back like it was in the bad old days. Feeling helpless-” Twilight hugged her. “Don't worry, you're among friends.” Leah nodded, not trusting herself to speak. “Okay,” she said, some minutes later. “I awoke really late on last loop. In one of the minor variations of my baseline. You know how the books are a pretty faithful account of what happens in my baseline?” “Yeah,” Twilight replied, grimacing. She was glad she didn't have a world anything like as bad as the one the 'were faced every time around. “Right. Well, this one was more like a bit of the films. Have you seen them?” Twilight glanced over at Sunset, who shook her head, and turned back to Leah. “Neither of us have.” Leah took a deep breath. “Okay. Well, I've got a copy in my pocket, so lock the door and turn on your DVD player. I'll show you what happened.” The local Anchor hit stop on the DVD remote, and turned to her guests. Both of them still had their jaws dropped. “...what did we just see happen?” Twilight managed. “Well.” Leah threw the remote across the room, and it bounced off the wall with a clunk. The batteries fell separately to the rest of it. “What you just saw was a battle breaking out between the Cullens – and my poor, Alpha-ordered pack – and the Volturi. All of them. And then you saw a vampire with element control abilities open a chasm so deep the mantle was visible. And then you saw me f*cking well fall into it.” Leah hyperventilated for a few seconds, then visibly got a grip on her reactions. “I have never hated my own healing ability as much,” she finished bitterly. Sunset said a word which caused Twilight to wince. “Okay,” Twilight added, after a moment's thought. “As far as I'm concerned, this is a loop for your benefit, Leah. What do you want us to do? Can we help?” “Yes, you can indeed help,” Leah answered. “First off, make sure Eddy boy and his family sod off. Where doesn't matter.” “Dibs on that,” Sunset called. “They're undead golems, right?” Twilight nodded. “One or two of them aren't evil, per se,” she pointed out, and Leah reluctantly nodded. “No problem.” Sunset made a gesture, and Glimmering Sunset materialized. “They don't harm the innocent. Now, which way to Cullenville?” “...maybe later,” Leah said, after several long seconds. “I kind of want to watch. But second, teach me how to survive falling into mantle-temperature magma.” “There, you may be in luck,” Twilight said with a grin. “It's a spell called Elemental Body, from Oerth...” “I kind of thought the Cullens liked baseball,” Twilight commented absently. “Eh, it's popular, they probably don't like it any more,” Leah replied, taking a long cool drink from her slushie. “Hey, Sunny! Go for a home run!” Sunset Shimmer gestured with her keyblade, and Edward Cullen levitated into the air in an aura of red-streaked golden magic. Then shot towards her at at least a hundred miles an hour. CRACK! “Looks like a home run to me,” Twilight said, as the vampire cleared a nearby treetop. “But you're not getting the distance you could, Sunset.” “I'm just getting warmed up!” 89.10 “Light ahoy off the larboard bow, cap'n!” Celestia nodded. “First mate? Go aloft and check the lookout's spot. We may be able to ride out this storm yet.” “Aye, cap'n.” Luna lashed herself to one of the lines, and made for the weather shrouds. “Okay, explain,” Twilight requested, as Dash spun together another squall and kicked it at the wildly tossing schooner. “Oh, they asked,” Dash replied, looking around for some quality rainclouds. “I understand it all developed from a bad pun.” “What bad pun?” Dash pointed, as Luna nearly went flying overboard. “Sailor Moon.” Twilight groaned. “Okay, OW.” 89.11 Twilight pored over the book in front of her. After a dozen of these peculiar 'time loops', as she'd taken to calling them, she was running out of readily accessible reading material. So she'd broken into the places where dangerous books were kept. This one was a bit tame, really. It just went into how to teleport into space, without bothering to explain how to cast spells to protect one from the vacuum to be found up there. But, well, it was something – something useful for longer range teleports, specifically. She finished it, and turned to the next book on the pile. “Inspiration manifestation...” she mused. “Well, it's certainly a poetic title...” “Okay,” Twilight said firmly. “Never going near that one again. Never touching it, never opening that place, never mentioning it. Nope.” She didn't want to go the way of Discord. Mind you, she really should have taken his grinning portrait on the 'about the author' page as a hint... 89.12 (namar13766) Sunset Shimmer blinked. Her usual awakening points were either in the fused loops or right after entering the weird human world on the other side of the mirror gate. So the first thing that went through her mind, understandably, was I'M A PONY! SQUEE! She'd never looped back far enough that she was still in Equestria. Judging from the current location, she was in the same spot Twilight had come up to her after she'd brushed off a group of ponies saying she was too busy to socialize. A quick check over her right shoulder confirmed the fact, combined with the fact that Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadance were right there, and, in fact, were looking back somewhat...anticipatory? Her thoughts were derailed as the expected group showed up. The sudden realization that Lyra was there was another shock, idly leading her to wonder if her studies about the other side of the mirror gate had led the unicorn to become obsessed with humans. "-like to come have lunch with us?" How many times have I said no? How would things have changed if I had not been such a immature, power-hungry brat then? Sunset inhaled slightly before responding. "I'd like to, but right now, I'm feeling kind of Loopy." Lyra's eyes twitched at the expression, confirming her suspicions of her being awake. Sunset simply smiled slightly. "Perhaps later?" "Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks?" Lemon Hearts sounded stunned. "Sounds great! I'll catch you latter." Sunset set her books into her saddlebag and trotted over to the other trio of loopers. Shining looked smug as she approached. "Twilight won the bet, Cady! Long odds, by poplar." Sunset wasn't sure she should have been outraged. "You bet whether I was awake this loop?" The Pink Princess Pony just giggled. "Oh no! Nothing like that. We just betting whether if you were awake this early, or whether you would awake after me or Twilight befriending you." Sunset opened her mouth, let it hang open for a moment, and then closed it with a small chuckle. "Well, I guess there're worse ways to have a bet settled." Her eyes turned to the filly Twilight Princess as she got a warm smile and hug in return. "So Twily, what do you want to do this loop?" "It's a magical world, Sunset, my friend," stated Twilight as she pulled back from nuzzling her. "Let's go exploring!" (DrTempo) From Sunset Shimmer's Journal: I've decided to stop giving entries numbers, since I have no idea how long my journey to my home Loop will be. After my last entry, I was more or less willing to take a vacation Loop or two. But when I saw an old man about to be killed by a robber, I had to help him. After I drove away the robber with a bit of Ranma's teachings, I asked the man's name. It was Ben Parker. Whoops. Luckily, Spider-Man was Awake, so I didn't end up causing a mess of things too much. If he hadn't been, I would've royally messed up. Still, Peter understood. His last non-Fused Loop had involved the 'Superior Spider-Man' incident. He'd needed a few Vacation Loops after THAT experience. Having been a victim of something similar, I could completely sympathize. Peter had managed to improve some of his more...embarrassing moments. This latest incident had caught him off guard, though. Anyhow, he understood that I had been needing to learn what he had so long ago through my experiences with my Fused Loops so far, and suggested my 'Vacation' here'd be trying the hero business, and begin to put what I'd learned into practice. His experiences with the major events in this Loop did allow me to try to either stop them from occuring, or weaken their effects. I did have to be cautious, though, or one Eiken Loop for me. Doing good does feel good. Though there're times where I wanted to just take out some villains...considering the constant resurrections that seem to go on in this Loop. What, do they have a 'get out of the afterlife here' card here? But still, I understand what the saying Peter champions so much means now. I'm a different person than the utter jerk I once was. But I still enjoy a bit of mischief. I might try villainy next Loop...just to compare. 89.13 (Bigou) Twilight's Awakening happened back in Canterlot's Royal Library, like usual. Turning around to face Spike, she was surprised to see a familiar little filly in his stead. Nyx seemed as surprised as the local anchor. "Mom? It's you?! Do changelings get cutie-marks in this loop?" "Of course it's… Wait, WHAT?!?" Upon inspecting her body, the older of the two found she was covered in chitin. Most of it was black, but her back and the three strips on her chest were the same purple her fur usually was. She also got the typical convoluted horn of a changeling queen. But was she really one? She wasn't so sure of that. After all she didn’t got any hole in her legs, her mane and tails looked like what they usually does, her posterior was featuring a familiar star-shaped cutie-mark, and she seemed to be the same height as anypony else. As far as Twilight was concerned, that was too many mixed signals. After a meticulous study of her loop memories, the (partially) purple anchor finally knew what she was and, more importantly, why. She accidentally switched species with Nyx when she hatched her. Turn out the dragon egg for her entrance exam was, in truth, a fossilized changeling egg. For some unknown reason this change, unlike the others, wasn't reversed when princess Celestia calmed Twilight. "Seems I'm really a changeling queen, just not fully grown." Nyx was with the others CMC, in their club-house. "So, just ta be sure." said Applebloom to Nyx "Y'er sayin' you replacin' Spike this loop." "You where a folsisi… A folisi… A stoned changeling egg," continued Scootaloo "But Twilight's magic awesomeness still hatched you." "And somehow, all that caused you to turn in a new-born Alicorn and your mom in a wingless changeling queen with a cutie-mark," added Sweetie Belle. "That sums it up," responded Nyx. "It's a nice little story and all," interrupted Diamond Tiara "But I don't see how it explain why she is, like, so over-protective of you this loop." Silver Spoon was the one to respond. "Instincts. Normally, changelings don't let their young go outside the hive. For a queen, everything is either part of her hive is a deadly trap for her swarm. Every fiber of Twilight's being is screaming at her that letting Nyx go outside her library is pure foolishness." "That make me wonder… If you're Twilight's daughter and she's a changeling queen, does that mean you can telepathically speak together?" The curious silvery Draconequus asked as an after-through. "We can. And trust me, with how protective she presently is, it became annoying in ten seconds flat!" 89.14 (Spectrumancer) Mac was putting the finishing touches on the bar for this loop when the local Anchor walked in, very sour-looking. "Something strong, please." she said as she plopped herself down in at the bar and promptly rested her face on the glossy wooden surface. Mac obliged, pouring a glass of extra-strength apple cider for the mare. "Bad loop?" "Not really, just Awoke early." she replied sullen-looking, downing the glass and returning her face to the cool surface of the bar. "Ah thought those were usually fun loops? How early'd ya wake?" Twilight mumbled something unintelligible against the counter. "Hmm?" Mac inquired as he moved to refill the glass. The mare raised her head slightly, just long enough to mutter: "...In Utero." Mac stood there blinking for several seconds, before wordlessly putting the cider bottle away and reaching for something stronger. Much stronger. (DrTempo) From Sunset Shimmer's Journal: As I'd decided, my next Loop was into the villainy business...not the 'take over the world' type of villainy, but more of the thievery business. Having a Keyblade makes opening doors a LOT easier, I have to admit. Unluckily for me, I'd found myself in a regular hive of villainy: Gotham City. That meant I'd encounter Batman sooner or later. And it was sooner, as during a usual heist, he showed up, spooking the Tartarus out of me when he did. I knew I was going to jail anyhow, so I tried to fight him. It didn't end well. He is as good a fighter as the stories say he is. Since about every villain has a 'gimmick' in this town, I decided to try gimmicks, plural. I used various looks and tricks I'd picked up throughout the Loops to try and make it seem I was multiple villains, instead of just one person. I'll admit, the time where Spider-Man'd used multiple guises during one particular incident where Spidey'd been accused of murder was my inspiration for this endavor. I created several guises: Kunoichi, the ninja thief, Key Keeper(my original guise using my Keyblade-based skills), Wild Flower(my martial arts training with Ranma), and Inverse(my magic abilities). This being Batman, he did figure it out eventually. Unluckily for me, I was in Arkham Asylum(I'd used the multiple personalities bit when Batman caught me as an explaination) when the Joker pulled off his legendary takeover of Arkham Asylum. I did help Batman, if only to earn some respect from him. Nice 'Vacation.' Now, I wonder where I'll end up next? 89.15: (Daniel H) "Rarity? You know that book in the Princess's old library? The one behind the secret door, locked iron door, with the staircase that crumbles after you remove the book?" "Which one, Twilight? There are quite a few, you know." "The one covered in spikes, containing a spell which grants the caster dark magical abilities but which eventually drive them mad with power." Rarity rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You're going to need to be a bit more specific." "The spell's called 'Inspiration Manifestation'." "Oh, that one. Yes, you warned us about it once, I believe... What about it?" "The baseline version of you gets her hooves on it in the most recent expansion." "Please tell me I didn't do too much damage..." "Don't worry, it only took three alicorns most of a day to fix everything; nothing anywhere near as bad as when our Looping selves first found it.” Twilight winced in memory – despite her efforts, once or twice a looper had found the thing, and it had usually taken Discord's... dubious... help to resolve. Or at least to neutralize the person with the book. The left-over effects went away as usual with a quick blast of harmony, or for that matter waiting a week or so. “Besides, it gave me new photos of Rainbow Dash dressing in style." 89.16 (Indalecio) The L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N.(League Of Villainous Evildoers Maniacally United For Frightening Investments in Naughtiness) mad scientists were having their "Supreme Ruler" pageant. The lights dimmed, and about two dozen mad scientists began a song and dance number. If you want to see evil tonight at it best The coolest of people put us to the test If you're looking for heinous and iniquitous acts Epics cannot contain us, sit back and relax One of these cats will be our villainous star So without further adieu, here they are A blonde and wall-eyed woman in a lab coat stepped up to the mic and introduced herself. The woman spoke. "My name is Dr. Ditzy Equus and soon you won't know just what went wrong." "Welcome to the first ever L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N Pageant of Evil, where these two gentlemen and lady will vie for the chance to tell you what's what." Said the announcer. The spotlight shifted to the three contestants, Dr. Heinz Doofensmirtz, Rodney(his real name too long to bother pronouncing) and the newcomer, Dr. Ditzy Equus. "In addition to gaining control of the iron hand of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., each contestant will receive a commemorative flashlight laser pen." "Remember, points will be awarded by the audience, so get out your voting boxes! Our first event is the mechanical mother! Show us how you treat the old lady Dr. Ditzy." Dityz put her arms on her hips and strutted up the robot mother that popped out of the ground. "Mo...." What she was about to say was cut off, as she tripped, hopping into the mechanical mother, and somehow trashing the robot in the process. "Impressive! Ditzy has quite a talent for destruction!" The audience voted, with hundred's of points being awarded to her. "Unfortunately, since that was our only mechanical mother, our other two contestants will not be able to compete in this event." Dr. Doofensmirtz and Rodney glared daggers to an oblivious Ditzy. "And now, the final event!" A stage hand suddenly passed the announcer a note, which he read. "But what's this? I've just been informed that Rodney has dropped out of the competition?" "Yes, he's a little tied up...I'm mean he had to doing something..somewhere else..far away..from here." Stated Doofensmirtz haltingly. "Oh, that's too bad, but I guess it can't be helped." Sympathized the announcer. "And we can't wait for him. In our final event, each of our remaining two contestants will attempt to intimidate each other with the force of their evil glares." "Get set and begin!" Dr. Doofensmirtz and Ditzy squared off against each other at opposite ends of the arena, staring at each other with fierce glares. "Doofensmirtz leers at Ditzy, who returns it, pointing at Doofensmirtz. So far the score is tied. Looks like they're suddenly talking to each other? What are they saying? Looks like Doofenshmirtz has taken out a remote. Now he's pressing a button. A green beam has just shot out from off-stage and hit Ditzy knocking her to her feet! This isn't looking good for Ditzy. But wait! She's getting up. She's looking really peeved now, and the audience loves it! Doofensmirtz is desperately fiddling with his remote and Ditzy is marching toward him. Ditzy has actually grabbed the remote our of Doof's hand and is crushing it beneath her heels. The crowd is going wild! It looks like Dr. Ditzy Equus is our winner!" The Announcer hung a garish medal around Ditzy's neck. "I now present to you the new Supreme Leader of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N! Speaking for the first time since her introduction. "And now with this I own all the muffins in the world!" Cackling maniacally as lightning and, thunder flashed behind her. Another stage hand walked up to Ditzy and whispered in her ear. "Really?" More whispering occurred. "Well, what's the use then?" She took the medal from off herself, tossing it to the ground and walked out. "And that's how I was made Queen Of The Pharmacists." said Ditzy as she nursed her drink at a table in Mac's bar. Across from her sat Twilight, who commented "Honestly, Ditzy, you have some weird loops." 89.17 Rarity shot a glance over at the Inspiration Manifestation book. After Twilight had mentioned it a few loops ago, she hadn't quite been able to resist going and getting it again. “...it couldn't hurt, could it?” she asked, mostly of the air. After a few moments more of consideration, she closed all the curtains and applied light-blocking spells to them. Then, she cast a light spell with a five minute duration. Only then did she pick up the book, and open it. “If you often have an idea while you are asleep, and you forget it after waking up – this is normal,” she read. “Keep a notebook by the side of your bed to avoid losing them.” She blinked. “This seems... more mundane than normal, perhaps?” Chapter two: Lucid Dreaming. With the correct experience, one can shape one's dreams consciously. This allows for better analysis of ideas had while sleeping... “Hm...” Rarity began to walk upstairs, still reading. “Perhaps I should try this. It certainly seems less... risky, than the methods the book normally-” At that point, the light spell cut out. “-gaah!” THUD. “Owwwww...” 89.18 (The One Butcher) "Celestia! Luna! Great to see you again!" A cheerful voice interrupted a quiet family dinner. A gout of artificial Dragonfire incinerated a small scroll. "Discord! I don't know what you planned this last year, but it's futile. The Elements have been on high alert this whole time!" Celestia signalled her guards, who sent up a flare signalling the special contingent of guards in Ponyville to assemble Twilight and her friends and bring them to Canterlot. All the while the Wonderbolts flew down to ponyville, just to be tribly redundant. Luna prepared her most powerful offensive Spells and stepped beside her sister. "You are going right back into the statue!" "But Lulu, Celestia, whatever did I do? Don't you think a thousand years in stone is punishment enough for my juvenile pranks? I am an adult now. You two shouldn't hold my youth against me like that. Also... you should think about the future... our future." Here Discord laid an arm around the two diarchs and blushed! "What? Stop that!" Luna insisted, freeing herself of the embrace. "How dare you imply such things!" Celestia followed suit. "Well," Discord began, "When a mare and a stallion love each other very much, the mare can get pregnant and birth a foal eleven months later." At that Silver Spoon snaked into the room. "And I am the complete opposite in everything.", he gestured to her. "This is Quicksilver, our daughter. I am a changed Chimaera, fatherhood has reformed me." He hugged the filly to his side. "So," the nervous Draconequine asked, "which of you is my mommy?" "No idea," Discord answered. “They both fought me at the same time.” 89.19 (The One Butcher) Rainbow Dash lay in wait. It was all she could do without her wings, with her right front hoof chewed off. "Come out!" Pinkie called. "You're the last one and you're already injured. It's only a matter of time until I find you~." She chanced a look around the curtain. Dead eyes stared back at her, Pinkie's mane rigid and unmoving, not a bounce in her. "Gotcha." Pinkie giggled, bared her teeth and jumped for Rainbow's jugular. Right into Rainbow's right stump, onto which she had grafted an ice pick. Pinkie's skull cracked, but she was undeterred. Rainbow leveraged her over her back and out of the window. "Puh..." She savored the moment's respite and reevaluated her chances. Twilight had been the first to go missing, no surprises there, as Pinkie knew she had to take out the Anchor first if she wanted to have any chance of succeeding. Applejack and Rarity followed shortly after and while Spike was gunning for revenge she thought she had the upper hand... Wholly unprepared for Fluttershy attacking her with an oaking chainsaw! After loosing her wings and narrowly managing to pop her attacker's head with a well placed punch that cracked her hoof she was ambushed by Pinkie, who capitalized on her already damaged hoof. She got away while Pinkie devoured Fluttershy's remains and managed to hole up in Rarity's boutique. Rainbow lifted one of Rarity's sewing machines on her back and prepared an ambush with it, when Pinkie slammed open the door and smashed Rainbow to pieces with it. There was a period of blackness. Then Twilight lifted the helm over her eyes. "Okay. Clearly we need to give Pinkie's next Golem softer teeth. How did you manage that anyway? Flimsy chocolate teeth shouldn't be able to bite through a thick chocolate throat!" "Oh Twilight, if I know one thing it's the breaking points of every kind of sweet. Don't you remember that Loop when I was Cologne?" Twilight flinched. "I still can't eat a jawbreaker without worrying it will explode..."