//------------------------------// // MLP Loops 106 // Story: MLP Time Loops // by Saphroneth //------------------------------// 106.1 “You did what?” Cadence asked, rubbing her ear. “Sorry, can you repeat that?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “I got crowned as co-Queen of the Changelings in perpetuity, as the consort of Queen Chrysalis.” “We had a coronation ceremony and everything,” Chrysalis put in. “Eight thousand changelings singing in perfect harmony. All very impressive.” “Then we went on a holiday alone together for a month,” Trixie added helpfully. The alicorn of love looked between the two of them, a suspicious glint in her eye. “And this isn't getting married?” “Nope,” Trixie replied promptly. “No matrimony involved. And that holiday was not a honeymoon. Really.” “Formally she's my consort.” Chrysalis shrugged. “And yes, we did check, and it is perpetual. Including between loops.” Cadence looked between them again. “This is all some kind of elaborate plot to make sure I can't go nuts over your getting married, isn't it?” “It is not all some kind of elaborate plot, no,” Chrysalis answered. “Neither of us-” she glanced over at Trixie, “-want to get formally married. We're much more comfortable with an informal relationship of that type, even if it has formal dimensions in other ways.” Trixie nuzzled her, and they both looked up at Cadence in a way which was definitely not pleading. “...fine,” Cadence groused. “I'll take it.” A pause elapsed. “...so, have you considered a really large and elegant coronation ceremony that I could help-” “No!” Trixie and Chrysalis chorused. “Really, it was a private little thing,” Trixie added. “Just me, Twilight, Chryssy, and her family.” “Which is over thirty three thousand strong,” Cadence said, then sighed. “Okay, fine. I don't suppose you have pictures?” 106.2 (TheOneButcher) "I hereby Crown Scootaloo as a princess of Equestria after the Magic of Equestria ascended her for outstanding achievements in the field of collecting stamps." "I hereby Crown Sweetie Belle as a princess of Equestria after the Magic of Equestria ascended her for outstanding achievements in the field of polishing forks." "I hereby Crown Apple Bloom as a princess of Equestria... after the Magic of Equestria ascended her for outstanding achievements in the field of... eating cupcakes." "I hereby Crown Diamond Tiara as a princess of Equestria... after the Magic... of Equestria ascended her... for outstanding achievements in the field of... wearing a Tiara." "I hereby Crown... Silver Spoon as a princess of Equestria... after... the Magic of Equestria... ascended her... for outstanding achievements in the field of... being rich." "I hereby Crown... Nyx... as a princess... of Equestria... after... the Magic of Equestria... ascended her... for outstanding achievements in the field of... sleeping." "I hereby Crown... Oh, buck this! I hereby declare that merely ascending to Alicorn form is no longer enough to be crowned a Princess of Equestria!" Celestia declared. With that she tossed down Mayor Mare's crown of the Princess of Choking on a Paperclip and stormed off to her quarter to draw up the necessary legislation to dethrone the new Princesses. "I was an Alicorn before it became Cool..." (KrisOverstreet) "I can't believe that worked!!" Scootaloo grinned. Diamond Tiara buffed a hoof on her chest. "Of course it worked," she said confidently. "The question is, can we get it to work in every loop where we want to use alicorn powers without getting dragged into government work?" Ivory Scroll leaned down to the alicorn fillies and said, "What I want to know is, how can we push this so that she makes alicornhood a disqualification for public service? You girls get off scot-free, but I'm still the hedging mayor!" 106.3 (Sieses Detkrah) There were times that Aura saw strange things happen within The World, being the Anchor. In one Loop, everybody seemed to decide to create a character of the opposite gender, despite being the same gender in the real world that the were in the baseline. There were times that Morganna decided to create the Eight Phases in the forms of little girls for absolutely no good reason. There was even that Loop where Haseo had been replaced with Kamina, which was perhaps the strangest of them all. Then again, at that very moment, Aura was quite sure that she had found a new strangest. “I hope everybody’s having a good time,” Pinkie Pie beamed as she bounced down the streets of Mac Anu. “This would be a very bad game if nobody was having a good time, especially with a party going on!” A collective cheer filled the streets of the Root Town, which were for the first time that Aura could think of decked out in streamers and other such party staples, despite the fact that models for such things were not natively within The World. The topic of things that did not exist natively within The World brought Aura’s attention back towards the girl in charge of the party. The girl named Pinkie Pie. The girl whose class was also Pinkie Pie. The girl whose class gave her the passive benefit of being Pinkie Pie. The girl who had the ability to pull party supplies out of nowhere, teleport whenever nobody was quite looking at her, enforce a promise between two people so long as they both made it within the game and with a certain phrase uttered, break whatever one of the laws of physics that would be convenient for her at any given moment, and once again be Pinkie Pie. And most importantly, the girl who the administrators could care less about, despite the fact that they hounded after even a perceived hacker in just about every Loop that Aura could think of other than a few rare variants. Regardless of how strange the sight was to her, Aura would readily admit that she found it to be incredibly amusing. Especially when she noticed Macha floating around in a silly party hat. 106.4 (The One butcher) None of them can overcome my Defence Value, even after a three attack Flurry. Ditzy dodged like crazy even as she distributed knock out punches left and right. I don't even need to stunt my Defence... And they can't surprise me from behind because of my extra eyes. Ditzy shoved the last of the bandits to the side and helped the girl to stand. "Are you alright?" She asked the young woman who stared at her in awe. "Yes, My Princess of the Earth." She bowed deeply. "Aw, stop that. I'm not one of those Dragon thingies." she smiled at the girl who looked at her in confusion. Then looked at the unconscious army of bandits, then back at Ditzy. Then that confusion gave way to horrified realisation. "Anathema..." she whispered, before clamping her mouth shut and backing away. Ditzy rolled her eyes. "I think I had noticed if I was a demon... I've heard they are quite flashy and shiny." But it was too late, one of the more hale Bandits was already running in the direction of the nearby City, shouting "ANATHEMA! ANATHEMA!" at the top of her Lungs. Ditzy was quite confused with that behaviour. As far as her Loop Memories told her doing that was a sure-fire way to get killed by the demon in question. Doesn't matter, she wasn't one of those things and therefore didn't have anything to fear. If anything the false accusation and accompanying boost in her already quite fearsome reputation would make clearing the forests of Bandits even easier. It was a shame how many people got missing in these forests, while the Princesses and Princes who were supposed to protect the people were doing nothing. Ditzy waited. "Ah, the Anathema. Finally we have found you." Sneered a voice behind her. Ditzy wasn't phased in the least, just calmly turning around smiling... Only to wrinkle her brow in confusion. What? Arrayed against her was a whole company of knights in shining Jade Armor in a multitude of colors. Behind them were four score bowmen, ready to shoot. Man, they were paranoid about those Anathingies... Good actually, that way they surely did less damage when they really appeared. Ditzy simply relaxed and smiled brightly. "I am really flattered that you would think that of me, and glad that you took the threat seriously enough to come in force. But I am not Exalted. The thing with the Bandits was all skill!" Ditzy explained. "Lies!" The foremost shouted. "It was foretold that we would encounter an Anathema here. That it would be the strongest who has ever lived, surpassing the powers of the First Age. We have laid in waiting for you to appear, biding our time for the last few weeks until you so foolishly revealed yourself." Ditzy frowned:"If you were waiting for an Anathingy here, why didn't you take care of the Bandits?" "Who cares about these petty nuisances. They know not to bother anyone important. You are just trying to distract me." The man sneered. Ditzy was getting a bit irritated, but it would be long before she gave up Diplomacy, she was a Pony after all. "I think I'd know if I was a demon. Surely there's a way to check?" "Sure there are ways to check... Don't move a muscle." One of them came forward and laid hands on Ditzy. After a while he looked at the leader and shook hie head. He ran back into the Formation. "And probably the Anathema have found some way around it with their foul sorcery. What you say makes sense... So you probably are using some kind of Silvertongued Magic on me, wasting your precious motes. Just as planned. And I know how to get around your evil influence." He smiled. "Switching to Combat Ticks. ATTACK!" So... about two hundred reality warping super soldiers with long range fire support... And this stupid RPG-Mechanics verse doesn't lend itself to Loopers roflstomping the Locals. She also couldn't really use her magic, which sadly had a golden hue and would confirm their theory about her. But she wouldn't take things lying down either. These guys just let those Bandits run wild! She'll show them! And then there was light. "Congratulation Young Warrior. You have shown Skill without peer and dedication to what is right. I am the Unconquered Sun and you are Chosen. You have taken your second breath. You are Exalted. You are... SOLAR." Nothing much happened. "You are SOLAR!" Again nothing. "Why can't the Exaltation raise your Essence to two? Wait what? You don't have XP... You don't have ANY XP? How did a Mortal use all his XP? It's... It's all bound up in a Charm. How can you have a Charm? Waitaminute... That's about four Billion XP! How can a single Charm take up four BILLION XP! How can a Mortal even HAVE Four Billion XP? I don't have Four Billion XP! And the Charm... You blew FOUR BILLION XP on some kind of EXTREMELY INEFFECTIVE SUBSPACE POCKET? Why wouldn't you simply store the objects in a pocket dimension instead of inside your soul? You'd need only ten XP to deposit and retrieve objects for that. This one's basically DESIGNED TO USE UP AN INSANE AMOUNT OF XP???" The shining four armed guy looked like he blew a fuse. "Uh, I'm stuck in an infinite Time Loop. This Subspace Pocket is one of the only things that can carry objects from one Loop to the other, because I can take only my Soul itself with me, not attached Pocket dimensions. But it's also to make sure we use up all of the extra space in our soul in order to prevent us from becoming a kind of God that doesn't fit into the multiverse, thus breaking it. I guess I can stop growing my Pocket for a while to make this Exaltation thing work, but... aren't Solars the bad guys?" The god blinked: "No... they are the rightful rulers of Creation, having saved it from the whims of the Primordials. But... If you are from outside the Wyld and will return there you will have to raise your Occult, Craft and Lore to Maximum before you leave, or you will forever remain incomplete, because you lack the knowledge to develop your Powers and it is beyond your reach." Ditzy blinked. Ah, of course! She'll finally get some nifty out of Loop abilities! As long as the Loop lasts long enough to pick up all the stuff on how to develop them... Unless... "Can't I use Science to find out all that stuff?" The Unconquered Sun blinked. "Well, if you have an eternity, sure! But it took a thousand people with support staff four Millennia to get to the level of power and versatility we are at right now." Ditzy seemed even more excited. "YAY! Twilight will love that!" Ditzy shook herself from her vision. She blew a bubble of spit and used it to examine herself. A circle of Light shone proudly upon her brow... It felt a bit like having a Horn. "Wretched!" Oh, yeah... that Army... "At least this time I know exactly what went wrong..." 106.5 (Kris Overstreet) The door to Mac's bar opened to allow Twilight Sparkle to drag a frantic, non-Awake Celestia inside. "But I have to find Discord!" Celestia gasped. "What if he starts running amok again? If I let that happen I'd be a rotten princess! Everypony would call me The Rotten Princess Celestia! And then they'd exile me for not doing my duty! Or they'd jail me! Or they'd throw me in jail in the place they exiled me to! Or-" "Relax, Princess Celestia," Twilight said soothingly. "Look in the corner." Discord waved back from the corner, holding up something served in a pineapple and garnished with umbrellas. He took a sip, and the umbrellas grew noticably shorter. "Oh, hi, Celestia!" he said. "I have seen the error of my ways and reformed, and thus I was given time off for good behavior! Isn't that wonderful?" Celestia fainted. "Mac," Twilight asked, "when Celestia comes to, could you give her the stuff you give me after a really bad Loop? Maybe a double?" "Eyup," Big Mcintosh agreed, pulling a bottle of smelling salts out from under the bar. As the big red stallion worked on getting Celestia to relax, Twilight walked over to Discord. "Brittle-estia Loop?" the lord of chaos asked. Twilight nodded. "Nothing I can't handle. And how have you been?" she asked. "Petrified. Again." Discord shook his head, and some pebbles sprinkled out of one ear. "It's bad enough I usually Awaken in stone here in Equestria, but when I spend an entire Hub Loop unable to move... well, my dear Twilight, it's enough to drive me sane." "Not so I've noticed," Twilight snarked back. "But the Hub world doesn't have petrification, does it?" "Well, I incarnated as this sort of legend, really. Up in New England. According to the legend a warlock escaped the Salem Witch Trials and fled north beyond Portland, swearing vengeance on his persecutors. The judge and several priests followed, chasing the warlock to an island in one of those innumerable bays. The legend says they tried to execute the warlock by pressing- by sandwiching him between two heavy slabs of stone- but he just would not die. So instead they piled all the rocks they could on top of him to trap him for eternity." "Sounds ghastly." "Glad I wasn't Awake for it," Discord agreed. "But the legend finishes by saying that the warlock's spirit is waiting for some fool to find his prison, remove the rocks and free him to unleash his evil once again." "Remove the... north of Portland..." Twilight Sparkle gasped as the answer came to her. "Do you mean to say-" "I certainly do. I was," Discord declared, bringing himself erect on his stool and placing a hand dramatically to his breast, "the Rock Bound Ghost of Maine." A few moments later, Celestia came to. "Mr. McIntosh Apple, I presume?" she asked. "It is good to see my student battling Discord... but shouldn't she be doing something more forceful than pelting peanuts at him?" "Enope," Big Mac said, pushing a very large, very alcoholic drink towards the princess. 106.6 (Scarecrow11) "…no gniog s'tahw rof nosaer a evah reve I ekil" "?ereh sdrawkcab gnihtyreve si yhW" "?ytiraR seY" "?thgiliwT" 106.7 (Scarecrow11) Silver Spoon approached her friend at recess. Diamond was sitting by herself on one of the benches, just staring at a tiara in her hooves. "Tiara… you alright?" she asked. Diamond just nodded absently. "Yeah… I was just thinking about last loop." Silver sat beside her "Bad?" she asked quietly. Her friend just shook her head "No, it was… alright really. I was awake much earlier though. Barely more then a baby. I got to spend some time with my mom." Tiara's mom was a weird thing in the loops. Much like Scootaloo's parents, it changed from loop to loop. Sometimes she was alive, sometimes she wasn't. Sometimes she was a business pony like her father, sometimes she was wild and adventurous. Sometimes she was as bratty as baseline Tiara. Once she was called 'Screwloose' and spent the loop in an asylum. But because she never impacted the baseline plot in any way, it always changed. "She… passed away before I was even old enough to enter school." Tiara turned away, hiding her tears "She held me as she passed. She told my father… that 'I' was the greatest treasure they had." Taking a shuddering breath, she composed herself. She gestured to the tiara she was holding "My father bought this for me soon after. Mom always said I was their little princess, and he said that 'With this crown, now everyone will know you're a Real Princess.' " she smiled softly "It's just a toy, of course, but I never had the heart to tell him I knew." Spoon leaned over and hugged Tiara, who embraced her back. Letting go, Tiara looked at her friend with watery eyes "Daddy… no matter what loop, he always does his best to be there for me, to love me no matter what. In baseline… oak I must have been so disappointing." she hugged the toy tiara close as she thought of what a brat she had been, how embarrassing her behavior must have been to her father. Spoon offered a smile "Hey, it's alright, you're not like that now. You haven't been for a long time." Tiara nodded, wiping away the tears. "You're right. I will NEVER be that way again. I will do my best to make my father, and my mother too, if I can, proud of me. I will be a daughter worthy of being called their princess. Their treasure." 106.8 (Gym Quirk) "Here you go, girl. Eat up," said Sam as he loaded a generous pitchfork of hay into Applejack's stall at the Rivendell stables. He's a sweet fella, but a mare's gotta have some time alone so she can finish her readin', the pony grumbled to herself. "Oh. And here's a nice apple for dessert. They have wonderful fruit here, y'know." He put the treat on the stall door. "Hello, Mister Gandalf, Mister Strider, Gimli," he greeted the three future members of the Fellowship. "Here to check on Shadowfax?" "Yes. I see you're taking good care of fair Applejack," said the wizard. "I think Frodo is looking for you. He said something about wanting to take a walk along the north path with Bilbo." "I'm fine, sugarcube. Go on and see to Frodo," added the pony sotto vocce. Sam scurried off. "That pony did just speak, right?" asked Gimli suspiciously. "Whinny?" Shadowfax snorted his amusement. "Oh, cut it out," suggested Aragorn. "He's Awake." Gandalf gestured to the stable. "I can talk to Elrond if you..." "Y'all kin stop apologizin' fer the accommodations already. It's comfy enough, and the food's just fine," said Applejack, showing signs of mild irritation. "While I wouldn't mind gettin' some time in the kitchens, the hay's top-rate, and I 'preciate the flowers, fruit, and other treats. 'course, if any of y'all wanted drop off the odd plate of daisy sandwiches, I wouldn't say no. The bread smells wonderful." "Moving on from the culinary tastes of our esteemed guest," said Gandalf. "The Council went pretty much by-the-book. We three" -- he gestured at the human and dwarf that had accompanied him -- "thought we should bring you up to date and start considering our plans." "So it's just the four of us Awake?" asked the pony. "And Galadriel," responded the wizard. "Now, since this was a 'Pick up the story at Bree' variant start, neither she nor I was able to take any action to neutralize Saruman, so the preferred alternative of going via the Gap or Rohan is much less desirable if we want to avoid unnecessary conflict. We need to stay here long enough for Anduril to be forged, but Aragorn hopes to get a sufficiently early start to avoid the storms at the Redhorn gate." "Why are we discussing our plans with a pony?" asked the scowling Gimli. "Why should we not discuss our plans with a pony? Gimli, this is what? Your twentieth loop or so? As much loop experience as I have compared to you, she has a similar degree of experience compared to me," replied Gandalf. Applejack held up a hoof in protest. "Yer an Anchor, I don't really think..." "You are Twilight's Second. The second pony to loop after she started. How many loops had you experienced by the time your sister Ascended?" "I lost count a ways before..." "I had gone through less than a hundred by then, and only a handful of fused loops. I will certainly surpass you eventually, but I believe that you are easily the most experienced individual in the world at the moment, several times over." "But I've only been Here under a dozen times, and none of them were related to your baseline in any significant way." She smiled absently at the memory of ten alicorns storming Mordor and blasting Barad Dur with the Elements of Harmony. "And I've just reached to the bit where Frodo and Sam get to Mount Doom in my readin'." "By the sound of it, you've covered most of the highlights as far as immediate plans are concerned," noted Aragorn. "Due to the late start, we're stuck with the same situation as in the baseline, and can only make a few changes. We're still trying to destroy the Ring..." "I don't suppose," she interrupted, "you've tried speedin' up the travelin' process with some teleports?" "I'm afraid that magical teleportation is usually not an option by this world's rules. Technological means have worked on occasion, and there was the one time Mnementh..." Gandalf trailed off. "Huh. Too bad my sister ain't here; she can usually put together a Trek-style transporter in a few hours." mused Applejack. The two continued to swap ideas about how to proceed. "And this is why we are discussing our plans with a pony," Aragorn explained to the bewildered Gimli. "That animal can nearly talk," {Sam} said, "and would talk, if she stayed here much longer. She gave me a look as plain as Mr. Pippin could speak it: if you don’t let me go with you, Sam, I’ll follow on my own." -- Tolkien, J.R.R.; The Lord of the Rings. (As amended by Applejack of Equestria.) "Sam, sugarcube. Y'all'll need somepony to carry the supplies, and since Shadowfax ain't built to travel in the mountains, I guess that means me," said a voice from the pony's general vicinity. -- From a discarded draft of King Elesar's memoirs. Gandalf and Aragorn were able to shave about a month off their baseline departure date. Now in the last days of November, the Fellowship of the Ring stood outside the Last Homely House waiting for Gandalf to emerge from a last-minute consultation with Elrond. Sam was fussing with the pony's pack, muttering about the supplies. "Rope! No rope! And only last night you said to yourself: 'Sam, what about a bit of rope? You’ll want it, if you haven’t got it.' Well, I’ll want it. I can’t get it now." "Check again under the extra blankets, sugarcube." Sam was mildly astonished to find a coil of sturdy rope. He took a long considering look at the pony. Applejack gazed back impassively, then essayed an innocent nicker. I'll need to remember to ask Bloom or Rarity to make me some of that artificial spider silk rope and make sure it looks like ordinary hemp. Good thing Aragorn keeps a decent supply of it in his Pocket. "Applejack, my girl," said the hobbit somberly, "you oughtn’t to have took up with us. You could have stayed here and et the best hay till the new grass comes." Taking a cue from her baseline counterpart, Applejack swished her tail and said nothing. At last, the Company set out (on foot: Shadowfax had reluctantly returned to Rohan a while after the Council) following a final (and to Applejack's mind, redundant) admonition from Elrond about not doing anything stupid with the Ring. After two dreary and overcast weeks of traveling during the hours of darkness to avoid observation, the party reached the borders of the long-abandoned realm of Hollin and Gandalf called for a day's rest. While Legolas occupied his time as lookout, the hobbits spent their time either resting their weary feet or working on their swordsmanship with coaching from Boromir. Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gimli considered the road ahead. For some reason they had gathered near their beast of burden. "So are we really going to try the pass of Caradhras, or should we bite the bullet and go straight for Moria?" asked Gimli. "I'll admit that we've never had much luck with the pass, but there was that one time..." replied Aragorn. "Unless one of you picked up some skill at weather control and hadn't gotten around to telling me about it..." interrupted Gandalf. He spared a glance toward the pony. "I think ya got me confused with Rainbow Dash. Even at full power, I'm no weathermare," objected Applejack. "Anyways, if y'all're interested in my opinion, I'm gettin' a real bad feelin' 'bout that peak yonder. I think Spike'd call it a Dark Side nexus. I'm also pickin' up somethin' from the rocks that's between mischief and malice, shadin' toward the second." Gimli was again staring at the pony. "You can sense the very stone and how it feels?" She shook her head in an equine shrug. "Just sayin' how I read the terrain ahead." "Okay. If we try the pass and there's unseasonal snow, we'll go for the low road. Satisfied?" asked Aragorn There was grudging agreement. As the wizard and dwarf went off, Aragorn paused. "I've been meaning to ask. How do you keep that hat on in all the wind we've had on this journey?" "Picked up the knack from Henry Jones jr. a while back. I got no idea where he learned it." "So here we are at the Hidden Gate of Moria," declared Boromir to nobody in particular, "against my better judgement, I'll add." "Kwitcherbellyachin' already," muttered Applejack. "I wish he'd stop going on about that," murmured Sam to Frodo in a echo of the pony's words "You were enthusiastic enough about the decision when the wargs started howling," pointed out Gimli. The company had turned back from Caradhras when the weather took a threatening turn. An overnight encounter with a pack of possibly phantom wargs – as in the baseline, the morning after the skirmish had left no sign of their adversaries – had hastened their journey to this point Gandalf was now making a show of searching for the hidden doors as the Gondorian and dwarf bickered. "Would it not be a good time to unload our faithful pony and determine what we much carry ourselves and what can be left behind?" Legolas asked Aragorn. "As steadfast and brave as she has been, the mines would not be a safe place for her." "She'd follow Mr. Frodo into a dragon’s den, if I led her," protested Sam. "It'd be nothing short of murder to turn her loose with all these wolves about." "With Sam to look after her, I believe she can make the journey," said Aragorn after a thoughtful pause. "Still, I expect she wouldn't object if we lightened her load. Keep all the food, fodder, and especially the water bottles. The cold-weather gear will probably not be needed as we go further south." The hobbits made themselves useful unloading the pony and sorting through the packs. Applejack took the opportunity to join Aragorn at the edge of the ominous lake that had filled the valley at the doorstep of the abandoned dwarf kingdom. "Anything more I oughta know about Watcher?" she asked Aragorn quietly. "Just stay alert. It usually strikes shortly after we open the doors. At least Gimli is keeping Boromir from throwing rocks, and Pippin is similarly occupied." "Ah. There we are!" declared Gandalf after revealing the ithildin markings that indicated the door. The rest of the company gathered around to peer at the design. "What does the writing say?" asked Frodo, trying to decipher the inscription on the arch. "I thought I knew the elf-letters, but I cannot read these." "The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in the Elder Days," answered Gandalf. "They do not say much of consequence. They say only: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. And underneath small and faint is written: I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs. Or in the original Sindarin: Ennyn Durin aran Moria. Pedo mellon..." The doors slowly swung open. Ignoring the dirty look from Gimli, the wizard clapped his hands. "Right! Are we ready to get going? No? Well let's not dawdle..." Applejack's attention was focused on the lake. Her life-sensing abilities picked out the location of the creature that lurked there as it roused and started to move toward the Company. Let's see if I can discourage the critter... She snorted nervously, stamping a hoof. Deep in the lake, a stone column erupted from the lakebottom to pummel the beast from below. A few ripples formed on the surface. She felt it circle and make another move toward their shore. Another stamp, and another column rose to block its way. More ripples appeared on the lake surface. "Easy girl," soothed Sam as he gently reloaded her pack saddle. Yet another circle. Yet more stamping. This time two columns met at an angle to crush something between them. "There's something going on out in the lake," commented Legolas. The lake's surface was showing a fair amount of turbulence by now. With a mild feeling of satisfaction, Applejack perceived a vague impression of disgust from her victim and sensed it retreating to a deeper part of the waters. After several seconds of watching the ripples expand and reach the shore with a distinct lack of additional activity, the party took up their burdens and cautiously crossed the threshhold into the mines. Beyond a small antechamber, there was a broad, gentle stairway leading upward into the gloom. "Take them up about fifty steps, Aragorn. I'll see what can be done about the doors," instructed Gandalf. As Sam led Applejack past the wizard, she balked momentarily and gently nudged the doors with a combination of earthbending and the Force. They slowly swung shut with a surprisingly quiet thud. Igniting a faint spark at the end of his staff, Gandalf paused to give the pony a long look before moving up the stairs to the head of the Company. "He is dead then. I feared it was so," said Frodo as the company looked at Balin's tomb. It had been an uneventful and by-the-book trek through the mines. The incident with Pippin and the rock dropped into the well had been prevented by a combination of keeping the young hobbit busy and an explicit threat from Gandalf: "And if you even consider playing with that hole in the floor, I'll arrange for you to make a personal inspection. This is a serious journey, not some hobbit walking-party!" ("Not that it makes much of a difference in the grand scheme of things," the wizard had explained when the incident was brought up during their planning sessions in Rivendell. "We almost always encounter orcs shortly after we reach Balin's tomb. Still, the effort should be made.") "This appears to be the remains of a book," observed Gandalf, lifting the badly damaged volume from its niche. "We don't have much time, but I hope to glean some notion of where we are..." As the remainder of the party clustered to peer at the book's contents, Applejack edged toward the half-open stone doors on the west end of the room and concentrated on the rock in their general area. She felt Aragorn's walking to her side. "Got a fair number makin' their way up from below," she reported. "Want me to do somethin' about 'em?" "...Chamber of Records. I guess that is where we now stand," Gimli was saying. "If that is the case, then we entered from the twenty-first hall, which means we take the east arch and go down to the gate level," decided Gandalf. "Take the book, Gimli. We will give it a closer look when there is more time." Applejack judged that the lead party of orcs was perhaps twenty-five steps from the top of the stairs that let onto their level. Seeing Aragorn's nod, she reared and stomped both forehooves to the stone. There was a chorus of surprised voices as two or three levels of steps were remolded into steep inclined planes, causing upwards of fifty warriors to tumble backwards and downwards. "Orcs!" cried the ranger. "And it sounds as if they were moving up from the east arch!" "Everyone up and ready to move," ordered Gandalf, moving to join Aragorn. "Boromir, watch the east door." The Gondorian went to the small door on the opposite side of the room. "I kin block the passage fer a bit. Dunno how long it'll last against a balrog, tho," offered the pony. Gandalf's expression went abstracted for a long moment; Applejack recognized the look of one consulting the Force. "Yes. Seal the arch, and then this door." "Ya got it. Wanna pretend it's yer doin'?" "You are most considerate," said the wizard drawing himself to his full height and raising his staff. He started chanting in an unknown elven dialect. Aragorn shouldered the door shut. The pony backed away, then whinnied in feigned fright, rearing and bucking as Aragorn held onto her lead rope. Faint grinding noises from outside of the room could be heard over the wizard's words. Sam hurried up to help. "Steady, girl. Steady..." After one final buck directed at the closed door, she allowed the hobbit to lead her to the rest of the party clustered at the room's quiescent east entrance. Aragorn noted that the stone of the floor and lintel had flowed to meld with the door itself. "She's finished. You can stop chanting those song lyrics now," he murmured to Gandalf as he too moved to the east door. The wizard made a display of shouting a few final words at the west door, complete with a flash from the tip of his staff. He slowly walked to join the group. "Well," he said, as if tired from a great effort, "I have done all I can for now. The door has been secured. This secondary passage should bring us to the main halls..." "I knew things were goin' too smooth," muttered the orange pony as the Company emerged into the Second Hall. To their left was the famed Bridge of Khazad-Dum. "Ai! ai!" wailed Legolas. "A Balrog! A Balrog is here!" Looming in front of the bridge stood Durin's Bane. To their right was a chasm of fire, separating them from a howling mass of orcs and trolls. "Aragorn, Gimli...watch our backs. Boromir, Legolas...mind the hobbits. This is a foe beyond all of you," ordered Gandalf with grim determination as he deliberately strode toward the shadowy demon. "You cannot pass." The Balrog's voice came out as a combination of a basso rumble and a hiss. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor," declared Gandalf, as he drew himself up before the towering form. As the unawake members of the Fellowship were focused on the confrontation, Applejack took the opportunity to erect a substantial wall to block off interference from the Balrog's minions. "You cannot pass," repeated the Balrog, producing a flaming whip and cracking it over the head of its adversary. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow!" commanded the wizard, adjusting the grip on his staff and moving Glamdring to a high guard position. "You cannot pass," growled the Balrog a third time. "Big guy needs to add some variety to his lines," observed Applejack. Boromir blinked at the oddly placid pony. "Terrified whinny? Nervous snort," she added, straining half-heartedly at Sam's grip on her lead rope. The Company's attention was returned to the confrontation before the bridge as a great red flaming sword swept out and down at the wizard. A brief ringing clash of metal and a brilliant flash later, the Balrog's sword was a shower of fragments and the demon had taken a long step backward onto the bridge. Gandalf set down his staff and started to chant, quietly yet clearly: "In fearful day, in raging night, With strong hearts full, our souls ignite. When all seems lost in the War of Light, Look to the stars, for hope burns bright!" His blue-gray robes and hat took on a decidedly brighter hue and he was surrounded in a distinct pale blue nimbus. Shoulda figgered he'd've picked up a Power Ring by now, mused the pony. And the oath does seem to fit Arda mythology pretty well... The Balrog surged forward, whip cracking. Gandalf dodged the burning tendrils and took to the air, responding with a series of energy bolts to its face, forcing the larger form further back onto the bridge. Enraged, Durin's Bane leapt at the blue glowing figure, arms spread wide as if seeking to crush the wizard under its body. An enormous blue cylinder -- Applejack thought it resembled a rolled-up newspaper of all things -- knocked the great airborne body into void with a terrible cry. A flailing limb caught the bridge and knocked out a large chunk of rock from the arch. Its structure weakened, the rest of the bridge followed the Balrog into the chasm several seconds later, leaving two short stubs of rock at either end of the sixteen-yard gap. Gandalf returned to the ground and started cursing. I ain't no expert, but I think he needs to work on his Huttese accent, thought Applejack. The Company cautiously advanced to the edge of the abyss, staying several wary feet from the ranting wizard. "That bridge gets broken, shattered, disintegrated, or otherwise destroyed almost every loop. It's been getting on his nerves lately," murmured Aragorn as he joined the pony. "I kin sympathize. Think he'd mind if I took care of it?" "Probably best to wait for him to regain his composure." {Interlude in Mac's Bar} "I heard another version of that bit," interrupted Berry Punch. "Beg pardon?" inquired Applejack politely. The mixologist held up a placating hoof. "Now, I'm not saying your version is wrong. Just that I've heard a different account. I replaced Butterbur about five to ten loops back, and Aragorn and I got to trading stories..." The Balrog surged forward, whip cracking. Gandalf gracefully slipped to one side, taking to the air in something between a leap and actual levitation. As his foe passed, he slashed with Glamdring, taking off the Balrog's left arm at the shoulder. The severed limb tumbled into the abyss. "Now stand aside," he ordered. " 'Tis but a scratch," countered the Balrog. "A scratch?" asked the incredulous wizard. "Your arm's off!" "No it isn't." Watching the familiar (to her) scenario play out, Applejack facehoofed and looked for a nearby pillar or wall to bang her head against. By the time Durin's Bane had been reduced to a ranting torso, Gandalf was clearly elated. He gently wrapped the demon in a blue halo of energy and deposited it near the south wall of the hall. Beaming, the wizard started shepherding the others to the bridge and beyond. "I think this may be the first time in over a hundred loops that bridge has remained intact. He's been getting kind of twitchy about it," Aragorn explained to the pony as they organized for the crossing. 106.9 (Scarecrow11) Rainbow Awoke mid-flight, but experience had taught her how to not loose her cool and crash. A quick check into Loyalty's magic told her that the Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were all awake, but for some reason she didn't get a location or response from Twilight… Checking her loop memories, she found that she was still a weather manager… but in Cloudsdale. Apparently she had still dropped out of flight school, but had stayed in her hometown. Asking around, she found out who her replacement was in Ponyville: Lightning Dust. Huh… this might make for an interesting variation. Applejack looked at her unawake sister who was busy tinkering in their garage. That wasn't so strange, but the fact that she was working on the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 4000 was. This was looking to be a strange loop, as her memories told her that she was still an Apple, but that Sweet Apple Acres didn't belong to them. Apparently after her parents had passed, a distraught Granny Smith had sold the farm to the Flim Flam clan. Applejack wasn't sure how to feel about that, but figured it might be a good idea to convince Applebloom and Big Mac that a vacation was in order as an excuse to go find her friends, plan out their loop… and see how growing up on a farm had changed those two no good swindlers. Pinkie Pie didn't even slow her bouncing as she made her way down the country road. Her hat never left her head, and her bedazzled cowgirl's shawl flapped in the wind. She was apparently replacing Cheese Sandwich this loop, and that didn't bother her at all. After all: Have Party, Will Travel! Futtershy looked at the two goats, who stared blankly back, then out at the crowd, who looked on as though waiting for something. Shaking her head, she adjusted her tie and began her seminar on compassion, kindness, and non-assertiveness. Even though she really wanted to know why she was replacing Iron Will, these ponies had come expecting a show, and it would be so rude to have them leave disappointed. Working in Manehatten was always a bit of a thrill for Rarity, even after all this time. While she would always love working in Ponyville, she would not deny that city life was exciting, and the fashion trends unpredictable! What she liked less was replacing Suri Polomare, that thieving, back stabbing… Rarity took a calming breath. There was no reason to get upset, and after the first time it happened to her non-looping self, she'd avoided falling for Suri's schemes every time. Hearing the ring of the bell above her door, she gave a warm smile to her customer. A smile that only grew when she saw who it was. "Um… hello, my name's Coco Pommel… I'm here because I saw an ad saying you needed an assistant?" Rarity nodded "Of course, and I can already tell you'll be just perfect." Even if she wasn't looping, it'd still be nice to get to know the nice young mare better. As Pinkie or Twilight would say, you could never have too many friends Twilight was not amused at her current situation. Glaring at the statue in front of her, she gave the bottom a kick, as though expecting her foot to pass through. Nothing. "Well bark and roots." she grumbled before turning back to Canterlot High. While interesting the first time, high school as a human quickly got old. It was gonna be a long loop… 106.10 (masterofgames) Vinyl was busy. What she was busy doing was a matter for debate. Those just glancing in the window would figure she was busy brushing her teeth. Those in the dorm rooms of the Music Guild Trainee Hall with her would figure she was busy mixing a new track. To Octavia, right behind her, she was clearly laying in bed playing around with what could only be called Electric Keyboard Teeth. "Vinyl, do I want to know how you are able to do this?" she shouted over the racket of Vinyl's glasses, presently subwoofers, and the blaring of her teeth performing loud music. "Magic fruit." Vinyl called back, pausing in her playing, then glancing down at her hoof as she noticed the stopped music. "Dang. Note to self, Mouth Organ less than ideal. Can't talk while using it." Octavia blinked. "Magic fruit? Vinyl, that just raises more questions." "Ah, chill Tavi. I hardly destroy anything I don't want to anymore!" Vinyl grinned, ignoring the even more perplexed and slightly concerned look on Octavia's face as she stood there with her mouth open, trying to pick between a dozen things to comment on. "I do need an idea for a new instrument though... The guild's talent show next week gives bonus points the farther the instrument used is from their usual one." Octavia slumped, giving up on making sense of her roommate, and with a sigh reached over to Vinyl, swiped her glasses, and walked out. "Hey! I need those! Get back here! You can't keep taking my glasses whenever you feel like it! I only have one pair!" "One of us is drunk! I'm not sure which! You'll get them back when this is no longer the case!" "Sweet! We going drinking?" Her response was the slamming of their door as Octavia left. Vinyl just pouted. "Man, I hate practising on just acoustics." she muttered as she looked down at her bass guitar foreleg, still in need of tuning. "Tavi really needs to lighten up this loop." Octavia glanced about the recording studio nervously as she poked her head in. Spotting nopony, she grinned and put on Vinyl's glasses, wildly tussled her mane, and slid the door's lock closed. A few minutes of setup later, and DJ Sym4hony was all set for a rehearsal run. If Vinyl was just using a keyboard, no matter how strange, the talent show this year was hers for sure! 106.11 (Detective Ethan Redfield) Scootaloo's awakenings were, to put it lightly, a mixed bag. More often than not, she awoke in Ponyville in either a loving home, an abusive one or the local orphanage. The latter two, Scoots often chased down Dash to be adopted. It was not uncommon, however, for her to awake outside Ponyville for whatever reason: from Cloudsdale to Apploosa, from the muddy roads leading from Canterlot to the deep forests of Hollow Shade, she had awoken all over Equestria. The grime covered alleyway of Manehatten was where Scoots found herself this time. Her stomach was empty, not the 'I'm hungry' type of empty but rather true hunger which gnawed at the mind and drove ponies mad. Her looping memories were fuzzy, with pieces missing. She shook her head, recognizing a memory altering spell from that time she awoke after being neuralized in the MIB universe. She quickly ascended and removed the memory block, which caused her to stagger. She was Scootaloo, the outcast daughter of a former mob boss who instead of letting her be one of his weaknesses, threw her out after his unicorn lieutenant cast a memory charm on her. She sent out a ping, to which there was no response. She blinked and sent out another ping, then suffused herself with Loyalty's magic to make sure. No Twilight, no Dash, nothing. Gritting her teeth, she reared back and slammed her back hoof into a nearby trashcan, sending tumbling across the alleyway making a huge clatter. Several moments pass as she contemplated her next move, only for a voice from the street echoed, "Hey, someone down there?" "Chlorophyll," she cursed to herself as she cast a notice me not spell. As an alicorn, she had no desire to become a princess of Equestria this loop. Then, the unexpected occurred, "You down there, are you alright?" The previous voice continued as someone drew closer. Scoots eyes landed on the stallion, an earth pony with a navy blue coat and black mane with a law enforcement badge for a cutie mark and sporting a police cap. His eyes were firmly planted on Scoots, meaning the spell wasn't affecting him. Confused, Scootaloo failed to respond as the larger pony bent over the looper, "Are you alright, kiddo?" Scootaloo blinked, her wits returning after they took a temporary leave, "Uh...yeah, I'm...I'm just fine." The police pony gave her a one over, his eyes betraying his disbelief...though at what was a mystery. His voice took on a calming tone, "Are you alone? Do you have any parents or relatives that can take you in?" Scoots bit her lips, feeling uncomfortable at remembering her parents. She wouldn't head back to him, that's for sure. However, Dash wasn't awake and Twilight was always punctual with responding to the ping. Her thoughts were interrupted by the officer, "Well you don't have to talk about it, yet. You want some pie? I know this nice diner just down the street. In fact, I was just finishing my shift and heading that way. Either that or I can take you to the station where you'll be safe." The choice was easy with her stomach still screaming at her for food. Though the pie paled in comparison to Pinkie's confections, it was indeed good pie. The alicorn crusader wiped her mouth with a napkin, "It's good. Someday, you should try Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville. Pinkie there makes the best pies you've ever tasted, along with every other desert you could imagine." The pony chuckled, "Though I haven't had much luck with small towns, I may visit someday, just to see if it's better than the one here." He removed his hat and set it on the filly's head, "By the way, my name is Chief Swan. I'm the chief of Manehatten's police force for the last ten years." Scootaloo tilted the hat up and gave a bright grin, "Scootaloo, nice to meet you!" Chief looked at the filly, "Are you from Ponyville?" "I consider it my home, though I haven't been there in several years," referring to her loop memories of living her whole life in Manehatten. Chief nodded, "And how long have you been living in that alley?" Scoots bit her lip, "A few months, after dad threw me out." Chief's mouth drooped faster than the equestrian train could cover 100 feet, "Now why would someone throw out a sweet little filly like you?" Scootaloo shrugged, "Maybe he thought I was a burden and didn't want to take care of me, or maybe he thought he was protecting me by throwing me out." The police pony gave a sad grin, "You're a brave girl, surviving on your own like that. Who are your parents?" With a couple names, the Chief's expression turned neutral, clearly recognizing those names but his eyes still showed deep concern for the filly. They continued for a bit, with Chief asking questions and giving small jokes to lighten the mood and Scoots answering as best as she could. After an hour had passed, the Chief rose from his spot, "Well, I better get you to the station so you can give a statement. I think you'll enjoy it, just think of it like you're a cop helping us solve a puzzle." As the two made their way out of the diner and through the crowd, Scootaloo decided to send the ping again, just in case she awoke before Twilight this time. The result was, once again, unexpected. As the Ping echoed across Equestria, the police pony stopped mid-stride, turned around and started looking around...almost as if... Curious now, Scootaloo sent another ping, causing Chief to stare directly at Scootaloo, "Are you the one doing that?" Scootaloo blinked, "Well, yes? Have you ever...experienced time repeating itself over and over again?" Chief's surprised expression morphed into a big grin, "So you are also a looper. I'm sorry, I can recognize the ping, but I never felt the need to send my own. I prefer to keep to myself for the most part." Scootaloo waved it off, "It's OK. What's your actual name and where is your home?" "My name is Charlie Swan, and I'm in the Twilight loops." Scootaloo winced, "Ouch, I'm sorry." Chief shook his head, "That's partially why I keep to myself. People always pity me for that, and being the father of Bella." Scoots' ears flattened against his head, "I'm sorry. Equestria is a sanctuary, and we should be more open and welcoming than that. Heck, we were better to Leah the first time she came." The police pony rested his hoof against the top of her mane, "It's OK. I can tell you meant nothing by it. Leah said great things about this place." With that, the two continued, starting a new conversation about their looping adventures. Over the next several weeks, Scootaloo found herself visited by Chief Swan several times, often with visits to the diner they shared. Scootaloo sensed it was getting close to Twist's cutecenera, and she would have to leave Manehatten soon. However as the time wound down, she found herself across from Chief one last time before he popped a big question, "Scoots, I know Dash usually adopts you...but since she's not awake...I was wondering if I could adopt you?" Scoots was surprised, but accepted it quickly, especially after she found out he was retiring soon and wanted to settle down in Ponyville. Within a week, the adoption went through and the two found themselves on the train to Ponyville. Scootaloo shared everything about the town, "And finally, be ready for Pinkie's surprise party. Since we're the newest residents, she'll throw us a mega ultra super duper party, especially for families." Chief gave a small chuckle. "I'm looking forward to it." As she smiled, Scootaloo idly wondered who'd turn out be the Anchor. If it was one of those Trek stealth Anchors, things could get interesting... 106.12 (Misterq, Edited by Detective Ethan Redfield) "Hey Ditzy, what does your cutie mark mean," asked Twilight. Ditzy put a hoof to her mouth, "My cutie mark is actually for computer programming. They're little ones and zeroes." Twilight shook her head, "There aren't any ones there. They're all just zeros." Ditzy's eyes widened, "Oh! I guess that explains why my giant robots keep going out of control." Twilight gave her a look, "What giant-" The ground shook as a massive Pegasus dropped from the sky, "KILL! CRUSH! DESTROY! DERP!" The robot's oversized and cross-eyed eyes glowed red, then beams of destruction raked across Ponyville. Thankfully, no one was killed by the blast. Furthermore thanks to the poorly designed targeting system, the only property damage was an insignificant tree library. A second later, the massive robot was enveloped in a purple glow, then crushed like an aluminium can. Ditzy looked at her friend, whose mane was frazzled and eye twitching, "Ditzy, I need to be alone for a bit." Ditzy wisely flew away, leaving Twilight to mourn her poor library. 106.13 (namar13766) Nyx grinned at her 'older sister.' "Mom, does this technically mean Sunset's having a Sister Loop?" Twilight just chuckled. "Close enough." Sunset, the in-loop twin sister of Shining Armor, let out an exasperated but amused huff. "Well then, as your EEEVILLL Older Sister, I propose we go out and eat our body weight in Ice Cream." "YAY!"