//------------------------------// // L10 // Story: A little loopy. // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// Sweetie hugged herself as she shivered on her bed. Rarity called from downstairs, signaling she would be late for school if she didn’t hurry. There was no way around it, she needed to find a way to convince ponies she was looping. Adults would simply think she was pretending, so she’d have to take time to loop, and set things up. ‘Which means, I have to go to school. I can’t just vanish, Rarity would be horror struck.’ Sweetie knew she was going to have to face this eventually, and shuddered once more. Standing up, she put on her saddlebags, picked up the paper plane, and headed out the door. Sitting down, she smiled warmly at her sister. “Rarity, can I talk to you honestly for a moment?” Sweetie waited as Rarity nodded, and continued. “I’m stuck in a time loop, repeating today until Friday. This is my tenth time doing it, and I know you’re not going to believe me but...I was wondering, what could I do to make you believe me?” Sweetie bit her lip as she saw the amusement on Rarity’s face. Sweetie felt her ears flop, she thought it was a joke. “Alright, I’ll play along, you see this fabric here?” Rarity levitated up a piece of rainbow fabric, shimmering in the sunlight. Sweetie knew it well, it was a very small piece leftover from a custom order. That small square was all that was left. Rarity placed it on the table, Sweetie took it and rubbed it to her face. “If you are indeed looping, can you carry items through to the next ‘loop’?” Rarity supposed she could let Sweetie borrow the fabric for a week, it wasn’t as if she had any plans to use it just yet. Sweetie gently folded it, and placed it in her saddlebags. “Sure, I can do that. Thanks.” Sweetie stood up and hugged Rarity before bolting out the door. While she could be a little late, it wouldn’t do well to keep Apple Bloom waiting. Sweetie paused as she saw her friend waiting for her. Sweetie forced a smile on her face, and trotted up to greet her. “Hey Sweetie, woah.” For a second Apple Bloom jerked, taking a few steps backward. After a moment she shook her head, and took slow steps back to Sweetie’s side. “What’s wrong?” Sweetie tilted her head, ignoring both her own feelings and the fact she knew what was wrong. “Why’s there some sort of drainin’ feelin when I stand right next to ya?” Apple Bloom glanced away nervously. Sweetie breathed in and steeled herself. Maybe they would believe her. “I’m stuck in a time loop. The draining feeling was caused by something I did in a previous loop.” Sweetie leaned forward, holding onto the slim hope they would believe her. “I was being serious, thanks a bunch Sweetie.” Apple Bloom glared for a moment, before stomping toward the school. Sweetie sighed, they wouldn’t believe her either. Walking toward the school, she settled in for class, and tuned it out as she thought quietly to herself. Cheerilee broke her out of it for a moment, and she answered the question quickly before once more zoning out. At lunch, they broke the friendship just as Diamond and Spoon was walking past. Sweetie watched them walk away, leaving her alone. Looking toward the ground, she sighed sadly. “Wow, that was really mean.” It was another pony, a colt roughly the same age as her. Sweetie turned, seeing a second colt standing beside the first. One was small, cyan, and round. The other was tall, yellow, and thin. Sweetie immediately reconised the two, even without the visual aid of their Marks. “Are you alright Sweetie Belle?” Snips tilted his head as he glanced to Snails, who bit his lip and waited for a reply. Sweetie quickly wiped her eyes. It wouldn’t do to let them see her crying. “I’m ok, I’ll have to get used to it eventually anyway.” Sweetie briefly thought back to a moment she faintly remembered. Trixie, the showmare, they had believed her stories. Maybe they would believe her? “Why would you need to get used to it? Are you expecting it to happen again?” Snails leaned forward, concerned eyes taking up most of Sweetie’s view. Stepping back, she scratched the back of her head. Well, it wasn’t like she had anything to lose. “I’m stuck in a time loop where I keep repeating the week. So everything that happens today will happen next week for me.” Would they believe Sweetie? Sweetie honestly doubted it. However, as both shared a glanced, they gave her a look of honest sympathy. “That sounds…” Snips began. “Lonely,” finished Snails. Both shared a look, before Sips stepped forward and smiled warmly, holding out a hoof. “Listen, I know we’re not exactly your ‘normal friends’. And I know you’re probably a dozen times smarter than us. But if you ever want to hang out, we can find something new to do each day.” Snips smiled warmly at Sweetie, who felt tears come to her eyes. They believed her! “T-Thank you.” Sweetie was almost struck speechless as she took the hoof. Suddenly, she was pulled into a very awkward, but still good, hug. Stepping back, she smiled warmly at the two colts, so quick to console her. “Let’s go see if we can get me my Cutie Mark.” Sweetie smiled as both grinned, and followed them toward the other side of the playground. And who said clouds couldn’t have silver linings? “Twilight, can I talk to you quickly?” Sweetie stepped into the castle after school. Snips and Snails were as fun as they were exhausting. Sweetie honestly never knew those two were so much fun to be around. Really, Sweetie wanted to hang out with them more, but she was just tuckered out. “Sure Sweetie Belle, what’s up?” Twilight turned and smiled warmly at Sweetie as she paused. Breathing in, the filly prepared herself, and then spoke. “I’m in a time loop, but you won’t believe me if I just say I am in one. So I need some way to prove it to you in future loops. I can take small stuff through to the next loop. The loop lasts a week, and it ends Friday night, so it needs to be something you won’t miss.” Sweetie waited patiently as Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Humor me,” sighed Sweetie, glancing away in irritation. Twilight paused, and then nodded, holding out the book she was currently reading. “I can wait a few days to read this. Will it do for your ‘looping proof’?” Twilight smiled in amusement as the filly took the book and nodded. “Yep, this will do nicely, thanks Twilight.” Sweetie put the book in her bag. It was a Daring Doo book, something Twilight wouldn’t miss if she took it. Sweetie slowly walked toward her room. Now it was just a matter of waiting out the rest of the loop. “So today’s the last day right?” Snips bit his lip as Sweetie nodded sadly. Turning, both colts produced a poorly written note, and held it out for her. Sweetie took it, and glanced them over. “Give those to us on Monday, that way you won’t have to go through the conversation every time you want to hang out with us.” Snips smiled warmly as Snails laughed and pointed to the school. “Of course, you could always come and hang out with us without telling us. Really we’ll be happy to play either way.” Snails smiled, closing his eyes. Snips copied the action, and both ignored the sun setting behind them. Sweetie put the notes away, and felt bittersweet tears fall down her face as she brought them both into a hug. “Sure, I’ll see you next week.”