L25
Sweetie hid some distance away, and looked to the single slip of paper, the advertisement for the job Ditzy had gotten last loop. Sweetie had a copy in her saddlebags, so she could make a copy each loop. There was Ditzy, sitting on the park bench. Sweetie called up her magic, levitating the piece of paper, and waited for a breeze to pass by.
Ditzy blinked as a piece of paper hit her in the face, and picked it up, looking it over. On it was a job request. Ditzy gasped, wings coming alive, and flew off in the direction of the job. Sweetie followed, just to make sure Ditzy got the job. Sure enough, Ditzy imploded the house again, and the manager offered her a job. Sweetie nodded, good, this was something she could do easily each loop.
Sweetie turned, bumping into somepony. Blinking, she watched as the pony took her by the shoulders, and began to shout about the world ending. Sweetie blinked, it was Time Turner. Now that she was closer, Sweetie could see he had his head wrapped up, hidden under his mane. Sweetie gently excused herself from his grip.
“Calm down Time Turner, the world isn't going to end. I was wondering if you’d let me ask some questions.” Sweetie watched as Time Turner stopped mumbling nonsense, and blinked at her. It was hard to tell if he was actually listening.
“Listen, you said you have an uh ‘Tardis’ right? And it’s bigger on the inside?” Sweetie paused, and waited. After a moment Time Turner nodded, his eyes going cross eyed.
“Indeed, it can travel through time too.” Time Turner shook his head, focusing on Sweetie. Sweetie opened her bags.
“I’ve got the same thing with my saddlebags.” Sweetie watched Time Turner from the corner of her eyes. Was that shock, or was that narrowed eyes?
“How?” Time Turner put his hoof into the bag and reached down to touch the bottom. It was indeed similar to the Tardis.
“Princess Celestia gave me the spell, and I get Twilight to cast it each-mmph.” Sweetie quickly stopped talking, and smiled sheepishly at Time Turner. For once, there was a curious glint to his eyes. Time Turner glanced around, and then leaned forward.
“Go to my house, I’ll meet you there once I lose Redheart.” Time Turner’s voice sounded different somehow to Sweetie. However it was gone a moment later as he jumped over her and ran away, mumbling about the end of the world once more. Sweetie turned, and headed toward Time Turner’s house. It was a small town, it wasn’t hard to remember where he lived.
Sure enough, the door was open. Sweetie stepped inside, and glanced behind her as Time turner closed the door, and looked seriously at her.
“Alright, talk. I have no doubt only Celestia herself could have taught you that spell, so why did she teach it to you?” Time Turner took off the bandages, tossing them to the side as he brushed his mane.
“I’m stuck in a time loop, forced to repeat this week over and over. The two previous loops I ran a fortune telling service, and both times you asked me if the world is going to end.” Sweetie was sure that wouldn’t be much proof, however Turner simply nodded.
“That is something I would ask...Can you prove it with something else?” Turning, Turner sat down on the couch, Sweetie sat opposite him. Reaching in, Sweetie pulled out Celestia’s note. Turner looked at it, and immediately handed it back.
“Alright, I believe you, that’s definitely the sun’s own personal language.” Turner paused for a moment, putting his front hooves together as he mused. Sweetie watched, confused and curious. After a moment, a glow surrounded Turner, and he transformed into a Changeling.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” it spoke calmly just as Sweetie was about to panic. Forcing herself to relax, Sweetie quickly noticed the small crown atop his head. Sweetie didn’t know much about changelings, other than what they looked like. Forcing herself to calm down, Sweetie waited.
“I assume you’ve heard of the attack on Canterlot. That was done by my hatchmate. Mother picked her to lead the hive, and I got cast out for being a pony-sympathiser. I assume you have many questions, and I will do my best to answer them. And before you ask, no I am not immortal, Changelings live for about two thousand years, going through many stages. I’m in the last stage right now, and I have about 500 years left.” Time Turner shifted back to his pony self, and motioned for Sweetie to continue. It was a moment before Sweetie could make herself speak.
“Were you alive when Starswirl was?” Sweetie watched as Turner nodded, and continued.
“Were you there when he died?” Sweetie knew this would place Turner in the time that Starswirl’s loops were happening. Sadly, Turner simply shook his head.
“I’m afraid not. I change disguises every 30 or so years, appearing as anypony who suddenly dies, taking their place until they reach a normal end to their life. I give their bodies a proper burial, and even go though being buried to help ease the families burden. At that time I was taking the place of a pony who was a scientist. Sadly, I ‘died’ five years before that, and moved onto the next life.” Turner closed his eyes, before opening them again.
“Why were you acting crazy outside?” Sweetie was disappointed Turner wouldn’t be able to help her find answers to her questions about what happened to Stawswirl his last loop. For some reason, he had suddenly cut off with a short ‘I am no longer writing down these.’ Sweetie supposed it was still worth a shot asking.
“Time Turner just suffered a head injury. It is giving him paranoid delusions that the world is ending. I’m planning to have him slightly injure a few ponies, and then jump off a cliff. It’s time for me to move on.” Turner shrugged nonchalantly. Sweetie plucked a few pieces of paper out of her bag. The last few entries of Starswirl’s journal. They looked like jibberish to her, full of hard to read terms.
“If you knew Starswirl, maybe you can read these.” Sweetie waited patiently as Turner went over each of them, and narrowed his eyes.
“I can, and I can cast a spell so you can translate them. But…” Turner paused, and glanced toward Sweetie, and smiled, closing his eyes.
“Nevermind. I will cast the spell, and you can read them. But please be aware this spell will take a week to entirely translate them. Starswirl has outdone himself with his scrambler, he was trying very hard to hide the contents of these notes. I doubt even Celestia and Luna could break it. Lucky for you, I happen to live a life full of love this loop.” Turner concentrated, and a horn materialised on his head, glowing green. The parchment glowed. After a moment, the glow faded, and Turner handed back the notes, hiding his horn once more.
“Is that five or seven days?” Sweetie tilted her head, unsure of what type of week he meant. Turner stood up, and both began to head for the door.
“Seven. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way.” Turner bowed.
“Thank you,” Sweetie waved goodbye, and blinked as Turner teleported away. Sweetie blinked away the afterimage, and exited the house. Putting the notes carefully back, Sweetie smiled.
‘Well, I now know a changeling. I wonder if I can use that for a loop.’ Sweetie walked for a moment longer, before blinking, and growling a silent curse in her head.
’Oh rats, I forgot to get looping proof from him. I’ll have to get it next loop.’ Sweetie nodded once, and continued on her way.
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At least Time Turner avoided cliche's this fic. I'm glad that he's not the looper, even happier that he's a changeling. Although bit of weird information. This fic gave me the wierdest dream, mixed with the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. With a Persona controlling the mechanics and power of the looping spell. Ican honestly say that I sympathise with Sweetie Belle. Although it was a day loop I was stuck in, in the dream. And I went through twenty loops before I woke up. Sucked so hard.
Hmmm.. Given that last bit, Starswirl's notes must be his secret Princest fanfic.
The unscrambling would take seven days, but the loop is only five days. Would the spell persist between loops?
delusions, not illusions
But Sweetie Belle's only got five days!
5427742
It was a magic spell, so no.
5 days loop with magic drain at end... 7 days for spell to complete...
Let me see if there is a way I can think this one out.
hmm...
it would be nice to know if the letter just glows for seven days and then is translated.
or if the letters is changing and scrambling around trying to find the correct sequence.
course if its the later, it may not be able to translate all of it. But... it might make it easier for her to translate it herself.
also, if it is the ladder. and the spell is drained... would the letters go back to its original state? or stay mid translated?
Would it take 7 days no mater how big or small the text your trying to translate is?
and if the time is different, then she could hopefully translate 1 paragraph at a time.
Could you cast the same spell multiple times? to speed up the process?
Perhaps she could cast the spell on it so many times that it had enough that minimum 1 translation spell could survive the 1 min. magic drain reset.
if all else fails... perhaps she could fine a professional code decrypter (dont think thats the correct name for the job, but you get the point) who can translate it for her in less time than the loop takes.
wow... Time Turner has an evil twin changeling? that's a very extreme possibility, though i must admit it does make sense.
Good chapter!
5428018 As Time Turner states, Starswirl outdid himself when he scrambled the letter. I would assume he meant that the spell would take 7 days on this scroll in particular. I doubt that Sweetie could try and unscramble just half, I would assume that the words would be spread throughout the message, not just in paragraphs.
Curious. It seems that now Sweetie has access to a long-lived mortal.
I am going to have to re read what the changeling said because I can't tell if he is timeturner, if timeturner died and he took his place or if the changeling is only temporarily pretending to be time turner... But it is nearly midnight and I just did math so my brain is scrambled anyway so it might make perfect sense.
THE WORLD IS GOING TO EEEEENNNDDDD!!!!
5429278
Im not sure if your confused, or confuzzled.....
This storys doing something to my logic.....
This is awesome. Time Turner is BEST CHANGELING! ...next to Chryssi.
5427728
I need a looping dream... I know it'd suck, but it'd also be so... surreal.
5430898
What's really surreal is when the Persona did the loop, it felt like my stomache was falling (like a rollercoaster drop) and a tug backwards each reset. But yeah it sucked so hard. Especially when I woke up. It's more weird than those dreams when you sleep and "wake up" in a dream ,then repeat a few times before waking for real.
5430898 If I had a looping dream... I have a whole list of things I would do in it.
5428018
Cryptographer; and if the princesses can't crack it, and it takes seven days to translate via changeling magic, what makes you think that that Sweetie can find a cryptographer that can break it in less than seven days?
That's a rather interesting choice for the backstory of the Doctor's Equestrian counterpart. The Changeling Princess approves.
Curse though you may have wrought,
sought unbelieving;
perhaps a different time shall come,
and with the fading dream,
so too will you wither until the next,
coming in the night,
the complete darkness.
Reincarnate,
blossom again into a far more beautiful flower.
Awaiting further releases.
I’ve got an idea about how Sweetie Belle could successfully take another pony through a loop with her. From what read so far, I get the impression that the loops reset exactly at the stroke of midnight. During the following minute afterwards, everything with magic (including other ponies) gets drained of its magic resulting in it immediately aging, withering, and dying. However, as far as I can tell, if Sweetie is indoors, this magic draining is confined solely to the room that Sweetie is in and everything outside that room doesn’t loop. What I’m suggesting is that some other pony should stand just inside the door to Sweetie’s room at the stroke of midnight (when the loop resets) therefore traveling into the next loop but that within the first one or two seconds they jump into the hallway and run the h#!! away from that room until the first minute is up. If anypony can successfully pull it off, than they should end up in the next loop with their magic and lives intact. I don’t see any logical reason why this couldn’t potentially work. However, doing so would be extremely risky. Darting out of the room too early would mean that they won’t loop and darting out more than a couple of seconds after the exact stroke of midnight would kill them. Therefore, because of the exact timing required, I’d only recommend trying this with somepony who’s well known for being very agile with very quick reflexes such Rainbow Dash or Scootaloo.
5431779 If you hate that then I know just the game you'll loathe! It's called never ending nightmares, and it's a horror game where you go through, well, never ending nightmares. Each time that you die, you wake up into a new nightmare. The only colors are black, white, grey, and red. It's a phycologigical horror, as well as jumpscares and is based off of the creators struggle with OCD.
5456818
*shudders* I remember dreams like that. Although I'd be interested in a link to that game. Psychological horror and me share a rather interesting relationship that borders on love-hate-tub of Icecreme.
5456818 Sounds almost like that thing Teal'c put himself through to explore every different scenario
Red Herrings, eh? I'll remember that one.
*grumble* *grumble* stupid *grumble* Doctor *grumble* fish
And... The Doctor is not the Doctor.
So, did the Doctor die, or go back to the human world? Or are you simply referencing the Doctor with a changeling who constantly changes form as if regenerating?
Close should be closed.
And your red herring image is broken.
I'm so hyped for the sequel!
5683546
You mean the training sim that nearly killed him, jack and I believ carter?
6023104 Faustdammed (grumble) f
king changelings (grumble) Doctor (grumble) headcanon not accepted (grumble)
Spell takes 7 days to translate.
Loop ends after 5 days.
Spell uses magic to do the translation.
All foreign magic is stripped at the end of the loop.
This can only end well.