MLP Loops 158
158.1 (Masterweaver)
The loop had only just begun, and Steven had only just confirmed that the Crystal Gems were awake, when Amethyst's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh frack!"
Pearl gasped, quickly clasping her hands over Steven's ears. "AMETHYST!"
But the purple gem was already running for the temple door. "Garnet can you handle the centipeedles okay thanks Steven and Pearl you're with me!" With only that brief warning, she wrapped her whip around the very confused pair and dragged them into her massive mess of a room.
"Amethyst, what are you--?!"
"Okay, I need you two to help me get this--" Amethyst winced. "--organized as quickly as we can."
Pearl dropped Steven in shocked glee. "Really?"
Steven stood up. "Um... why?"
The purple gem was already disassembling one of her piles. "There's a new woman in Beach City this loop, if my memories are right, and if she's who I think she is--"
A bubble suddenly warped into existence in front of the panicking gem, containing the image of a cross-eyed blonde smiling at her. "Hi there, honey! I'm still a little busy dealing with my Pre-Awake set-up, but I should be able to drop by in half an hour! Hope to see you soon!" She waved brightly at Amethyst for the briefest of seconds.
Then the bubble popped.
Pearl's eyebrow quirked. "'Honey'?"
Amethyst sighed. "I... I replace her oldest daughter a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And Amethyst Star is super organized! I don't want to let her down!" She grabbed a tub, gave it a brief look, then stuffed it in her pocket. "Now come on, we've only got like thirty minutes before she gets here!"
158.2 (Masterweaver)
"You're wrong, Nightmare Tangle!" Twilight shouted. "The Elements of Fashion are right here!"
She pointed at her friends, one by one. "Applejack, whose level-headed nature kept everyone from panicking when the cliff collapsed, represents the spirit of Practicality!"
"Darn tootin'!" The mare flipped her mane. "Press it every morning, brush it every night!"
"Fluttershy, whose charm and poise was enough to calm down a raging manticore, represents the element of Elegance!"
The pegasus lightly stroked her mane out of her eyes. "This is all natural, by the way. It's a gift, really."
"Pinkie Pie, who showed us how to laugh off the damage of your mud-flinging fear trees, represents the element of Confidence!"
"I'm pudgy, pink, have frizzy hair, and I'm damn sexy to boot!" Pinkie paused. "Wait, are we keeping this G-rated?"
"Rarity, who gave fashion tips to one of the most up to date sea serpents in the forest, represents the element of Style!"
"Filly please." Rarity struck a pose that would have stallions everywhere drooling. "Everything I do, I do in style."
"And Rainbow Dash, who pounded your army of barbershop minions while rocking a guitar solo, represents the element of Flair!"
"My mane is only twenty percent as awesome as me! AND IT'S A FREAKING RAINBOW!"
"Vut, vut zis cannot be!" Nightmare Tangle protested. "Vu du not have, how do you say, ze sixthe elemint!"
"But I do!" Twilight cried. "For you see, each and every one of these ponies has taught me so much about how to maintain my image, and that has sparked in me a wellspring of reflection and creativity. I look upon ponies now, and I see so much potential! I have the sense of fashion that I so long lacked. I have.... ze Magics!"
The crown descended on Twilight's head, and the Nightmare's eyes went wide as the six ponies all began to glow. "Zis iz impossibley! Non... NON.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"
"Welp, this is certainly a weird variant," Applejack mused. "Ah mean, Ah've got like five different shampoos back at home and Ah know fer a fact that's the least amount in Ponyville!"
Fluttershy chuckled. "Shampoo, conditioner, coat soap, hoof sealant, and antiperspirant deodorant, I'd imagine?"
"I'm just glad I'm not the pony that got the Element of Style," Rainbow muttered. "I don't think I'd be able to live that down."
Pinkie held up a hoof. "Quick question: how do balloons relate to confidence? Or is this just another 'shaped like the cutie mark' thing?"
"I'd presume something about being carried above doubt would factor into the interpretation," Rarity mused. "Oh, Twilight, do you know when Celestia's Replacement is going to arrive? She seems a little late."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, given that appearance is really important this loop she does have a prep-kit she has to use, but Aloe should be here within twenty minutes. In the meantime, though, maybe we should help Lotus freshen up? I cannot believe I just said that," she murmured.
158.3 (Masterweaver)
"I.... I don't like to talk about it," Sunset explained reluctantly.
Twilight frowned. "What? Why?"
"Well... um." The teenage girl fiddled with her fingers. "...Twilight, when you're a male, you're basically just... you, but as a guy. Nerdy but still... uh, charismatic."
"...yeeeeeeeesss?"
Sunset cringed, twiddled her thumbs for a couple moments, then threw up her hands. "Look, I don't know whether it's because my first loop was in Kingdom Hearts or if it's a glitched code or if I'm just this attractive normally, but whenever I'm a guy I'm completely bishonen! Like, the prettiest man that all the girls secretly fawn over, you know?"
Twilight blinked. "Wait... so that loop where you came to me and hid in the cardboard box, that's NORMAL for you?"
"YES!"
158.4 (Masterweaver)
There were loops, and there were loops.
Twilight Sparkle had long ago come to the conclusion that her baseline was, for lack of a better term, sketchy enough that a certain amount of variation could occur without actually requiring that the loop be labeled a variant. Small things, like whether or not Quills and Sofas only sold red quills or sold a rainbow, or whether Nightmare Moon was the result of possession or just insane jealousy. The main story would remain the same, all things being equal, but these little micro eventualities popped up sometimes, and she simply had to deal with them.
Like, for instance, the stallion that had just stepped out of the crate that was just delivered to her palace.
Twilight looked from his face, back to the letter in her hoof, around at her (thankfully all Awake) friends, and then back to his face.
"...So," she said in as casual a tone as she could, "Princess Celestia just magically made us all a boyfriend." She paused. "To share, apparently."
"That there is a thing that just happened," Applejack agreed, rubbing the back of her head. "Has... has this ever happened before?"
"Well, she does occasionally spend some loops trying to set me up with various beaus because I'm romantically uninclined, but she doesn't usually involve you lot. And making a pony is new."
Rarity sighed, standing up and walking over to the stallion. "I'm terribly sorry to inform you of this, but I'm already married." She nodded her head toward the large dragon who was crossing his arms stoically. "I think he and I are just going to leave the rest of the girls to handle the situation." With that, the pair left.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Well, she took the easy way out. Now what?"
Pinkie tapped her chin. "We draw straws?"
Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Ahem. We should probably see what mister Anypony's opinion of the situation is."
"I don't know, Fluttershy." Twilight finally put down her letter, gesturing at the still smiling but now sweating stallion. "If he is artificial--which, in this loop, is apparently a possibility--he might be running under a limited logic-directive system and therefore not have developed any opinion whatsoever outside an initial command to love and adore us all."
"Still, it's worth a try. Besides, we all attended Apple Bloom's lecture on synthetic psychology a few loops back, didn't we? Just because he starts with a limited logic-directive system does not guarantee he won't develop in a direction outside the initial framework."
"...Fair point," the alicorn conceded. "Still, of the ponies left in the target group, I'm asexual, Rainbow Dash probably would want a committed multi-loop relationship, and Applejack..."
She paused, giving Applejack an awkward look. "I'm sorry, but how do you feel about one-loop stands?"
The farm mare shrugged. "For me, marriage is part o' the family. Ah don't take in nopony who ain't gonna make a good Apple."
"...fair enough. So that just leaves you and Pinkie."
"To be fair," Pinkie quipped, "he is cute. And I'm pretty free-love, all things considered, although I'm not very good at the relationship side of things."
Fluttershy shrugged. "Well, I for one have had multiple one-loop stands, thank you very much, and I don't mind taking mister Anypony in."
Rainbow blinked. "Wait. You? I mean, I knew about you and Link, but--"
"Sometimes I like to feel like a caring wife," Fluttershy explained. "And what comes with that is what comes with that. I'm sorry, Pinkie, but in this case I think I might be better able to take care of him."
The pink pony shrugged. "Fair enough. Mister Anypony, you're okay with that, right?"
The stallion nodded.
"....You can talk, right?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you're not just eyecandy, are you?"
The stallion shrugged, helplessly.
Twilight flicked up her wings. "Right. Fluttershy, you just take him to your cottage, and I'll... I'll write up a letter to Celestia explaining the loops and why a relationship is a bad idea." She turned away, rubbing a hoof against her clenched shut eyes.
158.5 (Alex Prior)
Twilight trudged into the bar.
"Drink. NOW."
Mac took one look and swallowed a laugh. The mare traipsing into the bar had two long horns poking from her shoulder-blades, with a single wing where the horn should have been.
Mac weighed his options for a moment. Then he left Berry in charge of Twilight's drink and absconded into his pocket. One would think he'd have been jaded enough.
Berry looked Twilight over. "Spell backfire or a funky sense of humor?"
Twilight just glared.
158.6 (Filraen)
From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!
Upon writing the now completed version of Starswirl the Bearded's spell, nopony was more surprised than Twilight Sparkle when the Elements of Harmony reacted, forming a magic storm around her. Maybe a punishment for their misuse and almost condemning her friends to live lives which would made them completely unhappy?
However, after a moment of panic Twilight realized the magic storm was around her but not affecting her, a simple feel of the Elements' magic told her that wasn't the case. She could feel the connections between herself and her friends. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, Twilight could feel their connection just when they used the Elements against Nightmare Moon or Discord, that everything was going to be just fine.
When the whirlpool of magic finally collapsed towards Twilight she closed her eyes, smiled and let herself go.
Next thing Twilight knew she was standing in the middle of a shiny space, standing on solid nothing... and she needed to wake up properly and find somepony else.
"Hello? Where am I? What is this place?"
All of a sudden Princess Celestia appeared before her "Congratulations, Twilight. I knew you could do it."
Twilight kept her frown even after a nuzzle to greet her mentor. "Princess... I don't understand. What did I do?"
"You did something today that's never been done before. Something even a great unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded was not able to do, because he did not understand friendship like you do. The lessons you've learned here in Ponyville have taught you well. You have proven that you're ready, Twilight."
"Ready? Ready for what?"
"For your final test, Twilight Sparkle." Another alicorn suddenly appeared at Princess Celestia's right side.
"Princess Luna!"
"We're so glad you've made it this far, Twilight." Princess Cadance appeared at Princess Celestia's left. Twilight gave just a nuzzle to greet the arriving Princesses; this didn't seem the moment for Cadance's nursery rhyme.
"What do you mean?" At this point Twilight wasn't sure who she was supposed to ask. Was this supposed to be a final test? She... she didn't have her study materials! She didn't have any time to prepare herself! She-!
"Follow us, Twilight." Princess Celestia's calm voice hopefully cut through Twilight's panic before the Princesses started walking.
As Twilight followed them she could see many images passing by, all of her time since she arrived to Ponyville: trying to investigate Pinkie's Pinkie Sense, the Running of the Leaves, Shining Armor and Cadance's wedding, that time traveling fiasco and many, many more. Twilight was so entranced by the images she didn't notice the Princesses had stopped, all of them looking at a big black glass panel.
The Princesses were now holding a short white stick each in their magical aura. When Princess Luna gave her a fourth small stick Twilight realized it had a small light, even if it didn't seem to be magical at all.
"Your bonds with your friends are strong, Twilight," Princess Celestia spoke as the black glass panel suddenly illuminated, showing different images unlike anything Twilight had ever seen. "But today you need to show their endurance, that your friendships can resist even the most devious of challenges."
Twilight kept looking at the colorful images of the glass panel until they stopped, this time teasing her with words holding an unknown meaning.
"Mario... Party?"
158.7 (Masterweaver)
Usagi had been running the loop baseline, mostly as a form of meditation while she thought about what to do the next time Ami and Rei were both Awake. But that all changed after the Attack in the Alleyway... where her rescuer did not have strawberry curls in a pony tail, but a short-cropped dirty blonde set of locks.
"...Ya alright, miss?"
The warrior of the moon allowed herself to be pulled up by the muscular woman--and she was muscular, Usagi noted, not just fit as usual. Her eyes traveled up and up to meet the green eyes of her rescuer--oh. Ooooh.
She grinned a grin that wouldn't be out of place on the face of her in-loop mentor. "Big Macoto, I presume?"
The taller girl--and she was definitely a girl, she was just as 'talented' as the person she was replacing--let out a quiet huff. "Eeeeyup."
Usagi burst out in uncontrolled laughter. "This is great! This is just so great! You, you're replacing Sailor Jupiter, she's, she's like the strong one! This makes total sense!"
"Ah hope ya don't mind if'n Ah opt out," Mac grumbled. "Ah'm not really a fighter--"
"Ah ah ah noooo. No, sorry, there's this whole destiny thing going on," Usagi explained. "So you're going to have to fight. And! And there are the things that Makoto does in baseline that lead to important situations, and, snrrrk, you'll definitely need to, to introduce yourself to the girls, and constantly compare guys to, to...pffffahahahahahahahaha!"
The anchor collapsed in another laughing fit. Mac tried to cross his arms, realized where that would put them, blushed, and settled for pinching his brow. "...Ah'm not going to be obsessing over mah ol' boyfriend."
"Oh my god, oh my god, that would be hilarious though! Just you in that deep voice and, and, every time, you would say 'he looks just like my old boyfriend'!" The noble princess of the moon tittered with unmitigated glee.
"...Ya know," Mac mused, "most o' the anchors Ah meet tend to be a tad less... teasing."
"Original seven, I'm a total loon. A Lunatic, if you will!" Usagi finally managed to contain her laughter somewhat, standing up. "Oh, hee hee, my sides... okay, but seriously, you're going to be kicking ass in a miniskirt, no arguments."
158.8 (Masterweaver)
One of the problems with being an immortal--at least, in the context of the loops--was, quite simply, the lack of context. Celestia could recall being hatched from an egg, formed from raw magic, being the final survivor of a super-soldier program, being created by Discord on a random whim, being the manifest consciousness of the Sun itself, and that wasn't even mentioning the many, many times she had a deific mother. It had gotten to a point where she wondered if she would ever know her 'true' origins, and sometimes... if it even mattered.
Still, no matter where she came from, she loved being a filly. There was just so much innocence and freedom and--
"The princess does not have time for playing games," growled the guard next to her. "She is attending a ceremony later today. Now move along."
Aaaaand the other fillies were cowed and backing away.
Well, this wasn't something she'd let happen.
"Isn't it the princess's duty to know how her subjects are living?" she asked innocently.
The guard frowned at her. "That is why you are attending the ceremony."
"But everyone's going to be so controlled and trying to look good!" Celestia whined. "It's not going to be real! I think I'd learn more about my subjects by playing with them then by being part of some silly ceremony."
"You have a responsibility to attend that ceremony and claim your position as--"
"Besides, it's not like the ceremony is any time soon," the little alicorn pointed out. "I think I have time for one eensy teensy little game with them, don't you?"
"Princess, it is unbecoming for a mare of your stature to be seen cavorting with--"
"Stupidguardsayswhat?"
The guard narrowed his eyes. "Young mare, I am your personal bodyguard, and I--"
Celestia grabbed his helmet in her magic and slammed it over his head, not so accidentally also covering his ears. "Tell him I ran for the bakers," she whispered conspiratorially to the shocked fillies watching, flapping up into a tree. She couldn't help a tiny giggle at the ridiculous scene before her. Yes, sometimes it was really quite enjoyable, being a precocious and highly intelligent filly.
158.9 (Masterweaver)
Equestria was uniquely blessed with a large number of stable loopers.
That wasn't to say they were sane, mind. They were as stir crazy as other universes, when one got right down to it, and a very few of them did have legitimate mental conditions that would not have existed without the loops. Even with that, though, there weren't really any problem loopers, any of them that needed careful watching, and most of them were smart enough to realize when they needed to go to others to talk.
So it was entirely understandable that the Anchor might miss a few signs. Especially when said anchor had, as a hobby, at least twenty scientific experiments running at once, whilst also juggling a self-imposed responsibility toward ensuring the mental health of others, and to be quite frank hadn't exactly extended as much care toward the looper as she did her closer friends. It wasn't a case of negligence--it was a case of overestimation, miscommunication, and perhaps if she admitted it to herself an unwillingness to approach a pony who she often saw as a co-bartender outside situations where the pony would be, in fact, a co-bartender.
"...Berry," she said as gently as she could, "let him go. You're scaring him."
"FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY LOOPS! He's been unawake for five hundred and fifty loops, Twilight!"
"I know, Berry." Part of Twilight wanted to snap back and shout about all her friends that were for the... rounding it up to three thousandth time completely dumbstruck by the situation, but she knew from experience that different people were affected by different measures. "I understand," she instead stated. "And I... I suppose I haven't been as friendly as I should have been--"
"This isn't about friendship!" Berry snapped. "I mean, you're a great friend and all, Twilight, but--I just... I just--"
The anchor let out a small sigh. "Berry, you and I both know that he isn't him. Maybe he'll Wake Up later, maybe he won't, but this right here isn't right. Just... just let him go, and... and we can talk later," she finished lamely. "Please?"
It took a long and tense moment, but finally the other mare sighed, releasing her grip and backing away. "I... you're right.... I just... I don't know..." With a vague look on her face, she ruffled her wings. "I'm going to... just... go, okay?"
"It'll be alright, Berry." Twilight smiled. "I promise."
With a deep breath, Berry Punch teleported away.
After a moment, Discord raised a talon. "So... before I was turned to stone, purple ponies didn't just turn into alicorns on a whim. And I must say having one tacklehug me right after my escape is unexpected--"
He cut himself off when he caught sight of Twilight's glare. "Princess, please take my friends to the throne room, I'll explain everything when I'm done here."
158.10 (elmagnifico)
It was an odd loop, but not because it was Berry Punch's turn to clean one of the omnipresent cups. She did it with the experience of a thousand years' practice, but the way she kept even the tiniest speck of soap residue from splashing on her habit was a new skill.
The loop was odd because here, a Bar had existed before Macintosh awoke. This was apparently the back-end of a loop where Twilight and Applejack had replaced the Royal Sisters, and this particular bar was part of the ministries of Sweet Apple Abbey, devoted to Her Highness Applejack The Strong. He'd wanted to take his traditional place at the bar as soon as he Awoke, but the abbey only let males do the cleaning, serving alcohol was strictly the domain of the nuns.
Berry's cornette bobbed as she talked, and a pinkish hoof adjusted the headgear to keep it from falling off as she worked.
“So Mac, ever thought about joining the horn-and-wings club?”
Macintosh concentrated on his own chore until he could put his thoughts into words. Rub, rub, rub, went his dishcloth, until the laminated bar surface squeaked with cleanliness. The pregnant pause went into its third trimester before he spoke up.
"Don't get me wrong, nothin' wrong with alicorns. One of the first things ah learned was that wings an' a horn don't make a pony real different inside. Y'd think ah'd get it th' first time, but ah've been learning that again and again..."
Images of sisters, both big and little, orange, yellow, purple, and off-white pink, danced behind green eyes.
“What ah'm worried about though, is what ifn' somepony like me Wakes Up?”
Silence fell when Berry didn't reply immediately, and Macintosh let it stretch before he continued his stately freight-train of thought.
“Remember back before y'all started loopin', when there was only one alicorn? She was th' be-all an' end-all, despite her best efforts. How do y' think a mortal pony's gonna feel, suddenly surrounded by be-alls an' end-alls?”
Macintosh continued scrubbing at a stubborn spot on one of the lazy susans.
“Ah'm th' oldest looper 'round here who ain't got extra limbs on-call, an' while ah don't have anything against th' things, ah'd like to hold off on 'em ifn' at all possible. Might be good to have somepony who's been 'round th' tree a few times fer them to turn to.”
Thoughtful quiet prevailed again until, by way of reply, Berry held up the tumbler she was scrubbing, and it sparkled with the sheen of something more.
“It's just, apparently your baseline self, during one of the expansions, dreamed of ascension.”
Mac grunted from the table he was wiping down.
“Maybe at some point, but ah'm thinkin' that was to protect mah family. Kin ta an alicorn don't hafta worry about a bad cider harvest or a pair of two-bit con artists sinkin' their farm. You seen mah sisters lately? Hardly need it now.”
As though summoned, Applejack crashed through the front door, twice as large as usual and sporting the alicornal extraneous extremities. Her drawl lent something to the Royal Canterlot Voice that made the floorboards jump even as she slammed the stout timbers home again.
“BERRREEEY! MAAAAAAAACK! Oops, sorry. Berry, Mac, ifn' y' don't mind ah want th' biggest tankard ah Sweet Cinnamon Cider y'all got, an' a bit of privacy.”
Mac nodded and went to the entrance, which had already started vibrating with the hits of Applejack's pursuers. His parting barb was just audible over the sound of a Royal Canterlot Chug as he leaned on the inside of the door.
“Besides, Berry, if there's one thing ah've learned-”
He shook his head, and by way of the result of that bomb all those Loops back, his determination to protect his sister from her worshippers-cum-papparazzi added just enough strength to hold the door against five earth ponies in robes, two unicorns with cameras, a quarter-dozen pegasus devotees, and one griffon convert.
Berry waved the cosmic tumbler playfully in one hoof, her habit swishing as she used the other to withdraw another small barrel of the relevant liquid from her pocket.
Macintosh gave a meaningful nod at the windows, where photo flashes and hymns were filtering through as though the heavy curtains weren't drawn.
"Eenope. Bein' a normal pony is the best, bar nun."
158.11 (Sonic Raynboom)
Calvin Awoke, checked his Loop memories... then slowly turned to the draconequus beside him.
"You're not Hobbes." Calvin stated the obvious.
"No, I'm not. My name's Discord. And who are you?"
"My name's Calvin... wait, I've heard of you. You invented that card game, right? Have you ever heard of Calvinball?" asked Calvin, grinning wickedly.
Discord grinned back. "I haven't, but by your expression, I can tell I'm going to love it..."
158.12 (Masterweaver)
"...Twilight?"
A sigh. "Please, Rarity, please don't do this--"
"Why does your new palace look like a cuttlefish?"
The alicorn rubbed her face. "I wish I knew. I wish I knew."
158.13 (Masterweaver)
There are various cliche reactions to awkward shock. The simple blink, which allows the person to take a moment for processing. An "uh" or possibly "er", very rarely an "ah", all useful pause noises as they try to figure out what to say. Various little sentences involving the word what: "I'm sorry, what?" "Wait, what?" "What was that?" "What did you say?" or even just "What." all on its lonesome.
However, there are times when none of these are appropriate for the situation. The Grand Galloping Gala was a high-society gathering, after all, and plebeian stuttering or direct admission of confusion was generally quite frowned upon... for rather idiotic reasons, to be sure, but it was the principle of the matter.
Thus, Nyx settled for a polite, "...Excuse me?" The implication of a What was there, but since it was not actually present she had not committed any faux pas.
The Smooze gurgled again, holding out a small pseudopod with a wide... grin was the closest word, although it couldn't really be called a grin without teeth.
"...I... suppose I could, yes." Still bearing some mild confusion on her face, the black alicorn stepped onto the dance floor with her new partner, circling around as slow music played. "I'm honestly just... surprised that you asked."
"Glorphlbrgmrphigl."
"Aha, thank you I guess..."
The green goop adjusted its tie self-consciously. "...Gurglmorgmphlora?"
"Well, not... not exactly," Nyx admitted. "My mother used her plus-one to let me in, and I..." She trailed off, staring out the window at the stars. "...well, at the moment, I'm unattached I guess. The whole thing's really... complicated."
"Garmphola," the Smooze glorped sympathetically. "Glerfigamporflomargolimafara."
"Well, yes." Nyx gave the green goop a joking smile. "You know, for a creature without eyes you're incredibly perceptive."
The smooze licked its lips, awkwardly orienting them upward. "Glrifamicaraaaa...."
Nyx frowned. "...what? What is it?"
After a moment, the Smooze turned back, contracting in embarrassment. "Glorficama... Gimoorgiahsjocasina. Glerpinmorgangargonmorga...."
Nyx sighed, rubbing her forehead. "And he told you the whole thing, didn't he. Well, yes, me and my... ugh. I had a serious fight with the person I was dating, yeah."
"Glifmorgaramorgan," the smooze glutted drily. "Glimfirmigamorgamiforgicaghkljrewau--"
"He what?!"
The smooze held up some consolatory pseudopods as quickly as it was able. "Glrembargafloogen! Gliphragmorbigara--glar, glimaragaminorf--glarma..." It grappled at its hat, trying to take it off in a gentlecreaturely manner. "Glormigarifcarigkakamorg... glimarfagamorgana, gloomaragaglimgara?"
Nyx rolled her eyes as she sat down. "Look, Smooze... you're a nice creature and all, and... and I get that Tantabus sent you my way because he was worried about me. But... I really don't think that it would work out between us. Besides, Tanty is... well... Tanty is very childlike. Just because you look like a cool 'dad' doesn't mean, well..." She gestured vaguely. "I'm not saying you'd be a bad parent, but I don't think you could attend to his unique needs. Or mine, really. I do appreciate the gesture, but... I'm going to have to say no."
"Gliffffffff...."
"...hey, it's not all bad." Nyx patted the Smooze's... ventral surface reassuringly. "You're a very sensitive and caring individual, clearly. I'm sure you just need to find the right pony – as a matter of fact," she added with a sly smile, "I do happen to know a pony who has an odd fixation on tubs of jelly. Maybe I could arrange a date...?"
158.14 (Edvarius)
Celestia Awoke in a manner that was odd for her, surrounded by a shimmering, pyramid-shaped barrier of many hues. She quickly readied her magic and cast her glance all around her. To her dismay she found she knew exactly where she was. Her old castle, where Luna had turned into Nightmare Moon, and the damage to the castle wasn't from an ancient battle. It was fresh, and the Elements of Harmony lay as stone orbs at her hooves. But why the barrier this time?
Celestia gasped in horror as the Loop Memories hit her.
Nightmare Moon had attacked as usual, but the castle had been occupied this time. Her unawake self ordered the guards to evacuate everyone, lead them away from this place, but when one of Nightmare Moon’s blasts had sent her through a wall three had disobeyed the order and come charging back to protect her. They couldn't possibly have defeated her sister on their own. But then they hadn't even tried. One of them, a unicorn, had arranged his companions into a triangular formation around her, and they'd used her lives to create this shield to give her time to recover and fight back. Now that Celestia knew they were there she looked down at barely visible, translucent forms of ponies at the corners of the shield, and what little there was of them was soon gone from sight. Celestia bowed her head in sorrow. Perhaps it would be best in Luna didn't Awaken in this Loop. She shouldn't be forced to live with those kinds of memories.
The barrier she was within faded as the ponies who had cast it did, but somehow the shimmering in the air around her had not. If anything it was getting more… focused. The wavering air took on the form of the ponies that had died to save her, but with coats and manes of a ghostly white. One of them, an earth pony, turned to the unicorn, and Celestia heard her voice ringing within her mind. :Five minutes! You couldn't go five gods damned minutes before you got us all killed again!:
Celestia blinked in shock at the unexpected voice from beyond the grave. Given the gestures the spirits were making apparently the conversation was continuing, albeit more privately. This was definitely one of the odder ways she had started a Loop, although… the earth pony which had “spoken” seemed familiar to her from somewhere. Then it hit her. “Yfandes, is that you?”
The spirits turned their attention back to her and the same mental voice as before answered, :Yeah… that’s my name. Have we met before?:
“My name is Celestia. I Looped in as Queen of Valdemar, remember.”
The third of the ghostly group, a pegasus, nodded in recognition. :Oh, now I remember. You were the ones who had the really oddly colored Companions. You'd mentioned you were normally a pony. Funny running into you like this:
Celestia tried to calm her temper. “Funny? You think having me see three of my little ponies die right in front of me in an effort to hold back my sister under the influence of dark magic is funny?!”
The unicorn spirit held up his hooves in a placating manner. :Stefen didn't mean it like that. We're sorry for the scare, but we Awoke during the attack and saw you were in trouble. I'm sorry if it seems we were a bit too hasty with that spell, but to be honest we're sort of used to dying at this point.:
:It would be nice to spend at least a little time alive to get to know a place before we have to make the Heroic Sacrifice.: Yfandes grumbled. :Maybe sample some of the local cuisine while I still have a digestive system.:
Stefen started giggling at that, causing the irritated earth ghost to turn her attention to him. :Sorry, it’s just… the Loop memories just hit. Guess what I'm called as a pony.:
:Is it any worse than Vanilla Yell?: the unicorn more commonly known as Vanyel inquired.
:I’m Songwind!:
Vanyel and Yfandes blinked at that revelation. :You can’t be Songwind. We already have a Songwind.:
Stefen just stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend. :Too bad, I'm keeping it. He doesn't usually Wake Up until he’s changed his name to Darkwind anyway.:
Celestia tried to massage her forehead to quiet down the headache the past few minutes had brought her. “Well regardless of what you want to call yourselves, I suppose it’s my duty to welcome you to the Equestrian Loop. We consider ourselves a sanctuary loop, so you don't need to feel like you have to get involved in any problems that crop up…” Celestia paused for a moment “Well, any more problems that crop up. You can just relax and consider this a vacation.”
:Actually, how long does this Loop usually last?: Yfandes asked.
“From this point? You’re looking at around 1000 years before our Anchor usually Awakens, and another 5 years after that.”
:Well, it’s a bit longer than we usually spend as forest spirits, but all things considered it’s not all that much more.: Vanyel commented. :If nothing else this should give me plenty of time to study your world’s magic and get an impressive garden going.:
“Sorry we haven't been around to keep you company.” Twilight apologized to the spirits of what was known in this Loop as the Everhaunt Forest.
:Think nothing of it.: Vanyel responded. :Celestia has been an excellent host, and has always made sure to take the time to visit. Besides, even though we can't leave the forest that still left us with an entire castle’s worth of reading material. Now hold on, we're coming up on the picnic grounds now.:
The spirits lead Twilight and her friends through some old, gnarled trees with curtains of vines hanging from the branches. The girls gasped in awe at the scene in front of them. Where just before had been a dark and creepy forest, now they stood in a sunny meadow. Flowers of every color imaginable swirled about in intricate patterns impossible to have occurred naturally, though no sign of anypony else setting hoof here before this was evident. The ponies took in the scene as they approached a large stone slab table. Celestia lounged on a flat rock next to the table, pouring tea into her cup from the kettle already set up. Songwind floated up to face Twilight. :Well, what do you think?:
“This place is beautiful. You guys didn't need to go through this much effort just to give us a place for a picnic.”
Yfandes waved Twilight’s comment aside. :Hey, coming up with new breeds of flowers for this place gave us something to do.:
“You breed all new flowers for this?” Applejack asked.
:Like ‘fandes said, it gave us something to do. Researching how certain species, both flora and fauna, can be altered through generations of subtle magical mutation and good old fashioned breeding is a project of mine.: Songwind explained. :And it’s not just flowers. I've been experimenting with some of the other plants native to the forest as well. You should see what I've accomplished with Zap Apples.:
“Well I must say this is all very lovely,” Rarity offered as she poured herself a cup of tea. “If you don't mind my asking what sorts of flowers did you start out with?”
Vanyel’s eyes seemed to twinkle as he turned to face Rarity, though that may have been a trick of the sunlight shining through him. :Oh, all the flowers in this particular meadow are a variety of Poison Joke.:
The girls turned and looked back at the blossoming field they had just walked through, and the Princess of the Sun smiled as she placed her cup back on the table. “Gotcha.”
158.15 (Kris Overstreet)
Twilight Awoke to the unmistakable sight of Dream Valley- grass, bushes, some oak trees here and there, and a number of half-panicked ponies.
Ugh, she thought. A G1 Loop? Why am I here? I've been good. I didn't crash any Loops recently. I stopped Apple Bloom from building that Infinite Improbability Drive. What did I do to deserve this?
No, wait, focus. This is the Loops. There might not be any reason. Besides, this looks like Tirek right at the start, which means there's no time to waste on wondering why.
Twilight's eyes caught a glimpse of movement overhead. Firefly and a couple of other pegasi had appeared from the rainbow filling the sky overhead. Each had a human of some kind on their backs. Yep. Megan, right on time... but I don't remember her siblings coming along on her first trip...
"Twilight! Twilight!" Firefly came to a somewhat wobbly landing, allowing her rider to dismount. "I found the hero! Her name is Megan!"
"Er... it is?" Twilight looked carefully at the figure. Megan Richards was thirteen, somewhat soft-faced, and blonde. This figure looked to be not younger than sixteen. She had a face which could be most charitably described as strong, with a nose that, in old age, would do credit to a Discworld-style witch. The strands of hair that peeked out from under her motorcycle helmet were either platinum blonde or just plain gray.
And there were the guns. Oh, yes, the guns. The sniper rifle and shotgun strapped to her back, the pistol in its holster on her belt.
And oh, yes, there were the eyes. Not the red of an albino, but the red of a fire engine, or of blood, or (if you wanted to think G1-appropriate thoughts) of a ripe apple or cherry.
You are not Megan. You're VERY not Megan.
"Um... hi there," Twilight managed to say. "Welcome to Dream Valley. I'm Twilight!"
"Charmed, I'm sure." The voice was a deep contralto with a decided rasp to it. "I am Megan. Megan Troness, to be precise."
Things clicked in Twilight's head, including her teeth (after closing her gaping mouth.) "Megatron?" she asked.
"At your service," the young woman standing in front of her said ironically, bowing at the waist.
Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Since when are you female?" she asked.
"It happens," Megan Troness grumbled, dropping her cordial facade. "Sometimes the Loops mock me by making me human. Sometimes they prefer mocking me by feminizing me. But when they really wish to test my patience, they do both." After a soft growl, she added, "This is not the first time for this. I'm just grateful Optimus isn't here to see it this time. Or worse, Starscream."
"I still remember what happened the last time you visited Equestria," Twilight continued. "Or should I say, destroyed it?"
Megan Troness shrugged. "I will not apologize," she said. "That was to prove a point. After all, you were hardly singled out that Loop."
"Um, Twilight," Firefly asked, prancing nervously on her hooves, "what are you two talking about? Do you know each other?"
"It's... it's nothing important," Twilight replied. "At least, it had better not be, right?"
"No, indeed," Megatron agreed. "Firefly told me much on our trip over. I'm sure I will have ample legitimate opportunities to... shall we say... work on my anger issues?"
"Don't worry, Twilight," a male voice chipped in from behind Megatron. "We'll keep our... sister... in line."
Twilight looked around the robotic-dictator-turned-farmgirl to see the other two pegasi unloading their passengers. The boy who'd spoken was about eleven or twelve, gangly for his age, with orange-red hair kept as meticulously tidy as his black and purple clothing. The little girl, by contrast, looked perpetually scuffed; dirty-blonde hair, worn clothes, freckles, and a grim expression.
Megatron sighed. "Allow me to make known to you my little brother Gan and my little sister Skyla," she said, gesturing to each. "You probably know them better than I do."
"Ganondorf and SkyNet?" Twilight asked.
"Thanks for not saying, 'Is that you?'" SkyNet muttered, pulling a squirrel rifle off her shoulder and checking its action.
Megatron, Ganondorf and SkyNet in G1. Replacing the Richardses.
I MUST have done something truly horrible, Twilight groaned mentally, if only I could figure out WHAT....
Megatron waved a hand in front of Twilight's glazed eyes. "Does she do this often?" she asked.
"Eh, build her a library later and all will be forgiven," SkyNet shrugged.
"True," Ganondorf... tried to rumble. Preteen boys aren't built for rumbly voices. Instead he squeaked, "But for now, I believe we have a magical centaur to dispose of."
"Ah, yes," Megatron said with satisfaction. She smiled, the same smile that Autobots had learned to dread over millions of years and millions of Loops. Despite being on a teenage girl wearing a beat-up old open-faced motorcycle helmet, the smile didn't look out of place. "I'm looking forward to that, oh yes indeed."
Many Loops later, Twilight stared down the barrel of an armed fusion cannon with complete calm. "No, Megatron," she said. "I've seen the picture, but I do not currently possess a copy, and I certainly never distributed any."
"Then WHO??" The Decepticon leader, in his proper body, jammed the weapon on his arm a little closer to its target.
"That would be me," said a voice much closer to Twilight Sparkle's height than Megatron's. "Would you like a copy?"
Megatron redirected his furious gaze to the female human child, who held up a photograph. In the picture a female human, clearly Megatron despite the different species and gender, sat tranquilly in the shadow of a tree with a pony's head in her lap. She was brushing out the pony's mane, evidently at peace with the world.
"No, I would not like a copy, SkyNet," Megatron snarled. His huge metal arm swung away from the unicorn to aim at the girl. "I would like REVENGE!"
"I don't think so," SkyNet replied.
"Do you think you can stop me? In my own Loop? Here and now?" Megatron asked.
"Well, since I replaced Unicron the last time I was here..." The little girl raised the hand not holding the photo and snapped her fingers. Megatron's posture shifted immediately, torso hanging below elbows, hands and feet swinging limply like a poorly handled marionette.
"Now, I don't intend to abuse this power, Mr. Dark Energon Addict," SkyNet said, "but if you don't drop this issue right now and apologize to Twilight Sparkle, I'm going to video your performance of the Little Teapot Dance."
"SkyNet," Twilight said warningly. "Let him go, please." As Megatron recovered control of his servos, she asked, "What's wrong with the picture, anyway? Did somepony mock you for liking ponies?"
"Of course not," Megatron growled. "It's all too well known I have a soft spot for your world and don't care who knows it. But that... that expression!" He jammed a finger down at the photo, which SkyNet obligingly kept held out for him. "I will NOT have it said that I, Megatron, supreme tyrant of Cybertron, conqueror of worlds, am going... pacifist!"
"Okay, I understand," Twilight smiled. "Just let me know when you figure out how to administer brushies in a menacing way, and I'll help you pose for the pic."
"That doesn't help," Megatron grumbled, as the whine of his fusion cannon faded away.
158.16
Epic! Rap Battles! Of History!
Twilight Sparkle!
Twilight looked up from her diary, startled.
Versus!
Nanoha Takamachi!
Nanoha expanded out Raising Heart, looking for the source of the voice.
Begin!
The two Anchors stared at one another.
"So, how's things?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, not bad," Nanoha shrugged, switching Raising Heart back to dormant. "You?"
"All right, in general... but I just found out my adoptive daughter's dating a friend," Twilight told her. "Not sure how to feel about that, though overall I think I'm positive."
"Take it from me, the urges to kill the guy - or girl - go away after a while," Nanoha said sagely.
Begin! the voice repeated.
Both Anchors mostly ignored it.
"Ever had a fused loop like this before?" Twilight asked, waving her hoof across the boundary between the library background of her half and the Mid-Childa of Nanoha's half.
"I've heard of them," Nanoha shrugged. "I think Fate once found the videos on a trip to the Hub."
Epic Rap Battles of History! the voice announced, in case they hadn't heard it the first time.
"Any idea if we can leave?" Twilight checked.
"If we can't, then I'll fix that," Nanoha replied.
"No need to blast right through the walls, miss skeleton key," Twilight sighed. "At least not at first. Look, I'll try a teleport."
She ascended with a flash of her Element, and then both vanished with a flicker of purple light.
There was silence for a few seconds.
Uh... the voice hedged.
The background collapsed.
"Did somebody say Sailor Moon?" Usagi asked, her Furinkan background blossoming behind her... then frowned. "Oh."
They left! the voice told her.
"That's a pity," Usagi sighed. "I like these loops."
158.17 (Evilhumour and Gamerex27)
The Question, part two of four.
Before either Leman or Kashima could move, there was a distinctive pop and an equine form appeared, causing one of the two bloodied and battered men to tense fiercely; unlike many creatures of chaos and the dark, he knew full well that ponies were not to be taken lightly. Especially one who had been able to brave the maelstrom of his host’s mind brewed up by his Shadow..
She was not the same little creature that either knew, but a fully grown adult, dressed for battle. Her head was covered by a helm, her hooves by steel horseshoes with spikes at the heels for tearing flesh. Her neck and chest was protected by a peytral of the same near-indestructible material, and the glare she wore enforced the ceasefire.
The pony cast a single look at the warzone of the two mighty warriors and stepped in front of one, her wings outstretched to defend the other behind her.
The figure in the golden armor snarled at this sight, his anger building as he was denied the chance to have his vengeance on the one who harmed his family.
“Nyx, move NOW!” he roared, his pskyer power building up into a single point, forcing it to take physical form in the shape of blade that would kill the monster in this loop, and hopefully, othe -
“NO!” she shouted back at him, her hoofsteps causing mounds of earth to fall inwards into the dying world; the unleashed fury of the two god-like warriors attempts’ to kill one another having devastated the planet.“Why are you doing this?!”
“It caused you, my family and our friends so much pain!” Leman shouted back, forcing himself to stay still and not run around her to attack the monster. “Why are you protecting it?!”
“They,” muttered Kashima under his breath as he stood back up, tilting his head at his fellow creature of darkness.
Nyx’s face twitched as Leman degraded the person behind her with the same words she once heard used against herself. But she pushed aside her feelings for the moment; she had to make things right with Naoki and stop Leman from killing him. “He is not at fault for what happened! It wasn’t his choice!”
“I don’t believe that!” Leman said, eying Nyx equally in the face. “It knew exactly what it was doing; there is no excuse for an Anchor to be that fucking crazy and dangerous without doing it on purpose!”
“There was the matter of the flaw that drove the boy to such -”
“YOU SHUT UP!” Without even looking, Leman launched a bolt of psychic energy at Kashima, who sidestepped it but got the message nonetheless. As the two lovers argued, he slowly withdrew some soma out of his Pocket and chugged it in one gulp, the powerful magic reknitting his bones and wounds.
“It made you murder your mother!” Leman screamed. “It made my mother slip into her Nightmare mode! It tried to ASCEND AND DESTROY ITS ENTIRE FUCKING BRANCH!”
“He wasn’t in control at the time!” she shouted back, fighting with everything she had to not unleash the building anger she had inside her. It was so hot and terrible, it was starting to burn her insides. The aftermath if she lost control now would be catastrophic beyond measure.
“It-”
“STOP CALLING NAOKI AN ‘IT!’” she bellowed. “Naoki is a person and everyone deserves a second chance!”
Leman roared back, equally loud, “A heartless monster like it doesn’t deserve a second chance! It should be put down like the feral monster it is so it can never harm another person ever again!”
Nyx reared back as the words tore at her heart before her rage finally exploded out of her control. “A monster?! Did you forget who I am!?” she howled in the Royal Canterlot voice, her wings extending an impossible distance as she channeled the part of herself that she despised the most, the part she rejected to the point where she almost forget it was there. “I am Nightmare Moon! The monster of Equestria’s young, the being they all fear and would do anything to get rid of! Or did you forget MY baseline you inconsiderate bastard?!” She leaned in and laughed in his pained face, eager to share some of the heartache she was feeling. “Oh that’s right, you don’t think, you stupid moron! All you ever do is fight and crash everything you get into because it is fun and your mommy isn’t there to stop you!”
“You leave her out of this!” He roared, shoving his face into hers.
“Or what, you’ll kill me too? Kill everyone who gets in your bucking way and who you deem a monster!?” She slapped him across the face with a ironclad hoof, drawing fresh blood. “Or are you really too much of a damn idiotic savage child to think beyond the bucking moment and you always need someone else to help you figure out what to bucking do!”
"At least I was SUPPOSED to EXIST!" The instant the words slipped out of his mouth he regretted them, the anger and rage he had been feeling gone instantly.
Nyx’s face broke for a moment, reeling back as if physically struck and shaking her head in disbelief at what she had just heard as tears ran down her face. The daggers that were piercing her heart before had completely run it through now. Leman was mouthing words of apology, but she was beyond caring at this point.
“I HATE YOU! YOU DAMN FUCKING BASTARD!” she wailed, her rage overtaking her fully. “We’re through!” she shouted, her magic tearing the planet apart further. “I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!”
Before anyone could say anything else, Nyx’s magic split the planet they were all on. Normally, both Anchors would be able to shrug it off, but in their battered and weakened state, they were both killed instantly. Without any Anchor present, the loop ended.
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It seems there was a terrible crash at the end of that last loop
Twilight, Nyx needs all the hugs...
Poor Nyx.
Yes. And seeing Sailor Moon being super up for anything is great. Also Nyx and Leman were probably going to deal with some sort of issue like this sooner or later- but this won't make the other two halves of that part any less painful to read cause they are just so adorable together.
I see that the other Princesses are taking it easy on Twilight. If they really wanted to test the resilience of her friendships, they would have gone with something...older.
i.imgur.com/957KbPQ.jpg
158.10:
158.17: Oh, Nyx...
Go get yourself into one of these situations, soon. Then get Pinkie involved.
Ah, the sweet smell of collateral angst.
And between Twilight Sparkle's daughter and Fluttershy's son, too.
Oh, that takes me back...
Glad to see that the brouhaha has blown over. As for the Loops...
Honestly, Naoki and all things associated with him just kind of bore me. Aside from him, a fine batch. Thank you and all the other contributors.
Though I am surprised to see so little acknowledgement of the recent expansions. I suppose that's being worked on now.
6557224
6557182
6557130
6557043
As the head writer for what happened, I have only this to say
d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/257614/more-1500-people-died-after-titanic-sank-15-april-1912.jpg?w=547
[silent screaming]
6557319
I never really shipped it in the first place, so I'm not sad to see it sunk. But that last thing that Leman said? Ouch.
Jay's made-up boyfriend is a bad idea even outside the loops.
6557290 Apart from the backlog which is pretty big right now, most of the time the expansions don't actually give important stuff in the grand scheme of things for the mares (and other Equestrians) who had lived through everything. For example the fact the CMC got their cutie marks in canon/baseline? They had already gotten some many times already so at first glance it isn't something that important
Except one thing: Cadance being pregnant.
6557381
Yeah, Leman picked the worst thing possible to say, didn't he?
"Asexual" is not an orientation. It's a medical problem.
Damn, you pervs would rather neuter Twilight Sparkle than see her in a hetero relationship, wouldn't you.
6557833 RC, what are you doing.
RC, Stop.
RC, STAAAAAHP!
We've had this conversation before, we really shouldn't need to have it again.
but...we do.
Problem is, we're so looper-saturated that letting Twilight become boyfriends with Flash, and having him loop, isn't really an option. If Flash were looping, or able to loop, we'd probably have him and Twilight be a couple, but...
We're looper saturated, so that's not an option. It was either this, or have Twilight angst about how Flash isn't looping yet constantly.
Besides, there's a snip where twilight explains that she's not technically asexual, more "bisexual, plus only sexually attracted to those she's already got a romantic attraction for, and a couple other things" but explaining it out in full is such a mouthful that she goes with "asexual" because it's close enough and takes less time.
6557833
EXCUSE ME NO as an ace/aro person myself please don't. (And even if it were a medical problem (which it isn't!), that doesn't preclude it being identity as well. Plenty of people identify as being Deaf, for example.)
6557894
You do realize that "Deaf Culture" is one of RC's pet peeves, right?
6557780
Nope, Deadpool is simply Loop Aware
6557833
Oh don't worry dude, we can make her gay if you want.
Or Pansexual
Or Demisexual
Or Bisexual
Or Polysexual
Or Skoliosexual
Or Gynosexual
Or Androsexual
Or Omnisexual
Or Spectrasexual
I mean really, we have a whole spectrum to choose from! Isn't it grand?
6557909
Oh, of course it is. Should've seen that one coming.
6557833 More. Ironic. Every time.
ETA: Huh, one downvote. I wonder who it's from.
6557290 Well, to each their own. I understand that arc isn't for everyone.
The reason why we haven't put in more snips involving new material is that, well, those episodes came out a matter of days ago. Snips about them were written a few days ago as of this post, and both the SB community and Saph have yet to proofread and piece them all together into a working comp chapter.
Oh, Filraen already beat me to this.
6557182
Now that's going a bit far. The Princess want to test Twilight, not drive her to madness...again...
6557833 Here we go, again!
Now, let’s see the audience.
Anyways...
...
6557833
No. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity (quoted from Wikipedia). Asexuality is not a medical problem.
This does not mean that Twilight has been neutered in any way. She can have sex if she wants, but in this story, she doesn't. I'm pretty sure that this decision was made because no matter who Twilight was paired up with, it would end in a fight. So, Twilight is asexual.
NO! Leman and Nix broke up! Now I cannot wait to see Twilight's and Fluttershy's reactions. Not to mention Shining Armor after all that male bonding he had with Leman. Way to leave the story on a cliffhanger.
6557528 What about Diamond Tiara and her mother. In one loop, she had saved her mother from a sickness that always killed her. Would they have to address this as a reoccurring variant, like the griffon empire? If so, would Saph and the others create a bonding moment with all the fillies?
LOOPS!!!
I hate to say I approve of this break-up, (as I liked this pairing), but I really do. This breakup creates the opportunity to explore some new concepts. We've had a few examples of happy couples dealing with the loops, it will be interesting to examine how break-ups work. Especially since these two will likely still interact semi-frequently, due to Fluttershy. It also has potential to cause some issues within the Mane 6 clique, since I doubt Twilight and Fluttershy will be able to avoid taking the sides of their respective children.
I am kind of curious about how decisions like this are made. Is there group concensus among the contributors, or do certain writers make decisions for characters by virtue of having introduced them to the loops?
Maybe we'll get to see the Pinkie/Mac pairing that was teased in that one loop a long time ago.
I don't feel awkward because I still remember a pairing tease that was probably meant as a one-off joke. Nope.
Not. At. All.
No idea.
This is amazing.
Indeed.
That's fair.
So you say.
Wait, really?
Oh dear.
You are enjoying this way too much.
A magic miniskit.
OK, that is great.
Oooh, yes....
Dat pun though.
We need more of this loop.
Megan Troness, red eyes, guns, helmet, rasp, wait a tick-tock, Megatron?
I do love Megatron, one moment he's terrifying, the other he's very sarcastic.
I suspect they wouldn't let you hear the end of it.
I forget that Megatron and the Cons are some of the few unambigously evil Loopers, well, more or less evil, it depends, but, yeah.
Indeed. Oh dear.
Eep. When Megatron is happy, it's NEVER good.
Oh...
Yikes.
Understandable, that kinda goes against everything he stands for.
He's a giant robot with a giant gun on his arm. And to boot he's MEGATRON, if ANYONE can administer brushies in a menacing way, it's him.
Ah, that'd do it.
Huh, neat.
Uh oh.
Well crap. You dun goofed Leman, you dun goofed BIG TIME.
6557833
Hate to say it, but, your username is getting REALLY ironic right about now.
158.17
Leman... Even I - a Human with the fury of a Saiyan and enough rage to facilitate the acquisition of a Red Ring - have never fucked up as badly as you just did...
Nyx, Lass, I kin only hope ye manage t' fergive yer beau. Bein' blinded as he were by a blood rage, there be cert'n mental barriers tha' wind up bein' dropp'd. Try t' give th' lad a second chance.
6557833
...It's c9mments like this that make me w9nder if y9u're just a69ut given up 9n y9ur name and are straight-up tr9lling pe9ple. After all, the Vict9rian Ages had the exact same view 9n gay pe9ple, and I kn9w y9u're n9t a stupid pers9n.
....
9r it c9uld 6e just me. The 9nly f99l wh9 ever did try t9 take "L9ve and T9lerate" t9 heart (what, it's a g99d phil9s9phy t9 live 6y), and tries t9 see g99d in every9ne.
....
I will n9t take sides in this argument here. The L99ps have had this attitude f9r centuries. (metaph9rically speaking.) H9wever, since I hate warring cultures (refer t9 that 9ne time I tried and failed t9 get Rage Reviews and The Displaced t9 make friends with each 9ther), I will d9 my 6est t9 see that ever9ne sees (and understands) the side 9f 9ther pe9ple.
S9, RealityCheck, what is it that makes y9u s9 unc9mf9rtable 9n the t9pic 9f tw:"asexuality" that y9u cann9t help 6ut lash 9ut?
After all, while Space6attles' stance is in making sure that there w9n't 6e shipping wars, what is y9urs?
(G99d heavens, I'm 6ec9ming a right Kankri here...)
the fact Ranma is apparently the most stable of the original seven is deeply worrying...
Wow the last one was a dozy... hope it turns up for the better later on...
I hate that Nyx and Leman broke up. They were my favourite ship. I hope they get back together soon.
...Wow. There's putting your foot in it and then there's putting your foot in it.
6559887
I worked hard to find the worst thing possible for Leman to say
I think I hit the mark
6558835 You think that every reply that he got with only one dislike is him being petty?
6559229 Remember, Ranma's loop is only 18 month's long; no new opponents show up to push him in his martial arts; he's possibly the first looper; and he's the reason they have the 'no pregnancy' code. Ranma blew through insanity and came out the other side...
6560579 Actually, I think that's someone else. His comment has a single upvote, and you can't upvote your own comments.
6558021
6558646
Not even commenting on the issue, but his username is not ironic. You may think he's wrong, but that does not make his username ironic. It's really darn annoying to see every reply being "Looks like you need a reality check" without any attempt at actual argument.
6558835 Could you try that again without those inane letter substitutions?
158.1 *Snerks* uh oh.
158.2: Never lacks the right thing for the right situation.
158.3 Oh Sunny...poor poor bishie Sunny
158.4 Hmm...kinda hoping this guy crops up again. (Hint hint)
158.5: It's a valid query XD
158.6: Oooh, that is risky.
158.7: Man Usagi's kinda a bitch >.<;
158.8 Beautifully done, definitely love to see more of this!
158.9: Aww, it's love. Wonder what Discord will think when he heards about this.
158.10: Good policy and in a way I hope Mac never ascends.
158.11: Oooohhh
158.12 Yay cuttlefish!
158.13 I need to see this ship....
158.14 Bwehehehe, best prank ever
158.15: We need more of this.
158.16: I think this made it funnier really.
158.17: Oh no...
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157.17: Maijin Zarak. Once a Decepticon leader, who through an unfortunate accident with some biotechnology and a time-machine has become an insane super-weapon capable of levelling entire planets. As the snip says, his third eye is his only weakness.
Angel Bunny happens to be in a Transformers Loop, he's a good toss with them carrots, so he got "volunteered" to go break it, rather than forcing the Decepticons to waste good cannon-fodder trying.
6561329 Okay, how is this for a rational argument?
Saying that people who identify as asexual have a medical problem is not only untrue as of the most current DSM, it's needlessly antagonizing a wide swath of people posting to this site. And calling us "pervs" for writing Twilight in such a way as to make sex scenes LESS likely is straight-up baffling.
I mean. That's what RC latches onto in that particular snip to call us all "pervs" (again, needlessly insulting the writers)? Not Pinkie saying she's into free love and Fluttershy admitting to some one-loop stands? At no point did that snip ever specify that those relationships were heterosexual ones, I'll note.
That, along with a bunch of other intellectually dishonest and bafflingly homophobic claims he's made to this fic alone, is why we point at his username and giggle.
Love this chapter, especially Megatron brushies.
Also loved Epic Rap Battles of History, even if Saph can't rap.
Cavinball, Cuttlefish castle, the Elements of Style, and the Smooze dancing with Nyx, all cool.
Loved Nyx/Leman, but the way you sunk that ship? EPIC!
I may or may not have read the space battles thread, so I know what will happen.
6561329
Fair point.
6558264 Eh? Why would any relationship with Twilight end in a fight?
Also, I agree with Leman. Naoki, from what we've seen of him is the worst. Regardless of whether he and Nyx patch things up (and I actually kinda hope they don't?) I would like it if Nyx figured out that Naoki really IS the worst.
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But since it was released anachronically from the rest of the season, it won't show up in the Loops until after the Season Finale is aired.
And since it involves a probable Nesting Doll Protocol, it's going to be a pain to write.
I kind've wish that the circumstances of why Leman was going after Naoki had made it into this end of the Loops, but at the same time, I understand why they didn't. The circumstances surrounding Naoki/Kashima/The Fiend being in Equestria for the first time were not exactly PG, and apparently rather disorganized too.
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Twilight has been shipped with literally every character in the show in some story. Now, the most obvious choice is Flash Sentry and that is just... well... some people hate Flash Sentry. Some people love him. Some people are indifferent.
This is true of every Twilight ship. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people are indifferent. And that's fine.
But, if they were to ship Twilight with someone in the Loops... the people who love it would be happy. The people who hate it would get angry. The people who are indifferent wouldn't care.
Then there would be a fight between those who love it and those who hate it.
Plus, there's the decision of who to ship Twilight with... it's just simpler and smarter to have her as asexual.