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Sweetie didn’t understand. Was this all the note said? There was nothing more? No sudden clue to her escape? No realisation that would help her cope? Nothing. Sweetie shook her head, no, that couldn't be right. Sweetie had probably misread it. Yeah, that was it, Sweetie was sure of it.
Sweetie read the note a second time, and a third, before scrunching it up and tossing it out her door. Gritting her teeth, she felt like pulling her hair out in frustration. Starswirl knew how to get out, but wasn't telling her. More to the point, he apparently knew why she was looping. Sighing, she flopped backward on her bed, and looked at the ceiling.
“So, he knows why I’m looping. Somepony saved me from that death loop. Magic being lost that I should have access to. There’s no other possible conclusion, somehow Starswirl is behind this.” Sweetie bit her lip, and sighed another time as she relaxed. Closing her eyes, she levitated over her toy Opal, and hugged the doll closely.
“Why me, why couldn’t he have chosen Twilight or somepony else? All I wanted to do was get a Cutie Mark and live out my destiny. And now I can’t. I’m never getting out.” Sweetie bit her lip, drawing blood as it mixed with the tears streaming down her face. Was this to be her life? Was this her punishment for deeds she had done while trying to get her Mark?
“Please, somepony, anypony, help me. I don’t want to watch my friends glare at me anymore. I don’t want to see Ditzy lose her job. I don’t want Rarity to constantly go to Manehattan. I don’t want to know that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are nice behind their bullying. I don’t want pancakes. I want tomorrow.” Sweetie sobbed, hugging her Opal doll tighter.
Suddenly, Opal walked in from the open door, and leapt onto the bed. Purring, she rubbed her body against Sweetie, who opened her tear-stained eyes and glanced to the cat. Opal rubbed her head against Sweetie, who giggled despite her sad mood.
“Stooop Opal,” she whined. “I’m trying to be sad here.” Sweetie shook her head as Opal’s tail swished against her head, and felt a smile fall on her face. Reaching out, Sweetie went to pat Opal, who hissed, and swiped at her. The cat turned, and skulked out the door. Sweetie watched Opal go, the barest hint of a smile still on her face.
“She’s right of course,” she told her Opal doll, looking at it as she rolled onto her back. Raising the doll above her, Sweetie looked at her doll, painstakingly made by her sister to help comfort her. Sweetie nodded, determined, and sat up. Walking over to the mirror, she looked at herself.
“Okay Sweetie, crying isn’t going to solve anything. There’s nothing you can do in your current situation but learn more about what is happening, look for irregularities. But don’t forget to have a little fun. We don’t want ourselves going off the deep end.” Sweetie nodded at her reflection, and smiled.
Turning, she placed her Opal doll on the bed, and removed her saddlebags. Going through her notes, she began to sort them, and then pulled out her very first note. Looking to one of the possible solutions out of the loop, Sweetie smiled, and turned to look toward Philomena's corner of the room, where a jar of money still stood, containing what little remained from her fortune teller loops.
Sweetie began to make a list of materials she would need. First off, plenty of toothpaste. Secondly, she would require the help of at least one Princess. Twilight or Luna would be best. Sweetie was sure Celestia wasn’t one to get her mane dirty if she could help it. Sweetie nodded, toothbrushes as well.
“Oh! I should also do a loop where Time Turner is right, and I help start of heart song about how the world is ending and everypony prepares for it and it turns out it’s a day wrong.” Sweetie giggled, rubbing her hooves together. Writing down her idea, she also mused on events in Ponyville that she hadn’t been a part of, but had heard about.
“I wonder what happens if you Duplicate Parasprites…” Sweetie paused, and smiled. That was something she could even get Celestia in on, and not tell Twilight. Chuckling, Sweetie could imagine the look on Twilight’s face as Parasprites invaded Ponyville when Celestia was visiting for a second time.
“I also have to do Luna’s Prank too now that I think of it.” Sweetie mused for a moment. Once she did it though, she would be obligated to do one for Celestia. It could end up being a multiple loop prank war, with only pictures to prove they had done something. Sweetie bit her lip, it didn’t sound too fun.
“Oh! A Changeling attack! And a-And a Dragon invasion! Oh! I need to learn to fight a dragon! This is so exciting I can’t wait, I mean, eeee-” Sweetie couldn’t help but squee in glee. So many ideas, so much time to enact them. But first, Sweetie had to focus on the first idea.
“Right, time to go shopping.” Sweetie levitated up her jar of bits, and turned, heading downstairs. Smiling, Sweetie wondered just how much toothpaste she could fit in her room. Not to mention she needed to leave enough room so she could breathe during the loop reset, considering Philomena would be there.
“Maybe I should move into the main room…” Sweetie nodded, there was a lot more room there. Loop reset location decided, Sweetie turned, heading for the Toothpaste Emporium. Sweetie had always wondered why this shop existed. But, considering how many earth ponies lived in this town, a shop dedicated to tools to help brush teeth was not that strange.
After all, they had a couch and quill shop.
My brain hurts... too many dirty thoughts.
Obvious Opal is obvious. Is it another Red Herring, though? You're playing the long game with the literature here, warewolves.
about how the world is ending an everypony prepares for it
1. And.
Welp, seems like Sweetie is following part of Starswirl's advice even if she herself doesn't realize it. Because she really needs a way to destress and this is the way to do it.
age spell or alicorn amulet? I know bad combo.
Thanks Starswirl for your final note. It's good to know your too big of a jerk to reveal what's going on.
:)
Uncrackable code + infallible genius - (not telling anything useful ÷ cooky humor + arragance) = humongous jerk. (Or infinity divided by sero.)
Why would you go through the process of making a Uncrackable code if all you was going to use it for would be to give a huge "Fuck You!" To whoever is trying to learn from it.
(Keyword is: Uncrackable)
Stop, but that made me laugh so hard!
Oh boy, Sweetie is going all out!
5443435 That's exactly what I was going to say.
5443513 I know right, worst use of an uncrackable encryption ever.
5443513 Maybe, just maybe That's not the whole uncoded message. Perhaps if a different cipher was used it would be a different message entirely. Who knows? It's possible because magic so.
Now she can go get drunk and lots of other fun stuff you wouldn't normally do at that age.
I'm surprised no one has pointed it out yet. But this looks like a reference to "Chrysalis Works at Quills and Sofas", which is currently featured.
"even the princesses couldn't crack it"
wait... didnt he write that part down BEFORE he encrypted it?
Then how would he know if the princesses couldn't decrypt it?
Opal sleeps in the main room doesn't she?
5445078
He's talking about the code system he's used, not the message itself.
5445078 Because I think 5443858 is correct. I don't think the code is cracked completely. Think about it, if you really, REALLY, wanted to hide a file on your computer, would you just put it in a folder and password the folder with a 26 long password of just letters? No! You would put it in 100 folders, each with a 26 long password with letters, capital letters, numbers, symbols, and letters from other languages too, and each 100 password would be vastly different, and changes based on a very complicated encryption script, a different one for each password, with only you knowing the encryption key for each one inside of your head.
I bet the message itself is another code she needs to crack. Anyone would unlock a very hard and complicated door and believe everything they see in the next room is the final result. They wouldn't think there might be a secret hidden room leading to the real and vastly better treasure. Same with this I believe. Someone somehow cracks it, but because it was so hard, so complicated and nearly impossible, they think it's over and don't check for even more secrets and codes.
ps. The one controlling everything? the one she is putting a show on for? It's the Author (and us). We are the ones watching her, and the Author is the one controlling and writing the story, and what happens in it and to her.
I believe the word is kooky, not cooky.
I wonder what the encryption scheme is? We have some plaintext and some ciphertext...
5445161 I would like to point out that passwording a folder isn't a very secure way to store a file, at least not if you want an unbreakable seal on your data. :P While putting it into 100 passworded folders might work, a simple AES cypher using a 256 bit key is not only far easier to apply, but also far more secure.
Cryptography pedantics aside, I do agree with your general point... Unless our changeling friend purposefuly modified the message himself, which is also a possibility.
5443061
Whatever it is you're thinking, get your mind out of the gutter!!!!!
I don't get it. So
A. There's a way out.
B. Sweetie will discover it in time.
C. Even though Sweetie is supposed to discover the way out, she'll be stuck in the loop forever.
What?
Oh, I get it!
Most likely what has happened is either:
1) He encoded the message but the message itself is a riddle.
2) He's so vastly intelligent that he was able to create a message and encryption that when combined creates a false message and then he encrypted it again to create gibberish. The end result is that after decoding it once you would see the false message and think that that's it and not even think to decode it again.
3) He really is insane.
5443865
I'm pretty sure the after affects would be carried through to the next loop. But that's not to say she can't get her friends drunk or Eww no, what are you even thinking? Why would I even say something like that.
--Sollace
5443513 trying to wrap my head around that equasion
Uncrackable code + infallible genius - (not telling anything useful ÷ cooky humor + arragance)
Uncrackable code + infallible genius - (internet troll)
impossibly uncrackable code - troll = humongous jerk
how does taking away troll from any thing make it a humongous jerk
*sigh only i would over think this
5445161 impressive, another witty comment, you must be a smart fella.
5471276 oh he really is insane ,there is no question about that, the real question is what does that entail for sweety?
Leonzilla
Good grief, Starswirls a jerk.
He swapped his destiny with Sweetie's, didn't he?
Massive Spoiler/Theory alert.
ok, so.... StarSwirl knew thatgettinout involved dying, but not really dying. Maybe he puts himself Iim a coma where he has no magic and the TimeLoop passes and he's out but he could not activate the "Life-expanding" spell so he died. OR MAYBE the spell was to get someone else stuck in the loop so that he could get out. It would make sense.
5443865
Is your prof pic from Nightmare Night: SFM?
Because I think it is
Okay I am just gonna point this out based on this chapter since I have not read the ones after it just yet (but will continue reading after i post this) I think something is really up with Opal, she just seems to know something, mayhaps shes looping too?
5609898 And then, he died.
Sooooooo...
5833971 YES,Esactly what I was thinking, maybe it's the one making her loop...(pssshhh no way)....
Wow...Starswirl's either a dick or a troll...not sure which.
6147335 i.imgur.com/5NmKCSE.jpg
Oh dear Sweetie has offically become a Looper, I hope she doesn't lose it entirely and develops Sakura Syndrome (look up MLP Time Loops) that would be bad...
Starswirl is a troll
5833971 I came to the same conclusion.
5445135 How do I see the covered stuff? The only way I have found so far is to copy it then paste it in my 'notes' app.
7279486 I assume you're using mobile. On mobile, that is the only way. On computers, you have to hover your mouse over it.
7346243 I just tap it
The way out is to trap another, isn't it? But it's more than that, perhaps a copy of you is left in the new loop.
Either that or someone or something is using the loop as entertainment, hence the putting on a good show. (Or that's a Monty Python reference, for one should always look on the bright side of life)
Ass.
7279486 for some reason on mobile the first tap on something that reacts if you put your mouse over it, acts as if you are putting your mouse over it. basically just tap it.
Pretty much, he said, "Screw you. Stay in the time loop. It's your fault, and I don't want to explain why.
5833971
Or...Maybe Opal is secretly helping Sweetie Belle, perhaps she opened the door when Sweetie was suffocating.
8351232
my bet is hes the one that caused it, he passed the buck onto her thats how he broke the spell, like a transferable curse he forced int downstreem in time
heres the thing though she either at some point has to either break the loop, or pass it down stream herself too....cause unless unlike hard reset where the world went on without her at the end of those loops that wernt destroyed by the elements, sweetie basicly is the end of the world, cause time cannot progress past the end of that week