Looped

8.

"That's my family before I was born," I spoke. "My lock screen wasn't always like this."

My fingerprint was quickly recognized, which sent me to my home page. Again, another photo of my mom was displayed, this time it was of her and me a few months before she left. I showed Rarity my photos album, every single photo was replaced by my mom's all too familiar face.

While I still had my hand extended in front of Rarity's face, showing her what happened to my phone, Rarity suddenly wrapped her arms around me. The scent of her perfume had filled my lungs. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Rares... you don't have to be sorry."

"I was so mean when you mentioned that you were seeing your mom. And now I'm the whole reason we're in this mess. If I hadn't-"

"Rarity," I began to say, sliding my phone away. I placed both my hands on her shoulders, so I could see her face clearly. "That doesn't matter. You're here right here, with me. And we're going to find a way out, I promise."

She wiped her eyes, giving me a small smile. Even though the smile wasn't much, I could tell it was genuine.

I grabbed her hand. "Now, where were we going?"

Rarity paused, trying to gather up her thoughts. "Shy's house. Her parents are really nice." She shook her head, trying to dismiss any worries she had before. "I'm sure she's fine."

"I'm sure she is too."

Rarity continued to walk down the sidewalk, our hands linked together. No words were exchanged between us. And as I got the time to think, I realized I had never held anyone's hand for this long.

I looked over at Rarity, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Us being so close didn't seem to bother her, and I guess - I felt the same way. I wasn't sure I liked being so close with someone I haven't known for that long, but at the same time, I didn't know if I disliked it.

It all seemed to change after Rarity told the truth about how she died. When I looked at her at first, I only saw her as an obstacle. She was the only one in the world who knew how it felt like to die and come back to life only seconds later.

When in reality, she was truly lost. And for some reason, I felt the need to protect her. I could tell that the guilt was eating her away.

She began to pick up speed when we reached this quiet laid back neighborhood. Everyone had a garden, small trees bloomed from almost everywhere.

"She lives there." Rarity raised her hand to point at a light blue painted house that was about two stories tall. They had a small porch, with a beautiful large garden extending throughout their lawn. She let go of my hand, leading the way. And right as she crossed through their empty driveway, the sprinklers turned on.

She jumped back, letting out a weird scream, her outfit now damp from the water. She gave me a quick glare, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "I see one thing here hasn't changed," she muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

She continued up the driveway, which I followed. Rarity stepped onto the porch knocking on the door. I stood by her side, waiting for a response.

We stood there for about 20 seconds in silence until Rarity commented, "Don't worry, they always take this long."

Right after she said that the door opened, revealing a woman with glasses and red hair. She had on a long dress, decorated with flowers. "Oh hello, girls. What can I do for you both?"

"Mrs. Shy, hi!" Rarity replied. "I just thought my friend Applejack and I would drop by and see how Fluttershy is doing?"

Mrs. Shy's expression immediately changed once Rarity had mentioned her best friend's name. "I - I don't have a Fluttershy. You must have the wrong house."