//------------------------------// // Part Six // Story: Time to Shine // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// Day 401 So I decided to record something that we talked about lunch time today because it was very interesting and I think that you should really hear it. Starlight looked at me and asked the all-important question. “So, how are you feeling? Is anything wrong? Is there anything that I can do? What’s up with you exactly?” I couldn’t take the question anymore so I answered her instead. “I’ve failed to save you from death for 400 times by now!!! Did you know that there are so many ways that you can die right now? Like for example, move your head to the right please.” She did so and a flower pot suddenly came down right where her head was. “That thing killed you yesterday, and before that it was the food here, and then a fork got in your throat once before that, and you’ve also been burned once and also drowned too as well, heck, even lightning has killed you 19 times already!!!” “Really?” “Yes!!! And unless there’s some other pony else out there that can travel through time, maybe perhaps even in a blue box since that killed you one time, well maybe they could help me out, but no, there’s no doctor that can save you now!” Slowly a brown stallion wearing a bow tie with an hourglass cutie mark got up, chuckled very nervously, paid his bill, and went back to his time travelling blue box, and he did this all without being noticed by Trixie or any pony else too as well. “Wait, if I died then how come I’m still here?” “Because I’m stuck in time repeating the same day over again and it’s driving me nuts? I can’t figure out how to save you no matter how many times I try or how hard instead, I can’t save you, and that’s the worst thing that I have ever know because guess what? I love you Starlight, like a lot, really, but unless I can figure a way out to escape we might never be together again, and I just can’t bear the thought of living without you, I would rather die first instead.” “No, don’t say that, there are plenty of reasons to keep on living.” “Yeah? Name one.” “Me.” “That’s good enough I suppose,” I said sighing now then, “Well I guess we should enjoy our lunch then?” “Gladly,” she said taking a very large bite of her meal. “Starlight? Are you alright and fine?” I said with great worry as she started to choke then suddenly. I tried to get it out, but it was too late and she died instead. Day 731 Jake came to me yesterday, but this time he was actually helpful for once. “Two years, I can’t believe that you’ve actually been stuck here for two years, I thought that you would have figured out to face your very worst fears and nightmares by now at the very least, but it seems like I am constantly being proven wrong, anyhow I’ll come back here every year until you can finally figure it out, or not, either way I decided not to destroy Equestria since you’re just too fun to play with and mess around with, seeing you struggle as you find new ways to save your true love, well that’s’ just delightfully amazing and wonderful too as well, seriously I even made a YouTube video highlighting all your fails, just watch it and even you would have to admit just how funny it really truly is.” ‘If you aren’t going to destroy Equestria anymore why not stop this right now?” “I already told you, you’re just too much fun to ever lose.” “Well that’s good enough I suppose, but why did you say that Starlight was my true love exactly?” “Because in every universe I go to you two are always constants, that and also Lyra and Sweetie Drops too as well of course, I didn’t believe in universal constants, not until I finally saw some hard proof and evidence of it.” “Wait, what? A universal constant?” “Yes, something that never changes, has changed or will change in any universe, I didn’t believe in them because I thought that they were a myth and legend, sure many universes could share certain traits and aspects, but not all of them. And yet I’m starting to doubt that belief now because of what I have seen.” “If we’re universal constants then why come here to this one?” “Luck coincidence, fate, destiny, I don’t really care. Pick whatever answer you want, it won’t matter anyways.” “Alright, fine then, you want to have fun by torturing me and I was just unlucky, but why can’t I change the future, why can’t I ever stop it?” “Oh Trixie, you can’t ever stop or change the future, like death for example, you can’t change that, sometimes you just have to accept your fate and destiny. And sometimes you have to tell your real true feelings by confessing before the end does finally come, and if you don’t then you will never ever escape.” I glanced up, did he just say the way that I could win his game? Surely he wouldn’t, right? He didn’t seem that stupid to accidentally reveal exactly what he wanted, unless he was bored waiting for the end of the game to finally come to an end. “Why are you telling me all of this?” I said very curiously now then. “It’s honestly because I don’t really care anymore, it doesn’t matter if you win or not because I will still have my fun at the end of the day, and that’s all that really matters of course, I just hope that you will win in the end, because I really like you Trixie, you’re one of the better background side ponies.” “If I do win I want you to promise something,” I said. “Sure, anything for you my dear.” “Firstly, you are never to come back to this land ever again. Second, you are never to disturb me or any pony else in this land with your silly stupid little ting games and tricks. Thirdly, I want a whole lot of money for what I’ve been through, you’ve put me through enough pain and despair and agony and strife already.” “Well that’s so very true, but your terms and conditions are agreeable to me, so I accept them, but in exchange your time will be cut down to ten years.” “Wait, what?” I said. “What? You’re making a very high demand of me so now I am making one for you, so good luck Trixie, I hope you figure it out before then.” And with that said he left me then as I saw Starlight there and before I could speak to her I made sure to put her in a place where nothing would kill her just quite yet, or at least hopefully not until I was done talking with her. I hoped that this worked, “Starlight, I think that I might be ready to tell our friends about us,” I said now finally ready to face my fears. “Oh, really?” she said. “Yes, but we have to do it now otherwise-,” I said as a rock suddenly hit her head instantaneously killing her, “You might die,” I said finishing off the sentence. Day 1,827 It has been over five years that I’ve been trapped in the same day. I’ve tried everything that I could think of. I even tried confessing our love to her friends and her parents and mine. Even the princesses themselves. Nothing worked. And I didn’t know why that was so. It was at this point that I stopped trying to change Starlight’s fate and destiny and tried to change my own, which is why I stood at the top of a building ready to leap to my own death then maybe that could stop the time loop. Life could go own and I would be some sort of hero at least, but Starlight, she wouldn’t know what I did for her, which is exactly why I left a death note for her on my bed so that she could read it tomorrow if it ever did come now. Slowly I took a very deep breath and plunged to my death. Day 1,828 “Wouldn’t you like to-,” No, this can’t be true, I was supposed to be dead, not alive. I was supposed to be the hero, not just some ordinary regular illusionist. But I was, and I couldn’t change that, but maybe I could change the future instead, my first death hadn’t worked, but maybe I just had to find the right death, and so I went downstairs, got the toaster, filled up the bathtub, and then I killed myself again. Day 3,651 Well that’s it, everything that I have tried has failed. I have been stuck here in the same day for ten years. And I have tried everything. I tried killing myself, saving Starlight, helping other ponies out, I even tried to kill other ponies once and also burned down Applejack’s farm too as well. Honestly it’s just too much to tell, but I’ll let you fill in the details later. Beside me sat Jake with a great big huge wide smile on his face as if he already knew that he was going to win, which was almost entirely certain at this point. “Well, looks like tomorrow is your last day here, yet you still haven’t figured it out yet,” he said now then. “Yes, but who really cares, win or lose I’ll escape this hell hole.” “No, you won’t, not unless you finally face the truth.” “I have.” “You’re still lying, you’re still hiding, why don’t you try to remember what you really wanted to say to her, why don’t you try to remember your very first nightmare? Because guess what, that’s where the answer was all along.” “I can’t remember it anymore, mostly because I don’t dream anymore.” “Well then maybe Princess Luna could help out with that, she is the caretaker of dreams after all, but you better hurry, there’s only one day left.” “I know, but why is there any reason to win anymore?” “I’m sure that a smarty young wise mare like yourself can come up with something very soon, anyhow goodbye for now and good luck.” And with that said he left as the sun set and in my heart I knew that somewhere else out there, Starlight had already died again.