“Well, go ahead. Open it!” Discord said.
“I hate to tear the wrapping,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s so beautiful.”
Discord rolled his eyes and snapped an identical box into existence. “Now you have a mint collectable too.”
“O-okay.” She undid the ribbon and paper very carefully, but… Empty? “What?”
“It’s time, my dear.”
The usual arguments burned in her mind. “We’ve talked about this.”
“Yes, yes, I know. This isn’t some cheesy ploy to give you eternal life. I’ve read all the fanfics.”
“Huh?”
A quick sigh. “Never mind. Point is, it’s not future time. It’s past. Give it a try.”
She poked her nose in, and—the day she’d first met Twilight, and Discord, and tea together, and… In a flash, all so clear, like she’d lived them yesterday!
Everything that made her Fluttershy, whenever she needed to see it. She wiped away her tears and hugged Discord hard. “Thank you.”