Jumping from her bed Fluttershy opened her window and jumped out, opening her wings she flew with a speed she had never had before.
Arriving at Twilights castle in a time that would impress Rainbow Dash she landed on the balcony and pulled open the door rushing in a full gallop to the sleeping Twilight. She landed on Twilight and embraced her and began to cry with a mix of joy and sorrow, "Oh Celestia, I'm so sorry Twilight, I'm so sorry."
"Fluttershy? What's wrong? Please, tell me," Twilight said with a surprise as she tried to gather what was happening to her sleeping self.
"I killed you, oh Celestia, I'm so sorry."
"Oh, Fluttershy, it's okay, it was only a dream, you don't need to apologize. Tell me what happened."
"No, twilight, it was real. I'm trapped in time, living today over and over. I tried everything to get out, my last option I thought was... Oh Celestia, I'm so sorry Twilight."
"Wait, trapped in time? Fluttershy that doe-"
Placing a hoof over twilight's mouth Fluttershy shook her head, "I know, we've had that talk enough times for me to tell you the whole conversation. Please, just let me hold you, I'm so sorry, Twilight for what I did, I'll never do it again."
Fluttershy really believes this, there has to be a logical answer and way to calm her down."
"I don't understand."
Fluttershy gasped and looked at Twilight, "Those were your last words..."
The silence was deep, so deep they could hear Fluttershys heart racing, "Fluttershy," Twilight finally spoke, "I think you should tell me everything."
"So, you've convinced me, for now Fluttershy. So, what do we do? You've already talked to the princess, you've done some pretty terrible things, and you've been seriously depressed through almost of it. I think, I think we should consult with Celestia. You've already spoken with her, but maybe she knows a spell that could help you. "
"I already tried that, we talked with some horse called 'Old One.'"
"Old One? I don't know her, but I'll ask Celestia. SPIKE?"
Ten seconds later spike burst into the room wearing an apron and with a spatula in his claws, "Yes Princess Twilight?"
"Spike, I've told you not to call me princess Twilight."
"Sorry Twi, just kidding. Hey Fluttershy, what's new? "
"Spike, I need you to take a letter to princess Celestia right now. Tell her Fluttershy spoke with the Old One, a horse. Please hurry spike. It's imperative."
"Right, I'll get it done right now, " he said as he jogged out of the room.
One minute after he left Celestia appeared in the room with a bright yellow flash, temporarily blinding the two.
"Fluttershy, you spoke with the Old One? Why did he say you? "
Cowering behind Twilight Fluttershy looked at Celestia, who was scowling at the mares, "Well, you're highness..." Fluttershy filled Celestia in with her situation. Celestia listened but didn't show any surprise or emotion until the story was done.
"This is not good, not good at all. It's almost impossible to find the solution, I imagine we've had this talk before, so let's go to the royal library, I have an idea that will help you. Come here girls, " Celestia said as she opened her wings, inviting the two to go by her sides as she wrapped her wings around them.
With a burst of yellow light they appeared in the royal library and Celestia began calling books to her with magic.
"Here it is. Come with me," she said, leading them to a different bookshelf she took out a book, "this is a blank book, I'll give it to you and then cast a spell that will open a small portal. You will be able to put up to five books or small items in it. Use those too keep logs of your days and what you can change to your benefit to find the answer."
"Oh, okay princess. Thank you, " Fluttershy said as she took the book.
Casting the complicated spell a small white rectangle opened in front of Fluttershy, "This is a magic portal outside time and space. It will follow you everywhere and you can access it anytime. When you want to open this portal simply concentrate and focus on your items inside, the magic in your body will open the window. At first it will drain you, and you won't be able to walk on clouds for a while, but in time you won't even notice it."
"Um,o-okay. Thank you princess, I guess, I guess I should have come to you a lot sooner, again."
"It's okay, child, you did and now you have a tool to help you. Please remember you also have all the resources you need to help you; you have your friends."
"Wait, princess Celestia, you were in the same loop with Luna?"
While the princess talked about the events surrounding Luna's imprisonment Fluttershy looked at her book and placed the book in the mystic portal, "How do I close it?"
"Oh, my goodness, I forgot to tell you. Simply imagine a door closing in front of the portal. It will drain the magic from your body but a lot less of it," Celestia said.
Closing the portal Fluttershy concentrated and reopened it, she sighed as she felt exhausted suddenly as her head spun for a moment and her ears rang. After a moment she regained her senses and reached into the portal, retrieving the book, "I'm going to make my first entry," she said as she walked to a podium and grabbed a pen.
Dear Journal,
I have found my confidence because of my friends and princess Celestia. Thanks to this spell I have a way to keep records and find a way to tomorrow, which will hopefully be soon. I have a renewed energy and I can not wait to see the world tomorrow and what is has to offer, and to use my knowledge to help more animals and ponies. I have learned some of the habits of the Everfree forest too, including timber wolves. I have done some terrible things but there is no looking to the past wrongs, only the past rights that will help us all out. Until next time.
"Done," smiled Fluttershy, she hadn't smiled in weeks, maybe months, it felt very nice to her, "so, now what? Should we tell the others or just have today?"
"Well, I have a world to watch, so I will leave that decision to you, fare well, Twilight, come with me, I have to talk with you privately," Celestia walked out of the room and spoke with Twilight who returned to talk with Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy, Princess Celestia told me something that she believes would be best told to you through me, you see, the time loop isn't really a loop in the best sense of the word," Twilight said rubbing the back of her neck trying to find the layman's way to say what she needed to, "you see, time is usually like a rope that is stretched out across a yard and there are strings inside the rope, those are like timelines. You are in a strand that is loose and is looped over itself but still connected to the rope."
"So, what does that mean? I don't know science Twilight, you know that."
"It means that while you loop around again and again there is a version of you that slides on the loop back around and around and while that happens at the moment the loop begins again there is another you where it ends and you see tomorrow every day. So, in actuality we need to find a way to stop your consciousness from looping all together, okay?"
Fluttershy looked at Twilight like she honestly had no idea what she said after 'it means.'
Rubbing her forehead Twilight started again, "Okay, it's like this: for you everyday is today but there is another you that sees tomorrow everyday, and we have to find out how to get you you to see tomorrow."
"Oh, OH. OH, Fluttershy said as she began to realize the implications, "You mean I'm sitting in Canterlot royal prison right now waiting trial, or I'm dead in front of you all at the library?"
"Fluttershy, I can't imagine what you're going through and I hope I never will, it must be Tartarus to be stuck in this loop, but with all our help you'll get out before you know it. Let's get out of here and spend the day doing something."
Choosing to have today as just the two of them, they spent the whole day in Canterlot and enjoyed the sights, food and events. As night fell Twilight teleported them back to the castle in Ponyville, "Fluttershy, come with me, I want you to have something."
"Um, okay Twilight, but you know I can't take it with me."
"Yes you can, you have the portal now. I just hope that portal spell works. Here," Twilight hovered her stuffed friend over, use him as proof to me that you met me, I know I can be pretty difficult to convince, but this will help. And, I'll write a letter to me too, I'm pretty sure I can convince myself of what's going on, then we can use one of your book slots to keep notes we all have to prove whats happening so that we can help you."
"Oh, thank you so much, Twilight. This means the world to me, I'm so grateful. But, um, Twilight,"
"Yes Fluttershy?"
"I have to go, I haven't fed my friends for months, they must be starving."
They both shared a laugh, Fluttershy felt alive again and ready to live. As they walked to the kitchen for a snack they began talking again, something Fluttershy hadn't done in a long time.
"So, Twilight I have a real question I've been wondering for a few months now."
"Yes Fluttershy, what's on your mind?"
"What kind of mare are you looking for?"
Twilight stopped in her tracks and almost tripped, "Wh-what are you talking about? I'm not-"
"You told me plenty of times, but the first time was totally by accident. About Mrs. Lemon Lime," Fluttershy looked mockingly.
Twilight gasped and blushed and couldn't think of anything to say at first so Fluttershy turned and started walking again, "Catch up when you can, lover-mare," Fluttershy teased.
"Wait, who did you tell? Who know? How did they react?"
"I didn't tell anyone, I Pinkie promised," Fluttershy smiled, "so, what is your type?"
"Well," Twilight tried to think of where this conversation was headed and what the repercussions would be, "I honestly don't know. I've never been on a real date or anything."
"Oh, I know," Fluttershy said knowingly, "You've told me a few times how you've only had thoughts, but you won't admit it. You should be honest with me and youself and your friends so we and I can help you in this time or loop or whenever."
Sighing as she tried to wrap her mind around the question and it's answer, both of which were so difficult, "I don't know, I guess I like a nice flank and rump," Twilight said, blushing again as she said those words out loud. Before she could make a convoluted statement explaining her answer she was interrupted.
"Okay, so what else besides a nice flank and rump?" Fluttershy asked as she slowed down to get side by side with Twilight.
"Wow, I don't know, I guess it's also personality and intelligence. I really want a mare who can tolerate my obsessive compulsive intelligence and needs while offering me intelligent conversation likewise. Maybe that's a bit picky of me but I have read a lot of books on love and finding the right match and the consensus is-"
"So you want a smart mare that likes you for you and can talk with you, okay. Do you prefer any type of pony?"
"Like, race? I don't care about that, I'm not racist if that's what you're thinking."
"Oh, no no no, I wasn't even thinking that, Twilight. It's just a question. I'm hoping to help you find a marefriend."
Twilight stopped and fell flat on her chin as the words resounded through the halls, "F-Fluttershy, what are you talking about? I can't just come out like that one day, it takes time. According to 'Equality in Equestria Volume 17' the time it takes to reveal a sexual preference to your family and friends can take years. There's no quick answer for coming out in any of my books or stories."
"Life isn't like a book Twilight, it's as far from it as can be. I know I should be a lot more scared about all this but at the same time it's just another day to me. Take me to the hilltop, please."
Twilight was going to protest but she felt she had insulted Fluttershy by how the conversation changed in tone, "Okay, come here." With a shine of purple light they were at the ceremony hill, "Let's find our friends," Twilight said as she began looking around, "There they are, let's go."
Following Twilight Fluttershy didn't say anything but kept a determined look on her face the whole way.
"Hey, it's Twi and Fluttershy, 'bout time you showed up, where ya been all day? We got a good spot and thanked Spike before he fell asleep fir settin' all this up for us. C'mon and get some grub 'fore I eat it m' self."
"Wait, first I have to tell you all something important. I'm trapped in a temporal loop, every sunrise today starts again for me. Now, Twilight has something she has to tell you, Twilight."
Fluttershy had put Twilight on the spot but their talk was still hot in her mind. Taking a deep breath Twilight said the first thing that popped out of her mouth, "I'm romantically into mares please don't hate me," she said in one sentence.
Everypony looked at each other and at Twilight, she felt sweat building on her brow as any one of them would speak any moment.
Pinkie giggled and spoke first, "I knew that a long time ago, you always looked at my rump when I walked and it wasn't a regular look it was a looook so I started bouncing, then you started looking at Rarities for a couple days but then you really started looking at Cherilee and one day you watched her so much you walked into a tree and looked around but didn't see me watching you from the bushes across the road. Then there was that time you blushed when you were asking Applejack to ask for help when she tried to harvest the WHOLE orchard by herself and she fell over and said 'help me' and was on her back and you turned all red but she didn't see because she was going crazy and it was really weird to see at first but then I figured it out. Either that or you were a changeling and were feasting on her somehow, but then I saw you look at her when she got up and those were different feasting eyes I'd seen before when I was holding a party for a mare who was about to get married and they had this stallion come in and dance for them wearing one of Rarities outfits and he did things I had never seen a stallion do but all the mares were looking at him with those same eyes, but they were drooling and throwing bits."
"Wow, Pinkie, that was very... detailed," Twilight said as she began to breath heavily again.
"Look, darlin', you're one of my best friends, ain't nothing gonna change that."
"That's right sweetie, you're the best friend a pony could have," Rarity added.
"Hey, we're all awesome at our own things I guess, I have the sky, Applejack has well, apples, and you have magic and mares. Big whoop, you're not gonna get any challenge from me," laughed Rainbow Dash.
"So, you're okay with me being, me?"
The others agreed and smiled, "But, dear, I only have one question?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded, ready for anything.
"Do I have a nice rump?" she asked as they all burst into laughter.