After Day

[I leave this to you. Spread your findings. This knowledge must not die.]

I finally close the journal and give my eyes a rest. Before drowsiness could catch up, I use telekinesis to bring over a cup of coffee. It was long cold, but the caffeine mixed with the perfect dose of sugar brought my ailing mind from the brink. I open my eyes and look around the room, thoughts whirling through my head at a rapid rate.

'Think about one thing at a time, one problem at a time.'

I push the chair away from the desk and begin to pace. I've missed many aspects of my tower in Canterlot and this whole mess of events gave me a nice excuse to revisit the comfy space, but I didn’t miss how cramped it felt. Golden Oaks has spoiled me.

My body ached and begged for rest as it should after nearly 25 hours of restlessness, yet my mind was racing faster than ever. I gently messaged the area around the base of my horn. When lowering my hoof, I found myself staring at it.

Were these hooves capable of the same things the other Twilight went through?

'Surely not.' I wished.

Really, the only difference between the Twilight of Yesterday and myself was that I woke up on Thursday. The other mare had to live through Wednesday. That one didn't have hooves to look at anymore.

I gaze over at the journal, recounting the last set of pages in my head. They told of an absurd, convoluted method that turned one into a draconequus. Well, more accurately, it told of a method that allowed one to survive the horrors that exist outside of time's grasp long enough to desperately earn your way back into the realm of sense. It just so happened that such an experience permanently altered the very fabric of one's body and mind.

"Spread your findings." I mutter to nopony. "Publish and spread the word on these events and their solution. I can be updated and refined later, but there could be many suffering right now."

The Twilight of Yesterday wanted the Princess to put a copy of this journal in every library in the country. Make sure every living being possible had access to it within half a day's trip. The draconequus promised to spread the text amongst the other races during her travels before leaving to original with me.

Discord claimed he had someone (not somepony as he made clear) give a sizable chunk of the book to a "webbed sight," I think he said. Not sure what spiders had to do with literature, but I'm wise enough not to look too deeply into anything Discord says.

Regardless, what the other Twilight said made sound sense. There was no telling how many individuals could theoretically be stuck within a loop this very moment. Every day wasted could be another individual losing themselves to the same date over and over.

There's another reality out there where the girls and I rushed to Canterlot in order encounter Discord and a draconequus version of Fluttershy. Another of Rainbow Dash. Another of Shining Armor. Tartarus, even Princess Celestia might have a chaotic spirit form in another reality.

That was assuming any of them found a way out.

'Another reality.' A chill swept through flesh and fur into my bones. 'If the Twilight of Yesterday was really from yesterday, then what does that say about me?'

I stare at the dingy calendar propped up in the corner of the room.

I shook the thoughts from my head. 'Think about one thing at a time.' I reminded myself. I was too tired; my train of thought was all over the place.

The journal was safe. No trickery or sick joke that I could decipher. Some aspects would need to be censored, others altered. Certainly, all names and locations within would need to be changed entirely.

After the Princesses gave it their two cents, I saw no reason to not go through with the Twilight of Yesterday's plan.

'Yesterday.' Today is Friday, yesterday was Thursday. It was a small detail that paranoia made sure I confirmed.

My vision floated back over to that calendar. It had gone unused for so long, but I thought it perfect for organizing my new schedule when I was entrusted to investigate this whole mess. Everything was orderly and I just about dove into my research when Spike corrected me on something.

It was a minor something. Should've been.

I had been so sure it was Wednesday, when everypony around knew for fact, it was Thursday.

Just a minor slip up amongst all the chaos, right?

After helping me fix the mistake, he wandered Canterlot for a bit before returning that night. He had brought coffee supplies and even brewed a pot before going to sleep.

Such a perfect little assistant.

I clenched my jaw recounting some of the things that I had read about in the journal. The lengths the other mare had gone to study the longevity of a dragon's lifespan. I felt bile build up in my throat.

With a steadying breath, I prepared myself to leave. I had to focus on this one task. The rest can follow later. Ironically, it was best to take things one day at a time. I stowed the journal in my saddle bag. It felt heavy.

"Twilight?" Spike poked his head up from whatever nook he found himself in. "Is everything alright?"

I couldn't lie to that little face. Beside, I was far too tired to keep my thoughts to myself anyway. "I'm not sure, Spike, but I'll get to the bottom of it." My eyes trail over that darn calendar, again. "One doesn't lose an entire day without a reason."