Ponyville's Provocative Predicament

by TAP BaDap18

First published 8th of January, 2013

Twilight has a problem she needs help with... But it may have to take a back seat to an even bigger problem brewing that threatens the safety of all of Equestria!

It's been inching towards one whole year since Twilight Sparkle made her first foray into an entirely different universe inhabited by an entirely alien race... and inching towards one whole year since she'd started her relationship with a member of said alien race she'd befriended during her travels. She and the human being known as Ty had been together long enough that they'd been able to see beyond the basic differences between them and their respective worlds and cultures in the name of their affections for one another, all the while mulling over how to reveal the true, unorthodox nature of their courtship to the public.

However, when a sudden issue arises within Twilight concerning her biology; an issue neither of the two had done more than touch on, she contemplates how to inform her special someone without alarming him. Unfortunately, a foreign threat comes to Equestria with malevolent plans (with perfectly wrong timing), forcing the two and the others into action...

{Sequel to Twi and Ty's Topsy-Turvy Tours and its subsequent Spin-Offs}

A Day in the Life... (Prologue)

Twilight Sparkle… the ever-enthusiastic friendship scholar… the most powerful unicorn Equestria’s ever known… the egghead (says Rainbow Dash)… the lovely, lively lavender librarian… and possibly the best girl Scratch that; FILLY-friend anyone— pony or human— could ask for. It’s been quite a while since she and I met under what could be the most random, accidental circumstance imaginable. Like, “Poof-here-I-am-now-let’s-be-friends” kind of random. Literally. It happened such a long time ago, and I was sure I’d never experienced the things I’d experienced with her in my life.

Over time since our sudden encounter, we’d taught each other about the customs of our respective worlds, spent time together, and became friends… and even a step beyond. I’d be inclined to delve into every miniscule detail of how something as… unorthodox as a relationship between a human being and a sentient purple unicorn from an alternate world would even work. But nobody likes being bored to death with a collection of tedious, mind-numbing details (especially when they’re supposedly not scientifically possible), so I’ll simply say this instead: It WORKS!

Starting today however, she’d been acting a little… unusual.

“Heeey, Ty!” the radiantly gorgeous mare of the hour greeted as I stepped in through my doorway after a long day of work. “I see you’ve gotten a haircut. It suits you well!”

“Helllooooo, Twi! My goodness have I missed you!” I excitedly responded as I took off my shoes and callously cast them aside before picking my vibrant purple filly-friend for a hug. “Funny you should say that, though. Most others tend to like me better with shorter hair. I think i’ss more suitable for me too. But anyway, where you been all my life?” I jokingly asked.

“Busier than usual, unfortunately,” she answered before planting a smooch on my cheek.

“Is that so? Wha’ss been tyin’ you up?” Rather than put her down right away, I carried her upstairs into my room before sitting down on my bed with her on my lap.

“A LOT…” she emphasized as she made herself at home.

"A lot, huh?" I dared to question in interest. "Like what?"

“Well first, my friends and I recently had to save this thousand-year-old Crystal Empire so I could pass a test of my magic ability."

"Ooh... Sounds rough," I consoled, already knowing she was about to let me know exactly the types of stress she'd been under.

"Believe me, it was. It took a lot out of all of us to rid the place of the evil king who'd been keeping it under shrouds for the last thousand years."

"Wow..." was all I could think to respond with. She'd already told me more than I could imagine.

"As if things couldn't get more extravagant, a couple weeks later, Pinkie Pie came up with the bright idea of utilizing an enchanted pool in the Everfree Forest to clone herself at least one hundred times simply because she couldn’t fathom the idea of not knowing everything her friends were doing..." she explained.

"Jeez, what'd I miss?"

"Believe me, hon, it gets better. A short while after spending an entire day deciphering the real Pinkie from the clones she conjured up and sending every one of her carbon copies back to the mirror pool they were spawned from, Trixie decided to return to Ponyville, corrupted by an evil Alicorn amulet. Using said amulet, she exiled me from Ponyville over a grudge against me I personally believe was entirely misplaced..."

"Who's Trixie?" I asked, as thoroughly intrigued as I was comprehensive of the understandably distraught unicorn mare. "An' what grudge?"

"Ah, right... I forgot I haven't ever told you about this before. To explain that," she began with the enticing, yet professional flair of an experienced schoolteacher. "...I'd have to give you a little bit of a definitive background first. Simply put, she's a professional magician who formerly had an ego twice the size of my library. On her first visit to Ponyville, she fabricated a story about defeating an Ursa Major, which, thanks to two colts who wholeheartedly believed her, was unraveled at the seams, as the two had inadvertently lured an Ursa Minor-- which despite being only the cub of an Ursa Major, is still very sizable-- into town. I just happened to be the one to have to clean up that mess after doing some impromptu studying on the Ursa as a species. Hence, the misplaced grudge. She took me saving her flank from certain doom at the expense of her reputation as me humiliating her! How absurd!"

"Got that right..." I sympathetically concurred. "What happened when she came back?"

"She challenged me to a magic duel, coercing my participation through low-brow extortion and mean-spirited threats against my friends."

"I take it you whupped her ass, right?" I inquired, not paying much attention to my diction in my investment in Twilight's story.

"Unfortunately... I didn't," the mare sadly admitted to my shock.

"You... LOST???"

"Hard to take in, I know... That amulet increased her powers far beyond my own, while at the same time feeding off of her resentment toward me. That was enough to give her the edge she needed to defeat me..."

"Wow... So what'd you have t' do t' get rid of 'er?"

"I had to devise a convoluted plan involving a similar variety of parlor tricks and optical illusions to the kind she's made herself famous for in order to trick her into taking the thing off. From there, she would come back to her senses in time for me to demonstrate my power to some delegates from a far-off land by the name of Saddle Arabia… Luckily for both of us, Trixie and I made amends before she fled town once again. I'm at least happy to say she's learned her lesson."

"Interesting..." I pondered the unicorn's most recent trials and tribulations. "Anything else you wanna share?"

"Much more than I care I even think about at this point!" she practically announced through an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, I need a break…” she complained, her unhappiness evident.

“Jeez… what a hassle that sounds like… no wonder you been M.I.A. the last couple weeks or so…” I sympathetically replied. “Anything I can do to cheer you up?” At that, she smiled.

“I… don’t know…” she answered, feigning an endearing sense of cluelessness as she stretched herself over my lap before lying down to get comfortable. An instant later, her horn glowed, followed by my right hand. She willed my appendage to rest itself on her back. “Any ideas…?” she winked.

“I… might-a came up with a couple…” I slyly answered as I fulfilled her implied wish by running the hand down her back, eliciting a purr from her. Music to my ears, if I do say so myself. I followed up by rubbing her again and again, eventually switching hands so as to gain the ability to gently run my fingers through her mane alongside momentary sessions of scratching behind her ear as I stroked her soft, velvety lavender body. Ever since the first time we met, she always enjoyed being rubbed down in this manner. This time proved no different… at least, not at first.

“Mmm… could you… rub a little lower…?” the lovely mare innocently requested.

“Lower? Sure,” I answered, thinking nothing of the request. Normally, being the gentleman I am, I’d rub her as far down as an imaginary limit line I’d set on her lower back. But I guessed that I’d be crossing that line. “How much lower?”

“To my tail is fine…” I raised an eyebrow and blinked.

“Uh… are you sure? I mean, I don’t want you t’ get the idea that I—!”

“Ty… we’re both adults here. Plus, we’ve been dating for approximately eight months, three weeks, and six days now… it’s perfectly fine if you touch my rump…” I exhaled in shock.

“Oh well, when ya put it that way…”

“You know what I mean… such a naughty mind you have…” I chuckled.

“Got me there… You been countin’ the days, though?” I asked as I fulfilled her wish.

“Yes... All the way down to each magnificent hour… I only wish we could've celebrated a bit sooner... but please, don’t stop now.” Wordlessly, I complied with a shrug and continued my massage, rubbing her from her neck all the way down to where her tail connected as I moved a hand to brush softly against various parts of her face. She was really getting into it this time… joyfully moaning and sighing more profusely than usual, blithely wiggling and squirming into every rub, topped with the occasional gasp of delight… to be curt, I was getting VERY uncomfortable in a certain kind of way.

“Not now… not now… not now…!” I thought, trying to keep myself under control. I took a deep breath, gulped, and clenched my legs together, all the while still massaging my special someone. “Stay down…! Please...?”

“Oh, is that your girlfriend…?” came a thought from a deep, dark part of my mind I'd been trying to keep silent in my time with Twilight.

“Y-yeah…?”

“I’mma poke it!”

“Don’t you do it...”

“I’mma do it!”

“Don’t you do i-!” Twilight wiggled into my stomach, causing me to inadvertently let out a quiet grunt as I felt her abdomen grind ever so gently against my...

“Dammit…”

“Is there something wrong, Ty?” Twilight asked, snapping me out of my mental conflict.

“O-oh nothin’, honey. Why do you ask?”

“You seem a little... tense…”

“Tha’ss one way o’ puttin’ it…” I offhandedly remarked.

“Do you want to stop?”

“No, not at all!” I lied against my better judgment, not wanting to disappoint her. “Jus’ need some stretchin’ room is all. Why don’t we lay down?”

“Sure…” with that, the unicorn got up off of me so as to allow me to stretch out before getting comfortable on my bed and allowing her to lie down on my belly. Once she got comfortable, she gave me one of those glazed, half-lidded smiles I so VERY much adored. “You know, I’ve missed you a lot…” she dreamily informed as she leaned in to kiss me. "It feels like forever since we've done this..."

“As have I, Twi… As have I…” I concurred, restarting my efforts in making her comfortable by rubbing her again. She laid her head down on my shoulder, allowing herself to fall into a state of bliss as I massaged her. I have to say, she definitely felt warmer than usual… like, a pleasant kind of warmth one would feel if they were awoken by the early morning rays of sunlight or relaxing in a hot tub once their body became accustomed to the temperature.

I wondered if she was getting sick again or if it had been a hot day in Equestria and the heat hadn’t fully radiated off of her yet. Or possibly that her excitement in seeing me again, coupled with this rubdown, had made her so comfortably warm. But then, as the quiet air around us set in, I could feel and faintly hear her heart thumping against my chest as if she were rhythmically tapping me with a hoof.

“Mmm… how’ve you been since last time, Ty…?” she managed to ask through her pleasured moans and sighs.

“More or less the same… nothin’ exactly worth notin’ happened…” I replied. “Gotta admit though: It gets pretty lonesome ‘round here without you.”

“Oh, I’m… sorry. I wish I were able to… *sigh* to visit more often…”

“Don’t sweat it. You’re a busy mare. A VERY busy mare, as far as I've heard… Don’t let me slow you down.”

“I love your consideration for my cumbersome… mmm… schedule… but really… I’d like nothing more than to spend time with you…” she countered as she picked her head up, her eyes still half-closed. Before I was able to say anything, she kissed me again, this time much deeper. Though taken by complete surprise, I hardly tried fighting her. I allowed her to take me into the realm of luxurious satisfaction that she’d been in since I began her massage. As the two of us lip-locked, she became steadily more aggressive. She wrapped her fore hooves around my head, taking control over me and deepening her smooches to the point where she may as well have been trying to suck air directly from my lungs. The unicorn was writhing and grinding very slowly into my belly as I rubbed her. A red flag raised in my head as soon as I began to pick up a most unusual, indescribable, yet faint, musky scent. As exciting as it all was, she’d never gotten THIS much enjoyment out of a massage. In addition, she was beginning to feel very hot. I pulled away and stopped rubbing her to catch my breath, much to her disappointment.

“Whoo… hah… hey, you feelin’ okay?”

“Yes… wonderful, even. Why?”

“That’s great! But… you’ve NEVER done that t' me before. Not while I was rubbin’ you…” At that, she blushed.

“Oh! Well… I guess I’m just really happy to see you again after such a long time…”

“And you feel a bit warm… Are you comin’ down with a fever?”

“No, no, I’m fine… trust me, there’s nothing wrong with me. At all.”

“At all?” I skeptically asked.

“At *gasp* mmm… all…” she shakily replied. Her reply was shaky because I took the liberty of slowly dragging the tips of the fingers on my right hand from her ear all the way down to her flank, causing her to shudder with what I could tell was delight.

“I ain’t so sure… you’ve never been so sensitive to the touch before…”

“Y-yes I have!” she hurriedly rebutted, taking on a look of alarm. “What makes you say I haven’t been?”

“A lotta things… specifically, you vocalized your comfort a lot more than usual."

"And?"

"That an' you were kissin’ me while I rubbed you."

"And that's suspect to you?" the mare shot back in a tone of disbelief.

"No. What's suspect t' me is how much effort you was puttin' into it. Much as I enjoyed it, I didn't ever really mark that up as your type o' thing."

"I fail to see how THAT would be unbecoming of none other than your significant other... If you don't want to continue, you can just say so," she answered me in a sudden tone of irritation.

"Relax, Twi. I'd love t' continue. I'ss jus' that you never usually show this much... arousal during a massage..." I thought about mentioning the unusual smell coming from her, but I refrained from doing so for fear of hurting her feelings further.

"Well I'm just really happy to see you," she defensively explained, sounding a bit more irritated. "I mean, give a mare a break, Ty. I'm sorry if I came on a bit stronger than usual, but is it really worth interrogating me for? It's not like I'm trying to harm you or anything..."

"Okay, okay, I understand. Sorry t' upset you. I was jus' a li'l worried is all."

"It's okay. Now where were we?"

"I believe we were at th--!"

*grrrrrowwll*

"...the part where I go get somethin t' eat. I kinda skipped lunch at work today. If you'll excuse me..." With that, the unicorn took her sweet time in getting off of me so I could get up. Before heading downstairs into the kitchen, I turned to look at her. She looked so sad. She looked like I was leaving and never coming back or something. "Are you sure there's nothin' wrong with you? Why you lookin' all sad all of a sudden?"

"Sad?" she inquired, fixing her face into a smile. "I'm fine, sweetie. Please, go and get your lunch," she added, lifting her hoof and giving me the 'shoo' gesture.

"If ya say so," I responded before going downstairs.

"Ohh, Twilight... What are you doing? You're supposed to control yourself at a time like this... You need to take into consideration his feelings on such a delicate matter... What if he freaks out and tries to avoid me? What if he wants to help, but can't because of a probable conflict in him pertaining to the difference in our species?? I need to tell him... but how?" My thoughts raced in anticipation on how to break the news to him...

"I'm back!" Ty shouted, startling me out of my train of thought.

"Well that certainly was fast," I replied, flashing him the brightest smile I could muster in a desperate attempt to shroud my insecurity. He seemed to have bought it as he nonchalantly walked over and sat down next to me. As he approached, I could just feel the butterflies practically erupting from my stomach with such ferocity that I might've been able to spit a few out. It was almost as if we'd just met for the first time, but I couldn't understand why I was suddenly so unnerved...

"Yea, I jus' decided on a slice o' cake. Especially since I don't want Pinkie Pie maulin' me again..."

"Heh heh, yeah. Gotta remember not to break that Pinkie Promise..." I concurred.

"Yep. Heh..."

"Yeah..." A tense (for me) moment of silence passed over us. It felt like an eternity before either of us would do anything to shatter this inexplicably insufferable air of crushingly awkward timidity. I needed to tell him something, but I couldn't build up the courage to do it. I was so afraid of his reaction that I didn't even know how I would bring up a casual conversational topic that would appropriately divert into what I wanted to tell him...

"...Well, I'mma go t' the bathroom. Then we'll continue that massage, okay?" he suggested as he stood up to depart once again. Before he left, I went on a wild impulse to stop him, as I felt I suddenly conjured up the mettle to discuss the urgent issue with him. With that, I managed to say something.

"Um... Ty?"

"Yea?" he asked as he sat back down.

"You… like me, right? Like like me like me?" As expected, he gave me a facial expression of confusion at my inquiry.

"…Er, is this some kinda trick question? Cuz if it ain't, then I'm pretty sure there's solid evidence that you already know the answer t' that."

"Excellent. Just making sure. But anyway, um…" I was having trouble configuring my thoughts into a coherent verbal display of my feelings. Already, I could feel my face heating up with embarrassment. "I was wondering if you've ever thought about the stipulations of our relationship… You know… How you've been feeling about us…"

"...To be honest, I have," he answered. "I mean, a few months have gone by, an' not a single day in those months have thoughts about me bein' intimate with a unicorn from a whole different world not crossed my mind. But then I realize that you're just as, if not MORE intelligent than I am. Ah, who am I foolin'...? You ARE more intelligent than I am. Plus, it'd be stupid for me t' keep dwellin' on those things if you could move past 'em. At this point, I think I'm completely fine with my relationship with you, Twi."

"That's great!" I happily exclaimed and smiled. He returned the gesture by moving in to hug me; an embrace I was more than willing to accept.

"Still, I get the feel that somethin's botherin' you," he theorized to my shock as we separated. He looked me right in the eye and laid one of his big, soft, wonderful hands on my cheek. "Y'know, if there's anything: ANYTHING at all tha'ss botherin' you, you can tell me." I just wanted to tell him right then and there that I'd... well... that I'd begun my estrus cycle. For whatever reason, however, the reserves of my courage to do so were already veritably dried up like a tomato in the hot sun...

"N-no, nothing at all!" I impulsively lied, already bucking myself for it. "I was just wondering if you were still okay with being with me after so long. In any case, why don't we head off to Equestria now, hm? I'm sure the others will be excited to see you again."

"Sure! I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't miss the ol' crew."

"Great! Let's go then!" I commanded, channeling energy into my horn. Within seconds, we were on our way to Equestria...

Author's Notes:

Reuploaded and revised, yet incomplete as of now.

Humble Beginnings!

As per usual, Twi and I had transported to the inside of her library home, where we were greeted by her #1 assistant, Spike. He seemed to be busy reorganizing a section of books before we showed up, as he was standing atop a ladder with a book in hand.

“Hey, Twi. Long time, no see, Ty.” The young purple-and-green dragon greeted.

“Good afternoon, Spike.”

“What up? How you an’ everybody else been?” we greeted back.

“I’ve been alright. The others are good too. Oh! That reminds me: Applejack stopped by looking for you, Twilight. I think she said something about needing a helping hoof on the farm.”

“Oh? How long ago did she come here?”

“Hmm, I’d say about a couple minutes or so before you guys showed up. She mentioned that she looked for Rainbow, but she’s been a little busier than she used to be because of her Wonderbolts training. The others are doing their own things as well.”

“Oh, that’s no good. But… I don’t think I could help her at the moment…”

“Why not?” I asked in confusion.

“Because I’m in…” she hesitated. “…need to get some studying done.”

“Hm… well, in that case, I could go help ‘er while you do that.”

“You could? That would be wonderful!” Twilight exclaimed, much to my surprise.

“Uh… sure. Lemme jus’ get properly suited up for the occasion,” I uneasily said.

“Do you want me to change you myself? Or should I just give you a magic sample before you complete the spell yourself?”

“Hmm… I think I’ll go with the latter option. For the sake of makin’ sure I got it down right.”

“Alright. Here goes…” With that, Twilight’s horn took on its usual magenta glow and in a second, she hit me with a spray of energy. Then, I stretched, took a deep breath, stood straight up, closed my eyes, and focused. During one of my previous visits to Equestria a month or so ago, Princess Celestia had informed me that she, with the help of a few high-level unicorns, managed to discover a prototype magic transference spell she said was based on the natural ability of a type of organism in this world called a Changeling; the ability to shape-shift. She let me know that the spell was only in its early testing phase, saying something along the lines of this:

“With this, you should have the ability to change into a pony much like Twilight has done for you in the past. It works in that I or any unicorn with enough power lends you a small amount of magic energy. From there, you will need to focus intensely, shutting out all forms of distraction as you mentally convert your physical form from that of a human to that of a stallion. Once you are able to successfully maintain one hundred percent concentration, the transformation should happen within a timeframe of a few seconds.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this type of spell, however: One, the amount of time you will be able to sustain your transformation relies on how much magic energy resides within you. You should understand that since you are not a unicorn, the energy in you only stays temporarily, as you are unable to generate natural magic energy on your own. Simply undergoing the transformation would considerably drain the already-diminutive amount of magic being lent to you at the moment. The more energy you have, the longer the transformation will last. Two, once the magic in you has run out, which there unfortunately isn’t any sort of limit counter for, you will instantaneously change back to your true form.

Be VERY careful in your travels around Equestria if you opt to use this spell instead of the one Twilight invented. One good thing I should mention is that the more you practice, the less time and energy-consuming it should be.”

Since then, I haven’t had much too time to practice utilizing this spell, but I’ve had enough that I didn’t strain too hard trying to transform (thanks to a certain SOMEONE, whose name will be withheld, making me do it over and over again at least forty times every time I came here, then another twenty for good measure.) I’d have to thank her for all the practice, though. The first few times we tried this, I’d wind up losing focus and only transforming parts of me rather than my entire body. Those failures were NOT pretty… Nonetheless, I was able to achieve the level of concentration I needed this time. Within seconds, I began to glow a luminescent white before I felt the warm, tingly sensation of the magic altering my form into that of an equine, shrinking me, and eventually giving me all of the qualities I had since the first time I was changed. The light around me dissipated, revealing me in pony form once again.

“Hey, something’s missing this time…” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah… no puffy mane,” Twilight added. “Or rather, it’s there but much shorter than normal.”

“Is that so?” I asked, raising a hoof to feel my head. Indeed, my afro-mane was much smaller. I guessed that hair length was consistent between forms, considering this was the first time I’d been transformed at all since getting a haircut. “Alright then. I guess I’ll take note o’ that. But I should prolly go out an’ look for Applejack now.”

“She should most likely be on her way back to Sweet Apple Acres. But before you go…” the unicorn charged up her horn before touching it with my forehead. Instantly, I felt a rush of warmth course through my being. “There. Your supply should last you a good day or so, by my prediction.”

“Okey doke, then. Thank you. Whelp, time fo’ me t’ be hittin’ the ol’ dusty trail…” With that, I leaned in to give Twilight a quick kiss goodbye before I turned to head out of the library.

“See you when you come back!”

“Later, bro!” Spike called.

“See y’all later. Have a good day!” I called back before I was out the door and headed to Sweet Apple Acres.

I saw Ty out of the library, on his way to go and help Applejack with whatever it was she needed help with on the farm. As soon as he was out of sight, I closed the door and promptly face hoofed, groaning loudly as I did so.

“What’s wrong, Twi?”

“Nothing, Spike. I’m fine.”

“I dunno. You seem like something’s up. What’s on your mind?”

“My gosh, am I THAT easy to read?”

“Well… It has to do with… love and a whole bunch of mushy stuff you wouldn’t want to hear,” I reasoned, hoping to coerce Spike to drop the issue.

“I’m all ears if you need me, Twi.”

“*sigh* of COURSE you are…”

“That’s sweet of you, Spike, but really. I’d rather deal with this on my own or when Ty comes back.”

“What’s so bad that I can’t hear it, but he can?”

“Spike… It really isn’t that important,” I implored, already feeling substantially more irritable than usual. “I just need some time alone to think things through. Just leave it be.”

“Alright alright, fine. But just a heads-up: I’m here if you need me.”

“Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading upstairs…” With that, I hurried up the stairs and into my room, almost slamming the door before I unceremoniously flopped onto my bed, filled to the brim with a sudden case of anxiety.

“Maybe now I can use this time to think about how to tell Ty that I—!”

*bang bang bang*

“…can get up and scream at the simpleton knocking so loudly at the door!”

“I got it, Twilight!” I heard Spike call, instantly relieving me from the sudden, unwarranted feeling of anger I gained. Listening to the conversation, it sounded like Applejack came back looking for me. Spike informed her that Ty was on his way to Sweet Apple Acres to help her out, but she insisted on talking to me. Sullenly, I dragged myself off of the bed and trudged out of the room and down the stairs to meet my orange Earth pony friend at the door.

“Howdy, Twi!” the orange mare known as Applejack greeted brightly.

“Good afternoon, Applejack,” I replied, hiding my frustration behind a toothy grin.

“I was just wonderin’ if y’all could lend a helpin’ hoof Apple buckin’ down at Sweet Apple Acres. I understand Ty’s on ‘is way there now, but I could use a little bit more help if’in yer up to it.”

“As much as I’d love to, Applejack, I… I can’t.”

“Well why not? Y’all ain’t comin’ down with anythin’, are ya?”

“Kind of…”

“What’s the matter? Feather flu? Ponypox? Food poisonin’?”

“*cough* estrus *cough*” I tried to conceal my ordeal with an oh-so cleverly hidden message so as not to alarm Spike.

“Eh… Pardon?”

“I said… *cough* estrus *cough*”

“Didn’t quite catch that. Run that by me again?” I was losing my patience, and quickly. But still, I didn’t want my little assistant knowing about this, so I thought up another way to inform Applejack of my ailment.

“*sigh* Smell me,” I uncomfortably, yet brazenly suggested in a whisper.

“What?”

“Smell me,” I repeated more sternly, rasping this time.

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

“Alrighty then…” she uneasily replied, shooting me a look of perplexity before leaning in to obtain a small olfactory sample of my aroma. I could tell by the way she yanked her head back, looking at me in a poorly hidden sense of shock, that she got the message.

“Twi… yer in heat?”

“Yes, but keep your voice down…!” I whispered, suddenly feeling a little flustered. “I don’t want Spike to know. But you see why I can’t help you. Especially not when Ty’s on his way there… That and I don’t want to cause any problems involving Big Macintosh…”

“Did ya tell Ty when ya brought ‘im here…?”

“No… I was going to… but… I couldn’t.”

“Why not…?”

“I don’t know… It’s… It’s complicated, alright…? I’ll fill you in later, but you should probably go and catch up to him. And whatever you do… do NOT mention a word to him about my condition unless I say so, okay…?”

“You have my word, Twi…”

“Good. Now go…! Catch up to him…!”

“Gotcha…” With that, A.J. was off towards her farm looking for Ty, which gave me time to go back up to my room and contemplate my situation…

I was in the middle of Ponyville, trekking my way towards the farm. As far as I could see, no significant changes had taken place since I’d been here last. The same medieval-looking buildings, the same ponies going about their routine, et cetera, et cetera. I began to wonder if anything different happened with anyone other than Twi and her friends. Speaking of Twi… I wondered why she seemed so… out of sorts all of a sudden. She was all over me when she teleported to me. But then when I questioned her on it, she turned defensive and petulant. The part that bothered me the most was that question she asked me… about how I felt about our relationship. I mean, she should’ve known by now that I’m as comfortable with her as she is with me. But then… what if she WASN’T comfortable? What if she was starting to have doubts? What if she wasn’t happy with me? I shook my head at that thought, dismissing it as silly for the fact that we were together long enough to dispel feelings of discomfort or despondency. As I lost myself in my train of thought, my gaze met with the ground while I walked. I stayed that way indefinitely.

*bump*

“Oops! My bad…” I apologized as I shook off my lack of awareness.

“No no, that was my fault. I should’ve watched where I was going,” the stranger responded before turning her gaze from the ground to me. I had clumsily walked into a unicorn mare with a coat color of a vibrant minty green. Her eyes were golden like the setting sun. Her hair was a spiky mix of a very similar minty green to her coat mixed with white. “Hey… you look familiar. You come around here often?” she asked.

“Not quite. I’m usually only here on occasion. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve seen you around hanging with that blue pegasus mare a few times… Rainbow Dash, I think her name is?”

“Yea. She’s a—!”

“Lemme guess: you’re dating her?” the mare asked, cocking an eyebrow and smirking.

“Hm. Some things never change…”

“What?? No! Not at all!”

“Then why do you two always play-fight when the opportunity arises?”

“Tha’ss just somethin’ we do every once in a while. I consider her a rival of sorts, even though she beats the mess outta me most o’ the time…” At that, this strange mare giggled.

“Ha, I’ve seen how you two wrestle; especially this one time a while back where you threw a pie on her. You guys get almost as rough as me and my friend Bon Bon.” I was taken aback by her remark, but intrigued at the same time. I was unaware that she watched Rainbow and me fight that one time I was giving her dating advice. I could only wonder if she was the only one to see that little showdown or not.

“Well ain’t that somethin’…? Heh heh, wha’ss ya name?”

“Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings. How about yourself?”

“Ponder Memoir. And for the record, I’m actually involved with a unicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle.” Lyra gasped in what appeared to be pleasant surprise.

“Ohh, so YOU’RE the one everypony keeps calling ‘Ty!’”

“Ha, yep.”

“Lemme tell ya: That mare is TIGHT with royalty. I was at her brother’s crazy wedding as a bridesmaid. Did you know she’s related to royalty?”

“Ya don’t say?” I said, feigning surprise.

“Yeah! Her brother Shining Armor is a Captain in Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard. He got hitched to a Princess named Cadence a little while ago.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah. As I said, I was a bridesmaid there. Although I don’t quite remember it being the most… pleasant experience. Hay, I hardly remember anything that went on that day… other than Cadence being a bit grumpier than she normally is… must’ve been wedding jitters or something…” she quizzically scratched her head. “Anyway, I bet that’s hard to believe, right? I’m actually good friends with Cadence and a casual acquaintance of Twilight’s.”

“There you are! Ty!” I heard someone call from behind me. I turned around to see Applejack headed my way. She galloped towards me posthaste, stopping beside me. “I heard y’all were on yer way t’ help me on the farm?”

“Yes. Yes I am. Shall we be goin’ then?”

“You betcha. We’re runnin’ behind schedule as we dillydally, so let’s git a move on, sugar cube!”

“Alright. Pleasure meetin’ you, Lyra!”

“Likewise, Ponder! If it’s okay, we should hang around sometime! Look me up! And if you’d like, you could bring Twilight. Make it a sort of double date!” she suggested.

“I’mma keep that in mind. Will do. See ya ‘round!” I said, waving as Lyra parted ways with me and Applejack.

“Bye!” she called back, waving a hoof and smiling. With that, Applejack and I proceeded to Sweet Apple Acres. On the way there, I noticed the orange Earth pony looking at me and grinning with this weird look on her face like she knew something that I didn’t. To be perfectly honest, I found it kind of irksome. At the same time, however, I wondered why she was looking at me like that…

“What’re you lookin’ at? Is there somethin’ on my face?”

“No, not at all, lover boy…” I was instantly flustered by her remark. ‘Lover boy?’

“What? You mean me talkin’ t’ Lyra? Applejack, you KNOW I wouldn’t do that to Twi. Ever.”

“Oh, I know. But that ain’t what I’m talkin’ about…” she winked at me. I went from flushed to confused in an instant.

“Then… what ARE you talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Oh, nothin’. Let’s just say a certain somepony is fittin’ t’ get a VERY special gift…” That served only to confuse me more.

“Mind elaboratin’?”

“Nope.”

“Oh okay. Go ahead then. Elaborate.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Pardon?”

“You said you don’t mind elaboratin’. So tell me. What are you talkin’ about?” she smirked at me.

“Nice try smart aleck, but yer fancy little mind tricks ain’t gonna work on me. Y’all know exactly what that ‘nope’ meant.”

“Bummer. You got me red-hoofed. Now tell me what you’re on about.”

“Nuh-uh. I already said too much…” she snickered. “Anyhow, here we are,” she said as we arrived at the entrance to her family’s homestead. Applejack was quick to lead me into one of the vast fields of apple trees where there were already buckets lined up under them. “Now Ty. Do y’all know even the slightest bitta info on apple buckin’?”

“Can’t say I do, Jackie.” She gave me a look of noticeable annoyance at me calling her that.

“Now Rainbow mighta warmed up to ya callin’ ‘er ‘Dashie,’ but I ain’t one t’ be quite as tolerant on nicknames ‘sides from A.J... Got it, pardner?”

“Y-yes ma’am.”

“Good. Anyway, c’mere.” I trotted over to the tree she was standing next to. “Turn around.” I turned around so that my tail end was facing said tree. “Now, what you’ll need t’ do here is plant yer front legs firm int’ the ground. Then, ya push yer back legs off the ground an’ wind up. Once yer ready, slam yer back legs int’ the trunk o’ this here tree as hard as y’all can. Got it?”

“I… guess so. Couldja gimme a demonstration though? So I know for sure what the technique is?”

“I s’pose I could do that. But I’m only gonna show ya once. We got a lotta work t’ do.” With that, she trotted over towards the nearest tree demonstrated her technique by doing exactly what she told me to do. With a mighty blast of her legs into the tree’s sturdy trunk, she managed to knock every apple out of the tree and into the baskets below. Now I’ve seen her do this time and time again, but she amazed me every time.

“Alright… I think I can see it. Quick question, though...”

"Yes?"

"Where's your brother? Doesn't he usually help you? Also, I don't think I've actually formally met the guy yet."

"Big Mac's workin' on the East field. We're on the South one. 'Sides, he ain't much for meetin' new faces anyhow. He's kinda shy..."

"Is that right? I've seen him before. Seems like a big guy. What would he need t' be shy for?"

"That's just how he's always been. You'd be lucky t' get more than a 'howdy, eeyup, or nope' out of him. But let's save that meetin' for another time. We got work t' do..."

"Roger that." With that, I prepared to buck my first tree. I made absolutely sure that I followed her motions as closely as possible. I pushed my forelegs into the ground. I bent and stretched a few times to maintain balance. Then, in one seemingly-fluent motion, I sprung my back legs off the ground, cocked them forward, and kicked the tree as hard as I could. To my disappointment, however, only a few apples came plummeting into the baskets below.

“Not bad for yer first try, Ty! Most ponies don’t even get one apple the first time. But yer form needs work. Try again.” I nodded without saying a word, and tried again.

*Thump*

Again, only a couple of the tree’s fruit fell in.

“Alright, I see where the problem lies…” Applejack informed. “Yer not puttin’ per whole body into it. It takes more than just yer back legs t’ get the job done. Like…” she trailed off as she moved to a different tree. “So!” she shouted as she gave the tree a mighty kick, once again knocking all the apples into the baskets below. “I’ll get the rest o’ the apples on that tree in a jiff. Move ont’ the next one.” I obeyed the orange mare and moved to a tree adjacent to the one I was practicing on, eager to show my strength.

“Okay… plant fore hooves, spring back hooves, wind-up, and— usin’ my ENTIRE BODY— release! Okay, I got this…” With a newly thought-up formula for this unusual, mystical art called apple buckin’, I tried again. I was ready this time. I was going to make A.J. proud. I was ready to take on this entire forest of apple trees and make them bend to my will… in short; they were going to be my BITCHES! Once I was motivated enough, I went through the preparation motions and … I reared up like I’d never reared up before. I cocked my back legs as far forward as I could, ready to do some damage… and then, throwing my whole body into it, I unleashed my fury upon that tree like it stole something from me… or at least, like it was going to steal something from me; which it did… my pride.

*SMACK* “AAAGH! Fuck!” I’d lost my balance in the excitement of proving my macho-ness to Applejack. In losing balance on my front hooves, my back ones lost their coordination and scraped off of the sides of the tree trunk, where my vulnerable pelvic bone (amongst some other vital body parts) were left wide open to meet a terrible fate at the hands of that tree.

"Owww!! Way t' go, dumbass! You know how sensitive I am!"

I fell over on the ground, writhing in absolute screaming agony (of course, being mindful enough to muffle my shouts of torment by clenching my teeth) as I brought my forelegs to the offended area. Ironically, the tree had given at least a couple fruit, which I’d taken as me hitting the tree really hard. I thought for a brief second during the aftermath of my horrible accident how it was possible for it to hurt so much as it did when my reproductive organs were seemingly hidden from view. Applejack quickly took notice and rushed over, looking very concerned.

“What in tarnation happened??”

“My… my fruit have been damaged…” I strained, trying to keep it subtle as I was hunched over on the ground in the fetal position. Naively, Applejack peered into the nearby baskets, clearly not understanding the admittedly egregious euphemism.

“Ah’ont see nothin’ wrong with those app…” she trailed off as she studied my cringing, agonized form, specifically at where I was holding myself. She didn’t even TRY to hold back her raucous laughter. “Now THAT’S a whole new first in apple buckin’! Those were the wrong apples, sugar cube…” she said through her laughter, VERY much to my chagrin. Jeez, how insensitive…

“Tee… nrgh…! hee…”

“*AHEM* I’m sorry. Ya should be a mite more careful, though. I’m pretty sure Twi wouldn’t appreciate it if—!” she hesitated, immediately stopping herself from saying whatever it was she was about to say to make this silly pucker face like she’d eaten a lemon.

“She… wouldn’t appreciate it if I what?” I quizzically asked as I steadily recovered. The pain had steadily sifted up into my stomach, making me feel a bit queasy for the moment.

“If… er… If’in you… hurt yourself too badly.” Already, I could tell she wasn’t telling me everything.

“Applejack, do I… look gullible t’ you?” I kind of regretted saying that, seeing as I moved to sit on my haunches, still cringing and holding my abdomen.

“Well… ‘gullible’ wouldn’t be quite the right word for it…” she admitted with a titter.

“Eh heh heh heh,” I falsely laughed with a contemptuous fake smirk. “What was you really about t’ say?”

“I already said it, pardner. She wouldn’t like it if y’all got hurt. That’s all.”

“That is bullcrap an’ you know it. You wouldn’t-a froze up an’ puckered up if tha’ss what you was really gonna say…”

“Well hardy hoof-clippin’s to ya if y’all don’t believe me. That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ by it,” she stubbornly contested as she turned her head away.

“God, how hardheaded can somebody be over a simple fib?”

“Now I reckon y’all should pick yerself up an’ get back t’ work,” she ordered. “We’ve been screwin’ around fer too long now.” Before I could get a word in edgewise, she marched her country self off to one of the nearby apple trees and continued her buckin’. I decided to do the same, figuring that if I was going to get any answers out of her, I was going to have to work for them…

Eventually, we finished as the sun disappeared over the horizon, being replaced by the moon. However, Applejack REFUSED to budge on what she meant with that little remark she made when I hurt myself. She always did seem the stubborn one, but this was a special case of her obstinacy. I just gave up and slaved through the rest of the odd job with her. By the time we were done, all four of my legs were shakier than a bowl of Jello during an earthquake. They may as well have been made of the stuff too, because I could hardly stand, much less walk. I said my goodbyes to the mare before staggering my way back to the library like a drunk…

Celestia’s brilliant, radiant sun had gone down, being replaced by Luna’s luminescent moon, which happened to be full and shining brightly as the stars sparkled and glimmered in the night sky. I spent the entire afternoon contemplating ways to tell him that I was in estrus and almost none of the scenarios I’d imagined seemed suitable. I paced around my bedroom for hours on end, taking breaks only to stare out of the window like a lost puppy as if one of the princesses or the air was going to give me a legitimate answer. I was wracking my heat-addled brain trying to figure out some way to tell him… The longer I pondered it, the more stressed out I’d become, frazzling my mane and giving myself a migraine to go alongside these… yearning feelings I’d been battling since this accursed heat cycle began.

Admittedly, telling him wasn’t my biggest concern despite it being in a close second. My most problematic concern was my anticipation of his reaction. I was unreasonably afraid of what he would say or do. The mere thought of it sent butterflies swarming through my stomach as I meditated…

“What if I just flat-out told him? Would he be okay? Would he be startled? He’d probably never want to see me again after scaring him like that… Or what if I kind of beat around the bush, dropping subtle clues as to what’s going on with me? Would he get the message? Or wouldn’t he? And who’s to say he wouldn’t be alarmed if he did? Even if he DID want to keep being with me after conveying the news, who’s to say things wouldn’t get uncomfortable in the case that he didn’t want to help me…? What if I had somepony else tell him for me? No, that wouldn’t work at all. If I did that, then he would likely perceive me as some kind of coward who’s afraid to convey her feelings to her own colt-friend...”

The excruciating stress inexplicably made me want to cry… so that’s what I did. I wept quietly, burying my pitiful face in my fore hooves as I sat on the bed facing the window. My anxious emotions largely got the better of me. I needed some way to vent my towering frustration over my uncertainty and apprehension, and crying was the only way I could let it out…

“Twilight? Are you alright?” asked my number one assistant as he entered the room. I couldn’t say yes. My face was soaking in my own optic fluid and I’d been whimpering and sniffling like a foal. I wiped the tears from my eyes, although fresh ones were forming in their place, and I turned to him.

“No, Spike… as a matter of fact, I’m not…” I sadly admitted. Spike was quick to make his way towards me, climbing up onto the bed and hugging me. He was such a sweet little dragon…

“I’m here for you. What’s wrong?”

“Well… um…” Expectantly, I had trouble configuring my thoughts into words. But I, with commendable mettle, managed to voice my concerns. “It… has to do with Ty…”

“What? Did he do something to you??” the dragon asked in alarm. “Because if he did, I’ll—!”

“No, not at all…” I interrupted, not wanting to cause any feelings of enmity. “It’s more of something I’m… afraid to do to him…”

“Oh… what are you afraid of doing to him?”

“Making him… mad at me…”

“Mad at you? I don’t see how he could be angry with you. He didn’t seem angry when you arrived here with him…”

“Y-you’re *sniffle* right. That wasn’t a good choice of words. I… I mean I don’t want him to… be afraid of me or uncomfortable with me…”

“What could make him uncomfortable with you…? Is it because he’s an alien?” I shot him the strongest glare I could muster through my tears. He knew how much I hated it when he called Ty an alien. “Oh! I-I mean uh… a human? While you’re a pony?” he corrected himself.

“Kind of… but… that’s only part of the predicament…”

“Oh… well I thought you two would be fine with the whole human-pony thing by now. It’s been almost a year.”

“We ARE okay on that…”

“…Twi, you’re not making a whole lot of sense right now. You’re afraid of making him mad or uncomfortable because of the species difference, but you’re comfortable enough that you don’t have to worry about it?” He had a point. I was only talking him in circles while he was trying to help me sort out my feelings. So I tried my best to rationalize my problem with an analogy of sorts.

“I’m sorry… It’s like this: You know how much Rainbow Dash loves flying? Or how Pinkie Pie loves sweets and partying?”

“Yeah…?”

“Okay. Well imagine if either of them… went through a period in time in which they wanted-- no, NEEDED to do those respective things more than they normally would for their own good. But at the same time, they can’t because hypothetically, Rainbow is injured and has to wait for the weather ponies to clear out a really bad thunderstorm. Or in Pinkie’s case, she needs to spend a week without eating so much as a strudel or attending or throwing a single party because she needs to better control her eating habits and learn how to focus on her duties as the clerk at the bakery…”

“I… I’m not following,” he admitted, to my aggravation.

“Okay, let’s just say I’m in a period of time where I need Ty… like, REALLY need him… but at the same time, I neither know how nor when to tell him. I also don't know what to expect when I tell him how much I need him or what exactly I need him for…”

“Oh. That’s all?” Spike asked. I guess I should’ve expected such naiveté out of someone so young… “You two have been great together. Whatever you need him for, I’m sure he’ll come around to it, no matter how unusual it might be. You wouldn’t be together if he didn’t understand you and your wants and needs, would you?” While his advice wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for, his words did have merit. I mean, for Ty and I to be together this long, he’d HAVE to understand me, thereby being more likely to help in a time of need. Of course, there was still the problem of telling him exactly what I needed. However, Spike’s advice gave me some leeway, lifting some burden off my shoulders.

“… You’re right… Thank you, Spike…” I lovingly nuzzled the adorable little guy and kissed him on the forehead. He returned the gesture by rubbing my back, which surprisingly didn’t cause me to flinch or spasm involuntarily.

“I’m always here, Twi… *yawn*” I took the yawn as a signal to release him from my embrace. “Well I’m gonna hit the hay. Owloysius is finishing the rest of the reorganizing… G’night.” Spike climbed into his basket-bed, got comfortable and in almost an instant, was out cold.

“Sweet dreams, Spike…” I whispered before letting out a yawn. I was just about ready to take a trip to the realm of dreams myself before I heard a knock at the door, followed by Owloysius’s hooting. I immediately knew who it was and made my way downstairs quickly, yet quietly. I opened the door to be greeted with a very exhausted looking Ty. “Well good evening!” I greeted with a smile.

“Hey, honeybun…” he greeted back, seeming to be entirely woozy. He staggered in as if he’d been dizzy on the way back from the farm.

“How was your time with Applejack?” I asked as I led him through the library and up the stairs.

“Miserably fun…” he mused, to my confusion. “I was NOT aware of how much work went int’ apple buckin’… My body wasn’t ready… Buuut, A.J.’s an entertainer.”

“Yeah, she and her family are working that hard on a daily basis, combing apple trees across the fields of their homestead by way of bucking them off.”

“Have you ever tried that?” he asked as we entered the bedroom. We trotted to my bed, where the two of us got comfortable lying juxtaposed to one another.

“Nope, can’t say I have,” I answered with a small chuckle. “Whenever I help, I just use my magic.”

“Is that right…? How come you couldn’t come with me, then?” I was almost struck with nervousness before I thought up a suitable reply on the spot.

“…A.J. says it’s a nice advantage when I use magic, but she also said that it takes away the quality of a hard day’s work. In fact, this is probably the first time she’s ever tried asking me alone for help.”

“I see… not sure why she didn’t jus’ ask you t’ use ya magic today, though… before we started, she was complainin’ about bein’ behind schedule. But i’ss whatever. How were you all afternoon?”

“Oh, I just spent time studying. You know, the usual… astrophysics, friendship, chemistry, trigonometric arithmetic, algorithm, magic, and the like. But… I’ve also been thinking…”

“About what?” I was just about ready to tell him right then and there. But I wanted to be patient.

“You see… there’s… something I need to… t-to share with you.” I stuttered.

“Oh no, my nerves are getting in the way already!”

“Wha’ss up?” he asked with an audible yawn.

“Well… um… I…”

“Just spit it out!”

“I’m in heat,” I blurted, scrunching my eyes shut. “I’ve started my estrus cycle yesterday, and I was wondering if you could help me. I mean, I know that this isn’t the most conventional way to inform you of this, but I’ve spent the last two days trying to figure out a way to tell you and it’s REALLY been stressing me out, but I’ve been mindful of any possible feelings you may have in terms of moving our relationship to such a level. So can you help me?” I took a deep breath after my short bout of rambling to hear his reply. I got no response. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I was terrified that I’d shocked him into a comatose state or something… until I heard light snoring coming from him.

“Unbelievable! He fell asleep before he could hear me out!” I supposed I couldn’t blame him, though. Applejack’s work does have a tendency to really take its toll on anypony not used to it.

“*gasp* Wuh…!” he grunted, suddenly waking up. “Oh, I am SO so sorry, Twi… A.J. really drained me with all that work she made me do… Group that up with no rest-up time at my REAL job an’ runnin’ on about five hours or so o’ sleep… not a good combo. What’d you say? Somethin’ about heat?” I sighed dejectedly. Any sense of resolve I’d managed to conjure up had dissipated, leaving me unable to repeat myself.

“I’ll… tell you tomorrow,” I told him, swallowing the statement with a grain of salt as I turned towards him to notice him blearily looking back at me, smiling. My goodness, was he cute…

“I’mma definitely be up at attention for ya in the morning… Night, Twi…”

“Good night, Ty…” With that, we shared a small, quiet kiss before snuggling close together, wrapping one another up in our forelegs. He fell asleep long before I did and I felt myself getting a bit warm as we cuddled. These… strange feelings of sensual desire I was harboring towards him were growing. I needed to get this off of my chest immediately, while at the same time delivering the news in a calm, orderly manner... or at least in some way that wouldn't likely startle the daylights out of him. Still, having him here to hold me gave me some miniature sense of ease. I took a deep, shaky breath as I nuzzled into him, getting comfortable myself and drifting off to sleep…

Approach...

“Ty… Ty… Dude…” I was half-asleep, but someone was trying to wake me up. Rather than do so, I turned around and lethargically swatted away at the offender. “Wake up!”

*Slap*

“Ow! What the…!?” I sprang to life with a mix of annoyance and confusion, holding my cheek. I looked around to see that there was no sign of the unicorn I’d remembered sleeping next to the night before. Instead, I was greeted with the sight of a small purple dragon standing on the bed beside me. “Good mornin’, Spike…” I wearily greeted with a strong, lengthy yawn.

“Morning? It’s like eleven o’clock. You overslept,” he informed, to my shock.

“What?? Eleven? Aw damn…” I grumbled, wiping my eyes and stretching. “Where’s Twilight at?”

“She left a little while ago. She had a few errands to run around town. She’ll likely be done sometime this afternoon.”

“Oh great… I remember her sayin’ she had somethin’ t’ tell me, too…”

“Oh! About that…” Spike trailed off before pounding his chest a couple times to force a burp in my face. Oh god, his breath was RANCID! He spat out some green flames and out came a scroll that wasn’t wrapped with an official seal. “Twi told me to give you this…”

“What is it?” I asked as he handed me the letter.

“I’m not sure. I never took the time to look at it.”

“Hm… Alright then, le’ss find out…” I opened the letter to read its contents:

Ty,

If you’re reading this, then that means you’re FINALLY awake. Sorry I couldn’t be there to welcome the morning alongside you, but Mayor Mare needed some assistance with some minor touch-ups around town. I don’t quite know how long I’ll be, but if it isn’t too much to ask, could you please stay at the library until I get back? A peculiar request, I know, but there’s something I need to discuss with you, and it’s imperative that we do so as soon as we can.

Hugs & Kisses,

Twi

P.S. I gave you a small boost in magic for you to maintain your form throughout today.
P.P.S. Happy Nine Month Anniversary!

“Ineterestin’…”

“What’d it say?”

“She wants me t’ stay here until she gets back. Whatever it is she wants t’ tell me, it must be important…”

“Probably… well in any case, I’m goin’ out.”

“Wait, what? Where??”

“Hanging out with my friends Snips and Snails. I was waiting until you woke up to go and see them in town. And since you’re up…”

“Hol’ up!” I demanded, stopping the dragon in his tracks as he tried to bolt out of the bedroom door. “What about the library? Don’t you have some organizin’ or cleanin’ or somethin’ to do?”

“Took care of that last night while you were with A.J. So while there isn’t anything urgently keeping me here… Have fun!”

"WAIT!"

"What?"

"Brush ya teeth first. Ya breath smells like old cheese mixed with dirty sock sweat..."

"What??" he asked in offense. "It can't be THAT bad, could it...?" He cupped a hand around his mouth and blew into it before taking a sniff. I could tell that he got the message when he scrunched up his face in disgust. "Ugh... good call." With that, Spike zoomed out of the room to brush his teeth (which suspiciously took him under a minute) before dashing out of the bedroom door, leaving me all by my lonesome.

“*sigh* Fantastic… I get to sit here all alone… Might as well clean myself up…” I got up out of the bed to stretch my aching legs that still hurt from the workout I got from apple buckin’. I staggered and wobbled towards the shower room, wincing, grunting, and groaning in despair on every step. It felt like Applejack had bucked me in the legs as practice before we started. I cleaned myself up, made sure to fix Twilight’s bed as orderly as I possibly could, and exited the bedroom, only to be greeted with my new worst enemy… stairs.

“Aw, this is gonna hurt…” With that, I began my Trail of Tears down the stairs, stumbling a couple times before quickly grabbing hold of the wall with a foreleg to keep my balance. Slowly and painstakingly, I successfully traveled down to the library area of the tree house. Seeing as I’d be sitting here doing next to nothing, I figured I’d browse the archives of this place to see if I could find something interesting to kill time reading. This library expectantly had books of all kinds of genres, from fiction, textbooks, and novels, to spell books, instruction guides, and documentaries… with a bunch more topics on a wide scale. Eventually, I decided on a Daring Do book. If somepony like Rainbow could get into them, I figured I could, too. So I picked the first one in the series, The Quest for the Sapphire Stone, settled down near where I picked the book out, and delved into the text…

*Knock knock knock*

…Or, I was about to. Fighting through pain to get back up, I shelved the book in its rightful place before going to answer the door.

“Oh! Um… hi, Ty…” greeted the visitor, hiding her face behind her mane.

“Well hello, Fluttershy. Wha’ss up?”

“I… was just looking for Twilight. I needed her help taking care of some of my animals. But it’s okay if she’s not here… I’ll just go ask somepony else… unless you’d like to help…?” I was torn… she was giving me such an adorable, pleading look, but Twilight specifically asked me to stay put.

“Well gee, I’d love to… but Twilight wanted me to stay here until she got back.”

“Oh… well I-I promise not to keep you for too long… all I need you to do is help me feed some of them… Please?” Again, one of those submissively adorable looks of hers. I’d feel like a total jerk to say no to such a face…

“*sigh*… fine… but this had better be quick!” I gave in.

“Oh, thank you so much! I promise you won’t be there longer than maybe a half hour.”

“Yea… plus, I don’t think I’ve been t’ your house before. I see it as a good opportunity t’ go an’ have a look.”

“Yes… my house is nice. It’s on the outskirts of Ponyville, near the Everfree Forest. Should we go now?”

“Yea…” with that, I made sure to double check to see that everything in the library was in order before leaving Twilight a note in the case that I didn’t get back in time. I closed the door behind me to go and accompany the buttery-yellow pegasus…

Later…

As Fluttershy and I had traveled through the town on the way to her house, I noticed that she’d been largely silent, yet casting nervous sideways glances at me as I limped and staggered along, trying my best to ignore the pain from Applejack’s chore. I figured she still wasn’t quite used to me yet. So I tried to start a conversation with her.

“Nice day we’re havin’, huh?”

“Huh?” she practically shouted in alarm, seeming to have been snapped out of a daydream. “O-oh, yes… um… very nice. The weather ponies did a good job today…”

“Yep… so… how’ve you been?”

“I’ve been… good. How about you?”

“Could be better… but I can’t really complain…”

“I-if you don’t mind me asking… is there something wrong? You seem… hurt.”

“Jus’ a li’l bit sore from helpin' Applejack last night.”

“Oh, dear! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in pain…”

“It don’t hurt too much… I jus—!”

“Here, let me help you…”

“Fluttershy, really. I—!” Before I could finish my sentence, the worried mare hoisted my foreleg up, causing me to grunt in agony.

“Oh! S-sorry. I’ll be gentle. But if I’d have known you were in so much pain, I’d have just found somepony else…” she stated as she rested my leg around her neck.

“I’ss fine, really. Besides, we’re friends. What are friends for?” I smiled at her. She smiled back. “Now le’ss go feed some animals, shall we?”

“Yes…” with that, Fluttershy allowed me to use her as a sort of crutch all the way out to her home, which was much farther away than I’d anticipated.

“You smell nice, by the way…” I complimented, taking a small whiff of the air around us to invite the enticing scent into my nose. “…Like strawberries…”

“Oh! My… Um… thank you… y-y-you smell nice too… like um… like… something nice…” she quietly rambled. I chuckled at her ingenious comparison of my aroma and ‘something nice.’ She let out a short, uneasy-sounding giggle. We’d eventually come to a single, solitary cottage that graced the surrounding area very well. The pathway leading to it featured a small bridge built over a small river. The house itself almost looked like a giant bush with how leafy the exterior looked, with the exception of the walls, which appeared to have been made of the same material that the average Ponyville home was made of. In addition, the door was visible and so were all the windows. There were miniature birdhouses surrounding the building itself, as well as a nest or two in the trees looming nearby, as a few more birdhouses in some of the other trees. The area surrounding the house was rich in forestation and healthily populated with flowers. As we approached, a whole slew of various animals came to greet us, all of them smiling warmly at their caretaker.

“Wow… your house is amazing…” I commented, breath taken by the serenity of the naturalistic theme of the cottage and the area around it. It was almost as if someone had planted the cottage there and it simply sprung out of the ground as is, fitting seamlessly into the landscape.

“Thank you…” she modestly responded as we arrived at her doorstep. She lowered her head, allowing me to painstakingly remove my foreleg and place it on the ground. I looked at her to see that she was looking down at the ground, seeming to be very nervous.

“No problem… Thank you for practically carryin’ me here.”

“Y-you’re… welcome…”

“…Hey, is there somethin’ wrong? You don’t look very comfortable…”

“Oh. No, I’m fine…”

“Can you look me in the eye an’ say that?” I joked with a smirk, somewhat amused by her shyness. To my surprise, however, she actually showed signs of extreme hesitation when she tried looking at me. She finally brought it in herself to do so after a couple of minutes, but the look on her face shocked me even more. She was… blushing. Very unusual... She shot me a somber, apologetic look, which I took as her possibly being very uncomfortable with me being here. “Hey… are you… sure you want me here? You don’t seem l—!”

“Yes!” she hastily interrupted before gaining her composure. “I mean… I’m just… a little worried about how Angel Bunny will feel about you…” I was skeptical about her response. If she was so worried about what her pet rabbit would think of me, why would it suddenly be so hard for her to look me in the eye? I shook my head and put the thought off as we entered the cottage. The interior was beautiful. It had such a humble, comfy setup about it that seemed to make all who entered feel at home. “Excuse me for a moment while I go and get the food…” with that, she trotted ahead and made a turn into a different room, leaving me to observe the abode. I paced around for a couple of minutes before I felt something land on my back. I craned my head around to see a small, white rabbit eyeing me up like I was about to steal something.

“Eh… what’s up, doc?” I asked. The rabbit remained silent as he meticulously paced up and down my back like he was looking for clues of some sort. Afterwards, it jumped onto my head and looked me in the eye from an upside-down perspective. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I stood perfectly still. The rabbit finally jumped off of me and onto the floor, where it turned to face me, offering its paw up for what I could guess was some sort of shake.

“What the hell? Is this rabbit her guard dog or somethin’?”

“How… do you do?” I uneasily asked as I placed my hoof in the rabbit’s paw. At that moment, Fluttershy came back into the room carrying a few large bags of various animal feeds and a set of bowls of various colors and sizes.

“I see you’ve met Angel Bunny…” she said, smiling lightly.

“I er… suppose I did,” I answered as I watched the rabbit bound over to its keeper and nuzzle into her leg.

“Aww… Momma missed you, too… I know you’re hungry, but so are a lot of our friends today. Ty… could you please come here?”

“Yes?”

“Can you fill these bowls up with food depending on the sizes and colors of them?”

“Of course. Jus’ lemme know which type o’ feed goes int’ which bowl.”

“The red bowls are to be filled with these feeds…” she instructed as she pointed towards two of the bags; they featured pictures of furry animals, which I interpreted as those bags being for mammals. “The green bowls are to be filled with this feed…” the next two bags she pointed to had pictures of lizards on them. I guessed those were for reptiles and possibly amphibians. “…And the blue bowls are to be filled with this feed…” the last bag she pointed to showed a picture of a bird on it. “Once we’re done, I’ll need you to set up the bowls accordingly around this room.”

“Okey doke. How do you want it?”

“Small mammals eat together on that side of the room while the larger ones eat on that side of the room,” she began. “The smaller mammals, with a few exceptions, are herbivorous, while a good percentage of the larger ones are carnivorous. There is also a fair share of omnivores, but those are very rare amongst all the critters and creatures that live here with me. The green bowls will be set up over there by that corner, but not too close to the wall over there. The animals eating from these bowls will need their space, much like the others. Their eating habits are about the same as the mammals, but the sizes of their bowls are much more relative in terms of consistency. The blue bowls, you don’t have to worry about. Those are for the birds, and I can deliver their food to the birdhouses outside. That isn’t too much to handle… is it?”

“Uh… nope,” I assured, although not feeling all that sure myself. There was quite a bit of specific instruction when it came to feeding these animals. I was already worried about screwing up and feeding a plant-based meal to a carnivore or vice versa.

“Okay… While you’re filling the bowls, I um… kind of need to run to the store and get the ingredients for a special salad sundae for my little Angel Bunny here...”

“Wait, what?? Why didn’t we just go an’ pick that stuff up before we came here??”

“The animals here were waiting long enough as it is when I went out looking for one of the others to help me. I promise I won’t be long. If you’re having trouble, then Angel Bunny will be here to help you…” Rather than argue with her, I let out a defeated sigh before nodding. I figured I might as well get this done as soon as possible so I could return to the library in time for Twilight and I to have this apparently-urgent discussion.

“…fine…”

“Oh thank you, Ty!” the now-elated yellow mare said as she wrapped me up in a surprisingly strong hug. I did my best to return it, despite my aching legs. “I’m really sorry to make you do this on such short notice, but I’ll make it up to you… I promise.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout payback. All you need t’ worry about is gettin’ back here soon enough. I don’t wanna mess anything up while you’re away…”

“Are you sure? I mean I could pay you… or maybe teach you how to take care of your own pet if you ever decided to get one… or maybe we could um… hang out or something…?”

“No payback necessary, Ms. Shy. Although I wouldn’t mind spendin’ some time with you… but we’re wastin’ time at this point. Go getcha recipe,” I told her as I let her go. She took a bit longer than I expected to let go of me, but didn’t need me to remind her. She was out the door in a flash, leaving me to perform the odd job with the assistance of her pet rabbit.

“I am not lookin’ forward t’ this…” I looked at the rabbit to see it eyeing me up like it did when we first met, although much more scrupulously. I gave a look of perplexity at the small creature, basically asking it why it was staring me down the way it was. It shrugged nonchalantly before pointing towards the bags and bowls, signaling for me to get cracking on the task at hand. I wordlessly nodded, moving to get started. I have to say, it certainly was odd communicating with a rabbit that didn’t speak without saying very much myself. I thought little of it, however, and just accepted it as I worked on distributing the food…

Even Later...

By the time I was done filling the bowls up, Fluttershy had returned, groceries in hoof. She set the bags down to inspect my progress.

“Very good! The bowls are filled almost exactly like how I would fill them,” Fluttershy congratulated.

“Yeah… I prolly woulda messed up big time if it wasn’t for your bunny friend here…” I said, gesturing towards the rabbit lounging on the sofa with a newspaper in its admittedly-adorable little paws. It raised its foreleg to form a sort of thumbs-up before continuing its reading… I didn’t even bother to question how a rabbit could be literate to the point of being able to read, or how it acted very much like a human being minus the ability to speak.

“Good, good… I’ll be in the kitchen making Angel Bunny’s lunch. Would you like anything?” the kindly mare considerately asked as she picked her grocery bags back up.

“Sure… quick question, though; I thought Angel Bunny ate with the rest of the animals. Why is it gettin’ a specific meal?”

“Normally he would, but he’s been so helpful around the house lately that I decided it would be nice to treat him.”

“So it’s a boy, huh? Honestly, I wouldn’t-a guessed that, given the name…”

“What would you like to eat, Ty?”

“I honestly don’t know… you know me, bein’ from a different world an’ all, I dunno what types o’ meals are fit for a pony here. Surprise me?”

“Okay. I’ll be right back, then.” With that statement, she trotted into the kitchen to fix lunch for Angel Bunny and me. I took the initiative to try my hoof at distributing the bowls as evenly as I possibly could.

“Bigger red bowls to one corner except for a couple, smaller red bowls to another corner except for a couple… green bowls in that corner, but not too close to the walls… but still separate from each other based on size… Jeez, why can’t they jus’ be organized by color instead o’ this?”

There were quite a lot of bowls to set up and even amongst the red bowls, I could only use my sense of judgment to distribute them accordingly. The only other way I was able to accurately place the bowls was by looking at the types of food in them, but even that didn’t help much. The green bowls were even harder. They were almost all the same size, and they were all going in one corner. I still guessed that I’d need to separate plant-food bowls from meat-food bowls, and something else, and…

“D’ahh screw this…! I’m losin’ my patience…” I just set the bowls down wherever, but still made sure they were at least separated by color.

“Done already??” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

“Yyyyep,” I responded while feeling at least a little unsure about the bowl placement.

“Good! Your lunch is on the kitchen table next to Angel Bunny’s. I’ll join you right after I let the others know that it’s lunch time and feed the birds…”

“Mm-hmm, take ya time,” I excused her as I walked into the kitchen, which was surprisingly set up very much like one in a human home. There was a sink, a stove, a fridge, and a table with four chairs set up on each side of it. I took notice of the food. Three large bowls; one filled with some ridiculously extravagant-looking salad sundae with lettuce towering far past the brim, decorated with some miscellaneous features, and complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top. The other two bowls shared the same meal; salads that contained various fruits and berries and at a much more reasonable size than the sundae. As I entered the kitchen, I felt something bounce off of the top of my head and spring towards the seat with the sundae in front of it. It was Angel Bunny, looking ravenous as he drooled all over the table, licking his lips as he anticipated the very moment he would tear into that sundae like it would be the last he’d ever have.

“Somebody’s hungry…” I jokingly mumbled as I took my seat to get a closer look at the delectable meal gracing my vision. A short time later, Fluttershy reentered the kitchen wearing a bright smile as she trotted in to take her seat.

“Sorry to keep you waiting… you can eat now, if you'd like,” she permitted.

“Alright! Here we—!” I was interrupted as I heard a buzz saw sound coming from Angel Bunny as he literally turned into his own rendition of Taz the Tasmanian Devil, devouring his salad from top to bottom in less than five seconds. Once his vicious feasting had come to an abrupt end, he lay down in the now-empty bowl, stomach full to bursting as he let out a small burp. He then yawned and stretched before getting up and bouncing slowly out of the room. I could only assume two things: One, that rabbit had a VERY large appetite. And Two, he got a case of ‘The Itis’ after he was done. “…well then…”

“He tends to do that when he’s really hungry…” Fluttershy informed with a small, cute little giggle.

“I see… in any case, how’ve you been?” I asked as I dug into the salad.

“I’ve been… good. How about you?” she asked as she did the same.

“Good, good… Y’know, I really haven’t seen much o’ you since that Hearth’s Warming party a while back…”

“O-oh! Um…” she took a look of shock, her cheeks already turning a bright pink. “…y-yes. It’s been a while, huh?” she let out a nervous titter.

“Yea… I know I said we’d never talk about that again, but I hafta ask… were you okay after that prank Rainbow pulled on us? I mean… did you talk t’ her about it?”

“Y-yes. She said she was sorry. She didn’t m-mean to make me feel… uncomfortable…”

“Tha’ss good. Uh… I still wanna clarify though; the kiss. I’m sorry if I shocked you or anything. I understand if you felt uneasy around me… or if you still feel un—!”

“No, no, it’s okay. I wasn’t avoiding you if that’s what you’re implying. You only did it to follow tradition. I-it was just that I didn’t expect you to do it… You see, I’ve… never been… um… kissed before… not like that, anyway…” she admitted almost in a whisper, to my surprise.

“Really?? Oh wow… Now I feel really bad… Your first time is supposed to be special… and I ruined it for you…”

“No, you didn’t ruin it,” she countered. “It was nice… I… liked it…” Again, I was taken by surprise.

“Oh! Um… well now… I don’t know what t’ say…” I felt my face heat up a little as I suddenly lost my appetite halfway through the delicious fruit salad.

“*gasp* Oh, I’m sorry! I… I mean, I liked it as… a friendly gesture. I-I know you didn’t mean it like that… oh my…” she was blushing hard and began fidgeting with her mane, pulling it over one of her large, enticing turquoise eyes. She pulled gently on her long, pink hair as she turned sideways in her chair, glancing back at me with a look of fear.

“Er… it’s okay. I understand what you mean. It was purely platonic. Nothin’ more. Right?”

“Y-yes…” the kitchen fell awkwardly silent as the air around us seemed to get thinner.

“…well, thanks for lunch, Fluttershy. I think I should get goin’, though…” I uneasily said to break the silence as I got up and picked up my bowl.

“N-no, wait. Let me get that for y— WHOA!” she said, offering to take both of our dishes before she tripped. I was quick to set the bowl down before moving to catch her, having to endure the sporadic pain in my legs to do so. The pegasus mare was slow to recover, but stopped once she looked me in the eyes as I held her in my forelegs. Those eyes of hers… they were such a rich, vibrant, glimmering ocean of greenish-blue… seeming to convey thoughts and feelings she’d dare not speak aloud… She stared into my very being, seeming to be captivated by something as the timidity on her face melted away, being replaced with a look of… endearing curiosity I’d only ever seen on the face of a certain purple unicorn mare… At that instant, a huge red flag raised in my head.

“This would PROBABLY be a good time to G.T.F.O… NOW!”

“*Ahem* well… I should probably get goin’ now,” I nervously stated as I helped the mare back on her hooves. “Again, thanks for the food an’ it was a pleasure helpin’ you. But I should prolly go back an’ see Twi now. Bye!” I rambled as I hurriedly left the kitchen and burst out the front door, presumably leaving behind a hurt, confused Fluttershy. I felt a wave of guilt and worry overcome me, for a number of reasons…

“Aw man… I hope she doesn’t feel what I think she’s feelin’… I mean… maybe she was just happy I didn’t let her fall… but then… she’s been sendin’ signals since she saw me! The look she gave me when she brought me here… the hug that lasted a little too long before she went t’ the store… that little incident in the kitchen… Oh boy… First Twilight wantin’ t’ talk about somethin’ important that I have NO clue about, now this… could this shit possibly get any worse?” While I was mentally rambling, I lost a great deal of awareness as I entered town. I wound up bumping into somepony yet again.

“Oh, sorry. Excuse me.”

“On the contrary… You’re just the pony I’ve been looking for…” the stranger said, much to my intrigue. It was a unicorn stallion a bit shorter than I was. He had a coat of beige and a long, somewhat spiky mane and tail that were colored black. His eyes were a menacing shade of red and I noticed he had a goatee and was wearing a pair of glasses when he turned to look at me. I noticed that his flank had featured a picture of a six-pointed star that looked much like Twilight’s, but minus the five other stars surrounding it or the white star underneath. Instead, this pony’s Cutie mark was a six-pointed star that was colored the same blood red as his eyes.

“Is that right…?” I asked. “Well tha’ss great an’ all, but I’m in kind of a hurry. Maybe some other time when I’m not so busy,” I said, stepping past him. I didn’t get more than a couple of feet before I walked into a wall of magic, colored a deep purple. I turned around, annoyed that this guy was intent on keeping me here for whatever reason. I noticed that he had company, however. Suddenly standing beside him was a unicorn mare, a bright cerulean in coat color. Her hair was a wavy shade of a light purple, styled similarly to Applejack’s if the farm pony were to ever remove her hair ties. Her eyes were sea foam green and angled menacingly at me as she bowed her head. Her horn was glowing in the same shade of purple as the arcane wall I’d walked into. "Seriously? I need t' go. I don't have time t' talk."

“I’m afraid I can’t let you slip my grasp just yet…” the stallion spoke. “There’s something about you… that is… unfamiliar, compared to other ponies I’ve observed around these parts… and I intend to find out what. Now, I’ll give you a choice. Either come quietly, or be dragged against your will back to my refuge in the Everfree.” I could tell this guy and his friend were going to be trouble, and I wanted no part of it.

“How’s about you let me go before you start pissin' me off?” I boldly stated, bracing myself as I approached. He smirked.

“Dragged back to my refuge it is, then! Comet Gazer. If you please…?”

“Gladly…” the mare complied as her horn took on a deep purple glow once again. She shot a blast at my hooves, which I jumped away from.

“Okay, somebody’s askin’ for it…!” I angrily said as I lowered my head and in an instant, charged at the stallion. I got in close and threw a punch.

*SLAM* Just inches away from his face, a shield of gray magic materialized, blocking the attack.

“Oh, how delightful. You actually think you’re going to make it out of here,” he taunted as I lowered my hoof. “An Earth pony taking on two unicorns? You hardly stand a chance. I suggest you come with us without quarrel.” Instead of answering, I threw another quick punch.

*THUMP* I managed to catch him off-guard as he stumbled back, holding his snout. I also saw his glasses hit the ground, one of the lenses cracked.

"So much for not hittin' a guy with glasses..."

“You’ll pay dearly for that…” He disdainfully spat. “Comet! Subdue him!” The mare nodded before charging her horn up again. Just as I was about to move, I felt a sudden tingling around my hooves. I couldn’t move, no matter how hard I struggled to do so. I looked down to see that my hooves were encased in a shroud of silver, indicating that the stallion, despite holding his injured snout, had cast a spell on me that immobilized me.

*ZAP* “DAAAAAAAGH!” I felt a vicious flurry of stings and pains course through me as I writhed and twisted in torment. It was so similar to being electrically shocked all over my entire body at such a rapid rate that I could hardly stand the pain. After a few seconds, everything went completely numb as I collapsed on the ground, my vision blurring as I trembled on the ground. I moved to get one last look at my assailants, who looked down at me in triumph.

“You… You won’t… get away… with this…!” I strained, feeling weak to the point of passing out. “Whatever it is… you’re doin’…!”

“We’ll see about that… Ponder Memoir…” with that, another agonizing shock was administered to me and before I knew it, everything went black…

Disappearance!

“Ty! I’m back!” I called as I entered into the library. I didn’t get an answer. “Tyyyy! Hello?” Still no answer…

“He must still be asleep… I couldn’t imagine toiling with A.J. taking THAT much out of him, though…” With that thought, I walked up the stairs into my bedroom to find it devoid of any life. I noticed that the bed had been made, meaning that he had to have woken up at this point…

“Tyshawn! Hey, are you here?” Still no answer… I was beginning to feel a little worried that he’d left. But then, I specifically instructed Spike to give him that letter as soon as he was awake. Could he have forgotten? I trotted back down to the library, contemplating where he could’ve gone… That is, until I noticed a sheet of parchment set on my reading desk. Curious, I enveloped it with magic and brought it to my sight:

Twi,

If you’re reading this, then I didn’t make it back home in time. I got your letter from Spike, but went to Fluttershy’s house to help her feed her animals real quick. According to her, I shouldn’t be long. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Love,

Ty

P.S. Nine months!? We should celebrate!

“*sigh* Darn it…!” I was annoyed that he disobeyed me, but I suppose I couldn’t blame him for helping out a friend. In any case, if Fluttershy’s is where he was headed, then maybe he was still there. Not wasting another moment, I cast a teleportation spell on myself to make the trip quick…

*POOF* I’d arrived in the vicinity of the cottage, taking note of all of her animals frolicking in the area. I couldn’t help but crack a smile at how cute they were, but I needed to talk to Fluttershy. I trotted up to the doorstep and knocked.

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy, are you home? I need to talk to you!” I waited a few seconds that seemed to go by incredibly slowly before the door was finally answered. However, what I was greeted with shocked me.

“H-hi… *sniffle* Twilight…” my pegasus friend greeted, her face soaked with tears. She’d been crying for some reason.

“Fluttershy? What’s wrong?”

“Oh… n-nothing… please, come in…” I obliged as I followed the surprisingly-saddened yellow mare into her home. We sat down on her sofa, where Angel Bunny leapt beside her to console the poor girl.

“Why are you crying?” I asked in urgent concern.

“It’s… nothing, really…”

“…Are you sure it’s nothing?” I skeptically asked again, feeling more worried that she couldn't be honest with me.

“No… actually, there is something wrong…”

“Well? What is it? Whatever’s bothering you, I can help you…”

“Okay… but… can you promise not to be mad at me…?”

“Mad…? How could I possibly be mad at you, Fluttershy?” she gained my undivided attention with that simple implication of me developing any negative feelings directed towards her.

“Because… because…” she hesitated and whimpered. I assumed whatever she was trying to tell me was really bothering her…

“Fluttershy…” I rubbed her back with a hoof. “Please… you can tell me anything. We’re best friends, right?”

“Y-yes…” she looked at me and smiled. Almost immediately, however, the smile faded into a look of guilt as she refocused her gaze to the ground… “It’s just…" She took a deep breath before responded. "I think I like Ty in that kind of way that you like him but I know he’s your special somepony so I was really nervous when he offered to help me but I let him come along even though he said he was still in pain from helping Applejack and he did a really good job but then I invited him to have lunch with me and we talked and then I tripped and he caught me and I scared him off because I’m dumb and ugly and I’m really really sorry...” the grieving pegasus took a very deep breath after she finished her distraught rambling while burying her face into the palms of her hooves and letting free a new wave of tears.

I wasn’t sure how to feel. She LIKED Ty? The way I liked him? She had lunch with him? And scared him off? A large part of me wanted to be highly upset with her… but I trusted both her and Ty enough to at least gather more information on the incident before drawing a definitive conclusion. Another part of me felt worried… for both of them, considering how Fluttershy mentioned scaring him off…

“Oh… wow… well… first off: You’re not dumb OR ugly. You’re one of the prettiest, most kindhearted mares in all of Equestria. And who knows how to take care of wildlife better than you do? You HAVE to be smart to do that, right?”

“Yes… *sniffle*”

“Yeah, see? You have nothing to worry about in terms of your looks or intelligence. Don't beat yourself up for Ty running away. It wasn't your fault. If anything... he was... probably scared of how pretty you are..."

"But I'm sure he thinks I'M prettier...!"

"Whoa, where'd that come from? Ah, it doesn't matter... I need to focus..."

"If… you don’t mind me asking… how… long have you… had this crush?” I shuddered with contempt and disdain asking that question. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being with somepony else. He was mine and mine alone.

“Since… the Hearth’s Warming party… when you and Rainbow tricked us into standing under the mistletoe…” I mentally kicked myself for that… I should’ve known that would come back to bite me somehow… It’s a good thing I Pinkie Promised not to pull any tricks like that off again…

“Oh… and… when he was here, did you or he say or do anything out of the ordinary?” I just HAD to make sure nothing happened between them…

"Because if something did happen, so help me Celestia…!"

"Okay, seriously. Focus! I'm sure NOTHING unusual would happen between those two..."

“No… he was a gentlecolt the entire time… It was… my fault that he left… we were talking about what happened at the party, and then I accidentally told him I liked it when… he… kissed me…” I cringed hearing that.

"Ugh, is THAT all it takes for a stallion to win your affection, Fluttershy? Come on!"

"Stop it! She's a sensitive girl. I'd probably like it too if I were single and somepony were that chivalrous towards me after being pranked..." I reserved myself… After all, that incident WAS partially my fault…

“…but then he got really uncomfortable with me… he got up to take his bowl to the sink… I tried to stop him, but I tripped. He… he put the bowl down to catch me… and then… um…”

“And then… what?” I was trying my best to keep calm, thinking that the worst had happened. The anxiety in me was boiling, and there was very little I could do to keep it from showing. I felt my brow involuntarily furrow, my left eye twitching as I narrowed my gaze at my friend. I could tell she noticed, because she gave me a look of fright.

"Oh, I'd better not hear a WORD of what she's about to say that I dislike...! Because I swear on Luna's bright white Moon if I do, I'll--"

"*Eep!* A-And then he helped me back up and ran away from me. That’s all, Twilight, I swear! I’m sorry! Please please PLEASE don’t be mad at me or him! I promise!” she begged as she cowered in fear. I was completely confident that she’d never have it in her to lie to me; even IF it were to spare my feelings. So, I calmed down for the most part by taking a deep breath.

"Oh, okay. Whew, that was a close one... Ty, you dodged an arrow... a BIG one, I might add..."

“It’s alright… It’s alright…” I informed as I simmered down. “I know I can trust you two not to do anything I wouldn’t like… right?”

“Yes, of course! We would never do anything to hurt you, Twi! I mean, you remember that song he sang when you two first started dating… Never going to… to give you up or hurt you or… make you cry or make you dessert or something…” I let out a chuckle at Fluttershy’s mix-up of the song he sang to me a while back, but I was more so relieved that I really WAS able to trust them… even if Fluttershy DID have a crush on him… “…and I wouldn’t even DREAM of taking somepony special away from somepony else… especially if they’re my friend…”

“Good, good… I’m sorry if I came across as a little hasty or insensitive…”

“Oh, no… it’s okay. I-I don't blame you for worrying about your colt-friend... I’d probably do the same thing if we were in each other’s horseshoes…”

“Really?”

“Well… no.” We shared a tension-easing laugh.

“I didn’t think so… say, did you see where he went when he left here? He hasn’t come back to the library and I thought he might still have been lingering around here…”

“No… I haven’t seen him since he left… I couldn’t imagine where he went. He seemed to be really eager to go back to the library, now that I think of it.”

“Odd…” I pondered where he could possibly have gone if he wasn’t on his way directly back to the library. “Maybe he could’ve gotten sidetracked… You think maybe Rainbow has seen him? I’m not sure if you’d noticed by now, but the two of them seem to enjoy sporadic bouts of roughhousing…”

“I… suppose so. Maybe she even managed to ambush him on his way back…?”

“Probable… if it isn’t too much trouble, could you come along with me?”

“Sure thing.” With that, Fluttershy and I were off to find Rainbow…

Later…

“Nah, sorry. Haven’t seen the big lummox all day,” the rainbow-haired mare informed as she was busy busting clouds. Once she finished, she landed in front of us. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, he was supposed to be at the library, but…” I began.

“I asked him to help me feed my animals. We were wondering if you’d seen or maybe beat him up on his way back…” Fluttershy finished.

“Trust me, if I’d have seen him, I’d have let him have it..." She chuckled. "...I'd probably be carrying him back to the library after I was done with him... But yeah, I haven’t seen him around at all,” Rainbow Dash informed, much to my dismay.

“…Have you at least seen Spike?” I asked.

“Yeah. He’s with those two airheads, Snips and Snails. I think they were headed towards the shopping center. Something about needing carnations from Roseluck…”

“Roseluck…? What could they possibly…?” I wondered. But then I decided to drop it, thinking that maybe they were up to just another harebrained scheme. “*sigh* well then… I’m not really sure where he could’ve gone. There aren’t many places he’d be likely to visit around town… I mean… there’s the Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, Sugar Cube Corner, Town Hall, the spa, the shopping plaza… Hmm… where would he be most likely to visit?”

“My guess would be most likely Sugar Cube Corner. If not there, then maybe Applejack’s place,” Rainbow theorized. “I can’t really see him going to Rarity or Mayor Mare for anything. He doesn’t have any money as far as I know, so there’s no way he’s at the shopping center or the spa…”

“…You’re right. I’ll go and check Sugar Cube Corner. Fluttershy, can you go and check at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Yes,” she simply answered with a nod.

“Rainbow, if you’re not too busy, can you keep an eye out for him?”

“Jeez, Twilight. It’s not like he’s in some kind of danger or something, is he? I mean, he hasn’t been gone too long, has he?”

“No, but I—!”

“Then why organize a search team so suddenly? What, are you afraid he’s gonna vanish off the face of Equestria or something if you don’t see him for more than a couple hours?” She giggled at me, much to my dismay.

“Ugh, will you help me or not!?” I blurted in a sudden sense of frustration I honestly didn’t expect. I looked at Rainbow to see that she’d been offended. “I’m sorry Rainbow… It’s just that I’ve been under a lot of stress lately… I really need to find him… Can you please help me?”

“…Okay. I’ll make sure to keep my eyes peeled,” she replied with a comprehendible tone of uncertainty.

“Thank you. Let’s not spend time dillydallying. Let’s move out, girls,” I commanded.

“Yes, ma’am!” the two pegasi agreed, saluting before we were off in our separate directions, on the search for my colt-friend…

“Ugh… wha… where am I…?” I groggily asked as I came to. “Agh, my head feels like I got smacked with a fuckin’ brick…” I attempted to move a fore hoof to massage my temple, but found it impossible. In fact, I could only move my back legs while my forelegs felt bound to my sides. I blinked a few times before looking around. I noticed that I was suspended in midair with a long, thick strand of vine binding me tightly. I appeared to be in the middle of a dark, dank forest with no signs of life aside from what looked like a tent with some camping supplies near it.

“What the hell?? How’d I wind up like this?”

“Hey! Somebody out there? I could use some help!” I called in hopes of attracting the attention of somepony nearby after a short bout of futile struggling to break free.

“I’ll be there momentarily, my friend!” I heard a voice call. At first I was relieved to hear that I wasn’t alone. But then… something about the sound of the stranger’s voice… That’s when the stallion showed his face. The beige coat, the red eyes, that smug, toothy grin…

“You! What the hell are you doin’?!” I snapped as I struggled to free myself. “Why do you have me all tied up like this?”

“Relax, Ponder… I assure you, all is well… at least, for now it is…” he snickered.

“You… know me?” I asked in shock as I stopped my struggling.

“But of course…”

“But how? I don’t remember seein’ you at ALL before… And I guarantee I’d remember somebody as shady-lookin’ as you around a place like Ponyville.”

“Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gillian. Gillian Swardson.”

“Gillian Swardson?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. That don’t sound like no pony name I ever heard of…”

“It isn’t?” he asked in shock. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Oh come on,” I remarked in skepticism. “You seriously never noticed how just about everypony has some kinda name that revolves around their talents or somethin’ about them? Like uh… um… like my name. Ponder Memoir. It circles around this Cutie Mark thing I have here,” I explained, trying my best to gesture at my flank. “A thought cloud. And what does the word ‘Ponder’ mean?”

“Yes, yes, I know about all that crap,” he informed to my surprise. Ponies don’t use words like ‘crap…’ “What I’m getting at is how you would know what a typical pony name would sound like. None of the other ponies I’ve encountered seem to care about my name. Care to explain?” He had me there…

“Damn! He walked me right int’ that one…”

“Uh… I… jus’ don’t hear names that don’t have to do with somethin’ relevant to the pony it belongs to very often. Tha’ss all.”

“Uh-huh…” he replied, seeming not to believe me. “Then why did you say it didn’t sound like a— and I quote— ‘pony name’ you’ve ever heard of?”

“Dammit, he GOT me again!” I was getting really nervous really quickly.

“Umm… I… *sigh* y’know what? No, I ain’t explainin’ myself t’ you, you kidnapper! Why do you have me all tied up in the middle o’ the woods?”

“I thought you’d never ask… You see, I’ve been in Equestria a long time… well, not that long. Maybe two or three months, tops. Truth be told, I actually spent most of my existence in this world in Saddle Arabia…”

“Whoa whoa whoa… What??”

“I said I spent most of my existence in this world—!”

“Stop. ‘In this world?’ What do you mean by that?” Gillian laughed heartily at my question.

“Look who’s playing word analyst now… Truth be told, I’m not originally of this world…”

“Not from this world… as far as I know, there aren’t really any other ‘worlds’ out there…” I said, playing dumb. I was determined to get some answers out of him. “What, are you from another planet or somethin’?”

“Oh, don’t you play coy with me. I’m from an alternate universe entirely…” His statement had me double take in realization… A pony with a name that didn’t sound pony-like, who used the word ‘crap,’ easily picked apart my words, basically tricking me into telling him that I wasn’t an average pony… No way… it couldn’t be…

“Where exactly IS Saddle Arabia?” I asked just to make sure.

“It’s far east of here. Why do you ask?” My eyes widened in complete bewilderment.

“Aw shit, son! I’ss that other human!”

“N-no reason… jus’ wonderin’…” I said in a wavering, nervous tone that betrayed my flabbergasted statement.

“I’m not entirely sure. My answer seems to have struck a chord with you… is there something you’re not telling me, Mr. Memoir?”

“Nope. Not at all. I was jus’ a li’l curious as t’ where Saddle Arabia was.”

“*sigh* I’ll let you know, I’m not one to enjoy being dicked around with… Comet?”

“Yeees, baby?” replied a feminine voice from within the tent. A second later, out came the light blue, purple-haired mare that I faintly remembered nearly killing me.

“I need… an example. Would you be a dear?”

“Of course…” With that, her horn took on a bright glow, aimed directly at me.

“Yo! Chill out, I swear I was tellin’ you the truth!” I pleaded. “I swear to… to pony-God that I wasn’t lyin’!”

“…Sweetie, hold on a second…” Gillian calmly ordered after a brief pause. The mare wordlessly complied as her horn’s dark purple glow died down. He turned his gaze to me.

“Now I’m going to word this question in a way I’m confident you’ll understand… Do I look like a bitch?” I was alarmed at his question, stifling a laugh.

“Wh-what?”

“DO I LOOK…! LIKE A BITCH!?” he shouted.

“Well… considerin’ you ambushed me an’ kidnapped me in possibly the most cowardly, underhanded way possible… yes.” I remarked.

“Ohhohohoho... A smartass, are you? I don’t appreciate smartasses. Comet!”

“With pleasure…” the mare said as she charged up her horn again. She was quick to fire a blast directed at me.

*ZAP* “AAAAAAAAA-GHA-HA-HOW!!” I screamed in agony.

“Allow me to repeat myself…” Gillian reiterated. “Do I look like a bitch?”

“No-ho-ho…ow!” I shouted, still in a lot of pain.

“Then why are you trying to fuck me like a bitch, Ponder?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talkin’ about! I didn’t do anything!”

“Yes you did! Yes! You! Did! You think you’re going to get away with lying to my face and sweeping the small details under the rug? Not to mention that little sneak attack you pulled on me when we first met?” Apparently, this guy was one for grudges. “I will tell you this… I don’t like being fucked, Ponder… Not by anypony… but my lovely, beautiful special friend here, Comet…” he trailed off as she nuzzled lovingly into him. Soon, the two decided to get a little frisky with one another as they began making out right in front of me… or below me, as I was still tied to a tree branch.

“Alright alright, save that stuff for when I don’t hafta be victimized by it. What do you want from me?”

“Finally coming around? Good… Now I’m going to be straightforward with this one… are you a human?” I wasn’t sure how to answer that. I didn’t want to play devil’s advocate and flat-out admit it, but he really had me in a tight spot. “And I DARE you to lie to me again.”

“…*sigh* yes…” I crestfallenly admitted.

“See? That wasn’t too hard, was it?” He taunted.

“Fuck you,” I spat in contempt.

“Aww, are we feeling a bit upset? Here, I’ll cheer you up by letting you in on a little secret… I’m human, too.”

“I figured as much,” I replied, shaking my head in shame.

“Did you? What tipped you off?”

“I’ve heard o’ you... back when I first got here. I almost got kicked outta here cuzza your little fuck-up over in the east. I jus’ wasn’t sure until now. How did you get out of your imprisonment? You were supposed t’ be locked up for good…”

“Oh, that? I assure you, Princess Celestia’s irksome interference with my plans for taking over Saddle Arabia and its rivaling land was the ONLY ‘fuck-up.’ But rather than bore you with details of my supposedly extensive incarceration, followed by my breakout by a few friends within the system and a subsequent escape to Equestira and meeting my wonderful Equestrian mare-friend here, I’ll just say that it was incredibly easy. All it took was a few connections and a penchant for cold, calculating contemplation and WHAMMO! Here I am, standing beside the prettiest mare I could ask for with the only other human in existence here in my clutches…”

“Grrreat… now what do you want with me?”

“Oh I’ve been watching you… not for very long, mind you, but I’ve been watching… and waiting for the opportunity to strike. I suspected that you weren’t like the other ponies in that drab little town… I mean, your accent alone just gives you away. In any case, I know you’re under some transformation spell that’s letting you maintain your form. I also know that the very pony you’re being aided by… is a pony who shows great potential… I’ve heard stories of her and her friends’ heroics… how she’s THE unicorn amongst unicorns… how she’s even the one and ONLY protégé to the Princess herself…”

“You son of a bitch!” I shouted, outraged at his implication of wanting something from Twilight. “Don’t you DARE even think about touchin’ her! I will demolish you if you do anything t’ her!” I redoubled my efforts in struggling to get free.

“Oh how droll. You of all ponies… or should I say PERSONS, are in NO place to be making threats. I assure you, I don’t plan on harming that pretty little filly you call your girlfriend. I only intend to use her to get to the Princess… You see, Celestia’s my REAL target. Let's just say I've some... unfinished business to attend to with her. And you were the key I needed to open the door to my opportunity.”

“You won’t get away!”

“You’ll do nothing to stop me, fool! In fact, you’re going to be helping me. Whatever magic resides in your body at this moment is going to bolster mine. Especially considering its source… you’ll make for a delicious supply…” with that, the unicorn stallion’s horn took on its silvery glow. Within seconds, a beam of magic energy had collided with me, sending shockwaves of agony throughout my body once again as I felt a sudden, rapid loss of energy. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t as this vampiric spell had disallowed me from even moving. A few seconds later, I began to feel familiar changes throughout my body. My hooves turning back into hands, my bones and organs restructuring and relocating themselves, my body elongating… eventually, I was forcibly returned to my human form as the magic keeping me under disguise was stolen.

“Unbelievable! So THIS is a taste of the ability of Equestria’s supposedly most powerful unicorn…”

*snap* *THUD* “D’OH!” The vine suspending me in midair had finally given way, (likely due to a possible shift in weight) sending me crashing into the muddy, swamp-like forest floor. Feeling unbelievably dizzy, tired, and under a great deal of physical despair, I managed to sit up, the vine still binding my arms to my sides. “You… suck… nrgh…!”

“Oh don’t be so glum! See it this way: You’ll die in this godforsaken, miserable forest knowing that you assisted me in making my way towards the Princess of the Sun!” Gillian excitedly stated much to my agonized chagrin. However, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at his ambition.

“You seriously think Princess Celestia of ALL ponies is gonna… be so easy to do away with…? She has protection all around… a sister just as powerful as she is… and six protectors who would… see you turned to stone on the spot if you… went through with such a… misguided attempt at revenge…”

“Are you done?” He impatiently inquired.

“Yea… yea, tha’ss all I gotta say t’ you… oh, an’ watch ya back… cuz if I find a way outta here alive… you best guaran-damn-tee I’m comin’ for you… and if I don’t… they will…!” The stallion leaned into my ear really close.

“As foolish as this may sound… I’m looking forward to it…” he whispered before backing away. In that instant, he took a mighty swing at me with his fore hoof.

*SMACK* A tsunami of pain whirled through my already-throbbing skull as I was thrown to the ground.

“Until we meet again… implying that you'll survive long enough in these woods for that to happen…” with a hearty, menacing cackle, he charged up his horn, his mare stepping beside him before the two of them disappeared in a flash along with all their stuff, leaving me stranded in the middle of an unknown landscape, beaten, wasted, and gasping for air. I wasn’t going to let fatigue and an enormous amount of bodily suffering stop me, however. I had to find my way back to Ponyville… I had to find Twilight… I had to warn her that danger had set hoof in Equestria. I pulled myself up to my bare feet and was about to begin an arduous, possibly suicidal run in no particular direction when I was approached by a mysterious figure. I was instantly convinced I was going to meet my end, but I figured that if I was going down, then I was going down without running.

"Stay...! Back...!" I warned as I braced myself as best I could for a gruesome fate before the creature spoke.

“Fear not, strange creature; I come bearing good tidings. That is, unless, in your nature, is fighting…”

Search Efforts!

“Any luck, Fluttershy?” I asked becoming increasingly worried as our search continued, so far inconclusive. It’s been at least two hours and there hasn’t been a single trace of him anywhere!

“Sorry… I looked everywhere, but I haven’t seen him at all,” the pegasus mare glumly answered.

“I don’t get it…! I checked the library six different times, I looked all over the place and even asked a whole slew of ponies if they’ve seen him… and what do I come up with? Nothing! TY! WHERE ARE YOU!!?” I shouted, although I knew that was futile. This was NOT a good day for me.

“Twilight, calm down…” Rainbow Dash advised.

“Calm down? How could I possibly calm down!?" I asked in elevated frustration. "My colt-friend’s gone missing without so much as a trace of his whereabouts, nopony knows where he could possibly have been, and none of us haven’t come up with a single lead myself! And you want me to calm down??” I snapped in distress.

“Hey! Don’t go biting my head off because he hasn’t shown up yet! It’s not my fault! What’s up with you!?” The sky blue mare shot back in offense.

“Girls… you sho—!”

“Oh, well EXCUUUUSE me for worrying about somepony I care about! What would YOU do if YOUR special somepony went missing!?”

“Girls… please don—!”

“Well I’d certainly be a bit more calm and collected about it than you’re being right now! I mean come on! He’s only been gone a couple hours and you’re treating it like he got kidnapped or something! Seriously, Twi, you have a habit of overblowing things…”

“Twilight… Rainbow… ple—!”

“Oh, like how you overblew it when you were panicking about that flight competition a few years back? Like how you overblew it when you tried stealing that Daring Do book from the hospital? Like how you overblew it when you decided to play superhero and let it go to your head? Don’t you DARE tell me I have a habit of overblowing things when you do it just as often as I do!”

“Girls… stop argu—!”

“That stuff’s got NOTHING to do with this! And you wanna compare situations of overblowing things? How about when you made at least HALF OF PONYVILLE fight over that raggedy old doll because of a letter to the Princess? Or how, during that SAME situation where I was ‘playing superhero,’ you and the others, rather than confront me on the issue, decide to disguise yourselves as the ‘Oh-So Mysterious Mare-Do-Well’ and one-up me at every tu—!”

“GIRLS!!” Fluttershy screamed, alarming both Rainbow and I. “This fighting has got to stop! This isn’t going to help us find him any sooner than if we kept trying…” She was right… I had no idea what had come over me. I’d normally never lose my temper like that. Especially not on a friend of mine… I felt just awful taking my emotions out on Rainbow… she didn’t deserve it.

“Y-you’re right…” I solemnly concurred. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash…”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, too…” she replied, rubbing the back of her head. “I… I know it must not be easy not knowing where he is… but as your friend, I’ll still help you try to find him… Besides, he can’t be too far off. It hasn’t been that long.”

“Th-thank you…” I felt a sudden wave of sorrow hit me as I nearly succumbed to the tears of guilt welling up in my eyes. “I’m really sorry… I… I’m a wreck right now… the last thing I’d want to do is upset you girls…”

“Aww, Twilight…” Fluttershy said as she hugged me. “We’ll find him… and he’ll be okay…”

“Yeah,” Rainbow added as she joined in. “I’m sure wherever he is, he’s fine…”

“Hey, is one of you three named Twilight?” asked a new voice. Fluttershy, Rainbow, and I broke the hug and turned our attention to the new voice. It was a gray pegasus mare with blond hair that resembled a style not too dissimilar from Rainbow’s. She had golden eyes that always seemed to be looking in different directions. To be quite frank, I’ve seen this mare around Ponyville VERY often. In fact, if I wasn’t mistaken, she was one of Ponyville’s mail mares. Oddly enough, however, I’d also caught numerous glimpses of her in places in which I’d assumed she didn’t have any reason being. I wasn’t sure what her name was, either. I think Rainbow used to call her “Derpy” at some point, but she mentioned getting chewed out harshly for it one time and had since refrained from calling her that.

“Yes, I’m Twilight,” I answered and stepped forward. “What can I help you with?”

“I think somepony’s in biiiig trouble and he needs your help!” she said as she leaned towards me before taking a seemingly painful faceplant. Her news made my heart sink.

“What do you mean, ‘in big trouble’? Who's in trouble? What do they need help with?” The mail mare picked herself back up, goofily stumbling back to a standing position in preparation to answer my question.

“Do you know a tall, black Earth stallion? Cloud for a Cutie Mark? Even though that doesn’t make a lot of sense… I mean… an Earth pony with a cloud for a Cutie Mark… how would he be able to work for the weather team without wings…?”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted her mumbling as her description matched the stallion I was searching for to a 'T'. “But that sounds VERY familiar... Where did you see him?”

“Umm… Oh! I saw him… walking past some houses while I was on my mail route… and then… he bumped into another pony… and then what happened…? Hmm…” Although this mysterious mare’s explanation of this pony’s whereabouts was… questionable at best, I decided to listen, as it was my only lead. “Oh yeah! The other pony had someone with him. They were both unicorns. The third pony was blue. And that pony blocked the first guy’s way with a magical wall. And then… um… the first guy was gonna sock the second one right in the face! But then he got stopped. But then he tried again and did it! And then… and then the blue pony shot him with some magic, making him go falling down on the ground, like this…”

It’s worthy of note that this eccentric mare was actually reenacting everything she claimed to have seen going down between who I could guess was Ty and these two unicorns in her story. “Then they hit him with some more magic. And then the two unicorns took him away…”

“What???” I was outright appalled at the news. Ty really DID get kidnapped?

“Okay… maybe he ISN’T fine…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Did you see where they took him? Do you know what the two unicorns looked like? How long ago did this happen??” I asked in panicked succession.

“Umm…” the mare took a second to think. “No I don’t know where they took him, one of them was tan with black hair and the other one was light blue with purple hair, and it happened maybe… an hour ago… But that’s all I know. I hope you can find him. If I wasn’t so sure you knew by now, I’d say he needs your help… I wish I could help, but I gotta get back home. Good luck!” the mare said as she took flight, slowly and erratically flying away from us.

“Hey! Derp—! I-I mean uh… Ditzy! Your house is THAT way!” Rainbow Dash advised.

“Oh yeah! Thanks, Rainbow Dash!” the gray mare said as she did a rather sloppy one hundred eighty-degree turn and soared off in that direction. Once Ditzy was out of sight, I voiced my concerns.

“Oh my gosh, that is the WORST news I could’ve EVER had delivered to me!”

“I dunno, Twi… I think Ditzy did a pretty good job of acting out what happened. I think it added to the—!”

“No, not that! The fact that Ty really DID wind up being kidnapped!”

“Oh… yeah, that stinks.”

“Yeah, and we need to get to the bottom of this right away!”

“But… how?” Fluttershy asked. “All we know is that two unicorns were likely responsible… Where do we start?”

“Hmm… I’ve got it!” I announced after a brief moment of contemplation. “I’ll cast a spell to scan areas of the town for clues regarding the use of magic. If Ditzy’s story was as accurate as I hope it was, then there should still be some traces of these unicorns’ magic resonating in the area in which the deed was done. Rainbow Dash, I’ll need you to gather up a pegasus search team to scour the town for either Ty or at least one of the unicorns Ditzy mentioned in her story.”

“Roger! But uh… a quick reminder on what they looked like?”

“Uh… I believe Ditzy said that one of them was… tan with black hair. The other one was… light blue with purple hair. Both of them unicorns."

"...I'd hate to break it to you, but... that isn't exactly a lot of info to work with. Anything more specific? Like eye color? Hairstyle? Even what their Cutie Marks looked like?"

"Hmm... Ditzy didn't mention anything beyond coat and hair colors... *sigh* Just be on the lookout for an Earth stallion that matches Ty’s description, then. But be mindful of the information about those two unicorns we were given.”

“On it!” With that, Rainbow was off to perform the task I’d given her.

“Fluttershy, do you… possibly have any animals with senses keen enough to possibly recognize a particular scent or something of the like?”

“Um… I think I do… but I don’t know if I’d be able to find something at my home with a large enough sample of him on it…”

“I see… I can’t take any chances, though. Go home as quickly as you can and bring at least one animal with viable olfactory ability and, if necessary, bring it to the library. You should be able to find at least a couple of things with a good enough sample of his aroma on it.”

“I’ll do my best!” she assured, quickly taking flight towards her home.

“Okay, now that THAT’S under way… time to investigate…” I mumbled as I enchanted my horn and began a ground search for any possible disturbances in the makeup of the landscape. “Since the library and Fluttershy’s cottage were the only definitive places he’d actually been seen around, I’ll begin by teleporting back to the vicinity of Golden Oaks to commence the scan…”

*POOF* I’d arrived, my horn still glowing as I was already in the midst of performing the scanning spell. I’d immediately caught sight of Spike on his way back, causing me to power my horn down.

“Good afternoon, Spike!” I called.

“Hey, Twi,” he simply greeted back. He didn’t seem to be in very high spirits.

“What’s wrong? Did your day not go so well?”

“You could say that…”

“What happened?”

“It’s… kind of a long story, but I’ll try to wrap it up in a nutshell… I was with Snips and Snails and they wanted to buy some flowers to impress somepony they liked. We went to the shopping center to buy a bouquet from Roseluck. Turns out they both liked the same mare… and get this; that mare… was Junebug.”

“Oh dear… what happened next?”

“The two of them got into a fight that not only ruined the bouquet, but also made me lose this really rare, really tasty, but really small triangle-shaped garnet I was carrying and planning to eat at dinnertime. It took me FOREVER to find one of those… and now it’s gone…”

“Aww…” I felt for the little dragon. I was well aware of how much he loved his jewelry. I hugged him in consolation for his loss. “Sorry, little guy. I’m sure another one will pop up somewhere.”

“Yeah, I hope so… Say, what’s for dinner tonight? I’m starving.”

“Yeah… about that… I’m kind of in the middle of something… dinner may not come tonight.”

“What?? What could possibly keep you from making dinner?”

“I have reason to believe Ty was kidnapped.” As I expected, the dragon gasped in shock.

“What?? Seriously?? Oh man, that’s not good at all!” he said before he realized something. “Wait… He should be inside. I gave him that letter telling him to stay put.”

“Yes, but obviously, that was too hard an instruction for him to follow,” I stated in annoyance; not at Spike, of course. “He went to Fluttershy’s and, according to the mailmare, he got tangled up with two currently-unknown unicorns who subdued him and dragged him off.”

“Oh. That’s horrible!”

“I know… and if I don’t get moving now, I could wind up losing my trail on possible clues as to what happened to him. It could take me all of what’s left of this afternoon before I come up with decisive evidence, too… I’m really sorry Spike, but it looks like you may be responsible for your own sustenance tonight.”

“Can I come with you, then? I mean, I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but—!”

“Thank you Spike, but as I said, I’ll probably be all day, very likely into the evening searching. Besides, I’ll need someone here to watch over the library while I’m gone. Owloysius won’t be awake for a while.”

“Aww…”

“I’m sorry… I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can. I promise. That sound good?”

“I guess so…”

“Good,” I hastily answered as I moved to quickly hug the dragon. “Now I have to get going. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?”

“Sure! Good luck!” with that, I started my scan of the area. I decided to go down the quickest route to Fluttershy’s cottage. If she’d taken into consideration that he wanted to be quick about helping her, Fluttershy would likely have taken this route. I was swift, but meticulous in scanning the ground I tread upon, not wanting to miss a single detail.

As I tread, however, I was feeling increasingly conflicted about the situation at hoof.

“None of this would’ve happened had he just stayed put like I asked him to… Serves him right for not listening to me…!”

“No… that’s not nice… He DID only leave to help Fluttershy.”

“Yeah, this is partially HER fault, too! Why couldn’t she feed her animals herself?”

“No, it’s nopony’s fault. It’s not like I strained it that I wanted him to stay home no matter what… All that matters right now is finding him… ESPECIALLY since I need to have that talk with him… Immediately…!” I occasionally caught glimpses of pegasi soaring about overhead, which was confirmation of Rainbow Dash’s successful efforts in gathering a team of pegasi to keep an eye out around the town.

After close to a half-hour of scanning, I’d finally come across a faint, fading signal of magic activity a little more than halfway between the library and the cottage. I increased the strength of my spell tenfold to get a better reading of the phenomenon. From the feel of it, there were multiple uses of low-level spells in the immediate vicinity. I couldn’t place my hoof on what exact spells were used, but the fact still remained that Ditzy’s story had irrefutable merit. Still, there were no signs of anypony being dragged away from the area, so I decided to increase the strength of my spell again. Just then, however, I was approached by Fluttershy, accompanied by a snake.

“Hi, Twilight. Any luck?” she asked. I was compelled to jump out of my fur and run as far away as possible.

“She KNOWS how much I don’t like snakes…!” I held my own and took a few deep breaths before responding.

“Y-y-yes…”

“Of ALL things! A bear, a dog, an albatross, even a rat! THEY ALL have senses of smell adequate for the job! And she chooses the snake…!”

“What did you come up with?” she asked.

“H-he didn’t get far from your house b-b-before he was t-taken…” I was trying my best not to lose my cool.

“It’s just a simple, harmless snake; at least, I HOPE it’s harmless… It IS one of Fluttershy’s, after all...” I tried to reason within myself. But just the thought of those thick, venomous fangs… that unsettling double-pronged tongue… that… HIDEOUS, irritating hissing sound they made… I SHUDDER at the thought of one of them being near me…

“*ahem!* The unicorns took him from this spot, but I’m not picking up a trail of any sort leading from here, so they must’ve teleported someplace…"

“Oh! Well maybe little Ophis here can help us…” As she said that, the green, scaly creature slithered from around her neck and onto the ground. It sporadically stuck its tongue out and hissed, licking at the ground trying to get a good sample. At first, I’d thought it had something, but after a minute or so, it turned back to the pegasus mare, scratching its head with its tail.

“…Well I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” I said, slowly backing away from the creature. “As far as I recall, snakes smell the air with their tongues, and I’m not entirely su—!” Suddenly, it perked up and looked directly at me. I was petrified with terror, trembling like the weather had instantly turned bitterly frigid. It slithered towards me at a pace I could hardly comprehend. I was so close… SO close to turning tail and running far away…

“I think he’s got something!” Fluttershy cheered, which was just barely enough to hold me in place. The creature flicked its tongue on my hoof, causing me to flinch in horror. I thought that would be the worst of it… Sadly I was mistaken. It coiled its way up my shivering leg and up my neck, finally reaching its destination at my horn. It flicked its tongue a few times on my magic appendage.

“Omygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, it’s on me! It’s so gross and scaly and slimy and it’s licking my horn and that HIDEOUS hissing noise is driving me insane! Whatever it is you’re doing, make it quick, then get OFF of me, you slithering little—!” I was ready to SCREAM in horror before it slithered its way off of me (thank Celestia!) before pointing its tail towards the Everfree forest…

“The Everfree forest?” Fluttershy and I asked in conjoined fear. I hypothesized that by getting a whiff of my horn (a torture I hope to NEVER go through again), it managed to get a sample of my magic signature. From there, it must’ve been able to better pinpoint any familiar signatures that resembled mine in the air. And if I wasn’t analyzing incorrectly, Ophis’s senses told him that our human-turned-stallion was taken into the Everfree forest… The feeling of sheer terror I was exhibiting was amplified…

There are SO many dangers in the Everfree… Plants grow by themselves, the clouds over it move on their own… and worst yet… the animals there… take care of themselves! And at THIS time of day, wherein the sun was beginning to set and be replaced by the moon, many dangerous creatures are known to come out…

“What if he’s in there all alone? Frightened, stranded, lost, and possibly injured… desperately looking for a way out… and then a Manticore… or a Cockatrice… or some Timberwolves… or even a Hydra…?”

“We need to go in there now!” I abruptly shouted, an intense wave of heart-sinking dread washing over me.

“Wh-wh-what??” objected a frightful Fluttershy. “W-we can’t! Not by ourselves…”

“If something happens to him while he’s in there, I could NEVER live it down, Fluttershy. We know what dangers lurk about in that forest. He doesn’t! I don’t know what those unicorns want with him, but if your snake is picking up traces of my magic coming from there, then I have no choice but to go in there and find out if he’s okay or not…” I, although feeling very tense and fearful, knew what I had to do. Nothing was going to deter me from doing it, either.

“…You… you’re right… but I don’t think we should go in by ourselves…”

“Well then you can go and gather the other girls. I can’t risk Ty being in danger, so if I have to, I’ll go alone.”

“B-but Twilight…! You remember the last time you went into the Everfree forest alone at night… don’t you?”

“Yeah. I was turned to stone by a Cockatrice. I have you to thank for saving me, though. And I’m a lot more prepared for the perils of walking through that place than I was back then. If anything, I’ll head straight to Zecora’s and ask her if she’d possibly seen anything out of the ordinary before we search the forest for him… there’s no time left! Go! Get Rainbow Dash, get the others, and meet me at Zecora’s hut.”

“…O-okay…” Fluttershy meekly stated before taking off, her pet snake coiled atop her mane. I didn’t wait until she was out of my line of sight before I turned around and made a mad dash towards the Everfree forest.

“I hope you’re okay… Please, PLEASE be okay…”

“Hey… thanks for your help…” I weakly said as I looked around the house I was led into. All kinds of voodoo masks, potions, and a lot of other mythical objects I’d only ever heard of existing in African culture in my world… Of course, I had to crouch and duck-walk to get inside, as my arms were still constricted by the vine.

“Thanks, you need not give to me. Who are you? What are you doing in the Everfree?” asked my rescuer as she searched a nearby drawer. It was a zebra, feminine by voice, with gold rings on her neck and forelegs. Her eyes were sharp and a lukewarm blue. She had all the looks of a zebra back on Earth, but she also had this sun-shaped swirly Cutie Mark on her flank... At least, I THINK it's a Cutie Mark... She had a thick African accent, too.

“My name is…” I hesitated.

“Is tellin’ this zebra my name safe? I suppose it doesn’t matter anyhow, as she’d probably not seen me in pony form… Besides, she did invite me int’ her house…”

“My name is Ty… I… was dragged here. By some strange, malicious ponies… they… they stole my energy… and they’re plannin' on doin' something bad t' the Princess… what's your name, by the way?” The zebra gasped in horror as she pulled out a brown vial with a cork in it.

“Oh dear. That’s quite severe! But Celestia should have nothing to fear,” she assured as she opened the vial and dripped some strange mud-colored liquid onto the vine. Almost instantly, the vine shriveled up, wilted, and then turned to dust, allowing me to finally stretch my chafed, aching arms. “And Zecora is the name that I go by. It’s quite the pleasure to meet you, Ty!”

“Heh, nice t’ meet you too, Zecora. But I’m… not so sure Celestia should be the one t’ be worried jus’ yet… they aren’t headed directly for her. They want Twi…” At that moment, I realized I had the chance to warn her before it was too late. “Twilight! I have to find my way back to Ponyville. Can you—! Agh!” I winced as I tried to get up. My head was still throbbing vigorously and various parts of my body were extremely sore, forcing me back to a sitting position.

“You are injured; you need time to rest. I know the moment is urgent, but it’s for the best. In addition, I must assure that you are not a threat. Equestria is not your land of origin, I’d bet.”

“No… I’m not originally from Equestria. I can explain the details t’ you later. But please understand that if I don’t get back and tell her now, I don’t know WHAT they’ll do to h—!”

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Who’s rapping at my door at a time so late? Excuse me for a moment while I investigate…” I took note of how this zebra mare liked to rhyme everything she spoke. Nonetheless, she trotted to the door and opened it to reveal a familiar, yet unbelievably distraught-looking face. The visitor seemed really bent out of shape. Her mane was frizzy and disheveled, her eyes were wide with what seemed to be terror, and she’d had spots of dirt along her coat. “Twilight Sparkle! How do you do? Is there any way that I can help you?”

“Good evening… Zecora… hah…” she was out of breath, seeming to have run here. “I’m sorry to bother you at a time like this, but… have you seen or heard… TY???” she instantly noticed me sitting on the floor as she walked in.

“Hey… didn’t expect t’ see you of all ponies here…” The unicorn charged at me and tackled me. I fell to the floor and hit my head, much to my dismay. Nonetheless, I welcomed the unicorn’s hug. After a few seconds, she pulled back. However, rather than seeing a face of joy, I saw one of EXTREME dissatisfaction.

*SMACK*

“OW! AAAaah…! Damn…!” I grasped my aching head in agony as the unicorn made my headache ten times worse.

“How could you have me so worried like that!?” she screamed at me, seeming to be holding back tears. “I spent ALL DAY looking for you! I told you to stay put at the library!”

“Easy now… I thought I left you that letter sayin’ where I was goin’…”

“Yeah. You went to Fluttershy’s. Speaking of which…”

*SLAP*

“OUCH! What was THAT for!?”

“Because you made Fluttershy cry, you jerk!”

“I… what?” Then I realized… Fluttershy must’ve been pretty dejected after the way I’d left her earlier… but I didn’t know how to explain myself to Twilight on that matter. I’m pretty sure she didn’t know why the poor yellow pegasus was crying. Still, I owed Fluttershy an apology. “Oh… yeah, about that… I owe her a HUGE apology… I only left her so abruptly beca—!”

“She has a crush on you.”

“I think she li—! Wait… what???”

“She likes you… or at least, in pony form, she does. But I have myself to blame for that. For that misguided Hearth’s Warming prank Rainbow and I pulled on you…”

“Ha! What goes around comes around…” I was tempted to laugh, considering that mean-spirited joke found a way to bite her in the flank, but there was something much more important at hand.

“That brings about this question… why are you in human form? I gave you enough magic to last you the next two days under the transformation.”

“Yyyyea, about that… Remember that guy Celestia told us about when she first wanted me outta here? The one in the east that tried to take over two countries at once?”

“Yeah…?”

“Well uh… he escaped from his prison and found his way here... He has this mare helpin' 'im and he stole the magic you gave me. He… he says he’s gonna get his revenge on Celestia for ruinin' his original plot…” Twilight gasped in complete and utter horror.

“WHAT??” she frantically asked as she leapt from my grasp. “No no no no no… this is bad. REALLY bad… wait a second: Who am I kidding? Celestia’s all-powerful! Plus, she’s got tons of protection surrounding her at all times! How could she possibly be in any danger?”

“Right now, she’s not… WE— specifically you— are…” Twilight gasped in shock again.

“What do you mean??”

“The reason that guy found me is because he said he was watchin’ me since he got here two or three months ago. He knew from the get-go that somethin’ was up with me. Today jus’ happened t’ be the day he chose t’ act on his suspicion. He left me stranded in the woods, but not before mentionin’ somethin’ about usin’ you t’ get to Celestia. I don’t think he accounted for our friend here rescuin’ me though…” I explained, gesturing toward the zebra, who looked completely lost. I didn’t blame her. This was a LOT of information to overhear. “Either way, I think he went somewhere else, thinkin’ of a way t’ try an’ capture you. And considerin’ he has some of your energy— and maybe a small amount o’ my own— at his disposal, it might not be a good idea takin’ him an’ his accomplice on straight-up.”

“Oh my… I… I refuse to let that happen! Whoever this scoundrel is… he won’t get away with anything he’s doing! I… WE have to make sure of that!”

*knock knock*

“I’d like to be filled in on this perilous tale. And make absolutely sure that evil does not prevail…” commented the zebra as she moved to answer the door. In came five recognizable mares: an orange Earth pony with blond, ponytailed hair and a cowgirl hat, a blue pegasus with rainbow-colored hair, a white Unicorn with dark purple, swirly hair, a pink Earth pony with hair that resembled cotton candy, and last but not least, a yellow pegasus with long, straight pink hair. As I could’ve expected, the five of them froze in collective fear and shock at the sight of me, huddling together and backing away towards the door.

"Aww shit..."

“What the heck is THAT thing??” asked Pinkie Pie in complete surprise.

“It’s enormous! And it looks so… horrifying!” added Rarity, much to my offense.

“I wouldn’t say ‘horrifying…’” Rainbow Dash countered. “It just looks like… kind of like a monkey. A really huge, mostly hairless monkey… with clothes… and no tail… huh...”

“Is this some kinda result o’ some potion you made, Zecora? I don’t reckon I’ve seen anythin’ like this thing before…” pondered Applejack.

“I… think it’s… kind of cute for how big it is…” admitted Fluttershy, to the combined shock of the other four mares.

“Why thank you, Fluttershy. Gee, at least ONE o’ you thinks I don’t look ugly…” I remarked. Again, the group stared at me, seeming to register the sound of my voice.

“H-how do you kn-know my name??” The yellow pegasus asked in total fear, petrified where she stood.

“I’mma give you a hint: Fruit Salad. As in, we ate some fruit salad together earlier today. Y’know, after I helped you with your animals.”

“F-fruit sal…” Once the bells rang in Fluttershy’s pretty little head, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates while her irises and pupils shrunk nearly to the sizes of decimal points. “TY????”

Surprises and Procedures... (Pt. 1)

“No way… I-it can’t be…” Applejack stuttered in disbelief.

"But it is," I assured matter-of-factly.

“I don’t believe you!” Pinkie accused. “There's no way YOU could be Ty! Ty is a pony!”

“Ohh, how wrong you are…”

"I'm tellin' you, Pinkie. I'ss me."

“Nuh-uh! No way! You are NOT Ty! There's no way in a million-bajillion-kazillion YEARS that you could be him!"

"Pinkie, it rea--!" Twilight tried to interject.

"Where is he and what have you done to him, imposter?!"

"He's right here, talkin' to you right now!" I raised my voice in a small, yet growing sense of agitation. All she did, however, was suspiciously eye me up like she'd suddenly become some kind of expert detective as she approached.

"There's no way I'm buying that. You’re… you’re a… some kind of alien or giant gorilla thingy with almost no fur or something!" at that, I shook my head at her rampant skepticism.

"Oh? An' why exactly would you think that?" I flatly inquired.

"Well for one thing, I know Ty was from a different world or something, but there’s no way Twilight would seriously have a special somepony outside of her own species on top of him being from another world! That wouldn't make any logical sense!" My face instantly went into a slack-jawed state of shock.

"Really? YOU of all ponies, arguin' about LOGIC??"

"What!?? Oh, come on! How are YOU gonna argue logic!? You break logical rules all the time!"

"That may be true, but Twilight told me herself why she would never do anything like date somepony who isn't a pony!"

"Huh... Now THAT'S more understandable. My only question would be why such a topic would come up in the first place in a conversation between those two... but then, I don't think I'd be very satisfied with the answer..."

"She would always go on and on and on about how it would never work and how it would make no logical sense and how neither of the two involved would be able to have foals and how they would face a lot of public trial and trivialamalation and a whole bunch of other stuff I don't remember!” I raised an eyebrow in intrigue at Pinkie's small rant.

"Well now... tha'ss a bit of a curveball..."

"That's 'tribulation,' Pinkie..." Twilight glumly corrected, thus confirming that the pink mare wasn't lying or joking herself.

"Yeah, that!" Pinkie, although jumping the gun, did have good reason to be skeptical… even if said reason WAS a bit unbelievable to me in itself. I looked over at Twilight, who could only lower her head in shame as she looked up at me, seeming to be silently asking for forgiveness.

“Well, I guess I can’t blame either of ‘em. Pinkie DID say Twilight said all that herself an' Twilight probably said somethin' along those lines before she even met me. Nothin’ t’ be upset at her about… but it DOES bring about a topic o' discussion with the unicorn later on…” With that thought, I looked back at Pinkie.

"Plus, you might sound like him, but there's nothing else that wold prove to me that you're him."

“Well believe it or not, I’m Ty,” I assured.

“Oh yeah? Prove it!” the pink mare challenged.

“And how exactly do you want me t’ do that?”

“Hmm…” she pondered for a second. “Ooh! I know! I’ll ask you a question only the REAL Ty would know the answer to… Something that no faker baker or liar liar pants on fire would know… something so specifically specific that—!”

“Well? What’s your question?” I asked, getting impatient.

“…Okay, Ty— IF you really are him, that is…” she emphasized as she practically teleported in front of me to stare pryingly into my eyes before jumping back to give me some breathing room. “What happened in Canterlot after you broke a Pinkie Promise?” At that, I smirked for a quick second before scowling as I recalled that horrific incident.

“YOU, A.J., and Dashie here beat me senseless,” I accused, pointing fingers at all three of them. “I still remember all that mess… You with the randomly appearin’ everywhere I went when I tried t’ get away from you all... A.J. puttin’ me in that awful headlock..."

"T' be fair, Ty, ya DID bite me t' get outta said headlock," reasoned the farm mare.

"Point taken. In hindsight, you DID kinda taste like apples," I joked.

"That right?" the orange mare questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea. You taste nice," I replied. I was certain that wasn't the best thing for these ponies to hear from someone they interpreted as an alien, so I was quick to correct myself. "Not t' say I'mma try an' eat you or nothin', of course..."

"Heh, wouldn't count on it, sugar cube. Especially since ya'd probably be suckin' yer food through a straw if'in ya tried." Applejack and I shared a short little chuckle at that.

"Duly noted. Now where was I... Oh yea! There was the part where Rainbow took a door t’ the face an’ gave me a black eye for it… Personally, I thought it was somewhat uncalled for an' in poor sportsmanship."

"You did a lot more than that to make me hit you, y'know," Rainbow countered. "I wouldn't have been so mad if you didn't humiliate me three separate times."

"Humiliate? Tha'ss kinda stretchin', ain't it?"

"No. You pulled some pretty dirty moves on us; me specifically. Between the hat trick, the door, and faking me out when you jumped over me..." she raised a valid point.

"I'm sure I did... Come t' think of it, I KNOW I did... Sorry. But hey, I'm sure you're all vented out by now, ain't you?"

"Definitely! And it's all thanks to all those piping hot flank-whoopings I deliver to you at your discretion," the sky blue pegasus mare quipped to my dismay, getting a few laughs out of some of the others. I deadpanned as I brought my gaze to her.

"Tch! Forget YOU, Rainbow Dash!" I comically dismissed to her amusement, despite feeling VERY tempted to grace her with a certain one-fingered gesture familiar only amongst humans. "...Oh an’ don’t think I forgot about the part where you butt-slammed on my stomach an’ threw a pie in my face after Rainbow an’ Applejack were done destroyin' me, Pinkamena…”

“WHOA, IT REALLY IS YOU!!” the pink mare finally realized.

“But… what happened t’ you???” asked a dumbfounded Applejack.

“Did… those bad ponies turn you into a monster or something?” added Fluttershy.

“No, wait…” Rainbow began, seeming to realize something. “If… if I remember it right… I’d say you were… in your 'human' form right now… right?” At that, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Zecora all gawked at Rainbow Dash and then back at me.

“Yyyep," I confirmed. "Looks like the cat’s out the bag now… I owe most o’ you an explanation. But now’s not the time.”

“He’s right,” Twilight interjected. “I’m not too sure if Fluttershy filled you in on the situation, but—!”

“We got the memo, Twi,” interrupted the farm pony. “We were told Ty was dragged out here by some nasty individuals… but… what’s all this about a ‘human form?’ I thought he was always a pony! Just from a different world.”

“Well… um…” Twilight blushed, lowering her head in what I could speculate was embarrassment. “Actually… he IS from a different universe… but uh… yeah, he was never… actually a pony. THIS is his true form…”

“Ohh…” Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy collectively droned.

“But… why did you have to hide it? And for so long?” asked Pinkie. “I mean, I think it’s amazing how you could find a special somepony in a different world! Even if you did say yourself at one point that you didn’t approve of a pony going into a relationship with a non-pony and he isn’t a pony and looks like a giant, freaky monster.”

“Hey…!” I complained.

“Oopsie! I mean… uh… a giant, really adorable, er... handsome-looking monster!” she corrected herself with a toothy smile that just oozed her discomfort as the room went momentarily silent.

"...I'll take it for what it's worth..."

“And I for one congratulate you on ignoring the barriers between your builds in the name of love,” Rarity praised.

“Hmph. Says the one who thinks I look ‘horrifying…’” I flatly remarked. At that, the white unicorn’s cheeks turned pink as she covered her mouth with a hoof, her eyes shifting about nervously.

“Yes, well um… I… didn’t quite mean it like that… I meant er… horrifying as in… intimidating. In terms of looks, minus all the icky Everfree Forest muck sullying your outfit… you’re still uh… pretty dapper,” she said with an equally uneasy, toothy grin.

"Nice that they're tryin' t' be open-minded, but it don't take a genius t' pick up the awkward feelings lingerin' around here..."

“Hm. Nice save. But i’ss okay. I know you all mus’ feel some level o’ disgust or contempt or fear or somethin’ because I’m not a pony like you all are…” I somberly assumed.

“No! Not at all, actually,” Fluttershy countered. “I mean… it IS kind of surprising to find out like this… but even if you’re not a pony, we still know who you are…” as she said that, she slowly, carefully approached me. I could see the apprehension in her eyes and her mannerisms, but I knew she meant well.

“Aww, come ‘ere…” I reached towards her. She expectantly flinched, but after a second, she shakily lifted her hoof and let it fall meekly into my open hand. I was considerate in that I very slowly wrapped my fingers around it before gently dragging her in for a hug. I heard her squeal in surprise as I wrapped her up in my arms. I placed one of my hands on the back of her neck and softly ran it down. My hand brushed past her wing as each of my digits caressed her svelte, velvety, canary yellow body.

“*GASP* Oh… my… that feels wonderful…” she dreamily whispered as she threw her forelegs around my neck.

“See? I’m just as nice as a human as I am as a pony, no?” I asked in curiosity as I stroked my friend a few more times, hoping I'd re-earned her trust.

“Y… Ye… mm-hmm…” Fluttershy nuzzled into me, seeming to be warming up in more ways than one.

"I wonder if they ALL get this… relaxed when bein' rubbed by human hands..."

*AHEM* I heard an annoyed voice clear its throat, signaling me to let go. I released Fluttershy to see an upset Twilight glaring at me.

“I think the point has been made clear,” she firmly stated. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was… jealous! I found that just adorable… but I knew that she didn’t see it my way.

“Yea. Sorry, hon…” I apologized as I reached over to scratch under her chin.

“Mmm… you’re just lucky your hands are so soft…” she murmured, seeming to be cheering up as I rubbed her.

“Does it really feel that good?” inquired a curious Rarity as she and the others observed me rubbing Twilight.

“Mm-hmm…” Fluttershy nodded as I saw her walk back to the group, smiling contently. “It was like being wrapped in a soft, tickly blanket…”

“*GASP* I wanna turn! I wanna turn!” Pinkie volunteered, bouncing with glee.

“I’m sure it can’t be THAT great…” Rainbow brashly muttered, not knowing what she was missing out on.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Rainbow," Fluttershy countered. "I'd try it if I were you. Just look at Twilight..."

"Huh..." the blue mare murmured as her eyes beheld the true glory that is the human hand massage. "...Okay, I think I will if you say it's that good…”

“Hay, I’d give it a shot myself, all things considered…” Applejack commented.

“Yes, as sure as I am that you’d all love a rubdown from MY colt-friend, that’s going to have to wait,” Twilight firmly interjected after I’d stopped rubbing her. “Right now, we’ve got to focus on the issue at hoof. Now then…”

Twilight took the moment to bring everypony up to date on the situation, which brought about expectantly alarmed reactions from the other mares.

“How dreadful!” Rarity exclaimed in appall. “Who does this… this… rapscallion think he is!?”

“Does he REALLY think he’s going to lay a hoof on you, much less Princess CELESTIA??” added Rainbow.

“I don’t know how he plans on taking me, but I won’t allow it to happen,” Twilight assured.

“Seems t’ me like he’ll… ow! …go by any means necessary…” I suggested, trying my best to move into a comfortable position despite all the aches and pains I’d triggered by doing so. “I mean… he DID come close to killin’ me… an’ given how long he claims t’ have been watchin’ us… who knows what he might do…”

“This unicorn sounds like quite the creep… it seems no price to pay is too steep,” Zecora began. “And if my dreadful premonition serves to be right… then I’d say his next target could be—!”

“Spike!!” Twilight shouted in horror, seeming to anticipate Zecora's riddle. "Oh, no! He's at home all alone!"

“Aww damn…” I muttered. I could only hope that Zecora’s prediction was wrong.

“No! Not little Spikey-Wikey!” shouted Rarity in an equal amount of despair.

“We have to go back to the library! Pronto!” Twilight announced. With that, the six pony mares took on collective looks of worry as they readied themselves to leave the hut. I tried to get up myself, but found it very hard, not only because everything hurt, but also because this house was so small.

“Ty… I… I think you should stay here for now…” Twilight suggested, to my bewilderment.

“What?? Why?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go running into Ponyville in your current form. Plus, you don’t seem to be in much of a condition to run all the way back to the library from here…”

“You can’t jus’ like… teleport us there?”

“I don’t have enough energy to take all seven of us there at the moment. I used a great deal of it when I was searching for you. And I regret to say I don’t exactly have enough to heal you, much less change you back and then run back to the library from here…” I was speechless. My disappointment at her words left me without the ability to argue against her. She was right in that I shouldn’t go running through town as I am. But was there really NOTHING I could do?

“Twi… I—!”

“We don’t have time to argue over this. I need to go and make sure Spike’s okay…”

“…fine. Go,” I dejectedly conceded. I could tell she felt bad, because when I looked at her, she wore a similar look to that of a child who’d had to say their final goodbyes to a beloved pet.

“Ty… you know if I had any better choices, I’d go with those. I… I understand that you’d rather go with us… but right now, that’s much too risky.” I sighed in regret as I looked to the ground. She trotted up to me, climbing onto my lap and grabbing my face with her hooves to direct my attention to her. “I’ll come back for you as soon as I can. Please understand that this for the best… I-I have to go now.” With that, the unicorn gave me a kiss and a lengthy hug, during which I'd once again picked up that strange, musky scent emulating from her. It wasn't quite as pungent as last time, but...

"What is that smell? It ain't exactly offensive... but seriously, that odor is strong!"

"Beats me, but... whatever it is... it's... alluring, I guess I could say..."

"...Seriously?"

"Don't ask why, but... I think there's somethin' about that smell that jus' makes me wanna find out where i'ss comin' from."

"...Right. I'mma get back t' you on that... Right now wouldn't be appropriate." With that small mental discussion, Twilight and I reluctantly separated before she turned around to rejoin her friends. I watched helplessly as they said their goodbyes to Zecora before they turned to me. All I could bring myself to do was wave at each of them, offering a half-smile to see them off.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. She pulled a slice of chocolate cake out of her mane (a feat of hers I have STILL yet to discover how she accomplishes) before dashing toward me, climbing onto me. "Now say 'ahhh...'"

"Thus, my point about why Pinkie Pie is never allowed to argue the case of logic..."

"What am I, a baby? I don't need you feedin' me no cake like I-- *SPLAT* ACK!!"

"Good boy...! You ARE a boy... right?" It took all the energy I had left in me to refrain from doing something I might've regretted doing to the energetic party pony. Despite this, and with a mouthful of cake, I simply shut my eyes and nodded, patting her on the head. She reacted with one of her hyperactive little giggling fits as she leapt off of me. "Fluttershy was right! That DOES feel good. And remember your Pinkie promise about eating sweets every day!" she reminded as she regrouped with the other five pony mares. In a moment, the six mares were out the door and I was left stranded in the middle of the forest with only a zebra to keep me company.

“Fret not, strange being; ‘tis not the end. In the meantime, would you like a new friend?” asked Zecora, taking note of the disappointment scribbled across my face.

“*Gulp*…sure. Do you have any milk, by the way?”

My friends and I bolted through the Everfree forest with no regard towards the dangers that lurked about. We needed to get back to the library A.S.A.P. and nothing was going to get in our way.

“Twilight. Do you think it was a good idea to leave Ty back there?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“To be perfectly honest, Rainbow… that was the LAST thing I’d wanted to do… But you saw how beaten up he looked. Plus, we really don’t need the distraction of trying to calm the entire town down enough to accept a human while there’s the possibility of a dangerous enemy we have to deal with…”

“Quick question, Twi…” Applejack spoke. “When were y’all gonna reveal this whole ‘human’ thing to us? I mean, it’s been quite a while since you two got together… were y’all plannin’ on keepin it secret the whole time?”

“No. We WERE working on telling you before we found a proper method of revealing his existence to the rest of Ponyville. But neither of us was really very focused on the matter lately. We’re both to blame for our growing complacency in terms of the subject… I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, dear,” Rarity addressed. “It’s quite understandable that you couldn’t find a suitable time to introduce this… most stupefying news with us… or rather, MOST of us, considering Rainbow Dash’s knowledge…”

“I only knew that he wasn’t actually a pony,” Rainbow countered. “That and that he was human. Until just a minute ago, I had no idea what he looked like as a human… To be honest, you were right, Rarity. He DID look kind of intimidating... Not enough to scare ME of course, but you know what I mean.” We made it out of the forest and continued our dash through the town.

“Still, he seems nice as a human,” Fluttershy stated.

“You’re only saying that because you got that apparently-wonderful back rub,” Rarity humorously countered.

“*GASP* No…! Well… maybe a little… but whether he’s a pony or not, we know he’s nice enough that we can accept him…”

“Yeah, but what about the rest of the town?” Pinkie asked. “You guys remember what happened when Zecora first showed up, right? Even WE didn’t like her or give her a fair chance. The only pony to do so was Apple Bloom.”

“That’s true,” replied Applejack. “But I wouldn’t be able t’ speak on behalf o’ the whole town in Ty’s case. He was… so much bigger ‘n’ Zecora… or any of us. I mean, he’s still a mite smaller than say, a dragon or a bear, but he looked big enough t’ give Ponyville a fright.”

“Well this time, I’m sure Ponyville’s much more accepting of sentient beings who aren’t ponies by this point, right?” I rhetorically inquired. “I’m not saying the fear factor is gone completely, but all things considered, I don't think we should have too hard a time welcoming him into Ponyville in human form… it’s just a matter of when we can do so…” With that, we eventually made it to the library. I didn’t hesitate to practically break the door down as I hastily entered the house.

“Spike!!” I called. “Spiiike!”

“What is it!? Why are you screaming?” answered a familiar voice as its owner came waddling down the stairs, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“Oh thank Celestia you’re okay!” I galloped toward the small dragon and hugged him tight, inadvertently causing him to choke.

“Yeah, I’m… okay. Can you… ack! …let go of me now?” I obliged immediately, releasing my beloved #1 assistant. “What’s the big idea? And where’s Ty? I thought you were looking for him, not me.”

“We found him. We left him at Zecora’s.”

“Oh. Well why didn’t you bring him back here?”

“Whoever kidnapped him stole the magic energy he had, which forced him to revert back to human form. We couldn’t risk alarming the town while we came back to make sure you were okay.”

“I see… so the bastard’s still alive, is he…?” Spike said in a suddenly menacing tone, confusing me beyond belief.

“Excuse me? What do you mean?” I asked.

“Oh nothing… except that I’ve just gotten a brilliant new idea!” he answered in a voice VERY much unlike his own. I stepped back as he began to glow bright silver. In an instant, the dragon standing before me was replaced by a unicorn stallion… with red eyes… and black hair… and a tan coat…

“Wh…? Who are you!? What have you done to Spike!?” I asked in inherent anger as I took a stance of battle. The girls followed suit as they lined up next to me, looking as ready to fight as I was.

“Ladies, ladies, relax!” the invader calmly said. “I assure you, your little pet dragon is fine… in the care of my partner here…” just then, another figure materialized beside him. In an instantaneous flash of dark purple, a unicorn mare appeared beside him, levitating my poor, distraught assistant in a sphere of magic. He was frantically banging on the walls of the magic field, trying to break free, to no avail.

“Spikey!” Rarity shouted. “You ruffians let go of him this instant!!”

“Or you’ll regret messin’ with us!” added Applejack.

“Oh? And what will you do if I don’t?” dared the stallion.

“We’ll—!”

“Oh! Before you answer that… Excuse me for a moment.” With that, the stallion powered up his horn and performed a teleportation spell, leaving us with his partner in crime, who had Spike still trapped in a magic sphere…

“Why do you rhyme everything when you talk?” I asked Zecora in a mix of bewilderment and interest.

“Why does the sun rise?” she asked back, smirking at me as she was brewing something in a giant cauldron. “Why are there blue skies? Why is it that your name is Ty?”

“Y’know, there’s actual explanations for all those things… even IF the explanations I have might contradict the answers considered ‘correct’ here…”

“My speaking in rhyme is simply natural. It defies explanation, whether fantastic or factual.”

“Oh yeah? Well I got a bit of a screwball for ya…”

“I see… so no matter WHAT, you just rhyme two things together? Like… some sort of impulse?”

“In a sense, you could say it is impulse to rhyme. But is it impulse when I willingly do so all the time?”

“Okay then…” I slyly replied, smirking. “What rhymes with O—!”

*POOF*

“Oh, hello there!” said a new voice as its owner teleported into the hut without warning. Gillian had come back, alone this time. “I heard you survived our little… confrontation in the woods.”

“You…!” I angrily rasped, preparing to fight, despite the pain.

“How dare you trespass into my abode uninvited?! Leave now or face the risk of being smited!” Zecora shouted in outrage.

“Oh please…” Gillian retorted, chuckling with spite.

“What? Are you here t’ finish me…?” I asked, feeling a mix of intense aggression and fear.

“Oh no, not at all! What would give you the idea that I…” he stopped himself, realizing the error in his statement. “…you know what? Forget I asked. In any case, I just got this brilliant idea and you’re going to be playing along.”

“Like hell I am!” with that, I ignored the twinges and bursts of pain as I wrathfully lunged towards the unicorn. I saw his horn taking on a silver glow, but before he could cast a spell, I managed to lay a hand on his mane, causing him to lose his focus. Before either of us knew it, we’d gotten into a physical altercation with him swinging away at me with his fore hooves as I tried to subdue him with holds and the occasional punch while we rolled on the ground. We quickly rolled out of the hut as we scuffled, but not before presumably destroying a good amount of Zecora’s decorations.

I have to say, he was a tough opponent. Not nearly as tough as Rainbow on a bad day, but still; what he lacked in physical strength, he made up for in magic. Every time I’d managed to put him into some kind of submission hold or get him in a position wherein I could easily start hammering away at him, he’d just teleport out of it and come charging back at me for more. Other instances while we fought, he’d use his magic to take hold of one of my limbs and pull it to an entirely uncomfortable position before I’d manage to hit him or shake him off with a free arm or leg. The scuffle culminated in him teleporting out of one last position I’d gotten him into where I managed to land a solid hit on his eye.

“Okay, that’s enough of this… you’re coming with me!” with that, he cast a spell that enveloped my entire body, lifting me very high up into the air. Struggle as I might, I was totally unable to break free.

"It's no use! Take th--!" *WHAP* “Ow!” the unicorn shouted. I went crashing oh-so gracefully into the ground, welcoming a face full of mud. I groggily pulled myself up enough to see Gillian holding his head in pain as he turned around. Behind him was a highly upset zebra wielding what looked like some kind of bamboo staff and a yellow saddlebag slung around her shoulder.

“Begone, villainous unicorn! For you, there’s much more than that in store!” she warned.

“Oh, you best believe I’ll be back for you, zebra…” the stallion spat. “But as for right now, I came here for the human, so we’ll continue this another time!” With that, he dashed over towards me, placed a hoof on my shoulder and with a flash of his horn, everything went black as we were both dematerialized…

*POOF* “Welcome to Ponyville, asshole!” he taunted as he let go of me. I looked around to see that we were indeed teleported to the middle of Ponyville; just outside of Town Hall, to be exact. But he wasn’t done there. He shot a blast of magic into the air and with a thunderous *BOOM*, a giant white arrow appeared over the area in which he stood and I lay in a substantially worse off condition than he’d initially left me in. “Oh, and before I go… one for the road!”

*THUMP!* “Oof! Augh, you fuckin’ coward…!” the jerk kicked me in the stomach while I was down before stepping back, waving and smirking as he cast another teleportation spell on himself and disappeared.

“Ohhohoh, if I get another chance, I am gonna whup his ASS…!” With that thought, I rolled over onto my back and anticipated the inevitable, being too riddled with fatigue and aching to try to run and hide. As expected, ponies began to walk out of their homes to inspect what the noise was that disrupted their presumably mundane, quiet evening, only to instead lay their widened, fearful glassy eyes on a nearly passed-out human being lying on the ground dirty, beaten, weak and in a lot of pain...

“What do you two want? Why are you two plotting to overthrow Princess Celestia?” I asked, demanding a good reason for their misdeeds.

“It’s… not so much what WE want… it’s more of what he wants,” the mare answered, to our surprise. “I’m just here to support my one true love…”

“What do you mean?” asked Rainbow.

“I mean that whatever he wants, I’ll give it to him! He wants me? I’m all his. He wants to terrorize Ponyville? I’m there beside him. He wants to do away with Celestia? I’ll be the one to watch in glee as he sits atop her throne as Equestria’s new emperor…”

"The NERVE of these guys...!"

“But… why?” asked Fluttershy in horror. “Don’t you see all the ponies you’ll be hurting in the process? Or the human you've already hurt?"

“That’s none of MY concern who gets hurt…” the mare coldly replied, much to my dismay.

“…well what if… YOU were hurt?” Rarity asked. “Would it be your concern then? How do you think your friend would react?” The cerulean mare seemed to have been stricken with that question. She lost her composure as she looked down in thought. Just then, a distant booming sound shook all of us out of our stare down. A second later, the evil stallion rematerialized next to her, now sporting a few scratches & cuts and a black eye.

“Whew! What a hassle...”

“What happened to you, honey?” asked the mare as she inspected the damage.

“That miserable human, that’s what…”

“What miserable human?” I asked, growing increasingly upset.

“Your boyfriend. You know any other humans that exist here? Lemme tell you; he put up quite the fight. But I’d like to say my business with him is all taken care of…”

“What did you do to him!!?” I shouted.

“Relax, Twilight Sparkle. I didn’t do too much. Just got into a bit of a tussle with him before I brought him to the middle of Ponyville. I also made sure to draw a lot of attention to him so everyone in this town can know your dirty little secret...” he chuckled menacingly at his own remark, serving to further irritate me. “To be perfectly honest, I’d expected him to be much less… resistant, considering what Comet and I had done to him beforehand… I suppose I have that meddlesome forest-dwelling zebra to blame for undoing my work.”

“What?? Oh no…!”

“Oh and before you worry that cute little head of yours, the zebra’s fine… for NOW, anyway. In any case, YOU have a decision to make: Try to save your precious little dragon at the cost of prolonging the amount of time your boyfriend spends scaring the public? Or go fetch him now while we make our daring escape to a more… reasonable location to negotiate how things are going down…? The choice is yours, my pretty little pony…”

This conniving jerk had me stuck between a rock and a hard place… I wasn’t sure WHAT to do… attempt to free Spike but then have a large portion of Ponyville catching sight of Ty and having the town quite possibly enter a state of panic, thus having him taken away by Ponyville authorities… or go and bring him back as soon as I could at the cost of this stallion and his companion taking Spike away, thereby disabling me from the quickest way to warn Princess Celestia of the impending threat?

There were so many factors to consider, and little to no time to consider them. At the very least, I had my friends to back me up, no matter what decision I made... But then, I knew his magic had been augmented by a sample of my own, and I was running low as it was. In addition, it was me he was after.

“What does he want to use me for? I figure he’s using Spike as bait to try and capture me, but I can’t leave him in their clutches… But then what about Ty? I’m confident he can find his way here… in the case that he has enough strength left to do so. But if I left him to come back on his own, who’s to say he wouldn’t meet stern resistance from vigilante citizens or the police and possibly be captured and dragged away? I really can't afford to let THAT possibility come to fruition, either... Hmm… AHA! I’ve got it!”

“Well, Ms. Sparkle? What’ll it be?”

Surprises and Procedures... (Pt. 2)

“Fluttershy! Pinkie! Rarity! Go and find Ty!” I ordered after a brief moment of thought.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” “Okay.” “But… what about Spike?” two of the three agreed in unison. Rarity seemed to have been torn about the decision.

“I… I can’t fathom the idea of little Spike being taken away by those… those brutes!” she complained.

“Hey!” the stallion complained.

“Seriously? NOT the time, Rarity!”

“I’ve got this under control, Rarity. Whatever happens, Spike will be okay. I can and I WILL make sure of that. Now go,” I ordered.

“Twilight, are you absolu—!”

“I said GO!!” I snapped, to the shock of the fashionista. “The more time you waste thinking about what may possibly happen here, the bigger the risk of Ty being taken away by the authorities becomes! Find him and bring him back here immediately!” Wordlessly, the white unicorn agreed as she, the pink Earth mare, and the yellow pegasus mare turned to head out the door. Just before they were gone, however, Rarity shot me one last look of worry. I assured her as best I could by smiling. She smiled back before hurriedly turning around and bolting out of the library.

“Okay… with that, I have the two strongest mares I know backing me up in the case that things get physical… That and this library won’t be such a mess after any possibly complicating situations. In addition, if they find him soon enough, we hopefully minimize his exposure to the public… For a given definition of 'minimize.' But now I have to focus on how to save Spike…”

“Alright you… what’s your deal? Who are you? What do you want with me?” I asked in the calmest tone I could muster, although it came out very contemptuous. I couldn't help but notice that the stallion was grinning at me.

“My name is Gillian,” he simply replied. “And nothing, Twilight Sparkle. I want nothing from you. It’s Celestia who I want something from. You’re simply the only way I can get to her in the first place. I was actually hoping you'd send some of your friends off to find your boyfriend, by the way. Makes things a whole lot easier...” He chuckled to himself.

"That's not good... at the very least, we still have them outnumbered. Plus, it's Applejack and Rainbow Dash backing me up. We should be fine. As for his intentions however..."

“What makes you think I’ll just agree to whatever nefarious scheme you’re conjuring against her?”

“Well… I DO have your little pet dragon in my possession… and you wouldn’t want anything BAD to happen to him… would you?”

“You wouldn’t DARE harm a scale on his head!” Rainbow Dash challenged, flaring her wings and readying herself for battle.

“Oh boy, I REALLY hope a fight doesn’t break out in here… I thoroughly cleaned this place FOUR times over the last week or so…”

“Ooh, feisty… But I’m sure you wouldn’t want any… unfortunate accidents to happen, would you?” the stallion known as Gillian asked with a wink towards his accomplice. The mare willed the orb holding Spike prisoner in front of us. The dragon was still trying his hardest to break free.

"I dunno why y'all are doin' this, but ya ain't gettin' past us!" A.J. boldly stated. "We'll make sure of it!"

"Applejack... how cute of you to be there for your friends," Gillian mocked. "However, as the bearer of the Element of Honesty, I'd expect you to know better than to lie..."

"Lyin'? What in the hay are y'all talkin' about? Why would I lie about anythin'? And how do YOU know what Element o' Harmony I wear?"

"Because... you WON'T hinder me from my plans. That, I can promise you. And come on, don't be so modest. You girls are more famous than you think... MUCH more famous than you think..." At that remark, he smirked.

“Okay, I’ve had just about enough of this!” Rainbow angrily stated, apparently losing her patience before moving at a blinding speed and attacking the mare.

"Ouch!!" cried the mare as she flinched in despair. Rainbow Dash was quick to flick her horn with her fore hoof, disrupting her spell and releasing Spike. Immediately, the dragon picked himself up and ran behind me. In that same instant, Rainbow entered a physical altercation with her target.

“Spike, are you okay?” I asked with great concern.

“Y-yeah… these two just came out of nowhere! They were gonna use me to try and capture you… LOOK OUT!” he shouted, pointing ahead of me. I turned to be greeted with a blast of silver energy heading directly towards me.

*SLAM* The blast hit me full force, sending me flying into the wall just beside the door, which I hit back-first. Although it surprised me and hurt quite a lot, it was far from enough to do me in. I gingerly recovered from the sneak attack, shaking my head with a newfound sense of fury.

“Twilight!" A.J. called to me as she looked back in horror before turning toward Gillian in anger. "Oh, you bet’cher flank yer gonna be payin' fer THAT…!” Applejack said to the stallion before lunging at him. As much as I’d wanted to jump into the battle, I needed to make sure my #1 assistant was as far away from danger as possible. He rushed over towards me to make sure I was okay.

“Spike, you need to get out of here. If you can, find Rarity and the others. They’re on their way to get Ty. Go to them. And whether Rainbow, A.J., and I make it back to you or not, I need you to warn the Princess. Got it?” I quietly instructed him as I cast simultaneous levitation spells on a quill, an inkwell, a sheet of parchment, and a table cloth I’d made into a carrying sack to hold the supplies. I levitated the bag to Spike before hugging him.

“I… are you sure about this?"

"Yes. If anything, it's better that you make it out before I do."

"...please stay safe, Twi…” he fearfully requested as he returned the hug.

“I will. Now go.” With that, the dragon was on his way out of the library to complete his mission.

“Now with that out of the way, I can concentrate on the scuffle going on here…” I turned my attention to the two juxtaposing fights going on. Rainbow seemed to be doing a good job keeping the mare at bay, the two rolling about the floor like animals as their hooves swung wildly at one another. Applejack’s situation, however, wasn’t quite as fortunate. Gillian had been toying with her. He was in a stationary position, placing magic shields up every time she tried to cuff him and taunting the Earth pony as she attacked, causing her to grow angrier and angrier at him. I took it as a perfect opportunity to make a move. With intense focus, I cast a spell that immobilized his hooves to keep him from moving, all the while making sure it wasn’t detected. It seemed to go unnoticed as the arrogant stallion continued to incur A.J.’s wrath.

“Applejack!” I called. “Can you move just a LITTLE to the right, please?”

“Huh?” She was thoroughly shaken out of her rage as she looked back at me. I flashed a quick wink, which she read as me having a plan. She smiled with confidence as she obeyed my order. In that instant, I powered up my horn.

“What do you think YOU’RE going to do? Hell, do you think I’ll just stand here as yo—?” I didn’t let him finish his statement before I launched a powerful magic blast at him.

*ZAP* “AAGH!” the spell hit its mark. After maybe a nanosecond, the magenta aura of my spell dissipated around him. “Oh… wow, that didn’t hurt at all. I thought you were supposed to be the strong… wait… my hooves! I can’t move!”

“You also won’t be able to use magic for a little while,” I added to his astonishment as his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. “That spell I just hit you with? It was a level two disabling spell. So while you’re not going anywhere…”

“I sure hope that was worth the amount of energy I put into it… I’m just about spent at this point… That should at least eliminate the possibility of him utilizing the portion of my magic he stole from Ty for the duration of time that spell holds for...”

“Applejack?”

“With MUCH pleasure…” the Earth mare smirked as she positioned herself in front of Gillian, facing towards me. She lifted up onto her forelegs, just about ready to buck the intruder halfway into Cloudsdale when…

“Wait!” I shouted. “Please don’t aim towards any of the library shelves…” I requested.

“Oh! Right. Pardon me. Ya might wanna open that there door an’ get clear, then…” wordlessly, I obliged, reopening the front door wide and stepping out of the way. Applejack moved behind Gillian, snickering as she did so. “Pardner… You’re about t’ find out EXACTLY what you’ll get when ya mess with a bull…”

“Comet… Comet. Comet!” Gillian shouted in a tone that sounded much like fear. Attentively, the mare heard his cries and despite being tangled with Rainbow Dash, saw her leader’s compromising situation.

“Honey!” the mare shouted from under Rainbow Dash. “Get OFF of me, you cow!” with that, the mare lit up her horn and hit Rainbow with a particularly strong blast of magic, sending her hurtling into the ceiling with a voluminous *BOOM*. The mare quickly picked herself up and raced to try and assault Applejack, but I wasn’t going to have it. Thinking quickly, I rushed toward the mare and, digging into the almost depleted reserves of my magic energy, shot a small flare at her hooves.

*POP* “Ouch!” she yelled. Despite this, she still barreled towards A.J. with intense determination. With no other choice at this point, I charged full-speed at an angle I was confident would intercept her.

*BOOM* “OOF!” *CRASH* I was too late… the cerulean mare rammed Applejack hard, sending her flying into a nearby bookshelf. The resulting impact caused books of various sizes to rain all over her and bury her. Before I could make another move myself, the mare used her magic to undo the immobilization spell I’d cast on Gillian.

"Dammit!"

“Thank you, my dear…” he said to her before turning his gaze to me. “You’re quite the strategist, aren’t you? I’m impressed. Actually, I’m more impressed than I am angry…” he trotted towards me, smiling sinisterly. “…and while we’re on the subject of anger…” he raised his hoof high, seeming as if to hit me as his smirk faded into a contemptuous, wrathful sneer. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away, waiting for what I perceived to be the inevitable.

*SMACK* “ARGH!” My eyes shot open to see Rainbow Dash, seeming to be badly damaged and in a VERY foul mood, glaring angrily at the stallion, panting heavily. I looked over towards Gillian in surprise to see him clutching his snout.

“Don't you DARE lay a hoof on my friends!" Rainbow shouted, absolutely livid.

"How dare you!?” the mare shouted as her horn took on a glow of dark purple. In an instant, she blasted the pegasus with another attack, sending her hurtling.

*CRASH* Rainbow hit the wall behind me; and hard...

“Rainbow!” I cried with worry. I turned around and was just about to rush over to see if she was okay when…

*BOOM* I was blindsided by Gillian who rammed me, sending me rolling across the library floor. During the fall, I’d tried to stop myself, only to awkwardly straighten one of my forelegs out. I accidentally landed on it in an uncomfortable position as an enormous wave of pain shot through it. I slowly picked myself back up to stand, but I had to lift my foreleg off of the ground to accommodate for the pain pulsing through it.

“This is bad… Rainbow… Applejack… they’re both unconscious… and I’m just about out of magic and now I’m injured… What else can I do…?”

“I think I’d… like to call this little fight a draw,” Gillian stated, still holding his snout, which seemed to be leaking red. “But next time we meet, you won’t be so lucky. In fact… Comet?”

“Yes dear?” the mare answered.

“Which one of these two mares between the Earth pony and the pegasus do you think we should take as a trophy?”

“A… trophy? I thought we were here to take the unicorn in order to get to Celestia?”

“Yes, but without that dragon, she’ll have a way of knowing we’re here. It seems he’s already escaped and that’s already a compromising situation in that he’s able to send messages directly to her."

"Shouldn't we just go and fetch the dragon then?"

"Trust me hon, I'd love to do just that. But chances are he's in the middle of town, and trying to take him from there would prove disastrous; especially since my magic's been temporarily disabled..."

"Disabled??" the mare asked in shock.

"Yep. I have THIS one to thank for it," he answered, pointing an accusing hoof at me. "But anyway, the dragon's likely sent a letter already, alerting her of our presence. Buuuut, that human should likely serve as a nice distraction should she send guards here or decide to come herself. Plus, taking one of the other two would ensure that this one will come looking for us AND that our demands are met…”

“You won’t be doing ANY of that!” I screamed. “You—!”

“You can do nothing to stop us, Twilight!” he interrupted. “You’re just lucky we’re not taking you yet! Between you, these two, that wretched human and that… that… rhyming zebra…” His expression changed immediately from one of smug triumph to one of a realization.

“Zecora? What do you plan on doing with Ze—!”

“Comet: Change of plans. We take the zebra.”

“Okay... but, if I may ask… why?” Comet inquired.

“If we take the pegasus or the Earth pony, we’ll likely alert the town to them missing, and unless there's the off chance of them thinking our extraterrestrial pawn was the cause of the disappearance, we'd likely be hunted down by much more than our intended audience. On the contrary, that zebra doesn’t live in Ponyville. In fact, she lives deep in the Everfree Forest, where no one would suspect her going missing. If we take her, the town can focus on what to do with the creature I’m sure is still in the middle of town scaring the hell out of every pony he comes across! Even IF those other mares find him.” He turned his attention back to me. “As for you, my dear lavender unicorn…”

“I’ve heard enough of this convoluted plot! I need to stop them! Now!” Not wanting to waste another moment listening to the cold, calculating contemplations of the cruel couple, I took the stance of a bull and charged what little energy I had left in my horn to try and ensnare them. Unfortunately, my horn fizzled out and the magic died down due to a lack of sufficient energy as I nearly collapsed on the spot, panting heavily.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Feeling a bit tired? Maybe you should rest up. We’ve got a date tomorrow…”

“What… hah… do you mean…?” I asked, out of breath, but my anger boiling over.

“I mean that when we take your zebra friend, we want you to meet us at her dainty little hut in the forest to get her back… alone. If you don’t come by around 3:00 PM or if we even THINK you’ve brought someone else with you… let’s just say Celestia will be your SECOND most pressing concern… You'd better hope your little pet hasn't sent that letter yet...” with that, he began to laugh as he tried powering up his horn. When he realized it wasn’t working, he stopped laughing immediately. He tried once again with a comical grunt, only to fail. “Oh… Right. YOU put me under that stupid disabling spell…” I smirked in satisfaction despite my foreleg feeling like it was being squeezed like a lemon.

“That’s what you get, you arrogant jerk! You’ll have a lot more to worry about once everyone’s in tip-top shape, too…!”

“Comet, could you be a dear?”

“Of course, my sugar pie…” Comet placed a hoof on Gillian’s back, powered up her horn and with a *POOF*, they were gone.

“*Sigh* great… I need to make sure A.J. and Rainbow are okay, I need to go and find the others, I need to make sure Zecora doesn’t fall into the clutches of those rotten troublemaking villains, and I need to warn the Princess of impending danger…”

“Not to mention I have to find a way to tell Ty that I’m in heat, all the while possibly being forced to explain to everypony in town what he is, why he isn’t a threat to anypony, and why I know so much about him. Then there’s the fact I have to do ALL of that with my magic depleted and my leg sprained… Gah, I REALLY don’t need all this extra rubbish on my plate right now…!” With a mighty huff and sigh of exasperation, I moved to first dig Applejack out of the pile of encyclopedias and archaeological textbooks. Surely enough, there she was, seeming to just be waking up.

“Ah, my head… What happened t’ those no-good varmints?” she asked in a semi-daze as she was coming to.

“They’re gone… for now. Can you stand?”

“I…think so… Ooh!” she exclaimed as she clutched her head. “By Celestia’s mane, my head feels like I took a buck from Big Macintosh t’ the temple…”

“Ooh, sounds bad… stay here while I go and check on Rainbow…” with that, I stepped away from the farm mare and limped toward the injured mare sprawled out by the open front door. “Rainbow. Rainbow? Rainbow Dash! Can you hear me?” I asked, nudging her as best I could without the use of one of my forelegs. I got no response.

“Oh no, they knocked her out cold… Guess neither of them is coming with me.”

"What a way to make things harder...! Fantastic...!"

“Hey Applejack.”

“What is it, Twi?”

“Can you bring Rainbow up to my room? I’m at a bit of a handicap at the moment and I urgently need to meet up with the others. Can you stay here and watch over her and the library while I’m gone?”

“Sure thing…” she agreed as she placed her hat back on her head and trotted slowly toward me. “And while yer at it… is it okay if I sleep here tonight? My head really hurts…”

“Sure. You and Rainbow can use the guest bed you and Rarity used during our slumber party. Now I have to get going. Be back soon, okay?”

“Got it, sugar cube. Now then…” she trailed off as she wrapped a foreleg around the unconscious Rainbow. “Come along now. Y’all are in a worse off condition than I am…” the farm pony muttered as she, with considerable effort, hoisted her teammate up, making sure that she landed on her back. With that, I nodded and exited the library, making sure to shut the door behind me.

“Alright… If I’m not mistaken… that Gillian character mentioned that he transported Ty just outside of Town Hall… well, here goes nothing…” I began my awkward, painfully limping trek, occasionally whimpering in despair along the way…

“What IS that thing??”

“Where did it come from??”

“Is it dangerous??”

I was surrounded by ponies of all shapes and sizes, every single one of them gawking and staring at me as if I was from an entirely different world… which, I was. But I digress. I moved to sit up, but I refrained from standing, considering how I would likely have towered over almost everything around me. Judging by Twilight’s height as compared to my own, I’d have to say the average pony leveled at somewhere just below my waistline... if not a bit taller than that. Nonetheless, I raised a hand, causing everypony around me to go silent with intense fear.

“Uh… I come in peace. I mean you no harm,” I announced as I gently waved my hand and looked around.

“It speaks our language!?” shouted a stranger amongst the crowd.

“I ain't too sure if they call it 'English' here, but I'm sure o' one thing: Do NOT let them know who I am... at least, not now...”

“Yes. I am er… fluent in… the Equestrian dialect.”

“But how?”

“Where are you from?”

“Are you an alien?”

“Who are you?”

“What are you?” Of course, I was being hammered with question after question after question at a rate I couldn’t deliver properly articulated responses to as the crowd of ponies began to talk amongst each other about the alien that sat before them.

“Lyra! Wait, don’t go near it! It could hurt you!” I heard a voice shout from my left.

“I need to, Bon Bon! I want to see what this thing is!” the pony in question shouted back. I saw a familiar minty green, spiky-haired unicorn mare step out of the crowd and tread carefully towards me.

“Oh thank goodness, it’s Lyra. But I can’t jus' tell her who I am right here… I can’t exactly call her by her name either... Or else I might get her in trouble…”

“Hey there, strange creature,” I said in a false sense of cluelessness.

“Strange? Me? If anypony is strange here, it’s you,” she remarked.

“True. Um… wh-why do you approach me unhindered, indigenous being?”

“Because unlike everypony else here, I’m not quite so afraid of new things,” she boldly replied.

“Tha’ss good t’ know.”

“I see…”

“Plus… something about you… seems… familiar…” at that, I flinched in surprise. The unicorn mare circled around me, possibly inspecting for signs of danger. She stopped at the hand I was resting on my knee. “But it’s not your bodily form I’m picking up the vibe from… although I do find it VERY intriguing… Say something casual.”

“Somethin’ casual? Like what?” I asked, accidentally losing my mystical foreigner accent and replacing it with my usual foreigner accent. I verbally shot myself in the foot again by covering my mouth.

“Shit!”

“*GASP* I’ve got an idea of who you are!” she exclaimed, much to the shock of the audience as they spoke amongst themselves once again.

“Y-you do?”

“At least… I think I do… are you familiar with any ponies around these parts?”

“I um… I can’t say I am…” I lied.

“There you are!” shouted another voice from behind. I craned my head around to see Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all rushing towards me. “We need to go back to the library! Twilight’s in trouble!” Pinkie informed much to my dismay; not so much because I got caught lying, but more so because Twilight wasn’t safe.

“Oh no, wha’ss goin’ on over there??”

“That meanie pants that kidnapped you was there and he took Spike and then he told us that he went back and brought you out here so then Twilight told us to come and get you so that we could bring you back to the library without anypony seeing you so nopony would panic!”

“Oh… but… we’re kinda late for the ‘nopony seein’ us’ part…” I commented as I stretched out an arm to gesture towards the crowd of bewildered onlookers. “And given that you jus’ screamed all that out, tha’ss prolly gonna make things worse…”

“Oh… oopsie!” the pink mare shot me a nervous smile. “At least I didn’t tell them your name was T—! OOP!” I clasped a hand around her muzzle so she wouldn’t screw the pooch further by blurting out my name, quickly followed by the hooves of Fluttershy and Rarity joining in.

“Goddammit, Pinkie!”

“Okayyy, le’ss jus’ go back t’ the library, huh?” I asked, visibly annoyed as I let go of the Earth pony's mouth.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” with that, the three mares moved to help me up before we began to make our trip back to Twilight’s home.

“Wait!!” shouted Lyra amongst the clamoring bystanders. “I’m not done yet! Who are you?”

“Maybe some other time, Lyra,” I hurriedly responded before quickly slapping my hand over my mouth.

“Ohh, we need to get out of here! Now!” I ran off immediately, followed by Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity. We didn’t get too far away from Town Hall, but after some twists and turns, we’d managed to escape the crowd of townsfolk. We waited a few minutes before the coast was clear. Once things seemed to smooth out, we began our trek back to the library. Not even a minute later, we ran into Spike, who was out of breath and carrying a sack of some sort. Rarity didn’t hesitate to wrap him up in an enthusiastic hug.

“Oh, my little Spikey-Wikey! You’ve escaped!”

“Y-yeah…!” Spike managed to choke out. “It’s nice to see you too, Rarity…!” after a couple minutes of her squeezing him like her personal teddy bear, she eventually let him go. “How did you manage to break free of the mare that was holding you captive?”

“I have Rainbow Dash to thank for that. She hit the other mare on the horn, causing her to lose her focus on the spell holding me,” answered the young purple dragon. At that, Rarity flinched and brought a hoof to her own horn.

“Oh dear… A unicorn’s horn is such a delicate thing when there’s magic running through it… I still cringe at the memory of the time Sweetie Belle flicked my horn when I was caught snooping through her saddlebag…” the unicorn piqued my curiosity.

“And why would you be doin’ somethin’ like that, if I might ask?” I inquired.

“I… er… it’s none of your concern,” the unicorn curtly replied to my amusement, turning her head away.

“What happened with Twilight and the others?” asked Fluttershy.

“I… I dunno,” Spike answered with uncertainty. “Right after Rainbow freed me, that stallion hit Twilight with a blast of magic and sent her flying into the wall.” Hearing that instantly sent a wave of unease through my gut, which frustrated me as I gritted my teeth and furrowed my eyebrows.

“Oh, now I’m REALLY gonna beat his ass…!”

“My word! Is she alright?” asked an appalled Rarity.

“Yeah. She wasn’t too hurt by the attack. She gathered all the stuff in this bag right here before sending me out to follow you guys.”

“Aww no…” I murmured in a tone of great disquiet. “We should prolly continue back there now. No use standin’ here.”

“Twilight!” Pinkie hollered, pointing ahead of us. I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved to see that she wasn’t captured by Gillian and Comet, or angered to see that she’d been limping and grimacing in despair, seemingly unable to place her right foreleg down. Her hair was frizzier than before and she looked to have gained a scratch or two. All of us rushed over to the injured unicorn and surrounded her.

“Are you okay, dear?” asked Rarity. “You seem to have been in quite the debacle!”

“Yeah… I’m fine…” she responded in a labored tone. “It’s just a sprain is all… I just don’t have the magic energy to heal it up right away. Nice to see you’ve retrieved our human, though,” she added, smiling at me.

“Yea, but not before the whole town got a good look at me… we gots some ‘splainin’ to do…”

“Darn… I figured as much. Gillian said he’d dragged you out into the middle of town and made sure to let everypony know where you were. I noticed that he came back in a less than well condition. What happened?”

“Yea, he came to Zecora’s hut an’ tried to teleport me here. We got into a fight before he could do it, which ended when Zecora smacked him upside the head with a stick after he got a chance to lift me up with his magic. Rather than attack her back, he said he’d be back for her then teleported me here. Hey, speakin’ o’ him… what did he do t’ you?”

“Nothing much. Just caught me with a couple of cheap shots while I wasn’t looking. He and his friend did worse to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, though… the mare managed to catch Applejack off-guard and ram her into one of my book cases when she and I had Gillian cornered. Then Rainbow prevented him from physically harming me, only to suffer a brutal attack from the mare… I think he called her ‘Comet…’ In any case, she hit Rainbow with a powerful spell that sent her hurtling towards a wall where she was knocked unconscious. I was going to check on her, but then Gillian himself took the distraction as an opportunity to sideswipe me, causing me to sprain my leg…”

“Is that right?”

“He is dead!”

“Yeah… after that, he mentioned that he was going to take Zecora. Which reminds me: Spike, did you send that letter to Celestia?”

“No. In fact, I’d just found everyone not too long ago before you came here. Should I send it now?” asked the dragon.

“Actually… no,” Twilight responded, much to the collective shock of everyone around her.

“Why?”

“I’ll explain it to you as soon as we return to the library. In which case, let’s head back. I’m not sure we should be standing out here with you in your current form, Ty…”

“Good point.” With that, we headed back to Golden Oaks. On the way there, however, I could not stand the sight of my poor filly-friend in pain. Her limping was slowing her down significantly. Despite being a bit banged up myself, I offered my assistance. “Would you like me t’ carry you, Twi? You seem t’ be havin’ a bitta trouble…”

“Actually… yes, please,” she admitted. “But are you sure? I mean, you don’t look like you’re in such a great condition yourself.”

“Maybe, but I can still walk jus’ fine... for the most part. That connivin’ Gillian ain’t do so much t’ my legs as he did t’ my head an’ chest,” I informed as I knelt down with open arms to invite the purple unicorn into my embrace. She slung her good leg around my neck, allowing me to scoop her up and pick her up in a similar manner as to how one would carry another person; my arms bent in a ninety degree angle. The only difference was that instead of one of my arms hooking upwards under Twilight’s legs, my hand cupped under her flanks. It was more or less a similar position.

“Ooh…!” the unicorn winced as I moved to stand back up. “Please be careful… I’ve got a bit of a stomach cramp, too…”

“Ooh. He hit you that hard?”

“No… it has more to do with something else… I’ll explain when we get home, okay?”

“Gotcha,” I agreed with a nod as we continued our trip. “Oh, and uh… Fluttershy?”

“Yes?” she asked.

“We… should talk. I… I think we left off on a really bad note before this whole ‘Gillian’ thing happened. I feel like uh… well, to be frank, I feel very guilty.”

“Oh! Don’t feel that way,” she gracefully responded as she took flight to pat me on the back. “I-it was… it was no big deal… right? We’re still friends?”

“Of course we are…” I smiled at her. “…but I feel like i’ss at least somethin’ you an’ I should sort out. Y’know, jus’ t’ make sure there isn’t anything that might possibly jeopardize any friendships.”

“Oh, okay. I understand. In that case, maybe we should talk.”

“If I might interject,” spoke an inquisitive Rarity. “…what exactly is it you two are going on about?” I looked down and smirked at the alabaster unicorn.

“Well wouldn’t YOU like t’ know, Miss ‘it’s none of your concern.’ One does not simply give advice without first taking it themselves, Madame.” She scowled at me, shooting me a contemptuous glance. A second later, she lightened up and giggled.

“…Touché, Ty.”

“En effet, Mon Amie.” She gasped in what seemed to be pleasant surprise at my rebuttal.

“My, such eloquence. I’m very impressed,” she commended with a bright, cutesy smile.

“Yea I figured you’d like that. No doubt about you bein’ one o’ those fancy romantic types, I guess…”

“I aim to please.”

“That’s great and all, but don’t forget who you’re REALLY supposed to be aiming to please here,” Twilight suddenly cut in with a noticeable tinge of annoyance.

“Yeah and besides; you have Twilight. Rarity’s off-limits to you,” a surprisingly jealous Spike added in, getting a laugh out of the group.

“Aww, Spike… you know I wouldn’t let anypony— or, any human, in this case— take your place…” Rarity assured the dragon, wrapping a foreleg around his shoulder and nuzzling into him.

“You right, you right. My bad. I apologize. Especially t’ you, my love,” I melodramatically professed to the mare I was holding in my arms as I brought her up close enough for me to nuzzle into her cheek, causing her to giggle.

“It’s nice to see your sense of humor’s still intact after everything that happened today,” she commented as the tree-library came into view.

“As always. But since we’ve arrived at our destination, I suppose i’ss time t’ get down t’ business, no?”

“You guessed it, sweetheart.” With that, we all walked inside the building (of course, with me having to practically crawl in) and got settled in for our discussion of the Gillian situation…

Contemplation...

Everypony had come up to Twilight’s room and found comfortable positions around the area to sit down and discuss the situation… that is, with the notable exceptions of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who’d seemed to be asleep in the guest bed. Applejack was fit snugly under the covers snoring lightly, but not Rainbow. I took note of how INSANELY attractive the blue pegasus mare was in her sleep; sprawled unceremoniously across the guest bed she shared with the orange farm pony, her raucous snoring akin to the sound of a growling tiger as she periodically gaped her mouth to the point where I was worried she’d dislocate her jaw to take in air, and then pucker her lips to gently blow the air out, making this strange whispery sound every time. I was going to mess with her SO hard for this… if only I’d have brought a camera… In any case, we had an important matter to discuss, and Twilight headed the discussion…

“Okay, first order of business: The letter,” the unicorn began quietly, considerate of her friends who weren’t awake to listen or give input. In addition, the room was lit only by the night’s moon. “There’s a very important reason I want you to hold off on that letter, Spike. And that reason is because Gillian plans on taking Zecora hostage.” At that, everyone gasped in shock.

“Then why don’t we send the letter to Celestia now?” asked Spike. “I mean, she would likely send guards out to her hut to protect her if they haven’t gotten to her already, wouldn’t she? And if they did, then they could search for her.”

“Yes, but that’s the thing… Gillian told me that he planned on taking her hostage, but not taking her anywhere. In fact, he said he would keep her holed up in her hut. The problem lies in that he wants me to go there tomorrow afternoon… alone.” That statement elicited another series of collectively appalled gasps.

“Twilight! You don’t seriously intend on embarking on such a… such a DANGEROUS quest on your own, do you?” asked Rarity, worried about her friend.

“I… I don’t know…”

“I don’t trust that sneaky snakey dragon-napping, zebra-burgling, human-jacking, forest-lurking, home-invading, pony-beating-upping, Celestia… againsty… conspiriatiring Gillian as far as I could throw him,” Pinkie ranted. “And given how big he is, I bet I couldn’t throw him very far at all. But then… I wouldn’t be able to throw any of you guys very far either… hmm… does that mean I can’t trust YOU guys? Hmm… Or maybe there’s some kind of exception…” she lost herself in her own train of thought, pondering her own ridiculous question.

“What I think Pinkie’s trying to say,” Fluttershy continued. “…is that Gillian might be setting a trap.”

“Exactly,” I agreed. “I mean, we’ve been over this before, Twi. He’s after you. It honestly baffles me as t’ why he didn’t take you when he had the chance, now that I think of it…”

“Well… look at me,” she countered.

“Yea. It looks like you had a rough day. Which means you were right in the palms o’ his hooves…” I gritted my teeth and growled at the thought.

“Right. But for some reason, he wants me to be in what I assume is a presentable condition, which I’m currently unable to— Ooh! –maintain right now,” she rebutted with a sudden cringe, holding her abdomen.

“I assume that means you’re prolly outta magic t’ fix yaself up with then, no?”

“Mmph! C-correct…” she affirmed in a labored tone, still clutching her stomach.

“That stomach cramp botherin’ you?”

“Yes, but… I’ll manage. In any case, I feel… as though I need to follow his order without any risks… for Zecora’s safety.”

“What??” gasped everyone else, myself included.

“You can’t be serious!” I shot in a tone of appall. “You’re not seriously gonna jus’ walk right int’ his dirty trick, are you?”

“You know just as well as I do that I don’t want to. But he mentioned that if I don’t, then something bad’s going to happen to her. I will not have any unfortunate incidents involving a friend of mine on my conscience when I have the option to stop it... I won't be going in to surrender, though; I'll go in and with luck, negotiate with him and find out his motives.”

“I understand that, Twi. We all do. But come on. We all also know exactly wha’ss t’ come if you do that. He’s most likely gonna take you in exchange for her, which would bring him THAT much closer to Celestia, whether you 'discuss' it or not. We ARE dealin' with an escaped convict here.”

“So what? You’re saying I should just ABANDON Zecora? I’m sure THAT’S a great way to say thanks for saving you from the dangers of the Everfree Forest,” she indignantly remarked, her frustration showing.

“No! What I’m sayin’ is that you can’t trust him and you can't do this alone! You have seven friends here t’ back you up. Why in the world would you go in there without some kinda protection?”

“Because if even ONE of you comes along, he’s going to renege on his end of the perceived deal, where he and his accomplice will do something terrible to both me and Zecora, with the addition of those who followed me!”

“So hide us! I mean, I don’t wanna assume that you have spells that are convenient for the situation we’re dealin’ with, but there’s gotta be some other way.”

“Well I’m sorry, but there isn’t. Besides, I’m not going to gamble on the safety of Zecora like that. If he and his friend Comet even THINK there’s something fishy going on, who knows what they’ll do to her or even me!”

“Twi, I REFUSE t’ let you go an’ endanger yourself like that!” I forbade, my own frustration growing.

“What are you, my parents!?” the unicorn snapped, much to my surprise, as well as the surprise of our spectators. "I'm not asking for, nor do I need your permission to help Zecora out, Ty! If there's a way to keep her out of peril, then I'm going through with it!"

“…Seriously??” I asked with extreme contempt at her sarcasm. “You KNOW it’s a trap, you KNOW they’re gonna use you t’ get t’ Celestia, and you KNOW that even if you’re thinkin’ of tryin’ somethin’ heroic, they combined have you outmatched!”

“I know that! But I also know that I’m not going to sit back and wait for them to harm my friend before they improvise and execute another phase of their malicious plot! For all I know, they could come for Spike, they could come for Pinkie or Applejack or any of us, or they could even come for you!”

“Me?”

“Yes!" she nearly shouted. "You’re the reason this whole thing began in the first place!" the unicorn accused, pointing a hoof at me. "If you’d have just listened to me and stayed here like you were supposed to, you wouldn’t have been dragged into the forest where you could've been killed, and the series of unfortunate events that led to this hostage situation likely wouldn’t have transpired!” I was no less than appalled at her accusation. My frustration at her amplified as I began to feel the intensity of my headache increase with it.

“Oh, that is unbelievable… You’re really gonna blame ME for everything that went down today? SORRY for wantin’ t’ help out a friend in need!” I stated in offense. “How was I supposed t’ know that he was out there searchin’ for me? And more importantly, what was I supposed to say? ‘Oh sorry Fluttershy, I can’t help you, I’m supposed t’ sit here for no legitimate reason whatsoever?’”

“Of course not, but I REALLY needed you to stay here! I’m sorry if I didn’t iterate and illustrate that point strongly enough for you to understand the urgency of it, but I really wish you’d have listened to me! If you did, Gillian wouldn't have found you the way he did!”

“Well I'm sorry, but wha’ss done is done an’ now we got a situation on our hands an’ hooves regardin’ somebody’s plans t’ get at Celestia. An’ I COMPLETELY disagree with the way you’re tryin’ t’ go about it!”

“Well let’s see YOU come up with something better! Do you see any OTHER way I could get Zecora to safety? Hm?” I went completely silent; just like the others who watched in unified alarm at the verbal altercation Twi and I had engaged in.

"I don't know WHAT'S wrong with her right now! But I also don't have a way t' convince her t' go about a less risky method o' savin' Zecora... Dammit..." I had no idea how to go about another way to combat Gillian’s ultimatum. But I had the point that Twilight shouldn’t just give herself up to the opposition. This man has proven to be extremely cunning and sneaky. Who knew if he was even a pony of his word? Whatever he wanted Twilight to do, I wholeheartedly disagreed with it.

“…no,” I dejectedly responded. “But my point still stands that you CANNOT go in there alone if that’s the case! I mean come on: When’s the last time you actually AGREED to the demands of a crimin—?”

*knock knock knock* “Twilight Sparkle! Are you home? And please tell me that you’re not alone!” shouted a familiar, thickly-accented voice.

“Zecora?” the entire group murmured in unison. Twilight was quick to get up, despite wincing at the pain in her stomach and foreleg, and was about to trot out of the room before I stopped her by grasping and gently tugging on her tail. Of course, she glared at me in anger.

“Hold on. You don’t know if tha’ss really her or not. Why leave yaself open like that?” I whispered.

“He does have a point,” Rarity concurred. “I mean, we’ve seen how Gillian impersonated Spike… what if he’s casting the same spell, but taking on the form of Zecora to lure you out?”

*knock knock knock* “I hear somepony inside the abode! Am I in need of some kind of code?”

“Who else do any of us know that keeps up rhyming on a consistent basis?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think even Gillian could keep THAT up… But just to be safe, let’s ask her a few questions only SHE would know once one of us lets her in…”

“Sounds like a plan,” I concurred.

“Good. Now who’s going down there?”

“I’ll do it!” volunteered an enthusiastic Pinkie Pie.

“Really?” I asked, caught off-guard by Pinkie’s volunteerism.

“Yeah! I could easily tell a real pony— or zebra in this case— from a fake. I usually pick up on these sorts of things with my Pinkie sense.” At that moment, her tail shook wildly, prompting everyone to duck and cover their heads but me.

“What are y’all doi—!” *CRASH* “Ow…!” I exclaimed, grasping my aching head, which I found was covered in a mound of dirt with shards of ceramic in it. “Fuuu… cryin’ out loud…! What WAS that?”

“My Pinkie Sense. I can predict when certain things will happen JUST before they do!”

“Don’t even ask… Don’t. EVEN. Ask…”

“…Well rather than debate that, which I’m sure I’d lose anyway given what I’ve heard, why don’t you go an’ put that to the real test,” I suggested, wiping the remains of what I could guess was a potted plant off of my head.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” with that, the excitable pink mare bounced her way out of the room and into the library to let in our suspicious guest.

“Pinkie Pie! How do you do? You haven’t seen Twilight Sparkle, have you?” we all heard as we sat in silence.

“Yes. She’s right upstairs with the others. Come on up!” with that, Pinkie led the zebra up into the room, entering the same way she exited: bouncing with glee. Zecora trotted in, seeming a bit confused.

“Why did you not answer the door?” she asked Twilight. “I’m sure this library is yours.”

“Sorry, Zecora,” Twilight apologized. “We were just a little nervous is all… we had a little run-in with a certain pair of unicorns, and one of them happens to know a shape-shifting spell. He used it to deceive us before we got into an altercation with him...” At that news, Zecora took on a look of worry.

“...Then I see my premonition was right. They DID come for Spike?”

“Yeah, but... *yawn* I’m okay now...” answered the dragon, seeming a bit weary as he crawled into his basket. The zebra nodded with a smile at his comfirmation of his condition.

“And I see that you are safe and sound,” she addressed me. “I noticed many townsfolk looking around. They make claims of an alien that crossed their sight, which gave everypony quite the fright.”

“Yea… he made SURE I’d be seen when he sent me t’ the middle o’ the town. I almost had no way outta there until I got picked up by Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. But I know we’re only beginning t’ deal with that problem. Especially since this one unicorn named Lyra took a particular interest in me.”

“Lyra?” asked Twilight. “Why would she take an interest in you?”

“We met while I was in pony form yesterday and got acquainted before A.J. found me. When Gillian sent me t’ Ponyville as I am now, she was the first to approach me, snoopin’ around an’ playin’ detective. Long story short, she MIGHT have an idea of who I am… but I don’t know if she’s told anypony or not in the case that she does…”

“Oh no…” Twilight murmured in worry. “I really hope she didn’t figure it out… we can’t afford to explain you to the rest of the town right now… we have to deal with Gillian first.”

“Speakin’ of which, we thought he came after you, Zecora.”

“After me? Why would that be?” she asked, perplexed.

“He said he was going to take you hostage in your own home after he was done here as a way to lure me out there,” the purple unicorn explained. “We’d thought he’d have gotten you by now. Which reminds me: not to sound rude or anything, but what made you come here?”

“He and Ty were in quite the scuffle. I knew there would be a great deal of trouble. After they disappeared, I ran from there to here, in hopes that a crisis in Ponyville wasn’t near.”

“It’s a good thing you did. We were in the middle of a debate on how to save you in the case that you WERE apprehended by them… Just to be absolutely sure though… would you mind staying here for the night?”

“A night spent here? What reason is there to fear?” she asked, apparently picking up the nervousness in Twilight’s tone of voice.

“While we don’t know where he and Comet are, I’d feel much safer if we all stayed together, thereby severely limiting his chances of taking one of us while separate.”

“*GASP* A slumber party!!” Pinkie Pie shouted in total ecstasy.

“Pinkie…!” Rarity scolded. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash are asleep…!”

“Oopsie… I mean… whoo-hoo! A slumber party…!” she cheered in a much more whispery volume, although she couldn’t hide her excitement. She reached into her mane and pulled out a giant roll, which she unfolded to reveal a giant pink sleeping bag.

“Okay, how in the hell did she fit THAT behind her head? Damn, jus’ thinkin’ about it makes my head hurt more…”

“What should we do? Tell ghost stories? Have a pillow fight? Play Truth Or Dare? Would You Rather? Maybe we could sit and share stories with each other about our day! Ooh! I know! We could—!”

“I think a little rest is something we all need…” Twilight suggested, which no one argued with as she trotted up onto her own bed. “Oh, before I forget: Spike, I think now would be a good time to send that letter…” she got no reply. “Spike?” the lavender unicorn turned toward the basket in which the dragon lay to see that he’d been long gone in his sleep. “*sigh* I guess we’ll wait then… can’t blame the little guy for being tuckered out after the day we’ve had…”

“Aww…” Pinkie sighed in dejection at her partying ideas being more-or-less shot down.

“I… *yawn* for one could certainly use a good night's sleep… There should be some extra blankets and pillows in that closet over there, everypony. Although…” she trailed off as she looked at me in worry.

“Don’t sweat it,” I assured. “I got these filthy clothes t’ keep me warm. All’s I need is an extra pillow.”

“A-are you sure? I mean… I don’t want you to be uncomfortable…”

“I’ll be fine. It won’t be quite as snug on the floor, but I can manage.”

“…alright then…” she uneasily agreed as she made herself more comfortable. “G’night, everypony...” Everyone still awake bid their nightly farewells after they (with the exception of Pinkie, who had come prepared) each took a blanket and a pillow for themselves to find a comfortable place on the floor to rest.

However, I still had something on my mind and I chose not to put it off with sleep. So I instead decided to get it out of the way as soon as I could.

“Hey… Fluttershy?”

“Hm?”

“Can you see me out on the balcony?”

“Oh… okay,” the mare humbly agreed. I made sure to tread carefully and quietly over the other sleeping ponies. She merely needed to fly over them. The yellow pegasus and I made our way to the balcony’s doors and stepped outside. We each took a position across from one another as I sat down. She followed suit by landing and sitting down on her haunches while folding her wings.

“*sigh* Okay… about earlier… um… I’m… really sorry…” I apologized, the guilt overtaking me.

“It’s okay…” she assured, giving me an adorably worried stare.

“No… no, i’ss not okay. I… Twilight let me know what happened with you after I ran off…”

“Oh…” Fluttershy answered in a tone of sudden discomfort. “Sh-she did…?”

“It’d prolly not be such a great idea t’ mention the whole ‘crush’ thing t’ her.”

“Yea… she told me you were cryin’ when she saw you today…”

“Oh. Well um… I was, but only a little. I’m okay now.”

“Well I’m glad t’ hear you’re good. But… tha’ss not the only reason I needed t’ talk t’ you. I… get the feel that you… um… how do I put this…?” I pondered. “I get the feel that you’re… I dunno, conflicted in a way.”

“O-oh! Wh-what makes you say that…?”

“The entire experience when I came t’ your house. Specifically, what happened in your dinin’ area… when I caught you… the way we locked eyes… I was jus’ gettin’ this vibe…”

“Oh…” she seemed to be getting increasingly uncomfortable as I beat around the bush. She lowered her head while still struggling to keep her gaze locked on me, blushing with what I perceived as guilt.

“Okay, this ain’t workin’. Jus’ get to the point.”

“Alright, I’mma jus’ be straightforward with this, Fluttershy…” I, feeling a tad uneasy myself, took a very deep breath before just blurting it out. “Do you like me?”

“What???” she practically jumped out of her fur, completely startled by the question. "O-of course I like you. Did you think I was mad at y--?"

“No, I mean do you like like me? Y’know… in a… romantic kind of way?”

“Oh… my…! Um… I-I… well… uh… *whimper*” she went from feeling slightly awkward to extremely uncomfortable in an instant. She’d totally lost the ability to look directly at me as she turned away and hunched over a little and began fidgeting with her mane.

“Well, she ain’t sayin’ no. But she ain’t sayin’ yes, either. No reason t’ pressure the poor girl into an answer...” After a moment of silently, patiently awaiting her response, I spoke with a newfound sense of emotional dissonance.

“I’ll… take your silence as a… Yes…? No...? Maybe so...?” she didn’t respond with words right away. She instead slowly, weakly nodded her head as a way to confirm her answer.

“Aww man…” I mentally face-palmed.

“Oh… um… well… I…” it was my turn to be at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry. I really am truly very sorry, Ty… I know you’re with Twilight,” the apologetic mare suddenly, hastily interrupted as she turned her full focus towards me, looking me dead in the eye with an expression of guilt that I was completely unprepared for. “I understand completely that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Neither would I. But it’s not every day somepony like you comes along…” her statement alarmed me.

“What do you mean…?” I warily asked, butterflies forming in my stomach.

“I mean somepony who I feel understands me for being as… as introverted as I am. Not many ponies here know what it’s like to not be able to express yourself normally. I don’t want to always be the scaredy-pony that everypony has to either make fun of or have to stand up for when I can’t do it myself. I don’t want to have to go through an entire dispute with my own self-esteem in order to go through with something as simple as helping out a friend in need…”

She began to tear up, her voice wavering as she explained herself, which served to make me feel even worse for her than I did before. “I… I’ve learned enough about myself to better handle myself in situations where I’m the one being depended on or where I need to assert myself or even when I’m just meeting a new pony. But it’s just so hard keeping it up… Sometimes, I fall right back into the same cowardly habits I’ve been trying to get rid of… I wish I could be more like you… “

“Really?” I asked in astonishment as butterflies fluttered wildly in my stomach. I couldn't contain my anxiousness at Fluttershy's confession and began fidgeting with my moistening hands as my heartbeat sped up as if I were jogging.

“Yes… I still occasionally think about that conversation we had when we first met and a few of the conversations you and I have had afterwards… how you said you were able to overcome your own shyness and be able to talk to ponies without fear of making a bad impression or worrying about making a fool of yourself… not to mention all the stuff you’ve done for Twilight since we’ve known you. You’re so kind and sweet to everypony and when I do see you around, you and Twilight seem to get along so well… but at the same time, you seem like you’d be able to stand up for yourself when you need to. Then there’s the Hearth’s Warming party…”

“*sigh* I get the feel that none of us is gonna live THAT down…”

“When you were the only one to ask me what I was going to say when nopony else was listening to me… how you only got a little upset instead of really angry when Dashie tricked us… how, even though you didn’t have to for any reason, you still went through with… the um… the kiss… and then you, Twilight, and I managed to clear the air afterwards… That’s sort of when I started thinking of you… or at the very least… what it would be like to have somepony like you as a colt-friend… And then just today, when you volunteered to help me even though you were injured... I didn’t know somepony from a world so far away could be so… so kind and caring... so selfless... That’s why it hurt me so much to scare you off like I did... I felt so guilty about possibly ruining my friendship with you over this that I just fell into a fit of crying..." everything around us went eerily silent at that point, neither of us knowing what else to say.

"Uh... huh... *gulp* You couldn't slice THIS kind o' tension with a hot knife..."

"I… I guess what I’m trying to say is… is that I… I admire you,” the mare finally, yet sheepishly informed me. After venting her feelings out to me, she took a deep breath and cast her gaze away once again, blushing. “…even though you’re not a pony.”

“Oh… wow…” I was completely stunned beyond belief at her confession, my face feeling hotter than a habanero pepper that had been set on fire. “Um… I… I’m flattered, really. I… didn’t know you thought of me that way… But… I’m also really sorry…” I'd even begun trembling a little as the awkwardness took full swing.

“Sorry? For what? You didn’t do anything wrong…” she assured as she looked at me.

“I mean… for causin’ you trouble. I uh… I’d hate for you t’ feel some kinda negative way all because o’ somethin’ like this… I don’t know how t’ word it, but I guess I’ll say it kinda hurts t’ see or even hear about you of all ponies bein’ in an unhappy mood. It’s worse t’ know I’m the cause of it…”

“But that isn’t your fault. It’s mine… for even thinking of you that way when I know you’re with Twilight…”

"Wow... poor girl. She blames herself for her own feelin's..."

“You have nopony t’ blame. I understand where you come from. It’s perfectly alright to uh… to have an active imagination, for lack of a better term. The mind, in a way, is a… a sort o' safe haven, I guess… a place where you’re able t' do what you want, when you want, and how you want… a place where your thoughts and feelin's, unless physically or verbally conveyed t' someone else, are yours an' yours alone. So long as you don’t act out on those thoughts in the case that they’re in some way, shape, or form unacceptable, no one can control what runs through your mind but you. Simply put, you don’t hafta feel guilty for your thoughts so long as you don’t act on anything that may seem unacceptable… unless the thought is unacceptable even to you, that is. In that case… well in that case, jus’ don’t think bad thoughts, as hard as that may sound…” I stated with a short laugh, which Fluttershy joined me in.

“I understand…” she smiled a most heart-melting smile that would’ve probably made the Grinch’s heart grow ten times as compared to three.

“Good. Oh, and… um… two more things. One: I’m sure there’s a lotta good stallions out there willing to be your special somepony. I’ss up t’ you to find which one of ‘em is good enough for you… and Two: It’s part of your nature to be shy. Not t’ say you can’t change your nature to some extent, but old habits die hard. I know exactly where you’re comin’ from with the spontaneous recovery of repressed behaviors. Heck, I still have trouble talkin’ to others sometimes. Like if I was in a group with a buncha ponies I didn’t know... Would you expect me t’ be able t’ hit it off with every single one of ‘em or lead the conversation?”

“I… think so…?”

“Truth be told, Fluttershy… I wouldn’t.” At that, Fluttershy’s softly gazing turquoise eyes widened in surprise.

“You wouldn’t?”

“Well, i’ss more of an in-between kinda thing. I’m one o' those types that normally gets t’ know others one by one before I get comfortable. Tha’ss why I was able t’ get t’ know all o’ you so well. If Twilight was t’ jus’ introduce me t’ all o’ y’all at the same time, I woulda jus’ shut down… not in the sense that I’d panic an’ run away, but… it’d be more like… like I wouldn’t be able t’ give more than simple one or two-word responses t’ anything y’all had t’ ask me… MAYBE I’d speak a li’l bit more than that, but yea, I can still be shy sometimes, too...”

“Oh… I… I had no idea.”

“Yea, no one’s perfect. I got my quirks, you got your quirks, we all got quirks. What I figure we hafta do t’ become better individuals is learn ‘em an’ control ‘em to the best of our ability. Unless one feels like they really need t’ reevaluate his or herself, then all we gotta do is look at ourselves an’ ask, ‘do I like how I am?’ And if the answer is no, then you ask, ‘what can I change about myself t’ make me happy?’”

“I… I understand… you’re very insightful, Ty.”

“Thank you. But since we’re on the topic, I gotta ask: Do you like how you are?”

“Of course! I have wonderful friends, I take care of all the cutest, most wonderful animals I could ever ask for; big or small, I help protect Equestria from danger, and I’m nice to everypony. I’ll even stand up for my friends if there’s somepony giving them a hard time.”

“I see…” I commented, impressed by the qualities of herself she listed. “Impressive. But what about your quirks?”

“I um… I guess I’m too shy… and quiet… and… and I scare really easily to the point where it gets in other ponies’ way sometimes… and sometimes, when somepony isn’t listening to me or is giving me a hard time, I either lose my temper and scream at them, or I give them ‘The Stare.’”

“The Stare…?” I asked in aroused interest.

“It’s this really mean look I give to anypony who upsets me a lot. It scares anyone I aim it at really badly. Well… except Discord…”

“Discord…?” I asked in bewilderment. “Why does that sound familiar…?”

“You probably remember him as the statue you saw in the garden in Canterlot.” It took me a second, but I quickly remembered.

“You mean that freaky goat snake monster thing with all the different body parts that y’all said almost took over Equestria??” I almost shouted in shock and a sudden sense of apprehension. “He’s free again??”

“He’s not a freaky goat monster thing. He’s our friend. At least, now he is…”

“Really now? But… how? Where is he?”

“I don’t know where he is now, but it took a lot of time reforming him. Eventually, he came around when we gave him something he would never, ever want to give up…”

“What? Freedom?”

“No. Well, technically yes… but we gave him friendship.” At that, I dropped an eyebrow in skepticism.

“Really? Friendship?” I asked in disbelief. “Considerin’ what Twilight told me about this Discord, he was supposed t’ be the LORD of chaos and anything opposed t’ natural order and basic sense makin’… an' ALL y’all needed t’ do was become his friends t’ change ‘im?”

“Yes.”

“Now ain’t that about a ‘B’…?”

“Well now… I… actually hafta say that’s impressive… turnin’ a bad guy good jus’ like that…?”

“It’s possible. It just takes time, a lot of patience, and compassion.”

“So it is… I imagine it not bein’ so easy, though. He was prolly pissin’ you off the whole way through, wasn’t he?”

“He was… what?”

“Ix-nay on the Anguage-lay, man!”

“Oh! I mean, was he gettin’ on your nerves?”

“Oh. Yes. But only because he needed to make a change he originally didn’t want to make until he saw how that change could benefit him…”

“Interesting… That kinda plays along with what we’re discussin’… But now I’m curious. This ‘Stare’ of yours… what’s it like?”

“I could show you what it’s like, but… If it’s alright with you, I don’t want to do that…”

“Understandable. Any more quirks you can think of?”

“No… I… I think that’s all…”

“Oh. Well then yea, you could always work on betterin’ yourself. But in the end, are you happy with who you are?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Then don’t worry if you occasionally wind up lettin’ slip a bad habit. Jus’ focus on bein’ the gorgeous, good-natured pony you are. And who knows? Someone might take an interest in you…” I advised with a wink. She seemed to have taken that comment personally, as she gasped at the word 'gorgeous,' her cheeks turning pink.

"I-I'm... gorgeous?" she sweetly asked, her turquoise eyes glimmering in the moonlight as she fixed her attention directy at me.

"Of course you are, Fluttershy..." I assured as I reached over to pat my companion on the head and run my hand down her mane. She closed her eyes as she cooed in satisfaction.

“Oh my goodness, your hands… they feel so good…”

“So I’ve heard from Twi…” I joked.

“She must really like it when you do that then, hm?”

“More than you know, ‘Shy… More than you know…” I chortled before I'd gotten an idea on how to make it up to Fluttershy for hurting her. “Hey, would… you like a rubdown?”

“A-are you sure? I mean… if you want to, I’d like one. But… I don’t want to make it less special for Twilight if you do me…”

“The ‘specialty’ of my rubs on Twilight will not change for anything. I’m jus’ feelin’ generous enough t’ give you this one freebie. You deserve it after all I put you through…”

“Well… it DOES feel really nice… but for the record, you haven’t done anything bad to me.”

“Hm. If ya say so. Now c’mere an’ turn around.” Wordlessly, Fluttershy agreed in the form of standing up, trotting towards me as I sat, turning around so that her tail end was facing me, and sitting back down on her haunches.

“So… how do you usually begiii… mm… hmm…” she slurred as I gently ran one hand down the middle of her back.

“Jus’ relax an’ lie down…” I instructed. She obediently complied, folding her hooves and lying down as I gently, rhythmically rubbed her from her head down to her lower back. I even took the liberty of scratching behind her ear, which she seemed to enjoy as both of them lowered to mat over her head. This was very much the same as rubbing Twilight in almost every aspect except that I’d had to take into account the wings rather than a horn. At one point during the massage, however, her wings seemed to begin standing up involuntarily. Pretty soon, they were fully flexed out and stiffer than boards. I took that as a sign of her contentment with the friendly gesture.

“Jeez, her wings are as hard as a prosthetic leg! Or like how I was when Twilight was sittin’ on top of m—!”

“Shut the hell UP!”

I’d gotten a bit curious as to how she’d react if I’d tried rubbing her wings. So I very carefully ran the fingers of my left hand along the underside of her fully-flared left wing from the base to the tip.

“*GASP* Ahh…” she sighed with utmost pleasure as she arched her back ever so slightly.

“I… take it your wings are… sensitive?” I inquired.

“Mm-hmm… very… c-could you please um… do it again…?” Fluttershy innocently requested.

“Uhh… sure…” I obliged as I copied the motion using my right hand on her right wing. Again, she arched her back as she sighed with pleasure. “Uh huh…” I muttered as I put the pieces together. “Your wings… they’re… an erogenous zone… aren’t they?”

“Erogenous zone?” she innocently asked, craning her head to look back at me in wonder.

“It means um… well it means… how do I put this...? It's a place on your body where, if touched a… certain way, it gets you really… happy.”

“Happy? Try ‘Horny.’”

“Try shuttin' up.”

“What? I’m bored. I need somethin’ t’ do. Or SOMEONE, rather…”

“AAAAAAND this is the part where I start ignorin’ you.”

“Oh. Then yes…” Fluttershy sweetly answered, turning back around and resting her head in her forelegs.

“I see…” was all I said before continuing the rubdown. With the newfound information I’d acquired, I decided to utilize it, all the while being careful not to overdo it. I caressed her svelte, fuzzy, cuddly soft form in mostly the same way as I’d begun, but I focused just a little bit more of my attention on her wings. I’d brush past the base of each wing as I dragged my fingertips down her back, or occasionally take the liberty of softly trailing up her flight-enabling appendages after trailing my hands simultaneously down her sides. She was much quieter with the mesmerized moaning and cooing than Twilight was, but she did it more frequently. Fluttershy was out like a light in mere minutes, smiling cutely as she tucked herself in.

“Such a baby-like look of cuteness she has… just adorable…” I painstakingly picked myself up, ignoring the now-waning thresholds of physical torment I’d endured throughout the day. I carefully picked the pegasus up and cradled her in my arms in a way very much akin to how one would cradle an infant. I brought her back into Twilight’s room, where I’d seen that everypony else had been sound asleep, each of them making their own distinct onomatopoeic sounds of sawing logs. I very carefully set Fluttershy down in the area where she’d laid her pillow and blanket and tucked her in to make her extra comfy. I gave one last stroke of the gorgeous little mare’s mane before carefully stepping over Pinkie, Zecora, and Rarity in order to take my admittedly uncomfortable spot on Twi’s floor.

“Damn this is painful…” I thought as I twisted and turned about on the floor. “I almost think sleepin’ on the ground outside would be more fittin’… There is like NO room in here…” The area was already small for my size, seeing as I’d outsized everyone around me in this world… or at least, in this room. The most comfortable position I could find was when I scrunched up into the fetal position. Eventually (emphasis on EVENTUALLY), I’d gotten used my awkward position as I lay my head on the tiny pillow. JUST when I was about to go to sleep, however…

“Ty…? Are you awake?” called a dreary-sounding Twilight.

“DAMMIT! So close, too…!”

“Yea… what up, honeybun…?” I asked, masking my irritation as one of my eyes twitched.

“I… I can’t sleep… I need to talk to you…”

“Of course…”

“…Alright,” I agreed, not wanting to upset the unicorn further than she seemed. “Wha’ss on ya mind?”

“Can we go out to the balcony? It’s… kind of… personal.”

“Nooo, I don’t wanna go back out there…! Gnaaaaah…!!” I mentally whined like a spoiled child.

“Okay…” I sullenly agreed as I got back up to lethargically follow the drowsy unicorn mare back to the area in which I just talked to Fluttershy…

The News...!

I carefully limped out onto the balcony with my human colt-friend following close behind. I took my place at the center of the structure and sat down. He took the liberty of finding a seat right next to me. Rather than look at him, however, I was gazing into the starry night sky, contemplating the wording of the news I was about to convey to him.

“So… wha’ss up?” Ty asked in a nonchalant tone, although I could hear the fatigue in it.

“A couple things actually..." I uneasily replied. "But first and foremost, I… just wanted to say… I’m sorry…” I guiltily apologized.

“Sorry? For what?” the human inquired in wonder.

“I’m sorry for… for the argument we got into earlier. I shouldn’t have blamed you for everything that happened today…”

“Oh. Don’t sweat it. We’re all under a lotta stress over this Gillian guy. I understand you bein’ a bit upset with me. I shoulda stayed inside like you told me.”

“Yes, but you were only helping out a friend. You had no idea you were going to be taken away in the manner that you were. Plus, he was apparently already searching for us for a while. I suppose it was only a matter of time before he found either you or me."

"True... I could still only wonder what woulda happened if I DIDN'T go t' Fluttershy's house, though..."

"Speaking of… how’d your talk with Fluttershy go?”

“Oh, it was good. I’d like t’ think we cleared at least some stuff up. Although I’m still a li’l bit worried about her…”

“Why's that?”

“This… ‘crush’ thing,” he began, sounding unsure of himself. “I jus’ feel guilty for it. She said she was fine, but after that, she basically blurted out every reason as t’ why she likes me…”

“What…?” I asked in a new-found sense of interest, accompanied with a bit of apprehension. “There’s more behind it than the party?”

“A LOT more…” Ty emphasized. “Long story short, she says she ‘admires me,’ an’ had been admirin’ me since the day we met. The party jus’ kinda… I guess, sparked the ember, I should say?”

“Fluttershy… Poor girl…”

“She’d better keep her hooves off of him! He’s MINE!” I wasn’t sure how to take that. Fluttershy, one of my best friends whom I've known since MY first visit to Ponyville, harbored affection towards Ty…? And had been since HIS first visit to Ponyville?

“Oh…” was all I could muster as I let it sink in that one of my closest friends— FLUTTERSHY, no less— harbored such feelings towards my special somepony of all ponies…

“Yea… I don’t know what t’ say about it either…” Ty concurred as we both began staring into space. After a brief, awkward silence, he spoke again. “All I could tell ‘er regardin’ that is that there’s plenty of other viable suitors out there an’ that it was up t’ her to choose who was right for her…”

“Oh… so… you let her down easy?” I asked, trying not to sound hopeful about my inquiry.

“I… guess I did."

"That's good. Maybe she won't feel too down about her feelings being unrequited, then?" I asked again, still trying to mask my relief.

"Yea... but… I gotta be honest with you... I… I… um…” he faltered on his words as he scratched his head, thus sending my heart sinking.

"...You... what?" I pressed, my brow furrowing a little as I focused my line of sight on the human.

"I... I... kinda... *sigh* gave her a sort of... apology gift..." he vaguely admitted in a tone of guilt. There was only one thing I could figure from his suddenly withdrawn disposition and unclear euphemism...

“*GASP* Oh no…! He kissed her again, didn’t he? I knew it! I knew it was a bad idea to trust them around each other alone!”

“But… why?” I asked, hurt by his shameful confession.

“Why what?” he turned toward me with a look of confusion.

“Why did you do it?” I asked, my anger growing rapidly. “Why WOULD you do it? You know you’re with me. You KNOW I wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Twilight, please. Let me fin—!”

“No!” I snapped as a huge lump formed in my throat. “You snake! Why did you do that!? How could you!? You both said you wouldn’t! You lied to me!” I buried my face in my fore hooves as I let the tears begin streaming from my eyes. I felt something— his hand— gently placing itself onto my back.

“Twilight, listen t’ me.” He ordered, keeping his cool. “Whatever it is you’re thinkin’ I did, I—!”

“Save it!” I was absolutely livid at this point. Whatever excuse he had for betraying my trust, I didn’t want to hear it. I coldly pulled away from his hand and glared at him with the intensity of an angry Cockatrice. All he could do was stare back in a pitiful display of fear and guilt. “Why don’t you and Fluttershy go and get married since you like HER so much!?”

“What?? Twilight, what is your problem?!” He asked in offense. “Why are you actin’ so bent outta shape all of a sudden?”

“Because you CHEATED on me!!” I shouted so loud that the others could probably hear it. "Wouldn't YOU be bent out of shape if I was in YOUR position!?"

“WHAT!!??” he asked in total shock. I could bet I hit the nail right on the head there. “You’re jokin’, right??”

“Does it look like I’m joking to you, cheater!?”

“*sigh* Okay, how in the WORLD could you POSSIBLY fathom the idea of me doin’ ANYTHING t’ hurt you like that??”

“Oh I dunno! Maybe because you just ADMITTED to it??”

“I ain’t admit t’ anything! You didn’t even let me finish!”

“Why should I bother letting you finish when I know what you were going to finish with!? The damage has already been done!”

“Because you’re accusin’ me of doin’ somethin’ I didn’t do, would never THINK of doin’, an’ have NEVER done! I thought YOU of all ponies would know better than that!”

“Oh, so you WEREN’T going to admit to kissing Fluttershy during your little bonding time with her?”

“What!? No! I was gonna say I ru—!”

“I don’t wanna hear it!” I boldly interrupted. “I… I don’t want to even LOOK at you right now…!” I coldly spat as I turned away and back towards the entranceway, fighting the anger-fueled tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m so upset with you I can’t even see straight…”

“Well you wouldn’t be if you’d just listen t’ me!” He pleaded. “I dunno wha’ss givin’ you such a problem with me that you would even THINK I’d be unfaithful t’ you, but I am NOT gonna sit here an’ let you persecute me like you’re doin’! You’re actin’ like a spoiled, hardheaded little kid right now!” He placed his hand on my back, which sent my frustration with him past its peak. My teeth were clenched hard enough that I might have been able to chew through pure titanium as I lowered my head. “*sigh* Look at me. Listen to me, please...” I don’t know what sense of primordial instinct overtook me in that moment, but whatever the case was, I lost my sense of self-control as I swiftly turned around and swung my bad hoof at him.

*SMACK* Despite the surge of physical pain now coursing through my leg, I found some arbitrary satisfaction in seeing that I’d done damage to him. He placed both of his hands over his nose, staring at me in complete bafflement.

“I’m not going to sit here and listen to you lie and makes excuses about cheating on me! Good night, Tyshawn!”

“Twilight, wai—! *SLAM*” I left that cheater outside where he belonged. I was so distraught over what he did, though…

“How could he…? He promised… He PINKIE promised…!”

“Obviously, he was just full of it when he said he’d never harm me in any way…! I actually can’t wait to see what Pinkie does to him! Yeah… I… can’t… *sniffle* wait…!” With that thought, I marched back into my room, gathering up every last semblance of effort I had left to keep quiet, where I plopped my exhausted body onto my bed. However, it would be a while before I found peace in slumber… I had a lot emotional venting to do…

“God, what the hell got INT’ her…!?” I muttered as I stared at the balcony entrance, appalled at the way she’d just completely lost her temper. I’d still been covering my throbbing nose with my hands and my head was hurting worse than ever, but I couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep. I couldn't even summon up the courage to go back inside where there was a pissed-off unicorn likely sobbing her eyes out over a hasty assumption. I removed my hands from my nose to see that they’d been stained red.

“A nosebleed…? Perfect…” I nasally muttered in frustration as I moved my left hand to cover my nose once again while I wiped the other hand on my shirt. "What a fantastic day THIS has been..."

“Well, I can't say I'd feel comfortable stayin' here tonight… She prolly wouldn't let me anyhow... I need t’ go somewhere… but where…? I’d be too recognizable jus’ strollin’ through town… ahh fuck it. They all saw me anyway.” With that, I got up and dragged myself toward the balcony’s railing, the anger and sorrow over the misunderstanding building up inside of me like a dam about to burst. I looked down to see that the drop wasn't too steep for me to leap off and land safely and hopefully without injuring myself further. I used my sense of judgment to carefully climb over the rail. As I prepared make the small leap towards the ground below, a sudden hooting sound stopped me.

“Wha…?” I murmured. Soon, a small brown owl came soaring from nowhere, hooting sporadically before perching itself on the railing about an arm’s length away from me. “Oh. Hey. You mus’ be that pet owl of hers… Owloysius, was it?” I asked, holding my nose with one hand while the other kept me secure from falling.

“Hoo!” the owl simply said with what I assumed was a quick nod.

“Oh. Well i’ss good t’ finally meet you, I guess…”

“Hoo? Hoo!” the owl cawed once again, pointing a wing towards the entrance to the balcony.

“I’m gonna guess he’s askin’ why I’m not goin’ back in there…”

“…Oh. No, I’m not goin’ back in there tonight. Considerin’ you’re out here, I guess you heard what jus’ happened?”

“Hoo!” Owloysius nodded again, presumably confirming my previous hypothesis about his gestures.

“An’ of course, you understand why I ain’t goin’ back in there… right?”

“Hoo. Hoo Hoo! Hoo!” the owl made more unusual motions, trying to demonstrate some kind of message to me. He pointed once again back to the entrance, followed by flying up towards my face and hooting some more. He made a few confusing signals with his feet (one of which was shaped like a sort of heart) before perching on my shoulder and nuzzling into my face. Finally, he once again pointed towards the entrance before jumping off of my shoulder and landing back on the railing.

“What, you want me t’ try talkin’ t’ her again?”

“Hoo?”

“Twilight. You want me t’ try talkin’ t’ Twilight again?”

“Hoo!”

“Twilight. Y’know, the purple unicorn you li— wait a minute…”

“What the hell am I doin’? I’m talkin’ to an owl. Of course all it’s gonna be able t’ say is ‘Hoo.’”

“…Oh, right. You can’t actually talk… But uh… Yea, I’m not doin’ that; at least not now. I’ll come back an’ talk when she’s in more of a mind t’ listen. Not sure if you noticed, but she’s been a bit crabby lately an’ I quite frankly, ain’t in the kinda mood t’ deal with somebody who falsely accuses people of infidelity an’ gives ‘em nosebleeds,” I dismally stated. “That and I need some time alone t’ think... Whelp, I’m off t’ go find somewhere else t’ sleep. Good night, Owloysius.”

“Hoo!” Rather than listen to any more of what the owl possibly had to say, I carefully turned around and leaped off of the balcony.

*FLOP* I’d landed, but the shock of the fall sent me to my hands and knees, which only served to piss me off even more; especially with how much my arms and legs already hurting.

“Dammit…!” I cursed as I pounded the ground with my tightly-clenched fist. I sat there in my pitiful stupor, feeling bad for what had happened just a few moments ago.

“First that a-hole criminal comes outta nowhere an’ ruined the entirety of today, an’ now Twilight hates my guts for NO good reason… How could she seriously distrust me that much? Nine months down the line… NINE months…! And she chooses to lose her damn mind over an assumption SHE made… but then... I really DIDN'T pick the best way t' tell her I gave Fluttershy a massage... Shoulda jus' spit it out when I had the chance... Even so, I honestly thought you knew me better than that, Twi… Guess I was wrong…” A couple of tears, as well as a few droplets of nose blood, made their marks in the dirt where I’d pounded my fist. A short while later, I stood back up on my feet and staggered into town, holding my messy nose with a hand as I walked. I was hoping that, given the time of night, I wouldn't run into too many of the town's residents as I searched for a new place to rest. However, there was a small amount of ponies still outside during the night that either stared at me or screamed something along the lines of “Monster!” and hurried into their homes and presumably locked their doors tightly.

“Whatever… Be scared.” After a short stint of staggering about the town like the downtrodden drifter I’d suddenly become, I’d run into the minty-green unicorn mare yet again.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” announced an excited Lyra.

“Well you found me. Now wha... ha... HATCHOO!!" I sneezed, but managed to contain the majority of my blood from spraying anywhere but on me. "What do you want?” I asked, failing to mask my bitterness.

“Oh… you don’t seem too happy,” she observantly pointed out. “And it looks like you’ve been bleeding… Is there something wrong?”

“Le’ss jus’ say I’m... stranded with no place t’ go,” I offhandedly replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’mma go crawl off somewhere an’ live under a rock for a while.” I stepped past the alarmed green mare and staggered away from her.

“Wait!” she called. I, for no good reason, stopped in my tracks. “Your voice… your accent… Are you… are you Ponder Memoir?”

“Congratulations, you figured me out.”

“…Ty’s my real name,” I admitted, having long lost the ability to care about hiding my identity. With that, I began to slowly walk away from a presumably dumbfounded Lyra, not even looking back at her.

“Well in that case, um… Ty. Are you looking for Twilight’s house? If I remember right, her friends picked you up to lead you there. It’s—!”

“I know where her house is. Tha’ss where I’m comin’ from.”

“What? Why?”

“*sigh* Because she don’t w—!”

*ZAP* “Aaawrgh!” a familiarly excruciating series of burning stings and pricks coursed through my body once again, lasting a good couple seconds. Once the god-awful sensation subsided, I came crashing down on my knees and then my face following immediately after, all my limbs feeling numb.

“We meet again, human,” said a recognizably cocky voice. I managed to lift my head up just enough to see that red-eyed, smug grin of the voice’s malevolent owner. I noticed that his scratches and bruises were healed up.

“Charmed…!” I spat in agony.

“Y’know, we were JUST on our way back to your girlfriend’s house to pick up a substitute. I’m sure by now she’s already told you about the zebra, who’s apparently not at her isolated home in the Forest.”

“Well… Ya got me instead.”

“Indeed. I honestly wasn’t expecting you to just waltz out into the open like this.”

“Shit happens…” I rolled my eyes.

“Hm. No snippy remark? No misguided threats to beat me up?”

“Oh believe me, I… would love nothin’ more than t’ beat you senseless then drag you through town by your spiky black mane for what you did… but as you can see, I’m too weak t’ do any o’ that… So, no. Jus’… do what ya gotta do. Hit me, send me back int’ the woods t’ die again… I won't fight back…”

“Not like I can anyway… I can’t feel my arms or my legs…”

“…Okay, what’s wrong with you? You’re in MUCH lower spirits than before.” He grasped my head and, from the look of shock accompanied by the sudden release of my head, I could tell he noticed my new facial decoration. “Ooh. AND you’ve been bleeding. Recently, too. That blood looks fresh. Something happen?”

“Nothin’ you need t’ worry about. I already know you’re jus’ gonna use me in place o’ Zecora t’ get Twilight. I’m too weak an’ beaten t’ do anything about it… spare me the lip an’ jus’ take me…”

“Nothin’ you could do could be NEARLY as bad as what I figure Pinkie Pie’s gonna do t’ me anyway… Fuckin’ broken Pinkie Promise…!”

“…alright, then. Comet?”

“Sure thing…” with that, I was highlighted in a deep purple glow and levitated into the air before being made to stand up again. My hands involuntarily placed themselves together before being magically bound with rope obtained from the saddlebag Comet was wearing. I could only stare in sadness and contempt as I willingly gave myself up.

“What are you doing!? Why are you jus’ handin’ yaself over?”

“It’s no use. They have me right where they want me. There ain’t a damn thing I can do about it, physically or otherwise...”

“Kick ‘em! Ask for Lyra’s help! Run! Somethin’!” As I mentally argued with myself, more rope magically found its way around my ankles and tied itself tightly around them.

“Oh… whelp, you’re boned.”

“Hey, loosen that up a li’l bit, will ya?” I complained in a dejected, emotionless tone.

“Oh. Sorry about that,” Comet apologized. The rope’s grip loosened just enough that my ankles had some breathing room.

“Who are you guys?” Lyra finally spoke up. I assumed she’d seen enough of this pathetic show of utter submission.

“We’re… uh… we’re alien hunters,” Gillian lied. “We… find unusual species and we… see if we can find a way to return them to their home worlds.”

“Well that is just about the stupidest thing I ever heard…”

“Then… what was that he said about you using him in place of Zecora to get to Twilight?”

“Oh, that? We uh… heh… we mistook the zebra for him when uh… somepony reported to us that there was a strange creature lurking around here…” I stared at him blankly, my eyes half-open with disbelief at his ridiculous story. However, I saw him smirking as he looked at Lyra. “In fact, first thing in the morning, tell Twilight Sparkle that we found him and are looking for Ponyville’s greatest mind to cooperate with us in this… most wonderful discovery.” at that, the air went silent for a moment.

“…you guys are joking, right?” Lyra skeptically asked. “Do you seriously think I’m stupid?”

“…would it be surprising if I said yes…?” Gillian sheepishly admitted with a chuckle.

"You shocked him to get him down, and now you’re binding him with rope. I know you’re kidnapping him. And considering what you said about being on your way to pick up a ‘substitute for that zebra’ and what Ty just said about—!”

“*sigh* Comet?”

“I thought you’d NEVER ask…” with that, the cerulean mare charged up her horn and shot a small spark at the ranting detective.

*ZAP* *POOF* in an instant, the mint green unicorn was out cold as she collapsed on the ground.

“What’d you do t’ her??” I asked, worried about the bystander they’d just victimized.

“I simply put her under a sleeping spell. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine after about six or so hours. That’s usually when the spell wears off,” Comet informed to my relief.

“Well then… tha’ss actually pretty lenient of you.”

“Yeah, we’re not trying to kill anypony here…” Gillian said, causing me to shoot him another angry deadpan look. “Okay fine, we’re NOT going to kill you either. We figured that if we’re going to collect a peaceful audience with Celestia, we’re going to do it without anypony’s blood on our hooves.” He looked at his own hoof to see that there was a small amount of my blood on it. “Figuratively speaking, of course…” he added as he wiped his hoof on the ground.

“What about the kidnappin’, the scarin’ Ponyville shitless, and the apparent fight you got in with Twilight an’ her friends?”

“That fight was a minor setback. As for the other two things… well I need Twilight to come willingly without Princess Celestia noticing my presence here before I get anywhere near her. As you know, I AM an escaped convict from an entirely different country. I committed two simultaneous acts of high treason. Plus, I am-- er, WAS the only human on record to have ever existed here... besides you. Celestia would recognize me immediately if anypony with a strong enough connection to her alerted her of me, which, given my prior knowledge of the TV series, can be done through use of that dragon... I was initially hoping to take HIM so that little ol' Twilight wouldn’t be able to use him. I can only hope he didn’t send her a letter already… but I digress. In any case, that’s where YOU come in, my semi-new hostage!” He falsely praised, patting me on the back of my leg. “Exposing you to the public was both a way to distract the rest of the town from my being here in the case that they heard about that, and a small bonus in seeing them freak out over an alien!” he laughed.

“*sigh* Great. Can we go now?” I impatiently requested, feeling much too upset and tired to hear him ramble on anymore.

“Jeez, you’re not very fun. How about this, then: Would you rather take the short way or the long way?”

“Why am I bein’ given the choice?”

“I’m not letting you ruin my fun, that’s why.”

“Oh, whatever. Like I give two shits about whether you have fun or not…”

“Fine. The long way.”

“Yes…!” he cheered. “You’re at least a LITTLE fun after all!”

“How’s THAT make me fun t’ you?”

“Simply put: Because we get to drag you through town like the war trophy you are. In addition, I’m almost certain that Ms. Sparkle would be MUCH more obliged to come and get you than she would that zebra!”

“Oh tha’ss rich… I sure hope you ain’t gettin’ high on that bet…”

“…Oh, okay. Whisk me away then, O mighty alien hunter,” I flatly commanded.

“Not a problem.” With that, he moved to grab the end of the rope with his teeth. He yanked hard, causing my feet to slip out from under me.

*THUD* “Ow…!”

“Before we go…” I looked and saw him pull a sheet of parchment and a quill out of his own saddlebag. He then moved to flip me so that I was lying on my stomach. “I just need to get this out of the way…” I felt him press a hoof firmly against my back. I guessed that he was writing something. A few seconds later, he took his hooves and the sheet off of me. “Comet, can you help me drag our newest acquaintance into that bush over there?”

“No problemo, babe,” the mare complied as her horn lit up with magic again. Soon, Lyra’s unconscious body was highlighted and levitated into the bush.

“Excellent…” with that, he walked over to the bush, the note sealed and in his mouth. He carefully placed the scroll inside; presumably in a position Lyra would see it when she woke up, before trotting back towards me.

“Off we go, then!” And off I was, being pulled through town by my bare feet by two evil unicorns. At this point, the fatigue was really setting in; causing me to slowly lose consciousness as I was shamefully dragged about Ponyville, more dirt accumulating on my already-ragged, filthy clothes. Despite that, I’d managed to gain a solitary moment of remorseful sulking before passing out.

“This is some bull…”

Guilt Trip...

I awoke lying on my back in a total daze, completely unaware of my surroundings. My vision was much too blurred to see any definitive images that would clue me in on my exact location. No sound was made that could tell me where I was. However, I was able to move to an upright sitting position and inspect my own appearance. I was surprised to see that I’d been clean; no dirt or blood staining my outfit. In addition, my limbs were free from ensnarement and devoid of any physical torment.

“How…? I coulda sworn I was…” I muttered to myself, scratching my head in confusion. "Where am I...?" I shook my head quickly, hoping to gain some semblance of awareness.

“Ty…” I heard someone gently call from a distance, alerting me into opening my eyes wide.

“Yea?” I responded as I looked around the unfamiliar landscape. I got no response. "Who's there?"

“Ty…!” the disembodied voice sang again, sounding much closer. The voice itself sounded vaguely familiar, but my confusion would not allow me to put a name or a face to it.

“Yes? I’m here! Who’s lookin’ for me?” I called, scouring the area a bit more scrupulously despite my myopic vision. "What do you need?"

“Ty…” the voice called one more time, coming from right behind me. I slowly turned around to be greeted with a brightly smiling lavender unicorn, who'd come into my sight very clearly. As soon as I laid eyes on her, the environment became clear: I’d suddenly found myself back in my own universe; my room to be exact, sitting on my bed next to Twilight Sparkle, who'd also seemed to have been cleansed of injury and physical signs of fatigue. The room was dark, no light other than the moon gleaming through the window to provide any clarity to our surroundings.

“Oh thank goodness, i’ss you, Twi…” I breathed a sigh of relief, the wary tension that had been building inside me suddenly gone. “What’s up? How'd we wind up back here?”

“I love you, Ty... I love you… so much…” she dreamily whispered, grinning at me in wistful ecstasy. I didn't quite know how to react to such a sudden, yet affectionate confession. All I knew was that those words, coming from Twilight, sent me into a state of absolute bliss… Right there, I wanted to reciprocate her affection by confessing my feelings to her.

"Aww..." I replied, love-struck as I ran a hand along her smooth, silky mane and down the back of her neck. "I l--!" Before I was able to say anything else, the unicorn lunged at me, blinding me from seeing anything but her mane and vibrant, luscious violet eyes as she voraciously locked her lips with mine. I did nothing to stop her. The unicorn kissed me deeply, seeming to pour all of her feeling into the lovely gesture as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck and pulled me close. A few seconds later, she pulled away, still smiling as a strand of saliva kept our mouths connected. The unicorn, noticing the strand, blushingly giggled as she lifted a hoof to wipe my lip clean. Being utterly beguiled by her charms, I did the same by softly running my thumb across her bottom lip.

“I want you… here and now…” she admitted with an unusually erotic inflection in her voice. “Give me all of your love, Ty… and in return, I’ll give you mine…”

"Whoa... Giggety, Giggety, Gig-Eh-Dee...!"

"Wow... how sudden... I'd be a bad guy t' say no... but... are you sure you want to do this, though? I mean..."

"Please, take me!" She interrupted as she pounced on me yet again. Taken by pleasant surprise, I hungrily welcomed her uncalculated embrace as we fell back onto the bed with her on top of me. I closed my eyes to bask in the moment of bonding with my filly-friend, wrapping my arms lovingly around her as we kissed deeply, stopping for nothing as I lost myself in the love of the unicorn… the air became hot and thin… our breathing and moaning was heavy and primal… and before I knew it, I found myself uniting with her in the most physically intimate way possible. Any objections I’d harbored against this sort of behavior were cast to the wind as Twi and I became one, each of us thoroughly enjoying the explicitly wondrous feel and taste of one another… Everything became a blur; my vision was fading into blackness and all sound was inexplicably drowned out as Twilight and I indulged in each other's intimate desires. Eventually, the two of us reached the simultaneous climax of our physical lust, causing me to black out in pleasure…

However, when my two most vital senses returned to me, I was alarmed to be greeted with the physical form of someone else. The eyes were no longer purple. They’d taken a more rounded shape. The mane was no longer dark blue, nor was it shaped the same. The horn had disappeared. The coat was no longer lavender. I’d even felt something… feathery in my grasp. Instead of Twilight, I was greeted with the sight of long, straight pink hair, soft, round pools of turquoise, and a bright yellow coat.

“That was… wonderful,” said the voice, now sounding whispery and soft as its owner nuzzled into my shoulder. Baffled and speechless, I looked around to see that I was no longer in my own home… I was no longer holding Twilight. I was in the home and the embrace of the yellow pegasus mare known as Fluttershy. I’d been holding her in my arms as she lay on top of me, smiling the same way I’d thought I’d seen Twi smile as she stared into my eyes. Except… my arms weren’t arms. I noticed that I’d been shrunken in size and my body had been reformed to the shape of a quadruped. I took note of my jet black coat and lack of hands, which only served to befuddle me further.

“Wha…? How did I…? Fluttershy? Wha’ss goin’ on?” I asked in bewilderment, foolishly hoping for a legitimate answer.

“We just made love, sweetie…” she softly whispered in my ear as she cuddled and ground her lower body into me. “And it was the best…” Instantly, I was confused beyond belief as my heart sank.

“Made… LOVE???” I thought, my mind wracked with dread and confusion. “That is insane! Me? And Her?? But… I’m with Twilight!! I WAS with Twilight! Wasn’t I? Why would I do something like this? With Fluttershy of all ponies! Why am I not with Twilight!?”

"Even I gotta say tha'ss a bit of a mind fuck..."

"But... I thought Twilight was...!"

"Shhh..." the uncharacteristically-seductive mare quieted me as she lifted her head to meet my gaze as she playfully pressed a hoof to my lips. "You don't need her... you have me... I love you much more than she ever could... and we just got done proving it, baby..."

"That doesn't make sense! Why would I EVER--?" My thought process was interrupted when I felt the hoof remove itself from my mouth. I was thoroughly alarmed beyond my wits when it was replaced with a pair of lips pressing against my own. My eyes opened wide with total shock as I processed the fact that Fluttershy had just kissed me. "What... the hell???" Flabbergasted, I hastily pulled away from the embrace. Fluttershy lifted her head back up, seeming a bit confused.

"What's wrong, Ty? Don't you love me?" she sincerely asked as she kept me pinned down with her body.

"I... sure I do, but..." I had no idea what to say... But, I was positive I didn't want say anything that would offend the mare. "Not in the way you want me to... This isn't right... I'm supposed to be with Twilight. She's my filly-friend. I'm sorry, Fluttershy... I jus' don't feel the same way about you that you do me... I don't even know how I wound up here... None o' this seems right at all...!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head violently to make sure I wasn’t simply hallucinating. Rather than simply appear somewhere else like I had just a moment ago, I’d suddenly felt Fluttershy's presence disappear along with the environment. I'd begun falling before I’d even opened my eyes. Wind was flowing by me at a velocity I couldn’t comprehend as I kept my eyes shut; too afraid to look at the ground I was plummeting towards. After what felt like an eternity of being at the mercy of gravity, I’d finally come to a complete halt… But rather than crash land into the new area, I found myself suddenly levitating, my eyes still clenched.

“You’re ours, now… hahahaha…!” I heard a deep, sinister voice taunt. Suddenly, a shock ripped through my body, forcing me to open my eyes. Again, the landscape had changed; this time, it was a dank, creepy forest, where I’d once again found myself tied up to a tree. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I tried to struggle, but I only found it extremely exhausting… but then, I noticed I could move my arms and legs. I was human again. But then… I wasn’t hanging from the tree by my torso… I was hanging by my neck. I suddenly felt a stark tightness grip around my windpipes with the strength of a python. Panicked, I clasped my hands around the leafy tether, trying vehemently to break free from the literal death grip of the vine. My eyes wandered around the forest, looking for someone or something that could help me. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar lavender unicorn walking right into the area. I tried reaching out for her as I struggled for breath. She seemed to notice my frantic waving, as she stopped and looked up at me. However, the look on her face wasn’t one of worry or shock… it was one of bitter vindication; a look of pure, unadulterated hatred, piercing directly into my asphyxiating being.

“You cheat! You liar! You… you pig!” she insulted, seeming to care nothing for my dire situation.

“T-Twi… Light…!” I managed to gargle out, feeling as if my head was going to explode any second. “Please…! Help…! Me...!”

“I don’t need a special somepony! At least… not one… *sniffle* like you… I hate you, you cheater! I never want to see you again!” she bitterly spat, hitting me with a tsunami of emotional torment as I felt my hands go limp as my resolve to break free weakened dramatically. I blinked slowly, managing to look down to see that the unicorn had her back turned toward me. However, I could hear something coming from her… sniffling… whimpering… weeping… She was crying.

“I… don’t understand… What’s… goin’ on here?”

“I… I… wouldn’t do that to you…! You know that…!” I managed to choke out again as I ignored the vine suspending me in the air by my constricted esophagus to try and reach down towards the grieving mare... then I blinked once again. The instant I reopened my eyes, however, the unicorn I knew as my significant other was gone. My body went completely limp, devoid of any more physical suffering. Instead, there were only feelings of despair… anguish… sadness… Although my body suddenly stopped any sort of movement, my eyes were still functional. I looked at the area Twilight was standing in to instead see the malevolent, wrathful faces of most of her friends and family. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Spike… All of them glaring spitefully at me; dissonant scowls on each of their faces… but Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were nowhere to be seen.

“You let her down, human…” spoke Celestia in a stern, emotionless tone. “In turn, you’ve let us all down. And now you must pay the price…”

“What did I do??”

Following Celestia’s decree, the vine had finally broken, sending me plummeting into an abyss of complete blackness. I didn’t scream as I fell… Inexplicably strong feelings of regret and miserable dejection all but silenced me as I hurtled toward the unknown... Eventually, I’d crash-landed into a pit of nothingness, my wrists and ankles suddenly bound with rope. My body was the only light glowing in the darkness as I’d pulled myself up to a position where I was on my knees. However, when I looked down, I noticed my clothes were filthy, ragged, and stained with blood. In an instant, my limbs and head were throbbing viciously, crying out in agony. I couldn’t tell what it was being caused by, but everything suddenly hurt as if I’d been in a losing battle against a rabid gorilla that was armed with brass knuckles...

“I thought I told you what would happen if you broke that Pinkie Promise…” I heard a scratchy, menacing mare’s voice admonish. A second later, Pinkie stepped into my view, her body glowing in the darkness like mine had been. She wore the same facial expression of disdain as the others had… Her hair wasn't styled in its usual fashion, though... it was straight... flat... her mane hung down over one side of her head as she glared icy death at me.

“I… I’m sorry…” I pleaded. “I’m really sorry…”

“That won’t work,” she informed. “You’re a cheater cheater, pumpkin eater, and you hurt my friends. And more importantly, you hurt Twilight. You’re going to pay…”

“Pinkie Pie, wait!” I heard another voice call. Almost instantaneously, the figure of a familiar pegasus mare came into view. “He didn’t mean it! I-it wasn’t his fault! I—!” Fluttershy tried to explain.

“I don’t wanna hear it from YOU!” Pinkie harshly screamed. “You’re just as bad as he is! We’re not friends anymore, Fluttershy! No one wants to be friends with a pony who steals her best friend’s special somepony! Go away!” Fluttershy seemed devastated by her former friend’s unforgiving judgment. The look of emotional pain that plastered itself onto the distraught mare's face was far too much for me to bear… the guilt I was feeling was amplified fiftyfold. A lump had formed in my throat as I watched Fluttershy break down into tears and crestfallenly trot away into the darkness without so much as even glancing back.

“This is all my fault…” I mumbled in solemn realization. “I let her down… I betrayed her… I broke her heart… I hurt her… and now she wants nothing to do with me… and she abandoned one of her best friends… Twilight, I’m so sorry…” I hung my head low and shut my eyes just one more time… except this time, I had no intention of reopening them. The barrier I’d formed against my own sorrow had finally been broken, thanks to my disheartening epiphany. And with that, I began to weep… in that moment, Pinkie Pie had pulled some sort of party cannon out from nowhere and aimed it directly at me as she pressed the barrel against my forehead. I found the courage to open my tear-riddled eyes look up and see her... But what I saw wasn’t Pinkie… it was instead, a stallion. Shaggy black hair… threatening red eyes… a tan coat… and a gleeful, toothy evil grin as he aimed the cannon at my face… I couldn’t bear to look at it. I lowered my head back down as I continued my pitiful display of shame and regret.

“Hasta la vista… Hahahaha…!”

*BOOM*

“Wuh!” I awoke with a start and a gasp, my heart pounding furiously in my chest as I breathed heavily, sweating profusely and trembling with fear. I couldn’t gather up the strength to look around and see where I was, but from the feel of it, I’d been lying on something hard and wooden. The area in which I was lying was too dark for me to see anything. Instead of focusing on my surroundings, however, I took the time to think about the nightmare I’d had… it was vague and hazy at the moment... I could only remember certain parts of it… Something happening with Fluttershy… Twilight crying… me choking… and the *BOOM* that startled me awake…

While I couldn’t remember the full experience of it, I couldn’t help but feel overcome with remorse when Twilight and Fluttershy came to mind. Especially Twilight… I know I didn’t cheat on her. I never would. But… I still had a pang of penitence hanging around my head as I thought more of her. I wanted to see her again… to admit to offering her friend a rubdown… to apologize for not considering her feelings when I did… to hold her in my arms again… but I couldn’t, as I realized I’d been captured. My arms and legs were still numb, rendering me unable to move. In addition, I was still very woozy, soon finding my head drooping back down onto the surface I was resting on. As I lay my aching head back down on the ground, a sudden, crushing hopelessness took me over as a lump formed in my throat.

“I’m sorry, Twilight…” was all I could think of before my lingering physical fatigue took me back into the enigmatic realm of my own addled mind…

Realization...

Despite having to cry myself to sleep over that… that two-timing JERK, I had a somewhat-decent night’s rest. I woke up with a stretch and a yawn to see that everypony else had been awake already. I took a special note of the absence of a certain human amongst the group.

“He’s probably still on the balcony. Good, he’ll stay there until I feel like seeing him.”

“Good morning, everypony…” I plainly greeted. Everypony greeted me as well as each other, welcoming in the new day.

“Where’s Ty?” asked none other than Fluttershy. I was instantly irritated at the mention of his name... I was even more irritated that Fluttershy of all ponies was questioning his whereabouts.

“Of course, YOU’RE the first to ask…”

“Hmph. Beats me,” I nonchalantly stated with a shrug. “Why don’t you go look for him? He’s probably on the balcony waiting for you.” I coldly answered to the shock of everypony in the room.

“Um… O-okay…” the falsely innocent-acting pegasus weakly complied, taken aback as she flew over towards the entrance of the structure.

“Whoa, somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Rainbow quipped, although I was none too amused.

“But seriously, Twi…” Applejack added, seeming to get a small kick out of Rainbow's joke. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know. I don’t much care right now, either,” I stated bluntly, eliciting a few bewildered inhales from the others as what little laughter going on came to a sudden stop.

“Oh my,” Rarity gasped in astonishment. “Did… did something happen between you two last night?” asked Rarity. “I must say I’ve never seen you so terribly upset.”

“Yes,” was all I responded with before the bedroom went completely silent.

“*ahem*…Well?” nudged the white unicorn. “What happened to make you so angry at him?”

“It’s none of your business!”

“Ask Fluttersh—!”

“He isn’t out there,” Fluttershy fearfully announced as she came back. “All I see is a bunch of red spots that lead to the balcony rail.” Everypony gasped again. “And there’s a bigger red spot on the ground below.”

“Red spots that lead to the balcony rail and the ground below? How odd… if anything, he probably jumped off the balcony. But he wouldn’t harm himself on purpose, would he…?”

“Who cares if he did it on purpose or not? It’s good enough that he actually feels bad for what he did to me…!”

“You think he could’ve… possibly jumped off of the balcony?” asked Rainbow.

“Judging by what Fluttershy saw, it would seem likely,” Rarity confirmed. "But... why would he be inclined to leave?"

“If it is true that he jumped down, and has yet to be been seen around, could he have wandered into town?” inquired Zecora.

“Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s fine. Right now, we’ve got something more important to deal with,” I impatiently dismissed, once again shocking everypony in the room.

“Okay, what gives?” asked Rainbow, suddenly skeptical of me. “Yesterday you were losing your mind over him when he disappeared, and now you don’t care at all. What’s your deal, Twilight?”

“I-I agree with Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy added, much to my dismay as I shot her a cold, menacing glance that made her squeak in fear.

“*sigh* Nopony’s gonna leave me alone about this…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I delivered my rebuttal.

“Let’s just say he broke a Pinkie Promise and I’m very upset with him about it,” I flatly stated.

“Wait… he did?” asked Pinkie, seeming confused.

“Well… yeah,” I answered, beginning to feel the slightest bit unsure. “I thought you were always on top of it when a Pinkie Promise was broken.”

“Of course I am!” the pink Earth mare brightly assured. “But… I don’t think Ty broke any promises…” she added in a tone of wonder, searching the room for nothing in particular as she quizzically scratched her head. Suddenly, she seemed to have realized something as she perked up. “Ooh! He DID break a Promise!”

"He did?" asked Applejack with utmost curiosity. "What'd he do?"

“Good, so my premonition is correct.”

“He forgot to eat something sweet last week!” Pinkie announced in realization.

“…Or maybe not.”

"Again?" Applejack inquired, shaking her head in amused disbelief as she smirked. "Ya'd think he learned after the first time around... heh heh."

"Especially after what WE put him through," Dash added, equally as amused as A.J.

“Twilight, if you were mad at him for that, then we should go find him and bake him a pie! It’s no big deal, really… I don’t really see why YOU would be so upset about him forgetting to eat sweets, though…”

“Not that!” I scolded, my patience already wearing thin. “The other one… regarding all the things he’d never do to me…? Remember…?” I hinted, trying to jog her memory a bit.

“Hmm…” the pink mare went into thought again, but this time taking much longer to come up with a definitive conclusion. “Nopey-dopey. He didn’t break any other promises,” she matter-of-factly stated to my complete bafflement. “Although, I’ll be sure he gets what’s coming to him for forgetting to eat something with sugar in it…”

“What do you mean ‘didn’t break any other promises’!?” I asked in a sudden tone of exasperation. “He kissed another mare!” I blurted. Once more, everypony sucked in air in total astonishment. Any more at this point and somepony might’ve fainted.

“What? When did he do that??” asked Spike.

“Cat’s out of the bag now… might as well shed some light on this ordeal.”

“I’m not sure, Spike… let’s ask Fluttershy!” I accused as everypony turned toward the yellow mare I was SO sure was guilty.

“Wh-what? Why would I know if Ty really did something like that??” she asked, suddenly frantic about the attention directed at her.

“Don’t you play innocent with me!” I accused as I hopped off of my bed and limped towards her, forgetting about my sprain and small abdominal cramp. “YOU’RE the other mare!” I accused, pointing a hoof at her.

“WHAT???”

“I sure hope you weren’t thinking for an instant that I wouldn’t find out!”

"B-but... I--!"

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Rainbow interrupted as she moved between us, facing towards me and staring me down with intense defensiveness. “Fluttershy would NEVER do anything like that, Twilight! How could you be so sure she or even TY did anything of the sort?”

“Yea, it ain’t quite like Fluttershy t’ steal a special somepony,” Applejack calmly reasoned. “Maybe Rarity…”

“Why I never!” Rarity shouted in offense. “Only the classless and the hopelessly lonesome resort to taking what belongs to somepony else! No offense, Fluttershy...”

"It's okay... Wait, no! No it's not! I-I didn't steal anyone's special somepony!" the discombobulated Fluttershy sputtered in total befuddlement. "I'm not lonely, either! Or classless!"

“Good point,” Applejack agreed with Rarity. “’Sides, Ty told me himself he wouldn’t do that to ya, Twi.”

“Oh really? Then explain yourself, Fluttershy!” I demanded. “What were you and Ty doing on the balcony last night?” That question alerted everyone in the room to the situation as they all focused their attention on me and the backstabber responsible for ruining my relationship.

“…we were talking,” she stated matter-of-factly as she regained her composure, suddenly gaining some vertebrae. “We were talking about how neither of us would want to do anything that you wouldn’t like.”

“I’m SO sure,” I sarcastically remarked, not believing her for an instant.

“Twilight, I’m telling the truth!” she emphasized.

“Uh-huh… So that's really what you were talking about?”

“Yes. Some other things about personality traits too, but yes.”

“Well if THAT'S the case, why didn’t that stop you?”

“Stop me from what? We didn’t do anything else! All we did was talk!” she worriedly reasoned, stepping from behind Rainbow, who moved aside.

“If THAT’S all you did, then he would’ve told me that! There’s obviously something you two are hiding according to him, and I demand that you stop hiding it! What were you doing with him, Fluttershy!?”

“We only talked!” she reiterated, seeming to tear up as the pressure on her built like a stack of bricks.

“And after that??” I knew she couldn’t lie about this one. “I know there was more than that, so spit it out! What else did you do?”

“We um… he… uh… h-he...” she was already faltering as she refocused her gaze to the floor for an instant. Everypony was staring at her as suspenseful silence swept over us.

"I've got you now... There's no way you're slipping away from this one..."

"Twilight... don't you think you're being a little... harsh?" Spike asked worriedly as he turned his gaze to me.

"Yeah..." Pinkie Pie agreed. "It isn't really very nice to put her on the spot like this..."

“All I want is the truth, and everything will be fine... more-or-less," I assured them before refocusing on Fluttershy. "Well? We’re listening…” Again, the room went silent.

“…H-he gave me a backrub…” she sheepishly admitted as she guiltily looked down toward the floor, rubbing her foreleg with the other.

“Exactl—!” I almost shouted, but stopped when I realized what I’d heard. “Wait… what?”

“Yes… what?” asked Rarity, possibly just as surprised as I was.

“I said he gave me a backrub,” the yellow mare enunciated, bringing her gaze back to me. “He said he was giving me a freebie for making me cry yesterday...”

“Wait…” Rainbow interrupted. “He made you cry??”

“Not in the way you’re thinking of, Rainbow Dash. It was more of me making myself cry… over something personal I’d rather not share with the rest of you…”

“Understandable…”

“…Anyway, he gave me a massage until I fell asleep. Then he brought me in here. That’s all, Twilight.”

“So… it’s possible that he DIDN’T cheat on me…?”

“He still gave her a backrub, though. That’s something he’s only supposed to do for me!”

“She mentioned that he was only giving her ‘one freebie,’ though…”

“…but why didn’t he just say that?” I asked myself aloud.

“I actually didn’t even want the rub,” Fluttershy admitted with a more assertive tone. “…but he said he only even offered it to me because he felt like he owed it to me. He also said that it was special when he rubbed you and that it wouldn’t mean anything more than a friendly gesture if he did it to me.”

“Oh dear… I’m starting to think I made a mistake…”

“But… why would h—?”

“I told you before, Twilight; neither HE nor I would do anything to hurt you. Even if I DO like him the same way you do… We're best friends.” At that, everypony let loose their alarmed reactions at Fluttershy. Most of the others clamored over to her, asking her question after question while I sat and thought things over…

“Oh my gosh…! How could I be so STUPID!? I should’ve let him explain when I had the chance. But no, I HAD to jump to conclusions… and worse yet, I probably made him run away… Ohh, what am I gonna do now…?”

“Twilight, do not feel so sad. Your position was not all bad,” Zecora advised, rubbing my back.

“But… I just accused my best friend AND my special somepony… of infidelity… only to be dead wrong…” I weakly replied in a shameful stupor as I focused my gaze to the ground. "How could it not be all bad...?"

“While it’s true the accusation was severe, it’s simply because you weren’t thinking clear. I sense that you’re in a time of strife and only true love will suffice, to bring clarity back to your life.”

“Wow… she hit the nail on the head there… Wait… 'true love'? Does this mean she…?”

“So… I guess you… know about my current condition?” She looked towards the others, who were still talking to Fluttershy before she leaned in close to me.

“Other than your most recent display, I could honestly smell you a mile away…” she whispered much to the damage of my composure as I lowered my head and felt my face heat up a bit.

“Well at least she had the courtesy to keep it down…”

“*sigh* I was worried about that… what do you suppose I should do about this whole… ‘heat’ problem?”

“That decision is up to you to make; only you can choose which route to take…”

“Figures she wouldn’t actually point me in the right direction…”

“She IS right, though… this predicament can only be settled between Ty and me. Nopony else… I just have to find him and beg him to forgive me first... I owe him a HUGE apology...”

“…thank you, Zecora,” I finally said, uneasily smiling at her, to which she responded to with a smile of her own as she wordlessly nodded.

*Knock knock knock* “Hey, Twilight! It’s me! Lyra! I have something important to tell you!” I took a step, but remembered that my leg was sprained. Feeling for the most-part recharged, I performed a quick healing spell to rejuvenate myself to full health (which didn’t work at all on the stomach cramp I was feeling for some reason) before moving out of the room and down into the library to answer the door. As expected, I was greeted by a mint-green unicorn mare with white and green hair and golden eyes. She seemed totally distraught and a little untidy as if she’d been sleeping on the ground, which worried me.

“Good morning, Lyra. What brings you here?” I courteously asked.

“It’s about Ty. He was taken away by these two unicorns!” she frantically informed to my surprise.

“Are you SERIOUS!? Why now!?”

“Wait… how does she know if it was Ty?”

“When you say ‘Ty,’ you mean…?”

“Twilight, I know you’re romantically involved with the alien that found its way into Ponyville yesterday. In fact, if I’m not mistaken— which I’m not because he confirmed it himself when I saw him last night— he was masquerading as the pony known around here as ‘Ponder Memoir.’”

“Shoot! She knows! Why would he just out and tell her, though?”

“Uh… well, you got me there…” I admitted, feeling a little ashamed before I realized something. "Wait... you said you saw him???"

"Yes, I did. And for the record, I promise I won’t tell anypony about your relationship,” she assured. “Anyway, can I come in so I can explain what happened?”

“Please, be my guest…” with that, the bright green, golden-eyed unicorn mare followed me into the library. The others came down after presumably overhearing Lyra’s urgent entry before we all sat and listened to the green mare’s story.

“…and then they put me under a sleeping spell that knocked me out until just a few minutes ago!” She explained. “I don’t know where they took him! They just threw me in a bush and left me this note that basically said to tell you all not to let Spike send the Princess a letter or they would do something really bad to him…”

“I don’t get it…” Rainbow pondered. “Why would he think it was a good idea to wander into town? And so late at night at that?”

“And y'all said he was bleedin’ from ‘is nose before ya even saw ‘im?” Applejack added.

“Yeah,” Lyra affirmed. “It was all over his shirt and he was covering his nose when I spotted him.”

“I still don’t understand why he would give up so easily,” Spike addressed. “I know he was beat up and all, but he still could’ve at least tried to fight back or run!”

“Not quite,” Lyra countered. “They hit him with a sneak magic attack before they showed themselves. Plus, he seemed to be really down about something. In fact, he mentioned something about coming from here…”

“I am SOOOO sorry, Ty…” the guilt was eating me alive from the inside out...

“Down?” inquired Fluttershy. “That’s odd… I talked to him a little before he left and he seemed to be in at least a somewhat-good mood before… um… the incident. But he certainly wasn’t bleeding at all last I saw him…”

“That’s… probably MY fault,” I finally gathered up the courage to regretfully admit to the combined astonishment of everyone around me.

“Your fault?” Rarity asked. “Did it have something to do with the apparent falling out you two had?”

“Y-yeah…”

“What happened?” everypony asked in unison, alarming me as I was put in the hot seat.

“…well… I asked him to come outside with me… to um… discuss something… between me and him… I wanted to apologize for being so short with him last night… and then I asked him how his conversation with Fluttershy went. He said it was good and after that they… did something… He never explicitly said it himself, but I guess from what I learned just a few minutes ago, he wound up rubbing Fluttershy to sleep… Either he was so afraid of telling me about it that he couldn’t, or… or he didn’t know how to properly phrase the statement…”

“What did he say?” asked Pinkie

“He only said he gave her an 'apology gift'. He didn't elaborate on it, though… but that’s because I wound up assuming the worst before he could… and I jumped to the conclusion that he committed an infidelity…” As I could’ve predicted, I was met with a series of “Ooh’s” from the whole group. “I lost my temper on him and we got into an argument… and I wound up… I wound up hitting him in frustration before I left him out on the balcony... I’m certain he managed to leave this place without alerting anypony by climbing down from there, but, as Fluttershy observed, there were spots of red all over it…” I painfully admitted. Tears of guilt were building up, just waiting to flood out of my wavering eyes. “That’s most likely why you saw him with the nosebleed…”

“Twi… why’d you do that?” asked Applejack in a tone of worry.

"I didn't even know you had it in you to hit somepony that hard..." Rainbow admitted. I simply ignored it, seeing as that was one of the LAST things I'd wanted to hear.

“I… I don’t know. I just lost it… The simple thought of him talking to Fluttershy alone out there was already bothersome to me… When he hesitated to admit that he massaged her, every bad thing I could imagine the two of them doing together crossed through my mind in an instant…” I squeezed my eyes shut as tears began to run down my cheeks. A huge knot welled up in my throat from the mounting wave of crushing remorse that manifested in my aching gut. “*sniffle* I… I just don’t want there to be a possibility of me losing him… especially since I still haven’t told him that I… um… that I’m… I’m… *sniffle*”

“Say no more,” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Twilight, you know that I’d be all over him like Timber wolves on Spike if he did anything to purposefully upset you, right?”

“Not the best comparison, Pinkie Pie,” complained the dragon.

“Y-yes…” I admitted, allowing myself to fall into a bout of weeping. Pinkie took it upon herself to wrap me up in her forelegs.

“You remember his Pinkie promises, right? You know, the ‘never gonna give you up, let you down, run around, desert you, make you cry unless it’s tears of joy, say goodbye unless he’s gonna come back and say ‘hello’ again, tell a lie, or hurt you’ promises?”

“Yes…”

“And if he’s gonna stay true to those promises, then you’ll know for sure he wouldn’t do anything bad to you, right? Even if he WASN’T to Pinkie Promise, you’d still have all of us here to support you. And I'm sure Ty would have the common sense NOT to do anything bad to you, anyway...”

“Yeah,” Rainbow agreed. “We’ll always be there for ya, Twi.”

“An ’if it helps, he already told me he wouldn’t hurt ya,” Applejack chimed in. “I know we can take his word on it.”

“Yeah… you’re right …” I agreed, lightening up a little as I found it in myself to return the embrace. Almost immediately, the other girls, with the exceptions of Zecora, Spike, and Lyra all gathered in to make it a warm, friendly group hug; one I needed badly.

“*ahem* Sorry to interrupt,” Lyra began, seeming to be holding back her own sentiments. “…but we’ve still got a situation on our hooves regarding that alien.”

“Human.” I corrected as I broke my hug with my friends and regained my composure. “*sniffle* He’s not an alien. He’s human. But you’re right. We need to find out where Gillian took him.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” said a menacing male voice. All of us turned at attention to face the speaker; none other than Gillian himself, standing triumphantly in front of us and smirking with satisfaction at our instant expressions of enmity towards him.

“You!” I shouted, instantly hot with seething anger.

“You’ve got SOME nerve showing your face here!” Rainbow Dash warned.

“Where’s Ty!? What did you do with him!?”

“Easy now. I haven’t done anything yet… and I won’t do anything so long as you comply with me,” he suggested. "By the way, what a touching little performance you girls put on! I'd have never guessed YOU would be the reason that fool wandered out into the open like a defenseless rabbit just waiting to be hunted down for game..." he chuckled heartily at his own cruel simile, much to my frustration. I also noticed Fluttershy with her fore hooves over her mouth, seeming to be completely appalled... presumably at that same comparison. "*AHEM* But as I said; He'll be fine, so long as you meet my prerequisite requirements..."

“Why in the world should we trust a devious miscreant such as yourself??” asked a reasonably wary Rarity.

“Especially when you knocked me out and left me in that bush!” added an offended Lyra.

“I only needed you to deliver the message, Ms. Heartstrings; which I see you’ve done a beautiful job of,” the stallion replied to the mint-green mare.

"Wha?? How'd you know my--?"

“Now down to business… Twilight, I’m willing to make a… trade, of sorts.”

“I already know what you’re going to say, and there’s NO WAY I’m letting you get anywhere NEAR Celestia!” I accused. At that, he simply laughed.

“Hey, it’s YOUR choice. Either I get to the Princess or you lose your special friend. But, whenever you decide not to be foolhardy and instead choose to be reasonable, I’ll be waiting near Town Hall. Come by anytime. You already know the deal I presented to you still stands. We’re just playing with a different— and dare I say, more sentimental— bargain chip… Clean yourself up and come soon… Oh, and come ALONE. WITHOUT sending Celestia any warnings! Farewell!” with that, his horn glowed silver, indicating that the magic disablement spell I placed on him had worn off. With a flash of silver and a *POOF*, he was gone, leaving us all to think about what moves to make in the process of rescuing Ty…

I’d awoken very slowly, stretching and yawning, still feeling the pangs of anguish from the two days past as I extended my arms and legs. The nightmare I’d had still lingered within me, sending me into an automatic state of despondency. I tried raising a hand to scratch my head, only to realize that I couldn’t.

“Oh, right…” I sat up to see my hands and feet were still bound with rope and that I was on the floor inside of a seemingly empty house.

"This has, NO DOUBT, been the WORST fuckin' time I've ever had here..."

“Oh, you’re awake,” a feminine voice stated, causing me to flinch in fear as I looked to my left to see Comet sitting comfortably in a chair, likely keeping watch over me. “Good morning.”

“Yea okay,” I dismissively remarked, already bitter toward her for kidnapping me. “Always a good mornin’ wakin’ up tied up in some stranger’s house with somebody watchin’ you.”

“Sorry. Wouldn’t know the feeling,” she shot back with a nonchalant shrug.

"Nyeh nyeh nyeh-- wouldn't know the feelin'-- FUCK You!"

“Where’s your dirty, sneaky colt-friend?” I coldly asked, already beyond pissed off.

“Gillian is neither dirty nor sneaky!” she remarked in considerable offense. “…and if you MUST know, he’s paying your precious little Twilight Sparkle a visit.”

“He’s WHAT??” I asked in alarm, quick to bring myself to an awkward standing position. I was just about to try hopping out of the house when the familiar sound of energy being channeled froze me in place.

“I wouldn’t try anything risky if I were in your position,” the cerulean mare warned, her horn glowing purple.

“*sigh* Damn…! Who am I kiddin’? Not like Twi would come rescue me for the sake of rescuin’ me anyway, considerin’ she prolly still thinks I cheated… which is BULLSHIT!”

“Now sit back down.” Heeding her words, I sat back down, wary of what the mare could’ve done to me if I’d not complied and suddenly feeling even more downtrodden when the lavender unicorn was brought into my mind.

“Can I at least go t’ the bathroom? Not sure about you ponies, but sleep usually makes me need to… how you say, ‘drain the main vein,’ so to speak.”

“How do I know you’re not going to try some deceitful move to escape?”

"...is that a serious question?"

"I think it is..."

"*sigh* Un-freakin'-believable..."

“Trust me, I don’t think I wanna get shocked again for tryin’. I don’t really have much of a reason TO try an’ escape, either…” I reasoned before getting an idea. “If you don’t believe me… you can always let out your inner voyeur…” I winked. The mare gasped and sputtered in disgust, her cheeks turning a flustered pink; much to my satisfaction.

“Good. I feel a li’l bit better now.”

“How incredibly crude and tasteless…” she stated in appall. “The bathroom is down that hallway,” she advised, pointing to her right. I looked and saw a miniscule corridor with a single wooden door at the end of it. “Make it quick.”

“Will do.” With that, I got back up and shuffled my way into the bathroom. The rope around my feet was just tight enough that I couldn’t get it off, but still be able to at least take quick little baby steps. After finishing my business in the restroom (and washing as much filth off of my face as I could), I shuffled back into the lobby of the dainty little house like a penguin and sat back down like a good little hostage.

"You know, you're a real smart-aleck. Just putting that out there." Comet callously informed, thus angering me further.

"And YOU'RE a real pain in my black ass! Jus' puttin' that out there," I mockingly shot back to her frustration.

"WATCH it!" She warned, her temper seemingly as short as mine. "...or else I'll GIVE you a real pain in your--!"

"Yea yea, whatever," I dismissively rolled my eyes. "Threaten me with magic shocks when I'm tied up. REAL scary... I already know what it feels like."

"Just who do you think you are!? You're so rude! It's revolting!"

"Like YOU'D be any better if YOU got dragged somewhere by some criminals for some sorta hostage negotiation... Oh, wait: You 'wouldn't know the feelin',' now would you?"

"...You know what? Just sit there and shut your rude little mouth. I'm sick of you already. The sooner this is over with, the better..."

"Fine with me..." I simply, calmly replied with an uncaring shrug before a short silence washed over us. The silence was only short for the simple fact that my stomach began to growl.

"Ugh... I forgot about you, tummy..."

“So… Got anything t’ eat?” I asked with as polite an inflection as I could muster... which was FAR from easy as I felt sick just trying.

“What do I look like, a maid?” the mare understandably remarked in biting sarcasm.

“Look who's gettin' smart now. I didn’t ask for ya mouth, lady. I asked if there was food,” I emphasized with a tone of shortness towards my captor.

“Not for sharp-tongued hostages who don’t know their place...”

“Oh for Christ sake…” I rolled my eyes.

“Fine. Would you have me ask politely or beg?”

"Neither. I don't appreciate the way you've been treating me, so I'm not giving you diddly-squat."

"Dammit! Who knew she had feelin's that would actually be hurt?"

"Yo, chiiiiiiilllll. I know this ain't the best time t' say this, but you gotta lay off her. Might be ironic comin' from me, but she's only the sidekick in all this. Gillian's the one you REALLY wanna mouth off to. That pretty li'l mare over there is prolly only followin' orders... even if she IS datin' that crazy mothafucka... That AND it ain't her fault Twi raged an' decided t' hit us..."

"Wow... you're prolly right for once..."

"Even I got my moments t' stand tall... and then I got my moments t' 'stand tall,' if ya catch my drift..."

"Okay, don't fuck up your ONE shinin' moment in the last two days..."

"You right... but still, apologize to the lady... I'ss prolly the only way she's gonna get us anything t' eat, anyway..."

"Ecch... as disgustingly wrong and backwards as it might feel... *sigh* I'mma do it... For you, tummy..."

"*sigh*... Listen. I'm... sorry," I disdainfully, yet meaningfully apologized. I looked directly at her to see that she'd been completely taken aback by my words. I felt absolutely sick to my poor, empty stomach apologizing to someone who took part in kidnapping me, but it was only necessary. "You... don't deserve the lip I been givin' you..."

"...You're serious?" she asked, apparently stunned.

"Yes. No sarcasm, no more back-talk, no B.S... I'm really sorry for how I been talkin' t' you, an'... um... uh..."

"Just a little bit longer..."

"...I would greatly appreciate it if you... forgave me for my rudeness. I'm jus' stressed is all. Y'know, hostage anxiety..." after I finished my apology, the area went awkwardly silent for a time that felt like an hour. Eventually, Comet spoke.

"...I guess I can at least SOMEWHAT sympathize with what you're going through. I'm actually surprised YOU'RE apologizing even though you're the victim. Very well. You're forgiven... sort of," she replied.

"Thanks... I--!"

"I also know you must be starving after such a long time without proper sustenance. So... I'll allow you to beg for food."

“Wow, she WOULD find some way t' jus' get a kick outta this...”

"Jus' go with it. The more you put up with it, the sooner you can get somethin' t' eat..."

“Okay. *AHEM* Ms. Comet, May I PLEASE have something to fill my poor wittle tummy up with?” I asked childishly, humoring her.

“Cute,” she flatly replied with a deadpan stare and a small grin. “What would the little alien foal like?”

“Some fruit would do,” I simply requested, dropping the childlike tone of voice.

“Alright. Be right back.” With that, the mare lifted herself up off the chair she'd been resting in and trotted into a separate area of the house, but made sure to stay within my line of sight in the case that I’d gotten any ideas. She glared back at me to make sure I was staying in place.

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” I assured.

“I’m sure of that.” Her horn lit up and in a second, she’d levitated an object from within what I had a good idea was the kitchen. She brought the object to me and callously threw it to my hands with her magic. “There.” I clasped my hands around the fruit to get a better look at it. What I saw disappointed me greatly.

“Aww, a mango!? I hate mangoes! Please tell me there’s somethin’ else in there. An apple, a kiwi… hell, I could even eat a lemon without a problem.”

“Aww, you don’t like mangoes?” she asked in a false sense of caring.

“No. They taste funny.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good. Watching a self-deprecating battle between you, your hunger, and your personal preferences will be amusing to me,” she teased with a mean smirk.

“You BITCH...!” I shot her the dirtiest look I could muster, but I could tell that only served to amuse her even more.

“You got what you asked for. Now eat,” she commanded.

“…You an’ Gillian both jus’ keep givin’ me reasons for me t’ hate y’all. I hope you know that.”

“I do. And that knowledge makes watching you eat that mango that much funnier to me,” she countered with a short giggle. I figured I was at a loss at this point and arguing with Comet would serve me no good. So, with much internal preparation, I manned up, lifted the mango up to my mouth, and took my first bite of the distasteful plant and almost gagged, scrunching up my face in complete revulsion.

“Oh God, it tastes so gro-ho-hoss…!” This was going to be a LONG breakfast…

“*SNORT* Huhuhuahahahah, your face is priceless! Hahahaha!”

“Grr…!” My mistake: A long, ANNOYING breakfast…

“What’ll we do?” asked Lyra. “We can’t really just agree to his ultimatum, can we?”

“Who says we have to?” Rainbow Dash asked. “There’s one of him and one… two… NINE of us! There’s no way he’ll be able to take on all of us by himself!”

“A frontal assault would be likely unwitting, as we know not the alternative he may find fitting,” Zecora countered.

“Zecora’s got a point,” A.J. concurred. “If we DO all go at ‘im at once, who knows what he might do; not jus’ t’ weasel out t’ safety, either. We gotta keep in mind that we still hafta get Ty, too.”

“But we can’t let Twilight go alone,” Rainbow argued. “We already know why he wants her. Why would we just flat-out give her to him?” With that question, the group went into a full-blown discussion of a proper method of action. As the group threw around ideas of how to go about the situation, I began to contemplate a possible scenario silently.

“I obviously don’t want to just walk into his clutches… but I don’t want to endanger Ty, either. Problem is… if I was to meet up with him followed by the entire group, he’d most likely renege on his end of the bargain. But then, going there alone would be the next least practical move, as to capture me, he clearly stated is his primary objective. But then…” After a brief moment to my thoughts, I'd finally come up with a concrete idea of how to go about the predicament.

“I’ve got it!” I announced, bringing the group’s attention to me.

“What did you come up with, dear?” asked Rarity.

“I WILL be going alone.”

“What??” half the group shouted in an amount of shock that I’d anticipated.

“Twilight, you can’t be serious!” A.J. stated in total appall.

“Oh, but I am,” I boldly replied with a wink. “You see, I’LL go alone. But, YOU all won’t.”

“What are you getting at?” Lyra asked, seeming not to grasp the hint.

“What I mean is that you should all leave before me. Go and find separate hiding spots around the vicinity of Town Hall. Once you’ve all found suitable spots where you know Gillian won’t be able to see you, Spike will send me a letter telling me when you’re ready. From there, I’ll go and ‘surrender’ myself over to him, where he will hopefully take me to where he’s holding Ty. You all should be able to tail us over to his hideout and THAT’S when we strike…”

“That’s genius!” Rainbow lauded.

“But… what if he teleports you instead of actually walking you to the place?” Fluttershy cautiously asked.

“Good point… Hmm… If that does happen, then one of these things will likely be going down: A., I take Ty by force and find a way to alert you all as we make our escape. B., I shoot a magic flare that will alert you all to my current location. Or C., I teleport myself back to the center of town and let you know where they’re hiding. That sound good?”

“Are you sure that’ll work if that’s the case?” asked Spike.

“I… can’t answer that for certain," I replied, uncertain of the exact circumstances in relation to the conundrum at hoof. "...But if we’re gonna get this over with without Celestia being endangered, it’s all we have for now. Ty, I can only hope will comply with me, as I'm not entirely certain of what may or may not happen to him in the process. If the plan goes through a SNAFU, then send Celestia a letter immediately, Spike,” I informed as I levitated a sheet of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill toward him.

“Roger! But… what’s a SNAFU?” he curiously asked as he took hold of the supplies.

“Something Ty told me about some time ago… it’s an abbreviation for something… I forget what exactly, but he said it’s something or someone that causes the whole plan to go horribly wrong... usually by accident. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. AT ALL. Is that clear, everypony?”

“Yes!” Everypony replied with a nod.

“I feel there is not much time to invest. Let us hurry and put this plan to the test,” Zecora added.

“You’re right. We’ve waited here long enough. You all should go now. Make sure to spot Gillian without being spotted yourself, find a hiding spot where you can observe him— I cannot stress enough; WITHOUT being spotted— and Spike, let me know immediately when you’re ready. Got it, everypony?” Everyone else nodded in agreement. “Good. Now move out, troops!” Everyone complied, moving out to begin their espionage mission. “Fluttershy?” I called as everypony was leaving.

“Yes, Twilight?” she asked, turning around to face me.

“I’m… I’m sorry… for accusing you of—!”

“It’s okay,” the magnanimous mare assured with a smile that warmed me up enough to smile back at her. “I forgive you. I’m sorry for letting him rub me without your permission… Now let’s go get him back.” Wordlessly, I nodded as Fluttershy turned and took flight, following behind the others already on their way… I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I sat and waited… but when I inhaled, I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my abdomen.

“Oooh! I hope this can all be resolved soon… This cramp is killing me…! Oww…!”

Author's Notes:

Goddamn MANGOES!!!!

The Calm Before...

“Oh man… That was painful… *cough* *hack*” I complained as I’d accomplished the grueling task of eating as much of the disgusting mango as I could tolerate. I managed to eat all around the pit of the fruit. Sticky, sweet, yet foul-smelling juices coated my mouth and hands as I contemptuously held the remains of the abominable yellow-orange thing.

"Why do you DISGUSTING things exist? I would eat a hundred LEMONS over one o' YOU any day..." I stared in stern abhorrence at the mango, ready to just throw it away.

“Hahhhhahahahahaaa!!” Or better yet, at the mare who got a kick out of observing me. Comet was having quite a blast watching me torture myself eating one of my least favorite fruit. She spent the entire time cracking up at my grievous misfortune. The sadistic mare was clutching her sides as she sat in her chair with her eyes squeezed shut in amusement, cackling like the witch I was convinced she was.

“You will pay for this…!”

“I hope you’re happy…” I bitterly remarked.

“Actually… I am. Whew, that was a good laugh… Best one I've had in a while...” she answered as she calmed down. I thought about ruining her mood by throwing the remains of the mango at her, but in that instant, I was hit with a sudden curiosity about the mare.

“Rather than piss her off int’ shockin’ me again, I COULD get t’ know ‘er a li’l better… See what goes on in that mind o’ hers when her man ain’t tellin’ ‘er what t’ do… Although, I could use a good laugh myself... Nah, don't throw the mango...” After a brief moment of silence had passed, I spoke up.

“*AHEM*…well now. Seein’ as you’s all laughed out now an’ we ain’t got nothin’ else t’ do… Mind answerin’ a few questions?”

“Questions…?” she asked in an actually puzzled, skpetical tone. “Like what?”

“Who are you? I know who Gillian is, but you… who are you?”

“I’m… Comet Gazer,” she simply replied, presumably feeling a bit uneasy about my question.

“That much I know. But tell me: Are you by any chance… that same mare who helped him with his plot t’ take over those Eastern countries?”

“Why is that any of YOUR business?” the mare asked in a suddenly-defensive tone.

“Chill. I’m jus’ tryin’ t’ start a conversation, but if you don’t wanna, fine. Be that way. I don’t really care.” The room went awkwardly silent once again. This time, even I felt an invisible weight of discomfort penetrate the otherwise-calm atmosphere.

“…So what if I am?” she asked, breaking the silence to my shock.

"Unbelievable...! After what I heard about last time, she's STILL helpin' him?"

“…Why are you still helpin’ him?” I asked. I was genuinely curious about her and I wanted to know how she’d even gotten involved with him in the first place. “You know he basically used you t’ stage that situation… you know what you’re doin’ NOW is wrong… and for all either of us knows… he’s prolly jus’ usin’ you now. Why?”

“…Because… because he’s all I have…” she dismally replied, alarming me yet again.

“What? That can’t be true…"

"You wouldn't understand..."

"Well I can at least try. I jus' don't get how you would still be on board with another scheme o' his after what happened the first time."

"Your point?" she flatly asked.

"Damn. Colder than an iceberg... She's gotta give at some point, though..."

"I mean… what about your special talent? Your Cutie Mark?” I asked, making note of the telescope-shaped Cutie Mark on her flank.

“Just because you discover a special talent, it doesn't mean it’ll bring you success, y’know…”

"Really...? I thought that was the general idea o' the whole 'Cutie Mark' thing..."

“No way… what do you mean?” I asked, almost breath-taken by her statement.

“I mean that my job as an astronomer in Saddle Arabia was more or less a flop…”

“A… flop?”

“Yes. I’d moved there from Equestria a few years ago. It was about a few months after the ancient terror known as Nightmare Moon was reverted back to her original form as Princess Luna…”

“Nightmare Moon? Luna had an evil alter ego? Ain’t that somethin’…?”

“I’d found employment over there, but… It was taking me nowhere… getting paid to just stare out into the cosmos, wistfully admiring every single shining star within my line of sight, gazing deeply into the reaches of space... Conducting various tests and experiments and forming theories and such, based on your findings… It’s quite exhilarating to say the least… and for a while, I'd become complacent with my profession... but eventually, it ceased being enough to satisfy me…”

“Mind elaboratin’?”

“Gladly. You see… I was always one who believed that there was… life on other worlds.” I was growing increasingly captivated by Comet’s story.

“Ya don’t say…?”

“Oh, but I do. About a couple years ago, I’d begun taking time away from my astronomical research to develop a spell… a spell that would revolutionize science and magic alike as we know it…”

“What? You mean the trans-dimensional spell?”

“Actually… no. I was trying to develop a spell that allowed me to travel to other planets in this galaxy… one that would allow me to gain a personal account of experience with other possible life-forms besides the ones that reside on this primitive, soggy dirtball. As you could probably guess, other ponies thought I’d gone mad with boredom… or that I was just plain crazy… After an extensive period of trial and error, I'd almost started to believe my critics' words... but then one day… about ten or so months ago… it happened…”

“You finally managed to travel…?”

“…to your native world, yes. The spell in itself was totally erratic in its properties due to it being a simple prototype… Instead of sending myself to a different planet, I wound up going to a whole different universe. There, I met him… I’d teleported in front of him while he was taking a shower…” I chuckled a little.

“How unfortunate.”

“Yeah, it might sound that way… but it wasn’t. At least, not to me. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever come across in all my years…”

“Well THAT could be taken in more ways than one."

“And before you make yet another one of your tiresomely lurid anatomical references, I'm referring to the fact that seeing a human being for the first time was—!”

“I got it. Although… the way you worded that provides some laughs…” She rolled her eyes in disdain at my comment.

“Ugh, do you want to hear the rest of this or not?”

“Fine, fine… I’mma shut up. Please, continue.”

“Thank you. Now where was I…? Oh yeah…”

“There’s gotta be something… anything…! This is driving me crazy…!” I frantically mumbled to myself as I desperately searched through my sizable repertoire of text. “Hurry up, Spike!” My cramps were steadily increasing in intensity as I waited around for the signal to meet up with Gillian. I was urgently searching for ANYTHING that bore reputable information on how to make the cramps go away; even if only temporarily. Healing spells did absolutely nothing to soothe them and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. As I scrutinized through every shelf in the biology and anatomy section of the library, I began to think about the consequences of my previous actions…

“I was SO close to having him…! Why in the hay did I flip out on him!?”

“Because at that point, ration was completely thrown out the window! But the sooner I wrap this up, the sooner I can have him…! Just keep it together, Twilight…!”

“Easier said than done. There’s still the fact that he doesn’t even KNOW I’m in heat!”

“Let’s just forget about HOW to tell him and just tell him. It’s far too late for careful consideration at this point. He deserves an explanation.”

“But then he’ll probably be angry at me! I mean, I hit him pretty hard last night…”

“Buuut, he shouldn’t be so upset that he wouldn’t listen to reason… right?”

“Ohh, who am I kidding? I accused him of CHEATING on me! With Fluttershy! How ridiculous does THAT sound? He was even bleeding when he left here!”

“But then… he DID give her a rub. Maybe he’ll understand my feelings on that and from that, he should still be able to lend me an ear… hopefully… Just keep it together, Twilight… Keep. It. TOGETHER!” As my mental conflict raged on, I’d finally managed to find the pony anatomy textbook I’d been searching for. I hurriedly cast a levitation spell on it to bring it to my attention.

“Yes…!” I exclaimed. “Now then… what does this say about possible temporary remedies for cramps during estrus…?” I set the book on the floor and found a comfortable position to sit in. Just as I was about to delve into the reading material, a flash of emerald green fire materialized in front of me, revealing a scroll.

“Aww, horseapples! They must be ready now…”

“No wait! That’s a good thing! We’re THAT much closer to getting Ty back!” I opened the scroll and read its contents:

We’re in position and awaiting your arrival.
-Spike

“*sigh* Alright,” I said, bringing myself to a stand. “I may as well not waste time. Let’s go...” As I readied myself for the commencement of the gang’s plan, I redoubled my determination and confidence. I was ready to get this over with as soon as physically possible. I marched out the door, took a deep, painful breath, and broke into a hurried gallop towards Town Hall.

“I’m coming for you, honey. I’ll make it up to you if it’s the last thing I do…!” I put all of my focus on the mission at hoof, hoping that our plan would go smoothly...

“…and that’s when I found out about his plan to try and take over Saddle Arabia and its neighboring land…” Comet explained. There was quite a lot to consider about this mare. An astronomer who became bored with her job and found an interest in the extraterrestrial… only to find and be made a pawn by one… and lose everything because of it… I actually felt bad for her.

“Jeez, Comet… Tha’ss rough,” I consoled.

“Yeah, but what can I do? This is what I’ve got to get used to, and since Celestia’s mages disabled that spell of mine from use as part of the punishment I'd been delivered for almost causing the downfall of two nations, I couldn’t share my knowledge of it or prove that I’d developed it… which reminds me, human…”

“My name is Ty.”

“Ty. How did YOU wind up here? Was it that purple unicorn you’re apparently so fond of?”

“Yea."

"How'd you two meet up?"

"She found me the same way you found Gillian; except of course, I wasn’t in the shower. I was jus’ wrappin’ up some quality alone time after a hard day at work. From there, we jus’ hit it off. I showed her around my world a l'il bit. In return, she brought me here, but I guess at the time she brought me here, Gillian was busy doin’ his thing with you over in Saddle Arabia. Still, I wasn’t lookin’ t’ stay here permanently, nor was I plannin’ on enterin’ a relationship with her… but after bein’ turned into a pony t' stay incognito AND havin’ just about all o’ Ponyville, a few Canterlot guards, her older brother, and her sister-in-law come under the assumption that we were datin’, plus a couple o' sorta... private chats between us, it made both of us kinda… see each other that way, I guess.”

“Interesting. Gillian liked ME from the start. From the day we met to a short time after I'd brought him to this world, he'd begun making less-than-subtle advances toward me, doing nothing to hide his attraction to me. Imagine my bewilderment at such forwardness... and from a human being, at that..."

"Huh... He liked her from the start? Wha'ss up with that?"

"Tha'ss crazy..."

"Yeah, it kind of was. At first, I was resistant to the idea of entering a romantic relationship with an extraterrestrial... but then, he found a plethora of ways to prove that love could be blind..."

"Is that right...?"

"Mm-hmm. After a short while, I'd finally given into his persistence and decided to give it a shot... Allow me to inform you that I regret nothing. He showed me a cornucopia of his affection... it was so... wonderful. In fact, it didn’t take too long before we tried—!”

"Oh, no...!" "Oh, yea!"

“Okay," I interrupted. "...Before you finish that… Is it what I’m thinkin’ it is?” Wordlessly and blushingly, she smiled and nodded.

“…wow.”

“…wow.”

“I… went into heat within the first two weeks of our relationship, and he was the only one who was there for me… sorry for any undesirable graven images you may develop..."

“You good…” I affirmed.

"Unreal...!"

“…At the very least, he was already in his current form when we did it. But that's enough about me… as you were saying?”

“Oh, uh… where was I...? Oh yeah. Like I mentioned when y’all kidnapped me before, that plot almost got ME banned. Celestia got a bad impression on humans when she found out what he was, which didn’t serve me too well when she found out I was human, too. I almost completely agreed with her on bannin’ me because of all these crazy ideas Twilight developed in terms o’ that spell. I didn’t know Twilight so well either, so I really didn’t have much of a case to argue. But then Twi an’ I thought about it when she stayed with me for what we thought would be our last day together an’ she went t’ see what she could do to change the Princess’s mind. Evidently, she was successful. Long story short, we made it past nine whole months… at least, tha’ss what it coulda been if she didn’t decide t’ come up with the assumption I was cheatin’ on her…” I could tell I had the cerulean mare's attention, as she gasped in wide-eyed surprise at my confession.

“Why would she think something like that?? Did you?”

“Of course not! Although… I may have done somethin’ I shouldn’t have… I feel miserable jus’ thinkin’ about it…"

“Hm... I suppose that explains all the sleep-talk and twitching you were doing last night as you slept..."

"Yea... Wait... What?"

"Sleep-talk? Twitchin'?"

"I... was assigned the task of watching you as you slept in case you woke up and tried to escape. You were moving around and mumbling unintelligibly in your slumber for most of the night."

"Oh."

"Can I assume you were going through some sort of guilt-induced nightmare?”

“Yea… And before you two decided t’ launch your scheme— which I obligatorily hafta say you won’t be allowed t’ get away with…”

“Maybe, maybe not.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“We’ll see. But yea, turns out one o’ her closest friends developed a… sorta crush on me.”

“Oh, my. That doesn't sound good...”

“Yea… I accidentally made her cry about it when I went t’ her house an’ practically ran away from her when the evidence was pilin' up... Then jus’ last night I managed t’ make amends with her an' sort things out… I even gave her a quick li’l massage as a ‘Sorry’ gift until she fell asleep. After that, Twilight suddenly wanted t’ talk. Despite bein’ tired beyond reason, I agreed. I hesitated t’ admit to rubbin’ down her friend since Twilight’s the only one I ever gave those massages to before then, an’ she completely lost it on me.”

“I… assume that’s why your nose was bleeding when we found you?”

“You guessed it. And the rest is history. But even before that, she’s been… actin’ unusual lately...”

“How?”

“Hmm… She’s been more aggressive an’ moody, she’s made a few possessive comments whenever I talked t’ some o’ her friends… umm… The one time we got intimate all weekend, she REALLY got into it... more than she usually does... and... OH! An’ she’s been tryin’ t’ tell me somethin’, but every time a chance comes around, somethin’ screws it up.”

“Hmm… call this a bit arbitrary, but… have you… noticed a… certain kind of smell about her as well?”

“Yea, as a matter of fact! I can’t put a finger on what it smells like, but… I’ss—!”

“Kind of a musky, yet strangely alluring body odor, usually gets stronger with the more you two show affection towards one another?”

“Yea!”

“Okay, how the hell does she know all this?”

“I see… And has she complained of cramps recently?”

“Yes… jus’ yesterday, actually… How do you know all this?” At that, she laughed heartily, as if to imply she knew something I didn't.

“Don’t be so naïve, Ty. She’s showing all the signs and symptoms of an estrus cycle.” My eyes widened in total shock at the diagnosis Comet made.

“…what?”

“…what?”

“…what?” I was utterly dumbfounded.

“An estrus cycle, also known as 'heat': A certain time when a mare is substantially more prone to… arousal, for lack of a better term."

"Go on..." I nudged, intent on hearing her out, but at the same time frightful of what I was about to tune in to.

"It usually occurs during the warmer times of year-- much like now-- and during these times, mares tend to be more consistently moody and irritable. They also tend to be more possessive of their mates, given they HAVE a mate at the time, and will go through intermittent episodes of abdominal cramps until the cycle passes within an average of a week's time OR if she engages in sexual activity with her mate. There's also the option of self-pleasure, but that's usually only a temporary remedy to the cramps..."

"..." I had nothing to say as I listened intently to Comet's equine biology lecture.

"Didn't expect her t' break it down like this... But still..."

"I'm not entirely sure of cross-species pregnancy rates though, as nopony has ever studied the concept with regards to ponies other than the ability of any two members of the four pony classes to procreate with one another; so long as all the necessary biological equipment is there, obviously. I'm certain that cross-species breeding is physically impossible anyway, given the clear difference in chromosomes... Ponies have around sixty-four chromosomes and, according to Gillian, humans only have about... forty-six, I believe," she informed before she took on a look of realization. "I'm sorry, I'm diverging far from the point right now. Long story short, your Twilight may quite possibly be undergoing an estrus cycle.”

“Oh… aw shit…” I mumbled, dazed beyond reason.

“So the girl’s in heat… Ain’t this about a—!”

“Time for celebration? I knew that hunch was right! She wants us! Especially me!”

“*sigh* but… I… wow… Twilight? In HEAT? Is that…?” I stared blankly at the withering, wilting mango remains resting in my suddenly-hot, sweaty hands as I tried to register the realization.

“Well THAT doesn’t seem like a happy reaction…” Comet commented, snapping me out of my train of thought.

“I… yea… I… it’s jus’ that if tha’ss true… then I’ve… got a LOT of thinkin’ t’ do…”

“I see… If it's about the species difference between the two of you, then... the best piece of advice I could offer you is to forget about it... even if only temporarily."

"Yea sure, but... i'ss not quite the same... I mean... you did it with your special someone while you both shared the same body type..."

"Believe me, I held the same worries you're experiencing, even WITH that in mind... I couldn't fathom being rutted by somepony that... well... WASN'T a pony..."

"'Rutted,' huh? How peculiar..."

"...ly arousing."

"It was so troublesome... I mean, nopony could tell that he wasn't actually a pony, but the knowledge of me committing such an act was so hard to overcome... At first, it bothered me greatly... For a while, I questioned my own integrity and suffered through bouts of catatonic daydreams about it... It felt SO good... but it was so... morally, ethically, and physically wrong... I was wracked with enormous feelings of shame and self-loathing over my lack of understanding of how I could allow myself to have sexual relations with a human being... But then... I realized I loved him... and he loved me... No matter WHAT bodily form he or even I maintained. That nothing in the world would change my mind on my feelings for him... Plus, he REALLY knows how to please a mare..." That last bit woke me up a little.

"OKAY, tha'ss all I need t' hear about that..." At that, she giggled.

"Not so amusing when you're the recipient of such lewd remarks, is it?"

"...point taken," I conceded.

"Anyway, after a bit of time spent in consideration, I finally cast aside my fears and doubts. I fully accepted Gillian as my one true love... Of course, even after the whole 'take over the East' thing happened."

"Wow... i'ss like that between you?"

"Yep."

"Even though he's batshit insane?"

"He's not insane. He just needs somepony to love... I'm the only suitable candidate, so I fill the role as best I can."

"Well... what sense does THAT make? He used you."

"That may be, but even though I had no idea of his plans, he never once mistreated me... Every time we were together, both of us poured our hearts into one another... I see his plan as but a minor setback in our courtship, and I've fully forgiven him for it."

"Uh-huh..." I was having trouble understanding her reasoning.

"Scratch that; you're BOTH insane..."

"...Can I admit something to you?"

"...Sure."

"I actually don't know what he plans on doing once we get to Celestia. I actually hope he doesn't do something that will get us both extradited to the moon or something..."

"An' yet you're still followin' along?" I skeptically asked, raising an eyebrow to show my lack of understanding.

"Hey, it was either this or rot in prison for the rest of my life. I'm fully aware of the consequences of us being captured and sent back, but... I really just needed two things: One, some fresh air. And Two, my Gillian... I can't imagine my life without him..."

"Wow... You really love him, huh?"

"With every last fiber of my being..."

"Right... well, if that's the case, then you should probably consider talkin' him outta this crazy plot o' his."

"And why, may I ask, should I do that?" Comet asked, gaining an expected tone of skepticism.

"Why? I imagine you both are already in a lotta trouble since y'all broke outta prison, one. Two, you're usin' your premature freedom t' terrorize the lives of other ponies... and one human. Three, you apparently got this far without so much as questionin' what he's gonna do if he gets t' Princess Celestia, which I believe is a HUGE no-no. And Four... if you love him as much as you say, then... then maybe you can convince him t' stop this. For the safety of everyone involved. Plus, there's no benefit t' be had in holdin' grudges for your own undoin'. This is jus' me, but if I was you, I'd have tried talkin' him outta such crazy schemes in the first place..."

"...Your points are valid. But, I don't know if I want to do that..."

"Why not?"

"As you've already witnessed and experienced, he has an extraordinarily low level of tolerance for those who get in his way."

"But you're his girlfriend! As far as I know, you are the only one who he allows to get close t' him. You have the power t' change his mind... t' end this bullshit before somebody gets hurt! At this point, even YOU run the risk o' gettin' hurt. An' if THAT happens, I guarantee a lotta completely preventable bad things WILL follow, given he cares about you as much as you're lettin' on."

"He DOES care for me!" she snapped. "I know for a fact he does! But... I just want to see him happy is all... he's had such a terrible life in your world, and I'm the only thing that brings him joy in this one... that's why I permanently transformed him into a stallion at his request, and that's why I follow him unquestioningly... I... I want to make him happy..."

"Damn... I'd ALMOST feel bad for the guy if he wasn't the reason I'm a beat up alien hostage now..."

"Well, you can. You hafta understand that there's better ways t' do it, though. Let me ask you this... is it worth his happiness t' see all the others you're potentially hurtin' in the process? Twilight, her friends, the Princess? Even me?"

"...I don't know... I've never done anything like this before... with the violence, the kidnapping... All the things we've done so far in order to find a way to Princess Celestia... It honestly doesn't sit too well with me, but... this is the most genuinely enthusiastic I've seen him since the day we met... I feel like it's too late for me to do anything to change our plans, anyway..."

"It ain't never too late t' make a change, Comet... believe that."

"I'll... take your word for it." The room went silent once again. I took a deep breath to rid myself of the emotional tension I'd developed in my discussion with the mare over the plot she was involved in. Eventually, I spoke up again.

"Um... we got way off-topic... er... Exactly how strong IS your relationship with him, anyway...?"

"I'm sure it's really no different from how you and that other unicorn are... My only guess is just that you two haven't progressed quite as far in your relationship as Gillian and I have, considering your apparent fears and doubts regarding sexual activity with your mare."

"I... guess...? I mean, we've touched on the subject before, but we never exactly had a chance t' explore it... I... I love her, but I... I jus' don't know how... how something like sex between us would work; at least, in the case that she stays a pony while I stay human..."

"I already know she can turn you into a pony, but it's not like she can turn herself human..."

"Well... actually..." I trailed off, losing my words. Comet gasped in shock, grasping my hint.

"She can??"

"Yea. I left her at my house with a few anatomy books one time. She used the time she had t' develop a spell that would turn her into a human girl."

"But... HOW?? Transformation spells of that level should take months-- no, YEARS to master! And you're saying she--!"

"Learned it in a few hours, yes. It ain't a perfect spell an' she has some kinks t' work out, but yea. Tha'ss beside the point, though," I stated, wanting to get back on topic. "My point is... I... don't know how I'd be able t' go through with such a thing... as odd as that sounds, given we been together for close to a year now... I don't feel like I'm... ready yet, I guess. Her bein' in heat... I'ss jus'... so sudden..."

"*Ahem* Trust me, Ty... Once you go pony, you NEVER go back..." Comet quipped, lightening the tense atmosphere momentarily. I found it in me to chuckle at the corny euphemism.

"Hehehhe, what?" I asked in amusement.

"Just something Gillian told me after the first time we um... how you say, 'made love'... it IS kinda funny, isn't it?" She chuckled a little.

"Yea... yea..." I agreed before my smile faded. I'd quickly descended back into a pensive state of consideration to contemplate the world-shaking news I'd just been delivered as the room went silent once again.

"Still... if you expect your relationship with your mare to go anywhere further, you will have to come to a decision on whether you feel comfortable enough with her in order to fulfill her physical needs. If you truly love her as you say, you are also accepting your differences and treating them not as obstacles, but as milestones... And from there, you show her in every sense how much you love her... Because when you manage to do that, Ty... she'll reciprocate the favor with all her heart... and the strength of your bond will bolster to the point of being nigh unbreakable..." Comet advised, winking at me.

"Insightful, she is..."

"You're right... Weird comin' from hostage t' captor, but... you're right... I still need time t' consider, though..."

"...Well, I suppose I could just leave you here to mull over it for a moment. Can I trust you to not try and escape?”

“I… um… yea. I-I’mma jus’ be right here… Still, you should consider what I told you.”

“I... I shall," she said before getting up out of the chair.

"Wait," I called.

"What's up?"

"...Is it too much t' ask for you t' undo this rope? It kinda itches..." I shyly requested, foolishly hoping she'd comply after our conversation.

"Nice try, Ty. We may be on better terms and you may have given me much to consider, but you ARE still a hostage."

"Dammit... Worth a shot..."

"Darn," I stated, frowning in slight, yet expectant disappointment.

"In any case, I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me. I can at least take that rotting mango pit off your hands..." she generously offered as she cast a levitation spell on the remains of the fruit, lifting it out of my hands and towards her. "Let me know if you’re feeling up to eating another one,” she joked.

“Tee hee,” I dryly remarked. Nonetheless, Comet disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me by my lonesome to think about Twilight’s apparent condition…

After a painstakingly stressful run from the library, I'd finally made it to central Ponyville. There, I saw the stallion I was looking for, smiling at me as if he were a colt waiting for some gift I had to give him.

“Ms. Sparkle! Just the mare I've been waiting for…” Gillian pompously greeted. “And you’re early!”

“You know what I’m here for,” I flatly stated as I approached the malicious stallion. “Now where is he?”

“Easy now, girl.”

“‘Girl?’ Who in Equestria does he think he is!?”

“Listen, you!” I shot, marching right up to him wearing the most frustrated expression I could muster. “You and your filly-friend have caused me and my friends a LOT of trouble in the past two days and quite frankly, I am thoroughly fed up with it! Tell me where he is and give him back, and MAYBE I won’t have to—!”

“Ms. Sparkle! You’ll get your boyfriend back, I assure you. All I request is that you accompany me to Canterlot without quarrel so we can meet Celestia.”

“What are you, insane?? You know VERY well I refuse to do that!”

“Fine…” He calmly remarked. “I suppose you DON’T want him back..." he trailed off before taking a deep, extravagant breath through his snout. "...and I suppose you DON'T want your little ‘heat’ problem settled as soon as possible, hm?” I was completely dumbfounded at his deduction as I went silent.

“*Gasp* How?? How could he know??”

“But… how did—?”

“I could tell just from how you trotted your way here: Labored and struggling not to lose that pretty little head of yours over what to do without your precious Ponder Memoir to help you…” He chuckled, much to my chagrin. “Did I neglect to mention you have quite the alluring odor surrounding you as well?”

“How embarrassing…” I felt my face heat up as I looked at the ground.

“Now now, don’t get so down…” he falsely consoled as he moved to lift my head up to face that smug smirk of his.

*Smack* I’d come to my senses and hastily swatted his hoof away from my chin, glaring hotly at him as I did so.

“Don’t touch me!” I angrily warned. “Stop wasting my time and just show me where you’re hiding Ty!”

“Why the hurry, Twi?” he asked in a mocking tone.

“Ugh, how DARE he!?”

“That’s TWILIGHT to you, pal! Only my friends call me that, and YOU are not my friend!” He laughed again.

“In any case, Twilight… Why are you in such a rush to find my hideout? You wouldn’t happen to be staging some sort of ambush, would you?”

“Oh shoot! I hope he hasn’t figured it out…”

“W-what would give you THAT idea?” I asked warily, unsure of whether he was bluffing or not.

“Hm. You must really take me for a fool. When I left you to consider your options, I’d only teleported right outside your home to listen in on any possible foolish attempts to defy me that you and your friends would come up with…”

“Darn it…! He already knows! I need to come up with an impromptu fail-safe…”

“In fact… I’m almost certain they’re around here right now, eavesdropping like the flies they are… but I’m a magnanimous kind of guy… I’ll give you a second chance. Call them out and tell them to stand down. If you do, MAYBE I’ll consider taking you to your precious boyfriend…”

"Oh, no... I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place now... What to do, what to do...? Ah! I've got something...! I'll try and rebuff his demand by feigning ignorance to his accusation. Just in case he's bluffing..." I opened my mouth to speak when...

“NO!” shouted a familiar voice. Its owner came rocketing out from behind a nearby house. In a polychromatic flash, Rainbow Dash had landed right in between me and Gillian, causing him to step back.

“*sigh* Rainbow Dash…!”

“You don’t have to agree to that, Twilight!” she practically screamed, seeming eager for a fight. In an instant, my infuriated friend turned to Gillian, fire in her eyes. “Just who do you think you are, coming to Ponyville and demanding things of us like you’re some sort of big shot!?” she angrily asked, getting into his face.

“Never mind who I think I am, Rainbow Dash,” Gillian replied, seeming to be quite happy about Rainbow’s brash move. “I THINK you just fell for my bluff. I THINK I’m still in control here. I THINK you didn’t hold up your end of the bargain, Twilight. And now…” he gave a sinister smirk. “…and NOW… I THINK I’m going to do away with that human!” he threatened with a laugh.

“No! Wait!” I desperately called, hoping he might still change his mind.

“Too late! He’s as good as gone!” he shouted as he lit up his horn, preparing to disappear. Acting on a presumable impulse, Rainbow Dash lunged at him as fast as she could and just as she managed to land a hoof on him, the two of them disappeared. I could only stare in total bewilderment at what had just taken place. Rainbow Dash brashly interrupting the negotiation because Gillian apparently faked knowing about the plan... Gillian threatening to harm Ty because of the slip-up... and Rainbow attacking Gillian as he cast a teleportation spell, sending both of them to Celestia-knows-where...

“*sigh* Damn…!” I quietly cursed in frustration. Normally, I would NEVER use such a word… but my time spent around Ty, coupled with his frequent use of it despite his informing me that it was profane and not fit for proper speech, forced that to be the first thing to come to mind. I’d be sure not to make a habit of it. I’d also be sure to wash his mouth with a bar of soap next time he said anything of the sort around me or any of my friends. But that would have to wait until I saw him again… That is, IF I saw him again.

“Girls? Spike?” I called aloud. “You can all come out now! Seems we’ve hit our SNAFU!” with that, all my friends stepped out of their hiding spots (which I have to say were quite innovative, as I wouldn't have even been able to tell they were there) and grouped up around me, each of them looking as worried as I felt.

“What do we do now, Twilight?” asked Lyra. "We can't let him get away."

“I'm aware of that, and we'll have to reassess the situation. For one thing… Spike, send the letter. Make sure to let Celestia know everything going on right now, from the two evil ponies to the kidnappings to their terrible plot to try and get to her.”

“On it,” Spike complied, quickly putting the quill to the parchment.

“What about Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah,” agreed Applejack. “Didn’t really expect ‘er t’ lose her cool like that…"

"Neither did I," I answered, equally as befuddled as my friend was.

"We didn't even hear what you an' Gillian were talkin' about...”

“Long story short, Gillian bluffed his way into ruining our plot. Rainbow must've overheard it from the house she was hiding behind and decided to take an alternative course of action. Even so… even I couldn't tell if Gillian was bluffing or not. We were SO close to finding his hideout, too… *sigh* Oh well. It’s possible only Rainbow knows where the hideout is now, but… she also runs the risk of being captured just like Ty, considering Comet didn't seem to be with him. Chances are, she's guarding Ty at their hideout.”

“What measures do you propose we take?” inquired Rarity. In that moment, Spike had finished the emergency letter and with a blast of emerald green fire, sent it on its way.

“Hmm… I suppose we could search the town for the place in question. We’ll need to split up to maximize our chances of at least finding Rainbow Dash. I’m hoping she and Gillian will make enough noise for us to find out their current position, implying she’s in a position where she can make noise,” I reasoned. “Okay… we’re at the heart of Ponyville right now, so… Rarity, Spike, you two search the North."

"Got it!" Spike assured.

"Zecora, Applejack, you two search East."

"Y'all can count on us!" Applejack confidently stated.

"Lyra and Pinkie will search West."

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

"Fluttershy, you’re with me. We’ll search South." To that, Fluttershy simply nodded in concurrence.

"I figure you and I still have some talking to do anyhow..."

"From there, teams will split to scour their respective surrounding areas if no clues are found during the initial search. If anypony finds something, find a way to let everypony else know. In the case that anypony runs into Rainbow, Gillian, Comet, and/or Ty, do NOT hesitate to take action to help our friends. There’s no time to waste! Let’s move out!” Everypony agreed without a word as we all split off into designated pairs to search the different areas of Ponyville...

The Storm!! (Pt. 1)

“So… You had enough time to think, Ty?” asked Comet as she reentered the room.

“I… suppose… I’ss jus’… A human havin' sexual intercourse with a pony? Even if t' help soothe her 'heat' problem... How wrong does that sound?” I asked back, still a bit on the fence about Twilight's possible condition.

“Well, to be fair… from the perspective of a pony, such an act with a species of sentient being that ISN'T a pony; one that doesn't even EXIST in this world, mind you, would yield the same form of conflict you're going through. I’m almost positive that, if the heat hasn’t gotten all the way to her head by now, your Twilight is dealing with a similar internal battle… You DID say she had trouble telling you herself, no?”

“Good point…" I concurred before going awkwardly silent for a few seconds. "Forgive me if this sounds intrusive, Comet, but… how did you an’ Gillian manage t’ go through with it?”

“Well, as I said before, he was already in his transformed state when we did it… I must say, it really didn't make much of a difference, given that, despite him looking the part of a stallion, he is still human. That and, between you and I, he didn’t have any objections to it at all.”

“Seriously?? None?” I asked in complete disbelief.

“None at all. He actually said doing it with me would make it more appealing for him…”

“…Woooooooooooow…”

“That sick fuck!”

“Don’t be so quick t’ judge. We may be on the same boat as him pretty soon… given this whole thing wraps up without somebody bein' seriously injured or killed…”

“Y’know… you’re actually right again…”

“Yep. Bein' right is a good feelin'... Of course, not as good as--!”

“Don't even...!”

“Yeah… but once you get past the fact that you’re different species and just go for it, I can personally say your love will flourish… given you in particular make it out of here without dying or sustaining more damage than you have already.”

“Indee—!”

*POOF* With a sudden flash of silver, two ponies had suddenly appeared in front of me. One of them was sky blue with a mane of various colors. The other was tan with hair of black. Despite the two of them being locked in a violent struggle, I recognized them as Rainbow Dash and Gillian.

“Rainbow Dash???” I called. The sound of my voice must’ve grabbed her attention because she and Gillian stopped dead in their tracks to look at me. As soon as she registered me in her thoughts, she effortlessly kicked the stallion away and dashed towards me.

“Ty! So glad to see you again, big guy!” Rainbow excitedly greeted. “I’m bustin’ you outta here!”

“Wait… You are??” I wasn't so much surprised at her announcement as I was that she didn't seem to be in the least bit angry at me.

“Of course! Twilight and the gang should be waiting for us near Town Hall. Let’s get going!” As she instructed me to follow her, I noticed a glow of purple from my peripheral vision. I quickly cut my eyes over to the left to see Comet preparing to attack Rainbow with a magic blast.

“Rainbow, duck!”

“Wha—! WHOA!” she narrowly avoided being hit by the sneak attack as it whizzed over her head.

“I don’t think so!” scolded the cerulean unicorn. “You’re not going anywhere with him!”

“YOU’RE just lucky I don’t have the time to pound you halfway to Hoofington for what you did to me yesterday! Now come on, Ty! Let’s go!”

“I can’t! My hands an' feet are tied up.”

“Well you’re in for a bumpy ride, because one way or another, you’re comin’ with me!” she grabbed my feet with both her forelegs and with a mighty pump of her wings, she began to drag me across the floor. We didn’t get far before Rainbow narrowly avoided another blast of magic; this one silver.

“Leave the human here, and you MAY leave this place with your wings intact!” Gillian threatened, seeming none too happy. I looked over at Rainbow to see that she didn’t seem startled in the slightest. In fact, she’d been smirking.

“I’M supposed to be scared of a pony who can’t aim well enough to hit a target as big as a pegasus?” she taunted, much to my surprise and the chagrin of Gillian.

“Watch your mouth, you cur! I could have you erased from existence!”

“Nyeah nyeah! *Phlblblblblt*” She blew him the old-fashioned raspberry. If I wasn't mistaken, it was like she was TRYING to piss him off... "Maybe you should get yourself a pair of glasses. And a gym membership to go with it because you're as weak as you are blind!"

“Rainbow Dash, what the he—!” I stopped when I noticed her winking at me. In that same instance, Gillian charged another blast to shoot at Rainbow with. Rather than duck or dodge out of the way of this one, she waited there, grinning with confidence. As soon as the blast left Gillian’s horn, Rainbow lifted my legs up.

*ZAP* “Ouch!!” I shouted as the blast made contact with my feet. However, I noticed that the rope binding my now-tingling feet together had been incinerated.

"Clever girl... I'm impressed."

“Good! Now get up!” Rainbow commanded as she flew over to grab me by the shirt and pull me to my feet before swiftly dashing over to open the door. “Get outta here! I’ll catch up with you!”

“What?? Rainbow, I—!”

“Go!! Twilight needs you!” Her words left me totally speechless as they registered in my mind.

"She... needs me? I thought she hated me..." I knew I didn't have time to ponder Dash's words, so I readied myself for the run of my life... which I hoped wasn't to be taken literally...

"Don't you DARE take one step toward that door!" Gillian commanded in stark frustration, charging up his horn again. "...or you'll regret it!"

"...You know what? I think now's a good time for some payback..." Rather than freeze in place or try to bolt out of the door, I calmly turned toward the stallion and approached him slowly.

"*sigh* Y'know, Gillian? At a time like this, there's only one thing I hafta say t' you..." I told him as I stopped mere inches away from him. Surprisingly, he powered down his horn, possibly thinking I was complying with him.

"And what, pray tell, is that?" He asked, seeming to be humoring me.

"I'ss more of a question, really..."

"And that question is...?"

"What is this?" I could tell he'd taken the bait, as he cocked an eyebrow at me.

"What is... what?" He asked again, not seeming to understand what I meant.

"This. Y'know, this," I reiterated, pointing at absolutely nothing.

"Well, what do you mean by, 'this'? You're not gesturing toward anything, or making a clear point as to what you're alluding to."

"All I'm askin' is what THIS is. Jeez, how hard is that t' answer?" At this point, both he AND Comet were shooting me looks of confusion. He turned to her, his expression unchanging.

"...Did you do something to him, Comet?" Gillian asked his cohort.

"No... At least, I don't think I did..." the cerulean mare uncertainly answered.

"Ty!" Rainbow called, seeming to be worried. "What are you--?"

"In a sec, Dash. I jus' wanna know somethin'..." I assured before turning my attention back to the stallion. "Well? What is this?" Gillian shook his head at me with an expression of annoyance and confusion before he responded.

"*sigh* I have NO clue what you're referring to, but I think I'll take a stab at it... This is a house?" he guessed, seeming unsure of his answer.

"A house...? No... no..." I muttered before making a dramatic pause, turning away and feigning contemplation for what I was about to do. After a second-long suspenseful silence, I turned back to Gillian, furrowing my brow and baring my clenched teeth. "THIS IS PAYBACK TIME, BITCH!!!" I fiercely shouted before, in a swift, fluent motion, I cocked my right foot back as far as I could and let all of my pent-up aggression go in a single vengeance-fueled kick.

*THUMP* "OOF!" *CRASH* I punted that son of a bitch as hard as I possibly could, sending him flying into the kitchen like a hapless football and crashing into what sounded like the table. Ignoring the wave of pain coursing through my foot and shin, I took a second to look at Comet, who looked absolutely appalled at what just happened as she gawked into the kitchen, her eyes and mouth agape.

"Way to go, Ty!" Rainbow cheered, reminding me to get out of there immediately.

"Worth it!"

“…I owe ya one, Dashie…” I commended as I turned and took off as fast as I could out of the house… or at least, that’s what I would’ve done if I had any idea where to go or had any intention of leaving Rainbow there. Instead, I made my way to the door, making sure to grab hold of Rainbow’s tail as I ran by. I’d be damned if I was going to let my friend sacrifice herself...

“Get back here!!” Gillian yelled as he and Comet gave chase. As soon as we were outside of the house, I let go of Dash, who shot me a look of perplexity as she flew alongside me.

“What gives?" she asked. "I could’ve taken both of them on while you got away!”

“I have enough t’ feel bad about… I ain’t about t’ let you bein’ capped or hurt fall on my conscience…! I jus’ wish we had a—!”

“Look out!” she called as she flew in front of me to pull me down by my neck, so as to make me crouch as I heard a magic shot whiz past us. As soon as the coast was clear, I moved back to an upright running position as she flew beside me.

“…better way o’ gettin’ away from them!” I finished.

“Hmm... I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a long shot!"

"Anything's good at this point! Wha'ss the plan?"

"We don't exactly have time for me to explain it! I'll just need you to spread your legs and hold your arms out as you run so I have enough room!” before I could even ask why, she flew behind me. Trusting her, I did as she asked. Before I even had time to turn and look, however, I took note of an incredibly fast trail of rainbow shoot up from under me, as well as a strangely wet, warm, hard object pressed against each of my constricted wrists. In the next literal instant, my arms were rising toward the sky as my feet stopped making contact with the ground.

*FWOOSH!!!!!!*

“WHOA!!!!” Turns out Rainbow’s idea of an escape plan was to gain enough momentum to fly from under me between my legs, take the rope binding my hands together into her mouth, and use the momentum to lift me high into the air.

“Mrrn, yurr hrrvy!” she loudly mumbled as she rocketed toward the clouds. I understood it as her complaining about my weight. I took no offense, as she was my only hope…

“Sorry about that, but whatever you’re gonna do t’ get us the hell outta here, make it quick!” I hastily ordered, deathly afraid of what might’ve happened if she possibly got too distracted and let me go from the height we were at. At that point, I wasn’t sure what to regret more: My request that she move faster, or the fact that I was completely at the acrobatic mare’s mercy in the first place. She heard my command and fully delivered by rocketing off at an unprecedented speed only comparable to a fighter jet.

“WAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!” I shouted in a voice akin to a famous Italian plumber as we blasted off. I could hardly breathe, much less see anything as the winds ripped past us at a dangerous velocity. It sort of made me think back to that story Twilight told me about the time she tied herself to Rainbow in order to make a swift trip to Canterlot… I now know how absolutely horrible that must’ve been.

“Rainbow Dash, I hope you can get away from them soon because so help me, I am gonna lose it in more ways than one!!”

Fluttershy and I were well on our way searching the Southern section of town for our friends. So far, our efforts proved fruitless, but it'd still been pretty early on. My sporadic stomach cramps had settled down for the moment, allowing me to place full focus on the task at hoof. However, I'd been compelled to strike up a conversation with Fluttershy... There was something I needed to get off of my chest regarding the kindly mare, but I simply didn't know how to form my thoughts into coherent words. Rather than stay silent or wait until I was ready to talk, I went on a whim.

"So... Fluttershy..." I awkwardly began.

"Yes?" she plainly answered.

"Um... nice morning we're having... huh?"

"Um... yes. Well, sort of... We still have to find our friends and make sure they're safe..."

"Yes, yes we do. Say... speaking of 'friends...'"

"...I guess you want to talk about what happened earlier?"

"Clever..."

"Yes. I... I know we apologized already, but... I still can't help but feel bad..."

"Twilight, it's okay," Fluttershy assured. "You don't have anything to feel bad about."

"Yes I do... It's not just accusing you of trying to steal Ty... It's the fact that I could even come up with something so unbelievably insipid in the first place..."

"What do you mean?" she asked in curiosity.

"You see, when you told me about your feelings for him... I... I felt... I felt... um..." I uneasily trailed off, afraid of finishing my statement.

"...Scared?" she finished to my astonishment.

"Well... yeah, for lack of a better term... I felt like the security of my relationship was threatened, even though I didn't even have a reason to... I hate to admit it, but... your confession bothered me much more than I initially let on... which is why after I found him in Zecora's hut, it was one of the first things I told him..."

"Oh..." she responded, seeming to be listening intently.

"I'm sorry... It wasn't at all right of me to expose your feelings to Ty like I did... I told him more or less as a warning, selfishly hoping he would take action to be more wary of you... I suppose that's why he led you out to the balcony to talk last night..."

"I guess so... He never mentioned that you told him about my um... my... crush, though. He said he'd only picked up on it from the way I was acting around him when he came with me to my house. I thought I was at least keeping my calm around him, but I guess I'm not very good at hiding my emotions... Even so, I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. He's your colt-friend and I, as your friend, should do a better job of respecting that. I shouldn't have even been crying over it when he left..."

"Huh... I would've guessed he'd simply brought it up to her referring to me... Still, I'm surprised she can still find things to apologize for when none of this is her fault..."

"Speaking of... He DID tell me that you let him know I was crying when you visited me," the pegasus continued. "I didn't consider it before, but I guess that's how I should've known you told him already."

"I suppose that would be a pretty significant clue..." I agreed before I'd suddenly become curious. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd your alone time with him go?"

"It was wonderful. We talked about a lot of things... from why I feel the way I do about him..." at that, I almost cringed.

"Watch it, sister!"

"...to why neither of us would do anything you wouldn't like..."

"Good, good..."

"He even gave me some advice on being more comfortable with myself," she finished with a positive inflection in her tone.

"I see... I didn't know you two shared such a deep conversation. I was under the impression that he simply... well..."

"Let me down easy?" she finished to my astonishment again.

"How'd she know I was about to say that...?"

"Well... yeah, to be blunt. How'd you know I was about to say that?" I inquired with utmost curiosity.

"Because I've... *sigh* been through it before..." she solemnly admitted, MUCH to my shock and sympathy.

"Wow... I'd have never guessed. I always figured she'd be one to prefer to be alone..."

"Wow, Fluttershy... I-I had no idea..."

"Yeah... Ty was much more kind in sparing my feelings than the last pony, though..."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure really... I guess it's just the method he chose. In a way, Ty did let me down... But in another way, he gave me a vote of confidence in finding my own special somepony. What he did to make me feel better, though... the massage he offered me for my troubles..."

"As if I need to be reminded about that...!"

"I was so shocked that he would even consider rubbing me even though you seemed to disapprove of it back in Zecora's house..." At that, I lost my composure, lowering my head as I blushed with radiant embarrassment.

"...Was I that obvious?" I asked, feeling a bit ashamed.

"No, not at all!"

"Fluttershy, you don't have to lie to make me feel better..."

"Well... okay, maybe a little... But, like I said before, he said he'd only do it for me just that one time... as a way of apologizing, even though I don't think he had anything to apologize for. If you don't mind me saying this... you're lucky, Twilight. Ty's a great pony. Even though he's not a pony... And his hands... they're so... soft..."

"Trust me, I know," I concurred. "I feel like I could just melt into him when he rubs me down... especially when I lie down on top of him..."

"Is that how he usually does it?" she curiously asked.

"Yeah... why?"

"He only had me lie down on the floor facing away from him."

"Well then... he really WAS being considerate of me when he gave her one..."

"Still, it was as amazing as it was relaxing. Especially on my wings... I fell asleep in only a few minutes, it felt so good..." she admitted with a small smile as she temporarily turned away from me, looking into the late morning sky. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Heh, yeah that tends to happen... *ahem* I just wish I'd have given him the chance to admit that to me before I lost my temper..." My statement brought her attention back to me.

"I know you said it was a misunderstanding, but... if it's okay for me to ask... Why did you hit him?"

"I honestly don't know, Fluttershy..." I answered, a guilty sinking feeling emanating in my gut. "It's... like I instantly became an aggressively territorial Diamond Dog finding his hoard tampered with; wanting absolutely nothing to do with something that, because of a simple, minuscule perceived shift in its position by someone else, suddenly didn't belong to him... If you understand what I mean." She gave me a sort of puzzled look, seeming to not fully comprehend the comparison.

"I... kinda do. Could you explain it a little more?" she graciously asked.

"It's like this: When he mentioned he gave you an 'apology gift,' but seemed reluctant to explain himself, I assumed he meant that you two... um..." The two of us went silent for a moment before she gasped in shock, realizing what I meant when I trailed off.

"Oh! Twilight, we would NEVER do that!" she assured, seeming to be a bit flustered. "I wouldn't be able to LOOK at myself the same if that were to happen. The guilt would just tear me apart."

"Yeah, but after the way I treated him when we were discussing what to do... and him hesitating to admit to the massage... The worst thought that came to mind was that he kissed you again to make you feel better... or at the very least, just to make himself feel better... I see now why that's a horribly distrustful thing to imagine..."

"Oh... My...!" Fluttershy was flustered beyond belief, blushing vehemently as she fluttered her wings to keep herself afloat.

"I was afraid of losing him as it was... And that fear turned to misplaced distrust and seething contempt, which caused me to hit him... it's also what caused me to feel so... bitter towards you earlier this morning..."

"You have nothing to be afraid of, though. We're best friends, Twi. Even if we weren't, I'd at the very least acknowledge that you were with him... And besides, I know he likes you as much as you like him. You can trust him. You can trust me, too."

"Yes, I understand... Thank you," I replied, smiling contently at my friend.

"You're welcome, Twilight," she answered back, smiling as brightly as I was. With that, a brief silence washed over us and my smile faded into a slight frown before I spoke.

"Y'know... there's a sort of reason behind why I've been so... irritable and emotional lately..."

"There is?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes widening in intrigue as her smile disappeared, her facial expression turning to one of worry. "What's wrong?" At that, both of us went silent again.

"I suppose she deserves to hear this just as much as Ty does... *sigh* Well, here goes nothing..."

"I'm... in h--!" As I was about to begin my confession, a strange noise coming from seemingly nowhere startled me out of my train of thought. Fluttershy and I looked up to see a... a rainbow-colored trail of aura tearing through the sky. Within the trail, I noticed something... or rather, someone...

"Aaaaahaaaaaauuuh!!!" A shockingly familiar voice shouted as the trail streamlined across the horizon. It took all of a millisecond of thought for me to realize what we were laying our eyes on...

"Ty!" I shouted in alarm.

"And Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy also shouted. As we called their names, I noticed various shots of silver and purple-colored magic blasts zooming in their direction.

"It looks like they're running away from those other two unicorns! We need to go help them, Twilight!" Fluttershy worriedly urged.

"And that's exactly what we're going to do! From the looks of it, they're headed back to Town Hall. Grab onto me! We have to make sure they're safe!" The yellow mare complied as she lay a hoof on my back. I was quick to charge my horn with magic and with a *POOF*, we were ready to save our friends...

Rainbow Dash was beaming through the air so swiftly that I wondered if she'd forgotten about the passenger she'd been stringing along. In the midst of our attempt to escape the hostile unicorns hot on our trail, she'd taken evasive maneuvers to dodge the magic blasts they frequently shot at us. She'd been periodically bobbing and weaving in all directions and doing barrel rolls as we soared through the sky. I was little more than a weighted rag doll in the clutches of my prismatic-haired savior, and I wasn't sure whether to regret this crazy plan or be thankful that she knew how to fly defensively and had the strength to carry me as long as she'd been. I was also surprised that she could maintain such masterful agility in such a presumably physically uncomfortable situation. All I could do was scream in rigid, petrifying terror (and make sure her unbelievably luminescent rainbow-colored aural trail didn't make me go colorblind) as we blasted through the sky going much too fast for me to at least be useful enough to warn her of most of the incoming attacks. I tried my absolute hardest not to vomit because of this hellish roller-coaster ride... that could quite literally be from Hell.

"Wr'rr Rlmrst Thrr, Tr!" she tried to assure me as we approached the heart of Ponyville. I managed to open my eyes enough to take note of the tower in the distance.

"Tha'ss great!" was all I could think to respond to the mare with.

"Yea, great! Now get us there an' get us on some solid ground!! I can't stand this shit!! My arms are tired, I can't see, I'm freezin' like a popsicle, and I can't breathe! Get me down, get me down, get me the HELL DOWN!!" As my mind went rampant, Rainbow moved to avoid another rapid barrage of silver and purple magic blasts by doing another barrel roll.

"WHOOOOOOAH!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs yet again, at this point convinced I'd contract laryngitis by the end of this. Admittedly, despite me being frightened out of my wits and in at least eight different types of severe danger, I have to say this adrenaline-pumping disaster piece of a botched rescue attempt... was kind of... dare I say, fun. That is, until one of the worst things that could have EVER occurred during the flight happened.

*POP* "MMPH!" Rainbow groaned in agony. Almost immediately, we went into a completely unscheduled, unintended, and all-out unexpected diagonal nose dive as we approached our destination. At this point, I did what I always do when I find myself about to paint the ground red from about five-thousand feet in the air... I shut my eyes tight, took a deep breath, and panicked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, LAWDY NO! SHE GOT HIT! WE GONNA DIE! GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER!" Suddenly, we were pulled out of the nose dive by some sort of miracle. I opened my eyes to see Rainbow was still in limited control, as one of her wings seemed singed and smoking like a damaged airplane as we still glided toward the ground at a THANKFULLY slower, more steady rate. It seemed that Rainbow knew how to make a safe emergency landing in the case that she sustained damage as she flew. She used what I assume was all of her energy to pull us up and flare out her wings, giving them periodic flaps in order to stabilize us.

"Tuck and roll, Ty! We're going in for a crash-landing!!" Rainbow warned after removing the rope binding my hands together from her mouth. She was quick to curl up into a ball under me. Heeding her words and desiring to come out of this alive, I quickly mimicked her motion, but cradled my rescuer as the ground drew nearer and nearer...

*CRASH* "AGH!" *FLOP* "OOF!" *THUD* "AWGH!" *BOOM* "UUGH!" We landed HARD. Rainbow Dash and I tumbled violently along the earthy mounds of dirt known as the Ponyville street as I held onto her. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the friction between the ground and my body to slow us down to a screeching halt.

*PSSHHHHHhhh...* We'd finally come to a stop after our bout of sliding along the ground like a couple of hockey pucks on ice.

"Oww...!" I moaned in total agonized disorientation as I lay sprawled out on the ground with Rainbow laying on top of me, seeming to be largely unscathed in the crash, save for her injured wing, a couple of scratches, and a frazzled mane.

"Man... what a disaster," Rainbow stated as she still lay on top of me, picking her head up to examine the damage. "You feelin' okay?" she asked as she panted, out of breath.

"I... could be-- AH!-- better..." I didn't feel quite as lucky as Dash. I was very dizzy and completely winded from all the rolling around we did, I was nauseous from that nightmarish flight, I was trembling in post-traumatic, adrenaline-riddled stress, and the crash itself left me in unbelievable physical pain. Everything REALLY hurt like I'd been the victim of a vicious, merciless beat down at the hands of a crazed martial artist with superpowers. "How... how you feelin'?" I managed to ask as Rainbow rolled off of me and lay flat on her back beside me.

"Besides my wing, I'm pretty good... hah..." she answered, checking her scorched wing for any extensive damage. "Carrying you... really took a lot outta me, though..."

"Sorr-- Oww...! Hah... Sorry about that...!" I choked out as I moved to sit up. Pangs of anguish and the stings of various cuts and bruises along my beaten body made themselves very apparent as I tried to sit up. I took a special note of my clothes, which were in total ruins at this point. The left side of my shirt was torn almost completely off and my pants had been torn in various areas around the legs. My entire outfit looked like it had been run over by a monster truck and fed to a ravenous pack of wolves.

"This was my favorite shirt, too... Damn..."

"Next time... warn me when you decide t' pull a stunt like that... Never been so terrified in my life," I semi-joked.

"Heheheheh," Rainbow tiredly chuckled, managing to pull herself to a sitting position. "It's all we COULD do... But you gotta admit one thing; flying is pretty awesome. Isn't it?" she asked with a confident smirk, seeming to already know my answer.

"Oh, mos' def... but not when you're the one bein' dragged along..." We both shared a good laugh at that. "At the very least, it looks like we made it..." I said, looking around to see various ponies staring at us, clueless as to what had just transpired. I took note of the tower standing just a couple of yards away from us to gain some insight on where exactly we were.

"Rainbow!" I heard a voice call from our left. I turned to see an orange Earth mare accompanied by a zebra. "Ya found 'im!" Applejack cheered as she and Zecora approached us. Her face turned from one of excitement to one of worry when she got close enough to inspect us for damage. "Ma goodness, y'all look more beat than a pair o' Pinkie's bongo drums!"

"I FEEL that way, too," I added, feeling the nausea, shakes, and vertigo slowly creep away, but the results of everything else lingering like the aftermath of a tornado.

"At any rate, we're glad to see you've escaped," Zecora mused.

"Speakin' o' which... how--?"

"Ty! Dashie!" called another voice. We all turned to see Pinkie and Lyra racing towards us. Lyra stopped a good few feet away, but Pinkie kept coming. She didn't stop for anything as she galloped full-speed toward Rainbow. In a blinding pink flash, she tackled her friend as if she were holding something of value.

"I'm glad you're okay, Dashie!" She announced as she gave Rainbow the most brutal bear hug I'd ever seen her give. Pinkie was literally squeezing her so hard that Rainbow's eyes momentarily bulged out like a couple of veiny balloons ready to burst at the touch of a sewing pin.

"Jesus Christ! That doesn't look fun..."

"Pinkie...!! I'm fine...!! Let me go...!!" Rainbow choked out, clearly wanting no more physical torture. Obediently, Pinkie complied as she mercifully allowed Rainbow to live... but then she turned her gaze to me.

"No... No. No. No, no, no, no no, NO!" I managed to brace myself before the pink mare gored me like a professional football player. I was lucky she only decided to jump into me, as I managed to catch her before she sent me flying backward. Even so, she barreled into my tenderized belly with her head.

"AGH! Ow...! You really know how t' make a welcome memorable, don't you...!?" I painstakingly asked, shockwaves of agony coursing through my head, back, and arms as did my best to return the extravagantly excitable pink Earth mare's embrace.

"We missed you SO much!" she melodramatically informed me as I felt her grip around my torso tighten like a vicegrip. "We were worried we'd never see you again!" She squeezed much harder, disallowing me from breathing just like she did to Rainbow just a moment before.

*crack* "Owwww, ooh!" I moaned in pain as Pinkie squeezed too hard, giving my back a chiropractic crack. Seeming to notice, she immediately let go, looking a bit worried that she'd done me harm.

"*Gasp* I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

"Nah, you good," I responded, stretching a little to adjust to the sudden crack. "If anything, that only helped," I added as I softly wrapped my still-bound-together hands around the adorable mare's face and gave a few strokes of her cheeks with my fingers. She seemed to enjoy that, as she giggled like a little school filly.

"That tickles!" she excitedly stated before her expression turned to one of stern disapproval. "But don't think you're out of the hot water yet, buster! You broke your Pinkie Promise, and you're gonna have to pay!" At that, my heart sank, causing me to look down toward the ground in shame and fear.

"Oh man... Well, i'ss been a good li--!" My train of thought was interrupted when I felt one of Pinkie's hooves on my forehead, forcing me to face her.

"Wha--!" *Splat!* "ACK!" I felt the mare's fuzzy little hoof shove something into my mouth. From the sweetness of it, it seemed to be something with jelly in the center of it.

"Stop forgetting to eat sweets, Ty! This is like the twenty-seventh time you've done this! At this rate, your Pica's gonna take years to cure!" she scolded, much to the amusement of everyone around us, with the exception of Lyra, who seemed to be as lost as I was. I swallowed the treat Pinkie shoved into my mouth before taking a moment to gather my thoughts.

"Should PROBABLY tell 'er I don't really have Pica... but then I don't think that would nullify the Promise I made... but still..."

"Um... wait, I thought I broke the other--!"

"No, you didn't break that one," Pinkie interrupted, seeming to know what I was about to say, which only served to confuse me further.

"But how did you--?"

"Twilight thought the same thing."

*POOF*

"And speaking of Twilight..." Rainbow trailed off. Pinkie leapt off of my lap, allowing my gaze to fall upon two more mares; one of them a lavender-coated, blue, purple, and pink-haired Unicorn, the other a yellow-coated, light pink-haired pegasus.

"Oh boy... NOW i'ss time t' die..." I WOULD'VE been happy to see them... but considering Twilight's most recent feelings towards me over what she thought happened between Fluttershy and I the previous evening, coupled with what I learned from Comet about her possibly fragile physical and mental state, I instead felt petrified in heart-wrenching fear as I stared at the unicorn.

"Um... H-hi, Twi..." I murmured like an emotionally withdrawn child. Twilight didn't respond. She only stared at me. What struck me as odd, however, was how she stared at me: Her brow wasn't at all furrowed and she wasn't frowning. Instead, she gawked at me, frozen in place as if she were starstruck. I didn't know exactly what signals to pick up from the unicorn's awe-stricken gaze, but that did nothing to calm me down; it frightened me even more as my heart began thumping so hard that the others could probably see its imprint periodically protruding from within my chest. I warily, painstakingly raised my hands to attempt to wave at her. What she did in response, no less than shocked me beyond words...

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him... He looked like he'd been through a cheese-grater. His clothes were in tatters, he'd been coated in dirt, his hands were bound together, and he seemed to have been in a really brutal physical altercation.

"My gosh...! What did they DO to him!??" A lump welled up in my throat as I analyzed the human sitting in front of me. I also took note of Rainbow Dash, who'd seemed to be injured herself, but nowhere near as severely. I was glad they were okay, but... seeing Ty so... so... beaten up... it worried me...

"This is all my fault! I should've NEVER allowed him to leave the library! He would've never had to get hurt like this if I didn't hit him! He's probably mad at me and hates me and doesn't want to see me again... but... I still owe him an apology... I hope to Celestia he... *sniffle* forgives me... I wouldn't blame him if he didn't, though..."

"Twilight?" I heard him call, snapping me back into the real world. "...Are... are you alright?" I couldn't find the emotional strength to give him a worded reply. It was especially shocking to me that there wasn't a hint of bitterness or resentment in his question. I was just so full of happiness... fear... remorse... anger... my emotions were in a heated conflict over how I should've felt in that moment as tears began to form in my eyes.

"I'm so glad he's okay!"

"But Gillian and his filly-friend practically destroyed him! Plus, he must be furious with me..."

"He's alive though. Which means I still have a chance to make it up to him... And I may as well do it now..." As if on impulse, I began to trot toward Ty slowly, feeling the pressure building up as I tried not to cry. My heart was pounding like an Ursa Major's footsteps. Each and every step I took towards the battered human felt like there were weights on my hooves, dragging as if to stop me from reaching him. I felt steadily more timid as I approached. However, the closer I got, the more I anticipated just pouncing on him and showing him how much I... I...

"I'm sorry, Twilight..." he somberly apologized, much to my shock.

"HE'S sorry?" I picked up the pace, speeding into a gallop towards him. As I charged at him like a bull, I saw that he cringed, seeming to fear me doing something to him, causing me to slow down to a canter before stopping directly in front of him. "He must still think I'M upset with HIM..."

"I would never do anything t' hurt you... You know that, right? I... I shoulda jus' came out an' told you rather than punk out an' wind up gettin' you mad... I gave Fluttershy a--!" I quickly moved forward to interrupt him by placing a hoof over his mouth. In that moment, I could care less about the rubdown. I could care less that Gillian and Comet had apparently tortured him after they captured him. I didn't even pay any more attention to his ragged clothes or his numerous bodily injuries... I was only content with the fact that my colt-friend was alive and well... and I was willing to prove it to him. Tears were already flowing down my cheeks as I involuntarily cracked a smile to show that I didn't need to hear the rest. His confusion was evident as he simply gawked at me in such adorable bewilderment that I just had to do something to ease his mind...

"KISS HIM!" In that instant, I lost control of my body and let my lustful desire take over. In a fluent motion, I swiftly climbed onto his lap, wrapped my forelegs around his neck and pulled down as I lifted my own head up and closed my eyes, anticipating the moment our lips met once again for the first gloriously enamoring time in what felt like an insufferable eternity... and in only a second, my impulsive, love-fueled gesture was complete. I kissed him. I kissed him as deeply and as passionately as I possibly could... and this time, I was going to make it count...

I... could only stare in totally overwhelming bafflement, as I was rendered unable to process what was happening...

"...Holy..."

"...Frijoles..."

The Storm!! (Pt. 2)

Words couldn't even BEGIN to explain the discombobulation I was experiencing as Twilight kissed me. I kept my eyes wide open to register that this was really happening...

"She... isn't mad?"

"It would seem that way. Don't really get it myself, either... But considerin' she's bein' so affectionate all of a sudden... I wouldn't complain."

"Oh my..." I heard what sounded like Rarity's voice from behind me. Unable (and admittedly unwilling) to break Twilight's kiss, I simply disregarded my urge to turn around as I allowed my eyelids to close, accepting my filly-friend's affection and giving back some of my own. After what felt like forever, Twilight finally pulled away from the lip-lock, albeit very slowly. When she reopened her eyes, however, she bore a look of glassy-eyed sadness that hurt to see. She was still weeping.

"I... I'm sorry, Ty..." she shakily began, much to my surprise. "I... I shouldn't have hit you. I shouldn't have accused you of cheating on me... I-if I didn't, then... *sniffle* you wouldn't have had to be tortured by those two... I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to *sniffle* leave me..." she managed to choke out before letting her remorse overcome her as she planted her face into my chest and wept some more.

"Aww, Twi..." Feeling nothing but empathy and affection for the unicorn, I did my best to comfort her by hugging her as best I could while my hands were still tied together with rope. When I lifted up my arms, however, I noticed the rope was ragged and damaged from my perilous aerial adventure with Rainbow. I managed to, with a strong tug, slip my left hand out of the knot holding my wrists together and wrapped the mourning mare up in my arms.

"Twilight... I... I don't want to leave you," I began, feeling guilty for Twilight's despondent demeanor. "I already forgive you for hittin' me. I'ss my fault for not tellin' you straight up what happened on that balcony. I'ss my fault for leavin' when your pet owl told me t' go back an' talk t' you. You don't gotta feel guilty for me bein' captured..." Twilight heard this and pulled her adorable little head up, bringing her tear-stained eyes to meet mine.

"B-but you wouldn't have even had a reason to leave if I didn't give you such a hard time last night... the argument, the accusation, the--!" I interrupted her when I pressed two fingers against her lips.

"It's okay. I understand. You were under stress, an' I did nothin' t' help you... I'm sorry about that." She moved a hoof to gently take my hand away from her mouth. Rather than place the hand down, however, she held it.

"It's still my fault for not taking control of my emotions, though... It was wrong of me to take my aggression out on you. If I didn't hit you, you wouldn't have left and from there, you wouldn't have gotten so beaten up by those two troublemakers..."

"Beaten up...? OH! I guess she got that from how I look right now... can't say I wouldn't make the assumption..."

"What, this?" I asked, understanding her misconception. "Nah, this wasn't from them... well, most of it, anyway..."

"What? If they didn't do this, then... what happened to you?" she asked, understandably confused.

"Rainbow rescued me. I'ss jus' that she got hurt on the way here, which caused us t' crash-land. I made sure she was okay durin' the crash, but I didn't take int' consideration my own physical safety..."

"That's why you huddled over me?" asked Rainbow, seeming to be astonished by the confession.

"Yea. I thought you knew that already."

"No. I thought you were holding me because you were scared."

"Heh, believe me, I WAS. But I still didn't want you t' get hurt savin' me."

"Oh. Well I've been through worse, so you didn't have to do that. But... Thanks."

"Anytime... NOT literally, though. I feel like I got hit by a moving truck..." I quipped before turning my attention back to Twilight. "*Ahem* The worst those two did t' me was tie me up an' drag me t' their hideout... And make me eat a mango..."

"That won't be the case when I'M through with you!" Another voice shouted, alarming all of us as we turned to face none other than a thoroughly infuriated Gillian, who'd not received treatment for the scratches across his body from when I kicked him earlier. His horn was already glowing brightly, reflecting his ferocious temper. He was accompanied by Comet, who surprisingly didn't seem so angry. If I didn't know better, she seemed... worried. Whatever the case, everyone moved into defensive stances, bracing for a possible fight. I managed to pick myself up and take my own readied stance, despite all of the physical anguish I'd had to fight through to do so.

"You won't get away with anything you've been doing!" announced Lyra. "Whatever evil plans you've had up till now are foiled at this point, so there's no use in making things worse for yourself!"

"Just what are you talking about?" the stallion asked, seeming not to understand the specifics of Lyra's proclamation.

"The Princess has already been warned about you and your nefarious plot!" Rarity added. That didn't seem to sit well with the stallion, as he gritted his teeth in frustration and growled.

"Is that right? Well then I'd better give her a grand welcome show! Starting with YOU!" he threatened, pointing a hoof at me.

"Oh boy..."

"Bring it!" I boldly shouted back, bracing myself.

"Gladly...!" he growled. In a flash, he made the first move by casting a teleportation spell. In an instant, he appeared directly in front of me and shot a blast of magic at me.

*POP* I was quick to block it by crossing my arms over my chest, but the force of the attack had me stumbling back a bit. My arms had gone limp at my sides and were tingling from the blast as if they'd fallen asleep on me. I'd temporarily lost most of the function of them.

"Damn, that hurt! My arms are on fire right now! And they won't move...!" He was ready to charge at me again before Applejack and Rainbow stepped in between us.

"If y'all think yer gonna just mosey on int' our town an' beat up our friends, then y'all got another think comin'!" the farm pony barked.

"Yeah! Your little scheme ends here!" Before anything else could be said, the two mares charged into action simultaneously. Gillian, however, didn't seem worried. Right as the two of them reached their target and tried to take swings, he transported himself behind them. Thinking nothing of it, A.J. and Dash tried again, only for him to pull the same trick.

"C'mon, you coward! You asked for a fight, and now you're getting one!" Rainbow prodded.

"I'm not concerned with either of you two. You are simply nuisances," the stallion coldly shot back. "You're insignificant at this point."

"I reckon y'all don't even know whatcha got yourself into," Applejack calmly retorted, keeping her cool.

"Please, I know EXACTLY what I'm up against! It's funny you in particular are even talking right now, considering that pitiful display you put on last time." I was expecting the farm pony to lose it right there. However, she instead coolly nodded, took a deep breath, and adjusted her hat.

"Okay, it's about time somepony shut that trash-talkin' trap o' yers for ya. C'mon, Rainbow! Let's show this joker who 'e's tanglin' with!"

"Aww yeah!" Rainbow replied, readying herself yet again. Rather than sit and watch these two fight alone, I stepped up beside them, ready to help in whatever way I could.

"*Yawn* Oh dear. THREE of you. What EVER shall I do?" the stallion taunted.

"Don't worry, Ty! We've got this!" Rainbow confidently assured, looking at me from the corner of her eye. An instant later, she and A.J. nodded toward one another before launching into action yet again.

"No, wait!" I called to them, desperately hoping they'd stop and listen to me. My plea fell on deaf ears unfortunately, as they continued their assault. Their efforts expectantly fell well-short of successful, as Gillian, still wearing that smug grin, placed a barrier between himself and the two mares. They stopped when they saw him materialize it and paused for a moment before taking it upon themselves to try and break it with sheer force. Each of them turned around to face me, apparently preparing to simultaneously buck the barrier into oblivion.

"A.J.! Rainbow! I don't think i'ss a good idea t' try an' break it!" I plead again, fearing that Gillian may have had a trick up his sleeve.

"Why not?" asked Dash.

"I feel... I feel like he might be tryin' somethin' sneaky."

"Jus' standin' here hidin' behind a magic shield?" inquired a skeptical Applejack, still preparing to try and buck the shield to break it. "I hardly count that as 'sneaky,' 'Sides, There ain't no way in Equestria this guy's barrier's strong enough t' block bucks from both of us!"

"Even so, I don't think that--!" *TZZZZT* The instant the mares touched the barrier, their bodies rattled and flashed, seeming to have been fed a neutralizing electrical current. Both of them went down, paralyzed."...'s a good idea..." I trailed off, as my warning had just become completely irrelevant.

"Dashie! Applejack!" Pinkie called to her friends in worry, rushing over to them. I didn't even have to glance at the others to know their expressions of worry.

"Aw shit...!" I cursed, clenching my fists as the magic that paralyzed my arms steadily wore off.

"Like I said! Nuisances!" The stallion triumphantly shouted.

"Yer a... crafty varmint... nrgh... Ain't ya...?" A.J. groaned, unable to move or stand as the effects of touching that barrier made themselves apparent.

"That I am. Now if you'll excuse me..." He trailed off as he stepped past the mares he'd just incapacitated and trotted towards me. In that moment, I saw the two aforementioned mares being enshrouded in a magenta glow and taken away from the area. "You and I have a score to settle." He lowered his head and powered up his horn, glaring at me with intense enmity.

"A score? What, are you still mad about gettin' what you deserved back there?"

"I don't get mad, I get even."

"Nyeh-ow Git Merr, I git e-- the fuck up..." I coldly mocked, taking amusement in his misery.

"Oh, I am going to enjoy tearing you apart, you disrespectful cockroach...!" he growled.

"Humph. Well if i'ss a fight you want, i'ss a fight you get..." I did my best to try and kick my tired, weary body into gear.

"Come on, body...! Just power through the pain!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Twilight as she, Pinkie, Lyra, and Zecora stepped in the way, all looking determined to defend me. I looked around in surprise to see that Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike were tending to the injured mares on the side before observing the four mares lined up in front of me.

"You'll have to get through US to get to him, Meanie McBullyPants!" Pinkie added in my defense.

"I appreciate the gesture, girls, but I--!" I tried to reason.

"You won't DARE lay another hoof on him!" Twilight threatened, much to my surprise yet again. "And you're going to regret what you've done to my friends!" Gillian merely chuckled at their boldness.

"Gathering a bunch of mares to do your fighting for you, Mr. Memoir?" He taunted me. "How spineless..."

"I don't need anyone t' do my fightin' for me," I shot back, quickly letting frustration take me over. "I'm jus' lucky enough t' have friends who are nice enough t' offer t' do so. Besides, without your magic tricks, you prolly couldn't beat even ONE of us!"

"You REALLY think you could beat me in a f--!"

"ENOUGH! Put up or shut up!"

"My my, how brash... very well, then. All five of you, all at once. Oh, what the hell... how about six of you? I can take you all on..."

"Your foolish words, whether false or true, serve a fair chance of dooming you," warned Zecora. "Overconfidence breeds incompetence."

"Heh. Don't think I forgot about YOU, zebra," the stallion vindictively threatened, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'll make sure to give you AND the human special treatment."

"Goin' offa what she said, you mus' think you REAL tough, huh?" I added.

"No. I just know that I can soundly defeat all of you without any assistance. I'm only even suggesting six because I've already dealt with the two hotheads, the yellow one seems too frail and weak, and the dragon's a baby. That charming little white mare seems to want in on the action, though. Isn't that right, Rarity?" I turned to look at the alabaster mare. She hardly seemed like she wanted to participate. She actually seemed alarmed at his sudden shift of focus over to her.

"Moi? O-ho, no nonononono no..." she respectfully declined. "I'm above such... boorish shows of brute strength. Fighting is simply unladylike."

"What? Afraid you'll mess up that already-ugly hairdo of yours?" he goaded, much to the offense of everyone; especially Rarity.

"*GASP*! How DARE you cast such foalish insults at me!? And with no provocation, at that!"

"Yeah!" Spike added, equally as angry as the mare he was defending. "Rarity's the most beautiful pony in Equestria! Leave her alone, you bully!" Out of that, Gillian got some sort of twisted laugh.

"Bully? I'm just telling the truth, little man!" He replied to the dragon before turning his attention back to Rarity. "Come on and join your friends as I hand their flanks to them! I'll be sure to give that hideous mane of yours a makeover as I do so!"

"My word! What kind of stallion ARE you!? Such... such spiteful, unmitigated rudeness! Such shameless indifference towards a mare!" Rarity ranted, seeming to be on the brink of tears at his words, further driving my frustration level up.

"That's ENOUGH out of you!" Twilight shouted, clearly fed up with him.

"Leave her out of it!" I added.

"Says the coward who has a bunch of girls fighting for him... Unless you're going to fight your own battles, I suggest you keep that filthy mouth of yours shut." That statement set me off like a bomb, I was so pissed off...

"I am going to TEAR 'IM IN HALF!!"

"*sigh* Y'know what? I'm sick o' you, I'm sick o' ya mouth, and quite frankly, I'm done bein' bothered with you. You want me? You got me!" I angrily offered, limping past the mares trying to protect me.

"What??" Twilight questioned in total astonishment. "Ty, you can't!"

"I can, and I will." I sternly rebutted. "This guy's been a thorn in ALL of our sides all weekend, an' I'm not toleratin' it no more! He's done!"

"Nice to see you finally showing some backbone... Since you've finally come out of your shell, how's about we make things interesting?"

"I don't know about this... I feel like he's got somethin' up his sleeve..."

"I know... But accordin' t' Rarity, Celestia already knows about all this. At this point, it should be a matter o' time before she shows up... I hope..."

"Name ya terms."

"No outside assistance, no magic. Just you and me. Human vs. Pony. You game?"

"There some sorta reason for this, if I might ask?" I inquired, very much skeptical of this conniving trickster.

"Reason? Yes, two of them, actually..." the stallion calmly replied. "One reason is that I'd like to prove how wrong you are to think you'd stand a chance against me by yourself. The other is that I'd... like to make a wager."

"I bet there's a third reason, too... He's prolly holdin' a pretty mean grudge against me that he thinks he's gonna settle right now."

"An' that is...?"

"How about this?: If I win, you, your mare, AND your friends submit to me and whenever Celestia arrives, you help me in my goal..."

"Even IF I lose, that shit ain't gonna fly..."

"If I win?" At that, Gillian got an expectantly cocky little chortle.

"In the HORRIBLY low chance of you winning... Hmm... I will own up to everything that's gone down this past couple days, and even promise to abandon my plans forever."

"Sounds about fair t' me... But when you lose, you're PINKIE Promisin' not t' pull any convoluted schemes like this ever again," I agreed, getting into as readied a stance as I could muster.

"Not sure what the deal with that is, but I accept..."

"Wait!" Twilight called.

"What's up?" I asked, turning to face the seemingly-distraught mare as the others stepped back.

"I can't let you go through with this!" Twilight ranted. "You're severely injured as it is! Besides, we already know he can't be trusted! Why would you put yourself in harm's way like this!? It's foolish! It's unnecessary! It's--!" I interrupted her by kneeling down and placing two fingers over her mouth yet again. I ran my other hand through her mane and down her back.

"Twi..." I whispered as I brought her face close to mine. "I know... but if I heard right, Celestia's already been warned. This is more or less a way o' keepin' him occupied until she gets here..." I informed before removing my hand from her mouth."...that is, implyin' she actually comes."

"Plus, I could use the stress relief..."

"I'm not entirely sure she WILL show up. She's an extraordinarily busy mare, Ty..." she argued.

"True. But, I'm guessin' you had Spike send a letter t' warn her, no?"

"Yeah...?"

"And if you were a Princess and YOUR most faithful student sent you a letter warnin' about a possible attack aimed at you, wouldn't you want to investigate?"

"I... I guess I see your point, but... still, we don't know how busy she is or if she'd even gotten that letter yet. And even if she does get the letter... What about me? What will I do if you go through with this and you lose? Or worse...? For all we know, he probably wants to... to..." she trailed off, seeming afraid to finish stating her premonition. However, I had a pretty solid idea of what she was going to finish with, given the distraught look she'd been giving me.

"What? Kill me? I don't see that happenin'..."

"Trust me: I won't lose. And as for that, I know he wouldn't... There's no way he would go that far."

"How can you be sure? We know the lengths to which he'll go in order to get to Celestia..."

"He... actually told me hisself that he wasn't plannin' on bein' so brutal... But... in the extremely unlikely case o' that happenin'... I just want you t' know that I... I..." I suddenly got a case of cold feet as I hesitated to finish my statement.

"Spit it out!"

"...I love you, Twilight," I finally gathered the courage to say, "With all my heart... This is the first time in our time together I've said this, and it ain't exactly the best time, but... I love you." My confession seemed to have swept her off of her proverbial hooves, as she only stared at me in a breathless daze of anxious happiness.

"Whelp, the 'L' bomb has been dropped. But... it's true. It's necessary for her t' know at this point, anyway. Better late than never..."

"Ty..."

"I'm Waaaaiiiitiiiing..." Gillian impatiently goaded me, but no one listened. However, the atmosphere became silent for a brief moment.

"I... I know what you've been goin' through this past few days, an' I want you t' know that I'm here t' help, Twi... in any way I can." Her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw hung slightly open as she gazed into my eyes.

"Emphasis on 'ANY.'"

"So... you know I'm...?"

"Yes. We'll talk later, though. The sooner I knock some sense int' him, the sooner we can sort this out... okay, hon?" I asked, placing a hand on her cheek and gently stroking it.

"...If you really ARE dead-set on going through with this... wouldn't you at least want me to heal you first?" I thought about her question for a second, turning to glance at the smirking unicorn stallion out the corner of my eye before returning my focus on Twilight.

"I... don't think he'll let that slide. But between you an' me... he's a weak fighter anyway," I assured with a smile and a wink. "Without magic helpin' 'im, he's pathetic. I know from experience. He'll need the advantage." At that, I managed to get a small smile out of the adorable little mare, although I knew she was still disapproving of my course of action.

"You seem confident, so I trust you. But, I seriously don't think this is the best idea you've come up with, Ty... I hardly even think you doing anything as unorthodox and unnecessarily risky as fighting a unicorn; especially one of HIS level, is a good idea in the first place." Rather than argue, I simply nodded in agreement with her.

"I understand, an' you might be right... but... if anything, I'll try my hardest not t' strain myself or hurt 'im more than I need to. I'mma jus' hold him off until Celestia HOPEFULLY gets here. If she doesn't show up, then... then I suppose I'll jus' do my best t' win an' from there, we'll be done with him. I'ss a huge gamble t' bet on, but I think i'ss worth it at this point. Plus, HE came here lookin' for a fight, not me. That AND he even agreed not t' use his magic, which I personally think is dumb on his part."

"My goodness, are you DONE?" Gillian interrupted again, growing steadily more antsy.

"Shut up!" I turned and shouted back. "I'mma be there in a minute. I'm busy," I finished before turning back to Twilight.

"You KNOW he can't be trusted, though... don't you?" the purple unicorn inquired.

"I know... tha'ss why I'll try t' keep him close enough that he won't have time t' come up with some trick. That way, if I even THINK I see his horn glowin', I'mma flick it so he won't be tempted to use it." She seemed alarmed by the strategy I presented to her.

"How'd you know about that??"

"Kinda figured from what Rarity told me about unicorn horns an' their sensitivity when magic's runnin' through 'em..."

"I see... Well, I.... I believe in you... but... a little luck doesn't count as 'outside assistance,' does it?"

"I don't think so... why?"

"Would... would you like a... kiss for good luck?" she bashfully asked, blushing and lowering her head a little.

"She's so cute... But why am I gettin' that 'Deja Vu' feelin' all of a sudden?"

"Sure..." I agreed, smiling warmly at her. I lifted her chin up before closing the distance between us as our lips met one more time.

"Aww, so romantic..." I heard Rarity comment. A few seconds later, Twi and I separated.

"Good luck..." she gracefully wished.

"Thank you..." I replied with a bolstered will.

"And given how I feel right now... I might need it..."

"I promise you, this will be over in no time at all," I assured. With that, Twilight and the others stepped back, clearing the area as I stepped forward.

"Wait!" Fluttershy called.

"Yea?" I answered, only looking at her from the corner of my eye.

"Don't you think there's... some other way you could settle this? Fighting doesn't solve anything..."

"Trust me, if there was another way, I'd go for it..."

"And at this point, there isn't! Come on already so I can mop the floor with you!" Gillian interrupted, eager for the upcoming battle.

"There's your answer, I guess. If it's a whuppin' he's a-wantin', them I'mma gladly deliver. No charge."

"I... I don't agree with you..."

"Not surprisin'..."

"Nopony else should have to get hurt. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are hurt already. I... I don't want to see you get hurt, too..." Caught off guard, I made the mistake of giving her my full attention to see those large, adorable, glimmering, pleading blue-green eyes of hers as she gave me the most poignant look of friendly apprehension I'd ever seen. That stare of hers sent waves of frightful hesitation crashing around my entire body as I froze, captivated by her gaze that just BEGGED me to reconsider.

"Okay... THAT'S a little surprisin'... Dang it, Fluttershy...!"

"Oh, don't try to talk him out of this!" Gillian interrupted once again, snapping our attention back to him. "I've waited TOO long for this plan of mine to be completely F.U.B.A.R.'ed by you and your annoying friends, and I will NOT have this pathetic, spineless cretin back out of a fight all because one of his cutesy-wootsy wittle girlfriends wants to give him a morality boost. You should've seen how hard he kicked me earlier!"

"Okay, I better stop him before he says somethin' else t' her that he might regret..."

"I'd stop right there before you said anything else t' her. You're already down three strikes for puttin' ya hooves on my girlfriend, kidnappin' me twice, and messin' with everybody here!"

"And YOU'RE going to do something about it, as weary and fatigued as you are? Ha! You'd be better off sending the dragon to fight me."

"You bet I AM gonna do somethin' about it! I sure hope you're ready for a well-deserved ass-whuppin', Gillian, cuz I'm about ready t' give you one!" I taunted, taking a battle stance akin to a professional boxer.

"Big talk coming from a beaten-down human I've had the liberty of defeating in battle twice."

"With the help of Ms. Comet Gazer over there..." I pointed a finger at the mare who'd been sitting quietly, watching everything going on, but looking far from content with what she'd seen thus far. "...AND your magic. But now the battlefield's even. Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words, blah blah blah, Le'ss get ready t' rumble!"

"On that, we agree..." he replied as he readied himself. "Ready when you are."

"Fine... Oh, and one more thing t' clarify: If I so much as HEAR that horn o' yours powerin' up, this little sparrin' match ends with YOUR forfeit."

"Hmph. I could say the same about you if even ONE of your little friends tries to interfere on your behalf." I didn't verbally respond to that; I merely nodded in understanding.

"Here goes nothin'...! For Twilight and our friends!"

"Ding, ding..." I quipped as I gestured an index finger in the "come hither" motion, imitating a fight bell before both of us launched into action...

I joined my friends on the sideline as Ty began his vicious entanglement with Gillian. I was INCREDIBLY uneasy about his decision to fight him alone, and it was beginning to have an effect on my stomach as sharp, stabbing pangs of anguish began to manifest from my anxiety. What struck me as curious, however, was the fact that Gillian's companion hadn't said or done anything since they arrived to confront us. I glanced over at the mare known as Comet to see her staring intently at the stallion and human as they wrestled around on the ground with a look that gave off a strong vibe of... dare I say, regret.

"She seems even more upset than I am... maybe I should talk to her...?"

"She's his accomplice, though. Who knows what she might do if anyone other than her colt-friend approaches her...?"

"Twilight..." I heard a strained voice call, rattling me out of my train of thought. I turned to my right to see Rainbow was still awake, but in pain.

"Oh! I should probably fix you two up... Sorry..." I apologized before gathering magic into my horn to cast healing spells on Rainbow and Applejack. In a moment's time, the two were back in shape.

"Thanks, Twi," Rainbow began, stretching the lingering effects of her injuries away. "...but, are you sure Ty can handle himself alone against that guy?"

"Good question..."

"I... don't know for sure, to be honest..." I uneasily replied. "But he said he could do it, and I trust him enough that I don't think he would charge into a situation he couldn't handle..."

"Yea! Look atchu now! I'm a lot stronger than I look, huh!?" I heard a voice shout. I quickly turned my attention to the battle to see Ty actually holding his own against Gillian. The two of them were on the ground with Ty's arms wrapped tightly around Gillian's jawline. I also took note of a small gathering of spectators across from us, watching in shock as the fight carried on.

"I'll... take that as a 'yes...'" Rainbow answered her own question.

"Twilight...?" called Fluttershy, seeming very worried.

"Yes?" I replied, turning my attention to her.

"I... I don't think he should be doing this..." she began. "He looks tired as it is... And before he left last night, he already said he was still hurt from everything that happened since he came here... I don't know if he can do this..." Her words struck a chord with me, as I instantly felt my heart sink a little.

"Oh no... she might be right. He hasn't exactly gotten a good night's rest at all since Friday... And considering everything that's happened to him since then..." My stomach steadily began to cramp up more frequently as I became a bit more worried for the safety of my possibly-endangered colt-friend.

"Maybe he feels... mmph! Like he can power through it?" I hopefully assumed, wincing as I did so.

"Even if that IS the case, I feel like we should still help him if things get out of hoof..."

"Much as I'd like to, you heard the wager they... ah! Made... didn't you?"

"Yes... Are you okay, Twilight? You don't look so well..." Fluttershy asked, taking note of my loss of composure.

"I... I could be better, to be honest..."

"What's wrong?"

"It has to do with... with what I was about to tell you earlier...! I'm... I'm in--!"

"Go Ty! Yeah, show him who's boss!" Rainbow cheered, directing my attention to the fight. It relieved me a little that Ty seemed to be in control of things as he followed through with the strategy he'd told me about. He was keeping Gillian within his grasp, seeming to be putting the stallion into submission holds to keep from doing too much damage to himself or his opponent. I also took note of the growing crowd of spectators watching the fight.

"Whoo doggie, that Ty's got more in 'im than I thought!" commented Applejack.

"Show that jerk what happens when he insults a lady!! Give him what he deserves!!" Rarity shouted, uncharacteristically enthusiastic about the fight. The rest of the group, myself included, turned toward her in total astonishment at her sudden change in demeanor. She took note of it and looked back at all of us in wide-eyed embarrassment. "*Ahem* My, where did that come from?" she asked, flustered about her most recent display. "What I meant to say was... er... I'm rooting for our friend. H-He can do it." she finished her statement with a sheepish, blushing giggle before quickly returning her gaze to the brawl.

Gillian and I were going at it, each of us trying our hardest to best the other. I'd gotten an early advantage when I managed to grab him by his tail and pull him into a sitting headlock, as well as a few other miscellaneous submission holds he'd actually had trouble breaking free of. Still, it wasn't very easy to keep him locked in a specific hold for very long, as wrestling against a pony was nothing like doing so against another human being. Plus, what he lacked in strength, he made up for in raw determination as he wildly threw his hooves around, sporadically hitting me and forcing me to let him go and try again.

At one point, I managed to catch him in another headlock as I sat down. He got out of it when he threw one of his forelegs back and hit me in a tender area on my side. I let go of him, flinching in agony. He took it as an opportunity to pounce on me, bucking me in the chest. I fell back, lying on the ground when he jumped on me and tried to take a swing at my face.

*clap* I managed to block his attack by raising a hand to catch his hoof mid-swing, but that didn't stop him. He stomped on my belly with one of his hind legs, causing me to involuntarily lower my guard around my face, which he took advantage of by taking another swing at me.

*SMACK* "Ooh!" He landed a pretty good haymaker on my right cheek. An explosion of pain went ripping through my already-aching head as I brought a hand to cover my face. It felt like I'd been hit with a brick.

"Playin' dirty, are we? Two can play at THAT game!"

"Doesn't feel so good, does it, human?" He taunted, standing triumphantly over me. "There's a LOT more where that came from for you...!"

"Please, I wouldn't... hah... be talkin' trash if I was you. I'm jus' gettin' started!" with that, I swiftly threw an elbow that caught him square in his snout, sending him stumbling back. Out of breath, I climbed back to my feet, fighting through waves of physical torment to do so.

"Damn...! Everything hurts even more now...! I need t' wrap this up quickly...!" I heard some of the girls cheering for me as this grueling altercation carried on. I also noticed that there was a small crowd gathered around the area, looking on in collective shock at what had been transpiring as of yet. What surprised me more was that no one seemed to want to step in the middle. Instead, I'd heard clamoring among the spectators regarding the sight they beheld, whether it be about seeing an 'alien' in Ponyville, seeing a physical confrontation in the fair town, or about said alien attacking a unicorn stallion they'd never seen around before. I thought about saying something to ease their possible fears, but then I noticed a certain stallion already preparing for another assault.

"What a dirty way to get out of a dire situation..." he bitterly spat.

"You're one t' talk... but we ain't done yet. Get over here!" I shouted. Without another word, I charged at him, ready to subdue him in whatever non-lethal way I could, just to get things over with. Right when I reached him, however, he turned around and bucked my left leg out from under me. "Ah!!" I shouted as I almost tumbled over. Gillian quickly moved out of the way and pulled my other leg off the ground.

*FLOP* "Oh! Oww...!" I fell face down, but caught myself by placing my hands out to stop the fall before I really got hurt. Before I could get up, however, I felt a weight come crashing down on my back, flattening me on the ground. An instant later, a pair of legs wrapped themselves around my jaw and forcefully pulled upward. "Aaaack...!"

"Hahahahaaa... And for you to think you could actually defeat me..." the stallion menacingly whispered in my ear as he strengthened his grip, further choking me.

"Come on...! I can't... lose!"

I watched in absolute horror as Gillian managed to turn the tables of the battle. It pained me to see that... that CREEP strangling him like that...

"Come on, Ty! Get out of there! Don't let him beat you!" Spike shouted toward the human.

"Yeah! This guy's got nothing on you!" Rainbow added. "I know you're stronger than that!"

"Twilight, we have to do something!" Fluttershy pleaded, grabbing onto me and shaking me a little. "He's losing!"

"Jeez, she's even more on-edge than I am..."

"But could she have good reason...?"

"Fluttershy, relax... It might not look good, but you have to have faith in him..." I reasoned, although I had trouble believing those words myself. "Besides, if we go in there before it's over, he automatically loses this ridiculous wager of his..."

"OUCH!" I heard a scream come from what sounded like Gillian. I turned to see that the stallion had let go of Ty and was holding his foreleg as if something were wrong with it. "You bastard! You bit me!"

"Oh, thank Celestia he managed to get out of that...!" I observed Ty to see that he looked completely exhausted, but was still willing to go on. He picked himself back up again, and didn't hesitate to reengage the stallion in combat. Happy as I was to see that he hadn't lost yet, I was still vehemently afraid for his safety. That fear manifested in the form of an especially strong cramp that hit me with the force of a geyser.

"Oww! Mmph!" The pain was so unbearable... so sudden... I fell back on my haunches, clutching my gut in writhing anguish as the cramp refused to subside. My friends noticed this, and immediately rushed over to me.

"Twilight! What's wrong!?" asked Pinkie, totally distraught. "Did something hit you?"

"No...! I--! Owww...! My stomach...! It's cramping...! Oooooh...!" I could barely THINK, much less talk. The pain was intense. It was like I'd been caught in the ruthless grasp of a dragon's tail by my midsection.

"Cramping?" Fluttershy asked. "Is that what you were telling me about before?"

"Y-yes...! I... I... Ow! Applejack, please! Tell them!" I couldn't get it out, I was in so much pain... I was on the brink of tears, it hurt so much...

"Are ya sure? I mean... Do ya want--?"

"Yes! Ple-he-hease!!"

"Tell us what??" Lyra asked, as confused as she was worried.

"Twi's uh... in heat..." Applejack confessed, much to the surprise of everyone as they collectively gasped.

"Yeah...!" I admitted. "A-and healing spells don't--! Ooh! Help in the slightest...!"

"Heat??? Darling, why didn't you tell us sooner!?" Rarity inquired.

"It isn't really... something I'd like everypony to know...! Plus, I was more focused on telling him...! Oooh!"

"You should have told him! Then you two could've... could've..." she trailed off. "Spike, could you please step a few feet away and tell us how Ty's doing?"

"What? Why? What's going on??" Spike asked, expectantly confused about the white mare's request.

"It's a mare thing, dear. Now please, go and spectate the fight!" she commanded.

"But... what about--?"

"Spike... p-please, listen to her...!" I choked out as another cramp twisted my insides like a pretzel.

"O-okay..." the dragon sadly agreed, as dejected as he was bewildered by my condition. He slowly stepped out of the circle and walked away, looking back with severe apprehension before turning back to the fight.

"Poor little guy... You'll understand someday..."

"You must consult with him, and soon. Or else, more physical torment will loom..." Zecora warned.

"But... he's not a pony...!"

"Who cares at this point, Twi!?" Rainbow interrupted, almost as if she'd expected me to say that. "That's better than you being in pain like this! I mean, yeah it'll probably be weird, but if you two are happy together, then that shouldn't be a problem."

"Rainbow Dash giving love advice? Heh, there's a first for everything..."

"Yeah, but... ow...! I don't want you all to think I'm... I'm disgusting or weird because of it...! Especially since you all know what he really is now..."

"Twilight... no matter what, we'll always be there for you," Fluttershy consoled.

"Yeah! We're all best friends, silly!" Pinkie added. "And Ty's our friend, too! We're all here to help and support you, not judge you because of something you do! Especially if you might NEED to do it!"

"...Thank you, girls..." I tearfully said, an emotional lump welling up in my throat. "I don't know what I'd do without you... Owwwwwwww!!" Another cramp hit me, much worse than the last two as I fell over on the ground, writhing in aggregate abdominal torture.

"We need to get him! Now!" Fluttershy announced. She took flight away from the circle, presumably about to call an early end to the fight...

After I'd broken free of Gillian's headlock, I put in what was left of my strength to end this fight as soon as possible. At first, he put up some resistance, but as we kept going at it, his fatigue eventually made itself as apparent as mine. After a bout of rolling around, trying to gain dominance, I FINALLY managed to catch him in a position identical to the one he'd caught me in. The only difference was that he'd been lying on his back with me kneeling on top of him with one hand pinning him to the ground by his upper chest.

"Give up!" I ordered, thoroughly exhausted at this point. "I don't wanna hafta beat you even worse than you already are!"

"No...! I've come too far for this!" He refused despite being just as tired as I was. "I won't let my plot be foiled! Not by you, not by your friends, not by any--!"

*SMACK* Unwilling to hear his rambling, I gave him an open-handed smack to the face.

"Don't you know when t' quit!? You're beaten! Celestia knows about you an' your plan AND you've just about lost this fight! Just stop!"

"Make me...!" he spat.

"*sigh* Well, you asked for it...!"

"Fine..." I agreed, nodding. With that, I clenched my free hand into a fist and raised it up high, ready to send the stallion on an all expense-paid trip to dreamland. "Jus' know that you brought this on yaself...!"

"STOP!" I heard a voice call before I delivered the final blow. I looked up to see Comet, completely disheveled and crying. "Please! No more! Don't do it!" she begged. "You win! We give up! Please, just don't hurt him anymore...!"

"Well then... if that don't say that this is finally over, I don't know what will... I jus' feel awful about upsettin' Comet like this..." I nodded in agreement to the mare and let go of her colt-friend, bringing myself to a stand.

"Hm. You better thank that girl, Gillian," I suggested, looking down at the defeated stallion who did nothing but glare hot, seething wrath at me as he lay there.

"Ty! Please, come quick!" Another voice called to me. I turned to my right to see Fluttershy, who looked really worried about something, flying towards me.

"Hey! Wha'ss wrong?" I asked, taking the urgency of her beckoning very seriously.

"I-it's Twilight! She needs your help!"

"Aw, no...!" I was quick to follow my comrade a few steps toward the group before something caught my ear. A twinkling sound... coming from behind me... "He... wouldn't...!" Frightfully, I turned around to see Gillian, angry to the point of a vein popping out of his forehead, his horn glowing brightly with his gaze fixated on me. I froze in fear at the stallion, but I knew exactly what he was planning to do...

"Don't you do it...!" I shakily murmured.

"Ty... what--? *GASP*" Fluttershy was equally as shocked to see the irrationally livid unicorn. Before either of us could get another word out, he glanced slightly to his right and shot an enormous blast of magic... at Fluttershy.

"That bastard!!"

"Move!!" I hollered, pushing the intended target out of the way, but dooming myself to absorb the vengeful blow...

*ZAP* *CRACKLE* "RAAAAAAAGGH!!!" I was flung back, a horrific magical electric current ripping through my body with an intensity akin to lightning. I fell flat on my back, in unbelievable pain and completely disoriented.

"TY!!" someone called. Everything was such a blur... my entire body went numb, but my head was throbbing like I'd been hit with a hammer. Every sound was muffled as my ears were ringing like I'd been the victim of a terrible sound grenade. I opened my eyes to look up at the sky, but everything looked so blurry and distorted. Despite that, I slowly turned to my left side and, with what little coordination I had at the moment, placed both of my arms on the ground beside me. I laid there for a few seconds, wherein the ringing in my ears ceased and my vision, for the most-part, returned to me. However, before I was able to fully recover, I heard a *POOF* come from my right. I slowly turned to see the dark, vindictive sneer of the stallion I'd just defeated in a fight as he raised his left foreleg high across his body before taking a quick back-hoofed swing.

*THUMP* "AAHAGH!" I went back to the ground with a newly explosive, rattling pain shooting through my right side. The son of a bitch had kicked me while I was down, winding me as he struck me in an area close to my lung. I clasped my side tightly as I struggled to draw in some air to re-inflate my respiratory system.

"Ty!!" someone else yelled. "What did you do to him!?" From the sound of it, it was a clearly unhappy Twilight.

"That is ENOUGH!!" the first voice shouted. I opened my eyes a little and looked past Gillian to see Fluttershy, who looked VERY upset. "How could you do something like that!?" she ranted, getting up in his face. "There's no reason for you to be a sore loser! And there's definitely no reason for you to take your aggression out on others! That ISN'T nice! You should feel ashamed of yourself! Would YOU like it if someone hit YOU like that!?" I'd only ever HEARD about Fluttershy getting pissed off, but to actually see it? It... frightened me. She'd even given him what I could guess was "The Stare," as the angry glare she was giving him sent inexplicable waves of paralyzing fear racing through my body.

"N...n-no," Gillian meekly replied, seeming to actually be afraid of this new Fluttershy I'd never had the chance to see up until this point. "But... he kicked me before when I wasn't expecting it. Doesn't that count as taking out aggression on others?"

"Yes, and I'm sure he feels really bad for it, but that is NO reason for you to retaliate like you've done! Two wrongs don't make a right!"

*POOF* "Back off, sister!" Comet commanded, pushing Fluttershy away from her colt-friend.

"Well... Thanks, Com--!" *SMACK*

"Save your thanks! What in Tartarus were you THINKING!?" the cerulean mare scolded after slapping some sense into her special somepony. "I've been behind you one hundred percent on just about everything we've done thus far, but THAT! THAT is just unacceptable! It's one thing for you to try and bet the success of our entire plan on something as neanderthal as a fight, but it's a whole different thing when you risk being knocked senseless rather than quitting while you were behind! And to watch you do THAT!? How does that make us look, Gillian!? Ponies will think we're crazy!"

"Honey, I--?"

"No! No excuses! Weren't you thinking about US when you went through with that foolish display!? I love you, Gillian, but we seriously need to evaluate things..." As Comet continued to scold Gillian, Fluttershy walked up to me, worried beyond reason as she stared down at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Honestly, 'Shy... I've... mmph! Seen better days...!" I painfully rasped as I smiled back at her. "Sorry for not listenin' t' you..." I slowly raised a hand, having it unceremoniously, yet softly plop onto her head.

"It's... sort of okay... umm... Thank you for saving me..."

"No problemo... How's Twilight...?" Before giving her answer, she looked up and over to her left, then back at me.

"She still looks like she's in pain because of her stomach cramps, but... it looks more like she's really angry... She's crying because of what just happened to you, but the others are there, trying to calm her down..."

"Awwww, damn..."

"Faaaantastic... I know I won't hear the end o' this... If it ain't too much trouble, could you please... tell her t' come here?" Before the yellow mare could give a response, the sky suddenly turned dark save for a luminous, blinding light that housed the opaque silhouette of a pony that sported both a lengthy horn and large, widespread wings...

"What in Equestria is going on here!?" shouted a serene, yet HIGHLY displeased voice. I squinted my eyes to see into the light. What I saw both relieved, and scared me. Equestria's ruler herself, looking downright pissed as she descended toward the ground.

"Princess Celestia... About goddamn time...!"

Gathering Up...!

Celestia wasted no time descending to the ground, landing with a harsh *THUMP* of her hooves against the dirt.

"You!" She shouted, sounding less than pleased at the sight of Gillian. "You were supposed to be incarcerated in Saddle Arabia!"

"Yeah..."

"And now not ONLY have you escaped, but I hear that you also DARE to plot against me!?"

"It's not what... *sigh* y'know what? Yes. Yes I was," the stallion shamelessly answered, seeming not to care anymore.

"You have SOME nerve, I'll give you one thing, Gillian. But even I didn't expect your tendency for petty grudges to go so far as to take it out on my subjects."

"Well believe you me, I actually WASN'T going to involve ANY of them... except for a couple. But then your precious little student and her IRKSOME friends decided they weren't going to have that, and chose to defy me! I made sure to give you a welcoming gift, anyhow..." He trailed off, pointing at me.

"A... welcoming gift? What in Equestria is that?" she asked, turning around to see me pitifully lying there, observing with a hidden sense of joy at his misfortune.

"H... Heeeey, Princess..." I rasped, feeling much too weak to move. She looked at me in total bewilderment, seeming to be vaguely registering me in her thoughts. After about a few seconds, she trotted over to me, examining my beaten, tired body, unable to draw a definitive conclusion.

"What in the name of...? What is this thing? A part of your scheme gone wrong?" she asked in noticeable hostility. It's PROBABLY worth note at this point that although she knew I was a human being, she actually still had no idea what a human actually looked like. Twilight and I always made it a point for me to transform either before she brought me to her library or while we were in the library.

"Well... excuuuuuuse me, Princess..." I indignantly replied. "...but this 'thing' has a name. Here's a hint... it... nrgh! Rhymes with 'Twi...'" The instant I mentioned her student's name, she seemed to have put two and two together as her eyes widened in surprise.

"*GASP* My gosh... Ty???"

"In the human flesh..." I gave her a small thumbs-up, congratulating her.

"What happened to you?? You look like you'd spent a day as the chew toy of Cerberus!"

"Gee, thanks... but this... this is all courtesy o' that guy... right over there..." I slowly pointed an accusing finger at the stallion who was already in hot water. She clearly didn't like what she'd heard, as she glared at him again. All he could do was shrug, trying his best to pull an 'oopsie' face, wherein he grinned stupidly while closing his eyes in embarrassment.

"My word...! Where is Twilight?"

"Here..." I heard the unicorn present herself in a melancholy tone. She came into view, seeming very unhappy.

"Twilight..." the Princess beckoned the unicorn in a tone of worry. "Why do you seem so upset? And what is wrong? I can't help but notice a considerable strain in your walk..."

"It's... *sniffle* just a stomach cramp that's bothering me... but I'm upset at a lot of different things I'm sure you don't have the time to listen to..." she answered.

"There is always time for you, my student. Now tell me... what is wrong?"

"Um... with all due respect... Is it *sniffle* okay if I tell you in private?"

"Of course..." With that, Celestia bent down, lending Twilight an ear, where I heard some incoherent jumbling that I assumed was the unicorn informing her mentor of the events past. "Oh... Oh. Oh my! Is that right...? Hmm... I see..." A minute later, Celestia brought herself back to a stand and took a look around. Eventually, she brought her gaze over to me. "So... it appears you are needed for a... very special purpose..."

"So she definitely told her about the 'heat' problem..."

"...and that all of you have been dealing with Mr. Swardson and Ms. Gazer for quite some time now..." she continued to guess, bringing her gaze to the stallion and mare responsible for the present situation.

"AND she told her about Gillian an' Comet..."

"In addition, you've been exposed in your current form to the vast majority of the townsfolk?" she inquired again, looking around to see quite a few spectators around the vicinity.

"Yea..." I answered.

"...and I also understand that there'd been a physical confrontation that ended in the defeat of our human friend here?" she asked, looking back at Twi.

"...But Twilight thinks I lost the fight..."

"Yes, Princess..." Twilight somberly assured.

"For the record... I actually WON that fight..." I corrected. "I only look an' feel this way because I pushed Fluttershy outta the way of a magic blast from Mr. Sore Loser over there..."

"Really...? Is that true?" Celestia asked, looking toward the pegasus in question.

"Yes..." she quietly answered. "Twilight was in a lot of pain, so I went to get Ty to come over. I saw him standing over Mr. Gillian and called him. But... after I did that, Mr. Gillian shot some magic at us. Ty pushed me out of the way and got hit..." Celestia merely nodded before turning back to me. Rather than speak, however, she stared in silence, seeming to be contemplating something.

"Why's she jus' starin' at me? I'ss kinda scary..."

"Beats me... I hope it don't mean she's gonna punish us or somethin'..."

"No way... We didn't do anything wrong... unless she disapproves of fightin'..." After an admittedly-awkward silence, she spoke again.

"Ty..."

"Yes...?"

"I... need you to answer me something, and I'd like for you to be as totally honest as possible."

"Shoot..."

"How do you feel?"

"How do I feel? How do you THINK I feel!? Look at me!"

"Like shi... er, I mean... terrible... Like you said, I--! Ugh! ...look like the chew toy o' Cerberus. Tha'ss also how I feel..."

"I understand your physical condition, but allow me to finish... How do you feel... about Twilight?"

"Oh! Aw shit, way t' put me on the spot...!"

"Oh... well, to be blunt... I love the girl."

"I see..." she replied, seeming to be deep in thought as her graceful, unwavering gaze locked on me. "Is it too much to ask to what degree you love her?"

"At a time like this, yes. But I don't suppose you of all ponies would be askin' for nothin', so..."

"I feel like I'd do anything for her... I've already taken care o' her when she was sick... I actively participate in her studies, makin' sure not t' get in the way... An' as you heard and saw nine... agh! months ago... I Pinkie Promised-- through song-- never t' hurt her in any way. Plus, jus' this past weekend... I... I told him I'd beat him up if he touched her... and surprisingly enough, I did... heh heh... But we've had some trouble between us regardin' some misunderstandings that involved some of our friends recently... but I'd like t' think we settled that without anyone gettin' too mad... nrgh! But... but I know there's somethin' more she needs... that... ah...! That I haven't been sure about givin' t' her..."

"Yea! Me!"

"Seriously... NOT the time...!"

"And what might that be?"

"Hmm... How t' put this...? I guess you could say, my... 'Full acceptance of our physical differences...' Between the two times o' me bein' taken hostage by Comet an' Gillian... I had some time t' think... an' at this point, I feel I... I need t' cast my doubts aside... an' show Twilight how much I love her..."

"D'aww, that's just... *sniffle* so marvelously romantic... I may need a tissue..." I heard Rarity compliment, seeming to take some emotional enjoyment out of the moment.

"Ugh, I HATE bein' sappy...!"

"Ty..." I heard my sweet little filly-friend whisper in a quavering tone.

"I see... Then there is one thing I must do..." Celestia replied. With that, her horn took on a bright golden glow. In an instant, my own body was highlighted in an identical shade of spectral light. Soft, warm tingling engulfed my entire form as I lay on the ground, motionless. Aches and pains began to diminish, strength was returning to me, and I suddenly felt much less tired than I had before. Before I knew it, Celestia's magic glow disappeared and I pulled myself up to a seated position to examine my newly-healed body. No more scratches, aches, cuts, bruises, or anything... except for my clothes, which still very much looked like I'd tried to shove them through a paper shredder. "Twilight?" the Royal Alicorn spoke.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Take Ty and find somewhere you two can be alone. I will take things from here. The rest of you are free to go for now."

"Even us?" asked Gillian, seeming to be hoping for a favorable answer.

"EXCEPT you and Comet Gazer. You two are to come with me. Immediately. I'd like to have a word with both of you."

"Damn!"

"I wish to acquire a full account from everypony involved in the conspiracy of these two within the next... give or take, three hours."

"Princess! A-are you sure? We could stay and--! Ooh! Settle things right now..." Twilight offered despite cringing at a cramp of hers.

"Twilight, I admire your selflessness, but right now, you are in need of immediate assistance. What I'd like for you to do is take him to a private location and attain the help you are in need of. Now go."

"But... what about--?"

"Twilight..." the Princess sternly interrupted. "Are you, my most faithful student, doubting me?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not!" the unicorn frantically responded. "It's just that... that... *sigh* Y'know what? You're right..." she conceded.

"Good. Now take care of your business."

"...Thank you, Princess..." Twi humbly replied before walking over to me, placing a hoof on my back. "Well... let's go, Ty... There's a long, awkward talk awaiting us..."

"Yea... but there's one thing I gotta do before we go..."

"What?" Rather than respond, I turned my gaze toward the cerulean unicorn.

"Hey, Comet!" I called. She seemed alarmed by my shift of focus over to her.

"Yes?"

"Thanks..." I replied. That simple reply sent everyone into a collective state of wonder as they each made their own sounds of confusion at my word. Even the mare's colt-friend seemed confused (and a bit upset).

"Oh! Um... Y-you're welcome..."

"Thanks? For what?" Twilight asked, expectantly wanting to know exactly what I meant.

"Yeah... what?" Gillian added, looking at Comet in confusion.

"I'll explain later," I answered the lavender unicorn. "Now we should prolly get goin,' no? Come t' my house. We'll talk there..." I suggested, rubbing Twilight's back.

"Okay..." With that and a *POOF*, we were out of there...

About two and a half hours later...

*POOF* The two of us made our way back to Equestria after our short break; specifically, we appeared within the confines of the library, where Spike seemed to have been organizing Twilight's work desk.

"Hey, Spike!" we greeted simultaneously as I took a seat on the floor.

"Oh! Hey! You guys are back," he replied, tearing himself away from his task. "So... how was... whatever it was you were doing?" he asked, which took both of us by surprise.

"It was... *ahem* it was good," I uneasily answered.

"Yeah, good..." Twi concurred.

"He must NEVER know...!"

"So I take it you're feeling all better, Twi?"

"Yes. I'm at a hundred percent now!" the unicorn brightly responded.

"That's good. I was worried you might've gotten sick or something..."

"Sick? Well... 'sick' wouldn't be the correct word for it, but I guess you could say it's somewhere in that approximate area..."

"Right... In any case, I'm curious: What did you need Ty to do to help you?" Both of us froze in sheer, unadulterated terror at his question.

"Umm..." the mare shakily trailed off, awkwardness scribbled across her face.

"We... uh..." I began, trying to think of something to satisfy Spike's inquiry.

"Shoulda seen THIS comin' from a mile away..."

"Um... we... made some.... hot coffee..." I sheepishly blurted out.

"Hot coffee?" he asked, puzzled at what he THANKFULLY didn't know was a subtle reference to what we REALLY did...

"Yea! It's a... *Yawn* a recipe o' mine that only comes from my universe... It's delicious."

"Oh. Well I don't really care much for coffee, but it looks like it did the trick."

"That it did!" Twilight agreed, reasonably out of sorts as her eyes darted nervously around the room.

"*Yawn* Oh, man..." I remarked, feeling drained of energy. "Yea, it did the trick..."

"...Wait a second..." Spike said, seeming to find something wrong with what I told him.

"Oh no..."

"What?" the lavender mare asked.

"Why's your hair all messy? It looks like you just woke up." At that, Twilight scoffed indignantly.

"Well excuse me for not dolling up after some much-needed stress relief, Spike..."

"Sorry. It's just that with as uptight and obsessed with order as you normally are, you'd have time to keep your mane from getting messy."

"Gee, thanks..." the unicorn sarcastically remarked. I resisted the urge to laugh at his (possibly) unintentional insult, puffing my cheeks for a second before exhaling through my nose.

"Ouch. That wasn't even directed at me, an' that still hurt. Heh heh..."

"Wait a minute... How is it that a problem you had could only be solved with Ty's help, but then when you go with him to get it, the cure winds up being coffee?"

"Well... 'cuz i'ss my recipe!" I lied.

"But Twilight's hair is all frizzy!" he countered, showing the slightest sign of frustration. "How does coffee solve your problem, but mess up your hair?"

"I'ss really good coffee," I calmly replied. "Maybe she jus' wasn't expectin' it t' taste so good, an' it blew her mind..."

"Genius!"

"And that's another thing! I remember you telling me one time you didn't even like coffee! How would you know any 'special recipes' if you don't even drink the stuff?"

"Goddammit! Why can't you jus' accept the answer we gave you at face value!?"

"Plus, you seem really tired. I thought coffee was supposed to wake you up."

"Yea, but with all the caffeine in it, you are subject t' crashin' once it wears off."

"Uh-huh. Well there's still the fact that it's only been a couple hours. I'm pretty sure coffee lasts longer than that. Besides, you specifically told me, and I quote: 'I would rather choke down a three week-old bottle of spoiled goat's milk than drink a cup of coffee...'"

"Wow, you REMEMBER that?? It was a joke! Who knew it'd come back t' bite me...?"

"Um... it was an exception...?" I shyly stuttered, unsure of what else to say.

"Okay, now I KNOW you guys are lying. What did you REALLY do to solve your problem, Twilight?" It seemed the dragon was more than curious, judging by his tone of voice. He seemed a bit... frustrated.

"We... *sigh* Spike, does it really matter?" Twilight asked in annoyance.

"It does if you have to keep it secret from me."

"Nopony's keeping any secrets... You know that I had a problem, and you know that Ty helped me solve it. What more is there to know?"

"What you did to solve it, obviously. I don't understand why I'm being kept in the dark about this. It's one thing not knowing how you solved your problem, but it's a whole 'nother thing when I apparently can't even be told what the problem was. All I know is what Applejack said about you being 'in heat.' What does that even mean? You were hot and needed to cool down or something?"

"No! Well, sort of... I... You'll understand when you're older..."

"Of course!" he practically shouted in exasperation. "I got responses like that from everyone else, too! Why won't any of you just spit it out!? If it's a secret, then you already know I'm good at keeping them..."

"Yeah, I'm SO sure," Twilight snarkily replied. "Like how you told Rarity all those things about me when you were spending time with her?"

"What?? That was months ago! I've grown and learned since then."

"Or how you an' Rarity started that rumor about Twi an' me when I first came here..." I added, knowing I was only fueling the fire.

"Oh, come on! You should be THANKING me for that one! Look where it got you two!"

"He MIGHT have a point..."

"Or, more recently, how you told the Cutie Mark Crusaders AND Cheerilee that Pipsqueak had been stealing baked goods from Sugarcube Corner and the case just wound up being that he was helping the Cakes with a few small orders around the town?" Twilight accused.

"H-how'd you find out about that?? Uh *ahem* I mean... I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Suuuure..." the unicorn smirked, at this point having the dragon checkmated.

"W-we're getting off-topic anyway," he conceded. "What's so secret that you two and the girls can't tell me about this 'heat' problem you had?"

"That's quite enough, Spike," another voice called to the dragon. In a moment's time, a tall, white Alicorn came trotting out into the area.

"Princess??? What are you doing here??" Twilight asked in total shock.

"I'd been awaiting your arrival since you two left to fulfill that errand of yours a little while ago. I'd actually expected you to be done much later," she explained.

"We thought it'd be better to finish up as soon as we could so we didn't make everypony wait..."

"Hmph. 'We'? More like 'you...'" I mumbled under my breath, rolling my eyes.

*Thwack* "Ow!" ...or at least, I tried. Twilight heard me and hit me upside the head to shut me up.

"*Ahem* Um... so, we're here now. Should we go and get the others?" the lavender mare asked her mentor.

"That won't be necessary. Spike will send word of your arrival. Would you be a dear?" she beckoned the dragon, who'd already had a pile of letters in his grasp. He set them down and, one by one, he incinerated seven letters, sending them along their way to their respective recipients.

"Soo... where are Gillian an' Comet?" I asked.

"They are being looked after in an improvised holding cell."

"Is that right? Where, exactly? If i'ss alright t' ask..."

"I was originally going to take them back to the Palace with me, but our good friends Applejack and Rainbow Dash volunteered to watch over them at Sweet Apple Acres while the others, myself included, waited for your arrival."

"Whoa, are you sure about that? I mean, they're some pretty crazy characters. How do you know that you can trust them not t' do anything bad?"

"I'm absolutely certain Gillian and Comet wouldn't jeopardize their situation any worse than they already have..."

"Right, but I ain't talkin' about them... I mean A.J. an' Rainbow." At that, the Princess raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Gillian gave them a pretty hard time as well. An' if I'm not mistaken, each of them had a bone t' pick with those two..."

"Oh, come now, Ty..." Twilight countered. "Those two wouldn't do anything of that sort."

"I certainly wouldn't put it past 'em..."

"In any case," Celestia began. "...How do you feel, Twilight?"

"I feel completely recharged! Good as new!" she informed with a smile.

"Good, good. And you, my subject?" she asked me.

"Like a new kinda guy," I calmly, happily answered. "A li'l bit... *Yawn* tired, though. Thank you for healin' me, by the way."

"No thanks are necessary. I'm glad to assist you. On another note, I suppose you had quite a time, taking into consideration your new hairstyle, Twilight..."

"ZING!" Twilight's jaw dropped in embarrassment as Celestia chuckled at her own joke, joined by Spike. I decided against laughing myself, as I didn't want the unicorn to make me suffer for it in the future.

"Now now, she's feelin' good," I defended, hugging the flustered mare. "Her hair looks good this way, anyway..."

"*AHEM* Well... um... i-in any case..." Twilight shakily began as I let go of her. "What about the rest of the town?"

"Yes, I've arranged an address meeting for you scheduled for later this afternoon. I did so in advance because there were a numerous amount of sightings of him as a human, and quite a few of the residents were startled by what they'd seen of his altercation with Gillian."

"Oh, no..." the purple mare murmured in worry.

"Do not fret. I've explained the situation regarding our international intruders to the best of my knowledge, which served to mostly calm the townsfolk. Of course, my word won't have as much of an effect on their inherent tension as yours and Ty's should..."

"Oh, boy... THIS should be interestin'..." I sarcastically muttered, expecting the worst.

"If it's any help... then you should know that it's possible some of the townsfolk have pieced together your identity and, given how you've behaved as a stallion, may possibly be more willing to accept you in your current state..."

"Yea, but they also knew that 'Ponder Memoir' was in a relationship with Twilight Sparkle for the last nine months an' that they, like the majority o' Twi's best friends, thought I was a full-fledged Earth pony. I'ss jus' such a bad way for them t' find out... It worries me..."

"Damn that Gillian an' his conspiracy plot...!"

"Have faith in Ponyville's residents, Ty... If you keep calm and explain yourself to them, they will understand. I have faith in you."

"I-if ya say so... Thanks for the vote o' confidence..." I replied, still unnerved by the potential hostility I'd be met with for being a species of life form that was completely nonexistent in this dimension. Before I knew it, I was suddenly shrouded in the embrace of my loving young mare as she held me to comfort me.

"You're not in this alone, honey..." she whispered as she held me tight. I couldn't help but return the hug, feeling as if I REALLY needed it. "What you may face for being human, I'll also face for being romantically involved with you. No matter which way we see it, we're in this together..." I looked directly into her eyes to see the air of comforting confidence I'd come to know her for. Gazing into those vibrant pools of deep violet didn't melt ALL of my worries away... but it sure did quite a lot to ease the apprehension I'd built up for the upcoming public address. I brought one of my hands to her face, caressing the beautiful pony's cheek in my palm.

"...Thank you..." I meekly answered. Rather than reply, she leaned forward, planting her lips on my cheek and staying there for a good amount of time before slowly pulling away.

"No... Thank YOU..." she smiled, her eyes glimmering as their gaze locked onto mine. I couldn't help but smile back at her, the fear now almost completely gone and replaced with a roaring wave of affection for the lavender mare.

"HIYA, GUYS!!" shouted a familiarly shrill voice coming from the library's entrance. We all turned to see Pinkie bouncing in as excitedly as ever, followed by Rarity. "We came just as soon as we could!"

"Heeey!" "Hi, girls!" "Hey!" "Good morning!" we all greeted the two mares as I released Twilight from my grasp.

"Twilight, you still seem quite disheveled," Rarity worriedly observed. "Did you and Ty not go through with your errand?"

"No, no, we did. In fact, we just got back after taking care of that."

"Then why is it that your mane still seems unruly? In fact, with all due respect, it seems like it's more out of shape than it was when you departed..."

"Well, y'know... We just didn't find the time to freshen up after we were done."

"Ye... *Yawn* Yea... not enough time," I added as I stretched and wiped my eye, trying to fight my fatigue.

"Well how can that be? Ty looks like he found time to refurbish himself. Speaking of..." Rarity shifted her focus over to me. "You seem as if you hadn't gotten a proper amount of rest at all..."

"Great, now SHE wants t' play 'detective...' What the fff..."

"If I'm not mistaken, then that implies..." The white unicorn trailed off, as she stared at me, seeming to be having some sort of epiphany. A second later, she began giggling like a schoolgirl as she approached me. "My my, Ty... I didn't take you to be such a mare pleaser..." she commented, giving me a flirtatious look as she moved to where her face was up in mine, causing me to instinctively back away.

"Wh-what are you talkin' about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She stood up on her hind legs and placed her foreleg on my shoulder, leaning into my ear.

"...You must've really shown her a rousing good time, if you catch my drift..." she sultrily whispered with a hint of playfulness. Hearing that made every hair on my head stand up as my eyes widened to the point of possibly being able to pop out of my head and my face suddenly got hotter than a tea kettle.

"Hooo-lyyy shiiii..."

"D'ah! *AHEM* Yea, um..." I nervously stuttered, unable to find any words as Rarity released me from her grasp, giggling. I took a deep, awkward breath to try and blow out the hot air that suddenly built up in my chest while tugging at the collar of my shirt to let out some literal steam. "I-I er..."

"Rarity..." Twilight called, shooting her fellow unicorn a look of visible contempt. "What did you say to him?"

"N-n-nothing, darling..." she lied, stifling her laugh. "Just... er..."

"She said that Ty must've shown you a--!" Pinkie Pie almost announced, not even trying to hide her amusement before Rarity shoved a hoof in her mouth.

"Pinkie!!" Rarity laughingly shouted before losing it. Pinkie joined in right away.

"That's quite enough, ladies," Princess Celestia said. "It's time we... *snort* w-we got serious..."

"Et tu, Princess? Way t' be a friggin' team-killer...!"

"*GASP* Princeeess!" Twilight whined, clearly upset with the Princess's failure to hide her amusement. "Ohh!" The poor little unicorn could only cover her face in shame. I joined her by closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose, shaking my head as Pinkie, Rarity, Spike (who was likely just going with the flow), and even Princess Celestia shared a laugh at our expense.

"*sigh* You KNOW i'ss a sad day when even the ruler of an ENTIRE COUNTRY is laughin' at you..."

"Hello, everyone!" Another voice called. "Why is everypony laughing?" I peeked over my fingers to see Fluttershy, looking reasonably confused at what was going on.

"Oh, no..."

"Hey, Flutters," I hurriedly greeted. "Everybody seems t' have a case o' the funnies for no reason, don't mind them. We're jus' waitin' for Lyra, Zecora, A.J., an' Rainbow t' get here, an' we'll be all set."

"Oh, okay," she replied before noticing Twilight with her forelegs covering her blushing face. "Twilight? Why are you--?"

"Say, would ya like a hug?" I asked with a nervous titter, interrupting her so no one would hear her question.

"Oh! Um... s-sure..." she uncertainly replied as she trotted toward me.

"C'mere, you!" I was quick to grasp the yellow mare by her sides and yank her in.

"WHOA!" she shouted in surprise, calming down as soon as her body made contact with mine. To make sure things weren't too awkward, I ran a hand up and down her back. She flinched in what I assume was a mix of relief and delight.

"I don't think I ever told you how much I value you as a friend, Fluttershy. You're the best."

"I refuse t' subject you t' the joke bein' thrown around here."

"Oh! My... well... um... I value you as a friend, too..." she quietly admitted, nuzzling into my shoulder as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck.

"I'm prolly gonna pay for this..." About a few seconds later, everyone seemed to calm down, done with their laughing (or in Twilight's case, her hiding). I assumed it safe to let Fluttershy go. I couldn't help but notice her cheeks turning a bright pink as she backed away, casting her gaze to the side.

"Great. Now that everypony's all laughed out, can we PLEASE discuss something else?" the purple unicorn suggested.

"Wait!" Pinkie Pie loudly called as if we were some great distance away from her. "Fluttershy didn't get to hear why we were laughing!"

"An' she won't need to," I sternly countered. "Ain't all that important anyway... On another note, Princess?"

"Yes, yes," Celestia began. "I'll be explaining it a bit later, but what I'm gathering you all here for is a sort of... group testimonial. As I said before, I wish to gain as full a personal account as possible of what happened between each of you and the escaped criminals you'd come across."

"Wait... HERE??" Twilight asked.

"Yes. It will save us an enormous amount of time. There's... something else I must attend to regarding a spell book of Starswirl the Bearded with an unfinished spell in it."

"An... unfinished spell??? Of Starswirl the Bearded??? What kind???" the unicorn was very much interested in whatever it was regarding this spell book.

"I'll fill you in when the time comes. For now, we focus on resolving our issue with Gillian."

"Right..." she replied, seeming a bit disappointed.

"Hey, guys!" "Howdy!" called a pair of new voices. In all of a second, Rainbow Dash and Applejack strolled in together, leading in their less-than-prideful-looking P.O.W.'s with rope that was tied firmly around each of their necks.

"Good morning," Celestia greeted, although a little perplexed. "I don't remember telling you to tie these two with rope."

"It's okay, Princess. We only did this to make sure they didn't try to escape," Dash reasoned. I had some other reasons in mind, buuuut... they're irrelevant...

"Well... wouldn't they just be able to teleport out of it?" asked Spike.

"Believe me, little dragon: We'd have tried that a while ago," Gillian spoke. "But even I know when to quit."

"Bullshit..." I mumbled.

"Hmph! Okay, when there's no chance of my triumph, I know when to quit."

"Such a liar... Comet musta finally set him straight...." I simply shook my head at him in disapproval. He rolled his eyes at me and looked back to the ground in shame.

"Besides, our magic was temporarily disabled in the case that we DID try something conniving..."

"Or that..."

"Yes, well I'm glad to see you're being cooperative," Celestia praised. "It will make this last-minute hearing much shorter for you."

"I still don't see the point in all of this..." the stallion argued. "I mean, isn't it enough that I've been caught for breaking free of my incarceration?"

"I think i'ss necessary..." I answered, to which the stallion shot me a spiteful glare, which I shrugged off nonchalantly. "We gotta take into account the kidnappin'..."

"The assaults..." Twilight added.

"The conspiracy against me..." Celestia added on.

"And the fact that you seriously injured--!" Fluttershy was about to add on.

"Okay, okay, we get it," the stallion interrupted. "But like I told you before, Princess, it WASN'T a conspiracy! I was telling you the truth when I told you we did this to--!"

*Knock Knock* "Hello?" a feminine voice called from the door.

"Yes! Come in!" Twilight permitted the visitor to come in. The door opened to reveal a mint-green unicorn mare followed by a zebra mare.

"Lyra! Zecora! Nice o' you t' join us!" I greeted. "Hope we didn't keep ya..."

"Hey, Ty!" the green unicorn greeted.

"Seeing you in good health is quite a treat. The wait, my friend, was none too steep," greeted a gracious Zecora in her trademark rhythmic speech pattern.

"Hey, Twilight?" beckoned Lyra.

"Yes?" the lavender mare responded.

"There's... something I want to talk to you about... y'know... um... o-once we're done here..."

"Oh? Well I'd be glad to talk with you."

"Okay, cool... Nice hairdo, by the way... I-It really brings out your wild side..." Lyra shyly complimented, although Twi didn't take it that way. She frowned slightly and lowered her head in embarrassment as she quietly groaned.

"Ach, mein gott... I'ss worse she actually sounded like she meant it, too..."

"Um... th-thanks..." Twilight meekly responded.

"Yeah, what gives with the hair, Twi?" Rainbow inquired. "I thought you and--!"

"Don't ask," I answered in her stead. "Le'ss jus'... *yawn* get on with this, eh?" I suggested, not wanting to hear more snickering at why Twilight's hair was a mess.

"Yes. Let us migrate to the balcony, shall we?" Celestia proposed. Everyone gave their collective signs of approval at her request, and with that, we migrated to the tree/library's balcony to commence the 'trial' of Gillian and Comet...

Trial Time!

Everypony in attendance to this last-minute trial made their way to my balcony and took their places. Princess Celestia stood in the center while everypony else sat in respective places around her, for some reason dividing ourselves into groups. Spike and I sat down next to Ty (or rather, I sat on his lap as he crossed his legs) while Rarity, Pinkie, A.J. and Dash all sat huddled together. Lyra and Zecora took their places a few leg-lengths away from the others. Fluttershy sat alone on the human's left, but was within reach of him. The two ponies responsible for everything that had gone down over the last couple days took their places juxtaposed on either side of the Princess herself.

"Okay," Celestia began. "This hearing is now in order. Who would like to begin the testimony?" Instead of a valid response, someponies had begun giggling quietly. I turned to look at the offending ponies; Pinkie and the others sharing some sort of joke amongst themselves. I caught Applejack and Rainbow glancing at me, stifling laughs with their hooves. Already, I could tell what they were laughing at, which frustrated me.

"*sigh* Is it REALLY that amusing to them? Sheesh..."

"Somethin' funny over there, ladies?" asked my human colt-friend in noticeable annoyance. It seemed he knew their joke, too.

"N-no... *snort* Not at all, big g-guy..." Rainbow laughingly lied, failing to put on an at least SOMEWHAT convincing serious face.

"*AHEM*! Let us focus," Celestia ordered, bringing everypony's attention back to her.

"If it isn't too much trouble, can we take these ropes off? They're not really serving any purpose..." Gillian requested.

"You may." With that, he and Comet unfastened the rope from around their necks and cast the material onto the floor. "As I said, who would like to begin?" After a brief silence, someone spoke.

"I guess, seein' as I was the first t' come int' contact with 'em, I will," Ty volunteered.

"You have the floor," the Princess permitted.

"Right. So this all started about... *yawn* two days ago... I was under the pony disguise an' on my way here from Fluttershy's house. I was in a hurry because... uh..." He paused. I turned to see that he'd been giving her a worried look. Within a few seconds, he turned back to Celestia. "...because I didn't have enough time t' stay and chat with Fluttershy after I helped her run an errand..."

"That's one way of putting it..."

"On the way back, I bumped int' these two. They tell me they been lookin' for me, which I found kinda odd, since I'd never met 'em before that point. Anyway, I tell 'em I can't hang around cuz I needed t' get back here, but this guy wasn't havin' it. He ordered his friend here t' block my way, then says some sh... stuff about how he's been watchin' me for the last three months or so. From that, you could already tell he'd been outta prison for a while. Anyway, already a little bit angry, I tell him that I really needed t' go. He said somethin' about 'Doin' it the easy way or the hard way,' so I'll admit that I tried t' hit him. He blocks the attack and announces that I chose the hard way, so I tried again. I actually hit him, he gets mad, tells Comet t' electrocute me, and makes sure it happens by usin' his own magic t' hold me down while she attacks. I go down, I say he won't get away, he taunts me, then has Comet knock me out with magic."

"Mm-hmm..." Celestia pondered as she listened to Ty's side of the story. "Is all of that true, Mr. Swardson?"

"More or less..." he passively muttered.

"I see... Is there more you'd like to add, Ty?"

"Plenty. So I wake up sometime later, tied up an' hangin' from a tree in what I guess was the Everfree Forest..."

"The Everfree Forest?"

"Yep. So yea, I wake up an' notice my situation, then I call for help. Gillian comes along out of a tent he set up in there. He figures out what I really am after he interrogated the info outta me."

"To be fair, YOUR incompetence led you to reveal yourself," the stallion remarked.

"My incompetence? How about you havin' Comet pretty much ELECTROCUTE me when I didn't wanna tell you? Hm?"

"Again, that's YOUR fault! I wouldn't have needed to have her do anything if you didn't insist on being such a thick-headed smart-a--!"

"Enough!" Celestia interrupted before things got ugly. "You will have your turn, Gillian. But for now, he has the floor. Now, as you were?"

"Right..." Ty began again. "...So I wind up revealin' to him that I'm human. But then from that, I figure out that he was the same guy you was talkin' about tryin' t' take over the East close to a year ago. When I tell him I know who he is, he admits it straight-up, an' then he talks about how he has some kinda score t' settle with you. And THEN... and THEN he has the nerve to make a passive threat against Twilight here..." he informed, placing a hand on my head briefly. "After that, he casts some spell that winds up reversin' the transformation, which he said was because whatever energy Twilight gave me, he absorbed for himself. Then he left me t' die in the woods."

"Really now? Anything either of you have to rebut with, Gillian? Comet?"

"No, ma'am," Comet declined.

"I do," Gillian spoke up. "I would HARDLY say I 'left you to die,' as you so bluntly put it. Clearly, you survived."

"Right, but only after a freak occurrence where I got saved by Zecora. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'd-a gotten mauled by some... I dunno, some kinda crazy mutant Scorpion-Lion with... with freakin' Bat wings or somethin'..."

"A Manticore?" I guessed at his description.

"Yea, sure, that," he agreed.

"Come on now, the Everfree Forest isn't THAT dangerous. The worst that could happen to you is being turned to stone by a Cockatrice..." Gillian naively assured.

"And that is...?"

"A chicken-like creature with a snake's tail for a lower body that will literally petrify you if you look it in the eyes."

"Oh. An' THAT'S not dangerous t' you? I don't know what i'ss like t' be frozen or encased in stone, but I imagine it t' be sure as HELL less than pleasurable. If anything, that sounds horrible!"

"Trust me... It really is..." I commented to Ty's surprise.

"We seem to be straying away from the important issue at hoof here," Celestia cut in. "Bringing the focus of this meeting back to its original topic, are you finished with your input, Ty?"

"For now, yea..."

"Very well. Is there anypony else who would like to add to the testimony?"

"Princess, I do believe I can," Zecora replied. "I will be next to take the stand."

"Oh, THIS should be good..." Ty leaned in and whispered to me.

"What should...?"

"Hearin' her rhyme out her entire explanation..."

"Very well then, Zecora," Celestia permitted.

"To Ponyville was my intended route, until I heard some arguing going about. I looked around for a simple clue, until I stumbled into you," the zebra explained, pointing a hoof at Ty. "Not a single pony was in sight, and I'd given the creature quite a fright. I wondered why he'd been tied with vine, but minus that and some injuries, he'd been fine. I welcomed the creature into my abode, where I'd been brewing some Lima bean stew; a la mode..."

"She's good..." Ty whispered again.

"Well it IS in her nature..." I replied nonchalantly, despite being just as astounded as he was.

"I freed the mysterious creature from his bonds; an action with which I knew he'd be quite fond," Zecora continued. "I proceeded to poke and prod the guy, which brought him to reveal his name: Ty. As he and I continued to speak, he had an epiphany that was most bleak..."

"Oh, my... Is there more you'd like to add?" asked the Sun Princess.

"At this time, I do not have much else to share. You will find more info from another mare. Since my knowledge's extent is only partial, I pass the floor to Twilight Sparkle."

"...How do you DO that???" Ty asked aloud, unable to hide his total astonishment. "It was like listenin' to a poem!" Rather than respond, the zebra smiled and winked at him.

"Well, Twilight? The floor is yours," Celestia informed, bringing my attention to her.

"Oh! Yes, um... where to begin... Ah! Friday started off more-or-less normally. I went out to run some errands around town after telling Spike to tell Ty to stay put. When I came back, however, I noticed that neither Ty nor Spike were in the library; only a note from Ty saying that he went off to Fluttershy's cottage to help her run an errand. Thinking he might've still been there, I visited Fluttershy only to find that he'd already left there and that she had no idea where he went. She even told me he was on his way back to the library. Of course finding this a bit peculiar, she and I embarked on an unexpectedly strenuous search for him, even recruiting the help of Rainbow Dash to boost our chances. After about a couple of hours of inconclusive searching, the mailmare dropped by and reported to us that she watched the aforementioned confrontation between Ty, Gillian, and Comet, explaining everything that happened..."

"I see... And did this mailmare's report sound at all similar to what I'd been told already?"

"Almost to a definitive 'T,' Your Highness. As I was saying, the mailmare told us that Ty'd been kidnapped by these two, the act happening in an area not too far away from Fluttershy's house. Rainbow, Fluttershy and I split up to search for him, and soon, our trail pointed toward the Everfree Forest. I sent Fluttershy to round up the others while I desperately searched the forest for Ty's whereabouts, already fearing the worst due to his lack of knowledge of the dangers that lurk in those woods. Eventually, I wound up finding him at Zecora's residence."

"I see. Were there any subsequent run-ins with Gillian or Comet Gazer during your search?"

"No..." I began to reply before realizing something. "Oh! At least, not by any of us... Spike?"

"Yeah?" the dragon answered, taking a stand.

"Please share with us your experience with Comet and Gillian, if you will..." I humbly requested.

"Sure. Yeah, it was awful," my number one assistant began. "I was just about to dig into a delicious slice of ruby-encrusted strawberry cheesecake I'd been saving from my last visit to Sugarcube Corner when somepony came knocking at the door..." I was a bit miffed at the beginning of his confession.

"*sigh* Spike, how many times do I have to tell you that you CANNOT have sweets for dinner?" I scolded.

"What? It was the only thing that looked any good! It was that or the... Ech, the leftover wheat-and-oat casserole from the night before..." he responded, disgusted at the thought of his alternative.

"I thought you liked my casserole!" I practically yelled, offended at his disdain.

"Uh, I-I do! I... just don't like when it's been in the fridge for a day. Makes it smell like... like old cheese and uh... dirty sock sweat..."

"Heh heh... You're learnin'..." I heard Ty mutter at the ridiculous comparison, alongside some laughs from some of the others. I simply ignored it in my annoyance at the dragon for badmouthing my cooking as I glared at him.

"...*sigh* Well the fact of the matter is that you can't have desserts as replacements for your dinner. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make anything for you that day, but I'll be sure to stay on top of that from now on," I replied, regaining my composure in an attempt to bring the discussion back on track...

"Awesome..." he muttered in what sounded like a mix of sarcasm and disappointment.

"Hey!" Pinkie indignantly called, seemingly determined to keep the discussion at a stand-still. "Who says nopony can have dessert for dinner!? It's only like, the best kind of food ever!"

"Pinkie Pie, desserts are not an adequate source of nutrients," I argued. "But we can discuss that another time. We have more important things to talk about right now."

"And what do you mean by THAT, Twilight?" the easily-stimulated pink mare cross-examined me as she stood up and approached.

"Oh, brother..."

"Pinkie, we don't have time for this! It can wait for another time."

"There's no time like the present," she stubbornly shot back, taking a seat right in front of me and glaring like I'd just offended her. "Now tell me what you mean!" She was making me feel like I was the one being prosecuted.

"...Princess, can we please just focus on the testimony?" I asked.

"Much as I'd like to, I can tell that Pinkie Pie will not let your comment slide so easily. So long as focus isn't fully placed on the current testimony, it's going to take much longer than it already has been. So just this once, I'll allow you to settle her curiosity. You may answer her question."

"Seriously?"

"*sigh* Fine," I conceded before turning toward the pink mare. "You can't get your daily dose of protein, fiber, grains, and other essential minerals if you have dessert and snacks for every meal. With all due respect, consumption of that stuff on a more-than-occasional basis, according to some of my health studies and tests, leads to some very serious physical issues; especially with regards to weight. Why do you think Rainbow Dash visits Sugarcube Corner so infrequently?"

"*GASP* Oh, uh-uh! Oh, no you di~in't!" Pinkie angrily shot back in a suddenly sassy tone, waving one of her forehooves around while the other planted itself on her hip as she sat on her haunches. She'd also been erratically moving her head around as if she'd suddenly become a bobble-head toy.

"What in the...?" I heard my colt-friend whisper to himself.

"Um... No I didn't... what?" I asked, vexed by her new demeanor.

"I KNOW you ain't tryna be callin' me fat, sista!" she complained, still waving her head and forehoof around. It was even more unusual that the mare had suddenly adopted an accent strikingly similar to Ty's...

"What?? Pinkie, that's absurd. I didn't call you f--!"

"Ah'own know where you got yo big, boring fancy-shmancy health facts, but honey, I am Pinkamena Diane Pie! I am a glamorously independent pink pony who don't need no nutritionist t' be tellin' me 'bout no weight problems! I'm proud of MY fantabulous figure!" she complained, striking what I assume was supposed to be some feminine pose of some sort... "And besides, Dashie's just busy a lot of the time! It's perfectly understandable if she can't stop by for a cupcake or two every day! Although it would be nice..." Suddenly, her facial expression changed from one of pensiveness to one of predictable elation. She turned around in an instant. "Hey Dashie! You should visit more often! Especially since I want you to try out this spectacular new cupcake recipe!" I could only stare in total discombobulation at the pink Earth mare as I tried to process what I'd just observed of her. Everypony else did the same... well, except for Ty, who'd been shaking his head, chuckling at Pinkie's antics.

"Pinkie Pie, you are so random..." Rainbow said in a tone of bewilderment. "But uh... I guess I could drop by sometime..."

"Yes! Oh, and uh... Sorry 'bout that, everypony..." she apologized as she looked around. "I don't know what came over me..." Pinkie added, shaking her head as she walked back toward her original seating position. Even she seemed to be confused herself at the scene she just made.

"Some things about that mare, I dare NOT to question anymore..."

"...*ahem* well then... Shall we continue?" Celestia awkwardly suggested.

"...Y-yeah..." I answered, feeling just as uneasy about that little outburst as she. "A-as you were saying, Spike?"

"Um..." it took him a second to gather his thoughts. "Oh! I heard somepony knocking at the door. At first I thought it was Twilight back from searching for Ty. But, when I answered it, these two were there. I asked them what they wanted, but they just burst in, with the light blue one over there trapping me in a magic force field. Then the tan one turned into a clone of me before having his friend take me upstairs so he could ambush Twilight."

"We were NOT going to 'ambush' her," Gillian defensively interrupted. "We were only going to initiate a negotiation with her."

"Other than you speaking out of turn yet again, that admission does not help your case," Celestia informed the criminal.

"Oh. Shit..." he muttered.

"As you were, Spike?"

"I was trapped and I couldn't warn anyone about what was going on," the dragon continued. "Twi and the gang showed up to confront these two a little while later... But then, while everypony was staring each other down, the tan one said he had some idea and vanished..."

"Vanished? Why is that?"

"Because tha'ss probably the part where he got into a fight with me at Zecora's an' wound up sendin' me into the middle o' the town," Ty spoke. "Sorry about all the destruction by the way, Zecora..."

"You need not worry, my human friend... So long as you've a helping hoof to lend..." she suggested.

"Hm... I'ss the least I could do for you. Sure," Ty agreed, smiling at her.

"I see... Spike, is there more you'd like to add?" inquired Celestia.

"Yeah. After he came back, the tan one--!"

"My name is Gillian, if you haven't caught on by now," interrupted the stallion.

"Right. Gilligan told everyone that he'd just gotten done revealing Ty to all of Ponyville, which made Twilight send Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie to go find him. Rainbow Dash got me out of the magic bubble by flicking the blue unicorn's horn before getting into a fight with her, but then Gilligan--!"

"GILLIAN!"

"Gilbert," Spike mistakenly pronounced. I wondered if he was doing it on purpose...?

"Are you deaf? I said my name is GILLIAN! GILL-EE-AN!!" the stallion shouted, clearly unhappy with Spike's numerous mistakes. Most of the group shared a collective snicker at his frustration... myself included.

"Whatever! So anyway, Carl here got the drop on Twilight after I ran over to her when he shot some magic at her. After that, Twilight gathered up some supplies and sent me on my way to find the others while she, Rainbow, and Applejack dealt with these two..."

"I see... And what were the results of this altercation?" Celestia asked.

"They... weren't so pretty," I replied.

"Yeah," Rainbow added. "Comet knocked me out cold when she caught me off-guard..."

"...and I didn't fare much better," A.J. continued. "Comet here blindsided me harder than a wayward carriage driven in the middle of a stampede."

"To be fair, girls, I was only protecting my significant other from harm. I... I hope there wasn't anything... personal to be taken from that grisly confrontation..."

"Comet... are you... are you apologizing to them??" the mare's colt-friend asked in appall. She merely nodded, her face taking on an expression of tangible guilt.

"Hm. Well in that case, I GUESS we can forgive you..." Rainbow said. "...but don't think that means it'll get you off of thin ice with us!"

"Understandable..."

"...Oh! Speaking of harm, I managed to get a good one in on Gillian when he was about to hit Twilight in the face..." the sky blue mare confessed.

"You what!?" Ty asked the stallion, clearly upset at that news.

"Relax! I didn't even get to. The worst I did was push her down after Skittles-for-brains over there was knocked unconscious for almost breaking my snout..." he defended.

"It don't matter that you didn't get to! You still tried it, a-hole! You deserved Rainbow slappin' you senseless!"

"I beg to differ, you hapless gorilla! My magic was temporarily disabled, I'd already been practically mauled by you, AND if Comet DIDN'T save me from little Miss Farmer Brown over there, I'd have wound up a stain on the ground outside of this place!"

"Y'all deserve worse for what ya've done! What kind o' spineless weasel of a stallion tangles with mares in the first place??" Applejack shouted.

"Oh, sure, but THAT'S not as bad as me being frozen in place while you prepared to buck me in the a--!"

"Order!" Celestia commanded, causing everypony to go silent. "Now... Twilight, I believe it was your turn..."

"Yes. Continuing from where we left off, Gillian had blindsided me after Rainbow was incapacitated. I wound up spraining my leg, which didn't help me in the slightest; especially since I'd already been dealing with a most pressing reproductive issue AND I'd depleted the reserves of my magic in my efforts to locate Ty and to stop Gillian from succeeding with his nefarious plans at revenge against you."

"Oh? So you've caused more trouble than I initially imagined," Celestia asked, glaring at the stallion standing beside her.

"It isn't as bad as it sounds, Princess, trust me..." he assured.

"Oh?" I indignantly shot. "Then why was it that you and Comet were discussing who to take between Applejack, Spike, and Rainbow Dash as a sort of war trophy in order to lure me out to negotiate some sort of deal with you!? What's worse, you two actually decided on trying to kidnap Zecora because you thought no one would notice her missing!"

"But did we?" he asked back, "No! Princess, if it's alright to have the floor...?"

"You may," she permitted, although I didn't see the point. He was just going to try lying his way out of a harsher punishment.

"Thank you. So I'll admit, most of the ramblings of this group of inconsiderate simpletons--!"

"Please refrain from the name-calling."

"Right... Um... As I said, most of their ramblings are true. However, they're leaving out important details."

"And what, may I ask, are those?"

"My first encounter with the human over there? HE initiated the first attack! Comet and I were only acting in self-defense after he flipped his top on us."

"What!??" Ty indignantly shouted. "Are you serious, you lyin' son of a--!?"

"Ty, I'll have to ask you to withhold your rebuttal until he is done," Celestia intervened. "As you were, Gillian?"

"*sigh*..."

"Thank you. So anyway, yeah, we took him hostage and interrogated him, as they said. But I most certainly did NOT want him dead. I actually figured the zebra would come find him, which is why I left him there after taking the energy he'd been maintaining his disguise with. May I say you have a most powerful, potent student, Your Highness?"

"Flattery will not work on me, Gillian. Now continue."

"Right..."

"I swear, he is so full o' hot air...!" Ty whispered toward me.

"Tell me about it..." I replied.

"So where was I?" the stallion recalled. "Oh! Yes, after leaving Ty here to the care of the zebra, Comet and I retreated to the house we rented in town to plan out our next move, which wound up being the ploy to take the dragon as a bargaining chip. Everything described was true... except for the point in which I went to take Ty to reveal his and Ms. Sparkle's dirty little secret to the public. Determined not to let that happen, the human pounced on me like a wild cougar, practically trying to beat poor, little ol' me into a pulp. I did what I had to do to defend myself until Stripey McRhymes-a-Lot attacked me with a bamboo staff. That actually gave me the chance I was looking for to do Ponyville some definitive justice by revealing the alien invader to the public before returning to the library..."

"I see what he's doin'," Ty whispered to me again. "He's tryna use points at which we MAY have been at fault an' is tryna twist it in his own way t' drag everybody through the mud with him."

"I see... There must be no limit to his trickery... Not that the Princess would be anywhere near gullible enough to actually believe him..."

"...and when I returned, Candy-Mane over there decided to assault my beloved Comet," the stallion continued in some obviously fraudulent 'good-colt' tone.

"Hey! The name's Rainbow Dash, pal!" the prismatic-haired mare stated in annoyance. "And I only hit her to free Spike!"

"If that's the case, then why is it that you decided to enter a full-on physical altercation with her immediately following?"

"Because...! I... Um... Because..." Rainbow faltered. "Wait a sec! That's totally unfair! What else was I supposed to do when you two were delivering demands of us, using Spike as a hostage? I'm almost positive you wouldn't listen to anything that would have you just let him go."

"Maybe, maybe not..."

"Most likely not," I mumbled. I may have made a mistake in controlling the volume of my voice, because Gillian glared at me from his peripheral.

"*Ahem* anyway, after that, I'll admit I, fueled by love-driven anger, decided to retaliate by launching an attack on the bookworm," stated the tan, black-haired unicorn.

"Is that right?" Ty skeptically asked.

"And if it is?" a brief, yet tense moment of silence passed before anyone said anything.

"...Nothin'. Nothin' at all..." he calmly replied to my surprise. "Please, go on."

"Alright then. So, as I was saying..." Gillian continued. I turned toward the human, curious about his sudden change of demeanor.

"What was that about...?" I whispered.

"What?" he asked back.

"The fact that you're suddenly so calm that you didn't retort with anything hostile...?"

"Meh, I'm jus' really... *yawn* tired," he informed, shrugging. "Far too tired for any more fightin', anyway... The sooner we get this pointless trial outta the way, the sooner we get everything else done, an' the sooner I can take a nap... You ain't tired yourself?"

"Well... sort of... but how can you be so tired? I thought Celestia rid you of your fatigue when she healed you...?"

"No... well, sorta. Mostly, actually. But that ain't why I'm so... *yawn* so drowsy..."

"Then what could...?" I almost asked before realizing it. "Ohhhh..."

"Yep."

"I'm sorry, hon... I should've realized the side effects of... *yawn* our... time together..." I apologized, suddenly feeling a little weary myself at his mention of it. "I forgot that um... l-lovemaking... physically drains the male more than it does the female... I'm actually surprised that the same effect appears to hold true for humans..."

"That it does..."

"More experiments may need to be run on such a phenomenon..."

"Wha? You're still here?"

"Of course I am. I'm part of you, y'know..."

"Indeed... Sorry, but now isn't exactly the time for that... Although I could see to it that some time could be made... For scientific purposes, of course..."

"Suuuure..."

"I'ss fine though," Ty forgave. "We got too much t' worry about t' take any breaks, anyway. Rest is a luxury afforded only t' the dead..." at that, I frowned.

"Ty... You know how I feel about those dark comparisons of yours..."

"Then let me finish... Rest is a luxury afforded only t' the dead... tired. As in, I'm tired, but not dead-tired. Better?"

"Eh, it'll do..." I smiled at him, provoking him to stroke my back once. Still aware of our surroundings, I resisted the urge to coo in appeasement.

"Um... Twilight? Ty?" I heard a soft voice call to us. We turned to see Fluttershy, who'd been looking at us with a blushing expression while pointing toward the rest of the group. I turned to see that everypony had been staring at us, likely because our talking was disrupting the meeting.

"Oooh... I can only hope they didn't hear our little discussion..."

"Heh, sorry everyone..." I sheepishly apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed for both of us. "It won't happen again, I promise..."

"It is okay, my student. I understand your jadedness in the wake of this hearing. It'll soon be over," my mentor assured.

"Yeah, then you two can go off and find somewhere to f..." I heard the stallion mutter before trailing off when he turned his gaze to us.

"Watch ya mouth," Ty warned.

"Noted."

"As we return our focus to this testimonial, I believe the next speaker was going to be... you, Lyra."

"Yes, ma'am," the minty-green unicorn replied. "I guess I'll start off from when I really got involved in all of this... It all started last night, when I was searching for any clues of a strange Equestrian-speaking creature that made its way into Ponyville earlier that night and knew my name... I was about to give up and go home when I noticed the creature I'd been looking for, walking in no particular direction, and bleeding profusely from his nose..." My heart skipped a beat as a sudden, voluminous wave of guilt and fear froze me stiff on Ty's lap as my eyes widened at the mention of his nosebleed.

"Bleeding? Why was that?"

"It's... unimportant," my colt-friend answered. "I'ss a long story anyway..."

"I see..." Celestia pensively replied as she looked down at the floor to notice some stains in the boards. The shameful fear I was experiencing amplified as she noticed and studied the splotches of dried blood. "I'd... like to hear this story of yours once we wrap things up here..."

"*Gulp*" both Ty AND I gulped simultaneously.

"...As you were saying, Ms. Heartstrings?" the Sun Princess nudged as she brought her attention back to the mint-green mare.

"Right. I found him, but he made no attempt to hide his identity from me once I figured it out. He didn't seem to be in much of a mood to talk and was about to walk away from me when somepony from nowhere hit him with a paralyzing blast of magic that sent him to the ground. A second later, these two showed up and bound his limbs together with rope. Then, when I asked what they were doing, Gillian thought he'd try his hoof at bald-faced lying when he fed me some bogus slop about being an 'alien hunter' who'd mistaken Zecora for Ty after he JUST explained to Ty that they were on their way to the library to pick up a 'substitute' when it turned out Zecora wasn't home. When I was explaining to him that his blatant fib wasn't working on me, he had Comet Gazer knock me out cold with a sleeping spell. I woke up the next morning in a bush with a note pinned to my horn telling me to tell Twilight that they kidnapped Ty and that she'd better meet Gillian to discuss some sort of trade..."

"And that trade was...?"

"Taking me along to see you or they'd threaten to harm him..." I explained.

"Oh? So it wasn't so much a 'trade' as it was an ultimatum, hm?" asked the Princess, casting her gaze down to the unicorn stallion.

"Maybe...?" He sheepishly admitted.

"It gets worse, Princess..." I informed.

"How so?"

"After making a plan to intercept his fiendish plot, he bluffed his way into foiling it by using my... my..."

"Temperature-related problems..." Ty mercifully finished for me.

"This is why I love you, Ty..."

"Yes, my temperature-related problems. He used those against me in an attempt to force me into a full surrender. As I pondered what to do next, Rainbow Dash, apparently overhearing the discussion, intervened, thus getting into yet another altercation with Gillian; only this time, she'd caught him in the midst of a teleportation spell... Once the two had disappeared, that was the point where we finally decided on warning you of the impending threat via letter."

"Interesting... That brings me to yet another aspect I feel is missing..."

"What might that be?"

"Ty."

"Yea?" he answered.

"It's been said you'd been held hostage a second time. Were you at all injured or tortured by these two during your second involuntary detention?"

"Surprisingly, no, Ma'am... While Gillian was apparently tryna coerce Twilight int' meetin' his demands, I was under the watch of Ms. Comet Gazer here."

"Is that so?"

"Yea. From the night before today up till the point where Rainbow an' Gillian appeared, I spent my time as a hostage bein' watched over by her."

"Intriguing... Ms. Gazer."

"Y-yes, Your Highness?"

"I'd like for you to explain your point of view on this hostage situation..."

"What?? M-me??"

"Yes. It appears you'd only been following orders and, aside from some injuries you'd inflicted upon some of the individuals present, you haven't done anything on your own volition. I'd like to hear your voice. The floor is yours."

"Oh! Ok-okay, Your Majesty... Um... I suppose I'll begin at when I was keeping guard of the human here..." the cerulean unicorn mare began. "U-um... I was, as stated before, keeping watch over the human. I'd just like to point out that I'd done nothing to harm him during his stay in our home..."

"'Cept maybe force me t' eat nasty fruits..." I heard Ty mumble, to my confusion.

"Yes, except eat a mango when you were hungry. I don't understand why you harbor such vitriol for such a delicious fruit..."

"Mango? Huh, I figured he'd like those... Guess I'd better study more about his tastes in fruit..."

"I jus' do. But please, continue..."

"Yes. I was watching him to make sure he didn't try anything that would jeopardize our plan... At first, he was expectantly bitter, making passive-aggressive remarks and making the occasional joke at my expense. After a while of us butting heads, and me feeding him a mango for sustenance, we began talking..."

"About what?" Celestia inquired.

"Miscellaneous subjects... from this entire plot, to the previous venture Gillian and I had embarked on in Saddle Arabia, et cetera, et cetera... At one point, he even suggested that I reconsider my decisions before someone was seriously injured... I... I suppose I should've..." Comet's voice had taken on a sudden, yet strong tone of guilt. "...If I had, then that horrible scenario in the middle of town may not have taken place..."

"Comet, honey... What are you saying?" Gillian asked.

"I... I... *sigh* to be honest, Gillian, I wanted nothing to do with this plan..."

"What??? Why?? I did this for us! I did this so we could be free!"

"Yes, and you have my gratitude, but... what we had to go through to get here... What we went through in just this last three days or so... Each and every time I was asked to shock someone into submission or defend you from harm... It... *sniffle* it strained my morality... It's even worse that we've done all of our misdeeds for the sake of your vendetta against Princess Celestia... Plus, a thought was put into my head by the white unicorn over there... Miss..." Comet trailed off, turning toward the mare in question.

"Rarity," the aforementioned mare introduced herself.

"Yes... She made me think... of the limits to which you'd go to succeed... of what would happen if, for some reason, I was injured in your quest for vengeance... Believe me, I tried acting as cold, relentless, and determined as you were to see this plan reach its fruition... but I couldn't get into the right mindset for it... I was further deterred when Ty and I engaged in an actually friendly conversation during my time guarding him... I was so torn between my love and dedication to the only good thing left in my now-ruined life and my sense of morality, which had been tested and weighted upon by each and every scenario that played out since our arrival in Equestria... Clearly, I allowed my love for you to triumph..."

"...Oh... well, I thought I was doing what was best for us," Gillian began. "I mean, what I tried to do in Saddle Arabia... How I used you... Betrayed you... In the short time I sat in my cell, nightmares continually haunted me... About how we loved each other... how I, instead of abandoning the opportunity to rule over not one, but TWO nations, I should've simply moved into Saddle Arabia to be with you after the spell you used to bring us from the human world to this one separated us... How Princess Celestia herself could allow you to be punished alongside me once I'd been found out and apprehended, despite you doing nothing wrong on purpose...! Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. After a bit of contemplation, I launched this scheme in order to get the freedom we deserved..."

"...I see... but... why choose such... such violent measures to get us here? The fighting, the kidnapping... the plan to overthrow Celestia in some revenge quest..."

"We surely couldn't have just waltzed in and asked for a free ride to Canterlot... If we were to take a more peaceable approach, Celestia would've had us sent right back without a second thought. Force was only necessary... I would've NEVER done more than simply take the human we'd discovered here and convince Twilight Sparkle to ally herself with us in order to obtain a pass to Canterlot where we'd discuss some possible terms with the Princess for us-- or at least YOU-- being excused for previous crimes, but I didn't account for such stern resistance... But then... what is this about revenge...?" the stallion paused for a second. "Wait... You thought I did this to try and overthrow Princess Celestia??"

"Well... Yes. You said you had a score to settle with her... Wasn't that your intention?"

"Hell no! I would NEVER jeopardize our lives like that! I was trying to get us to her without being detected so that I could plead for amnesty! That's what I meant by the 'score!' And, for what it's worth... If I couldn't gain freedom for both of us, then... then I could at least do so for you..."

"Really?? You... You did this for me??" Comet asked in total shock, her eyes welling up.

"Of course, sweetums... You shouldn't have been punished for my foolishness back in Saddle Arabia. I figured that if you were to cross the international border and be pardoned by the ruler of Equestria herself, you would be able to live a happy life... with OR without me..."

"I... I don't know what to say... I..."

"There's nothing to be said. I love you, Comet..." Rather than reply with words, Comet wrapped her stallion up in her forelegs, bringing him into a kiss that shocked all of us. Most of us just stared in complete bewilderment at this sudden realization. Spike just shielded his eyes, not wanting to see the two would-be criminals sharing an intimate moment.

"Unbelievable...! Love really DOES make a pony do crazy things..."

"Well now..." I mumbled after regaining my composure. "How about that, Ty?" I asked. When I didn't get an answer, I turned to look at him, but what I saw scared me... He was glaring at them with such anger... such frustration and contempt... Veins were protruding from his forehead... His left hand was clenched tightly; to the point where I could see some of the blood vessels in them... I hadn't seem him quite THIS angry since the time I made him play that 'Super Meat Boy' video game at his home for an hour...

"Oh boy, does he look MAD..."

"You mean... you broke out of prison... snuck yourselves over here... kidnapped me twice..." he muttered in an unusually sinister tone, bringing the attention of the Saddle Arabian troublemakers to him. Fearing he might lose his temper, I climbed off of his lap. "...Electrocuted me numerous times..."

"Dude, it's not what--!" Gillian tried to input.

"Tortured me and exposed me t' this entire... FFFFFUCKIN' town...!"

"If you'd just let me expl--!"

"Harassed, insulted, assaulted, and outright terrorized EVERYONE here..."

"It wasn't THAT ba--!"

"And damn near KILLED me...!"

"Okay, maybe it is..."

"All just so you could get t' Princess Celestia to ask for her FORGIVENESS?"

"WELL.... Yeah, basically..."

"...Ohh, my god... My head..." at that, the human simply stared at the stallion before he took a deep breath, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. It's likely because of one of his frustration-induced headaches he told me about occurring whenever he gets exceptionally upset. I'd never observed such a phenomenon until now... and my gosh, I was frightened... even for Gillian.

"...If anything, we probably should've just asked for Ms. Sparkle's help, but... We figured she wouldn't be very keen on cooperating if we explained our identities and motives to her, so we went with this method instead. Not the most practical series of maneuvers in hindsight, I'll admit, but in a way, I'd like to think we partially succeeded in that we technically made it to Princess Celestia..."

"Okay... Okay..." he calmly replied as he began to chuckle... and chuckle... and chuckle some more... Some of the others began to laugh with him, but I knew that his laughing did NOT mean he was in a good mood... If my memory served to recall, he inadvertently laughed at things that upset or antagonized him to a point of anger.

"Heh, yeah... I guess it IS all pretty funny, huh...? Heh..." Gillian nervously goaded.

"Yea... yea..." he answered before the smile on his face suddenly turned into a vicious scowl. "...except that it's FUCKIN' NOT!!!"

"What?? Then why were you--?"

"Do you realize how... how asinine... how foolish... how incredibly insipid... how unbelievably, undeniably harebrained..."

"Hey! It wasn't THAT ba--!"

"How... outright STUPID that is!?"

"Stupid?? How dare you?! It took months of work to pull this entire thing off, and it takes much more effort and cunning than you think to pull anything LIKE this off!" he didn't get a response to his rebuttal. I looked around to see most, if not all the faces in my line of sight wore collective expressions of bewilderment at the revelation of Gillian's true motives.

"*sigh*...Princess?"

"Yes, my subject?"

"Seein' as you're the one he wanted t' see so bad that he terrorized an entire town, wha'ss your verdict?"

"Hmm..." Celestia pondered. "Well... before I can decide that, I'd like to know if there is any more relevant information anypony here would like to add." At that, we all answered with a collection of "No's."

"Very well, then... Judging from what I've heard, I have one account of escaping incarceration, one of illicitly sneaking into another country, two accounts of kidnapping, one account of coercion, multiple accounts of endangering the safety of others, and, as I observed earlier this morning, one account of aggravated magic assault on a non-unicorn victim... just to name a few..."

"Yeah..." Gillian admitted.

"I'm going to have to make a formal arrest of you, Mr. Swardson. The authorities in Saddle Arabia will be contacted posthaste and you will be sent back to serve the rest of your time..."

"Wow. That's actually pretty le--!"

"And there may be the possibility of sealing your magic off permanently, considering all the harm and pandemonium you've caused with it."

"What??" The stallion practically yelled in outrage. "You can't! That's cruel and unusual! That's unnecessary! That--"

"COULD be reasonable, considering all the harm you've caused," Celestia interrupted. "Now as for you, Ms. Gazer..."

"Yes, Ma'am...?" the cerulean mare responded.

"Given that you were an accomplice in the actions of Mr. Swardson, I'm afraid to say that I cannot grant you the amnesty your partner claims to have come here to plead for... In fact, I'd have to punish you to the fullest extent of Equestrian law..."

"I... I understand, Your Highness..."

"...That is, unless you did not have a say in the events that carried out since your breakout. I expect nothing but the truth when I ask you this. In fact, place your hoof upon your heart." Comet obediently did so. "Ms. Comet Gazer, do you solemnly swear upon Equestria's shining Sun to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes, Ma'am..."

"Good. I expect nothing less, for perjury will not be tolerated. Now answer me this: Did you have a choice in whether to follow Gillian's plans?" At that moment, the area went completely silent, a tense pressure building up around us as Comet was confronted with a question that would make or break her situation.

"...To be fair, Princess Celestia..." Ty calmly spoke up, much to everypony's shock. "...She really didn't do much. Sure, she followed his orders to an extent, but as I learned from talkin' t' her, she was only tryna make him happy; nothin' else. Plus, she was the one t' call the plan off when things got too perilous. Like she said, she didn't want anything t' do with this..."

"I understand that, and that may be taken into consideration regarding her punishment, but all I need to know is if she had a choice in the matter. Now, Ms. Comet Gazer... did you?"

"...Yes..." the mare managed to choke out, seeming to be on the brink of tears. "I... I could've told him no when he freed me from my cell... I could've convinced him not to carry out this plan... But I didn't want to disappoint him... I love him so much... It would've... *sniffle* hurt me too much to see him hurt..."

"Comet..." Gillian stared at her, devastated by her loss of composure.

"But... *sniffle* because I didn't try to reason with him... A lot of ponies were hurt... Even him... I'm... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." With that, she began to weep...

"Wow... I feel so bad for her..."

"Jesus..." Ty muttered, seemingly touched by Comet's breakdown. "Poor girl..."

"I see... Then, as Ruler of Equestria, I hereby place both of you under arrest," Celestia decreed. "Your punishment will be--!"

"NO!" Gillian shouted, thoroughly angered. "She doesn't need to go down with me! Let her stay here! Let her be free!"

"I'm afraid I cannot grant her amnesty, Gillian. You both hold responsibility in the events that transpired, and you both will be reprimanded accordingly. I am afraid I cannot pass my judgments any less firmly for either of you. I'm sorry, but you will come with me."

"Like HELL I will!" The stallion shouted, his horn taking on a bright, silver glow. I could only stare in total astonishment. The stallion shot a blast of magic at Celestia, who just barely managed to dodge out of the way of it.

"Assaulting an Equestrian official, Gillian!?" The Princess angrily yelled. "You only WORSEN your impending sentence!"

"NOT if I have something to do about it!" with that, he turned toward Ty and I. Suddenly on high alert, we braced ourselves. However, in an instant, Gillian's horn lit up once again and shot off a luminous flash of white that came accompanied with a thunderous *BOOM* and a loud ringing sound, blinding me from seeing anything and rendering me nearly deaf. It's only safe to assume there was nopony that didn't fall victim to his attack.

*ZAP* "AAAGH!" *THUMP* *BOOM* In my blindness, I could just barely hear muffled sounds that indicated that Ty had been attacked.

"TY! A-are you ok--!" I was cut off as I felt something wrap tightly around my midsection. "Hey! Let go of me!"

"I should've done this a long time ago...!" I heard the stallion mutter before the sound of his horn powering up alerted me to try and escape his grasp.

"What do you think you're doing!?" I shouted in alarm. "You're not going to get away with this!! Surrender while you still can!"

"TWILIGHT!!" I heard my colt-friend call in desperation.

"Somepony help m--!" *ZAP* "OWWW!!" I'd been struck by magic; presumably Gillian's.

"That should be enough that you don't try escaping from me for a while. I took the liberty of learning that spell you used on me a while back, so now the tables are turned!"

"Let her go, you ruffian!" I heard Rarity scream.

"You're gonna pay for this, you jerk!!" Rainbow shouted after her.

"If you fools want your Twilight Sparkle back, then YOU, Princess, will consider letting us go! If you don't, then... well let's just say a bad hair day would be the LEAST of your precious student's problems!" With that, I heard his horn power up. He dragged me forward a bit, and with a *POOF*, he'd taken me away...

It took a couple minutes to recover from that magic flash-bang maneuver of Gillian's, but it took me a bit longer than the others to recover, given that he'd attacked me before he... he...!

"Looks like that varmint done took Twi AND Comet with 'im..." Applejack observed.

"He will answer DEARLY for his recklessness...!" The Sun Princess venomously spat, expectantly far from happy.

"I thought he was under a disablement spell...?" Rarity inquired, confused as she was upset. "How did he manage to execute such an under-hooved tactic as that?"

"It may be that he somehow avoided the spell's effects. I'll have to look into it, but for now, we focus on where to find him, and how to free Twilight from his clutches..."

"What should we do about Mr. Gillian?" Fluttershy asked. As the ponies began to discuss in what method to assess the situation, I, on all fours, thought to myself.

"Okay... NOW I'm pissed off...!" Fueled with unmitigated, seething rage, I gritted my teeth. I could feel the anger just pouring out of me... My body temperature skyrocketed... My head began throbbing as blood flow to it increased dramatically... My fists were balled so tight that the Jaws of Life couldn't open them... I was trembling with new-found vigor and a sudden craving for revenge... He took Twilight... He tricked and ambushed us... and he TOOK Twilight...! That single thought became the only one running through my already-aching head as the insurmountable enmity I harbored toward that stallion amplified tenfold... and that same thought had me glaring at the ground so hard I might've developed laser vision if I focused hard enough...

"Grrhhh...!!" *THUMP* I growled quietly as I pounded a fist against the balcony floor, inadvertently bringing attention to myself. I didn't want anyone to see the look of pure hatred plastered on my face, so I kept my gaze locked onto the floor. It had been a little while since I'd been THIS angry... and up until this point, none of the ponies present had ever seen it...

"Whoa... Easy there, big guy..." I heard the voice of Rainbow try to console.

"Yeah. We'll find them," the voice of Lyra added. "And we'll get her back..."

"...!" I said nothing as my breathing became hot and heavy, letting the frustration for what horrible, disgusting things he could possibly be doing to Twilight overwhelm me with an unbelievably tense wave of pure, brazen hatred... I glimpsed at my fists to see that there had been some faint glow around my right one... I don't know what it was, but whatever the case, I ignored it as I thought only about beating the ever-loving shit out of the stallion who blinded, disabled, and kidnapped my significant other...

"Settle down," Celestia tried to warn. "It is best for you to remain calm. I know it's highly upsetting for something like this to happen, but you need to keep a level head."

"NnnnnnRAAAAAAAGH!!!" I stood up and, clenching my fists hard enough to possibly shatter bricks in their grip, roared into the sky so loudly that the entire town may have heard it. Gaining a running start, I leapt off the balcony without a care for my own well-being to begin my blind, rage-induced quest of revenge. Before I got very far, Rainbow Dash instantaneously flew in front of me, intent on stopping me.

"Ty, wait!!" she ordered. "You can't go alone! We need to work together!"

"Move!" Not wanting to hear anything that would curb my anger, I blasted off past her and tried heading into town. Not one to give up, she swiftly cut me off again.

"You're not gonna get far. I'm a lot faster than you, y'know," she admonished. "Now listen to me!"

"WHAT!!?" I screamed at her without meaning to, but I let my impatience get the best of me. The rainbow-maned mare seemed taken aback, her surprise evident as she looked at me with an expression of a mixture of worry and fear.

"Calm down, dude... We need to go back to the library and plan things out."

"Y'all can do that. I need t' find them!"

"No! Listen, I know how angry you are that that snake took Twilight. We ALL are. But you can't just charge into town without a clue on where to find them. Besides: Even if you DO find them, you don't stand a chance against him by yourself!"

"Hmph! Says you," I shot back, bringing myself down to a level to talk. "I beat him once. And I already know about unicorn horns."

"Yeah, but there's no way he's gonna let you get close enough to even touch him. You saw AND experienced what he did to us before!"

"I'll give you that, but that ain't the point!" I admitted, my frustration blazing like a large pile of firecrackers doused in gasoline. "I'm going t' find her! Other than that, what are y'all even gonna plan on doin'? Splittin' up t' find 'em? Cuz tha'ss exactly what I'M doin'!"

"You... you have a point, but I--!"

"Enough," I interrupted with as calm a tone as I could muster. "I need t' go now. Tell everybody else t' comb around Ponyville. I'mma be doin' the same."

"...Are you sure? I-I mean, you could at least take somepony with you for backup or see if somepony could pinpoint--"

"*sigh* Look... If you can find me in town after you set up your plans, then join me. But for right now, I'm goin' alone. I'll find 'em. If I don't, y'all will... Besides, you do NOT wanna see what I might do t' him if I find him before you do..." at that, Rainbow stared for a second.

"...I don't suppose I'm gonna be able to convince ya to stay here, am I?"

"Glad you're finally seein' it my way..." I agreed.

"Hardly... I doubt you're gonna have much luck by yourself..."

"...Why don't we make a bet on it?" I asked, getting an idea.

"Is... that a challenge?" she asked back.

"And if it is...?" I goaded before giving her a small one-cornered smile. The pegasus mare floated, studying me before giving me one of her own.

"Name your terms..."

"I find 'em first, you do me a favor. If you-- an' I mean YOU specifically-- find 'em first, then... then I'll spend a day doin' whatever you want me to on top o' the favor I already promised you for rescuin' me earlier today..."

"Fine. You're on, Ty. First to find them wins. But I'm warning you: Do NOT go and do something you OR Twilight might regret, you oaf..."

"Deal." With that, and a thumbs up, I prepared to charge off into town.

"Halt! Make no more signs of motion!" I heard Zecora shout, stopping me.

"Ahhh, what now!?" The zebra jumped down from the balcony and approached me, a vial of some strange, dark green liquid in hoof. "It is wise for you to take hold of this potion."

"What is this...?" I asked as she gave me the vial.

"It is a concoction that disrupts the use of magic. Use it on Gillian to prevent further havoc."

"Huh... How convenient..."

"...Why does somethin' tell me you expected this t' happen?"

"I expected him to attempt a daring escape. I did not know he would choose Twilight to take. Now go; for us, she awaits. There is no more time to procrastinate."

"...Thank you, Zecora..." I gratefully replied before turning and charging off into town on a whim, ever the more determined to find them...

"I'm comin' for you, Twilight... AND you, Gillian, you sneaky son of a bitch...!!"

Author's Notes:

Taking a poll here: Who would you MOST like to find Twilight and Gillian first? Ty? Or Rainbow Dash? Or somepony else? And please give your reason why!

The Hunt! (Pt. 1)

Uh... Is this thing on? Check, check, one two, greatness incarnate speaking... Yep, everything's good here... What?... Oh! I'm on now?? Jeez, ya coulda warned a pony...

*AHEM* So... what's up? The name's Dash. Rainbow Dash. Equestria's Fastest Flier, Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, the soon-to-be Wonderbolt, yada yada yada... All you need to know is that I am one awesome pon-- huh? What do you MEAN 'No Bragging'?... I'm not bragging, I was jus--!... Oh, fine, whatever! Excuse ME for making myself known...

*AHEM* So where was I...? Oh yeah... So in case ya missed it, Ty COMPLETELY blew his top and charged off alone after Gillian after he kidnapped Twilight. TWILIGHT of all ponies, getting kidnapped: I know, it sounds a bit far-fetched, but bear with me. There's a lot goin' on here I'm sure you don't have the patience to listen to. Celestia knows I don't. So I'll keep you up to speed from where we left off before. So anyway... After I tried talking some sense into that lummox, we instead wound up making a bet: First to find them between me and him gets a favor from the loser... or should I say I was getting TWO favors for the price of one? Because he's got a snowball's chance in Tartarus if he thinks he's gonna beat me! Heh heh, have I got something in store for you... But yeah, he got a bit of a head start on me. I still had a job to do in setting up a strategy with the others. After Zecora and I saw Ty off with this anti-magic potion stuff, we made our way back up to Twilight's balcony to discuss a last-minute gameplan...

"Alright, ladies... and Spike," I began, taking charge of the situation like I naturally do. "We've got a missing, magically-disabled unicorn, two international criminals, and a SUPREMELY ticked off human on our hooves. And Celestia knows where Gillian took Twi..."

"Actually..." Princess Celestia herself spoke, sounding unsure of herself. "I don't."

"Oh! Right... Sorry, Princess," I gracefully apologized. "It's a figure of speech."

"Is that so? Hm..."

"Yeah. So anyway, we have no idea where they've gone, and Ty's charging in like a blindfolded rhino who just got his food stolen. To make sure we wrap things up while avoiding casualty, we'll obviously need to disperse and comb around town for any suspicious signs of Gillian or Comet. Ty should be easy enough to find, so I'll say this in advance; if you see him, offer assistance to him, but don't be surprised if he refuses."

"Pardon me, but what d'ya mean, 'if he refuses'?" asked my good buddy Applejack.

"I mean that he's pretty much bent on finding them himself. I'm sure we can ALL guess what he might do if he does..."

"...He's THAT mad, huh?"

"Yeah. That's another reason we might want to speed things up here so we can start. But now we move on to the searching strategies. Fluttershy and I will get a Pegasus's-eye view of things. Rarity, you and Lyra can try scanning for traces of magic activity with Gillian's signature, seeing as Twi's magic is disabled as we know it."

"But Rainbow..." Rarity began. "I don't know nearly as much about those sorts of spells as Twilight does... I only know how to utilize such location spells to search for jewelry, not other ponies..."

"I know a thing or two about magic signatures," Lyra countered, much to my relief. "It's really simple. I could try teaching you as we go along."

"Good," I replied, eager to speed things along. "Spike, you and A.J. can go around asking the townsponies if they'd seen any clues regarding a tan, spiky-haired unicorn stallion or a cerulean, plum-haired mare."

"But how do we know if they actually teleported into town and not to some secret hideout or something?" asked Spike. He brought up a good point.

"There aren't very many places to hide around here... unless you're like Pinkie Pie," I reasoned, gesturing toward the pink Earth pony. "...in which chase, we'd have our work cut out for us. Sneaky as Gillian might be, there's no way he's as clever at hiding as Pinkie is..."

"'Pinkie' and 'Clever' in the same sentence... Never thought THAT would come outta me... Then again, she DOES have her moments..."

"Speaking of... Pinkie."

"YES MA'AM, RAINBOW DASH, MA'AM!!" she shouted as if she were in a battle squad. Already, she was showing her enthusiasm.

"Is it possible for you to do that thing...? Y'know, the thing where you instantly know where somepony is and appear right next to them, no matter how far away from you they run or fly?"

"Sorry Dashie, but I've never tried that on a unicorn before. They vanished out of here while we were busy listening to that really loud ringing sound and being blinder than a bat that forgot his glasses at home when he needed to drive a carriage to Las Pegasus... but then he--!"

"Okay," I interrupted in order to prevent her from rambling on. "Um... then I guess you can warn the town that there's been a kidnapping and that we could use all the help we can get to locate the culprit. Oh, and... it's probably good if you let them know that the giant, rampaging alien monkey with the vial of green liquid on him is on our side."

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" the Earth mare agreed with a bright smile and a salute. "You can count on me, Dashie!"

"Good. Zecora, your primary objective is to find Ty and at the very least, tell him how to use that potion. In the meantime, you can join A.J. and Spike in asking the citizens of Ponyville if they've seen Twilight or Gillian around recently." The zebra nodded in agreement. "And Princess..."

"Yes, my subject?" she asked. The second we locked eyes, I felt my sense of leadership slip away almost completely. Surely, I couldn't order the Princess of Equestria around... It'd be disrespectful. Like if a foal was ordering a full grown pony around.

"...You can count on us, Your Highness!" I assured with a salute. I'm not gonna lie: It would've felt waaay past uncomfortable to give Princess Celestia of all ponies orders...

"I'm positive I can. However, it is my duty as Equestria's Co-Ruler to uphold the law and sustain peace in the land. That being said, I'd like to offer my assistance in this sear--!"

"Princess!" called a masculine voice from the sky. We looked up to see one of Celestia's guards coming down.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Canterlot needs you. The townsfolk: They await your scheduled public address regarding the city's budget for repairs around the Eastern quardant," said the guard.

"Oh, darn... That completely slipped my mind... I will be there posthaste," Celestia assured before turning to me. "What perfect timing, too... I suppose I won't be able to deliver my aid to your search at the moment..."

"It's okay, Your Majesty. We've got it all under control. By the time you get back, I'm sure we'll have Gillian all wrapped up and ready to go for ya."

"Thank you for your assurance, Rainbow Dash. Just see to it that both Twilight and Ty come out of this situation safe. Speaking of Ty... I didn't think it necessary to warn him as I thought we'd be done with this ordeal by now, but... at this point, given what we'd just observed of him, it is imperative for you to be advised that the magic coursing through his body at this moment is highly malleable..."

"Malleable?" I repeated, confused by what she meant.

"What do you mean, Princess?" asked a curious Fluttershy.

"I mean that it took more than a normal healing spell to regenerate him."

"M-more than 'normal'?? Was he hurt that badly?" asked Fluttershy, all of a sudden frightful.

"I'm afraid so... It took a marginally more powerful, yet considerably less stable second-grade healing spell to relieve him of the numerous severe injuries he sustained prior to my arrival. The spell works much more slowly in its rejuvenation process, but it also makes its benefactor feel as if they had already fully recovered... so long as he or she remains completely at ease throughout the spell's working period of about six to ten hours."

"Oh, dear... What may happen to him if he does NOT stay calm?" asked Rarity.

"I... cannot say for certain... However, what I AM able to tell you is that this spell hasn't yet passed its testing phases... There have been past cases of ponies taking in too much negative emotional stimulation before the spell's completion, as well as the spell itself having unpredictable adverse effects based on the pony's emotions... But at the same time, given how badly he'd been injured, I was left with very little choice but to use that spell... I should have expected such treachery as Gillian's...! I fear that if, by any chance, Ty loses control of his anger in his quest, he may possibly--!"

"Pardon the interruption, Princess, but the townsfolk; they grow impatient as we speak," the guard urged. "And we run later by the minute..."

"I see... Let us depart, then..." she said in worry as she took flight after the guard. Before she took off, though, she turned back to us. "See to it that Gillian is found and apprehended as soon as possible. I also implore you to deliver my warning to our human comrade even sooner; especially in the case that this search proves a challenge. I bid you all my farewell. I will return as soon as I can." And with that, possibly our biggest asset to this search was gone, occupied by some boring old Canterlot town meeting.

"Alright..." I said after the Princess departed. "We have our plans set up, we have more reason to find our human first, and we have no more time left to dilly-dally. Let's get a move on, troops!" With that, everypony grouped up in their assigned parties and we quickly began our search...

About 20 minutes later...

Fluttershy and I were keeping very steady surveillance on the ground below us as we circled the town in our efforts to spot the ponies in question. Everypony else had been doing their jobs as well, as far as I could tell. A.J. and Spike were blazing through town digging for info, Lyra was searching for clues or signs of Gillian's magic while trying to teach Rarity the spell she was casting, Pinkie grabbed her bullhorn and had been shouting the news at the top of her lungs, and Zecora had been looking for info at her own pace, seeing as her main objective was the only one yet to be complete. I didn't see Ty either, which could've only meant he was really on the move... I wondered where he could've gone so quickly.

"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy called.

"Yeah?" I passively responded, never taking my hawk-like gaze off of the ground below us.

"How... how do you think they're doing?"

"I think they're doing alright. Pinkie might be going a little overboard as usual, and Spike & Applejack could pick up the pace a little... And Rarity really needs to lear--!"

"No, I mean... I mean Twilight and Ty... How do you think they're doing?"

"Oh... Well Twi might not be able to use her magic, but I'm sure she's alright; for now, anyway. I can't really say for myself. The sooner we find them, the better. As for Ty... he's fine. Angrier than a raging Minotaur and in way over his head, but he's good."

"Yes, but... he was so... so mad... and he's already been through so much... I feel so bad for him..."

"Aw come on, Fluttershy. He's pretty tough. He'll be alright," I nonchalantly assured.

"I hope..."

"Zecora gave him something to defend himself with in case he finds them first and things get ugly with Gillian," I confidently added.

"I know, but... he doesn't deserve what's been happening to him..."

"Okay, now you're sounding a bit TOO worried..."

"What do you mean?" she had my attention as we stopped with me turning to look at her big green puppy-dog eyes. She always WAS one to worry more than she needed to...

"I mean from him getting kidnapped and hurt repeatedly, to Twilight hitting him because she thought he was seeing me behind her back, to what happened to him earlier this morning when he saved me..."

"Saved you?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Mm-hmm..."

"When did that happen?"

"When Mr. Gillian attacked us just before Princess Celestia arrived. He pushed me out of the way of the spell he was hit with at the last second... He said it himself when she showed up, remember?"

"I couldn't really hear him... He must've been speaking too quietly. Is that really what happened, though?"

"Yes..."

"Wow... I thought Gillian just shot him from behind after you went to get him. Twilight saw part of that and screamed her head off when she saw him on the ground, smoking. Kudos to him for thinking quick and rescuing you. But I guess you're right; he HAS had a pretty rough time, huh?"

"Yes... but then there's this situation... AND what Princess Celestia said about the spell she used to heal him earlier... how it was 'malleable...' What do you think she meant?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. All I understood was something about him losing control of his anger and something possibly happening because of that... I just hope it doesn't mean that he'll literally explode or something..." From that, my fellow pegasus whimpered and cringed.

"Okay, bad example. Look... I know you're worried about them, but we'll pull through and wrap things up soon... Twilight's the smartest pony we've ever known. She'll surely know what to do in a hostage situation; even IF she's the hostage. Ty, I'm sure wouldn't do anything that might get him into trouble. He's smarter than we give him credit for. I know for myself," I assured as I drifted over to her to pat her on the back. She eased up a little, but started looking at the ground like she lost something of her own.

"Okay..." was all she responded with. After that, the air went silent... too silent. Like, 'somepony telling a bad joke that nopony laughs at' kind of silent. Coupled with how worried Fluttershy was acting, I got curious.

"...Hey... you... don't still have that crush on him... do you?" I asked, taking note of exactly how worried she seemed.

"What?? O-of course not... I... I'm just worried about him is all..." she hastily replied as she looked at me for a second, then turned away, blushing and hiding her face behind her mane. Given that kind of reaction to a simple question, I was a little skeptical.

"Are you sure? I haven't really seen you this worried since the time you thought that herd of squirrels got lost at the train station..."

"Y-y... Mm-hmm..." she answered, withdrawing into her 'Fluttershell,' as I used to call it when we were fillies.

"Jeez, she must have it BAD for him... I'm not even sure if Twilight was this worried the first time he got taken away... Although it could be debatable... What do they even find so interesting about him, anyway? He isn't even a pony... Plus, he's cool and all, but he isn't exactly the most appealing-looking guy I've ever seen... human OR pony... Then again, he's the only human I've ever seen... Am I missing something?" I caught myself lost in thought before I realized we were in the middle of a search effort.

"Uh-huh... Well how about this? We split off and look in different areas to boost our chances just a little more," I suggested. "That sound good?"

"Sure..."

"Alright. I'll search the Eastern half. You search West. Let's meet up back here. Lemme know if you see anypony or anything out of the ordinary. And if you see Ty, don't forget to deliver Princess Celestia's warning to him."

"Yes." With that, Fluttershy and I split up to search separate areas of Ponyville...

*POOF* "Let go of me!" I shouted as I pushed the stallion away, finally recovering from that ghastly little trick of his back at the library. I looked around to see that we were surrounded by trees and various forms of plant life. From the looks of it, we were in some secluded clearing within the confines of the Everfree Forest.

"Jeez, that took a lot out of me..." Gillian complained to himself, panting. "I'm not sure I have enough left in me to last... even WITH that miniature boost from Ms. Sparkle..."

"Gillian!" Comet shouted, seeming HIGHLY perturbed. "What were you THINKING!?" She didn't seem to agree with his last-ditch effort for freedom from his rightful punishment. "Do you know how thoroughly you've screwed us on this one?? Celestia will NEVER give us the freedom you were looking for now! Why--?"

"Comet, honey, calm down!" the oblivious stallion began. "With Twilight Sparkle here, the Princess would have no CHOICE but to free us! Don't you see? Our plan is finally on the right track!"

"He seems pretty confident that Celestia is actually considering surrendering to his outrageous demands... Well you've got another thing coming, Gillian!"

"No! This isn't OUR plan anymore! This is YOURS! I already told you I didn't want anything to do with this, and then you go and make our situation twenty times worse! You tried to attack her after faking being disabled! She's more than likely contemplating some way to forcibly put a stop to you, not giving in to this ludicrous ultimatum! Is THAT what you call, 'on the right track'?"

"You don't know what you're saying! This was a sudden move, yes, but with good reason! I avoided being disabled because I managed to prepare myself after the first time, but I thought she'd have been more lenient towards us after hearing our plight!"

"Of COURSE she wouldn't have!!" the cerulean unicorn yelled, much to Gillian's fright. "After all we've done!? I wouldn't expect her to be any more lenient toward a pair of ravenous, bloodthirsty Griffins who tried EATING some of Ponyville's citizens!"

"Baby, keep your voice down...!" He tried to hush. "You'll alert Ms. Sparkle's friends...!"

"I just don't understand why you don't seem to know when to give up!" she berated, ignoring his plea for her to use an inside voice. "I admire your undying drive to attain your goals! I really do! But there are times when the opposition just proves to be too much! I'm sure you had that realization when you tricked me into helping you take over Saddle Arabia, you SHOULD'VE realized it when Ty almost hammered a hole into your skull, and you DEFINITELY should've realized it when we were standing before the Princess of Equestria of all ponies!"

"What are you saying!?" He shot back, seeming to be getting upset with Comet's attitude.

"I didn't see this coming... Their plan is falling apart at the seams, and not even because of my or any of my friends' efforts to stop them..."

"Would you rather get sent back to that hellhole of a prison back in Saddle Arabia?? Would you rather be locked up and forced to sit and dwell amongst the scum of that country in a filthy institutionalized daycare center for the rest of your life??"

"Of course not! No, but... *sigh* I wasn't going to even bother telling you this, but... before you broke me free, I only had to serve five months," the distressed mare admitted.

"WHAT??" the stallion asked, dumbfounded by what he'd just heard.

"Yeah... five measly, insignificant little months... They said I wouldn't be persecuted to the fullest extent like you were if I were to relinquish my use of the trans-dimensional spell I'd developed to bring you here..."

"But... why? Why didn't you tell me that!? Why did you give up use of that spell?"

"Because, like I said to myself THOUSANDS of times before, I trusted you! Other than that, my involvement with your conspiracy plot ruined my reputation! I wouldn't have been able to find a job after being convicted of a crime as detestable as trying to instigate a war that would've annihilated two countries at once! I'd have walked out with NOTHING! You were all I had left... I love you so much... I thought you felt the same when you sprung me from my imprisonment. Foolish as it may have been for me to think it, I figured we'd run away to some deserted island or some far-off place after the fact... That we'd... that we'd... find some place to be free... to be happy... and... and maybe to... to start a family..."

"...Comet..."

"When I found out we were going to Equestria to settle your little grudge, however, my hopes were shot... but I still went along anyway, holding on to that unbelievably slim hope that somehow, you'd succeed in what you were doing... or at the very least, you'd change your mind and change course to a place where we'd never be discovered to avoid more trouble than we were already in... And NOW look where we are... On the brink of spending the rest of our natural existences holed up in some disgusting, mucky, run-down dungeon, all because you want to give us 'freedom...' Tell me: Is all of this strain and heartache worth the freedom you feel we deserve? Is it? If you ask me, then it seems at this point that I'd have been better off waiting to be legally released..."

"If you don't like how I've been running things, then why don't you just leave and turn yourself in, you ingrate!?" Gillian brashly shouted, shocking Comet and even me. "I felt absolutely fucking ABYSMAL for the way I treated you! I tried to right the wrongs I'd dealt unto you! This entire plan was devised with YOU in mind! Unlike you, I didn't have five measly little months. I had fifteen years to life! I had nothing to lose! I'd have GLADLY spent the rest of my life in prison if it meant you were free from your wrongful incarceration! But NOW you tell me you don't appreciate the sacrifices I've made for you??"

"That's not at ALL what I'm saying! You know that! What I don't appreciate is how many lives we've put in danger because of it! Ms. Twilight here, her beloved Ty, all of her friends! And while we're on the subject, what kind of sentiment did you think you were giving me when you injured Ms. Sparkle and her friends!? Or when you nearly KILLED that poor human!? Or when you tried attacking Princess Celestia!? Is THAT your idea of sacrifice?"

"Those were instances of me losing my temper! You know how short my fuse is! Besides, you did some damage yourself!" at that, Comet scoffed in complete disgust.

"To protect you! Don't you DARE try to drag me through the swamp with you! Everything I've done, I did for you and ONLY you! As a self-aware pony, it made me sick to my stomach to cause all the harm I'd dished out. I still feel a possibly insatiable need to apologize to all of them... I'd be lucky if even the little dragon forgave me... In fact... Ms. Sparkle?" she beckoned, bringing her attention to me.

"Yes?" I responded, although I was a simply taken aback by the verbal confrontation that unfolded between these two.

"I'm sorry. I'm truly, very deeply sorry... for everything," she solemnly apologized in front of her partner in crime, which threw me for more loops than almost anything else had this entire weekend.

"Wow... what do I say to that? I mean, I'd like to forgive her, but..."

"Um... i-it's... okay...?" I uncertainly forgave, still a bit stunned by her nobility.

"...No... As a matter of fact, it isn't... And it won't be until we respectfully turn ourselves in..." with that, the cerulean, lavender-haired unicorn mare turned toward her significant other. "Let's just give this up, baby... There's nothing to be gained... Not anymore..."

"Are you KIDDING me!? You expect me to just throw all of this away!? Are you aware of how much of a struggle this has been? Do you realize how close we are to attaining our freedom??"

"Nrrgh, no!! No more excuses! I've HAD it with this incorrigible, despicable mess you call an escape plan, Gillian! I want out! Now drop the attitude, drop this plan, and bring this poor mare back to her friends! You might believe that there's still a point in this, but the fact is that we're doomed to fail at every possible aspect! Don't you understand that!? I can only WONDER how badly you've infuriated those other ponies!"

"I said NO!!" hollered the stallion, intent on keeping his delusion that he'd succeed without ramification.

"*GASP*" Comet was taken aback by his foalish outburst, her sea-foam-colored eyes wavering in heartbroken astonishment. "...F-fine... if that's the way you want it... then... then... *sniffle* we're through... I'm breaking up with you, you insensitive, obstinate mule.... Clearly, your plans are more valuable to you than I am... *sniffle* Ms. Twilight, can you accompany me out of the forest?" she asked me as she approached but met resistance when Gillian stepped in between us.

"She isn't going ANYWHERE...!" he practically growled at her.

"Gillian, please! We've done too much! I don't know about you, but I'm going to do what's right; not for us, maybe, but for those who were caught up in this..."

"...Nrrgh, FINE!! GET LOST!!" Gillian angrily shouted, seemingly without thinking. Half a second later, he realized it as the hurt became evident on Comet's face. Her jaw hung open as her eyes widened in devastation. "Comet, I... I didn't mean..." Before he could utter out anything to soothe the mare, she turned and ran off into the woods, sobbing her poor, distraught eyes out. He tried giving chase, but stopped after only a few hoofsteps. After the sounds of her despair faded away into the landscape, an ominous silence washed over me and the now-downtrodden stallion. As we sat there, I couldn't help but shed a few tears of empathy for poor Comet.

"Wow... That was totally uncalled for...! I-I should speak up..."

"...Just what is wrong with you?" I asked in complete appall, my voice quaking with a mixture of sorrow and spite. He didn't seem to acknowledge me, his gaze turned toward the ground. I slowly trotted toward him. "That mare didn't deserve you talking to her like that... She was only trying to earn your approval..."

"Shut up..."

"She gave you everything she had, and even when she had nothing left to give, she gave you more... But then you just threw it all back in her face...*sniffle* Are you really that blind to the feelings of your own special somepony?"

"Shut up..." It appeared he wasn't trying to hear me out, trying to get me to silence myself by building a figurative wall of solitude around himself. I trotted even closer, making sure my words rang in his head.

"It's one thing to commit such atrocities as the ones you've dealt upon me and my friends, but for you to say that you were doing it for Comet, only for you to lash out at her when she seemed unhappy?"

"Shut up...!"

"That doesn't say you were honestly doing it for her; it says you were honestly doing it for yourself!"

"Shut UP!" He yelled. Before I knew it, *SMACK!* an eruption of agony washed over my cheek as my head was forcibly turned sideways. Gillian had just... hit me. As much as it hurt (and it really hurt), I wasn't too fazed or alarmed by the impact. It only meant that I was right about something; that somewhere deep inside the recesses of his mind, a chord had been struck.

"...The truth... It hurts, but it will set you free..." I mused as I calmly recovered from his uncalculated attack, rubbing my pulsing cheek with a hoof.

"Oh, what do YOU know? You have no idea what it's like to make the mistakes I've made... To try your hardest to atone for them... and to have the fruits of your efforts turn out rotten and putrid..." he muttered, his crimson red eyes still focused on the moist, gunky earth we stood on.

"While I don't know what it's like to usurp a position of power or what it's like to manipulate somepony, I DO know what it's like to try and make amends... More so, I know what it's like to have somepony you care deeply about turn their back on you in a stressful time..."

"What are you on about?"

"I mean, have you ever thought about how Comet might've felt about this? Sure, only now did she finally voice her concerns, but YOU of all ponies should've noticed any discrepancies in her disposition from the start; anything that would alert you to her discomfort with what you've been doing... More importantly, you should understand how she felt when she tried to convince you that what you're doing was wrong, only to have you so bitterly turn her away..."

"She's already made it obvious that she doesn't want to be free... You reminding me of it isn't helping."

"That's not the point, Gillian."

"Oh, Ms. Psychotherapist?" he sarcastically inquired, becoming indignant as he cast a contemptuous glare at me. "Then what the hell's the problem?!"

"You want to know the problem!?" I heatedly asked back, not much caring for his bitterness. "It's YOU!"

"Me??"

"Yes, you! It's exactly as I said before; you're doing this for yourself, but you're using her as some sort of justification!"

"I was NOT doing this for myself!"

"Yes, you were! Otherwise, you wouldn't have said such horrible things to her when she said she didn't like what you were doing! The ends might justify the means in YOUR mind, but she knew better than that! So should you!"

"Oh, so it's ALL MY fault for trying to give her her life back? It's ALL MY fault for striving to right the wrongs I'd committed against her? Is it?"

"To be blunt, it is! Not just for the fact that you've physically and emotionally tormented and harassed an entire slew of other ponies to get your job done, but also for the fact that you didn't even ONCE seem to ask her how she truly felt about this maniacal series of heinous crimes! I mean, you tell me! Does kidnapping other ponies and forcing them to take you where you need to go sound like an ideal plan for amnesty to you? Does breaking out o--?"

"I GET it, Twilight Sparkle!! Little Miss High-and-Mighty Protege of Princess Celestia, giving me a morality lesson like I'm a fucking kid! What, do you expect me to learn some stupid lesson about 'the Magic of Friendship' from this? Do you want me to write some worthless, bullshit friendship report about it??" Alarmed, I stood silent, registering the stallion's harsh words.

"Wha...? How could he know about my friendship studies...? Ah, It doesn't matter... He clearly needs a reality check... And I can only help him get one if I keep my cool, which means not letting his foul mood influence mine..." With that thought, I took a deep breath to calm myself, already knowing that fighting fire with fire would only construct a far more perilous inferno...

"There's no need for you to take your aggression out on me, Gillian. You may have taken me hostage AND temporarily disabled my magic, but I can tell a cry for help when I hear one..." the area got silent after that statement, save for the sounds of the animals nearby rustling through the trees.

"...You're a smart mare... and you already seem to have the answer... So tell me... Where did I go wrong?" he calmly asked, much to my surprise.

"Well then... This is a start..."

"...I can't answer that for you, Gillian... That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."

"But... I don't know... I honestly don't know... " he stammered, a slight waver in his voice as his facial expression softened to one of pensive sadness.

"Yes, you do... You just don't realize it yet. Let's talk... Shall we?"

"*sigh* Great, just what I need; another goddamn Psychology lecture..." he remarked, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm only here to help..."

"Whether I like it or not, anyway..."

"If you don't like it, then we can sit here in silence until either you give yourself up or my friends locate us and turn you in..."

"...You'd be wasting your time trying to help a hopeless nutjob like me, y'know..."

"Already, a clue... Self-deprecation in a moment of notable dejection... Could be a sign of low self-esteem or maybe some symptom of depression... I suppose I'll find out for myself by studying his motives, as he seems to be opening up..." I was ready to delve into the psyche of my most recent enemy yet... Admittedly, a somewhat selfish venture, but it was to benefit both of us... Especially him...

"You most certainly are NOT hopeless. Or a nutjob. You just seem to have been led astray," I assured, bringing a hoof to his back, even managing to smile warmly at my captor. "With help, you can find the correct path. Talk to me..."

"*sigh* You don't know what you're getting yourself into, but here goes nothing..." he said, taking a seat on the forest floor. "Where to begin... Ah! It all traces back to my time back in the human world..."

"Jeez, I haven't seen them at all! Where the hay could they be?" I'd been flying around, monitoring the Eastern half of town for what felt like forever, and so far, not a single trace of Twi OR Ty... Some of the townsponies were helping us, but from the looks of it, nopony had seen Twilight or Gillian. Some said they saw Ty blazing through here and that he asked them the same questions about the unicorns, but that they couldn't give him an answer. None of the rest of the search party had had any luck, either: Lyra was getting frustrated trying to teach Rarity that magic-tracing spell, which stopped the two in their tracks... Pinkie had already done her job and was trying to help Spike and Applejack, but did more harm than good when she decided to start intimidating everypony she came across like she was some kind of tough-as-nails detective... Zecora didn't fare much better either, seeing as neither she NOR I could find that hairless monkey anywhere...

"Wait! Gillian's hideout!" I realized. In a flash, I rocketed over there, just KNOWING that somepony had to be there... In as little as three seconds, I'd arrived. Wasting no time, I bucked the door down. "Twilight! Gillian!... Comet...? Ty?" It sure as hay didn't help that the house where Gillian had been hiding before was devoid of any life. Why I didn't try searching there first, I didn't know. It was useless either way, seeing as there was nopony there. Getting just a little discouraged, I went back to searching my half of the town. I was flying over toward the area where I'd told Fluttershy we'd meet up at when...

"Rainbow Dash!" Somepony called. I turned to see Fluttershy flying toward me, seeming to have found something.

"Yeah?" I asked, perking up at my best friend's seemingly happy expression.

"I know where Ty is!"

"You do?? Where is he??"

"Quick! Follow me!" Heeding her instruction, I followed closely behind her. A short time later, we came across the human we were looking for, his clothes a bit dirty like he'd been rolling around on the ground and still equipped with Zecora's potion. What I found odd, though, was that he'd been perched on top of some random pony's house, ready to pounce on whoever he thought was coming out of there.

"Ty? What are you doing?" I asked, confused at the alien as we hovered toward him.

"Shhh..." he replied without looking at us, seeming to be thinking. "I think I found 'em..."

"Seriously...??" I asked in a whispery tone, not wanting to give him away if he was right...

"Yea... I been waitin' here t' catch him by surprise when he steps out... I'mma get the drop on him..."

"Why sit here and wait...? We could just bust in there and grab him...!" I reasoned. "He wouldn't even know what hit him...!"

"Yea, but if he has some kinda trap in store, I ain't tryna be the dummy t' run into it..."

"...Wow. Good point."

"Yea... I might be mad as hell, but I'm not stupid..."

"Heh heh... I suppose I should give credit where credit is due, huh...?"

"Yea... but you can do that when you're doin' me that li'l favor, Dashie..."

"Ugh, why I still let him call me that is beyond me... It just sounds weird coming from a guy... I still can't believe he beat me, though... ME!"

"Right... I guess I will..." I admitted in defeat. "That doesn't mean the favor you already owe me for saving you is nullified... Does it...?"

"Not at all... Jus' means an eye for an eye..."

"...What?"

"*sigh* I mean that we gotta scratch each other's backs... Y'know, mutual benefits..." he explained.

"...Right..." I agreed, although I couldn't make much sense out of why he would want me to scratch his back...

"This must be what Twilight meant about his weird comparisons..."

"Oh...! That reminds me..." Fluttershy quietly began. "Ty... There's something you should know..."

"Yea, 'Shy?"

"Um... You know that spell the Princess used to heal you?"

"Yea...? What about it...?"

"Well... it... it turns out that it--!" *click* *creeeeak* Suddenly, the door of the house began to open, prompting Fluttershy and me to hide behind him. Within seconds, Ty peered over the edge of the building's roof before launching into action. I peered over as well, but I saw that the pony who'd just walked out hardly fit the description of the ones we were looking for.

"Ty, wait...!" I tried to call. "That isn't--!"

"KYAAH, MOTHAFUCKA!!" he shouted as he jumped off of the building and on top of his prey. But, when Fluttershy and I looked down, we saw that it WASN'T Gillian at all. It was some random tannish-brown Earth stallion with a darker brown spiky mane and an hourglass for a Cutie Mark.

"You might wanna get your eyes checked..." I joked as Fluttershy and hovered down. "This isn't Gillian..."

"...I realize that now..." he shot back in shame as he climbed off of the poor guy. "*sigh* Shit... Sorry 'bout that, yo. Thought you was somebody else," the monkey apologized as he helped the stallion up.

"I-it's okay, Mr. um... Alien Monkey-Thing, sir... I-I seem t-t-to get that a lot... I-I um... I have to go... do something... somewhere else..." The stallion, scared out of his mind, stuttered as he picked himself up and ran off without another word. After the innocent stallion disappeared from our sight, I looked at Ty to see the most ridiculous look of deadpan disbelief I ever laid my eyes on... Oh man, it was priceless... his eyes were half open and his lips were slightly parted in a way where I thought he would've started drooling from how wrong he was about his hunch. I actually tried not to laugh, given how upset I knew he was, but... but... *snort*

"BAA-HAHAHAHAHA!!" I fell onto the ground, busting a gut.

"*sigh* Yea, yea, laugh it up..." he mumbled in defeat.

"I-if it's okay to say, Ty... I-I probably would've made the same mistake, too..." Fluttershy said, trying to console him.

"Somehow, I find that hard t' believe..."

"Oh, n-no... I um... I..." even Fluttershy couldn't resist letting out a giggle at his expense. He simply covered his face with one of his... claw-paw things and shook his head.

"Eugh... God, how dumb was that...? This is why I HATE havin' myopia..."

"You're nearsighted?" asked the yellow mare in shock.

"Moderately... I have glasses, but I ain't bring 'em with me."

"May-maybe ya should've..." I joked in between laughs as I picked myself up.

"Nyeh, maybe you should-- Get up!" he ordered after mimicking me in some foal-like teasing tone.

"Heh, yeah... REAL mature response..." Deciding I'd gotten enough of a laugh at him, I fully recovered and took flight. "Heh heh, if it means anything... I liked your battle cry..." From that, he just shot me a sideways glare like I was still joking. "No, dude, I'm being serious. It was pretty cool. You were all like, 'KYAAH, MOTHERF--!'"

"DON'T say it...!" he hurriedly interrupted.

"Why not? You're not THAT embarrassed, are you?"

"No, but I have a strict self-appointed policy against teachin' human world profanity t' ponies... I already got Twi on my back about washin' my mouth out with soap for accidentally teachin' Spike the 'F' word AND for gettin' her int' the habit of occasionally lettin' slip some human cuss words herself... I don't need her puttin' foul-tastin' stuff in my mouth because o' you, too..."

"Wow, it must be a pretty bad habit of his... Heh, I didn't think he had such a potty-mouth... But I wonder what that 'F' word he was talking about is... Guess I'll have to ask Spike about it..."

"*sigh* Great... Tha'ss two hours o' my life I ain't gettin' back..." Ty complained.

"You sat there for two hours?" Fluttershy asked in shock.

"Of course not. I sat there for a half an hour. I spent the other hour an' a half tryna convince the townsponies I wasn't dangerous t' them an' that I was lookin' for a stallion with tan fur an' spiky hair... Guess I shoulda been more specific. Other than that, I saw Pinkie Pie passin' by earlier. She was shoutin' somethin' about a 'rampaging alien monkey equipped with a vial o' green liquid bein' on our side' through a megaphone... Mind explainin' that?"

"Oh! Yeah, um... Seeing as nopony knows what a human is, that's the best description of you I could think of..." I guiltily admitted.

"Of course... I knew I shoulda had you t' thank... Remind me t' choke you for that..."

"Hey!" I yelled in offense. "I was only trying to--!"

"Relax, Dash... I'm jokin'... Sorta... I'm still gonna getcha for that at some point, though."

"I'll clear my schedule, but for right now, we've sat here horsing around long enough. We need to focus on finding Twilight..."

"Right. But from the looks of it, she ain't anywhere t' be found here... Did ya try checkin'--?"

"Gillian's hideout? Yeah, but there was nopony there."

"Damn...!" he mumbled. "Fluttershy."

"Yes?"

"Any clues on Twi or Gillian?"

"No... I'm sorry... I was busy looking for you..."

"Me? How come?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I needed to tell you to keep calm..."

"...Okay...? Why?"

"Because Princess Celestia said that the spell she used to heal you isn't completely finished yet and that if you get angry before it's done, something bad might happen to you..."

"Really now??" he asked, raising both his eyebrows in surprise. "Somethin' like what?"

"I... I don't know... It's better for us not to find out. Please don't be too upset with Mr. Gillian..."

"Hm... No promises, but I'mma do my best not t' lose my cool... At least, not more than I already did... I'd hate t' find out what might happen t' me if I do..." he agreed with a nod.

"Ah! For a while, I'd been looking around! Finally, you have been found!" we heard somepony else comment. We turned to see Zecora, followed by Applejack with Spike on her back.

"What in tarnation are y'all doin' just standin' around?" Applejack questioned.

"I thought I found Gillian here, but turns out I was wrong..." Ty answered.

"Yeah," I added. "We were just about to split up and start searching again..."

"Well let's get a move on, then! Twi could be in a heap o' trouble, an' standin' around ain't gonna help find 'er!" With that, A.J. and Spike were galloping off in the blink of an eye. 'Shy, Ty, and I (hey, that all rhymed) turned our attention to Zecora, who made no signs of being in a hurry.

"Since you are finally here, I'd like to make something clear," said the zebra, gesturing a hoof toward Ty.

"Yea?"

"Your target must swallow the serum whole, if nullifying his magic is your goal."

"Get Gillian to drink the potion. Got it," Ty registered loud and clear.

"Good. Now let us continue our search. Finding Twilight is taking a lot of work." Zecora then dashed off in a different direction than Applejack took off in, leaving us three to our plans.

"Y'know, Zecora jus' reminded me o' somethin'..."

"What?" I asked, intent on hearing his thought.

"Come t' think of it, none of us bothered t' check the Everfree Forest," Ty suggested, making me realize something... "Maybe he took her there like he took me a couple days ago..."

"Of course!!"

"Ty, you're a genius!" I exclaimed with a new sense of determination. "Why didn't I think of that!?"

"Because you was too busy thinkin' about what the 'F' word is..." he joked with a short laugh.

"Huh?? How'd you know??" at that, he chuckled some more.

"One o' these three things: One, you jus' admitted to it. Two, a little bitta Pinkie has rubbed off on me. Three, the 'I wonder what this means' look was scribbled across your face." I floated there, shocked that he even knew what I was thinking in the first place. Fluttershy found it in herself to giggle at Ty's little joke.

"*sigh* Whatever the case, fine, ya got me," I conceded. "Getting back to business, since everypony else is searching throughout the town, why don't the three of us go search the Forest?"

"Sounds good t' me."

"Good! But, to be on the safe side, you're being assigned an escort."

"An 'escort'? What, do you think I'm that helpless?" the human remarked in offense.

"No, but you have no idea what's in those woods. I'd rather you be with protection than run in there alone and find yourself in more trouble than you've already been in..."

"True..."

"So I'm assigning Fluttershy to go with you into the Everfree. You two go and search the area closest to your house, Fluttershy. I'll head toward Zecora's place and either find them, or find my way towards you two. Is that clear?"

"Roger that, Commander Dash!" Ty joked with a salute, although I knew he was actually obeying me. Come to think of it, I like the sound of that... Commander Dash... Has a nice, authoritative ring to it...

"Alright, troops! Let's move out!" with that, Ty and 'Shy headed toward the cottage while I headed out to Zecora's house...

"FINALLY, things are moving in the right direction... The sooner I find them, the sooner I get to make Ty my personal servant for a day...! I can hardly wait...!" With that thought motivating me, I sped up, intent not only on finding my friend and bringing her to safety, but also making another friend of mine regret the day he chose to challenge Equestria's Fastest Flier...

How was that?... Yeah it WAS pretty good, huh?... Hm?... HA! If you think you're gonna beat me, Ty, then you've got six other things coming; each and everyone of those things, you'll be seeing in the form of my dust! When you're eating it!

Author's Notes:

Ooh, did I say the decision was going to be made THIS chapter...? *sucks in air through teeth* Yyyyeah, no. I still haven't tallied the results yet (not that there's that many of them), but so far...:

Ty- 4 (technically 3, but the fourth is a secondary choice)
Reasons: Beat the shit out of Gillian, Because he deserves to run into Gillian's trap (Jerk), Because he's tired of Gillian's shit.

Rainbow Dash- 3/4
Reasons: Rainbow AND Ty find them at the same time. Otherwise, Curiosity regarding how she'll degrade-- I mean uh... get favors from him for a day.

Fluttershy- 1 & 1/2
Reasons: Epic "Stare" and bonding between her and Twilight. Otherwise, ninja her way in and beg Twilight for "sexy funtimes with Ty."

Comet Gazer- 1
Reason: Betray Gillian in a Heel-to-Face Turn.

Shining Armor- 1
Reason: See "Ty, Reason #3"

Black Pinkie- 1
Reason: Because she is Best Pinkie ()

General Desire to See Gillian Dead or Otherwise Incapacitated- 4
Reasons: He is an idiot, Cupcakes (Don't get me started on THAT abominable travesty... ), He's gonna get it, Just plain want him dead.

From the looks of it, the winner (excluding the desire to see Gillian dead or incapacitated) is Ty. Although I still might take in any extra votes before the next chapter is complete, so long as the reasoning is plausible and valid.

The Hunt! (Pt. 2)

While Rainbow Dash rocketed off into the woods, Fluttershy and I were making our way there at as fast a pace as we could manage... which, compared to Rainbow, was about as fast as a slug hitching a ride on a beached sea turtle... Not that THAT was enough to curb our determination to bring Twilight to safety. On our way there, however, I kept catching my searching partner shooting me these distraught stares as if she was expecting something horrible to happen to me. Not more than a few steps into the Everfree Forest later, I decided to speak up as we slowed down to a walking pace to catch our breath...

"Okay, wha'ss wrong?" I asked forwardly as I caught the caring pegasus staring at me again.

"H-Huh?" she shakily replied, seemingly startled out of a vivid daydream. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong..."

"I'd be inclined t' believe you..." I incredulously began. "...if I didn't catch you givin' me all these worried looks. Wha'ss the matter?"

"...Well..." she began, quickly faltering as her gaze was locked on my eyes. "...I-it's not important, really..." she turned away, her mannerisms still betraying her words as she looked away with the same expression of worry frozen on her face.

"Uh-huh... She clearly ain't gonna tell me herself... Guess we gotta play the guessin' game..."

"...Does it hafta do with... Twilight? Cuz if it does, then we're close t' gettin' her back... I can feel it..." I assured.

"I know..." was all the mare replied with.

"Really...? So wha'ss the problem?"

"I told you... it's nothing. Please, I don't want you to worry about it..." she said in a more assertive tone. Not one to be stubborn about trying to offer help to someone who claimed they didn't need it, I dropped the issue... mostly.

"Fine, fine..." I conceded. The two of us were silent for a few lengthy minutes, in which time I began mentally registering reasons as to why she'd been staring at me so often while we were making our way here. Eventually, I went on a whim in an attempt to strike up a conversation that might coax the problem out of her. "Y'know... I still feel guilty... even after that talk we had on the balcony..." I blurted out, actually managing to catch the attention of my comrade.

"Why?" she passively asked. "We already came to an agreement on our feelings... You're with Twilight, and there's nothing I would do to get in the way of that... even though I think you're um... nice..."

"Right, but... I still don't think everything got settled from that talk..."

"Why not? I thought we made things pretty clear..." she inquired.

"Uh... I figure I should tell ya this... um... after I got taken away that night, I had a dream... a bad one..."

"What was it about?"

"Well... At first, it began with Twi an' I sharin' our feelin's before we... uh... y'know..." I awkwardly trailed off, not wanting to go into detail of something so... taboo.

"Oh..." she dejectedly muttered, getting the point.

"Shoulda prolly left that part out... Lemme jus' skip ahead a little..."

"But then, I blacked out... an' when my vision came back t' me... the pony I saw in my arms wasn't Twilight at all..."

"Who was it?"

"It was... it... *gulp* uh..." I choked, not knowing exactly how to tell the mare that SHE was the one I'd been holding...

"You don't have to tell me... I underst--!"

"It was you..." I finally, quietly admitted.

"*GASP*" She'd been taken by complete surprise. "M-me??"

"Yea..."

"But... why?"

"I honestly don't know why... it COULD be because you was the last pony t' treat me nicely that night... or that there's somethin' about our talk that let something like that come up... Whatever the reason, you were there with me instead o' Twi... but back t' the dream... After that, I found myself hangin' from a tree in these woods here, where every one of our friends was there except you an' Pinkie, jus' starin' at me, watchin' me choke... Everybody there was angry at me. No one would help me down an' Princess Celestia herself said I was a letdown... Then I fell an' wound up sittin' in front of a really angry Pinkie in a dark room... She was tellin' me about the Pinkie Promise I broke... then you came in t' try an' defend me... only t' be disowned as a friend by Pinkie herself..."

"Oh... My..."

"Yea... after that, I took all the blame for what happened in that dream... then I died..."

"..." Fluttershy had been rendered speechless by the sharing of my nightmare. "That... That sounds dreadful..."

"Yea... I don't really know what t' make of it..."

"Oh... I'm sorry if this comes off as a bit unmannerly, but... Why are you telling me this? This sounds like something you would discuss with Twilight..."

"I... guess I'm tellin' ya this cuz I care about you... ALL o' you... I'ss jus' that knowin' about your feelings... it makes me wanna reevaluate how I handled things with you... Plus, I get the feel our little talk didn't do much t' help you..."

"No, it helped. It helped me a lot. I learned a lot about you, and I learned a little about myself. And if it's okay to say, I really enjoyed the massage you gave me..."

"Oh. Tha'ss good t' know."

"But... I guess, in some way or another, it didn't help me so much, either..."

"What do you mean?" I asked, caught a little off-guard.

"I... I don't really know how to say this outright... but... I... think I..." the mare faltered, her attention focusing away from me yet again. "It's just that... um... you..."

"You don't hafta say anything," I interrupted. "I think I understand..."

"...Yea, that either you REALLY enjoyed that massage, or our talk only made you like me more..."

"...Does that have anything t' do with wha'ss makin' you so worried for me?"

"Sort of, but that isn't all of it... I'm more-so worried about you because of what's happened to you since you came to my house the other day... Being taken away, exposed as a human, rescued, hurt, abandoned, so on... up until you saved me from Mr. Gillian's attack."

"Oh, that..." I droned, flashing back to that miserable experience that could quite possibly be compared to being burned alive while hit by a bus...

"When you pushed me out of the way, I was confused at first... but then I... I saw you in so much pain... it... it hurt to watch... and then when Mr. Gillian hit you while you were down... well... you saw what happened..."

"That I did... Never thought you could get that mad..."

"Only if somepony's being REALLY mean to someone I care about..." My heart skipped a beat at that.

"Ooh... Not really sure how t' take that..."

"Hm... You know I meant it when I said I value you as a friend, right?" I asked.

"Of course. I meant it, too..." she agreed, smiling warmly at me.

"...But... what about the uh... your crush...?" At that question, the mare's smile faded and turned into a flustered blush as she looked away from me yet again.

"...I... I'll just have to um... get over it, I guess..."

"Jeez, even I wouldn't be able t' say somethin' like that... I still don't exactly know how t' figure this out... Only time will tell at this point, I guess..."

"*AHEM* Besides that, I didn't realize exactly how much reason I gave you t' worry about me..." I stated, changing the subject.

"Mm-hmm... You've already been hurt so much these past few days..." she began, regaining her composure. "Plus, I felt simply awful after watching you lose your temper after Twilight was kidnapped... You're too good a pony-- er, I mean... human to have this all happen to you..."

"Well then... I'm sorry you had t' see that. I also definitely appreciate your concern, Fluttershy..." I said, smiling at the yellow mare. "...I'll try my best not t' make your worries come true..."

"Hm... You know, I don't blame you for being upset... I can understand what it's like to deal with someponies like Mr. Gillian and Ms. Comet... But at the same time, I don't want to see you get hurt again or possibly hurt somepony else..."

"Yea... I hear ya loud an' clear..." I concurred before taking a deep breath. "At this point, I jus' wanna find Twi an' wrap this whole thing up... I'm jus' so tired... So, SO very tired... If it wasn't for me bein' as on-edge an' riled up as I am about gettin' Twi back, I'd-a passed out by now... I ain't get a good night's sleep since before this weekend began... All THIS extra nonsense don't help..." I complained, the fatigue evident in my tone.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Ty..." Fluttershy consoled me, taking flight to pat me on the back. "We'll get this over with before you know it. Then you and... and Twilight... can... um..." she faltered once more, but this time, even I felt a wave of marginal discomfort wash over us as we journeyed through the seemingly-endless maze known as the Everfree Forest.

"*sigh* Fluttershy..." I began, feeling even worse for the mare's infatuation than I did before as I placed my hand on her mane. "You an' I... we..." I trailed off as I stared into the mare's soft, innocent turquoise eyes, not knowing what else to say before something caught my ear... It... sounded like... crying... "Do you hear that? Sounds like somebody's cryin'... I'ss comin' from over there," I warned, pointing to our right.

"Do you think it's safe to go and see?" she warily asked, flying closer to me.

"We won't know till we find out... Le'ss go." With that, the two of us were quick to rush over toward the sound (despite a little bit of reluctance from Fluttershy, whom I'd wound up having to practically carry. Suffice it to say, ponies are pretty light for how big they are...). What we came across both alarmed and confused me... another pony: female, medium light blue in coat color, plum in mane color, curled up into a ball and sobbing her eyes out.

"C...Comet?" I beckoned as I set Fluttershy down and approached the ball of cerulean and royal purple huddled on the ground. Once I got close enough, I slowly knelt down and placed a hand on the ball of fur. As I expected, the mare jumped at my touch, causing me to quickly withdraw my hand in the case that I was mistaken. Turns out I wasn't as I was met with the heartrendingly sorrowful sea-foam-colored eyes of a mare who'd just gone through a lot of drama... Taken aback by the sight, Fluttershy and I sat next to the mare, suddenly feeling the need to console her. "What's wrong...?"

"Nothing...! Nothing at all...!" She lied through her voluminous tears.

"Come on now... " I reasoned, feeling horrible for the way she looked and placing my hand on her back. "You can tell us..."

"What's the point in telling YOU?" she spat at me, smacking my hand off of her. "You only care about... *sniffle* finding your precious little mare... Well she's only a straight walk forward from here... now leave me alone... so I can cry over how thoroughly I've ruined myself..."

"Wow... somethin' PRETTY bad musta happened... Shit... now I CAN'T leave until I find out wha'ss wrong with her..."

"Well... thanks for tellin' us where they are... but I'm not about t' jus' let you sit here an' cry... Tell me, Comet... wha'ss the matter?"

"*sniffle* ...Why would YOU of all ponies care about MY problems...?"

"Hm... I suppose you could say I got a bit of a soft spot for mares in distress..." I admitted. "...and it wouldn't sit right with me if I jus' let you cry your eyes out without givin' you the time o' day..."

"...Gillian's the matter..." she finally gave way and admitted.

"I shoulda figured as much..." I knowingly remarked. "What'd he do t' you?"

"You'd think that... *sniffle* would be obvious..."

"Well, I'm sorry t' say it ain't..." At that remark, the mare nodded understandingly before lowering her gaze back to the forest floor she'd soaked in her misery. "What did he do?"

"That stupid, inconsiderate... malevolent, obstinate mule.... He broke my heart..."

"What...???" Both Fluttershy and I gasped. "You two...?"

"Broke up, yes... You heard me... *sniffle* He cared more about this asinine plot than about me... He made that evident when he told me to get lost... *sniffle* After I tried to tell him to just give this up..." Hearing that sent my heart sinking. The mare started up a fresh new wave of tears as she wept some more. The sight made me want to just wrap the mare up in my arms... It also gave me a new reason to find Gillian.

"What an ass...!"

"Unbelievable..."

"...A-after all I did for him, Ty... I... I just don't understand... How he could just... turn his back on me... like this..." she choked up, letting out a few more sobs before attempting to recollect herself. "And even now, I find myself following his horrid, despicable orders... because I'm lost... with no magic... no special somepony... and no... no future... at least, not one that doesn't involve me rotting away in prison like the worthless, air-headed little harlot I am..."

"*sigh* That's it! I've heard enough... Now I'm mad again."

"Alright, c'mere..." I requested as I impulsively wrapped my hands around the mare, pulling her into a tight hug.

"*GASP* Wha...?" the mare was expectantly surprised at the gesture. I felt her tears almost instantly stain the collar of my shirt as she lowered her guard enough to relax her head on my shoulder.

"Tha'ss enough outta you... ya hear me...?" I began, filled with sympathetic remorse to the point of tearing up a little. She was a mare... grieving over the loss of something she viewed as important to her. I HAD to console her; even IF Comet and I were on opposite sides of this war... with an emphasis on 'were.' "You ARE worth something, Comet... You was clearly worth somethin' when that idiot decided t' go through this... And for as faithful as you were to him, you are by NO means, a 'harlot...' And jus' gatherin' from what we talked about earlier today... you have a LOT more in that head o' yours than air..."

"But... I--!"

"But nothin'. I'ss time t' get this over with..." I stated as I released the mare from my embrace. "...And if it helps any, then... I promise t' try an' get you a lighter sentence from Celestia..."

"What?? But that's impossible!" She shot back in surprise. "How can you possibly expect to--?"

"When there's a will, there's a way. Don't expect it t' be a slap on the wrist, but... I'll do whatever I can t' help you out once we're done here..." I assured, ready to get going. "Now... where did you say they were?"

"...A few paces to the East there..." she informed, turning and pointing a hoof ahead of us. "But... you won't do anything drastic, will you...?"

"I won't make any promises on that, but... what I WILL do is put an end t' this... if Twilight and/or Rainbow Dash haven't already..." with that, I began my trek into the area where Comet had informed me that Twilight was. Fluttershy began to follow, but I stopped her. "You should prolly help Comet here outta the forest," I suggested.

"But... what about--?"

"I'll be fine. Now please, help the poor girl outta here..." I commanded.

"...Okay... but PLEASE don't do anything that might hurt somepony... or yourself..."

"I won't..."

"I might, but ONLY if the situation calls for it... I still gotta get him t' drink this damn potion, an' I know he'll likely be as willin' t' do so as a kid goin t' the dentist for a root canal..."

"Now go," I ordered.

"Okay... um... F-follow me, Ms. Comet..." Fluttershy obeyed, leading the unicorn mare out of the woods. I took off at full speed, a rush of energy coursing through my body as I made a mad dash toward them...

"I'ss almost over...!"

"...And THAT, Ms. Sparkle, is how I became the man-- er, stallion I am today," Gillian finished his story.

"Wow..." I was completely astounded by his life's tale. It seemed he'd come from a similar background as Ty... except that Gillian never knew his own mother... his father treated him miserably throughout his foalhood... he had been forced to move out and live by himself in complete solitude before Comet Gazer showed up in his life... but at the same time, given what I'd heard about his past relationships with others, he'd been the variety of person who would coerce other ponies-- or people, rather-- into doing what he wanted... manipulating, intimidating, and sometimes, even THREATENING others in order for him to get control over them... and not ONCE in his entire story did he mention feeling sorry for those he hurt... he actually sounded... dare I say, PROUD of the incorrigible deeds he'd carried out...

"So... still think you can help me?" he asked in a tone that perfectly delivered his doubt in my ability.

"...Yes," I answered after a moment of thought. "I'd hate to be blunt about it, but... it appears you may have a personality disorder..."

"A personality disorder? Ha! That's rich..." he dismissed.

"It's true!" I shouted, letting his arrogance get to me before I calmed myself in order to explain. "It all adds up... Your tendency to control others rather than befriend or form healthy relationships with them, your apparent lack of compassion towards your fellow beings, the pride you show in the horrible things you've done to others... You told me you were nothing like your father... but from what I've gathered regarding your mention of his constantly fluctuating moods and changing special someponies, combined with his blatant mistreatment toward you... it may not be the SOLE factor in your social and moral development, but it shows that you've adopted and utilized traits of your father's personality, incorporating his twisted worldview and ideology into your own."

"Get out of here with that! You think you know me THAT well already?! Please, Every shrink I've ever been to has never been able to help me."

"Denial won't work. I don't know exactly what types of doctors you've seen, but even THEY had to tell you something similar to what I'm telling you."

"What? That I'm 'antisocial'? That I show signs of radically aggressive behavior at a seemingly insignificant whim? That I am completely incapable of reversing feelings of empathy, compassion, or caring for the problems of other people?"

"Wow... he actually just took the words right from my mouth..."

"Well... yeah, actually. I mean, given what you've done in just these past couple days... it shows."

"Oh, really? And How, may I ask, is that?"

"Well... You repeatedly injured me and my friends, you showed little to no concern for Comet's feelings since you met her, you dealt a LOT of physical and emotional harm to my colt-friend and so far, I haven't heard a single word of apology for anything. Not even a worried look for what you did. The only time I DID observe any emotion that wasn't rudeness or anger from you was when you were listening to Comet explaining her reluctance in following your machinations... and even THEN, you made it about yourself when you claimed that you were doing it for her."

"Oh, come on! I--!"

"If anything, you actually experienced a true sense remorse for the first time in your entire life after your previous plot was foiled by Princess Celestia. Studying what you told Comet back at my home, it appeared you couldn't handle the feeling... It tormented you... Plagued you... Ate away at your sanity... until you couldn't take it anymore... So, in an elaborate attempt to clear your own guilty conscience, you devised this convoluted plot to grant her the freedom you felt she deserved... Noble as that may sound, your true motives are dubious at best. The fact still stands that you never once considered her feelings with regards to the things you've done..." I analyzed. I didn't necessarily want to spell it out for him, but it seemed he wasn't going to budge if I tried allowing him to figure it out for himself.

The stallion said nothing at first; his gaze slowly lowering toward the ground as my words presumably ran through his thoughts. We stood in silence for a tense, yet noiseless few seconds before he began to speak.

"My god... it... It's true, isn't it...?"

"Hm?"

"I... I think you're right..." he murmured, seeming to be having an epiphany. "The way I treated you and your friends... the way I treated Comet... You're absolutely right..." he looked back up at me, his face showing something I hadn't seen on him since we met... true, unmistakable regret. "I... I've done so much... to so many... I... I don't know what to say... Oh, god..."

"Yes. He's finally seeing the light... Could this mean he's finally on the right path?"

"No matter how much harm you may have caused..." I sympathetically began. "No matter how many ponies you've negatively influenced... everypony deserves a chance at redemption... wouldn't you agree?" I asked, approaching him. I was confident that I'd finally set him straight.

"Yes, Twilight... I... I understand now..." he meekly concurred, never taking his crimson eyes off of me. "Thank you... for allowing me to see the error of my ways..."

"Well... you helped yourself more than I did..." I modestly rebutted.

"Now now, no need to be so humble. You're very intelligent... I underestimated your incredible genius... I... should've expected as much from Celestia's Most Faithful Student..."

"Gillian, really..." I tried to argue, honestly flattered by this sudden change in his demeanor.

"...and I've said this countless times in past meetings, but... you're very pretty... gorgeous, even..." he complimented further as he approached me, his gaze fixated on my eyes.

"Okay, that's a bit much..."

"Gillian, I'm flattered, honestly, but I..." I trailed off as he brought himself even closer to me... I tried to step back, but he seized the opportunity to take my fore hoof into his. I couldn't bring myself to look away... he seemed so... vulnerable in this state... I felt bad for him.

"You know... Ty's a lucky guy... He might not even know how lucky he is... to have someone like you..." he practically whispered as the distance between us steadily dwindled, amplifying my discomfort with his behavior.

"*Gasp* Oh my gosh... is he... is he hitting on me?? Oh, no...!"

"Yes, I'm sure he knows, which is why I intend to make sure he's the ONLY guy to have me," I dismissed, getting an idea of why he'd gone from defiant and rebellious to... to THIS in such a minuscule amount of time. Whether my hunch was correct or not, I refused to do anything of the sort with ANYONE else. In that moment, everything I'd put Ty through when I erroneously thought he'd engaged in a similar act with Fluttershy raced through my mind... How I'd confess this to him if Gillian was to have his way... How it would possibly RUIN my relationship...

And then he lunged forward. In a startled instant, I swiftly put a hoof up to stop him. I felt the slimy dampness in his lips at they connected with my hoof... It was utterly revolting... This experience was as unfathomable as it was uncomfortable... For some reason, he kept trying, which frightened me beyond belief... especially since I couldn't use my magic... I'd never been placed in such a... a perilous scenario before... and I didn't know if I was physically strong enough to hold him off... I subconsciously hoped somepony-- ANYPONY-- could simply show up and stop him before he quite possibly overpowered me...

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! This isn't happening! This is NOT happening!" Struggle as I might, I was unable to free myself from the stallion's grasp as he tried to kiss me.

"GET YOUR DISGUSTING HOOVES OFF OF HER, YOU BASTARD!!" I heard an all too familiar, yet THOROUGHLY enraged voice yell. In an instant, the stallion finally let go of me, allowing me to shove him away before my line of sight was greeted with none other than Ty... although, he'd seen MUCH happier days...

"Ty! How nice of you to j--!" Gillian tried to greet the livid human in a casual tone.

"Not...! Another...! Word...!" he menacingly growled through teeth clenched so tightly he may have been able to bite through diamond as he approached. I thought I'd seen the worst of his anger before... but nothing I'd EVER observed of him compared to this... The blood vessels in his forehead and arms protruded like he'd been fitted with wiring... His normally-chocolate brown skin had been heated to the point where he'd practically been glowing red... He'd been baring his clenched teeth as he breathed visible seething wrath through the crevices between them... His eyes... His eyes... It seemed that any semblance of white in them was replaced with a horrifying hue of pinkish crimson... and his eyebrows were more sharply arched than check marks...

"As if things could get any worse... Wait... his hand...!" As he approached us, I noticed a vial of a leafy green liquid in his right hand... but then as I caught a glimpse of his left... I saw a glow... a faint, but visible golden glow... USUALLY only emanated from a unicorn's horn... "That can't be good... What could be making that happen...?" My thought process was interrupted when he knelt down in front of me before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. I wish I could say it worked, but...

"Are you okay?" He calmly asked, much to my surprise.

"Uh, um... y-yeah... I just... I'm sorry, Ty..." I apologized, fearing he might've thought I was an active participant in that wretched, grotesque kiss attempt... "H-he just pounced on me... He tricked me when I thought I was helping him... honest..." I stammered in aggregate terror. My colt-friend's infuriated gaze showed no signs of dissipating, though... in fact, it only intensified... "Ty, really! You have to believe me! I-I would NEVER do anything to hurt you like that! I--!"

"What happened t' ya face?" he asked, throwing me off my train of thought yet again.

"...H-huh?" I stuttered, practically shaking in horror.

"What happened... to... your... face...?" He darkly enunciated as he brought his hand to my cheek. "There's a bruise here... What happened?"

"Um... I-I..." I began, but, fearing even for Gillian's safety, I faltered, unwilling to tell him... "I-I fe--!"

"He hit you... Didn't he?" I froze in an even deeper sense of shock at his deduction.

"Oh, no... The fact that I'm all frozen up ALREADY tells him he's right..."

"Y-yes..." I admitted, seeing no point in lying for the stallion who'd just tried to force himself upon me after I tried to help him. At that, Ty closed his eyes, took yet another deep, albeit shaky breath before picking himself up and walking over toward Gillian, his breath getting progressively heavy with each time he stomped a foot onto the ground.

"Y'know... you have put us through a lotta shit..." he began, trudging ever closer to the seemingly-frightened stallion.

"Y-yes, I underst--!"

"A LOT of shit..." the human reiterated. "Don't you fuckin' sit there an' tell me you understand... Cuz I don't think ya do..."

"Wellll... Heh, we do go a long way, you and I... huh?"

"And that ALL coulda been water under the bridge... Even the part where you tried t' assassinate me...!"

"O-oh come now, no one's that--!"

"If I didn't run into your EX-girlfriend cryin' her eyes out in the middle of the fuckin' woods like some filthy animal..."

"Comet??? Where'd she g--!"

"Oh, no, don't worry about her NOW...! Clearly, you don't have to... when I find your sneaky, conniving, filthy, scrawny, pencil-necked little punk ass makin' moves on another mare...! MY girlfriend, no less!"

"...I plead the fifth...?"

"You have one chance... ONE more goddamn chance! Give me a reason for it..."

"...Wha?"

"Did I STUTTER?! I said gimme a reason! Gimme a reason why you went through all this! Why you dragged that poor girl int' followin' you like this! Why you turned your back on her in the snap o' two fingers! And how... how you find the BALLS to make moves on Twilight and think for a SECOND I wouldn't find out...!" I watched in absolute horror at the sight I beheld... Ty was on the verge of possibly the biggest meltdown he'd ever had... For all I know, he could be capable of... of...

"Ty! Please, calm down!" I called, concerned for him in such a state of wrathful frustration. "Don't do--!"

"Oh, believe me, Twi... I AM calm..." he turned toward me and replied despite his face exhibiting a different message, striking me speechless.

"THIS is calm for him?? I'd hate to see him truly upset, then..." At that, I heard the sound of a horn activating. I looked past Ty to see that Gillian was planning some sort of underhanded tactic...

*crackle* "AH!" Gillian cried as Ty quickly knelt down and grabbed the stallion by his horn, thus cutting off supply to his magic. With the way the human's hand tightly squeezed onto Gillian's horn, it almost looked like he was fitting to break the appendage off... I cringed at the lurid, gruesome thought.

"Strike two, asshole. One more, and you're out. Now answer my questions..."

"Oh yeah... Um... well... y'see... I uh... I figured... that uh...!"

"All I hear is stutterin'! Spit it out! Before I wring your neck like a fat, middle-aged alcoholic would his miscreant ten-year-old son!"

"...Ya got me, honestly. I have no reason you wouldn't so righteously proclaim as 'evil' or 'wrong,'" Gillian sarcastically spat. "So with that, mighty judge, jury AND executioner, deliver unto me my oh-so-well-deserved reprimands."

"Funny..." the human dryly muttered before sighing once again to remain calm. "...But here's the deal: You drink this," he proposed, holding the vial of liquid in his hand up. "...You give up, you apologize t' everyone, you sit an' play nice like a good little piece o' sh--! *Ahem* excuse me, colt... and you go along with Celestia, fulfillin' your end o' the bargain from our tussle, an' you NEVER do this again."

"...So lemme get this straight... You're telling me to poison myself with some strange bottle of... whatever that is, pretend like I care enough about ANY of you to waste my time apologizing, then go off with that unforgiving shrew of a monarch so I can be magically castrated?"

"More or less. You don't got a lotta options. Either you do that, or I break your horn off with my bare hand not ONLY for what you tried t' pull with Twilight, but also for what you apparently did t' Comet... not t' mention what you was ABOUT t' do t' her."

"Oh, so NOW YOU care about Comet?" he shot back indignantly. "How pretentious... Please, that mare is as soft as she is ungrateful. She failed to understand what I tried to do for her, she failed at disallowing her foolish penchant for sympathy toward you from slithering in and corrupting her, and she failed at being my faithful girlfriend... Traitor..."

"How could you POSSIBLY say those things about her??" I finally yelled, disgusted by his disregard toward his partner as I approached. "After all she'd been through with you! After ALL she sacrificed FOR you! All the way down to what we talked about... And yet, you've learned nothing?"

"Of course not! There was nothing for me to learn! Except maybe that I shouldn't have wasted the time and effort to give her what I felt she deserved."

"But... how?" I asked, utterly flabbergasted at his coldness. "How could you be THIS insensitive? This... BITTER? We talked about so much... Was it all a lie?"

"Oh, no, Twilight Sparkle... Everything I told you was true to the definitive 'T.' It's just that you forgot to account for one thing..." At that, Ty and I just stared at him in total disbelief.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what..." He was LUCKY he got the jump on me before kidnapping me, because I'd have been tempted to strike him myself had my magic been functional. Despite that, I felt my horn beginning to flicker with an extremely weak stream of it, thus alerting me to his disablement spell beginning to wear off.

"...and that thing is this..." he continued without prodding. "My cunning..."

"Your cunning...?"

"Why do you think I was suddenly paying you all those sweet little namby-pamby compliments after I had you thinking you'd miraculously reformed me?"

"Wha...?" And then it hit me. He hadn't been letting me help him at all... He'd only pretended to drop his guard... to come to the realization that he was wrong... All so he could... "So your plan all along from the moment Comet stormed off was... to trick me into...?" I couldn't stomach the thought as I mentally retched in abhorrence.

"Not entirely. I was honestly just trying to see how far you were gonna let me go with you. Heh, I actually thought I had you, too. I do say, I admire your commitment to this guy, even after hearing my sob story," he lauded, although it only came across as a BITING insult.

"...Ty, let go of him," I requested, trying to keep my composure.

"What? Why would I do that?" he asked, expectantly unwilling. "He's only gonna try some cheap tactic t' screw us over!"

"I have something to get off my chest with him... and I'd prefer to talk to him on even terms rather than with him being under the threat of violence."

"Oh, really?" Gillian taunted. "I'd actually stay just long enough to hear this..."

"I... I refuse. He CANNOT be trusted," Ty negated once more.

"Let... him... go... now!" I raised my voice, my patience dwindling. Nevertheless, Ty raised an eyebrow at me, quite possibly judging the quality of my request. I couldn't blame him, but I also needed to fully comprehend the actions and motives of the stallion.

"Hm... If you say so, but if I hear anything I don't like--!"

"Yes, yes, we'll deal with him accordingly. Now let him go..." I respectfully requested. The human complied despite showing a bit of reluctance, letting the grip of his fingers loosen from the stallion's horn. Taking precautionary measures, he stayed very close to Gillian, seemingly ready to pounce at any sign of him trying any funny business. I trotted up to Gillian, feeling an urgent need to discuss with him the severity of playing with someone's emotions.

"Eyes like a HAWK, Gillian...!" Ty forewarned, pointing two fingers toward his irritated eyes, then pointing them at Gillian.

"Yeah, I'm so sure... Ease up a little, why don'tcha? I know when I'm in a bind."

"Hmph! For your sake, I hope you also know not t' try findin' a way outta this one like you did before...!"

"Yeah, sure... So anyway, Ms. Sparkle... I take it you're not too pleased with almost playing into my little ruse?" he asked in an air of cockiness I greatly loathed.

"That was low, Gillian... VERY low..." I began. "How could you? Have you NO shame? How do you think Comet would react if she knew how little you thought of her in a time of strife? She cared for you... trusted you... and dare I say it... she LOVED you... and yet, you find it THIS easy to abandon everything you've shared with her?"

"Hmph... Not like it matters now... She already left me. Other than that, you and she are a lot alike; thinking you can change the truly volatile, destructive nature of a creature as despicable as a human being... That by falling in 'love' with one or by talking things out with one, you're gaining some sort of understanding of how they function... how they receive, interpret, and reciprocate things in the world around them... That's the main reason Comet and I were together so long, now that I think of it... Because she obliviously held onto that misguided hope that she could make me a better person by showing me that there was some brighter, albeit much less realistic outlook to adopt... I already warned her that humans were pitifully hopeless creatures, but she insisted on there being some slim shred of good in any of them; me included. That's likely why she was so easily swayed by this guy..." he assumed, nudging his head toward Ty. "It's also probably how YOU two are with your relationship... Isn't it?"

His rebuttal left me almost completely stunned. The hopeless tone in his voice... The manner in which he could just dismiss his bond with Comet as some foalish conception of faith in change... The apparent disdain he harbored toward his native race... I was also taken aback by his assumption that my relationship was anywhere near similar to his...

"...You think I'm with him because I feel sorry for him? That the ENTIRE basis of our relationship is something as easily flexible as sympathy? Well you're wrong... Horribly wrong... and it sickens me to know that you thought I'd be swooned by your story to the point where you thought I'd betray him at a moment's glance. I'm sorry for your troubles and for your apparent hatred for human beings, but using that to prey upon someone's feelings the way you tried to do to me... it's outright vile. I'd hate to imagine if that were the case with Comet Gazer... And another thing: there's a lot more that goes into a relationship than simply sharing mutual emotions about hardship..."

"Yeah, yeah, affection, passion, tolerance, acceptance of differences, yada yada... That's what Comet believed, too... and for a while, I DID consider adopting that ideology... until I realized what a weakling it would've made me. Why bother doing all that when I could just have a beautiful mare who could understand my background, therefore do whatever she could in her power to make me feel like I'm worth something?"

"Because if you don't return the feelings the two of you should've shared, your relationship won't last! Comet's a pony, too! She has the same wants and needs that you do! If it wasn't for your scheme to take over Saddle Arabia OR the one you tried pulling off here, how long do you think your relationship with her would've lasted?"

"Don't you feed me that 'what-if' scenario drivel," he shot back. "If she REALLY cared for me, she would've--! ACK!!" he was cut off abruptly, as if something had been caught in his throat... or should I say, around it. I caught the sight of Ty's hand, which had been previously wrapped around Gillian's horn, now firmly coiling itself around the stallion's neck.

"I've had it..." he mumbled, trying what seemed to be his absolute hardest not to lose his composure.

"Ty! Let him go!" I pleaded.

"No," he calmly refused. "He's said enough, and he clearly has nothin' o' value t' talk about. I'm done. No more talkin', no more negotiations, no more... i'ss time t' end this."

"What are you saying...?" I warily asked, fearing what he was planning on doing.

"I'm sayin' that tha'ss what got him t' try an' kill me when he lost that bet. Tha'ss also what got him t' think he would get away with kidnappin' you. And he jus' helped me realize that tha'ss what got him t' string Comet along for as long as he's been doin'."

"What did?"

"Chances. He's been given too many chances, and never learned his lesson. Well I learn from my mistakes... and I learned that there are times where someone just uses so many chances, and does nothin' but harm with each and every single one that they become undeservin' of another one..." with that, his other hand reached toward the potion he'd set onto the ground.

"Then what do you plan on doing to him??"

"Before you worry, this potion will only nullify his magic indefinitely. Nothin' more; at least, tha'ss what Zecora told me. After that, we take him back t' town, where we can wait for Celestia t' come so SHE can figure out what t' do with him. I personally think he's beyond any help you tried t' offer him."

"Oh..." I mentally breathed a sigh in relief that Ty still had some sense of reason left in his anger. Though, I still felt a bit unsure about him forcing Gillian to consume a potion that would impede his use of magic. Not to mention I somewhat disagreed with his analysis of Gillian's aptitude for reform. "Don't you think you're giving up on him a bit soon, though? I mean, everypony has at least SOME will to change for the better... It's unfair to say that he doesn't."

"I'm not sayin' that, Twi. I'm sayin' that there's nothin' we in particular can say t' him t' change his mind. Not in such a short amount o' time, anyway. Only Celestia has that kinda time an' patience..." With that, he turned toward the stallion he held firmly in his grasp. "You're comin' with us, an' you're not gonna do ONE more thing to anyone else. Time for your medicine, Gillian..."

"...Not if I... ack!... Have a... say in it...!" With that, the other unicorn's horn began taking on a faint silver glow, prompting the human to try and pull the cork out of the vial with his teeth. Before he could manage it, however, Gillian proved to be faster as he delivered a small shock to the arm Ty was practically strangling him with, forcing the human to jerk back, inadvertently releasing the stallion from his grasp.

"Oh no..."

"Ah...!" Ty grunted in pain as he dropped the vial.

"Sorry, gotta run! We'll have this talk never again!" With that, the cowardly stallion ran off into the woods.

"DrrrrRRRGH!! That TEARS IT!!! I am gonna shove this entire vial so far down his goddamn THROAT!!!!" And with that violent remark, Ty picked up the vial of potion and immediately took off right behind him. Urgently needing to put a stop to this, yet still under the slowly-fleeting effect of the disablement spell, I sprinted off after them, hoping to Celestia that I was able to catch up to them...

"If I don't get to them and SOON, things are gonna get REALLY ugly...! Legs, don't fail me now!"

"Jeez... I've been all OVER the place and I haven't seen them..." I mumbled to myself. I was so far ahead of those two. I covered FAR more ground than they did... It just didn't add up as to why I hadn't found Twilight already... at least, until I heard some rustling through the bushes nearby. RIGHT when I was about to check, something-- or should I say, SomePONY-- came sprinting out of it, startling me.

"Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit, ohshit, ohshit!!" The pony kept chanting, rushing off in a hurry. It didn't take me long to recognize the pony as Gillian. What confused me though, is why he was bolting through the forest like he was being chased by a monster... I was about to take off and try to catch him when something else came rushing through the bushes.

"I WILL END YOU!!! DO YOU HEAR ME!!??" Speaking of monsters, another voice came from the direction I saw Gillian run from. Half a sec later, I saw this HUGE brownish-red blur zip right past me. If I didn't know better, then I say that was...

"...Ty?"

"Rainbow Dash!!" yet ANOTHER voice called to me; except THIS time, its owner stopped as soon as they saw me. Who I saw actually filled me with excitement and relief, though. I almost jumped for joy as I tackled Twilight to the ground, hugging her.

"Twi! You're okay!" I cheered as I picked her up, still embracing my best friend as I relished in the moment of seeing her unharmed.

"Yes, it's nice to see you too, but we don't have time to celebrate!" the purple unicorn urgently declared as she broke away from my grasp.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked, wanting to know why she was suddenly so frantic.

"Come on!" she commanded, pulling me along as she got a running start. Saving her the effort, I took flight at about the same pace as her galloping.

"Why the hurry, Twilight? You seem--!"

"Did you see Ty and/or Gillian pass by you?" she abruptly asked.

"Yeah... both of 'em, actually... but I--!"

"And did you see how angry Ty was when he passed by?"

"Hardly... I barely recognized him. He practically flew right by me. While we're on the subject, why's he so worked up?? He told me he was gonna try and stay calm!"

"Well THAT flew out the window when Gillian aggravated him! And now I fear we might be on the precipice of a HUGE controversy regarding our human friend!"

"Jeez... And here I was, thinking he was more level-headed than that... He's no better than I am..."

"Oh, boy..." I mumbled in wonder before I realized something. "Hey wait... You didn't happen to see Fluttershy with him, did you?"

"No... Why?"

"I sent her with him to help look for you when we came here. Did he mention anything about her?"

"Not to my knowledge... but he DID allude to finding Comet Gazer somewhere nearby crying... If Fluttershy was with him at that time, then maybe he reassigned her with watching over her?" Twilight suggested.

"...It's possible..." I agreed, though I suddenly got a horrible feeling in my gut regarding my friend. "...but I don't think I wanna take any chances if Fluttershy's somewhere in the Everfree Forest by herself... and I DEFINITELY don't wanna take a chance if she's alone with that shady Comet mare..." I thought about it for a second before I made my decision. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go look for her."

"Are you sure? I could definitely use your assistance catching up to these two..." Twi asked, seeming to really need my help.

"I would, but I need to know if Fluttershy's safe first. ESPECIALLY if Comet's with her. I don't trust that Comet mare in the least...!"

"Don't worry," I assured, although feeling a bit torn about what to do. "I'll be back to help you in a flash! I just want to make sure Fluttershy's okay..."

"...Alright, then. I suppose I'll be seeing you in a bit."

"You can count on it, Twi," I confirmed as I prepared to split off with her. "In the meantime, good luck trying to catch up with them." With that vote of confidence toward the unicorn, I instantaneously changed direction to look for my fellow pegasus...

"Must... Capture... Must... Subdue...! Must... KILL!" As I heatedly chased the unicorn stallion, we'd made our way out of the forest and into a sizable meadow as the sun shined almost blindingly in the presumably-early-afternoon sky. The stark contrast between the opaque beams of sunlight projected through the canopy of the forest and the near-translucent glow of the celestial star in the open Ponyville landscape nearly threw my vision off, forcing me to squint a bit as I hunted down the object of my insurmountable aggression. It also didn't help that I'd begun feeling sporadic sharp pains in random areas around my body that would disappear as quickly as they manifested during my chase. I took little to no time to consider what it meant, as my quest for vengeance was at its highest point.

"Hey!" The stallion called as we bulleted toward town. "Somepony help me! This lunatic alien is trying to--! NO!" As he tried to gain some help from the townsfolk, I managed to catch up enough to tackle him. We got into a quick wrestling match, during which I managed to pin him to the ground, my hands wrapped around his neck.

"Why you little...!" I growled before I started flexing my fingers around his neck like a stress ball. It didn't last long before he managed to brutally kick me in the chest with both his hind legs, forcing me off of him before he got up and took off again. Recovering almost immediately and shrugging off the throbbing pain, I sprinted after him. A short while later, we ran into town, where we crossed paths with Applejack with Spike riding atop her back. In a moment of unprecedented agility, he made a sharp left as the duo had just seen him. Not taking the time to greet my allies, I turned right after him.

"There's no use runnin'!!" I shouted. "Jus' take your punishment and GIVE UP!!" I shouted, losing my breath along with what little patience I had left. Stubbornly, the stallion made a sharp right, passed a few more buildings, then cut left into an alleyway shortly after. I was quick to take an alternative path in an attempt to cut the fucker off and capture him. However, when I reached the opposite end of the lane, he was nowhere to be seen.

"DAMMIT!!" I mentally cursed, wondering where he could've gone. "He's gonna take this damn potion whether he likes it or not!!" Not wasting time to sit and think in my rage, I prepared to take off before...

"Ty!" I heard someone call. I turned around to see Twilight, accompanied by Applejack and Spike. "He didn't get far, did he?" asked the lavender unicorn.

"No, but he was JUST here a second ago...! I had him, too...!" I relayed to them.

"Darn...!"

"Maybe we should split up again and look?" Applejack suggested. "If that varmint's anywhere around here, then we're bound t' catch 'im if we comb around here."

"Sounds like as good an idea as any..." I concurred.

"Okay, but I'm warning you, Ty... Do NOT lose your temper!" Twilight urged, to which I simply nodded, despite the opposite being on the brink of happening. With that, I saw the two mares and the dragon take off in separate directions while I made absolutely sure that Gillian wasn't hiding in the alleyway somewhere. I checked the two empty trashcans sitting at opposite ends of the aisle and saw nothing. Assuming he got away, I prepared to bolt in no particular direction, my search now blind before...

"Oy! 'Ello there, mista!" called someone with a cockney accent and a high pitch in their voice. I stopped dead in my tracks to turn and be greeted by a foal; a colt with a vanilla cream-colored coat that had splotches of chocolate brown (or was it the other way around...?), brown hair and eyes, and a Straight-Outta-London accent.

"Hey, kid. I can't talk right, now, I'm kinda in the middle o' somethin'..." I dismissed as I was about to continue my hunt.

"Are ya lookin' fer a stallion?" he asked, instantly catching my attention. "A unicohn wit' black 'air an' scary red ois?"

"Uh, y-yea...?" I confirmed, baffled by the accuracy of his description. "Did ya see 'im?"

"Righty-o, I did! 'E's right ova theh!" the colt pointed to my left, where I saw none other than the bastard I was looking for, trying to tip toe his way out of the area before spotting me looking dead at him. Of course, he took off like a rocket at the sight of me.

"Okay, now he's on some Looney Tunes shit...! Gonna put a stop t' that!" I figured he must've teleported out of the alley once he entered it in order to fake me out, which backfired thanks to this upstanding colt.

"Thanks, kid!"

"The name's Pipsqueak, mista monkey-mohnsta, suh! Glad ta be of suhvice!" At that remark, I cringed a bit.

"Monkey? *sigh* Whatever..."

"Yeah thanks!" I graciously praised the foal as I took off. "I'll be sure t' repay the favor if I run int' ya at a better time!" I hollered toward Pipsqueak, waving as I picked up the pace to catch up to Gillian. I needed to hurry, too. These unusual shocks of pain were growing steadily more frequent, and I was tiring myself out, which only served to augment my towering frustration as time passed on...

"Fluttershy! If you can hear me, then call my name!" I shouted as I scoured a portion of the Everfree Forest looking for my friend. So far, I'd come up with nothing, which didn't worry me TOO much... just confused me a little... because y'know, worrying is for the weak. And that's TOTALLY not the Rainbow Dash way. Nope... Not at all. Nuh uh. Not me. No Way, Pon-ay!... *sigh* Okay, maybe I was a LITTLE worried. There, I said it. I'm not afraid to admit it. But not THAT much!

Anyway, I searched for a bit longer despite not having a clue where the timid mare could've vanished off to...

"Hmm... I've got it! Maybe I should just head to her house and try looking for tracks there that lead into the forest! I'll TOTALLY be able to find her that way!" With that ingenious idea, I blasted off out of the forest's abundantly leafy canopy and in no time at all, I made it to Fluttershy's cottage.

"Alright. Now I begin searching for clues... Shouldn't be too hard. Then again, I assume Fluttershy would've been flying, so I guess I'll look for marking patterns in the dirt that DON'T look like pony hooves..."

"Hi, Rainbow Dash," somepony called from behind me as I was beginning my investigation.

"Hey, Fluttershy," I passively greeted without paying much attention to the other pony, but recognizing her voice.

"Did... you lose something near here? What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Fluttersh... Wait a second..." I mumbled as I realized EXACTLY who I was talking to. I spun around and took a good look at the pony: Yellow coat, wings, long pink mane, greenish-blue eyes... Yep! Everything checked out. "Fluttershy!" I shouted, grabbing the other pegasus by her shoulders. "I've been looking ALL OVER for you!"

"Me?" she asked, seeming just a bit thrown off. "Why? I thought you were looking for--!"

"I was, but then I saw Ty chasing after Gillian, followed by Twilight."

"You saw them??" she asked, suddenly alert to the situation. "How are they doing? Is everypony okay? Twilight's not hurt, is she? What about--?"

"Yeah I did. They're alright... minus Ty chasing after Gillian like an angry dog after the mailpony. Twilight looked more or less the same."

"Oh...! I'm glad Twilight is okay, but Ty is chasing after Mr. Gillian now? And he's angry? That sounds just terrible! Where are they now?"

"Most likely in town. I didn't see you with Ty earlier, so I figured you two split up to cover more ground. But then I heard you might've been with that Comet mare..."

"Yes, she's inside right now."

"She is? What is she doing with you? Wait, she isn't trying anything fishy with you, is she?" I asked, ready to take action if necessary.

"Ty sent me to look after her after she told us where to find Twilight. And no, she's not doing anything suspicious. She and Mr. Gillian separated and she's not taking it very well. I've been trying to help her feel better since we got back here, but she's really torn up about him..."

"Separated?" I asked, a little surprised by the statement. "You mean like, they...?"

"Broke up," Fluttershy finished, which shocked me just a bit more.

"Wow. That stinks, I guess. But we need to get going. The others are in town, and Gillian could be anywhere! If she can, Comet should come along with us."

"...I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a very good idea..." she declined.

"What?? Why??"

"She's in no mood to help anypony right now. She's incredibly upset, and the last thing I would want to do is make her help look for the same pony that broke her heart."

"Yeah, but we'll need as much help as we--!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow... but I think I'll stay here to try and make Comet feel better. Maybe we'll join you a little later... if she feels like it, that is..."

"A-are you sure? I mean, you don't know if she could be trying to--!"

"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy sternly interrupted. "I don't know her very well, but I DO know that she's genuinely in a lot of pain right now. The best thing for me to do is to help her feel a little better before Princess Celestia takes her and Gillian away." At that, we sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Huh... She's pretty dead-set on this. If she's this sure, then I guess it'd be pointless to argue. Not like we have the time for it, anyway..."

"...Sometimes, I question the extent of your kindness, Fluttershy..." I admitted in concern for her. "...but hey, if you could reform Discord, then I don't suppose there's a reason to doubt that you can get Comet to come along and help."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, but my job is to help her feel better; not make her do anything she might not want to. Whether she wants to help look for Gillian or not is her choice."

"Yeah, I understand..."

"Sort of..."

"I should be taking off, then," I said, flaring my wings and preparing to fly into town to help look for Gillian. "See ya later! And be careful!"

"Good luck, Rainbow Dash!" the kindly mare replied. "I'll be sure to come along and help everypony if I can!" I smirked and nodded toward her before taking flight to rejoin the others in the chase...

"Why... do you have t' be... so damn STUBBORN!?" I shouted in a fit of full-fledged anger as we ran through the town's shopping plaza.

"I'm not trying to lose my magic capabilities, that's why! Now get off my tail!" with that, the stallion shot a blast of magic at me, which I narrowly dodged. The awkward last-second maneuver sent me hurtling off-balance before...

"AWW, SHI--!" *CRASH!!* *BOOM!!* *BANG!!* *[insert more sounds that imply a violent collision here]* I barreled into one of the stands, obliterating the structure like a human cannonball. Feeling none too hurt, yet ALL the more frustrated, I gingerly rose out of the rubble and continued my chase posthaste. Despite being set back a few feet, I still had him locked in my sight as he hadn't gotten too far away from me just yet.

"Hey!! You're gonna pay for this!!" I heard the proprietor of what was left of the stand grumpily shout at me.

"I'm sure I am, but now ain't the time...!"

"Stop... CHASING me!! You're... never... going to... get me!" Gillian yelled, the fatigue becoming evident in the heavy, raspy breaks between words in his speech. Ignoring his request, I sped up as much as I could, kicking things into high gear, which sent even more frequent shocks of pain rattling through my body, to the point where I'd found myself clutching my explosively achy right side with my left hand as I sprinted after him.

I chased him all around town trying to get him. We'd run into a few of the other ponies involved in his dastardly plot; none of whom I'd managed to properly greet in my UTMOST desire to put an end to this pestering, manipulative rodent of a terrorist once and for all. Though I'd merely caught glimpses of them as I trailed the stallion, I was almost positive that I had Twilight and some of the others, as well as a few of the miscellaneous townsponies following distantly behind me. Gillian and I were rapidly losing steam as I hounded him. As we slowed our pace, he'd started haphazardly shooting magic blasts into the wild in my general direction in more feeble attempts to slow me down enough for him to lose me. I wasn't having it, so I kept my persistence and did my best to avoid the poorly-aimed shots until...

*ZAP* *CRASH* "NO!!" One of his blasts managed to strike the vial of potion Zecora gave me to subdue him. I stopped in my tracks, watching in devastation as the shards of glass scattered across the ground I stood on. That moment of absolute disappointment in my failure to carry out my objective became the straw that broke the camel's back as I helplessly watched the remnants of the liquid run free from my hand alongside the glass that formerly contained it... Seeming to have heard the shattering of the vial, Gillian finally stopped and turned to marvel at his most recent triumph, albeit while raggedly breathing, most of his stamina just as drained from the chase as mine was.

"Ha! Hah... Hah... Whatever that was...! That poison...! It's... useless now..." He taunted, much to my fury as I clenched the fist that held the potion tightly, growling like a feral wolf at the fact that he'd just trumped me yet again...

"You... son of a...!!" I grumbled, getting progressively angrier by the second and clenching my fists with enough pressure that I probably could've crushed a pineapple in my grasp as I glared at him with the intensity of a thousand laser beams... In my fist, I noticed a golden, transparent glow... That glow... It was the same one I'd seen when I recovered from his preemptive strike prior to this ridiculous, ludicrous chase back at Twilight's house... but it got brighter in my trembling grasp... Hotter... Stronger... Heavier... just like my breathing. "I'm sick of this...! " I growled under my breath. "Sick and tired...!"

"What in the name of...?" Gillian muttered in total astonishment. He was joined by a crowd of astounded spectators who took in a collective gasp of shock and wonder at the phenomenon...

"What... is this...?" I could neither figure out what the luminescent golden glow in my hand was, nor could I figure out why or how it had brought itself there... but what I DID know... was that I was thoroughly fed up with this entire ordeal. I wanted this situation to end... Immediately... I wanted Gillian to get what he rightfully deserved for everything he'd done... Whatever this was in my hand... However it conjured itself up in the palm of my trembling hand... I didn't even ponder it. All that crossed my mind was possibly throwing it at him...! So, on a wild, dangerously reckless impulse, I cocked my arm back, ready to fling the arcane light at him like a fiery baseball that burned brightly with every ounce of stress, anger, and despair I'd built up in the last three days...

"WAIT!! Don't do it!!" someone screamed. I ignored them as I slowly staggered toward the stallion, my sights set on him like a sniper's. He said nothing as he backed away, seeming to be trying to charge his horn to no avail as the accursed thing fizzled out on him, telling me he was out of juice. Rather than take pity on him, I only bared my teeth, scowling at his attempt to defend himself. But then I took one good look at his face... the fear... the painfully obvious look of sheer terror on his face as he seemed to be out of options... Not one more dirty trick to get out of the hot vengeance he was about to be dealt. As I stood there, the arm holding this strange, enigmatic composition of heat and light fully prepped to catapult the thing at him, I actually managed to gain just a few short seconds of ration...

"Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to do this... I don't know what this is, but..."

"FINISH HIM!" And that was all the thought I gave it.

"Tyshawn, Don't you DARE!!" Someone else with a much more prominent voice shouted, seemingly from the sky. I was oblivious, however as all sound seemed to drown out... Except for the sound of my animalistic shout... The beaming sound of the strange, yet glorious golden light as it left my hand... The definitive *ZAP!!* it made when it made contact with its intended target... The sight of the stallion I SO very much wanted captured as he flashed for a literal second before being flung back from the sheer force of the resulting miniature explosion... His cry of anguish... Oh, how I vindictively relished in the sound of the pain I felt he so rightfully deserved... Then it was over. All of my senses returned to normal as I stood there, panting heavily as if I'd just run an extra ten miles in addition to the presumable twenty I'd run in just this day alone.

"Why would you do that!?" I heard Twilight scold as she ran up next to me. "How DID you do that!??" She demanded an explanation that I unfortunately couldn't give. So I said nothing as my facial expression softened up from anger to fatigue-riddled regret as I turned to look down at her. The instant I locked eyes with her, my heart sank with a voracious flurry of guilt and shame. Growing steadily weaker by the second, I dropped to a knee, for some reason unable to catch my breath as my chest began to ache like I'd been the victim of a TERRIBLE Falcon Punch. Alongside that, pains I'd not felt since Celestia healed me began to resurface... An UNBEARABLE, vicious migraine that felt as if someone dropped an anvil on my head... The feelings of rips, tears, and internal lacerations in all of my limbs like I'd been mauled by a Siberian tiger... The complete loss of energy to the point where I could barely hold myself up, much less breathe correctly... It was like someone had forcibly ripped the life right out of me after beating me senseless...

"Are... are you okay...?" Twilight's tone instantly changed from one of disapproval to one of heavy concern as she watched me crumple over on the ground in horrible, nightmarish, searing pain as I tried desperately to catch my breath; my heavy breathing steadily descending into ragged, struggling rasps as if I'd had asthma.

"N-no...!" I choked out as I was overwhelmed by the tormenting, relentless inferno of bodily despair. This must've been what Hell felt like... "It hurts... Everything... hurts...!" Next thing I knew, someone had landed in front of me with a prominent *THUMP* of her hooves on the dirt in front of me. I, using what little strength I had left, managed to slowly pull my head up and see the INCREDIBLY disapproving face of none other than Equestria's widely-revered leader, Celestia. She had needed to say nothing... I knew just from the look on her face that I done goofed... Big time...

"Sorry, Twilight... I shoulda listened to you... And... Sorry... Fluttershy... I guess... I..." And with that, my entire body was ROCKED with a sudden, explosive wave of physical anguish; only this time, it had failed to dissipate. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was Celestia's disappointed glare changing to one of shock before I fell over on the ground and lost consciousness...

Aftermath... (Pt. 1)

I watched in a whirlwind of confusion, horror, and shock as I saw my colt-friend pass out at Celestia's hooves. I... I didn't know what to say... what to think... All I knew was that I'd just observed, for the first time in our ENTIRE time together... that he somehow used magic...

"WHOA! What just happened??" somepony called from the sky. I looked up to see Rainbow Dash, seeming just as alarmed as I was, quickly making her way down to observe.

"My word..." Another voice commented from behind me. Rarity, followed by Lyra, Zecora, A.J. Spike, and Pinkie. Each of them gathered around, collective expressions of complete stupefaction on their faces to match my own.

"P-Princess...?" I weakly called to my mentor. "Wh... what just...?"

"It is as I feared. He was goaded into utilizing the magic I healed him with... and was further persuaded into attacking Gillian with it..." Her explanation of her premonition only served to befuddle me further. 'As she feared?'

"But... y-you... knew about this?"

"I did to an extent... However, I only knew about there being side effects to the spell I used to heal him. I didn't know what particular effects would occur because of it... I wish I'd have made it a priority to warn you in advance..."

"What...? What do you--?"

"You deserve an explanation, but it cannot be delivered to you at this time, my student. For now, we draw this situation to a veritable close. Can you use your magic?" Rather than answer her right away, I tried to focus energy into my horn. Unfortunately, all I got was a insignificant fizzle that died out faster than it formed.

"No... Gillian's disablement spell still binds my ability..."

"I see... May I ask that you close your eyes and lower your head? I will see if I can lift the effects of the spell from you." Wordlessly, I complied, doing exactly what she asked. I heard her horn activate and just a few seconds later, its tip touched the tip of my own horn. The instant contact was made, a rush of serene warmth enshrouded me. Before I knew it, a sudden influx of energy introduced itself to me. Celestia then pulled her horn away from mine, allowing me to open my eyes and look back up at her. "Now try focusing your energy once more." I did so, and surprisingly found that my magic was back up to par.

"Yes, it works. Thank you, Your Highness."

"It is my pleasure. But now we must move. I ask that you take Ty with you and look over him while I deal with our other pressing matter..." she said, turning to look at Gillian, who'd been knocked unconscious; his coat blackened in various places and smoldering from the impact of the blast he took. Taking that into consideration, I formed a thought...

"She must've used QUITE a lot of magic to heal him... Is it possible he forced it all out when he attacked...? And... just HOW badly was he injured for her to use so much...?" Keeping my questions in mind, I walked over to the human, feeling terrible for his critical condition, as well as flabbergasted by his attack. I made sure he was still breathing when I carefully brought one of my hooves to his face. The faint, light bursts of air making their way in and out of his nostrils told me he was still alive, bringing me some sense of relief.

"Oh, Ty... I..." I faltered, saddened by the state of the human. Why did it have to come to THIS?

"Before you depart, Twilight... may I ask where Ms. Gazer is located?"

"I... I have no idea... She and Gillian got into an argument while they were hiding me in the forest... She stormed off after Gillian cut his ties with her..."

"She's with Fluttershy..." Rainbow spoke up. "Fluttershy told me Comet was crying in the woods and that Ty told her to bring her out of the forest to comfort her."

"I see... I must ask you to retrieve her for me, then. I shall take Gillian to the Ponyville Hospital to be checked for injuries before I take them back to Canterlot to deliver unto them their punishment. We must move quickly."

"But..." I spoke up. "Wouldn't it be safe to take Ty to the hospital as well?"

"Much as I'd like to, nopony here is more familiar with the structure of the human body than you are, which is why I'm requesting that you take him with you. I'd go with you, but I need to make absolutely sure no more unnecessary situations are created in the wake of him being left unattended. I'm also... wary about using magic to repair Ty's injuries once more after this most recent display, but it is our only plausible option as of yet. If you are to magically soothe his pain, do so with caution."

"Yes, Princess..."

"It's almost over, my student..." the elegant Alicorn consoled as she trotted over to lay a hoof upon my cheek. I managed to fight back my somber displeasure enough to look up at her and force a small grin. However, she didn't smile back; she seemed concerned.

"You may want to take a look at your cheek. It seems notably discolored and swollen," she advised, reminding me of everything that happened in the Everfree Forest not too long ago. That was enough for me to lose my smile as I gazed up at my teacher, which she seemed to have read as a sign to move things along.

"Let us move," the Sun Princess ordered as she stepped away from me to pick up the incapacitated stallion.

"...Right..." With that, I placed my hoof on Ty's back and charged up my horn, ready to take him home.

"Wait... Twilight?" asked Spike.

"Yes, sweetie?" I replied, the building sorrow becoming evident in my wavering tone. I even called Spike outside of his name, which is something I'd rarely do unless I was completely distraught.

"Do... do you want me to go with you?" he asked, seeming to already sense that I was about to lose myself in a torrent of sadness.

"...No, that's okay," I declined, thoroughly shaken. "...I-I think you'd... be better off going with the others... to get Comet..." I stuttered, my pent-up emotions beginning to get the better of me.

"Are you sure...? I mean..."

"Yes, Spike. I... I just need a bit of time alone with him..." I said, my distress becoming steadily more evident as my voice involuntarily wavered, a lump in my throat forming in mere seconds. I knew it wasn't an adequate time to vent my emotions out, though... I still had a mission to accomplish. Crying would only serve to distract me, so I withheld the fragile dam of tears with all the mental strength I could.

"Y'know... We're all here for ya... If'in ya need us..." A.J. nobly let me know.

"I know... Thank you..." and with that, I cast a teleportation spell that sent the human and I back home...

*POOF*

I hurriedly brought the human back to the library, hoping to the high heavens he was still okay. With his limp body in the grasp of my levitation spell, I brought him to lie face-up on the floor beside my bed, all the while I was trying very hard not to lose myself in a torrent of distraught despondence over the fact that he'd apparently reopened wounds that Celestia repaired. Once I had him situated, I cast a spell that allowed me to, in a sense, scan his anatomy for any abnormalities in the functions and structure of his body. As I searched his body for what wounds needed mending, I grew increasingly worried, driven almost into a state of anxiety over what I'd seen...

"My gosh... He's been ripped to shreds...! Torn ligaments and muscles all over the place... A hairline fracture in his rib... Sprains in his left shoulder, both wrists, and both of his ankles... Then there's his organs... His heartbeat is slow... almost TOO slow... His lungs... He's breathing irregularly... as if it actually hurts him to simply take in air... Still, I can pick up extremely faint traces of Celestia's magic in him, which means he didn't use ALL of it, but came dangerously close... Still, exactly HOW much magic did it take to fix you, Ty...? And how much worse could it have been if Princess Celestia didn't arrive when she did this morning...?" After some time to gather my heavily grief-burdened thoughts, I began working to the best of my ability to fix him... Although, given the severity of his injuries, I wasn't exactly sure of how much I could do for him...

My magic, while plentiful, I didn't think would be enough to completely cure him of his pain. I didn't have that much experience with spells that dealt with the healing of bodily injuries. At this point in time, I was, at most, able to heal minor injuries such as cuts, bruises, and minor sprains. I could also tone down the pain factor in more severe ailments as the healing process took its natural course. I was, by NO credible means a doctor, and this particular scenario would prove to test the limits of my ability. I hypothesized that the most I could've done for the human was either fix his most taxing injuries, but run the risk of exhausting myself trying to minimize the discomfort of the others, or ration exactly how much energy was going into each injury, thus stabilizing him, but not fully rejuvenating him in any specific area...

Without Princess Celestia's assistance, I had very little leeway in what to I could do for him. However, given that the hospital here has never accounted for something like this AND that the Princess was forced to keep watch over Gillian so as to avoid any further conflict, I had to do my best to at least bring my lover into a state of stability...

Nonetheless I calmed myself with a deep, quiet, quaky breath and began, starting with his irregular breathing and dangerously sluggish heartbeat.

"Okay... I'll do my best for you, honey... I-I promise... I hope to Celestia you'll be okay..." I worriedly muttered to the unconscious human as his body was illuminated with a similar signature to my horn. I had my work cut out for me, but I was determined to at the very least, stabilize his condition. As I commenced this unexpected, unnerving procedure, thoughts began running through my mind about what could have happened throughout this entire weekend... How different scenarios would have played out if different measures were taken... If different mindsets were implemented... What would happen if I were unable to...

"NO!" I venomously chided myself for thinking the worst at a time like this. "He's going to be alright. He HAS to be...! I can do this... I-I... I can... Just hang in there..." As that thought ran through my scattered mind, my eyes welled up with liquid as I locked my gaze on Ty... I needed to clear my mind if I was going to help him. Doubting myself in a time of hardship was the last thing I needed... Despite my resolve, I accidentally allowed myself a moment of weakness as the lump in my throat increased in size as I exhaled. Before I realized it, my cheeks were suddenly stained with the wetness of my own tears as I magically operated on him...

"Please don't go, Ty... PLEASE...?"

...

...

...Huh?? Oh, my turn now? Didn't think I'd get another go at this narrating thing, but alright.

"Things have gotten WAY out of hoof lately..." Lyra commented as we headed toward Fluttershy's cottage.

"Tell me about it..." I agreed. "I'm still wondering how Ty could've used magic..."

"Princess Celestia already warned us of the horrible side effects of the spell she cast on him..." Rarity answered.

"Yeah, but for the side effect to be that he could actually use it to take down Gillian?"

"However, it was at a cost; it seemed that all his strength was lost," Zecora added in, making a good point.

"So I'm guessin' what we can figure is that however much magic the Princess used t' patch 'im up, he used every last bit of t' knock ol' Gillian fer a loop or two..." Applejack deduced. "After that, Ty musta passed out from exhaustion..."

"That's what it looked like," Spike agreed. The rest of us gave our signs of agreement on the statement as well.

"What about Twilight, though...?" Lyra commented, seeming a bit upset. "I mean, how awful can it be for her to have gone through everything she's dealt with?"

"Indeed, both of them have had a rather hard time. From Twilight undergoing her heat cycle, to everything we as a whole had to deal with in regard to that incorrigible duo..." Rarity continued.

"Hey, that reminds me... Could somepony PLEASE tell me what this 'heat' thing is?" Spike chose the worst time to ask.

"NO!!" Everypony else shouted.

"Okay okay, jeez..."

"My apologies, Spike..." Rarity apologized. "But it's simply not an appropriate time to tell you about such a... racy, complicating, taxing issue... Like I said before, you'll get to understand such a concept when you're older."

"Right..."

"Indeed," she replied before looking somewhere else in thought. "I can only wonder if our human companion will be okay... I heard him mention something about every part of his body hurting as he crumpled over in front of Princess Celestia..."

"I'm not sure..." I answered. "If it really IS true he used up all the energy he had and wound up undoing everything the Princess did to heal him, then how bad could it have been?"

"Well... when ya think about how outright awful he looked after Gillian hurt him with that under-hooved attack before Celestia came..." Lyra reasoned. "It's only a wonder that the Princess showed up when she did..."

"I must say that with Lyra, I concur," inserted Zecora. "Without her appearance, something awful may have spurred."

"Good point... but... you're not trying to say there's a chance he could be... *gulp*" I trailed off in a sudden sense of fear, not wanting to entertain the thought of something THAT awful happening...

"No! Of course not, Dashie! No way in a bazillion years! Or, however many years a hu-mumbo-jumbo-thingy lives..." countered Pinkie Pie. "But then again... We don't really know for sure. The Princess showed up right away and pulled a reverse Humpty-Dumpty on him right after Fluttershy got done yelling at Gillian for zapping him senseless."

"True. I only wonder how things WOULD'VE played out if she showed up later or... or didn't show up at all..." I worriedly pondered.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he'd be dead as a door nail in those cases," Pinkie informed, which, given how grim her statement was, HORRIBLY contradicted her blunt tone of voice. I wasn't the only one surprised, seeing as everypony else looked just as appalled as I was.

"Pinkie!!" Rarity shouted, saving me the air.

"Oops... Sorry. What I meant to say was that it's a good thing she did. But then, if Ty really DID throw all of Celestia's energy at Gillian, and he was in a REALLY bad way before she gave it to him, then... th-then..." she stuttered, suddenly acting like she'd seen a ghost as she froze in place, forcing everyone else to stop around her. She was actually starting to get me a little worked up about this...

"Then... what?" Spike fearfully asked.

"M-maybe Twilight might not... be able to... um... s-save..." she trailed off as she scrunched her face up in sadness at the gruesome thought. I stared at her as I anxiously wondered if it was really possible...

"There's no WAY he could possibly... No, there CAN'T be! No way in Equestria...! Not if Twilight's got anything to do about it... R-right?"

"WAAAH!" Not a second too soon, the pink mare broke into a spontaneous fit of tears that could've watered Canterlot's biggest garden. Not even kidding, either; her eyes might as well have just turned into giant sprinklers as she dramatically screamed her head off after successfully scaring the daylights out of everyone.

"Now that's just crazy talk, y'all... I'm sure Twi can fix 'im up good as new. If anypony knows what t' do, it's her..."

"Heh, yeah... Good point, A.J..." I praised with a nervous chuckle as I hovered toward Pinkie to pat her on the back.

"For both his AND Twilight's sake, I hope you're right, Applejack..."

"Y... *sniffle* You think so, A.J.?" Pinkie asked as she recovered from her foalish tantrum.

"I KNOW so, sugarcube. Would I ever tell a fib?" the orange farm pony assured with a smile. Of course, that was all it took for Pinkie Pie to cheer up as she clung onto Applejack tighter than a vice grip.

"Aw, you're right. We shouldn't be such Negative Nancies; especially when Dr. Twilight's on the case!" I just rolled my eyes and sighed at her immature display.

"Any more dramatic, and I'd actually think you were in a relationship with both of 'em... Sheesh..."

"...Sooo, how do you girls think Comet will be when we get to her?" Lyra asked, probably to shift the conversation to a less doom-and-gloom subject.

"If Fluttershy has anything to say about it, I'd say Comet won't put up a fight," I answered. "Like I said before, Fluttershy told me that Comet and Gillian had a nasty break-up in the Forest and that she and Ty found her crying her eyes out."

"Oh dear... I could only ponder what nasty things must've gone down for the two of them to end their relationship so abruptly..." The girls, Spike, and I spent the rest of our trip trying to speculate what happened to bring the situation to this point as we journeyed to the cottage to pick up Comet. We got there in a good amount of time, each of us gathering up on the yellow pegasus's doorstep to hear some talking going on from inside. Rather than eavesdrop on them, I knocked. Within a few seconds, the door opened to reveal the mare of the hour, Fluttershy, seeming in just as good a condition as I left her; which was good, because if that Comet had done ANYTHING suspicious...

"Hello, everypony," the yellow mare brightly greeted, though nopony was exactly in high spirits. She seemed to notice as her smile faded almost instantly.

"Hey, Fluttershy," I greeted back, trying my best to seem happy to see her.

"What's wrong? Why does everypony look so sad...?" she questioned.

"Um... You MIGHT wanna sit down for this," Spike suggested.

"Why? Did something bad happen?"

"Is it okay for us to come in?" I asked. "It's better if you got the full scoop on everything..."

"Oh... Okay..." Following that, she opened her door to let everypony in. The first thing I saw was Comet, who seemed just as unsettled as she looked, given her eyes were soaked with her tears and her mane was a little out of shape. She'd been wrapped in a fuzzy white blanket and holding a teacup as she sat on Fluttershy's couch, staring at us like we were going to pounce on her. I guess she must've known we were there to take her to Princess Celestia.

"Wow... she REALLY looks out of it..." Seeing her in that state actually convinced me to drop my guard. In any case, we had some bad news to break to her and Fluttershy. We all got settled so we could explain to her what she missed since tending to Comet Gazer...

"WHAT???" my fellow pegasus shrieked in horror.

"Y-yeah..." I worriedly admitted. "Twilight's back at the library trying to fix him up now..."

"But... but..." she was already on the brink of tears and she hadn't even seen anything. "What would've made him...? What COULD'VE made him?"

"Like Princess Celestia said," Applejack began. "The spell she used t' heal 'im was unstable. What we caught sight of were side effects o' the spell. We reckon that he used up all the magic she gave 'im an' threw it at Gillian. He hit that ornery varmint harder than a speedin' locomotive full o' cattle..." Fluttershy only cringed at A.J.'s comparison. Comet gasped in shock.

"Gillian... I-is he... okay?" Comet gathered the courage to ask as she joined the group. She was, of course, met with a silence that could've physically turned into a python and strangled each of us as everypony just looked at her with a mix of confusion and contempt.

"She's got a LOT of nerve speaking up after everything SHE put us through... And to ask THAT of all questions? Bad move, sister..."

"...Well, he's certainly not in a HORRIBLE condition, if that's what you're wondering..." Lyra built up the courage to answer, although she didn't sound like she was in the best of moods. "Y'know, if being knocked unconscious with your body smoking like a chimney is anything less than horrible..." Comet's eyes shot wide open at the bright green mare's comment.

"Oh..." was all she could muster, clearly hurt by the bluntness of Lyra's answer. "Wh... where might I find him...?"

"He's at the hospital," Pinkie Pie answered. "Princess Celestia took him with her and is probably there watching over him now."

"Wait... Why isn't Ty there as well?" asked Fluttershy.

"She said that nopony at the hospital would know where to begin with trying to treat something-- or someONE-- they don't have any sort of record of and that Twilight was the only pony in this entire world who had any idea of what to do because she's the only one who has any knowledge of how Ty's body works," answered the carnation pink Earth mare.

"Yeah, and from there, she told us to come and get Comet and bring her there with us," Spike finished.

"Oh... How is Twilight, Spike?"

"I... don't know for sure," the dragon answered. "She seemed pretty calm when she took Ty back to the library, but... knowing Twilight, she's probably in a REALLY bad state right now..."

"How do you know?"

"She called me 'sweetie' before she left," he answered, which only served to baffle the rest of the ponies in the cottage; myself included.

"Well... What's so strange about that?" I questioned.

"She almost NEVER calls me any sugar-coated names like that unless something's really bothering her."

"My goodness... Maybe we should head out to comfort her..." Fluttershy suggested, now worried about the purple unicorn.

"I dunno," I replied. "I think she said she wanted to be alone with him... I can only guess that she probably needs to focus on healing him without us there to distract her..."

"...I... guess that makes sense... but... shouldn't we at least check up on her? To see how she's holding up?"

"That sounds like a feasible idea," Rarity answered. "Our first issue at hoof, however, is escorting Ms. Gazer to the hospital. I suggest we move now to save time."

"Okay... Are you ready to go, Ms. Comet?"

"You may simply address me as 'Comet,'" the cerulean mare advised, which, given how prim and proper she sounded, kinda irked me. "And... much as I'd HATE to see... HIM again... I'd suppose it'd be worse not seeing him while not knowing exactly what he'd brought upon himself... Plus, I have my own crimes to answer for... I will go without resistance..." she submitted.

"Okay, is everypony ready?" I asked, which was met with a collection of nods and Yeses. We wasted no time in mobilizing out of the cottage and toward the hospital. The trip was mostly silent, save for some idle conversation between some of the ponies in our group. But, as Fluttershy hovered beside me, I could practically FEEL the concern radiating off of her like mist from a freshly-busted cloud. Her head was hung low in thought as she stared at the ground like she was looking for something.

"Something wrong, 'Shy?" I asked in a whisper, so as not to attract the attention of anypony else on our way toward Celestia.

"Huh? Oh, um... No... Nothing..." she mumbled unconvincingly.

"I know you better than anypony else here does, and I've got a pretty good idea of what you're thinking about..."

"...It's about Ty... Isn't it?" I quietly guessed. She only nodded weakly, which was all the confirmation I needed. "Y'know... I'm sure he didn't mean to lose his cool like that... You heard what the others told you... right?"

"Yes... It's just that... that I didn't think things could get any worse for him... And for him to do what he did to Gillian..."

"I'm just as surprised as you are, Fluttershy... but can we really blame him for being so mad? After everything that--?"

"I know..." she interrupted. "We talked about it in the woods... He said he wouldn't... That he just wanted Twilight back and that was it... I just don't understand what would make him change his mind and do something so... so awful..."

"I'm not sure either..." I pondered before I realized something. "...but it probably had something to do with something that happened in the Forest..."

"How?"

"When I ran into Twi, she had a really nasty-looking bruise on her cheek..."

"A bruise??" she asked, gasping in astonishment.

"Yeah. Given how mad Ty was when he chased him out of there... I could guess that... maybe Gillian... I dunno... hit Twi or something before Ty got there..." At that confession, the other pegasus gasped in horror.

"Oh...! Oh, no..."

"Yeah..." We both went quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what could've happened.

"I... I need to go to the library..." she informed me, much to my surprise. Before I got a word in edgewise, she changed course to fly off. Feeling like it wasn't in her best interests to do that, I stopped her by maneuvering to block her path.

"Fluttershy, don't. Twilight said she wanted to be alone with him."

"I know, but I just want to see if they're okay..." she adamantly answered.

"I'm sure they're fine... Twilight is probably in the middle of healing him, anyway. I wouldn't risk distracting her and having her mess up whatever spell she's casting on him."

"Yes, but what if she wants somepony there to support her while she heals him?"

"You are intent on going there. I can't let you, though. I just feel it in my gut that you're not gonna be happy with what you might see if you do..."

"Fluttershy..." I called to her, hovering toward her to place my hoof on her shoulder, causing her to look at me with pleading eyes that just told me that I shouldn't stop her. But I knew I was doing the right thing in keeping her from venturing off to the library. "Twi and Ty are going to be fine. I bet they'll meet up with us at the hospital once she's done healing him. And if they don't, then we can just pop on by as soon as we finish up our business with Celestia. Just be patient," I urged. I didn't get a response right away... She just stared at me, seeming to be trying to convince me without speaking to let her go... I feared that she was still contemplating going anyway, which provoked me to study her just as she was studying me.

"...I'm sorry, Dashie, but I have to know for myself if they're okay..." With that, she gently brushed my hoof off her shoulder and flew by me. Determined to convince her otherwise, I grabbed hold of her tail; an action she, judging by the uncharacteristically ticked-off glare she shot me, did NOT appreciate.

"Fluttershy, don't! You're only gonna mess things up if you go there!" I pleaded.

"Let me go, Rainbow. Please..." she insisted, not listening to a word I said.

"I never took you to be THIS stubborn, 'Shy... At least, not unless you were REALLY convinced about something... But I just know it's the right thing to do to stop you this time..."

"No. I'm telling you, you should come with us and wait it out... The two of them will come to us when they're ready..." I reasoned. She seemingly agreed with me as she didn't show any resistance. I took it as a sign to let go of her tail... When I did, we stared at each other for a few long, tense seconds. I managed a grin at her, but she didn't smile back... Instead, she shot me an apologetic glance, turned and flew off.

"Fluttershy!!" I yelled, surprised at her for not listening to me. She didn't respond. She ignored me, leaving me to watch as she went on her way to making a huge mistake. Seeing no more point in stopping her, I turned around and approached the rest of the gang, saddened, worried, and confused at what just happened. The looks on their faces told me they were just as lost as I was.

"I warned you..."

"Where is she going?" Rarity asked in concern.

"...She'll be back. She just has to run an errand..." was all I could think to reply with. "Come on, we've wasted enough time as it is," I added, my patience already worn out. "Let's just drop Comet off at the hospital so we can check up on Twilight..."

"Alright then..." the white unicorn mare uncertainly agreed as we continued to trek to the hospital...

I'd finished up the healing spell, though I wound up exhausting myself doing so, as I predicted I would. Once I'd completed the process (for a given term of 'completed'), I found a resting place atop the human's torso as I wept tears of anxious dissatisfaction with the gravity of everything that'd gone on... I lost track of time as I let loose all of my worry and frustration in a fit of silent weeping as I laid my forelegs on Ty's unmoving shoulders as I nestled my cheek to his. The only reward I'd gotten for my efforts was the rhythmic expansion and contraction of his abdomen, telling me that I'd done well enough to heal his lungs so that they'd worked correctly. It was also a small bonus that his heart, while still beating somewhat slowly, was more active in its function.

Even so, just the fact that I'd come so close to losing him... The possibilities of if I wasn't able to heal him... What I would do... I lifted my head up to gaze down upon the human to see that the product of my grieving was smeared all over his cheek. I was compelled to smile at the now-peaceful expression he wore, despite his face and the collar of his shirt being drenched in my optic fluid. The reserves of my physical energy fleeting, I watched him for a minute or so, admiring the inexplicably... cute portrait displayed before me.

"You may not be at a hundred percent when you wake up... but at least you'll be okay..." With that thought, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his smooth, yet dampened cheek. I absorbed the rush of exhilaration that came in the form of kissing my significant other as I closed my eyes and lost myself in the moment... I needed something to get my mind off of this horrible situation and the fear-addled premonitions that came along with it; even if only temporarily. However, my moment was interrupted when I heard a grunt coming from him. Startled, I swiftly pulled away from the kiss and looked as Ty's face scrunched up in what seemed to be pain as he grunted and shifted his position. That sent my heart sinking like an anvil in a lake.

"Oh, no...! It must've not been enough...!" I vocally muttered to myself as I hopped off of him. "He's in pain...! But I don't have any energy left to do any more for him...! Oh, no... I failed...! Oh, no...! Oh, Celestia, please, no...! I failed...!" I buried my face in my forelegs as I started up a fresh new tidal wave of sorrow as I took in the realization of my pitiful failure.

"Hey...!" somepony rasped, prompting me to lift up my head to see probably the most relieving thing I'd laid my eyes on in years: The eyes of my colt-friend, open and looking right at me. "What did you fail...?"

"Ty!!" I was overjoyed to see him awake as I practically pounced on him, straddling him as I hugged him tight.

"Aa-ha-howch...!" He groaned in agony, provoking me to end my celebration early as I pushed myself up on my haunches, still sitting on top of him.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry...!." I apologized as I moved to climb off, only to be stopped by his hand pressing itself against my side. I sat back down on his waist, although being mindful to be extremely cautious. He proceeded to stroke my back with his hand, causing me to involuntarily squirm into him with a wave of pleasure as I stifled a moan.

"Huh... I didn't know I was still so sensitive to the touch..."

"What happened...?" he asked as he tried moving to sit up. "Mmph! Oh god, it feels like somebody dropped a crate full o' bricks on my chest...!"

"I'd be careful if I were you..." I warned. "Your injuries aren't fully healed."

"Wha? But I thought--!"

"The energy Celestia healed you with, you wound up expending to attack Gillian," I explained, although the look on his face told me he didn't understand. "She didn't tell me much, but she said that the spell she healed you with was unstable and that there were some side effects to be had if you'd gotten riled up enough. Evidently, you exhibited the side effects..."

"Ohh... NOW it makes sense..." he commented, seeming to have his thoughts come back to him. "Now I remember... I was chasin' Gillian... He shattered the potion... I got so mad that I made some kinda weird energy blast thing... an' I threw it at him..."

"Yeah... After that, you passed out at Celestia's hooves..."

"Yea, I remember... *sigh* I am so screwed..." he lamented.

"Huh? Why?"

"She saw me do it... Didn't she?"

"Yes, but--!"

"I'm prolly on the same boat as him now..." he brought his hand to cover his face and groaned. "I'll be lucky if she doesn't send ME away with him for what I did..."

"I wouldn't think so," I countered, consoling him. "It wasn't entirely your fault..."

"How?"

"Well... it wasn't your intention to harm him; only to stop him. And um... I think she can understand that you were placed under a spell where the side effects weren't explicitly known about. Nopony could've predicted you would manage to channel her magic like you did... But then, I wasn't informed how the spell worked yet..."

"Yea, but I dunno if he's still alive after that... I feel... I feel like I might've gone too far..."

"He's very much alive; just not very well after taking such an attack full-force. Also, I'm not sure myself to what lengths we would've had to go in order to stop him if you didn't..." I admitted. "...but at the very least, I can assure you that you weren't totally unjustified in your action. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't have even done it if you weren't so livid... Right?"

"O' course not... I prolly wouldn't even have been able t' use Celestia's magic like that... But... I still did..."

"I'm sure Celestia will understand your view of what happened... She's known you much too long for her to hold any contempt toward you for what happened..."

"I... guess tha'ss true... I jus' don't know, though..." he trailed off, bringing his hand to his chest, only to tug at his shirt and examine it. "Why is my shirt all wet? Did you dump water on me t' wake me up?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous..." I denied.

"Wait... Your eyes..." he said as he focused his eyes on mine. "You... you've been cryin'...?"

"Yes..." I admitted.

"Over me?" I nodded, feeling a bit disheartened. "Wow..." he practically rasped, seeming to come to grips with something horrible as he brought one of his hands to his forehead. "How come?"

"It's... because... because I... um..."

"...You said you had t' heal me again... right?" he asked, seeming to obtain a clue.

"Yeah... Why?"

"I don't really feel like I was healed all the way, even with your magic... Did you get t' finish ya spell?"

"I did as much as I could... I used up almost all of my magic to help you..." I admitted, much to his surprise. "And judging by how you're feeling, I can only conclude that it wasn't enough..."

"Really...? What... What shape was I in when you brought me here...?" I froze up at his question, as I hadn't necessarily prepared to inform him of the severity of his ailments.

"Well... It could've... um... You weren't in the best of conditions..."

"...Would... *gulp* Would it have been possible for me to... to die...?" He frightfully asked. Just when I thought I was shocked enough, my body went numb at the mention of... Of that... In that instant, a vicious tornado of despair and terrible grief formed in within me as I simply stared at him, unable to answer his question... I couldn't lie to him... It wouldn't have been right to allow him to believe that he would've been perfectly okay after all the damage inflicted upon him, but... It would've been so much better than simply telling him that his... his untimely demise could've been a possibility... I honestly didn't know the answer myself, but that served to hurt the worst of all as I kept silent, blankly staring at him. With each agonizing second that passed that I didn't answer him, his towering remorse made itself more evident in his stress-reddened eyes as my own eyes welled up once more, conveying to him an answer he was less than happy to interpret.

"I... I am SO sorry, Twi..." the human solemnly apologized as he struggled to sit himself up.

"Ty, be careful... You'll hurt--!" I was cut off when, in a single fluent motion, he wrapped me up in his arms and began caressing my body as he held me. The sudden, eccentrically strong shocks of pleasure from the feeling of his hands as they ran along my back were more than enough to coax me into returning the hug. Pleased as I was to hold him, I felt a bit... strange...

"He keeps doing this, and we're gonna have another problem on our hooves... The Heat cycle isn't quite finished yet..."

"I know... Now isn't the time to focus on that, though..."

"I'm really sorry, Twilight... I didn't mean t' worry you like I did..." he woefully apologized, stroking me rhythmically and bringing me out of my train of thought. "I knew I shoulda listened t' you when you told me not t' lose it..."

"It's okay..." I tried to assure.

"I had no idea... If I'd jus' thought things through... If I'd-a known..." he continued, his voice cracking with guilt and fear as he trembled in my grip. I could feel his heartbeat pick up its pace as he tightened his grip around me. His body temperature also increased as he seemed to be processing and registering his near-death experience.

"Ty, please... Don't worry about it..." I urged, not wanting to think anymore about what could've happened to him as I gripped him tighter.

"What a fool I been..." he sadly ranted as he held me, running the fingers of one of his hands through my mane. "I can't believe I coulda died..."

"Stop talking like that... You're not a fool. And it's okay now... You're still here right now, aren't you...?"

"I'm sorry... I'ss jus'... I don't know how t' feel... Mad cuz I let Gillian get int' my head enough for me to attack him so viciously in front o' Celestia... horrified that I irresponsibly almost lost my life AGAIN... devastated that I wound up hurtin' you so much... or--!"

"I can't listen to this anymore!" Intent on getting him to stop his heartrendingly dejected rambling, I pulled my head off of his shoulder and pulled him into a preemptive, heated kiss; not for relief, joy, or physical lust... but of consolation... One I felt he needed me to give him... to show him I understood his thoughts, but would rather not hear him tearing himself apart over them... After a few lengthy, passionate seconds, I slowly pulled away, staring right into his eyes as my own were leaking optic fluid. It was surprising to see that his seemed to be exhibiting the same problem. Nevertheless, he simply stared back, his speechless gaze conveying everything I knew he was feeling... his guilt, his surprise... and even a bit of his desire as he noticed a strand of saliva that kept our lips connected. I raised a hoof to wipe his mouth clean, prompting him to do the same with me, though he merely needed to brush his thumb across my bottom lip as his hand cupped around my chin.

"I know how you feel, Tyshawn... I understand... but you should at least be happy that I was able to heal you... You're not dead... That's what's important..." I reasoned, wanting to cheer him up a little as I brought a hoof to wipe a tear off of his cheek. "And you've done nothing to hurt me..."

"But... You were cryin'... How could I not have--?"

"Out of frustration... and a little bit of worry about if I was able to revive you or not..."

"But... You're not mad at me? At all?"

"...Well, I'm not ENTIRELY upset with you..."

"Entirely?"

"While you DID ignore my warning, which almost cost you your life, you were only angry at him because of what he tried to do to me... and what you found out he did to HIS special somepony... I'm not going to say you were totally okay in injuring him, but... I'd like to believe that while your head wasn't in the right place... Your heart was..." At that, he lightly chuckled, stopping abruptly to clutch his abdomen.

"Hm. Right out of a sappy, cliche romance novel..." he quipped, a bit to my chagrin as I frowned at him. "But... you're right, I guess. All I could think about when I was holdin' that ki blast... was how much harm he caused... From the day I ran int' him... to him almost killin' me... t' him takin' you away... all the way t' what he tried t' pull with you in the woods... ESPECIALLY what he tried t' pull with you in the woods...!"

"Oh... Believe me, I was just as surprised as you were when he made his lecherous move... You know I would never do that to you, though..."

"I know... Jus' like how I wouldn't go runnin' off with some other mare," he shot back. I quickly got the reference.

"Right..." I glumly acquiesced, causing him to rub my back once more.

"Jus' wanna make sure we're clear on that... But that wasn't even what set the bomb off in my head, though... I'ss what would've happened t' you if I didn't get there in time t' prevent it... If I got there too late t' help you..." he huffed through his nose. "...Le'ss jus' say that he's lucky that energy attack was ALL he got for his troubles..."

"Ooh... I don't want to imagine... In any case, I hope my spell was enough to suffice for now..."

"...Trust me, it is..." the human calmly, dreamily replied. "Thank you, Twilight... for everything..." he added, smiling sweetly as he caressed my face, his other hand stroking my back. "I don't know if I'd ever be able t' repay you..."

"Mmph~!" I couldn't resist moaning in joy... Those hands of his always DID work wonders on me... *AHEM!* But I digress. "Y-you don't have to thank me or... or repay me... It's... Ah... It's reward enough that you're... alive and... Mmm, mostly well..." I stammered, the euphoria of being massaged by him getting the better of me.

"Well surely, you could allow me t' show you SOME appreciation for savin' my life... Hm?" he suggested, though I noted the lascivious tone in his voice.

"...No. I'm still upset with you for not listening to me..." I sternly rebuffed, getting the idea of his 'offer'. "You put yourself in jeopardy, and I will not be swayed by a simple massage..."

"Understandable... I know I got a LONG way t' go for you t' forgive me."

"That's right. Plus, now isn't a good time. We still have to remedy the predicament at hoof."

"I know... but who's t' say you couldn't use some stress-relief for your efforts...?"

"Even after what JUST happened, he's STILL willing to--?"

"Don't question it."

"No. He's not gonna persuade me to forgive him so easily..."

"Nuh-uh," I replied, shaking my head and crossing my forelegs in resistance. "You're in NO shape for that sort of thing, and I will not have you further exacerbating your conditi... Ahhn~...!" I trailed off as he traced the fingers on one hand from my belly to my chin as he rubbed my back.

"Oh, horseapples... That doesn't help my case... Darn those magnificent hands of his...!"

"I'm not askin' you t' forgive me, Twilight... I know for a fact it'll take much more than this t' change your mind... I jus' wanna thank you for what you've done for me..."

"I told you, you don't have to..."

"Oh, but I most definitely do... The least I could do is help you ease some o' the tension I caused you..." he obstinately rebutted as he continued stroking me.

"...I-if you feel it necessary," I innocently replied without thinking, realizing almost immediately the seductive inflection in my own voice.

"That does it: We need to do it... Now!"

"No! We've still got an issue to resolve... I-I couldn't..." Before I knew it, the human leaned in and kissed me as he scratched behind my ear and massaged my neck, eliciting a hot, melty moan out of me as I pushed deeper into our smooches. I wanted to resist... To tell him that now wasn't an appropriate time...

"Oh, that feels WONDERFUL~...!" I droned, enshrouded in the heat of the moment... with an emphasis on 'Heat.'

"Well... Maybe if we're quick about it..." ...Alas, my thought process was clouded by my own guilty indulgence in our show of affection. We continued this bout of temptation of the flesh for what felt like an eternity; to the point where he'd begun letting his hands explore more areas of my form as I sat on his lap. Just as we were about to REALLY lose control of ourselves...

*Knock Knock Knock* "Twilight?" somepony called from outside the front door, abruptly shattering the image of the luscious mural of love that my colt-friend and I were about to paint into reality. The voice sounded light and soft, yet wracked with concern. "Twilight? Are you okay?" the voice asked.

"Of course! Thanks a lot, Fluttershy!"

"'Thanks' is right. How could I let myself fall victim to THAT at a time like this?"

"Easy: Just keep doing what we were doing."

"That's enough..." I, now in full control of my mind once again, climbed off of Ty, who seemed mildly (understandably) disappointed, in order to go and let in our surprise visitor. The human followed suit, though he showed a great deal of labor in trying to get back up. He could hardly bring himself to stand, and when he followed me down the stairs, he had to painfully stagger all the way to the bottom step, clutching the railing for dear life as if his ankles were shackled together.

"Hmph... And to think he was actually trying to woo me with how much pain he's in..."

"Just stay right there. I can see you're in worse shape than I'd hoped..." I instructed. He complied when he eased himself to a sitting position, propping himself up against the nearby wall. I turned toward the door and opened it to let in our unexpected guest. "Hey, Fluttershy," I greeted.

"Hello, Twilight," the other mare greeted back, although seeming quite unnerved at the sight of me. "I just wanted to check in and see if you two were okay..." she informed, staring at me with an expression of worry. "Is your cheek okay? Mr. Gillian didn't hit you too hard, did he?"

"I'm okay. I actually forgot that this bruise was even there. How'd you know about that?"

"Rainbow Dash told me."

"Oh." I replied before realizing something. "How did SHE know that?"

"She didn't. It was more of a guess..."

"Oh. Okay... I suppose you guessed right, then."

"Is Ty okay? I heard something terrible happened..." she asked.

"I could be better... but I ain't dead..." the human in question answered for himself, prompting the canary-yellow mare to gallop toward the stairwell to see him.

"*GASP*! Are you okay?? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?? I heard something happened between you and Mr. Gillian..."

"I'm fine, really... Kinda. I sorta did hurt myself in a sense. But Gillian, I'm not so sure about."

"I thought you weren't going to do anything to hurt him... Why did you?"

"Because minds are like the sails in ships, Fluttershy... Perpetually swayed at the mercy o' the wind... Which means I was provoked int' doin' it..."

"Oh. Did it have to do with Mr. Gillian hitting Twilight?"

"Yea. I'ss a li'l bit more than that, but I'd rather not flash back to it... If tha'ss alright with you..."

"Oh. Yes, of course."

"Where are the others?" I asked as I approached the two of them.

"They all went with Comet to the Ponyville Hospital after picking her up from my home. Apparently, Princess Celestia is there making sure Gillian doesn't try to escape again."

"Oh. What brought you here, then?" At that, the mare seemed to freeze up in a sense of extraordinary apprehension, as if I'd just asked her to reveal a life-changing secret.

"I um... I just wanted to... to see if you two were okay..."

"We're fine now, yes. Thank you for your concern. Is there anything else you needed? Like if you had a message to deliver to me or something of that variety?"

"No, no..." she meekly replied.

"Peculiar... Why would she come here alone if everypony else is at the hospital?"

"...Did somepony send you to come and tell us to come to the hospital?"

"No..."

"...So you only came here to check up on us...?" I asked, suddenly a bit wary about the stipulations of her visit.

"Y-yes..." an awkward silence passed over us before anypony said anything. "Well, I should probably get going now... I'm sure the others are worried about me..." she muttered as she was about to take off.

"Wait..." Ty called, freezing the yellow mare in place as she turned to face him. "You're already here now... Ya might as well stay here an' hang with us until they get here..."

"Oh no, I couldn't. I don't want to be a burden..."

"You? A burden? Don't make me laugh..." he joked, but didn't laugh. "No, seriously. Don't. It hurts like a bi...zzness proposal t' laugh..."

"Like a wh--?" she was about to ask.

"Jus' chill here. The others will show up when they get done." She stayed silent, seeming to be contemplating the offer before turning toward me.

"Twilight? I-is that okay?"

"Of course. I'm actually pretty sure I could use your help, anyway. Somepony might need your help moving around."

"Guilty..." Ty groaned, trying to pick himself up, only to nearly collapse as he latched onto the railing like he was about to fall into a pit of molten lava.

"Oh, dear... Here, let me help you." Fluttershy generously offered.

"Nonsense... I might be injured, but I ain't helpless..." he said, though I could tell by the labored tone in his voice that he'd been less than honest.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to walking on your own?" I skeptically questioned. Without a worded answer, he let go of the wall he was hanging onto and tried walking a couple of steps...

"Agh...!" ...only to be brought to a knee afterward. "Nope. My legs feel wobblier than a fat man's gut..."

"Interesting choice of words... In any case, Fluttershy?" Without a word, she flew to his side, where he lifted an arm and slung it over her shoulders as she levitated next to him. Judging by the fact that she almost went down with him, I could tell that he was heavily relying on her. I took the liberty of using some of what little magic I had left to form a net behind him in case he stumbled and fell, as he put most of his body weight on a struggling Fluttershy and the railing. Though it took a bit longer than I'd anticipated, we'd managed to bring the injured human back to my room, where he was carefully allowed to sit, propped up against a wall.

"Is there anything else you need help with?" Fluttershy graciously asked.

"Some water would be nice..." answered the human.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Nurse Fluttershy..." Fluttershy merely smiled before disappearing through the doorway. Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I turned toward the human with a feeling of perplexity. "Somethin' on ya mind?"

"I'm still wondering why she came here alone... What do you think would bring her here by herself...?" I whispered.

"A few things, I'm sure. General concern for us, her kind nature in relation t' said concern... Or maybe even somethin' that rhymes with 'brush...'"

"Oh..." I droned in realization. "I'd rather not make her feel uncomfortable while she's here if that's the case... Maybe we should talk to her about that?"

"I... guess so, but maybe i'ss jus' a passin' thing. Surely, this sorta thing don't last forever?"

"That may be true, but she's one of my best friends. I'd like to make sure that she's alright... This isn't exactly something I'd slide under the rug."

"Good point. I'd be lyin' if I said I ain't wanna address it myself, but I still don't know how t' approach it... Even after I tried talkin' t' her about it twice..."

"Twice?"

"The second time was while we were lookin' for you. She said she could try t' get over it, but I dunno... I haven't dealt with somethin' like this before, but I don't want the poor girl t' be hurt over somethin' like this..."

"That settles it, then. We'll form a group discussion once we clear up the other errands on our mental to-do lists..."

"Sounds like a plan. And... Once this is finished, maybe we can continue where we left off...?" he suggestively whispered toward me, sounding hopeful.

"Oh-ho, no," I declined, somewhat amused at his eagerness. "I'm not falling for that one again, mister. I'm still mad at you."

"Damn..." he muttered in defeat as he slowly adjusted himself to get more comfortable.

"...Although, maybe if you're feeling any better by tonight, we could..." I have to admit, I WAS feeling a bit... 'bothered' about that issue myself. Another 'errand' for the to-do list.

"What can I do t' make you not mad at me?" he asked, which I shot him an incredulous, deadpanned look for. "Not so we could do... THAT again, but jus' so I know we're back on good terms... I'd rather you not be upset with me." I relaxed and thought for a second before I got an idea.

"Don't worry about that. I'll figure something out when you're in more of a condition to fulfill the task."

"Hm. Fine... What t' do for now?"

"You wait right here while Fluttershy gets you your drink. I'll make us some lunch. Would you like anything?"

"Surprise me," he said with a wink before motioning to stroke my mane. The distance seemed to get the better of him, however, as he winced in pain while completing the loving gesture. "Aw, man...! My arms feel worse than Snakes on a Plane..." I couldn't help but giggle at his cryptic comment about the pain in his arms. Nonetheless, I headed downstairs passing by Fluttershy carrying a glass of water to its intended recipient.

"Hey..." I called to the other mare, although I was't sure what to say to her considering I wanted to talk to her.

"Yes?"

"Ehh, don't bring it up now. A better time for that will come..."

"...Are you hungry? I'm on my way to the kitchen to make everypony something."

"A little..." she answered uncertainly. "But I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"Nonsense. I'd be glad to make you something."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Twilight," she praised, smiling lightly at me.

"It's no problem," I delightfully replied, nodding my head before turning and heading into my dining area to prepare something for us to eat. In that time, I reflected upon what I'd been faced with not too long ago... A scenario where I was abducted and almost assaulted after trying to help somepony before my colt-friend saved me... A lengthy, aggravating chase around the town that seemed to drag itself out for just a little too long... It actually kind of annoyed me that Gillian would go so far and do so much just to get his own way. It was sickening to say the least. Despite how mean-spirited it sounds, I was glad he'd finally been stopped; even IF he'd had to suffer for it. It was just relieving to finally draw things to a definite close.

But then, what I most recently had to go through by myself... A life or death situation where the survival of someone I loved dearly hung in the balance... Completely reliant on whether I could pump enough of my magic into him to keep his proverbial candle from blowing out... A life or death situation... Completely reliant on my abilities...

I gasped in aggregate shock as I came to a horrifying epiphany that I'd initially acknowledged, but hadn't fully processed until this moment while I prepared our lunches: He... almost died... His life as we knew it... could have legitimately ended if I didn't intervene in time...

The gruesome thought made my heart sink as I suddenly froze, the butter knife in my magic grasp falling to the floor with a definitive *CLANG!* as I suddenly went catatonic. Once it hit me, I had no idea what to make of it, but... it scared me senseless... At first, it seemed to be a passing thing, but taking it into consideration... How devastating it would be if he were to... to pass... What everypony would do if he were to leave this world... What Princess Celestia would do... What I would do... An overwhelming series of dreadful, awful scenarios invaded the recesses of my mind without prejudice, taking over without contest... How close any ONE of those scenarios came to spawning as a terrifying reality... Everything else on my mind whited out in an instant... I could hardly believe it myself... I didn't want to... but deny it as I may, the ominous truth still stood that Ty... could have quite possibly lost his life...

For all I knew, I may not have done enough... What if his injuries were still too great? What if he were to suddenly keel over at a moment's glance without warning because of one bad movement? What if... If he were to fall asleep and lose consciousness? Or worse... if he'd lost consciousness already? But it just LOOKED like he was asleep?? No, that couldn't be... It wouldn't be plausible... or WOULD it?

As I stood there, wide-eyed and deathly silent, my breathing and heartbeat became intense and audibly heavy, almost to the point of hyperventilating... My eyes were flooding rapidly, but I couldn't bring myself to blink or wipe them dry... It suddenly felt hard just to even stand there as my legs suddenly felt frighteningly shaky... The petrified trembling made its way across my entire body as I suddenly found myself ensnared within a tormenting whirlwind of despair and heartrending terror. I broke down in a spontaneous spell of woeful mourning in the middle of my kitchen, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation we'd just narrowly avoided... I wasn't sure if I'd truly saved him or if I'd just delayed the inevitable, and it was frustrating not knowing... It was only worse that, in the case that the latter came to fruition at ANY point before Princess Celestia arrived, I would be able to do nothing about it... I sat there for a few long, painful, frightening minutes, unable to stop crying my eyes out before somepony came down to find me.

"Twilight...? Twi-- Oh my gosh! Are you okay??" asked Fluttershy as she came and patted me on the back while I sat, huddled up in a wave of my own despair. Hearing her voice somewhat snapped me out of the vicious cycle of hypothetical scenarios playing in my head, allowing me to sigh heavily, though only releasing a diminutive amount of anxiety.

"...No... I... I'm not... if it's okay to ask, could... *sniffle* could you finish making lunch...? I-I need to talk to him... Badly..." I requested, almost choking on my own words as I just barely managed to pick myself up.

"Of course. I'm also here if you need me..."

"...Thank you..." I weakly replied. Rather than walk back upstairs right away, I hugged Fluttershy tightly; an embrace I knew she'd be surprised by, but one I desperately needed. Seeming to understand, she silently returned the embrace just as firmly. After a few seconds, I broke away from it and slowly proceeded back to my room to make absolutely sure my most horrid thoughts wouldn't become tangible...

Aftermath... (Pt. 2)

We arrived at the hospital and sat, waiting for the receptionist to call us up. We hadn't been sitting for TOO long, but MAN was it boring... Makes me wish I had another Daring Do book to pass the time with...

"Ah, good afternoon, Ms. Dash!" a stallion called toward me. I looked up to see the doctor who watched over me after I'd broken my wing performing stunts this one time.

"Hey, Doc!" I greeted, somewhat happy to see him. "How's it hangin'?"

"A bit busy, but I really can't complain. How's that wing of yours?"

"Feeling like I never broke it!" I boasted, shaking my right wing at him.

"Hm, yes... But I'm pretty sure you broke the left one, no?"

"I... um... I don't remember. I haven't been feeling any pains or aches in either one, so I guess I'm golden."

"Yes, good to hear, good to hear... Say, you haven't been keeping up that bad habit of marauding foals' books, have you?" At that, I froze in complete embarrassment, my jaw dropping like Applejack off a ladder as I stared at the cream-colored stallion who'd just taken a shot at me. It didn't help that I heard some of the girls laughing at me along WITH the doctor.

"Talk about a low blow... I thought I told him not to bring that up...!"

"It ISN'T a foals' book..." I mumbled at him through gritted teeth before taking a second to breathe and relax. "*sigh* It's Daring Do. And No, no I haven't been doing that. My friend Twilight owns the entire series."

"Oh, well that's good. How is she, anyway?" As much as I LOVED making small talk with ponies who publicly humiliate me, I wasn't necessarily in the best mood to continue this pointless conversation. So, I just cut to the chase.

"She's... Okay, I guess. Hey, did Princess Celestia show up here at all?"

"Why, yes, actually. Funniest thing, too. She hurried in, carrying this unconscious tan stallion on her back when--!"

"Dash, comma Rainbow!" the receptionist called before my doctor could talk my ear off.

"I'm up. Sorry to cut it short like this, but something really important is going on."

"I understand. I need to stroll on home anyhow. We'll talk some other time, huh?"

"Fat chance..."

"Uh, sure. Bye!" Without giving him a chance to respond, I flew over to the desk and was just about to ask my question when the Princess stepped out with a bandaged-up Gillian next to her.

"Princess!" Most of the group called as we cantered around her. Comet OH-SO shockingly ran up to her ex-colt-friend, alarmed beyond words at the fact that he looked like a mummy. He even groaned like one, too. I resisted the urge to laugh, given that it was neither the time nor the place.

"Ah, so you have arrived," she calmly replied.

"Yeah. We just got here," I told her. "As you see, we've already brought the other criminal..." I said, gesturing toward Comet, who was too busy scolding the mummified unicorn stallion to hear me.

"Yes, I commend you for your efforts."

"Ah, it was nothin'. She gave herself up willingly. What's up with him, though? Was he hit that hard?"

"I'm afraid so. Gillian suffered quite a considerable amount of damage from Ty's wrathful blast. There is a series of awful burn marks all over his coat and, according to the physician, at least two of his ribs suffered minute, yet painful fractures from the initial impact. He also mentioned something about various joints, muscles, and tendons across his body receiving near-lethal doses of electrical current. It would appear that he could've been roasted from the inside out."

"Wh... whoa..." I was speechless at what she told me happened.

"Holy horsefeathers, Ty... I didn't know you had that in you..."

"So wait... How's 'e even able t' WALK if THAT'S what happened to 'im?" A.J. asked in an equal amount of shock.

"Truth is, he wouldn't have. At least, not for a few weeks. It would've taken an extensive operation to repair the majority of the damage inflicted upon him. I'd rather he and Comet be taken into custody as soon as possible so that I may deal with other pressing issues that have arisen in the time I'd spent in Ponyville. So, I opted to feed him just enough of my own energy to allow him consciousness and limited mobility as his natural healing process received a small jump start."

"You... you gave him energy??" I asked in total surprise.

"I didn't cast the same spell on him that I did Ty, if that's what you're wondering. That spell has proven to be far too dangerous. I instead chose a standard healing spell that would only partially rejuvenate him. He'll have plenty of time to recuperate naturally in his cell. Speaking of which, it's best that we depart to the library this instant. I fear Ty's condition may not be as salvageable as Gillian's..."

"Not as salvageable...?" Lyra asked behind me, seeming just as scared as I felt.

"I'm afraid so. He was a bit worse off. Come, I will explain on the way there..." with that, we all left the hospital together (except we had to walk extra slowly so that Comet could keep up while she held Gillian. She didn't look too happy about her unspoken assignment, though...). On the way, Celestia explained in detail what she meant by her last statement.

I sat in Twilight's room and, after sending Fluttershy down with her, contemplated the recent goings-on of this morning... The rescue by Rainbow... The wrestling match that wound up almost turning into a murder scene... which prompted me to reminisce about everything else that happened beforehand... The Heat fiasco, the arguments, the kidnappings, so on, so forth... Aching all over like nobody's business, I opted to lie down, feeling increasingly fatigued. With so much that happened, and in such a short span of time, I was ready to pass out...

"Ty...?" Sadly, I wouldn't get to rest just yet, as a distraught-looking Twilight came in, seeming to have been weeping again as I took note of the stains under her eyes.

"Hey, baby... *Yawn* Wha'ss wrong...?" I asked, sensing a melancholy inflection in her voice.

"I... I need to talk to you..."

"She really seems worried all of a sudden..."

"What's on ya mind?"

"It's... it's about what happened earlier..." she said, which sent a chill down my spine as I temporarily shifted off my drowsiness to hear her out.

"What's up?" I warily asked.

"I... um... Are... you okay?"

"...I'm not in the best condition, but I feel like I could be... Why?"

"You... don't feel as if you'd suddenly lose consciousness again? Or possibly fall asleep and... and not wake up?"

"Uh... No... I'm pretty beat up an' unbelievably tired, but I don't think I'd jus' lose consciousness from takin' a nap..."

"Are you sure? I-I mean, your heartbeat doesn't feel at all out of the ordinary? Are you breathing properly in that it doesn't hurt to inhale?"

"Okay, now she's scarin' me..."

"No... There's still all the aches an' pains around my arms, legs, an' chest, but they ain't feelin' nearly as bad as before. I have you t' thank for that..."

"You're welcome... I... I just want you to know that... that I love you... okay?" she informed, which WOULD have been sweet if she didn't sound like I was still teetering on the brink of death.

"Okay...? Twi, what's this about? You was fine five minutes ago..."

"I know, but... *sigh* I-I just want to be absolutely sure you're alright..."

"Yea, but... what's got you so down all of a sudden?" we sat in a short bout of silence before she began.

"...When I was preparing lunch, I... reflected on what transpired this morning..."

"Mm-hmm..." I mumbled as she'd gotten my attention.

"...And I realized that when I was healing you... that... I... that YOU... had a significant chance of not making it..."

"Oh, I see... I guess it must've overwhelmed her... Poor girl... This is my fault, though... I need t' make it up to her..."

"Yea, but... you saved me... right?" I asked, contemplating a method in which to relieve the lavender mare of her stress while simultaneously trying to contain my own discomfort with her suddenly-dissonant attitude.

"I... I don't know..." she dismally replied, sending yet another chill down my spine. How could she not be sure she'd kept me alive?? I mean granted, her spell wasn't perfect, but it had to be enough...

"Wh-what? Well what is there not t' know? I might still be hurt, but I'm not coughin' up blood o-or breathin' funny... All I feel is the bodily injuries I picked up since I got here Friday..." I reasoned, notably frightened by the unicorn's uncertainty.

"Yes, but I don't know if what I did for you is enough or if I just wound up postponing a horrific event. It... it frightens me not feeling sure I've done all that I could to help you..."

"Twilight... I'm fine... or at least, I will be. Thanks t' you. I know that whatever healin' spell you cast on me, will keep me from kickin' the proverbial bucket. I have faith in it. More importantly, I have faith in you..."

"...Thank you..." she simply said, although I saw the uncertainty in her worrisome facial expression.

"Yea, i'ss gonna take a lot more than 'I'm fine, so don't worry' t' calm her nerves... Knowin' her, her mind mus' be completely scattered about this whole thing... She doesn't deserve to feel so miserable... if anything, I do. I'ss my fault she's like this..."

"Come 'ere... There's somethin' I need t' confess..." I solemnly told her as I propped myself up against the wall.

"Yes? What is it?" the unicorn asked as she climbed onto my lap and made herself comfortable, all the while being unnecessarily careful not to make any sudden moves that she feared would harm me.

"Listen..." I began, bringing a hand to caress her chin. "I understand how stressed out you been over what happened. I'm aware that you've been through a lot, an' it tears me up t' see you so distraught because of it. But I KNOW you'll be alright... That I'LL be alright..." I assured her before I had a most damning epiphany. "An'... Y'know what? I'm sorry... VERY sorry... I haven't exactly been the most helpful t' you in ya time o' strife..."

"What do you mean?" she asked in a slight sense of confusion.

"Allow me t' clarify... Between not figurin' out you were in heat until Comet spelled it out for me, us buttin' heads over how t' handle her an' Gillian when they came here for you an' tryna help Fluttershy out with her uh... thing... rather than try an' pinpoint any changes regardin' your mood, to the things I did against your wishes that caused me t' wind up the way I am now..."

"None of that is your fault alone, though. I should've told you from the beginning that I'd underwent my estrus cycle. I understand you not necessarily being well-informed enough of equine bodily function to pick up the signs right away. It's just that I didn't know how to break the news to you for fear that you would either say no or be too afraid to assist me... Evidently, neither of those scenarios was true... I should've trusted you a bit more than I did... Other than that, neither of us knew those two were here until it was too late when they got ahold of you. I also know we've had a couple of spats over Fluttershy within the last few days, but I should've been in better control of myself; despite the heat..."

"I'ss noble o' you t' not blame me, but I am still in part responsible for my own injuries. I volunteered t' help A.J., I went t' Fluttershy's when you told me t' stay put, I ran away after you lost your temper about the talk with her last night for fear that you might've lashed out at me again if you saw me..."

"But... That--!"

"Skippin' ahead a little, I'm the one who agreed t' the bet I pretty much KNEW was gonna go sour... an' I'm the one who lost it when you an' Fluttershy urged me t' stay calm. A lotta the things that happened, now that I realize it, were my own fault. I really don't blame you for bein' upset with me. Speakin' o' which... Fluttershy?" I called to the mare I'd caught peeking in through the doorway.

"Yes...?" she asked as she timidly approached us.

"I owe you an apology, too. Both o' y'all warned me not t' get mad, but I did anyway. I... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay... It isn't completely your fault. Besides, Gillian hurt Twilight. I would've been upset too..." the pegasus nobly admitted.

"Yea, but I don't think tha'ss an acceptable excuse for ignorin' your warnin'. Especially after what I told you back in the woods about jus' wantin' t' wrap it up..."

"Yes... I know... I can still sort of understand your frustration, though. Believe me, I know it's very hard keeping calm in such a stressful situation."

"Yea, but I feel like I coulda handled things better... In fact, I KNOW I coulda handled it better..."

"That doesn't mean everything was your fault, though," Twilight interjected, intent on disallowing me from believing I was entirely to blame. "In essence, it's just the way things played out... Everypony involved was hurt in some way or another... even Gillian, the main reason behind the majority of our turmoil."

"I understand. Still, you shouldn't need t' feel guilty over what happened t' me... Tha'ss somethin' I should be thinkin' about. I don't like even the thought o' bein' the reason you're constantly sobbin' your eyes out; whether i'ss cuz you thought I was unfaithful when I got too scared t' admit t' you that I rubbed down Fluttershy, or because I charged headfirst into a fight I wasn't prepared for, or because I wasted a Princess's gift an' used it like a rage-fueled fireball to attack someone I had a vendetta against... Those are things I did, an' those are things I alone should be feelin' guilty about; ESPECIALLY because they made you upset, Twilight..."

"But..." Twilight began, but seemed to falter as she stared at me.

"...and as for you, Fluttershy..." I continued, turning my gaze toward the pegasus mare in question. "I'm sorry for your emotional troubles... I'm also sorry for causin' 'em... I know we've talked again an' again about your feelin's an' how they translate t' how much concern you showed for me this entire time... However, my past actions don't exactly exhibit that I took int' consideration yours OR Twi's feelin's when I committed 'em..." I admitted before turning my gaze up toward the ceiling, resting my head against the wall. "I almost wonder if I'M the real bad guy here..."

"You are NOT the bad guy," the yellow mare sternly rebutted as she trotted up beside me, staring intently into my eyes. "Only somepony who truly cared about my feelings would try to go out of their way to help me sort them out. You're not to blame for how I feel. It's ME who should be sorry... for... for even having these feelings in the first place..."

"We've been over that, though... You don't hafta feel guilty..." I countered.

"I know, but it's... it's as painful as it is wrong... to covet something that belongs to somepony else... especially when you know you're not allowed to have it... if that doesn't sound vain or self-centered." I merely nodded in understanding while Twilight seemed to be listening closely to everything her fellow mare had to get off her chest. "It also isn't fair to either of the two of you that something as selfish as a silly little crush like mine places an unnecessary burden on your relationship..."

"Wow..."

"Fluttershy, you're not puttin' any burdens on our relationship..." I began. "Plus, you already explained to me why you... f-feel the way you do... It isn't your fault..." I continued, trying to formulate some kind of rebuttal that would explain to her that she wasn't wrong in any way... but I couldn't. The flurry of pulse-pounding guilt and paralyzing uncertainty that draped over me like a tarp froze me, trapping my thoughts as I stared at her.

"If anything, I'M the one to blame..." Twilight commented, breaking me out of my guilt-induced stupor. "He wouldn't have even known about it if I didn't blab it out in the first place... But with how upset I was already feeling about him going to your house, plus the fact that I wasn't necessarily in the best condition to handle your confession to me..."

"That was the heat talkin', I'm sure. Le'ss... just agree that we all got a part t' play..." I concluded, seeing as I'd rather not play Hot Potato with conviction over Fluttershy's feelings. I'd already had enough to feel terrible about. "In any case, I still didn't listen when the two o' you told me not t' play int' that stupid wager OR when both o' y'all told me not t' lose my temper despite knowin' how y'all woulda felt, which are prime examples of how self-centered I'd been..."

"You were only trying to put an end to his scheme in the only ways you thought were necessary... And don't forget that he's the one who pushed you into fighting him the first time. Plus, you saved me from Mr. Gillian after you were done." Fluttershy countered.

"Oh yeah... How'd I forget about that?"

"I'm sure you would've been able to move out of the way if you didn't need to save me first... and maybe he would've made his Pinkie promise and not done anything else after Princess Celestia arrived..."

"I guess... but that still doesn't justify not listenin' t' you. You wouldn't-a been targeted like that in the first place if I didn't agree t' fight."

"It's okay. We all make mistakes. Plus, I'm sure you were only acting on impulses in the heat of the moment a short while ago. As odd as it might sound, I'm sure you only attacked him after finding out what he did to Twilight because you... you... love her..." she seemed to have trouble uttering her last statement, which I took note of as her facial expression changed to one of visible shame as she shuffled her fore hooves around each other, looking away and blushing. I got the idea that she was trying to say that my actions, while brash, meant well, but it wasn't enough for me to feel completely at ease for what happened. But then there was this crush issue to figure out... and I had not a single, even remotely-viable answer to it.

"Tha'ss true I guess... but... Fluttershy, I..." I had nothing to respond with that wouldn't come off as wrong in an effort to rid her of her crush-stricken bashfulness. I couldn't just flat-out tell her I loved her, too... It wouldn't sound right, even though I would've meant it in a platonic way. Both she and Twi might've taken it the wrong way if I just said that. But then, I truly did care for her... I mean, she HAD shown me a lot of compassion and understanding since we met; a large sum of it being displayed within the past few days. If I didn't care, she likely would've picked up on it and abandoned her feelings... But considering what she's admitted to me thus far and how I reacted to it...

"Fluttershy...?" Twilight asked after a brief, yet tense moment of silence.

"Yes?"

"There's something I need to ask you... Forgive me in advance if it sounds personal or intrusive, but I'd like a clear, concise answer..."

"Um... Okay...? What's the question?"

"How do you feel about him?" the unicorn asked, shocking both Fluttershy and I.

"H-how do I feel??" she frightfully echoed Twilight's inquiry. "About...?" she glanced at me, then at Twilight before ducking slightly behind her mane.

"Yes. How... do you honestly feel?" the unicorn enunciated, although with a sensible tone of unease.

"Well, I... um... You already know I... kind of... sort of... l-like... him..." she admitted, blushing as she sat on her haunches next to us and looked away at the floor.

"Twilight...? What are you gettin' at...?" I asked. She didn't answer or even acknowledge that I'd asked her a question. She climbed off of me to better examine our reasonably petrified friend.

"How much do you like him?"

"...A lot..." Fluttershy admitted, though unable to face the mare she was answering. Still, those simple words made my own heart skip a beat.

"Man, I knew it... Nothin' I tried worked... Aww man..."

"Do you... feel like you... like you would be happy...? You know... If you were with him instead of me?" Twilight questioned, further alarming us as Fluttershy's blush deepened.

"Twi... Wha...?" I began to ask, but trailed off. I wanted to say something, but... something inside me told me that she wouldn't be asking something like this without reason. Plus, I was a bit curious as to where the unicorn was headed with this, so I stayed silent.

"I... I don't know for sure... Maybe..." was Fluttershy's answer. If these injuries didn't do me in, then I was positive that the practically tangible death grip of the figurative invading octopus tentacles that was the tension building up in this room would've become the very next contestant.

"I... I see..." was all Twilight replied with before everything went eerily quiet. I swore I could hear not only MY heartbeat, but the voluminous heartbeats of the two mares standing beside me as we sat, awkwardly waiting for someone to proceed this conversation past this point.

"I honestly woulda taken a much less... straightforward approach than this... But then... what I tried didn't necessarily work, so maybe she has some kinda plan...?"

"I... have a proposition to make to you."

"A... proposition...?" Fluttershy asked in astonishment.

"A what?" I followed up, equally as swept by her statement as Fluttershy.

"Yes. We'll talk more about it later, but for now... you seem a bit tired. Why don't you have a seat...?" she trailed off as she turned toward me, smiling with a strangely... genuine, friendly sense of certainty in her action. "...Right here," she proffered, gesturing her hoof to my side.

"What?? Twilight, you--!" I tried to utter in disbelief

"I know it's unorthodox of me, but... she did come a long way for you... I'm no Cadence, but I can tell she really likes you..."

"I... I came to check up on both of you, though," the yellow mare hastily countered, flustered beyond belief. "I care for both of you, and I just wanted to make sure you were alright..."

"Yea. Besides, this is somethin' I'd expect you t' be the last of anyone t' suggest. Why w--?"

"Because..." she interrupted, seeming to anticipate my question before I'd asked it. "We're all friends here... I don't want there to be any tension between any of us; especially not because of romance-related reasons, which I'm aware can be quite perilous if left unchecked... No book I've read has necessarily taught me how to handle a situation like this, and at this point, I feel as if trying to talk somepony out of their feelings and hoping they'll simply mask or abandon them wouldn't be ideal... for any of us."

"Yea, but i'ss not like we can conventionally solve this sorta thing so easily without some kinda sacrifice or consequence..."

"I know. That's why I figure that we should formulate a way to work things out that would, in a sense, benefit all three of us. It's part of the proposition I'm contemplating..."

"But... Twilight, I couldn't... You two belong with each other," Fluttershy nevrously spoke up. "You don't have to make any compromises for me... Besides, I came here to make sure you both were okay. You're my friends, and friends care for and look after one another."

"I know, and we greatly appreciate you going out of your way, Fluttershy. I'm... WE'RE simply returning the favor." she explained. "...that is, if it's okay with you..." she added, turning toward me for confirmation.

"Uh, I still ain't followin', but you've always been right before..." I agreed, though still a bit discombobulated.

"I only hope you know what the hell you're doin'... Cuz I sure don't..." Though a bit reluctant at first, Fluttershy eventually built up the mettle to trot toward me and make herself comfortable at my side. I was generous enough to lift my arm and wrap it around her to show that I was willing to follow through, but I was still dumbfounded as to why Twilight of all ponies would suggest such a thing...

"Twi... What is this about? What is this 'proposition' you're thinkin' about makin'?"

"I'll explain it soon," she answered as she walked around and made herself comfortable at my other side. "For now, I'm more worried about if you're actually okay or if you're still... um..."

"Twilight... I am fine. There's no more need t' cry or feel upset. My body hurts a lot, but it hurts worse t' see you in such a bad emotional state because of it. Like you said, you should be happy you were able t' heal me..."

"More like we ALL should... Sheeit..."

"Yes, but I'm still not absolutely certain I've done eno--!"

"Twilight, stop. You never sold yaself short before. Don't start now," I advised, stroking the mare's frizzy, yet silky mane, eliciting a quiet, contented sigh out of her as she laid her head down on my thigh. "Besides, you're scarin' me with all this doom-an'-gloom thinkin'..."

"I know, and I'm sorry... I just want to make absolutely sure you're in a stable physical condition..."

"I am like... give or take, sixty-five percent okay, Twi... Maybe an even seventy since you're here..." I joked, eliciting a very slight chuckle out of her. "Tha'ss more than good enough for me, considerin' what coulda happened... *sigh* Y'know, I'm VERY lucky t' have you with me... You've saved me at least twice this weekend, you dealt with a LOTTA stress I naively thought woulda ended after we uh... did our thing... and you've somehow managed t' put up with it all without completely losin' your mind like I did... You truly are the greatest, Twilight Sparkle... but honestly, I think what you in particular need more than anything right now... is rest."

"Hm... *yawn* yeah... but are you irrefutably, undeniably, unquestionably, completely one hundred and two percent certain you'll be okay?" she asked, strongly insisting that I somehow double-check my condition. At that, I stared into her eyes to see that she'd still been somewhat doubtful of her magic's ability to keep me stable... Actually, 'somewhat' might be a HORRIBLE understatement.

"Twilight, I'll be fine. Seriously. You don't need t' worry. Hey, if you're still unsure, I will Pinkie Promise that I won't slip away from you... I love you too much t' let myself die so abruptly. An' if that ain't enough, then I will do whatever it takes t' prove t' you that I will not leave you... Jus' don't ask me t' do it right now, cuz I feel like somebody dropped a piano on me..."

"Believe me, I know the feeling..." she quipped, finally lightening up a bit as she snuggled herself closer to me.

"Oh yea... I'm still wonderin' how you're okay after that... *Ahem* but I digress. My point is, no more cryin', no more worryin', no more sadness an' gloom... Despite what came close t' happenin', I'll recover, an' I'll be there for you, no matter what... Seriously, I will Pinkie Promise on that, so SHE can kill me dead if I d--!"

"No, no... I trust you enough that you wouldn't go back on your own word... But you'd better not get yourself in trouble like this again, Ty... Do you know how egregiously nerve-wracking and flat-out terrifying it is losing your mind over someone you love when they're in danger?"

"I... think I got an idea..." I semi-joked.

"While you're in heat?" she added, checkmating me in an instant.

"Touche, Twi..."

"... Okay, maybe I DON'T have an idea... I got more makin' up t' do than I thought... How's about I start now...?" I politely inquired, bringing my hand to her back.

"Sounds good..." she permitted, shooting me a small, yet sweetly relieving grin as she laid her head down on my leg. "Make sure you pay extra attention to my lower back. I'm feeling unusually tense down there..." she added with a wink as she fully relaxed on me, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"She better watch it. I'm one o' the few things on this body that AIN'T injured... Plus, I--!"

"I know. In due time, my friend... but ONLY if she wants to... AND if the rest o' me isn't too beat up t' move around... Plus, I'm sure she's still mad at me. So no promises..." With that, I found a pattern of petting the beautiful mare in the way she requested despite how much it hurt to move my arms; and believe me, it HURT! Every movement felt like someone had ripped them off and used them as baseball bats before giving them back. Still, no amount of physical torment I endured would keep me from putting a smile on Twilight's pretty little face. It unsurprisingly didn't take long before she dozed off on me, snoring lightly as she went out like a light on my leg.

"Jeez, she must've been exhausted... *yawn* Maybe even more than I am..." With that, I planted a small, sweet kiss on the unicorn's cheek before I painstakingly wrapped my arm snugly around her and turned to Fluttershy, who'd still been awake, smiling sweetly at me.

"Oh! Wow, I almost forgot she was here. I'm sure that musta been awkward for her..."

"Oop... S-sorry 'bout that... I--!"

"No need to apologize," she countered right away. "I'm just glad everything is finally okay between you and her..."

"Oh trust me, I ain't outta the woods with her jus' yet," I joked, though I wasn't actually joking. "I'm sure she's really gonna lay it on me when she feels more revitalized. I'm still in a lotta trouble with her."

"Oh."

"I'm... evidently not outta the woods with you either..." I continued. "Any thoughts as t' why she suggested this...?" I asked my winged friend. She simply looked at me, having just about as good an idea as I did (which was none) about Twilight's 'proposition.'

"I have no idea..." she curiously replied before allowing herself a bit of comfort in tucking herself in under my arm. "I'd have never thought she'd suggest something like this... I just hope she's actually okay with this... Are you?"

"I'm not complainin'... but I AM as confused as you are. For HER t' say for you t' sit so close... What could be runnin' through her mind, I wonder...? I also wonder what this proposition o' hers could be..."

"I don't know either... but, Twilight usually has the answer, so maybe she has an idea..." Fluttershy replied, seeming content in her current position. I could tell that, despite how unusual this was, she'd had no visible objections, given that she had Twilight's consent, as well as my own. I couldn't say I did either, but mainly because I just wanted to sleep. All this emotional crap about near-death experiences and romantic feelings between friends wasn't necessarily helping to relieve my already-addled mind. Still, it was sort of... nice to have Fluttershy there...

"I'll take your word for it..." was all I could think to reply with. Taking the arrangement for what it was, I rhythmically stroked the compassionate mare's long, straight, velvety pink mane a few times, causing her to coo softly as she lay down and closed her eyes, smiling contently as I grazed my hand over her back, being careful to avoid her wings.

"Eh, why not...? You deserve one too..." Soon after, I let myself drift off into a much-appreciated slumber...

*Grrrrr* But not before I remembered why I sent the yellow mare downstairs in the first place.

"Oh, right... I guess lunch can wait..."

"So THAT'S why his condition isn't as soluble???" Pinkie asked out of nowhere although neither I, nor anypony else, understood why. Nopony talking was even ON the subject as we were on our way to the library.

"Pinkie Pie, the Princess explained everything ten minutes ago. Why are you JUST asking her about it now?" I questioned.

"I was just waiting for the focus of the story to come back to us again," she explained, throwing me for the loop of a lifetime... as if she hadn't done that enough already. "I thought it would've taken her longer to tell us that Ty's physical condition would just need a closer inspection because Twilight's magic might not be strong enough to completely heal him, but since that's all she said, I decided to wait for when it was your turn to narrate again so that I could say it!" the rose pink pony said. "Nah, I think I'm more of a tickle-me pink," the TICKLE-ME pink pony added. "There ya go, Dashie!"

Okay, NOW this is starting to freak me out. How the hay did she...? Y'know what? I'm NOT even gonna ask. All I ever get is an answer that makes ten more questions pop up when it comes to Pinkie Pie, so no. Nuh-uh. I'm not gonna go there. Not again. ANYWAY, back to the story... *AHEM* So, thinking she was just talking into thin air, we all just stared at her, not even Princess Celestia having a clue who she was talking to or why she was staring into the sky like there was another me there... Just thinking about if she somehow knew the future in a different way than her Pinkie Sense or if she literally was just talking to me at the time or if she was talking to me just now... it makes my head hurt.

"...Err, in any case..." Rarity thankfully spoke up. "How are you holding up back there, Ms. Gazer?"

"As well as... ngh! I'm able to be...!" the cerulean mare complained as she had the mummified Gillian leaning on her for support. "I don't suppose it'd... be too much trouble to ask... for a little help?" At that, she got mixed reactions from everypony, with good reason. No one wanted to help a couple of criminals like them after what they put us through. Buuut, Comet in particular DID say she was sorry, and she hadn't necessarily given us a reason to doubt her in particular... Even with that though, it took a moment for anypony to decide whether or not they'd voluntarily come into contact with Gillian that wasn't in the form of strangling him for being such a jerk. Eventually...

"I shall offer to you my aid, to lessen the tension you have displayed," Zecora stepped up to the plate, taking Gillian's other foreleg and wrapping it around her neck. Kudos to her, because I don't think even I would have done it without needing to be convinced.

"Th...thanks... zebra..." the bandaged-up stallion weakly muttered, sounding even more pitiful than he looked.

"Zecora's my name, and keep your thanks; I did not forget your heinous pranks," she commented, seeming pretty angry about it herself. No stone left unturned with this guy... Anyway, while we were on our way to the library, I started getting this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first I didn't know why, but then I remembered who we were missing...

"Fluttershy... I sure hope you're okay. I hope you aren't hurt too badly..." I didn't know what to think when I realized that she never came back to us. I couldn't imagine her seeing the two of them in the middle of some gushy emotional moment and running off crying about it, but I didn't rule that out as a possibility taking into account how sensitive she could be at times... and all things considered, I wouldn't put it past her to be at least a little bit hurt by it. I know she's a grown mare and that she could take care of herself and all that, but... I still couldn't help but get a little uneasy about her at times. As a filly-hood friend of mine, I was almost always looking out for her. At the same time, she's had her moments where she's proven to be able to handle herself in situations where I thought she couldn't. I guess I didn't HAVE to worry about her, but I suppose old habits die hard...

But anyway, we reached Twilight's house before I knew it, with Celestia stepping up to knock on the door. At first, there was no answer, which didn't seem too odd, given what Twilight must've been doing, but... then it dragged on for a full minute, which worried everyone.

"Twilight?" The Princess called as she knocked again. Again, no answer. "Twilight, it's us. We've come to see how you were doing." Still, everything was silent, scaring everypony stiff.

"You don't think that...? That we're--?" Lyra was about to ask, the fear-stricken tone in her voice delivering the gist of what she was about to ask.

"No way," A.J. interrupted, seeming to know what the mint green unicorn was implying. "Ain't no way Twi couldn't-a been able t'..."

"Twilight, darling? W-we're here for you if you need us..." Rarity worriedly announced, tears already forming up in her eyes. Celestia knocked one more time, which we got no answer to yet again. At this point, even I was starting to get a little bit worried. Celestia's face suddenly got really serious, seeming to half-expect there to be something gruesome on the other side of the door.

"She's alright. She's got to be," I reasoned. "I-I mean, this is Twilight. She can do anything. There's no way Ty could be... be..." before I got the chance to finish my thought, the door opened and standing there in front of us was none other than...

"Fluttershy??" the majority of us shouted in alarm.

"*Yawn* Oh, hello everyone..." she calmly greeted us.

"You're still here?" I asked, not so much for the fact that she was still at the library, but more so because she looked like she'd just woken up from a nap. Her mane was a little frizzy and she was smiling like she'd just gotten out of the spa.

"Yes, of course."

"Were... you asleep?"

"Y-yes..." she sheepishly admitted, smiling with a slight blush.

"What exactly went on in here?"

"Where's Twilight?" Spike asked.

"She's upstairs with Ty. Please, come inside."

"How are they doing?" Celestia asked as we all stepped in.

"At first, they were both really upset about everything that happened, but we all talked it out and now they should be feeling a little better. We were all asleep for a little, but then I heard you all come to the door."

"Guess that explains why it took so long for anyone to answer the door..."

"Asleep? Both of them?" the Princess questioned again.

"Mm-hmm. Ty wasn't healed completely and still isn't feeling very well. Twilight was really worried about him after she partially fixed him up."

"Partially?"

"Yes. She said that she used up almost all of her energy trying to heal him, which seemed to only be enough to fix some of his injuries. I got here a short time after she was finished. We all had a short discussion about what happened and after that, we um... we cuddled together and dozed off." That last part got my full attention in an instant.

"Cuddled together??? What in the...??"

"Please don't be too upset with him, Princess. He didn't mean to harm anypony. He was only trying to do the right thing..."

"I assure you, I understand the circumstances of the events that have come to pass. I am merely here to check up on his condition before I escort these two back to Canterlot," Celestia reasoned, turning toward Comet who, along with Zecora, was still holding Gillian up for support.

"*GASP!* Oh... my...!" Fluttershy gasped in a reasonable amount of surprise at the sight of him.

"Yes, I will need to have a word with him regarding his aggressive outburst once he is able to speak. For now, I must see to it that Twilight was able to bring his condition up to speed..." With that, the Sun Princess made her way up the stairs while the rest of us stayed downstairs and waited.

"So..." I began toward Fluttershy. "Are... you okay?"

"Of course I am, Rainbow," she happily replied, surprising me a little. "And before you ask, no I didn't walk in on them. They were both down here when I showed up."

"Well THAT'S a relief."

"Oh, okay. Good."

"How's Twilight? Is she okay?" asked Spike.

"She's alright," Fluttershy assured. "She just needs some rest is all. She's been through a lot, and it's really taken its toll on her."

"Might I ask what it was you discussed with them?" Rarity questioned curiously.

"Hmm... Nothing in particular. Mostly just things about what happened and how it made everypony feel up to this point," the yellow mare replied. "But... what happened to him?" she asked, pointing toward Gillian.

"Accordin' t' Celestia, this 'un took a wallop of a hit from Ty..." Applejack answered. "Said there's bruises an' contusions all over 'im. Not t' mention he can hardly walk on 'is own, on account o' the blast he took bein' caused by Celestia's magic..."

"Oh..." was all she said as she approached the only stallion in the room. She stayed silent as she got a good look at him for herself. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Mr. Gillian..." she apologized. "I hope that you'll learn your lesson and maybe change your ways if you're ever given another chance."

"...How?" he asked, which alarmed some of us. "How... is it that... you're... ngh! apologizing to me...? After all that's... happened...?"

"Because even with as much as you've done to my friends, I expect you to have learned at least something about why the things you did were wrong. I also think that it might not have come to this if you didn't insist on terrorizing everypony to achieve your goal. On the other hoof, your goal was at least somewhat understandable. You weren't completely wrong in trying to set yourself and Ms. Comet free. You were wrong in how you went about it."

"You're just wasting your breath on him, you know..." Comet bitterly remarked, taking Fluttershy aback. "All he'll do with your advice is find some way to twist your words and turn it into some sort of justification for his motives."

"That can't be true... I--!"

"Trust me, when you've been manipulated by someone like him for as long as I have, you tend to pick up on it when the light is shone upon you. Just like how he told me he loved me... when we were standing atop this library's balcony. You can see how much that confession was worth when he told me to get lost while he was holding your friend captive in the woods... Even worse, it becomes clearer when you take into consideration his willingness to continue this harebrained scheme without my assistance. I admire your magnanimity, Fluttershy, but Gillian only knows how to use and control. He is a puzzle only a specially-trained doctor can solve..."

"But... he can't be incurable. I mean, I know he's done a lot of mean things to all of us... Especially you, Comet, but... deep down inside, there must be some sense of--!"

"Save it, cupcake..." Gillian muttered as he slowly, painfully took his legs from around the necks of the pony and zebra he'd been using as crutches. "It's clear... that no one here is gonna... ngh! believe you... Besides... where I'm going, there'll be nary a need for any kind of frivolous reformation procedures. I will admit, it's... nice being shown SOME compassion after what just happened to me, but... truth is, I really DID bring it on myself. I-- agh! I'm sure no one could've predicted your friend would've learned how to harness magic... much less use it in such a violent manner... and considering how much I've pissed him off..."

"If you knew you were making him angry, why didn't you just stop?" I asked.

"Obviously, I... didn't expect someone who ISN'T a unicorn to nearly kill me with magic," he answered sounding just as smug as ever. "Whatever the case, he and I... are even... he got what came to him for humiliating me in public... and I got mine for trying to court his girlfriend in the woods..." that sent shockwaves of anger coursing through me the instant I heard that. This... SNAKE! How could he??

"You WHAT!!??" Comet shouted, clearly past her boiling point. Her horn even began to flicker with traces of her magic, she was so ticked off.

"Ooh... Did I let that slip?" he asked in a tone of shame I couldn't tell was real or fake.

"You... you wretched PIG!!" Comet shouted as she prepared to launch herself at him, being stopped by Zecora, Applejack, and myself. "I should vaporize you where you stand!! You heartless sack of slag!!" she put up QUITE the fight in trying to attack him. He backed away, not even DARING to say or do anything that might provoke us to let her go. Considering what he did to her, I would've let her go anyway.

"What, may I ask is going on down here?" Princess Celestia questioned as she came back down the stairs. Her presence caused Comet to cool herself down, but given that she was hardly in any mood to be calm, she fell into a fit of crying that even I couldn't help but feel a little disheartened for. The Alicorn looked around, seeming to be trying to register exactly what happened, but I could only assume she got enough of a clue in the form of watching Comet break down in front of us. "I suppose I should get you two going posthaste." With that, she walked over to Comet as the rest of us stepped back. "Gillian, to my side."

"...A-as you wish, Your Majesty..." he shakily complied, limping toward Celestia in what seemed to be a mix of his physical pain and his notable fear of his ex-special somepony.

"They are still asleep, but our human comrade should wake up feeling much more like his old self," she let us know. "I personally made sure of it. I must take my leave now. Farewell, my little ponies." Still a bit stunned and appalled at what just happened, we simply nodded, seeing her off as she disappeared in a golden flash, taking both Comet and Gillian with her. After a short, awkward silence, someone spoke up.

"Gosh..." Lyra whispered. "I don't know about any of you, but... THAT... was actually kinda painful to watch..."

"Agreed," Rarity followed up. "It never is a good thing to watch a relationship unravel in such a destructive manner... even if it WAS between two ne'er-do-wells. Poor Comet Gazer..."

"Yeah, but I'm sure he'll get what he deserves," I added in, trying to lighten up the mood a little. "We should be a bit more worried about the two ponies upstairs right now."

"I agree with Dashie," Pinkie added in. "We should make sure they're okay." With that, we all made our way upstairs to be greeted with the sight of one human, passed out with a certain purple unicorn lying down, sleeping with her head resting on his back leg while one of his... uh... forelegs-- if that's what those things are-- was on her back.

"Aww, they're adorable... in a strange, xenophilic sort of way..." Rarity commented in a mix of adoration and uncertainty.

"That they are," Lyra agreed. "But... now that everything is finally over, what do we do now?"

"It isn't over just yet," Spike disagreed. "We still have to explain to everypony why there was a giant, rampaging alien running around town and scaring the daylights out of everyone he came across." The little guy had a VERY good point.

"That's true..." I agreed. "But the only ones who'd be good enough at explaining everything are these two and the Princess. But they're asleep, and Celestia is back in Canterlot dealing with Gillian and Comet. What can WE do?"

"...I s'pose WE could give it a shot explainin' what he is..." Applejack suggested.

"A viable idea, Applejack, but we hardly know a thing about what Ty is to even begin..." Rarity countered. "What could WE tell the townsfolk that wouldn't send them into yet another state of pandemonium?"

"We could probably start by telling everypony that he's our friend," Fluttershy advised. "I think that before we told them about him being a human, we could let everypony know that he was only trying to stop Gillian from trying to hurt Princess Celestia."

"That is a suitable point from which to begin," Zecora began. "But there lies a deeper issue within..."

"How much deeper?" asked Spike.

"Deeper in that, now that it comes to mind, a lot of ponies DID see Twilight get... romantic with him a few hours ago," I reasoned referring to the point where she jumped up and made out with him right after I rescued him from captivity. At that, I got a collective "Ohhh..." out of everypony else. "I mean, we already DID let everypony know he's on our side... right, Pinkie?"

"Absotively, Posilutely!" she answered.

"Right... but then I think it'd be up to them to figure out how to explain why exactly it is that Twilight is in a relationship with someone who isn't a pony."

"It shouldn't be THAT big a deal though, right?" Spike countered. "I mean, a lot of ponies know about me liking Rarity... What would be the difference?" Oh how naive you are, Spike...

"Well... in layman's terms, Spikey-Wikey..." Rarity uneasily began. "There's a difference between harboring feelings of attraction toward a different species and... well, actually engaging in romantic activity with a member of a different species."

"...I'm still not following."

"You'll get it when yer a mite more mature, Spike..." A.J. answered, to which he rolled his eyes in contempt, given he didn't like it much when his age was brought into play.

"So... I suppose while we wait for them to wake up, we should go and get a head start on our crowd control methods?" Lyra asked.

"Definitely," I agreed. "But before we go out there, we should decide who's going where..." With that, we spent a relatively small amount of time mapping out a game plan for which areas around Ponyville each of us would go to in order to inform the townsponies that Ty wasn't a dangerous monster despite what they saw. We also went over exactly what to tell them so that they wouldn't be alarmed by what they heard. Before long, we set out and journeyed to our separate locations to accomplish the new mission...

Preparation!

About an hour went by since we started off convincing the townsponies that Ty wasn't dangerous. So far, we (or at least I) surprisingly hadn't run into too much opposition... aside from the ponies who saw him almost vaporize Gillian. Those were the ones I focused on first and foremost while the others went on about their ways of calming the townsfolk down in their respective areas of influence. Nothing too hard of a job to do, but there was still that nagging fact that I couldn't just waltz up to anypony and ask if they saw a furless gorilla throwing a beam of light at a unicorn. I knew I had to be a little more subtle than that, which made this effort take longer than I'd have normally cared for. In any case, I would mainly just ask if they'd seen anything out of the ordinary recently, which nine times out of ten, would be a yes. From there, I'd ask the pony I was talking with to elaborate, and if what they described came out to be an image of what happened not too long ago, then I'd assure them to the best of my ability that they shouldn't be afraid or weirded out.

Taking into account what Ponyville's been through in the past, not that many ponies were that scared by the incident. A good hoof-full of 'em actually seemed more interested than frightened, which I took as a good sign. Still, I had to make sure that everyone I came into contact with in the last hour or so was alright. All that said, things were going for the most-part smoothly until I ran into a certain duo that's probably caused more damage to this town's overall safety and comfort level than Ty ever could.

"Hey! Snips! Snails!" I called as I saw two unicorn colts trotting their way through the area around the Carousel Boutique. They stopped almost instantly when they heard me call them, seeming excited to see me. Typical behavior for foals who know greatness when they see it... Nah, just kidding! I'm not THAT cocky. These two would be excited if they'd just got done watching paint dry, so no biggie.

"Hey, Ms. Rainbow Dash!" greeted the short, chubby grayish-green colt known as Snips.

"Fancy seeing you here, huh?" added the taller, much-thinner dark orange colt by the name of Snails.

"Yeah, sure, good afternoon. I'm a bit short on time right now, so I'll be blunt about it: I was just wondering if you'd seen anything strange around here lately...?"

"Strange?" asked Snips. "Strange how?"

"Like... if you'd seen any unusual creatures running around here or if you heard any rumors...?"

"You mean like a giant three-headed dog from Tartarus?"

"Or an Ursa Minor?" asked Snails right after his friend.

"Or a rampaging horde of Changelings bent on taking over Equestria?"

"Or a rampaging horde of Pinkie Pies bent on taking over Ponyville?"

"*sigh* I don't have time for this... Come to think of it, though, Ponyville HAS been through a lot of unusually sticky situations over the years..."

"No," I calmly answered. "More like... something else... Like a uh... something completely unseen before," I did my best to explain.

"Well... a lot of the stuff we just mentioned, we never saw before the point where we saw them," Snails answered.

"Uh-huh... Technically true, but what I mean is something recent. As in, within the last two or three days..."

"Ooohhh..." Both of them droned in wonder. At that, the two drew a blank that lasted almost too long as the air around us got awkwardly silent.

"Ooh! Ooh! Yeah, we did!" Snails FINALLY answered me after a couple of minutes.

"Yeah! We saw this really huge animal! I think it had... some kind of weird clothing on... plus, when we saw it, it was really mean and nasty-looking and was chasing after some stallion I don't think comes around here a lot," Snips added, scratching his head in thought. "If I could just remember what he looked like..."

"Sounds like they DID see him..."

"And it was really, really huge!" Snails had the courtesy to reiterate.

"I already said that, doofus!"

"Nuh-uh! You didn't describe how big it really was, doofus! And don't call me 'doofus!'"

"Yeah, well I don't need your extra 'really!' So take it back!"

"No! Not until you take back calling me a doofus!"

"Not unless YOU take back that extra 'really!' Now take it back!" Snips ordered in a sudden sense of hostility as he butted heads with his friend.

"I said no!" Snails angrily answered back. The two colts started up a shoving match where they'd been pushing their heads together.

"Boys, boys, relax!" I called to them as I separated the two. "Does it really matter how many 'really's' there were? The case in point is that I just need to know if you saw it or not..."

"How come?" Snips asked as the two settled down and directed their attention back at me.

"Because I need to--!"

"Ooh! I bet you're on some sort of top-secret investigation! Right?" Snails asked out of the blue.

"No, I--!"

"What kind of question is that, Snails?" Snips asked in contempt.

"Well, if Ms. Rainbow Dash is gathering information on strange animals we haven't seen before, then she must be doing it to gather clues on where it is so she can capture it," the lanky, green-haired foal explained, despite being WAAAAY out of the ballpark.

"Ohh, yeah! Good point!" the portly little colt complimented his friend before turning to me with some shifty look on his face like he was hiding something. "So um... here's the scoop. This 'animal' was big. Really big. And um... it... had some weird clothes on and was chasing this stallion..."

"And don't forget that it looked really angry, too!"

"Ugh, why'd I bother with these two...? Ah well, it's clear that they saw him, and that's all that matters." These two never WERE known for their outstanding smarts, but that didn't rule them out as potential witnesses.

"Right... So uh... Anyway, I'm just here to letcha know that what you saw wasn't dangerous. It's-- HE'S a friend of mine, so don't be scared of him. Okay?"

"Oh, I just remembered! It was a--! Wait..." Snips began in confusion. "You actually KNOW the moose in the top hat and the flower-printed shirt that was chasing Clip Clop the Clown around the train station the other day? That's awesome! Can you get his autograph for us?"

"Yeah, please, Ms. Rainbow Dash? He showed us some really cool tricks with his antlers after he rammed Clip Clop onto the train to Trottingham, but he never got to introduce himself to us!" I just wound up drawing a blank, having NO idea how to respond to something that sounded so... ridiculous!

"...Whelp, that's all, folks!"

"...Yeah, I'm gonna go now. Catch you guys on the flip-side. Stay outta trouble!" and with that, I flew off, looking for more suitable ponies to spread the word to. It was no more than a couple of minutes later that I ran into an acquaintance of mine named Flitter, her sister Cloudchaser, another mare by the name of Raindrops, and my good friend Thunderlane drifting by in the sky together.

"Hey, guys! How's it hangin'?" I greeted as I hovered toward them.

"Other than Ponyville being on high alert because of that weird monkey thing terrorizing the town and attacking that unicorn, we're good," said Raindrops.

"Speaking of which," Flitter began. "I couldn't help but notice earlier this morning that you were carrying it off somewhere, but you went down in the middle of town with it. What were you doing?"

"I was trying to save him from the unicorn he attacked. He's actually a good friend of mine and we'd recently run into a couple of criminals from Saddle Arabia who wanted to get to Twilight through him."

"Whoa whoa whoa... a FRIEND of yours?" Thunderlane asked in surprise. "How are you friends with it?? Do you know what it is?? I saw it last night when that giant boom happened out of nowhere, but when it was talking to Lyra at the time, it said that it didn't know anything about where it was."

"Yeah, about that... You see, it--!"

"But then Fluttershy and some of your other friends came along and dragged it off before it could answer for itself," added Cloudchaser. "What's going on, Dash? Are we being invaded by aliens now?"

"No no, don't be ridiculous. I mean, yeah, he's technically an alien, but I--!"

"And what is it that you and your friends know about it that we don't? I mean, Pinkie Pie was shouting all morning about how it wasn't dangerous, but then the next we see of it, it's all riled up and chasing after some unicorn stallion we'd never seen around here before. Is it some sort of circus act that came into town but got mad at its master after breaking loose?"

"What?? N-no!" I answered, despite getting a sudden urge to chuckle at Cloudchaser's speculation. "Just listen for a sec. He's--!"

"Oh! And you know what else?" Raindrops interrupted me. "I saw Twilight kiss it when you guys were trying to help it fight that stallion. More than once."

"Now THAT'S gonna be a bit tough to explain right away..."

"For all it's worth, they weren't just simple, friendly little pecks. I'm talking full on, 'I love you, now let's r--!'"

"I get it, Raindrops," I stopped her from elaborating for the sake of my own imagination. "I saw it. I was there."

"Oh, right... Anyway, what's up with that?"

"Yeah, she seemed awfully attached to that thing even though it was only here a couple days..." Thunderlane added in agreement. "I had no idea Twilight of all ponies would resort to something like dating an animal-- er, alien, or whatever. I mean, she never struck me as the 'normal' kind of mare, but still... Did she have some sort of really bad falling out with that one Earth pony she was with to stoop to that?"

"So many questions, so little time..."

"*sigh* Alright, that's enough. First off, Twilight's my best friend, so lay off. Second, that 'alien' isn't what you think he is. And yes, it's a HE. But we'd be here all day if I tried answering all of your questions myself," I explained before coming up with a last-minute idea. "Tell you guys what: Help me to arrange a public meeting at Town Hall by spreading the word to as many ponies as you can within the hour, and once that meeting begins, you'll get as many answers as you're looking for. Deal?" I offered as I lent out a hoof to shake. Of course, the four other pegasi took a little while to think about the proposal I made, but after a short pause...

"Sure," Thunderlane was the first to agree as he touched his hoof to mine. "I'll do it," he added in a tone of what seemed to be interest. "I really wanna know what that thing is."

"Well if he's gonna help, then I guess I could, too," Flitter followed up as she threw her hoof in, Cloudchaser doing so right after. "All things considered about what we saw in the last day or two..."

"...we want to know exactly how dangerous that alien is... or if it's just one of an entirely new species of animal we're just discovering," Cloudchaser finished.

"And I want to know what you and your friends' connection is to it," Raindrops finished as her hoof found its way into the huddle.

"Trust me, you'll get all the info you need! Thanks, guys!" I said, expressing my gratitude for their cooperation.

"Okay. So what's the plan?" asked Raindrops.

"Just split up and tell as many ponies as you can to meet up outside Town Hall in about an hour, and make sure they spread the word as well. Once you're done, make your way there yourselves. By that time, I should have done my part and hopefully convinced Mayor Mare to let us have our meeting there."

"Alright!" The four other ponies agreed in unison as they took off to fulfill the errand I gave them.

"So far, so good. Now's probably as good a time as any to see how the other girls are doing..." With that thought, I rocketed off to check up on my friends' progress before I finished my part of the job...

"*Yawn* Hm...? Where'd Fluttershy go...?" I asked myself as I suddenly, yet calmly awoke from the nap I'd taken. As I stretched my arms and legs, I noticed something...

"Huh... Nothin' hurts nearly as much as it did before... I guess Twilight's spell worked better than expected... or maybe that nap did the trick...?" With that, I groggily surveyed the library's bedroom to see that Twilight had still been sound asleep on my leg, which prevented me from moving too much and stirring the mare from her peaceful slumber. A few seconds later, the door opened, where I was greeted with the sight of a familiar baby dragon.

"Oh, you're awake already?" asked a slightly surprised Spike as he approached.

"Not really, but... *Yawn* I'm not one for long naps..." I answered as I wiped the cold out of my eye. "Where's everybody else at? I thought you was with them..."

"I was, but we came right back here after we visited the hospital. Right now, everyone should be prepping up for a town meeting to explain why you aren't a threat to anypony." Hearing that was all I needed to fully wake up.

"They are??" I asked in alarm, covering my mouth as I realized I'd almost awakened the sleeping unicorn. "Why are THEY doin' that...?" I asked in a hushed whisper.

"Why not?" he shot back. "I mean, there HAS been a lot going on since you got here... The townsponies would've needed an explanation at SOME point."

"No, I mean I thought that was supposed t' be somethin' for me an' Twi t' take care of."

"Oh. In that case, it's because you and Twi were already asleep when we all arrived here. Rainbow and the others decided to get a head start on calming everypony's nerves while you two rested up from what happened earlier. They left me here to keep an eye on you until you got up."

"That right...? An' exactly how long ago was that?"

"Hmm..." the reptilian child pondered. "I'd say about... maybe an hour and a half ago?"

"An hour an' a half? Jeez..." I mumbled, surprised at the amount of time that went by. That surprise quickly deteriorated when I went into silent thought about how that meeting would be going without Twilight or myself there to answer the questions they had. In that instant, I was filled with a deep-seated sense of anxious dread that it could quite possibly have not been going well, since there were only three people in this entire world I felt were qualified to answer any of the questions the townsfolk had... Yet, the two MOST qualified of the aforementioned three were lethargically loafing around in the library instead of addressing the town like they were supposed to while everyone else apparently took it upon themselves to do their job for them. But then I remembered what Princess Celestia told me after Twi and I arrived from our short break about she managed to sedate the townsfolk herself since her arrival in Ponyville.

"I take it Princess Celestia has everything under control now?" I hopefully asked.

"No," Spike bluntly added, inadvertently refilling me with the shakiness I'd prematurely disposed of. "The Princess took those two criminals away once we got here. She's back in Canterlot dealing with them. It's just Rarity, A.J., Pinkie, Rainbow, Lyra, Fluttershy, and Zecora out there right now."

"Oh. Alright then..." I murmured as I went into a state of mute pensiveness.

"Ah, so THAT'S where Fluttershy is... Doesn't help in the least though, because she only knows as much as the rest of 'em do... Maybe there's still time t' help them out if I get out there soon enough... OH! Plus, I promised Comet I'd talk t' Celestia t' lighten her sentence! If she's already back in Canterlot sentencin' those two, then the odds are that I missed my chance t' do it... Dammit! I hope it ain't too late t' at least put in an absentee plea bargain or somethin'..." After a short moment to collect my thoughts, I decided on what to do.

"Spike."

"Yeah?"

"Not t' sound bossy or anythin', but I'mma need you t' take a letter. I'ss kinda urgent..." I requested as I carefully lifted Twilight off of my leg in order to bring myself to a stand. Again, it struck me as odd that I'd only felt a far-less intensive fraction of the pain I'd remembered experiencing. It still hurt quite a lot to move, but it felt less like I'd been mauled, then subsequently tossed from the summit of a craggy mountainside, and more like I'd just rested up from a day at the gym. Nonetheless, I was quick to pick my significant other up off the ground and lay her gorgeous sleeping form onto her bed.

"Okay," the dragon complied as he ran toward the nearest drawer to fetch a sheet of parchment and a quill. "What's so urgent about this?"

"I... kinda made a promise t' someone... an' so far, I'm pretty sure I fuc--Ahh, I mean... screwed up my chance t' keep it..."

"Who'd you make a promise to? And what'd you promise them?"

"You'll learn when ya write this letter for me," I answered, growing more anxious as my patience dwindled.

"Alright," Spike agreed as he prepared to script my words. "Ready when you are."

"Okay. Dear Princess Celestia... By now, I understand that you have returned to Canterlot to deal with Ponyville's most recent nuisance. It also comes to my attention that you are PROBABLY pretty upset that I almost vaporized one of the two perpetrators with your magic. I know that that is a TERRIBLE way for me to show gratitude, and I know that a move as idiotic as that could do serious damage to your reputation. I am sorry. Very sorry. I mean, so sorry that I don't think I'd ever be able to make it up to you, no matter how hard I tried. Nonetheless, I ask for one more HUGE favor. If you do this for me, then I will be eternally grateful to the point where you can ask anything of me and no matter what it is, I will fulfill your request to the absolute best of my human ability.

Now as for this favor... As said before, Comet and Gillian are under your watchful eye, to my understanding. I also understand that it may or may not be too late by the time you receive this letter, but in the case that it isn't, then I sincerely, absolutely, completely beg of you to please, please, PLEASE reconsider your options when you deliver your judgment upon the mare known as Comet Gazer. She isn't a bad mare. She was only placed in a series of situations that drove her to commit the crimes she'd been basically tricked into committing. I won't say she isn't completely undeserving of any blame for her past actions, but she has shown me numerous times that she, if given the chance, could rebuild her status as an upstanding, law-abiding pony. I wish to elaborate further, but at this point in time, I have another taxing goal to accomplish in the form of coming clean with Ponyville's inhabitants. I know it isn't my place to suggest things of royalty such as yourself, but I implore you to please go easy on poor Comet. She's a good mare with a good heart. Your Faithful Subject, Ty."

Within a few seconds, Spike packaged the letter and sent it on its way to Equestria's Sun Princess.

"So... your promise was to that one mare? And the promise was that you'd get Princess Celestia to ease up on her?" Spike cleverly deducted.

"Indeed."

"But... why? After everything she did to us. Why are you trying to help her out?"

"Long story short, she was in a really bad emotional state last time I saw her. She recently got dumped by Gillian at the time an' was bawlin' her eyes out about how she ruined her life. Me bein' the chivalrous guy I am, I promised t' get Celestia t' ease up on 'er. I'd explain more, but I gotta go," I reasoned as I prepared to bolt.

"Go where, exactly?"

"T' help the others explain this mess. If anybody's able t' give the right answers, i'ss me."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Weeeelll... No. I honestly think Twi here's better at public speakin' than me or any o' the others, but I know I'm the second best option in this case."

"So why not wake her up and let her do the talking?"

"She's out like a light that was in a fight at night, Spike. That wouldn't be right." At that, the dragon let out a small titter.

"Heh, I guess that's true."

"So long as tha'ss the case, I suppose it goes without sayin' for you t' look after her while I go an' help them sort this thing out," I reasoned as I painstakingly (and nervously) stretched myself in preparation for the public meeting that had apparently been going on in my absence.

"You sure you should be going out there, dude? You're still moving around like you just got run over by a stampede even though the Princess said she healed you." At Spike's witty remark, I scoffed despite finally being given an answer for my suddenly-improved physical condition.

"SHE healed me?? Again?? Now if that ain't magnanimous, I don't know WHAT is..."

"Har har," I sarcastically jabbed back, shaking my head. "Jus' stay here an' if she wakes up, tell her what happened. She'll understand..."

"I hope..." With that, I wasted no more time flapping my gums with Spike and had begun walking toward the bedroom's entrance...

"Mmm..." I heard Twilight's voice, which froze me in place. I turned to look and see that she'd merely shifted her sleeping position. "Ty..." ...or maybe she'd woken up.

"Twilight?" I called to her. She didn't give a response right away, which prompted me to figure she'd still been asleep.

"Yes... right there... harder... mmm~...!" she moaned in an unexpectedly enticing, yet slurred tone of voice.

"OH, myyy... So much for bein' mad at us, eh?"

"Aw, shit... NOW of all times, does that habit show up again?"

"...Er, on second thought, Spike, come with me," I changed my mind, suddenly flustered and more worried about what the sleeping mare might have inadvertently let slip in her seemingly-peaceful snoozing stupor.

"Ohh... don't stop~..." she moaned again, sending me into a panic.

"Why? She talks in her sleep more often than ya think. You should hear her sometimes. It's pretty funny," Spike naively objected.

"I know that. She USUALLY only does it when she's been too stressed out t' get proper rest, but what she might be dreamin' about this time might not be suitable for young ears..." I anxiously reasoned, suddenly feeling hotter than a tea kettle that had been heated up with a flamethrower.

"Pfft! Oh, brother..." He dismissed with a wave of his claw. "There's nothing I've ever heard Twilight mumble in her sleep in all the time I've spent living with her that would make ANY difference in how I think of her. Or you, for that matter."

"Yes...! Yeah, right there... put it in~... Make me your--!"

"Mother f--!"

"Okay, we're leavin' now!" I frantically sputtered as I scrambled toward Spike in an attempt to shield his innocence.

"Wha--? WHOA!" Spike tried to rebut, but in the wake of... WHATEVER it was Twilight was dreaming about, I shut down any chance he may have had as I grabbed him by the sides of his head and carried him off. Within a nanosecond, the two of us were out of the library with him riding on the back of my neck.

"What gives, Ty!?" Spike asked, predictably upset. "Why'd you just yank me along with you?"

"Trust me, boy. It was for ya own good. Now le'ss leave it at that."

"Why?" He asked, my reply seeming only to intrigue him as he simmered down instantly.

"Don't worry about it," I shot back impatiently. "Le'ss jus' go to this meetin' or whatever and focus on that. Hm?"

"Sure, if you tell me what Twilight was mumbling about that was oh-so bad that you didn't want me to hear it..."

"Yea, here's a better idea: How about I DON'T do that?"

"Aw, come on! How horrible could it have possibly been for you to suddenly be so jittery about it?"

"Very. Now drop it."

"Come on, tell me. I promise I won't tell..."

"No."

"What about if I gave you a fire ruby? I bet THAT would--!"

"Bribery? Tsk tsk..."

"Oh, that doesn't grab your attention? What if I tell Twilight that you said that 'bad word' in front of me again? You know the one... It rhymes with 'duck.'"

"Don't you dare. Whatever punishment she dishes out, I'll make sure you suffer through with me for tryna blackmail me."

"Just tell me, then!"

"Okay, I'll tell ya."

"Oh come--! Wait, really?" he asked, getting his hopes up.

"Yea. I'll tell you 'no' for the thousandth time," I wittily replied, shutting him down and gaining some form of amusement out of it.

"D'oh, whatever..." the nosy little lizard finally gave up. At that, things got silent for a few minutes as I walked into the seemingly-empty town, searching for a large gathering I could then assume would be where the meeting was being held. "You know what? I bet it had something to do with that 'heat' thing, didn't it?" Spike blurted out. "That has to be it!"

"Uh, n-no!" I sputtered, shaken by his deduction to the point of stumbling a little as I tensed up.

"Then why is it that whatever it is she was mumbling about isn't 'suitable for young ears,' like you said?"

"I uh... ummm... She was... jus' gonna... ahh, fuck...!" I mumbled as I failed to think up a convincing lie.

"Ah-ha! So I'm right!"

"He done GOT me again!!"

"We ain't doin' this again. Nuh-uh. I'll concede here, but this is where I draw the line, dammit. I ain't turnin' back an' droppin' you back there so you can eavesdrop on her. You're stickin' with me an' we're gonna go t' this meetin' in peace. An' no more questions about Twilight, cuz you ain't gettin' not one answer outta me. Got it?" I demanded like a true authoritarian.

"Yeah, DAD, I got it," he sarcastically acquiesced, presumably rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Good. Maybe I can make it up to ya sometime after we're done here, eh? I'll add your name to the list o' ponies I owe consolation prizes to..."

"Sounds good to me, I guess..." he nonchalantly agreed, his thoughts already seeming to be elsewhere as we made our way through Ponyville.

"Somethin' tells me he's cookin' somethin' up in that brain o' his... Better keep a close eye on him..."

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the month-long hiatus and short update, everyone! Lots of outside issues needed to be taken care of before I got a chance to draw this tale to a satisfying conclusion (No, the next chapter isn't the last). But in my time editing this chapter, I got an idea...

That idea is: The next chapter will more-or-less involve an extensive Q&A panel where the many citizens of Ponyville ask a plethora of questions with regards to the alien that's been rampaging through their fair town, causing havoc and pandemonium everywhere he went.

Here, I request of you this: Ask any and all questions you think would be relevant in this most prestigious discovery of a new species amongst ponykind, be it questions about it being in hiding as an Earth pony, its intentions for doing such a thing, the connection of it to the select few ponies it was seen interacting with, etc.

I suggest this mainly because there might be some questions I'll likely forget to bring up while I do this next chapter. Ask as many as you'd like! If not, then that's cool, too. Till next time!

The Ponyville Address!

"Alright... Everything set, Rarity?" I asked as we set up the stage at the center of Ponyville.

"Indeed, dear," the fancy fashion mare answered as she levitated the podium onto the stage. "I must say, it certainly helped that everypony had been expecting this meeting."

"Got that right. It slipped my mind that Princess Celestia already scheduled one for today. How's everypony else doing?" I asked as I turned toward the rest of the group. Each of them gave their signs of progress being made as we finished setting up for the public address. And MAN, was this address gonna be one to remember. It looked like the entire town showed up! Ponies lined up as far as the eye could see, ready, waiting, and eager to hear how we would explain the entire set of wacky scenarios that played out over the weekend. I could hardly wait myself. Admittedly, I was sort of nervous, but this was nothing compared to a flight competition I participated in a couple years back (I won, by the way. Just throwin' that out there). I was more excited to see how things would go than anything. Nonetheless, once the girls and I got the stage ready, we formed a huddle in order to make an important decision... and THAT decision was...

"Okay, who's going first?" Lyra asked, opening up the discussion.

"Well...? Who here knows the most about... whatever it is Ty is?" A.J. asked. As soon as she brought the question up, everyone looked directly at me.

"Who? ME? I hardly know a thing...!" I argued. "Fluttershy, you spent the most time around him. Surely, YOU can take the mic first, right?"

"M-me?? Oh, gracious, no..." the timid mare unsurprisingly denied. "I only know as much as anypony else here does. Besides... I-I'm no good at public speaking. I think that's more your thing, Dashie..."

"Yeah, but I know diddly squat right now...! I don't wanna choke and look like a jerk up there...! Um..." I pondered for a few seconds. I couldn't pick Lyra or Zecora because they didn't know anything other than what they got sucked into just yesterday. Rarity, as elegant a talker as she is, I didn't think would've been able to say much herself. Applejack was more-or-less on the same boat. Pinkie Pie was... well, she's Pinkie Pie. Despite that, she definitely showed her enthusiasm in bouncing up and down with a huge smile on her face, practically begging to be the one to kick things off.

From the looks of it, without Twilight, Celestia, or Ty here to help, we were pretty much strapped for options. "*sigh* I... I guess I'll do it," I reluctantly accepted the job of getting the meeting started. "But don't any of you just stand there. If I freeze up, help me out, okay?" To that, everypony nodded in agreement. With that issue finally being settled, I took the stand.

"HELLOOOOOO, PONYVILLE!!" ...or, I was about to. Before I got the chance, a certain obnoxious pink Earth mare stole the spotlight and screamed into the microphone. "So the reason we all brought you here on this splendifferous occasion is because you may or may not have seen a six-foot-tall, mostly-hairless, mostly-not-but-kinda-sorta dangerous, clothes-wearing gorilla-monster thingy running amok all over town in the last three days or so, but we're here to tell you all not to panic and to hold onto your hooves while we...!" Pinkie Pie paused to suck in a ton of air. "...tell you that he's actually not a monster and that he was helping us to try and stop these meanie-pants escaped criminals that came from someplace far, far away from here from cooking and serving up a nasty scheme involving Princess Celestia like it was a Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness!"

"...What?" somepony in the audience asked, predictably not understanding a word of Pinkie's hyperactive rambling.

"*AHEM!* What she means is that there is no cause for alarm," Rarity replied as she took the stand. "We were previously dealing with a threat to Ponyville's safety, but that threat has since been taken care of. This meeting was preemptively organized to inform you, our fellow citizens, of our fair town's most recent debacle."

"Ohh..." the crowd collectively droned in understanding.

"That being said," I continued, taking the podium myself. "I guess our first and most urgent issue to tackle would be the 'mysterious' creature roaming around here. First off, he isn't as dangerous as he looks. Despite what some of you may have seen within the last couple of hours, he's actually very friendly to us ponies. As mentioned before, he was helping us stop an international criminal from pony-napping our good friend Twilight Sparkle for the purpose of getting to Princess Celestia." At that, the crowd collectively gasped in surprise. "Shocker, right? Thanks to help from said 'monster', we were able to keep the Princess safe and warn her of the impending threat to her safety." I assured.

"Quite," Rarity agreed as she took over. "As some of you have seen earlier today, it took an extensive effort to bring the criminal down. Many were alarmed and a few were injured in the chaos that ensued."

"Yeah! And I lost my vegetable stand!" shouted somepony from the crowd. "That monster bowled right through it!" That little complaint seemed to throw her off for a moment.

"...Okay... and a vegetable stand seems to be the only casualty in the events past. Nevertheless, citizens of Ponyville, you have nothing to fear. The problem has been remedied and the town has once again been made safe. Both Twilight and the Princess are safe, and the er... the... 'alien' has allied itself with us, for lack of better words."

"Hey, where IS Twilight, anyway?" asked Berry Punch from within the crowd. "Shouldn't she be up there with you?"

"And for that matter, shouldn't SHE be the one giving the speech about how Ponyville's safety being retained?" added Honeydew.

"And where's that alien at?" Flitter followed after her. "How do we know if we're truly safe or not if we don't know what became of the alien?"

"They... are... uh..." she faltered, unsure of what to tell the crowd. I couldn't blame her. We couldn't tell them that Twilight and Ty were taking a nap at the library. I was almost certain nopony would've been happy with that response. But then, as Rarity froze up trying to think of what to tell the townsponies regarding their whereabouts, the crowd instantly got antsy to the point of clamoring amongst themselves.

"They're a mite tied up at the moment," Applejack reasoned on her behalf, capturing the audience's attention. "Ty-- er, I mean... The 'alien' an' Twi took a mean beatin' from them varmints. As such, they're bein' taken care of as we--!"

"Ty!" Fluttershy shouted as she instantly took flight to point out what she was looking at. Sure enough, there was the guest of honor, walking his way toward the stage (without many signs of injury aside from a slight limp), carrying Spike on the back of his neck. Ponyville's residents were quick to turn and gasp in collective shock at the human who so THANKFULLY decided to join us. As he approached, Fluttershy took it upon herself to fly over to his side. "Are you okay? What are you doing here? Where's Twilight?" she asked in rapid, seemingly-worried succession.

"I'm feelin' a lot better, I'm here t' help y'all, an' Twilight's still restin' up from what happened earlier," he answered as he climbed up onto the stage and casually took a seat near the front edge beside the podium, allowing Spike to climb down from his neck. "I appreciate y'all's efforts t' help clarify me as a friend, by the way."

"No sweat, big guy!" I answered. "What are friends for?" To that, he gave me an agreeing smile and nod before turning to greet the others, who seemed just as excited to see him as Fluttershy and I were. As this little interruption went on, the entire crowd had their eyes locked onto Ty as if they were gazing into the starry night sky. Suffice it to say, they looked completely entranced by his appearance here. Even I was a little shocked that he'd just stroll on in without regard to how everypony could've reacted to him. "What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked. "I thought you were resting...?"

"I was," he explained. "...but I woke up early an' had Spike tell me that y'all was doin' this. As much as I appreciate the effort, this is my responsibility. More specifically, the Princess assigned me with this task. So I'm here t' fulfill it while Twi gets as much rest as she needs. So anyway, where'd you leave off?"

"Uh... we were just getting onto the topic of why you aren't a threat to anypony. Did you want to take care of that yourself?"

"Yea. Pass the mic, please?" he requested. I obliged by taking the microphone out of its holder and giving it to him. Rather than stand up, he stayed in a seated position on the edge of the stage. With a stretch and a deep breath, the human took over as head of the discussion panel...

"Okay, uh... Hey, everybody. I'm the alien everybody was so freaked out about recently," I so eloquently began. "I come in peace. I'm sorry to have caused all o' y'all so much of a scare that y'all had t' take time outta ya daily schedules t' be here today. I know there's a lotta questions most o' y'all might have, but, with all due respect, I request that they wait til' I'm done. *AHEM!* So yea... First an' foremost, I don't mean no harm t' anybody here. I don't know how much I can emphasize that, but I'm a friendly. In fact, I know a lot o' y'all pretty well already. How, you might ask? Because that one black Earth pony with the puffy hair an' the cloud for the Cutie Mark? That was me." At that, the whole crowd took on a collective breath of surprise that could've given a vacuum cleaner a run for its money.

"But how?? Y-you're not a Changeling, are you??" asked one of the audience members.

"No, I'm not a Changelin'. I'm not even sure what that is. I am of a species nobody knows about here. But I'll get t' that in a minute. So yea, if y'all know who Ponder Memoir is, then y'all already know me. Y'all also know I've been here the last nine months or so."

"Wait a sec..." a pegasus mare from the crowd stopped me. "If... you're that Memoir pony like you're claiming to be, then... that... that...!"

"Yea, that means I uh... am... how you say, datin' a certain unicorn who couldn't be here at the moment." At that, I got predictably mixed reactions that I could tell ranged from disgust to intrigue to confusion. "What can I say? Ponies got it goin' on," I joked to try and lighten the mood at my own expense. Some laughed, some retched, others just stared blankly at me as I tried to clear the air.

"So... not to sound mean or anything, but... why? Why do you find ponies so interesting?" asked different mare of the unicorn variety. "Isn't there anyone of your own species to date, Mr. Alien?"

"Good question. Truth is, I didn't even think myself that I'd be involved with a pony of all things. In fact, I didn't even know you all existed until Twilight came t' me one day a long while ago. I'ss a long, complicated love story I'd be here all day tellin' y'all, but generally, Twi an' I just hit it off. An' believe me, for a while, we had a LOT of trouble overcomin' the species thing. We didn't just go into it and say 'We are TOTALLY okay with bein' romantically involved despite one of us bein' a pony an' the other bein' a human'. It was a very long, very difficult process that obviously, we still didn't fully cover, as evidenced by this meetin'. That good enough?"

"Yes, I can sort of understand."

"Good t' hear. So anyway, the pony known as 'Ponder Memoir' was an alias I used so I could fit in. It originally was supposed t' be a one-time thing, but then Twilight an' I began seein' each other. From there, it became necessity for the sake of you all. Which brings me to--!"

"Excuse me for a second, Ty..." an Earth mare I came to know as the Ponyville Elementary schoolteacher interrupted me. "Is it okay to call you 'Ty'?"

"Why, yes it is, Ms. Cheerilee," I courteously replied. "That is in fact, my actual name. Wha'ss on ya mind?"

"I have to know... If you're not a pony, then what exactly ARE you? I can see that you're able to think and feel like the rest of us, as evidenced by your apparent courtship with Twilight and the friends you've made since your arrival here, as well as your remarkable fluency in the Equestrian language, but... what are you? Also, how do we know that you're not a Changeling or some sort of voracious animal that seeks to prey upon us or cause danger to us in some form?"

"Ah, I like the way you think. I am what you may aptly dub as a 'human being.' From what I understand, human beings don't exist here in Equestria. I appear t' be the very first of my kind to enter int' this place."

"At least, the first t' show up AS a human, but I'mma PROBABLY leave that li'l fact about Gillian bein' the REAL first human out. First impressions are everything..."

"So no, I'm not some common animal you might find in the Everfree Forest or on the respective properties of my good friends, Applejack an' Fluttershy here..." I reasoned as I temporarily turned and gestured a hand toward the two mares I'd mentioned. Applejack gave a respectful tilt of the hat while Fluttershy sheepishly cringed behind her forehooves as she sat, managing only a cutesy little smile and wave. "I'm from a distant land on a distant planet in a galaxy far, far away. But I'll explain later. Anyway, as I said before, I don't know much about Changelings other than the fact that they're, from what I heard, a race of lovelorn parasitic vampires or some shit like that, that got banished from here a while ago." At that remark, I got a few more laughs, which told me the crowd was beginning to warm up to me; definitely a good sign.

"Galaxy? Far, far away?" a light brown, blue-eyed Earth stallion questioned. "Might you elaborate on that?"

"Oh hey, i'ss that guy I physically assaulted when I mistook him for Gillian!"

"Exactly what I said, sir. I'm from an entirely different plane of existence. An' before you hit me with a bunch o' science-y questions about rippin' through the fabric of time an' space an' astronomical wormholes that would quite possibly rupture the flow o' reality an' defy, shatter, an' make an outhouse o' the laws of physics as we know it, as well as outrageous 'black-hole grandfather paradox' theories, I'd have to refer you t' Twilight, because she's the one who managed to conjure up the spell t' bring me here. I don't know that much about it myself."

"Wait... You're SERIOUSLY from a whole 'nother world???" asked Lyra from behind me. I'd almost forgotten she didn't know anything about my origins.

"Yea. Somewhere amongst the cosmos, there exists a world entirely inhabited by my kind. In some ways, its civilizations an' natural landscapes are just as affluent in diversity as the ones here this world are. In MANY other ways, it's far different." The crowd let out a slew of 'Ooh's' and 'Ahh's' as they stared at me, pondering exactly what kind of alien I was.

"Ooh! I got a question for ya, Ty!" asked a cute little filly from within the crowd. I'd recognize that red hair and pink bow anywhere in this world. It reminded me ALL too much of the troublemaker hiding behind the adorably innocent facade that was a grade school-age foal.

"Wha'ss up, Apple Bloom?"

"So if yer an alien, an' Twilight brought-cha here with her magic, then how'd ya get turned into a pony from there?"

"Wow, she's got quite a brain in her..."

"Another good question. The answer: More magic. Twilight got the idea t' turn me into a pony right after she brought me here for the first time. It wasn't somethin' I agreed with at first, actually. I opted t' go around pretendin' t' be her pet monkey, believe it or not. From the sound of it, tha'ss what most o' y'all mistook me for, anyway. I prolly coulda passed for one," I explained with a short laugh, joined by a large portion of the audience, including all of my fellow speakers.

"What made ya go with the pony disguise?" the sweet little filly asked again.

"Twilight's curiosity regardin' the limits of her magic, as well as a small amount o' my curiosity on what it would be like t' be an equine. Long story short, it physically HURT with a capital PAIN t' be transformed. It didn't help that it took me forever to get used t' bein' a pony while tryin' not t' forget how t' be a human. *AHEM!* But we're gettin' off-topic here... where was I...?" I pondered for a minute, trying to remember where I'd left off.

"I think you were at the part where you were explaining the disguise," Rainbow reminded me. "But you just did that, so I guess you can move on from there."

"So maybe I DIDN'T go off-topic..."

"Huh. Alright, then... So I suppose I should explain t' y'all what happened an' why I was forced out o' hidin'... So what had happened was... there was this evil unicorn stallion an' his special someone, who came here for the purpose o' kidnappin' Twilight. That evil stallion happened t' be the one I uh... kinda-sorta, accidentally almost obliterated... His name was Gillian. He an' his girlfriend found me this past Saturday lookin' for her. They knocked me out, kidnapped me, took me int' the woods, an' proceeded t' torture me an' suck all the magic outta me until I was forced back int' bein' human again. After that, they left me in there, where I was saved by Zecora here," I explained, gesturing toward the zebra mare, who simply smiled and nodded at her mention. "A short time later, while Zecora was helpin' me recover, Gillian showed back up an' we got into a fight that ended with him teleportin' me out here, where HE caused that explosion sound t' happen..."

"Oooh..." the entire crowd droned as they listened to my plight.

"Skippin' ahead a little, they wound up capturin' me again, which prompted everyone up here t' think up a plan t' rescue me this mornin'. Tha'ss why a lot o' y'all saw Rainbow Dash here carryin' me in the air."

"Yeah, about that... Let's not make a habit out of getting captured, huh?" Rainbow joked as she patted me on the back. "Saving you the way I did is probably gonna cost me on my next dental bill..." she joked some more with a slight jab to my side, which elicited a fair amount of laughter from the crowd.

"Hardy har har. I'd-a been better off ridin' on your back, Supermare," I shot back in humored contempt. "So anyway, we made it, but it wasn't long before Gillian an' his mare found us again."

"Excuse me!" called out a goldenrod pegasus mare as she raised her hoof like a grade-school student.

"Yes, er... uh..."

"Raindrops," Rainbow Dash whispered to me.

"Raincoat?"

"It's RainDROPS, Mr. Alien," she corrected. "But I have to ask... Exactly how close ARE you and Twilight?"

"Pretty close... Very close... REALLY close... Why d'you ask?"

"I... couldn't help but notice what went on between you two when Rainbow rescued you. How long have you been seeing her?" At that somewhat-intrusive inquiry, I felt a sudden, yet slight tinge of annoyance.

"Hmph. Nunya goddamn business, but whatever... Gotta be nice right now..."

"About... nine months, which translates to... about a week after we first met," was what I answered with, which garnered more confused reactions from the crowd as they mumbled amongst themselves. That unnerved me a bit, which urged me to get something off my chest right quick. "Okay, jus' t' make things clear here, Twilight is the same pony you've all known since before I came along, so there is NO reason t' treat her any different for havin' a human for a significant other. I'm also the same pony y'all met an' talked to since I arrived here. I ain't tryna cause any more trouble than I already did for hidin' this for so long an' havin' it blow up in my face. Please understand that it was hard enough for both of us t' get over the great brick wall that was the species difference between us. I'd rather not argue semantics an' ethics over this with everyone I interact with from here on out."

"But it's just so... so... WEIRD," Raindrops had the audacity to blurt out.

"Yeah," a royal blue Earth stallion agreed. "I'd hate to break it to you, but ponies are normally only supposed to be with other ponies, and since you're well... not..."

"It brings up the question as to why exactly it is that the two of you are involved the way you are," added a cream-colored Earth mare with swirly navy blue and pink hair. "I mean sure, if you two were just friends, then that'd be fine, but you're way more than that. That's unheard of here... Not to say you can't do it, but still..."

"Well I can't say I didn't see this comin'," I replied. "But the fact is that we've been a couple for a while now, an' before this, we were tryin' our hardest t' come up with a way t' break this to everyone. We were takin' into account the judgments that would come along with it."

"You hid it for nine whole months, though," commented a spring-green unicorn stallion with hair of a rich sepia. "If you were planning on telling us, then why'd you hide it for so long? Nine months is plenty of time, if you ask me."

"Yeah," Raindrops spoke up once again. "Other than that, there's just so much wrong with a pony entering any kind of romantic relationship with something the vast majority of us have little to no reason not to see as... more than... well... an animal, for lack of a better term." Hearing that made me want to drop the mic and find a chair to throw in order to start a riot as the crowd went deathly quiet. But since no chairs were present, I was only given the alternative to swallow the egregious statement with a grain of salt big enough to choke the proverbial 'elephant in the room' as my mind drew a blank on how to rebut the prejudiced observation.

"WOW... an animal, huh?" I repeated to try and register the mare's words as I felt a growing sense of frustration.

"So much for that 'pet monkey' joke... Didn't take into account how seriously they might've taken it..."

"That was a bit harsh, yes, but you can't deny that there isn't that much information we know about you to know whether we can differentiate you from the tons of other non-pony creatures that live in the wild," reasoned a dark gray pegasus stallion with hair of an icy bluish-white.

"And from what it seems, you knew you'd get reactions like this from the start," continued a bright yellow Earth mare with hair of goldenrod. "Why bother taking that risk if you were too afraid to come out with it? I mean, I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say we don't have a problem with you as a pony-- or human, or whatever it is you are. Our issue lies in the fact that you're dating a pony when you're not one yourself. That's a bit hard of a pill for a lot of us to swallow. Understand?"

"...Mm-hmm..." I simply responded with a nod, my anger only being tempered by the fact that they'd made some valid points. Biased, no less, but valid. I just needed a second to clear my head and think up a proper rebuttal to all of them. I wasn't going to let them OR my short temper win this battle of wits, but it was going to be an uphill fight without Twilight here... With a deep, tumultuous breath, I readied myself to defend my position on this most controversial matter. "I understand where you're comin' from, but I--!"

"That's enough!" someone from behind announced as they came and took the microphone from me. I suppose that moment of silence following the last audience member's inquiry brought my friends to assume I'd been stumped. "How could you say such hurtful things!?" the mare spoke, her tone irate and emotionally stirred. I turned to see that Fluttershy of all ponies was taking her turn speaking. "So what if he isn't physically a pony!? Neither is Zecora! Neither is Spike! Yet, we love and accept them as if they WERE ponies!"

"Fluttershy..."

"If THAT'S the logic you ponies are thinking by, then that would mean that THEY aren't allowed to love ponies, either! Don't you realize how simply awful that sounds that you would criticize and denigrate our friend here for wanting to love someone who so happens to be a pony?"

"With Fluttershy, I must agree. Do you not willingly accept me?" Zecora asked as she stepped up.

"Well, yeah, but you haven't actually fallen in love with any ponies," replied a brown unicorn stallion with jet-black hair.

"Who I choose as a mate, it hardly matters. It likely would not be a hot topic for chatter. If MY lover was pony in race, what social challenges would we face?"

"Well... I suppose you'd... be okay...? Kind of... I mean, we know who you are, Zecora. We've known you for a while now. I don't think most of us would have a problem if you had a special somepony that was... a pony..."

"If that's the reasoning you abide by, then explain to us why it's not okay for Ty." At that, the stallion went silent, as did a notable portion of the audience as they grumbled among themselves.

"You wouldn't need a disguise, though!" argued an pale pink pegasus mare with blond hair that loosely resembled Twilight's in terms of style. "The fact is that he did! I mean, I guess we could take into account that he's been a well-behaved pony when he was masquerading as one, but if he isn't really a pony, then why should we just accept the fact that he's having relations with one of us!?"

"Plus, how are we supposed to react to something as bizarre and sudden as the revelation of the instance a pony hooking up with someone or something not only not of our species, but apparently not even from this world? For close to a YEAR, at that?" questioned yet another miscellaneous attendant.

"I understand," Fluttershy spoke again. "I don't blame anyone for being at least a little surprised by Ty's sudden appearance in his true form such a long time after we got to know him as Ponder Memoir. Even I was. Despite that, he's demonstrated that he is substantially more aware of his surroundings than some feral creature in the wild or any of the animals I take care of at home. Not to mention he's just as able to show pony-like emotion as any of us are. On top of that, he freely chooses to befriend and love us rather than fear or hate us. Even still, we shouldn't make specifically discriminatory exceptions and conditions like the one that seems to be made for Zecora when it comes to who ponies are allowed to love. Twilight chose him as a special somepony for a reason."

"I'm sure she did," agreed another audience member. "But clearly, either one of or both of them were worried enough about our collective opinion on this that they felt they needed to hide it."

"Well, what if YOU had a special somepony that wasn't a pony? Would YOU just out and tell everyone you knew without fear of the consequences? They were just being cautious. Like Bon Bon said, the concept of a relationship like theirs is unheard of here, which shouldn't be held against them for caring about what you thought of them."

"So you're basically saying that you APPROVE of this?" asked the same attendant in a tone of shock.

"To be blunt, yes. I mean, there was once a time where unicorns, pegasi, and Earth ponies alike kept themselves segregated from one another until they each realized they weren't all that different on the inside. This case is no different. I know that sounds like a bit of a stretch to say about my friend Ty, but when you think about it, he's already proven to be kind, gentle, and an all-around good pony-- No, an OUTSTANDING pony; with or without having to be disguised as one. He's the same on the inside, no matter what form he takes!" At that, the crowd began to quietly discuss the issue among themselves again.

"Okay, as nice as this is of 'em, I'm a grown-ass man. I can fight my own battles." I liked the points Fluttershy brought up, but if it wasn't ME bringing them up about MY relationship with a pony, then what use would HER words be? I considered myself a lot of things, but I didn't count 'defenseless weakling' as one of them. Sitting there listening to her combat the ethics of MY love life in my favor was sweet, but emasculating, which, in a personal sense, hurt more than it helped.

"Thanks, Fluttershy, I appreciate it. I really do," I thanked the lovely yellow pegasus mare from the bottom of my heart as I held a hand out to her as a way to gesture for the microphone, prompting her to smile warmly at me as she floated toward me. "I owe you big time for stickin' up for me. But this is somethin' I should be doin' myself. If I don't, then your gracious words would be fallin' on deaf ears..." I said as we hugged.

"I understand. I just don't want to see you hurt over this..." she assured as we separated with her handing the device to me. She and I shared a longer-than-usual, yet emotional staring moment as she made her way back beside her friends, which prompted me to think...

"Hm... What am I gonna do with you, Fluttershy...? You've been way too good t' me..." With that thought, I turned back to the crowd to finish this topic of discussion.

"I'm not sure if y'all are lettin' my friends' words ring through your heads or not, but they're right. Despite that, your issue is with me, not them. That said, I'mma take up the task o' makin' y'all see things my way. Alright... where did I leave off...? Oh! Right, why bother takin' the risk if we were too afraid o' lettin' you know outright... Well, my answer: Because the risk wasn't just how long we could keep this relationship goin' despite our dissimilar body types or how long we could keep it secret before you eventually found out. In fact, despite y'all findin' out just now, we were actually gonna let y'all know as soon as we felt necessary. Hidin' it the way we were doin' was a burden in itself, an' for y'all t' find out like this was nowhere even close to ideal for us. Yes, we were afraid of lettin' y'all know. Yes, we may have taken a bit longer than we should've to drop the news on y'all because we got complacent with the way things were goin'. That said, I sincerely apologize on the behalf of both of us for the fact that we kept this hidden for so long; especially when we, like y'all said, had ample time t' do so. But I digress. The thing is, the overall risk factor mostly wasn't even about y'all. It was about her an' me. I met Twilight Sparkle just under a year ago not knowin' what a 'pony' even was, just as she met me without knowledge of humans. Despite that, we bonded... we became friends... we shared stories an' experiences... an' even when Princess Celestia herself forbade us from seein' each other again, we shared our feelings..."

"So... Celestia knew about this?" asked another attendant.

"And she said you weren't allowed to be here??" someone else inquired.

"In a way, yes, she did know. She knew I was from a different world, but we let her know that from the get-go when I first came here. She didn't know anything about me OR my world of origin though, which was why she was quick t' pass similar judgments upon me to the ones you're passin' upon me now when she found out. Except, her judgment came in the form of orderin' Twilight t' permanently see me out o' this world with barely a goodbye; on my FIRST visit, no less," The crowd gasped at that confession.

"But you know what Twilight did instead?" I continued, feeling my motivation to persuade the crowd amplify as they lent me their ears. "She went t' Celestia an' argued her disagreement with the Princess's decision tooth-and-nail. Why? Because she knew first-hoof who I was an' what I was capable of by that point an' wasn't afraid t' approach me when she met me, thus givin' me a chance. She saw how discrepant with Celestia's ideals it would've been if I was forced out o' here without at least a proper explanation or a chance t' prove myself worthy t' stay. Not to mention, she placed our friendship as a top priority when she went to her. Evidently, she won Celestia over. Twilight risked everything... her reputation, her status, her respect for Equestria's leader... and she managed t' get Celestia to see that in the end, love is blind... And each an' every day we've been together, we've constantly been riskin' it... the day we'd allow our little affair t' become public knowledge, whether or not we can get completely over the fact that she's a pony an' that I'm a human bein', an' a whole lot more... Today jus' happens t' be the day where we gambled on our chances at lettin' slip this now-unnecessary secret an' lost... But you know what? It's worth it..."

"Worth it?" the crowd murmured after me.

"Yea, you heard me. It's worth it. She's shown me an entire world o' possibilities I would've otherwise never seen in my entire life... an' in return, I've made sure t' do the same for her. We've given each other WAY too much an' have gone through way too much for either of us t' disregard our feelings in the face of external opposition. Still, I can't stress this enough how often the species thing was made apparent in our relationship, considerin' tha'ss the only thing a lot o' y'all are stuck on. Hell, if any one o' y'all woulda went back in time to maybe a year ago an' told me I was gonna get a magic-wieldin' unicorn from an entirely different galaxy for a significant other, I'd have prolly just laughed until my stomach exploded, then checked myself into a mental institution. I know where you're all comin' from, believe me. But the more time Twi an' I spent together, the more we dug into one another; not as human an' pony, but as two reasonable, sapient livin' creatures with emotions... The more she an' I share our experiences with each other, an' the less this species thing matters between us."

"But there are so many issues to look at when you consider doing this sort of thing," reasoned a unicorn stallion with a bright, pale yellow coat and a hair color of a night sky blue. "Whether you tell us or not, there are certain aspects about your relationship with Ms. Sparkle that you simply CANNOT ignore from a biological standpoint. Other than that, don't you think there will be repercussions to what you're doing? Even AFTER telling this to us and explaining your ideology on this sort of deviation from traditional values in regards to romantic companionship?"

"Probably... *sigh* Look, I don't expect t' be the trendsetter or the milestone for interspecies relationships here. I'm nowhere NEAR ignorant about all the biological an' social issues that come up with it; whether or not we can have offspring, how long will it take us t' stop quote-unquote 'pretendin' it ain't an existential barrier in the face of our affection,' the different processes our bodies go through that may or may not need t' be remedied by somebody of the same species..."

"Like the 'heat' problem..."

"...or even to what degree we're gonna be judged for our, as you said, 'deviation from traditional values in regards t' romantic companionship.' I know. She knows. We've gone over it numerous times in the past, an' we're still only in the beginnin' of dealin' with everything that could possibly happen between us. But by dammit, we're keepin' this thing goin' for as long as it lasts, whether y'all approve of it or not. Biology an' social pressures aside, I have loved that mare unconditionally for close to a year, an' after everything we've been through, I ain't gonna pick today t' stop, nor am I gonna let it crumble over somethin' as insignificant as how weird you think we are for it. Some o' y'all can agree, some o' y'all can ignore what I said an' hold your opinions against me and/or Twilight, an' a select few o' y'all can pretend this never even happened. Nobody can truly change your minds but yourselves... The fact o' the matter from my standpoint is that I love Twilight Sparkle."

"Phew, what a mouthful..."

"Oh, an' as for those of you who still wanna view me as an animal despite previously knowin' me as a pony... Why is that the case if I proved t' y'all time an' time again that I'm just as intelligent an' capable of emotion as you are? I understand if y'all don't view me as an equal because you're unfamiliar with me in this form an' therefore have no way or idea on where t' rank me on your life-form hierarchy, but does a simple change in my appearance change your opinion on me that fast? Think about that..."

With that, I wrapped up my heartfelt speech about unconditional love and not judging a book by its cover by taking a deep, horrendously-nervous breath and setting the mic down to gaze into the masses to see them all pondering intently... not with hatred or contempt, or even a shred of displeasure... but with varying degrees of thoughtful astonishment. Some (although a VERY diminutive amount) of ponies shed tears and others began to chat with their neighbors, but the vast majority of the attendees seemed to lower their heads in thought. I'd turned around to see how my comrades were doing. I was debating whether or not I should've been surprised to see that Fluttershy and most of the girls were crying tears of emotional swaying as they looked at me. Applejack wasn't, though. She was staring down, boring holes into the stage with her eyes as she seemed just as lost in thought as most of the crowd was. Simply put, that struck me...

"Hm... Seems A.J. agreed with them... I hope it don't make things awkward between me an' her in the future..." What struck me just a teensy bit more was Rainbow Dash... She'd actually had tears streaming down her face as if she were sobbing like a child.

"Wh-what are YOU lookin' at, you dumb jerk...?" the polychromatic-haired mare asked, trying to regain her composure as she sniffled and wiped her eyes. I gained a small, much-needed sense of amusement out of Rainbow showing me her emotional side for once.

"Nothin', Dash... Nothin'..." I assured her with a friendly smile before picking up the microphone and turning back toward the crowd. "So... Now that THA'SS out o' the way... Everybody good?" I asked in an attempt to shed some light on the tense atmosphere. It certainly helped that I got various signs of the townsponies being okay with what just went down... I assumed. "So shall I continue the story...? Or was that all o' what ya wanted t' hear outta me...?"

"I... I think that's all we needed to hear, Mr. Alien," spoke an ocean blue unicorn mare.

"Yeah, we sort of already know the rest of it," added a pegasus stallion of a dark orange.

"Oh thank God! I was NOT tryna sit up here longer than I needed to..."

"Okey doke... and please, jus' call me Ty. Anyway, is there any questions y'all wanna ask me or anybody up here? The floor's open. Also, why not speak ya name before you ask? I know some o' y'all, but not that many." At that, the crowd once more went into discussion.

"Oh, I've got one!" shouted a colt of a bright gray with a hair color of black.

"Yea?"

"Hi, my name is Rumble. Can you use magic like a unicorn? I saw what you did to that one pony earlier. Can you do that again?"

"Well Rumble, I'm afraid I can't. The magic I used to attack him wasn't my own. It was given t' me after I got seriously hurt before that point. What you saw was a fluke. A really, really dangerous fluke." The crowd mumbled in surprise and wonder at my explanation.

"Was it the Princess's magic?" asked a tan Earth mare I recognized as the Mayor of Ponyville. "I caught a glimpse at what happened this morning between you and that stallion where he attacked you just before Celestia arrived here. I also noticed that she healed you before Twilight took you away."

"You are correct, Ma'am. An' no, I had NO idea I could use it that way. From what I understand, I was in a REALLY bad way after what he did t' me. So, she did what she had t' do t' save me, which came in the form of usin' an untested variant of a healin' spell. What I did t' Gillian in retaliation was not at all her fault; it was mine. The side effects o' the spell made themselves more an' more apparent with the angrier I got at him until eventually, I just exploded an' used up that magic t' attack him in front o' y'all despite wantin' t' look like the good guy in the situation. I'm... sorry you had t' see that..."

"It's okay. We understand," Mayor Mare answered back. "As you may or may not know, stranger things have happened around this normally-peaceful town for many less conventional reasons. We also know our country's leader wouldn't have given you such power if she'd known the side effects herself. Nopony's perfect."

"Thank you..." I nodded and smiled at the political mare. "Any others?"

"Over here!" a different mare shouted.

"Yes, you."

"Berry Dreams here. So... um... I'm not sure if you know this, but it's the springtime..."

"Why, yes. Yes it is."

"And I'm not sure if you know exactly what happens to mares during the springtime..."

"I got a bad feelin' about this..."

"I'm aware of it, yes. Your point?"

"...*gulp* I'm just gonna be blunt with it: Have you and Twilight done any--!"

"Fuck that!"

"AH! AH! I'mma hafta stop you there, Berry Dreams. T.M.I."

"Wha?"

"Too much info. Especially when there's kids in the audience. Next question, please!" I hurriedly skipped.

"Over here!" shouted a dark orange filly with grape jelly-colored hair.

"Scootaloo! Wha'ss up?" I happily called out to her.

"Hey! Um, I was just wondering... I know Rainbow Dash liked to beat up on you when you were a pony..." she began, much to my embarrassment as some of the audience members laughed at me. I turned around to see Rainbow snickering at me as well. I stuck my tongue out at her before turning back to hear Scootaloo's question.

"Yea, unfortunately... Wha'ss the question?"

"Are you any stronger as you are now? I saw you beating up that unicorn without that much of a problem. Who would win in a fight between you and Rainbow Dash?" At that question, I scoffed triumphantly.

"I know Rainbow's like ya big sis an' all an' you love her an' all that, but with all due respect, Scoots, Rainbow would lose miserably. I'd probably hafta take it easy on her because o' how fragile she is so I don't wind up tyin' her into a candy-colored pretzel an' ruinin' her precious reputation or somethin'," I joked, purposefully antagonizing the mare.

"Oh yeah, tough guy!?" Dash predictably shouted from behind as she trotted toward me to get up in my face, actually causing me to cringe as I laughed.

"Troll successful. Trolololol..."

"Try me, you over-sized ape! I bet I could rearrange you INTO a pony! The hard way!"

"Relax, Rainbow! I'm jokin'!" I laughingly assured, which garnered some amusement out of the audience as well. I lowered the mic as I leaned into her ear so no one could hear me whisper, "Challenge accepted. Anytime, anyplace..." which she gave me a daring smirk for. She backed away, nodding and presumably contemplating which bones of mine she'd need to snap and fix to permanently pony-fy me. "*AHEM*! Any more?" The crowd went into a small, controlled fit of overlapping hooves as many more seemed to have questions than I expected. "You there!"

"Good afternoon, sir. Caramel's the name," spoke the stallion I chose. "Seeing as you're not the same species as any of us, then I presume that means you probably don't have the same diet?"

"More or less true..."

"So... are you an herbivore like us? Or do you eat jewels like a dragon? Or do you eat other animals?"

"I'm an omnivore by nature," I curtly replied, which garnered a surprisingly small amount of shock. "But since comin' here, I've not eaten any kind o' meat, considerin' you're all vegetarians."

"At least, not in Equestria. Back home, I tear up a pack o' bacon strips. Of course, not when Twilight's there..."

"I also tried jewelry once at the suggestion of Spike here..." I turned, only to notice that he was absent. "...Uh... Where's Spike?"

"He said he was bored, so he decided to head home early," Rarity answered.

"Ohohoh, that sneaky little mothaf--!"

"Okay, so he left early... Cool..." I coolly accepted as I faced the crowd, although I was fuming on the inside. "So um... yea, I tried some jewelry once an' almost cracked a tooth. I thought it woulda tasted like candy, but it didn't. It jus' tasted like dirt an' dragon sweat," I said, amusing Ponyville's citizens a little more.

"Hey, Ty?" requested a pony not from the crowd, but from behind me. Within seconds, Lyra approached me, smiling with childlike glee.

"Yea?"

"I HAVE to ask at this point... The excitement is killing me here...!"

"Ask away."

"These things... What are they?" she asked as she took hold of my arm and lifted it up to examine it. "Your body might be shaped like a primate, but there's no way you're a simple monkey... What did you call yourself again?"

"Human."

"Yeah. I also notice that you walk in a way most primates in this world don't."

"Yea, most humans walk the way I do. I wish I could go into the specifics of my biology, but I don't feel like doin' that right now. Oh, an' that 'thing' you're so invested in? It's my arm."

"And this?" the minty mare asked as she took my hand into her focus.

"My hand."

"Wow... I've GOT to research this!"

"Research?? Funny, she doesn't strike me as the 'research' type..."

"Rii-hi-hi-hiiight..." I said, starting to feel a bit creeped out by Lyra's overwhelming interest in my body. "So um... anything else?"

"I do believe I have one, dear," Rarity said as she approached my other side while Lyra kept ogling my hand like she wanted to take it home.

"Yea, Mademoiselle?"

"My, that eloquence of yours..." she coyly remarked with a sweet little smile. "*AHEM!* But I must know... your clothing... does your species wear it often?"

"Yea. Almost all the time, actually. An' because I know you're big on clothes, Rarity, I'll letcha know this: The fashion industry is HUGE in my world. Designer brands of ALL KINDS o' clothes... Distributed, sold, bought, worn, and modeled all over the world." At that, the dainty little mare practically squee'd in excitement as her eyes glimmered with interest. "But generally, yea, we humans wear clothes almost all the time. We only ever take 'em off when we bathe or on 'special occasions,' if ya catch my drift..."

"Oh my...! That's very intriguing... You know, I've been having aspirations to expand my designer market toward non-ponies... Do you think it would be okay if you were able to maybe... allow me to... to scale you sometime?" she innocently requested.

"I uh... I guess so," I agreed, thrown off by the request. "But why? I'm the only human here..."

"I know, but if there's something I adore when it comes to fashion design, it's a challenge. Quite frankly, if most humans dress like you do, then there's much work to be done..."

"Hey, wha'ss that supposed t' mean?" I asked, taking the statement as a jab at my admittedly-shabby fashion sense.

"Nothing personal, Ty, it's just... your ensemble could use a little sprucing up if your kind wears clothes all the time. Besides..." she trailed off as she stood on her back legs to get into my ear. "You definitely want to look good for Twilight... don't you?" she whispered with that perturbing, yet cute little giggle of hers.

"...Fine. Jus' let me know a good time..."

"I knew you'd see it my way. I shan't disappoint you," she excitedly let me know as she went back to the group.

"Hm. Anybody els-- Are you done, Lyra?" I asked, because she was STILL molesting my hand.

"O-Oh! Sorry..." she sheepishly apologized as she let go.

"Ahh, you good," I let her know as I reached over and scratched around her horn, inadvertently causing the mare to gasp, then shiver and let out a mesmerized moan of satisfaction.

"Oops... Damn, these things are dangerous."

"Which 'things?' Our hands or a unicorn's horn?"

"I don't even know... Both, I guess..."

"How... how did you just do that?" the mint-green unicorn asked in a sudden wave of amazement.

"Beats me..." I lied, not wanting to extend the therapeutic magic that was apparently the human hand to anyone other than Twilight... and Fluttershy. "Anyone else?"

"Hey!" a seemingly-outraged mare called.

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure if you know by now, but you DESTROYED my vegetable stand!" the mare shouted. "The name's Golden Harvest, by the way!"

"Ohh yeah... Fuck...!"

"Oh... Yea, I remember... I am SOOOOO sorry, Golden Harvest. I was chasin' after the guy who was tryna get away from me an' he shot so many wayward blasts o' magic at me that he knocked me off balance an' made me crash into it... I don't know what I could do t' repay you, though..."

"I've gotcha covered, sugar cube," Applejack honorably took on my debt. "Come see me later on fer the compensation fer the damages, Harvest."

"Applejack?" I questioned in disbelief. "But... why?"

"Cuz... I'm just that good-natured a pony..." she said, but then leaned into my ear. "'Sides, I know y'all ain't got a single bit on ya. I was gonna pay ya fer helpin' me out the other day, but I think this'll cover it an' then some..."

"*gulp* Oh... Uh... H-how much do I owe ya for this?"

"Nothin' much... Just a whole weekend's worth of apple buckin', plus one o' those oh-so-wonderful massages y'all are so famous for... I got a crick in my neck meaner than a flea-bitten bull seein' red at a clown rodeo an' I ain't been able t' get it out fer a while now."

"Goddamn it! Indentured servitude!"

"Huh... Fine..." I acquiesced, knowing exactly the kind of hell I'd just signed up for. "Thanks for the favor, A.J..."

"Don't mention it. Plus, I wanna hear more insight on why ya like Twi so much even though y'all ain't a pony..." she added as she turned to walk away.

"You could jus' ask her, y'know. You'll be able t' get much more outta her than me..." I reasoned, to which she nodded in agreement. With that name to add to the list of ponies I owed favors to, I turned toward the crowd. "So... any more questions or are we all good here?"

"Hello!" an Earth mare introduced herself.

"Yes, ma'am! What's up?"

"Good afternoon. My name is Roseluck and I have to ask... Is it possible that more of your kind is able to come here? And how do we know you're not part of some massive invasion on the horizon and that you're not just here to lower our defenses so that you can use whatever information you've gathered on us in the time you've been here to report back to your human overlords so they can map out a plan to destroy us all??" At that, I stared blankly at the mare, who instantly came across as 'paranoid schizophrenic,' because only someone with that sort of mental illness could come up with something so... so... arbitrary.

"...What the fuck...?"

"Um... Hm, how to go about that... Ah! Well first of all, humans can't use magic under any normal circumsances. As I said, a unicorn's magic brought me here. So that rules out both your suspicion that I'm plottin' some crazy human invasion and your suspicion that I'm some sort o' scout sent here to probe you before I... *snort* let my 'human overlords' know about you..." I answered, failing to resist the urge to laugh.

"Oh yeah? Well then... How do we know you haven't somehow possessed or enslaved Twilight or taken her away and replaced her with some sort of Pod-pony?" asked another schizophrenic mare, causing me to scrunch up an eye in incredulity. "Oh! And the name's Daisy."

"...Really?"

"Okay, is this some kinda joke? Because if it is, I'm missin' it harder than the point of a crack-pot conspiracy theory... which, if you're not jokin', is what these ludicrous questions sound like. And to answer it, why not ask Twilight herself, because she's the only one who can prove she's her. Now then... any other questions that AREN'T somethin' ridiculous?"

"I've got one!" asked yet another Earth mare.

"I swear to the closest thing to a god here..." I thought as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Yes?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"Lily here... So... um... Is it possible that your race can enslave unicorns and use their magic to use against us in a convoluted attempt to take over Equestria and replace us with copies of ourselves loyal to y--!"

"No!! Enough with that! Any NON-CRACKHEAD questions, please??" I enunciated, already sick of the abhorrent, ill-advised 'joke' that I was some sort of messenger of pony doom.

"Excuse me!" called a filly from the crowd.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle! Wha'ss goin' on!" I greeted, thankful that SOMEBODY I knew was at least somewhat sane finally took the spotlight.

"Hi, Mr. Memoi-- I mean uh... Ty... um... Do you have a Cutie Mark right now like you did when you were a pony?"

"As a pony, I did. As a human, I don't. Humans don't have Cutie Marks." At that, a good portion of the crowd gasped in shock. "I know, i'ss weird t' hear from me. But yea, if a human has a special talent, then he or she will jus' know it an' find a way to become successful usin' said talents." The audience droned in bewildered interest at my confession. "So with that, is there anything else?" I asked, hoping that there were no more questions to be asked. Alas, I was wrong, as many ponies' hooves waved in the air, eager to have their questions answered. My butt was getting sore just sitting on that hard wooden stage all day. I'd be surprised if I didn't have splinters coming out of me like needles in a pincushion by the time I got the chance to stand...

One hour later...

"Hmmm... *yawn* I really needed that nap... I feel so much better..." I murmured as I stirred from my wondrous slumber to peculiarly find myself lying in my bed, coated in pituitary fluid. "Huh, that's odd... How'd I wind up here? And why am I so sweaty...?"

"Hey, Twilight," Spike greeted as he walked in through the doorway. "Good to see YOU'RE finally awake," he added, seeming a bit disappointed.

"Good afternoon, Spike... Yeah, I must've been out for a while..." I concurred as I stretched. "Where is everyone else?"

"At the meeting."

"Oh, okay..." Then it hit me like an anvil. "The... the what??" I asked, now shocked into a state of high-alert.

"The meeting. You know, the one you and Ty were supposed to be hosting to explain what he is and why he's here and all that."

"Speaking of, where is he?"

"He's there now, actually. I went with him, but then I decided to come back to eavesdr-- I mean uh... check up on you..."

"What?? What is he doing THERE!? He was in NO condition to even WALK, much less host a meeting!"

"Relax, Twi. Princess Cel--!"

"Oh my gosh... I must've overslept...! What time is it, Spike?"

"About a quarter til' Five."

"And how long ago did that meeting commence?"

"About two or three hours ago."

"GAH! I overslept AND I missed the meeting!! Oh my gosh! This is awful! They must be eating him alive out there!!"

"Twilight, relax! The others are helping him!"

"They are?"

"Yeah. Rainbow and the others set up for it and were already talking to the townsponies while you were asleep."

"Oh, that's good... How are they doing?" I asked, some sense of relief showering over me.

"I'm not sure... I left at the point where they were asking Ty about why you're with him when he isn't a pony or something," my #1 assistant answered, which sent a horrid torrent of anxiety flowing through me as my eyes widened in shock. "I'm pretty sure some of the others had to step in to help him, though... I heard Fluttershy screaming at them as I left..."

"Oh, no!! I need to get out there! Now! But now that I'm tardy, they'll all think I was too lazy to attend my own public address!" I rambled as I looked into the mirror. "Ohh, and I look like a complete mess! I can't go out there looking like this! But I can't let my friends down, either!"

"Twilight! Everything is oka--!"

"I'll be back in a jiffy, Spike! Watch the library for me!" I ordered, not wanting to waste time freshening up, as it would only compound my tardiness in the wake of the time I wasted procrastinating with that nap.

"Twilight, WAI--!" *POOF* I was gone in a flash to save my reputation and more importantly, my friends...

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Leo Archon and Kamunari for the help with the questions!

Recessional!

"Okay, is THAT everything?" I asked, my patience as worn out as my ass from sitting on this stage for so long. The crowd was steadily contemplating what else to ask me... as if they hadn't had enough already. In the time I'd allowed them to openly ask me anything their minds could conjure up, I'd already let them know a ton of things. A TON.

Some of these things included that, despite my admitting to them that I ate meat, I DIDN'T eat ponies and never would, I don't have superpowers, I wasn't some deranged monster bent on taking over Equestria (and that the REAL deranged monster had already been captured), that I wasn't technically related to monkeys just because I quote-unquote 'looked like one' (Seriously, this 'monkey' thing was getting older than Applejack's grandmother... and quickly. I swear, it was like if I called them all donkeys because they 'look like them'! But I digress. Anyway...), I was not going to strip naked in front of them because, unlike ponies, human naughty parts don't just vanish when they're not in use, which brought about even more questions on the subject of the human body than I felt like answering...

Oh, and I already sold my services to most of, if not ALL of my fellow speakers... What else...? Oh! And finally, that I was never, ever, EVER going to let them know not one single detail about how, due to my involvement with Twilight, we would handle her heat cycles throughout the spring and summer. I enunciated by telling them that I was going to end the meeting early if they didn't have anything more kid-friendly to ask or if I got too many questions about it... Suffice it to say, they were two strikes down with just one to go.

*POOF*

And then out of nowhere, the mare in question showed up looking like we'd JUST got done remedying that issue... again. So yeah.

"Oh, great... She decided not t' straighten up before she came here... Wonderful..." I was at the end of my rope in terms of my patience (as well as my tolerance for the inconvenience), and this little stunt of hers didn't help... Still, it was at least nice of her to finally join us.

"Twilight!" All of us called at the sudden appearance of the fashionably-late, disheveled-looking unicorn mare.

"Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm late... What'd I miss?"

"Everythin'..." I joked as we went in to hug her.

"Wait, stop! Don't!" she frantically called out, stopping us in our tracks.

"What's wrong?" asked Pinkie Pie. "Don't you want a group hug?"

"Not... um... at the moment... heh... funny story..." Twi nervously stammered. "I uh..."

"*sniff* Eugh, what is that smell?" Rainbow whispered in disgust as she clenched her nostrils shut. The other mares joined her in trying to ward the offensive odor off from their olfactory tunnels as they backed away from her, seeming to identify it as coming from her.

"The smell of a mare in need o' some hot action. I'ss pretty strong, too..."

"Aw, it is, ain't it...? That dream o' hers musta been really vivid..."

"Ooh, I'm so embarrassed..." the poor purple unicorn lamented, the humiliation evident on her adorable blushing face. "I... I thought things would be so much worse out here than they seem right now and I panicked because I thought I didn't have the time to freshen up..."

"I'ss okay, Twi..." I consoled. "The important thing is that you're here now..."

"Yeah..." Applejack concurred, still pinching her snout shut.

"Even if you do smell like the inside of a--!" Pinkie was about to blurt out.

"Shut it, Diane!" I defensively cut the pink mare off.

"Hey! I said don't call me that!" she hissed in offense.

"Yea, sure. Sorry. ANYWAY..."

"It's time I got my segment of speech time with the townsfolk..." Twilight instantly took up the mantle as I got up to place the microphone in its holster for her before sitting back down as the others took their respective places on the side. I took note of the audience as an unsurprisingly, yet nerve-wracking amount of the ponies in attendance staring blankly at her in silence. Although, I'm sure I heard a wolf whistle come from someone, which served to further shake Twilight.

"Umm... *AHEM!* C-citizens of Ponyville! Good afternoon! I know I'm terribly late, and I hope that hasn't been an inconvenience for you. I was... incapacitated during the time this meeting has been taking place, and for that, I sincerely apologize. That said, may I trust that my friends have sated the majority of your concerns regarding the extraterrestrial being that sits atop this stage beside me?" At that, the crowd gave their respective signs of confirming her question. "Excellent... Do... you have any questions for me?"

"Yeah! Why are you like... hooked up with this guy?" asked one of the attendees, a turquoise pegasus stallion with shaggy blonde hair that covered his eyes. "He's, like... not a pony. He even said he was, like, some kind of alien and stuff... Not that I'm judging you or anything, dudette... It's just like... whoa..."

"Um... excellent question, Mister... What's your name, exactly?" Twilight asked, seeming just as thrown off by this guy's demeanor as I was.

"Tidal Wave, my bodacious babe. Gnarly 'do, by the way..." At that, I scoffed in contempt.

"Check yaself before ya wreck yaself, Shaggy..."

"Er... th-thanks... but as for your question, I'm involved with him for more reasons than I can explain... I know that what-- or rather, WHO you see in front of you isn't what you'd initially consider equal to us due to his appearance. However, I've spent a lot of time together with him from the day he and I met. Admittedly, I only considered him an ally and an asset to my research on friendship within the first day or so of my traveling to his world and making acquaintance with him, but... *AHEM*, but as we got to know one another, we sort of... opened up in the sense that we could share compelling, relatable experiences together.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered he possesses the same levels of cognitive function as any of us do. I was even more thrown off-guard when I felt myself... intimately connecting to him. Not just because of his intelligence level or because he is of a species not heard of in this fair land, but also because... because he's charming, humorous, compassionate, and, as odd as this may sound, an excellent foil to me in terms of our contrasting world views. In addition, he's taught me many things about myself. But I digress.

As we derived information from one another about our respective lifestyles and lands of origin, we became friends... and not too long after that, a little more once it became clear we'd connected more than either of us thought..." the mare nervously explained, blushing as she did so. "That said, I hope you all can understand that, despite his physical differences, my significant other of choice is 100% as suitable for me as any pony would be."

"Jeez, she sounds like a politician. I admire the effort, though... At the very least, she has everybody's attention..."

"Is that satisfactory?" she asked Tidal Wave.

"Totally..." he answered, seemingly mesmerized by Twi's explanation.

"Great! Thank you for your curiosity... Anypony else?"

"Hey, Twilight!" called Cheerilee. "Nice hairstyle! Going retro, I see!"

"Cheerilee?" she called back, seeming flustered by the compliment. "Hello. Um... Th-thank you. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

"Hmm... No, nothing that hasn't been answered already. The whole town was already debriefed on the alien running amok around here in the last couple days or so. They said you were initially supposed to be up there, but that you were too worn out from dealing with the mysterious ponies that came here and attacked him. Did you run halfway here before you teleported here? You seem out-of-sorts."

"Yeah... I thought I'd at least have enough time to address some of the citizens myself... I take it I'm too late...?"

"Not necessarily. Ty answered as many questions as we had to give him. Speaking of, I have to say... I didn't take you to be the xenophilic type..."

"Oh... w-well, you know..." she murmured, her nervousness spiking as she seemed to temporarily lose the ability to make eye contact with the crowd.

"I understand. It isn't what's on the outside that counts; it's what's on the inside."

"Er... y-yeah... You... don't think any differently of me for it... do you?"

"Not at all! I've taken into consideration everything I've encountered about him whenever he was around as a pony and, from the sound of it in conjunction with how he behaved during the address, he's exactly the same. Plus, he and a couple of the others gave quite the poignant speech about not treating him any differently for being... what was it...?"

"Human?"

"Yes, that. They also stuck up for you when the crowd got rough about you being involved with him. He really seems to care about you, Twilight... Pony or not, don't let anyone discourage you from continuing your relationship... Personally, I think the glaring difference between you two makes it that much stronger."

"Wow... T-thank you, Cheerilee... I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything. I sincerely wish you the best of luck," she graciously let us know with a smile. "Well, I should get going now. I haven't finished my lesson plan for the week. This meeting was quite informative, though. I might implement it as a part of class. Anyway, have a nice day!" and with that, she was off. I could only wonder in pure surprise at how... how... benevolent she sounded...

"Anypony else?" Twilight asked the crowd, who went into another small bout of contemplation that lasted much longer than the last... In that time, I thought I'd get in a quick word with her.

"Hey, Twi?"

"Yes, hon?"

"Um... You..." I began, but faltered, choking on my own thought. I was about to ask her why she showed up smelling like she needed special attention... which would've invariably led into a discussion about her needing such a thing...

"Drop it, man. Not a good time. I know how fragile she is when she's vulnerable..."

"You... look amazin'..." I half-lied, meaning the compliment, but not intending it to be what I wanted to say to her.

"Ohh, you're just saying that..." she flushed, smiling in a mixture of affectionate joy and stark uncertainty. "My hair's a mess and I look like I just rolled out of bed..."

"Come on, you look good no matter what state you're in..." I flirtatiously countered with a wink, garnering a cutely elated smirk out of her.

"Excuse me!" someone from the crowd called.

"Yes? Berry Dreams?"

"Oh, no..."

"So um... it's the springtime... and--!"

"Nice try, Berry Dreams," I interjected as I hurriedly clamored to the mic. "I said no more heat-related questions! That is none o' your business!"

"Aw, come on! All I want to know is if she's hit her cycle yet!" the mare blurted out, causing a portion of the crowd to murmur in collective interest. Twilight's jaw practically fell to the floor. She was flabbergasted that such a risque question would be directed at her. All I could do is sigh in frustration at the fact that she managed to get that blasted statement out. With that, and a twinge of pain in my temples, I grabbed the mic.

"Tha'ss it! That is the third time somebody asked one of us a question I specifically said didn't need answerin'! Three strikes an' you're out! Meetin' adjourned! Have a nice day, everyone! I'ss over! Go home!"

"But what about--?" another attendant was about to ask.

"Sorry, but rules are rules. I thought I made it clear that we would not answer questions that didn't need answerin', an' that if too many o' those popped up, we were done! If you wanna ask anything else, come find me some other time. Good day, sir!" With that, I waved to the crowd as I dropped the mic. We watched them disperse as a few of them showed varying signs of disappointment while the vast majority of the ponies I saw were either staring back at us as they walked away or were presumably contemplating all the information they'd managed to dig out of us. Within a few minutes, the crowd was gone, leaving only the speakers presently onstage in the vicinity.

"Well, THAT could've ended on a better note," Rainbow remarked.

"Coulda been worse, too... I'm actually glad I did that..." I replied. "We were up here for hours."

"Got that right... My dogs are barkin'..." A.J. agreed.

"I see... So... the townsfolk..." Twilight inquired. "How were they?"

"They seem to be okay with him being here," Fluttershy answered. "It's just that it was a bit harder for them to accept your relationship... Not that they hate you think you're weird or anything."

"I'ss jus' that it took a lot of explainin' for them t' see it our way," I finished. "Nonetheless, the majority of 'em seem t' be okay with it. Not fully acceptin' but just 'okay.'"

"I see... Well, that beats them starting a riot over it..." Twilight mused.

"Yeah, but because you weren't here, you MIGHT have some explaining to do yourself..." Rainbow Dash reasoned to her full understanding. "What took ya so long, anyway?"

"That nap turned out to be much more enjoyable than I'd initially thought..." the purple mare answered to the amusement of her friends, me included. "As you can see, I didn't even give myself the time to freshen up before I got here..."

"I dunno... I think the bedhead style suits you," I countered. "It lets us all know that you FINALLY gave yaself a break for once," I joked, garnering laughs out of the rest of our friends.

"Ha ha, Ty... What are you even doing out here? You couldn't even walk on your own, last I remember. Plus, I don't think I transferred enough energy to you to enable such a spontaneous recovery..."

"Apparently, Celestia healed me part-way before she took Comet an' Gillian away. I still sorta limp when I walk, but I suppose tha'ss my punishment for usin' her magic against him like I did... On top of all the favors I owe..."

"In any case, I'm glad you're okay. How was the meeting before I arrived?"

"It was interesting, to say the least," Rarity answered. "The townsponies were generally very calm, polite, and inquisitive the entire time. In addition, we definitely learned quite a lot about our extraterrestrial friend here..."

"Darn tootin'," A.J. agreed. "Plus, I had t' dig 'im out of a diamond dog-sized hole fer wreckin' Golden Harvest's veggie stand. Two weekends from now, he's all mine, if'in ya don't mind. You'll definitely have yer work cut out for ya, Ty," the farm pony added with a sinister-sounding chuckle.

"And the week after that, he and I have a little score to settle," Rainbow added. "You'll have plenty of time to train for it working with A.J., dude."

"Don't forget that I'm going to tailor you an outfit for practice once you're done with them," Rarity contributed to this apparent to-do list.

"Is that all?" Twilight questioned in perplexity.

"Hmm... Nope! One more thing! Lyra wants to help you run some tests on him or something," Pinkie Pie added even more. "Oh, and he was gonna show me a neat little cake recipe once he was done with everypony else!"

"Jeez, Ty, why so many favors you owe everypony?" Twilight asked, seeming just as surprised as I was exasperated about my now-hefty work schedule.

"*sigh* Because I'm jus' THAT generous..." I sullenly slurred as I sighed in exhaustion, rolling my eyes and shaking my head as they all shared a laugh at my expense. "Le'ss not forget I gotta help Zecora clean up her house, since we're countin' all the chores I gotta do..."

"Hey, where ARE Lyra and Zecora, anyway?" she pondered.

"Lyra went home to get some rest and I think Zecora did, too," Fluttershy answered. "I especially know Lyra didn't get much sleep since she was knocked unconscious and thrown into a bush last night..."

"Yeah... *yawn* I'm pretty beat myself..." Rainbow commented.

"Yea, stoppin' criminals an' hostin' meetin's as big as this one was takes a lot out of a pony," A.J. agreed, followed by concurrent nods from everyone else. On that note, we all said our goodbyes before Twi, Fluttershy and I headed back to the library to sort things out between us while we debriefed the unicorn mare on the events of the public address she'd inadvertently slept through.

A half-hour later

"Y'know, I wasn't gonna say nothin', but... Why was you all sweaty?" asked Ty as we approached the library.

"I was in a hurry to get to you and the others, only to be too late."

"It ain't THAT long a run from your house t' Town Hall, though. It looks like you ran around Ponyville three times before you found us. You gettin' outta shape on us?" he teased as he and Fluttershy giggled.

"Of course not! I maintain my girlish figure on a regular basis, thank you," I shot back in a mixture of ire and humor. "I uh..." I pondered, not even sure myself why I woke up drenched in sweat. But then vague, yet VERY explicit mental images still resonating from my recent dreams presented themselves as a possible reason. "I... did run around town three times looking for you all, though," I lied.

"Really, now? Wow, you didn't notice the crowd?" he asked, seeming to buy my fib.

"Yep. I uh... I tried to teleport to Town Hall, but I only built up enough magic during my nap to transport myself outside the library and... well, the rest is history."

"Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it, please buy it...!"

"Hm. Alright," he accepted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes!"

"So anyway, while Fluttershy's here... this... proposition...?" Ty suggested as a conversation topic.

"I'll explain that in a second, but first, how many more favors have you promised?" I questioningly replied.

"Hmm... Well... there's that kid Pipsqueak for helpin' me track down Gillian... There's... Spike for finally droppin' the 'heat' issue, but I'm pretty sure I can call that one back considerin' I promised it to him under the condition that he NOT try t' leave the meetin' early..."

"Why didn't you want him to leave the meeting early?"

"Because you was talkin' in ya sleep again..." at that, I hung my head in humiliation.

"Oh..."

"Yea, but before you could say anything... unsafe in front o' him, I took him with me. He went back while I wasn't lookin' durin' the meetin'."

"I was just waking up when he came back, so I suppose we dodged an arrow there... Thank you."

"Not a problem..." he answered, sounding just as relieved as I was. "Now where was I...? Oh! Then I owe Fluttershy big-time..."

"Me?" Fluttershy commented as she heard her name. "Why would you owe me anything?"

"Because you practically saved me back there... I mean, who else could've given such a powerful speech about treatin' me like an equal an' not bein' so judgmental about Twi an' me? I prolly woulda choked if it wasn't for you."

"No no, you're giving me too much credit," the pegasus mare modestly replied. "It was you who really drove the point home... You gave such a wonderful speech about how much you and Twilight have been through and how much you care for her despite your physical differences and the complications that come with it. You don't owe me anything."

"Interesting..." I commended both of them. "Was it much trouble convincing the townsfolk that you're not a threat?"

"Not really... I mean, I DID get some way-outta-left-field questions about me plottin' some invasion or replacin' everybody with subservient clones or somethin'... but generally, they didn't show a lot o' opposition t' me in that department. I managed to explain t' them how I came t' be a pony in the first place an' what happened t' me that made me lose the disguise. That an' everything that happened with Gillian. They cared more about our relationship than anything else..." the human answered.

"I see... and all of these favors... How exactly did you rack up so many of them?"

"A.J. paid for the damages from when I wrecked Golden Harvest's vegetable stand while I was chasin' Gillian... Rarity wanted t' see if she could make an outfit for me for practice... Zecora's house got ransacked when Gillian showed up there an' we fought... Hmm... Pinkie wants me t' show her a cake recipe I recommended to her, Rainbow wants t' test her strength against me in this form, Lyra wants t' do some research with you... Plus, I know I have t' make it up t' you for everything that's happened, but you said you'd come up with somethin' when I was in a better condition... which, I am now, so... yea. Tha'ss about it," Ty finished up as we finally made it back to the library. We entered quietly and made ourselves comfortable before continuing our discussion.

"Alright, then... I'm glad to see you're such a pony of his word that you're actually going to fulfill all of those errands... even IF it might take you all season to do so..."

"I know, I'm dreadin' it already..."

"Plus, there's one thing you neglected to mention."

"Oh? An' what's that?"

"The proposition. After much thought and meticulous consideration, I've finally come up with a way to settle this 'crush' issue once and for all..." at that, Ty and Fluttershy exchanged glances of anxious confusion before staring back at me.

"What's your idea, Twilight?" the kindly mare asked, obviously very curious.

"You two will spend one day together." As I could've expected, I got the blank-stared silent treatment from them, signifying their confusion.

"Uh... An' by 'together,' you mean...?" nudged the human.

"You, plus Fluttershy, equals date," I spelled it out as bluntly as possible, my body heat skyrocketing as I did so.

"WHAT???" Both of them shrieked.

"Ugh, don't make me repeat myself..." I admonished in self-inflicted irritation. "It's hard enough that I'm even considering allowing this, all things considered... But... *gulp* I want you two to spend an entire day... together..."

"But... why??" Fluttershy asked in total astonishment.

"Because... I know you care about him almost, if not just as much as I do... and I'd hate to see anyone suffer... especially my best friend..."

"Well hold the phone here!" the human objected. "Don't I get a say in this? I'm not jus' gonna be handed off like a town bicycle. Not every pony's meant t' get a ride."

"That doesn't seem to be the case with all the favors you owe already," I countered.

"Well yea, but this is different! You're literally offerin' me up to one of your best friends as a suitor! How d'you expect me t' be okay with that? I'm even more surprised YOU of all people could come up with that!"

"I know, I know... Truth be told, I didn't want to..."

"Which is good, because it's more confirmation that I can trust you..."

"But of all the ponies who deserve an apology for our misdeeds, Fluttershy deserves the biggest one... from both of us. Between you making her cry and trying to make up for it with that unauthorized massage, to me lashing out at both of you for the aforementioned massage, and so on... All because she likes you..."

"I kinda see your point, but there is a WHOLE lot more we could do t' make it up to her!"

"I don't need a pity present," the mare in question sternly rebuked. "I'm a grown mare. I know I might come off as soft-spoken and timid, but I can handle circumstance the same way as any other self-respecting, full-grown pony can. Besides, I've already forgiven you both for everything."

"She's got a point," the human concurred.

"Indeed, she does... Sorry, both of you..." I apologized for not considering their feelings. "It's... just that this is the best I could come up with as a method of avoiding a situation between us in the future..."

"As unconventional as it sounds..." Ty interjected.

"Understandable. And before you say no, let me explain: I'm allowing you two to spend a day together to sort this out, not to begin some sort of polygamous herd or anything..."

"Besides, that idea is far too old-fashioned... something mainly needed for copulation above all else back in the olden days. No use for it in this scenario; even if it WOULD be the only way to completely avoid somepony getting hurt... There are some things I'm just not too keen on sharing..."

"I figure that if you spend time together to get to know one another a bit better, then maybe... I dunno... you'd... solidify your friendship...?"

"Well how much more can we solidify our friendship if we all already know what we wouldn't do that would hurt you, Twilight?"

"An' what more would there be t' go over? We already talked about everything when we were here earlier AND at least twice before that... She feels the way she does for the reasons she has, but wouldn't do anything sneaky to either of us, I understand her feelin's, but can't do anything about 'em because I like you, an' you're her best friend who's known her for a few years AND you're with me."

"Yes, but that knowledge isn't going to clear up this infatuation of hers. I want us to be as synchronized on this issue as we possibly can in such a way that nopony is injured... at least, not too harshly... consider this a--!"

"Experiment?" Ty dryly finished, deadpanning as he voiced his discontentment.

"I'd go more along the lines of a... a simulation, of sorts. You two spend a day together, learn about each other, do more-or-less the same thing you and I would do on a date, Ty... and at the end, evaluate how you feel toward each other."

"Minus a couple of things, but I'm sure those can go unspoken. I'm not talking to foals here..."

"Hmm..."

"I understand, Twilight," Fluttershy responded. "But if you're seriously going to allow this, then... then I would like to do so on friendly terms, not apologetic ones... If you don't mind, that is..." she added, seeming to still want to take us up on the offer.

"You're absolutely correct..." I agreed.

"Yea, it wouldn't make any sense if we did this out o' pity..." Ty also concurred.

"Right. That said, we do this not as a way to apologize for hardships, but as a... deal between friends. Agreed?"

"Indubitably," "Agreed," both of them agreed.

"So... are you two still up for it?" At that, the two moved to give an answer, but hesitated simultaneously before going into thought. Eventually, Ty shrugged as if to imply he was done contemplating.

"Sure. Why not?"

"Well... If it's okay with both of you, then... I guess my answer is yes," Fluttershy answered after him.

"Okay. But you two better not go too far with this!" I warned.

"What counts as 'too far,' exactly?" Ty questioned with a teasing smirk, to which I shot him a glare that could intimidate a Hydra.

"You should know," I sternly rebutted. "The most I'll let slide is a massage, but ANYWHERE further, and I'll be furious... I'm trusting both of you with every last fiber of my being, so please don't take advantage of me."

"Understood," they each concurred.

"You can both do what you want in the time allotted, but not whatEVER you want. I won't repeat myself when I say this, so listen close: If you know I wouldn't be okay with it, then DO NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, do it!"

"Yes, ma'am," "Yes," both of them understood.

"Good. So... With that out of the way... What times have you not reserved for your other errands, Ty?"

"I made sure nobody could touch next weekend. I was gonna use that t' spend some quality time with you... Next week is A.J., the week after that is Rainbow an' Rarity, and--!"

"Hey, Ty!" Spike called as he came practically flying down the stairs, a scroll in his claw. "Celestia just got back to you!"

"She did?? An' so soon??"

"What could she possibly need with you?" I asked in stark skepticism.

"I asked her for a favor," the human replied as he was given the letter.

"And that favor was...?"

"You'll prolly find out once I read this... Now then..." With that, he opened the scroll and read its contents aloud:

Dearest Ty,

I have received your letter and I must say, I didn't expect you to show so much compassion for one of the ponies responsible for all of your most recent troubles. For that, I commend you. Seeing as you seem to be so concerned about the fate of Ms. Comet Gazer, I'll clue you in on something: Remember when I was handing down my verdict during our little impromptu court hearing? How I said Comet Gazer specifically would be reprimanded to the fullest extent of EQUESTRIAN law? If this rings a bell, then I hope it's relieving to you to know that she is currently undergoing the process of being deported from Saddle Arabia, considering she is an Equestria native. She, much unlike her apparently-former significant other, will be staying in Equestria to serve her time.

However, her punishment for hers and Gillian's actions have not been fully decided as of yet, considering I still need to meet with the officials from the region of Saddle Arabia she and Gillian escaped from to contemplate the consequences they face for their scheme. Ms. Gazer has further explained her case to me and, in conjunction with what I've heard about her recent deeds from you and Gillian, I will take into consideration what she must accomplish in order to fulfill her sentence. Again, I find it quite surprising that you care as much as you do about the welfare of this particular mare.

That brings me to the favor you promised in return. As you said, you would do anything within your ability, so I will hold you to it. It should come as no surprise that I ask for an extensive friendship report explaining to me exactly what you learned about friendship. However, I also must ask you to come to Canterlot as soon as you are able to in order to visit each of our nation's intruders and make amends with them; especially Gillian, considering how hostile the two of you have been toward one another. Afterwards, I request that you spend some time with me so that you may educate me further on the human psyche. As I know, both you AND Gillian are human, but you seem to exhibit wildly dissimilar personality traits. However, your most recent misuse of my magic has led me to be a bit curious about your species as a whole and what they are capable of; not to mention your reasoning for such a volatile action.

Yours Truly,

Princess Celestia

The human rolled the letter back up and sighed in what I could clearly tell was heavy vexation.

"Looks like you'll have your hands even fuller than you thought," Spike commented as he headed back upstairs, seeming drowsy. "*Yawn* I'm gonna go back to napping. I'm exhausted... Wake me if you need me." With that, he walked up the stairs into the bedroom.

"You promised that Comet mare that you would get Princess Celestia to lighten her sentence?" I deduced as I brought my attention to the letter.

"Yea..."

"And for yet ANOTHER favor??"

"Yea... I jus' didn't expect the favor t' include for me t' have t' even come within fifty feet of... of... HIM again...!" he spat, his vitriol toward the stallion he despised showing abundantly.

"Well, there isn't much I can do to help you there... A promise is a promise... But why would you care so much about Comet's sentence that you would want to help her?"

"Long story short, she was in a bad way, jus' gettin' dogged around by Gillian on a false premise of love that obviously fell apart, evidenced by her cryin' in the forest after tellin' Fluttershy an' me that she broke up with him. I saw her an', feelin really bad for her, I told her I'd promise t' get Celestia t' ease up on 'er."

"Oh. Yeah, I watched their relationship unravel in a matter of minutes. It really wasn't pretty... I understand your sympathy for her..." I reasoned. "I'd have probably vied to do the same if you hadn't."

"Yea... Hey, what DID you see, anyway? I don't know much about what happened between 'em, but Fluttershy an' I found her in pretty bad shape..."

"In a nutshell, when he dragged me into the Everfree, the two of them got into a heated argument about where they wanted to go with their scheme. She wanted to end it and have both of them turn themselves in, whereas he wanted to hold me hostage in a deluded attempt at making Princess Celestia bend to his will. Stemming from their conflicting views on their plot, their argument led from one poignant topic to another until eventually, he lost his temper and yelled at her, making her run off in devastated tears."

"Wow... That bad, huh?" he asked in thought.

"Evidently. Anyway, where do you propose we go from here? We don't have much time left before I have to take you back home and, so long as we've managed to wipe out our most daunting tasks and Celestia is busy processing those two, we don't have much to do with our time."

"True... Though, there's still some things I wanna clarify with you in private before I leave... In the meantime, I'd suggest you go get cleaned up. No offense, but uh..."

"I get it... Thanks for the reminder," I nodded, though slightly embarrassed that he would bring it up in front of Fluttershy. "If you'll excuse me... " With that, I marched upstairs for some much-needed tidying up...

"I should probably get going..." Fluttershy informed as soon as Twi went upstairs. "I'm sure my animals are worried sick about me. I haven't seen them in so long..."

"That IS true, ain't it?" I agreed. "You ain't been home all day."

"Yes. Though, there's one thing I should ask before I go..."

"Yea?"

"Um..." the mare hesitated as she turned away, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she began to fidget with her mane. "When... when should we schedule... um... our..."

"Date?" I finished for her, causing her to cringe in nervousness as she let out a cute little squeak.

"Um... yes... when?"

"Hmm..." I pondered, unsure of what time I'd have free for her. I didn't want to do next week, because Twilight had self-imposed dibs all over it. The week after, however, was possibly up for grabs if Applejack didn't run me into the ground for all three days... Though, only two of my three days would be tied up for sure for the week after...

"How's about three weeks from now?"

"Three weeks? That's... a little far off, don't you think?" Fluttershy protested as she brought her gaze back to me... Though something was... peculiar about the way she was looking at me... I couldn't place my finger on it, but my heartbeat's pace quickened ever so slightly because of it.

"True... But unless Twi wants t' sacrifice a day next week, then tha'ss all I got."

"Then can you maybe... talk to her about it? I... I want to do this as soon as possible..." she admitted to my shock.

"Oh! Well, uh... sure, I gotcha. I'll talk to 'er an' see if she's alright with it."

"Thank you," she said, her eyes never breaking contact with mine. Her cheeks still glowed with that bright shade of pink, making her seem like she was a teenage girl being asked out on her first date... It was pretty cute, to say the least. Though, the way she was looking at me was sending me signals about how she really felt about this as we went silent...

"Her eyes... I see so much apprehension in 'em... but I swear I see somethin' else... Somethin' I normally wouldn't expect from her..."

"Probably a glimmer o' hope, so far as I could tell. In what, I couldn't say, but tha'ss MY guess..."

"Watch that be the right thing, too..."

"*AHEM!* Oh! My, um... I'm sorry," she apologized, breaking the silence. "I... got lost in thought... I-I should leave now..." she added as she prepared to take a hurried leave without even so much as waving at me.

"Well hold on! Ain'tcha gonna say bye?" I quipped with a chortle as I gestured for a hug.

"Oh! Yes, silly me..." she smilingly agreed as she took flight back over to me and welcomed my embrace. She lay her head ever so softly onto my shoulder, seeming to bask in the moment of our physical contact. I took this moment to tell the mare how I felt about her before she departed.

"Y'know... After all that's happened, an' no matter how many times I might've said it before, I really appreciate what you've done for me, Fluttershy," I confessed as I kept her close. Whether or not she knew it, I wanted to tell her how invaluable a friend she'd been to me... especially over this dramatic weekend. "You don't know the half of how grateful I am to know someone like you... You've helped me in so many ways in just these last few days."

"I... I appreciate you, too, Ty..." she replied, her voice soft as a welcoming morning breeze. "You're one of the best friends a mare could ask for."

"You, too... An' though you say you don't need repayment, I only wish I knew what t' do for you t' let you know that I mean it when I say you're a truly amazing mare..." I said back as we continued to hug, though I felt her body get significantly warmer. The embrace lasted a bit longer than usual (which was to be expected), but before I let go of her, she lifted her head off my shoulder to gaze into my eyes yet again with those captivating oceans of vibrant turquoise... I felt nearly hypnotized by the whirlwind of unspoken feelings she communicated to me just through her stare... The rest of her blushing, yet non-smiling face made the message all the clearer.

"Hey... A-are you...?" I tried to ask, but my words got caught in my throat... Her half-lidded gaze had all but paralyzed me. To make matters even more unusual, I began to catch a pungent, but unfamiliar scent coming seemingly from nowhere... Granted my recent experience with spontaneously-occurring aromas, I made only one guess as to what it was... and it frightened me stiff. Just when I didn't think this moment would get any more tense...

"*GASP*" I took in a wide-eyed breath of total astonishment as I, frozen in shock, watched as Fluttershy closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and, with a tilt of her head, leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek...

"OH, Myyy...~"

"Wha...?? No... way...! Is this REALLY happenin'?? What do I do here? What do I do in this scenario!? Son of a...!" My mind went WILD with racing thoughts on what was going on and what I should do about it. Push her away? That'd likely hurt her feelings much worse than the last time... Let her keep doing it? Twilight (and possibly Pinkie) would have my head on a pike. Turn my face away? That might yield the same result as my first solution... The only sensible thing I could think to do was to call her attention and hope to Celestia's mother that she didn't do this on purpose. After about four very, VERY pressured seconds...

"Fluttershy...?" I managed to stammer out, finally managing to snap myself out of my confusion, though only temporarily. The shock from it all felt like an out-of-body experience.

"*GASP* Oh my gosh! I-I'm sorry!" Fluttershy frantically apologized as she seemed to realize what she was doing. She jumped out of my grasp like a cat that got drenched in water. I said nothing, totally flabbergasted by her surprise attack. I stared blankly at her, my mouth ajar in alarm as I brought a hand to the cheek she kissed. "I didn't mean to! I-I don't know what came over me...! Oh my gosh..." Before I could get a word in edgewise, she practically vanished through the front door, presumably in a flustered, mortified tizzy, leaving me to contemplate the scenario that just played out before my eyes.

"How do I explain THIS t' Twilight...?"

"All finished!" I heard a voice call from upstairs. I brought my eyes to focus on form of the newly-refurbished mare that had just moments ago been disheveled beyond comprehension. "Where's Fluttershy?" she asked in wonder.

"Uh... she... she went home..." I babbled, my heart feeling heavier than a 10-ton boulder and pounding like a battering ram in my chest.

"Something wrong, honey? You seem tense..." Twilight observed as she approached me.

"*Gulp* Yea, actually..." I gathered up the courage to say, though only the bare minimum. "One more thing I think we should clarify in our discussion... Why... why don't we go out t' the balcony...?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?" she asked, seeming to be in good spirits.

"I'ss hard for me t' put into words, but I'll letcha know when we get out there..."

"Sure. I hope the gravity of what you have to tell me isn't TOO much..." she replied, taking into account the hesitance in my voice.

"The gravity of it might wind up tearin' your balcony to the ground..." With that ominous thought, we made our way out to the balcony where we'd begin a long, arduous, possibly frightening talk...

Author's Notes:

Almost an ENTIRE year in the making, and it ain't even the longest chapter in this story... Holy shit, I really done goofed... In any case, I hope all who see this enjoyed the latest installment of "Ponyville's Provocative Predicament" and I'll be sure to get the last chapter(s) posted in MUCH more reasonable amounts of time. Between this chapter and all of "Restraint, Scorpion!" I think I shook off the rust that came along with my hiatus... Again, hope you enjoyed!

TAP BaDap Out. [ ^_ ' ]b

Another Urgent Discussion...

Twilight and I assumed positions largely similar to the last time we came out to the balcony, though the ambiance was graced with a beautifully-setting sun with hardly a cloud in the sky as the chilling spring breeze flowed gently like a nurturing mother's touch; a setting that I'd say greatly symbolized the calm after the thunderstorm. Taking in the captivating view and environment, we made ourselves comfortable as she sat next to me, snuggling close. This romantic sunset would hardly be enough to deter either of us from the long-awaited talk we had ahead of us, and boy was it going to be a doozy...

"So... what's on your mind, sweetie?" Twilight kindly asked, wasting no time getting right to the point. Learning from the last time I hesitated, I decided not to stammer or stall, so as not to get her nerves worked up into high gear again.

"Hmm..." I began, still a bit uncertain of how to convey my rampant thoughts... However, I DID know where to begin. "These heat cycles... I understand that they happen quite often, no?"

"That they do... From now until the end of the summer, mares and fillies who've hit puberty will be getting these cycles sporadically, with varying degrees of frequency and intensity..." she explained, though I could sense her nervousness.

"And... does sexual activity end the cycles?" I asked, getting sidetracked from my original point due to my curiosity.

"No... At least, not unless the mare becomes pregnant with a foal. Otherwise, intimate satisfaction merely staves off the onset of symptoms temporarily."

"Uh-huh... and I don't suppose there's any tellin' when your next cycle will be, huh?"

"Nope... Buuuut, luckily for me, when the occasion arises again, I have a wonderful stallion to help... 'satisfy my urges,' so to speak," she added as she looked at me and flashed a smile I took as a little salacious.

"Damn right you do... Anytime at all..."

"That you do, baby..." I agreed as I rubbed her back, causing her to arch it in stark satisfaction as she let out a satisfied sigh. "But that brings about this question... Forgive me if this sounds out o' the ordinary, but... between a group o' mares... do your heat cycles sync up in when they happen due to how much time you spend around each other?" At that, she widened her eyes in surprise.

"Yes, actually! How'd you know that?"

"Just a hunch, really... A similar thing happens t' human women back home. Not sure if I'd call what they go through 'heat cycles,' but aside from various differences I'd rather not go int' detail about, women who hang around each other synchronize in terms of their cycles... There's no fully irrefutable reason as to WHY it happens, but it does..."

"Interesting that you should mention that, though... It isn't really explained all that well why it happens to mares here either, but it's a phenomenon that definitely holds true."

"I figured as much..." I lamented.

"What's the matter?" she asked, taking note of my worried tone.

"Well uh... I'm gonna be blunt about this, so forgive me... but um... when you went upstairs t' clean up..." Twilight got the message immediately.

"She did something unusual, didn't she...?" she asked, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Y-yea..." I confirmed before we went silent. After a few seconds, she spoke.

"Well... what'd she do? I don't want to outright assume anything out of the ordinary, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt... so... what'd she do?"

"We... *gulp* we hugged... but... b-but right before we separated... she... she... uh..." I was stumbling over my words harder than a near-sighted dancer with two left feet. It felt like I'd suddenly developed a speech impediment.

"Why is this so damn HARD!? Spit it out!! Have you learned nothing from the last time??"

"...She kissed you... didn't she...?" Twilight finished for me, frightening me out of my wits. It didn't help that her face read nothing but seriousness.

"Yea..." I admitted. "She kissed me on the cheek. She only realized it when I called her name in complete surprise right when she was doin' it. She panicked an' flew off, totally embarrassed..." At first, the unicorn mare said nothing. Total silence yet again; only this time, MUCH more intense in its gravity... A small part of me actually hoped the balcony didn't actually collapse from the weight this conversation suddenly bore.

"I knew something of the sort would happen if I left you alone with her..." she lamented to my surprise.

"Wha...?"

"That's why you were asking if mares who are close friends synchronize heat cycles, right?" she cleverly deduced. I could only nod in bafflement at how calm she was being about this... "Truth be told, I'm fully aware that my friends and I will be hitting our cycles at roughly the same time... But I'm not worried about anypony doing anything unusual to you... because I have complete and utter faith in your commitment to me."

"O-of course! I would NEVER do anything like that to you. Not jus' because o' the Pinkie Promise, either!" I frantically rambled. "Like I said before, Twi... I love you. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you like that..."

"I know... There's no reason to be afraid, hon... I'll admit, though..." she began as she looked into the luminescent sunset sky. "I do worry about... about another mare trying to take you away from me... I mean, I know I can trust you with all my heart, but... it's other mares... specifically Fluttershy..."

"You... don't trust her?"

"I do trust her, but... these heat cycles aren't a joke... You are aware that mares are a bit more... susceptible to drastic changes in mood because of them, right?"

"Mm-hmm... Comet let me know the basics of how they work."

"Right..." she nodded as she brought her eyes to meet mine once again. "Then you know why I'm so uneasy about her now."

"You think she'd be that prone t' them that she'd try somethin' with me?"

"In all honesty... yes," she plainly admitted. "I mean... just a few moments ago, she kissed you. Doesn't that raise a red flag to you?"

"Of course it does... Tha'ss why we're talkin' about this now. But if the case is that you don't trust her as much as you want to, why set me up t' spend a day with her?"

"For one, to clear the air between you two. Other than that... I... I..." she faltered, which confused me.

"What, you ain't gon' say somethin' like 'this is a test o' faith' or somethin' like that... are you?"

"...Would you be disappointed if I said yes?" she bashfully admitted, making me shake my head.

"That doesn't make me happy, Twi. The last time you 'tested my faith,' it got us right where we are with Fluttershy now."

"I know, but you were only following tradition that time. This time, it's totally devoid of holiday-inspired sentiments. And it's not my faith in YOU I'm testing... it's my faith in her."

"I understand, but that doesn't make it any less... dishonest. I get your idea. I really do. Jus'... it's not nice t' do this t' her when she really seems t' like me... I'ss like danglin' candy in front of a foal, then yankin' it away just before they get t' taste it."

"I... I understand..." she conceded, her gaze falling to the floor. I took the initiative to hug her for comfort. Though, I was unsure of what to say about what to do with Fluttershy. This sort of thing was entirely alien to me.

"Don't worry, Twi... Whatever happens, at the end o' the day, it'll be you an' me. If you're worried Fluttershy's gonna steal me away, I'll assure you she won't. She's too considerate, even WITH the possibility of her bein' in heat, to do that t' either of us. Worst case scenario, she'd prolly try t' talk us int' turnin' our relationship into a threesome... Heh, wouldn't that be somethin' t' consider?" I joked, though it only made Twilight cringe.

"Y'know... you have the most arcane way of speaking my thoughts aloud..." she quipped as she smirked at me, thus totally astonishing me.

"WHAT??? That's SERIOUSLY something she considered???"

"Hey. I ain't complainin'... I mean, it IS still a little weird that they ain't human, but..."

"I'll take that wide-eyed gawking look of yours as you being totally surprised," the mare remarked. Again, I could only nod. "Well I suppose I should explain so as not to cause you too much alarm... In the early days of Equestria, ponies were scarce in number... it was largely due to the fact that Discord, before being overthrown by Princesses Celestia and Luna, made it very hard for ponies to get together and mate. His constant abuse of the laws of physics and relentless tearing of the fabric of reality for his own amusement caused the number of ponies in the country to dwindle drastically to the point where ponies as a species would've likely been extinct by now had the Princesses not intervened."

"Whoa..."

"Once the Princesses became the leaders of Equestria and order had been restored, measures were taken to proliferate the pony population. One of those methods included the practice of 'herding': The arrangement in which one virile stallion would court multiple mares with the intent to impregnate all of them in order to propagate the pony race. Of course, with the passage of time comes change. That said, once the population was suitably restored, herding eventually fell out of favor; mainly because of the risk of overpopulation. Though, some argue that it was because mares were unable to share one stallion and said stallions were exhausting themselves trying to please anywhere from two to eight mares all by himself. That aside, herding isn't a popular practice anymore. Some ponies still do it since there are still situations like ours that arise every now and again, but it's extraordinarily rare."

"I... I see..." I said as I comprehended her words... Such a captivating story... with a point I could hardly even fathom. "So..."

"Yes, the idea of maybe, albeit TEMPORARILY-- not to mention surreptitiously-- allowing Fluttershy to... to become intimate with you... has crossed my mind..." That statement all but blew my mind like an F5 tornado. I was rendered all but speechless as my heart was pounding so hard I thought I'd faint.

"Wh... Buh... H-huh??"

"You heard me right, Ty... I actually considered temporarily granting Fluttershy the ability to... well, do a lot of the same things you and I do..." she admitted with a furious blush.

"...Even...?"

"Yes, even that."

"Well ain't that somethin'...? Two lovely ladies sharing? That... is... incredible..."

"Herding knows very few boundaries in terms of the connections between participants. I only thought about it because it'd be the easiest way to avoid trouble, so long as all three of us kept our mouths shut on it. But there's so much to worry about, from anypony finding out, to Fluttershy wanting to make it permanent and forcing me to share you with her, to you taking favor with her over me, to you possibly leaving me for her should we decide to end the herd... I..."

"You're... not sayin' you'd... be jealous... are you?" I asked, as the majority of her reasons had to do with how well we (I, specifically) would handle Fluttershy's presence.

"No!" she sternly, yet unconvincingly denied. "Don't be ridiculous. I-I have total faith in you..." she crossed her forelegs and pouted as she turned away. Though, the inadvertent admittance of her jealousy amused and interested me. So I gently laid a hand on her cheek, turned her head to face me, and gave her a deep, passionate, assuring kiss.

"You're so adorable... It's okay t' be jealous, y'know..." I informed her as I caressed her cute, blushing face as she seemed totally lost in the afterglow of the smooch.

"It... is?" she managed to ask as she recovered.

"Yes... I'd be jealous too if I had t' share you with another guy... It just means you care."

"But... jealousy indicates a lack of faith, which would mean I didn't--"

"Baby... jealousy is natural. If you really weren't jealous in the least, I'd actually be more worried than if you were. That would mean you didn't care what I did with another girl. On the other hoof, if you were OVERLY jealous, then that would mean you had no faith in me at all."

"Okay... but how would you gauge jealousy to decipher the specific category it falls under, going by that logic?"

"Through actions. Generally in this regard, it's a natural reaction t' the threat o' something or someone you like bein' taken away from you. I'ss how you handle the feelin' that lets others know how little or how much somethin' bothers you."

"I... I see your point."

"Good. That said, if, hypothetically, you, Fluttershy, and I DID wind up doin' this... herd thing, I would be considerate enough t' give both o' y'all equal attention so as to curb the jealous feelings y'all might have for each other. An' before you say I couldn't handle it, the only thing t' think about is how well you two would handle sharin'... I mean, I honestly don't know myself if there's enough o' me for more than one girl, but so long as we all synchronize our views, I think it could work..." I elaborated before I realized just what the hell I was saying. "I-I mean if, HYPOTHETICALLY, we did that, of course..." I added with a nervous titter. Though, Twilight didn't laugh with me... she simply stared into my very inner being, seeming to comprehend and interpret my words.

"I... I understand... So... do you think that would be a better idea than you trying to let her down easy while she's in heat as well?" she inquired, throwing me for another loop. It made me wonder if she'd REALLY be okay with this sort of thing; even though it, at its core, simply meant sparing the feelings of a friend...

"Damn... That's a very good question..." I uncertainly answered, my mind instantly bringing into consideration Fluttershy's feelings on it, how long it would last since Twilight seemed vehement on only letting it be temporary, whether or not to keep it secret, the general outlook of other ponies if they were notified, how the sex I mean uh... how we would spend our time together... It was no easy thing to think about.

To give an opinion on herding with Fluttershy versus letting her know once and for all that her feelings were unrequited when... when I honestly didn't know myself if they were unrequited... All the things the gentle pegasus mare had done for me had come into mind... the nature of most of our recent interactions... that dream I had about her... her confession... the fact that she rounded up the courage to kiss me before she left... it sent butterflies swarming through my stomach; an elating sensation normally only Twilight could get me to feel. It was then that I came to a shocking conclusion...

"Oh my god... Do... Do I LIKE Fluttershy??"

"...Judging by your consideration and prolonged dead silence, is it fair to guess that you... actually care about Fluttershy... the same way you do about me?" And with that, she checkmated me.

"SHIT! This is WAY harder than I thought..." After a moment of tense silence, I spoke.

"I... I don't know, Twilight..." I responded, feeling guilty for my ambivalent answer. "I really don't know. I mean, I don't wanna hurt the girl, but I know for a fact that I love you more than I could ever love anyone else... That an' no matter how many times she an' I try t' clear things up, it only makes it worse... The way she stares at me... the way she acts around me... the numerous times she showed that she cares... the fact that, even though it might've been heat-fueled, she kissed me... It makes me think that this is more than a simple crush for her... In conjunction with the fact that she's very likely about t' be in heat... I guess what I mean is... is that I don't think either way we go about this will end up without her bein' hurt in some way or another... but t' answer your other question... I feel like maybe, just MAYBE if we were to lay down the law with her an' explain that it'd be temporary, she wouldn't be quite as hurt... but even THAT answer is full of flaws an' loopholes..."

"...*sigh* Well, it'd be unfair of me to say I don't understand your viewpoint... I also won't pretend it doesn't hurt to hear you say you actually MIGHT like her back..."

"Twi, I don't mean it that way. I'm not perfect. Far from it--"

"It's okay. Let me finish..." she calmly stated. "I still do see that, of the three of us, you're in the hardest spot. I mean, if I were in your place, I'd be just as torn and scrambled as you are right now. Fluttershy told me herself that she'd been enamored with you for quite a while now. And though I don't know how many times you've talked to her since you were last out here with her, I know every interaction since then is weighing heavily on your mind. From the looks of it, she really touched you with her natural kindness... especially since she's been so nice to you and I in particular despite me immediately telling you about her feelings after she told me. That said, while I'm not at all okay with you harboring affection for Fluttershy, I acknowledge that it isn't without good reason... That said... how long?"

"How... long...?" I echoed, still stunned by her analysis.

"Yes. How long?" she enunciated, a slight twinge of anger evident in her tone. It was clear she didn't want to say what she was asking, for the mere thought irritated her. I really felt horrible for upsetting her, but she deserved nothing but complete honesty from me.

"Oh! Um... N-not long at all, I promise..." I stuttered, unsure of what to say to her. "Probably since... like yesterday... when she uh... c-confessed t' me in full..."

"Hm... Alright then," she flatly stated, which of course did nothing to ease my nerves. "Do you think it would get in the way of our relationship?"

"Not at all!" I boisterously replied, eager to convince the mare of my undying love for only her. "You've been FAR too good to me, Twilight. There hasn't been a day since our relationship began that I ever doubted how much I like you... An' for us t' actually have sex despite all that happened AND all the physical differences between us? Over the course of nine months? There's no way in Hell I'd ever disregard that. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me, Twi. T' give you up for ANYONE else would be t' let a huge part o' myself perish in an unforgiving abyss of misery and regret. I love you too much t' hurt you. Believe that..." My words seemed to strike a chord with her, as her facial expression immediately changed from one of stern concern to dreamy, love-stricken affection. Her graceful smile... her glowing cheeks... her radiant, glimmering violet eyes...

"You're the sweetest... I love you..." she confessed, much to my relief.

"And I you..." I replied as we hugged tightly.

"There's still what to do about Fluttershy, though..." she reminded me as we ended the embrace. "Are... are you sure you'd really want to make our relationship into a herd?"

"What?? When did I say that?"

"Well, you pretty much implied it. You basically said that you'd rather begin a herd than try and let her down, right? Especially considering how you feel about her?"

"Uhh... I don't think I did...? I don't even remember answerin' the question candidly..."

"Hmph. Do you have an answer now?"

"Er... it's tough t' say... plus, I don't wanna answer unless she's actually here t' give her input... I'm not very comfortable with it t' be honest, but after all we jus' discussed... I don't think I could bring myself t' say no... but I can't readily say yes either..."

"Very well then... I'll talk to her about it."

"Okey doke... Though, putting MY feelings aside, how would YOU feel about it?" I asked, as she hadn't really given a clear explanation of her viewpoint aside from clues of mild discomfort.

"Me? I'd... I'd be okay with it, I guess..." she reasoned. "After all... I WAS the one to come up with the idea..."

"Hm. I'd be inclined t' believe you... if you didn't already let me know you basically don't trust Fluttershy... Be honest with me, Twi. We don't have t' do it if you don't want to. Your feelings on it are just as important as everyone else's."

"...Fine, you got me. I don't like it very much at all," the mare solemnly admitted.

"I didn't think you did... This might sound redundant, but... why not?"

"Of all the things I'd share, you aren't one of them. Not to sound selfish, but I feel as though in terms of romantic companionship, you're mine and mine alone, whereas I'm yours to have and no one else. When we began our relationship, I obviously expected it to just be between us... nopony else. I never even took into account the possibility of another pony taking such a liking to you."

"Very true... very true indeed..." I nodded in agreement.

"For this fiasco with Fluttershy of all ponies to come up... and so abruptly... I was overwhelmed by it. Heat or no heat, this is something very alarming to me. As she told me, she'd been harboring her feelings for a long time. I feel as though it might have been long enough that it might have gone far beyond simple infatuation, considering what happened over the course of this weekend. She's my best friend, and I wouldn't ever want to bring her any anguish or sorrow... but how fair is it to any of us to ignore her affection when she's shown to care so deeply?"

"You're a good mare, thinking about how she'd feel..." I commended. "...but how fair would it be t' you if we DID wind up doin' this threesome thing if you ain't even comfortable with it yourself. The last thing I'd ever wanna do is make you do somethin' you don't want to."

"Also true..."

"I can tell there ain't really an easy way outta this. The time o' year only makes this harder... No matter what way we handle it, not everyone is gonna be happy in each scenario... If we choose t' let her down, she'll likely be deeply hurt... If we choose t' do this herd thing-- even temporarily, you'd be extremely uncomfortable. In both those events, I'd feel bad. Lettin' her down would feel like the worst thing imaginable, but herdin' with her would make me worry about you t' the point where I wouldn't feel good doin' anything with her because you'd be hurt by it..."

"I see your points, Ty..." she nodded as she went silent. "...Maybe we should postpone actually deciding anything until all three of us are able to talk it out..."

"Maybe we should... Oh yea, that reminds me: We never got t' decide when I was gonna be her indentured servant for a day..." Twilight giggled in amusement.

"That depends entirely on your already-cumbersome schedule, Mr. Indentured Servant. Looking at the sheer amount of services you owe, your best chance would likely be next weekend."

"Funny you should say that... I was gonna ask if you'd be willin' t' sacrifice a day..."

"Yeah, sure... My weekend will be fairly busy anyway, what with all the studies I have to catch up on thanks to this crime-fighting excursion of ours, amongst other things." Hearing that actually disappointed me greatly. "Plus, now that I think of it, it's probably best if you also went to Canterlot to see Princess Celestia ASAP to fulfill your bargain with her." Hearing THAT made me angry, considering what one of Celestia's favors was...

"Ugh, don't remind me... That pretty much screws all the time I had planned out jus' for you..."

"We'll still have ONE day together... and we'll spend it with you doing me the favor you owe for making me so upset with you..."

"Hmph... I just hope you're gentle with me..." I shot back, honestly unsure of what she had in store for me. I could only guess that she'd probably make me do all of Spike's chores or force me to be the test subject in an experiment of hers...

"You'll be fine..." she assured with a chuckle. "Plus, if I'm not too wrapped up in anything by the time you and Fluttershy are done hanging out, we could have this discussion with her then. It'd be knocking two things out in one go. Plus, by that time, we should all have our thoughts in line to make a better judgment."

"Good point."

"Indeed," she concurred. "While we're still out here, is there anything else you wanted to get off your chest?"

"Hmm... Yea, actually... I wanted t' ask you somethin' else: Now that we've... in a general sense, consummated our relationship, do you feel there are other milestones to get by? I mean, we've come so far already... Do you feel as if there's much left for us t' conquer before we fully realize the depth of our relationship?"

"If we were basing our relationship on milestones alone, then we probably wouldn't have much else to do... aside from us meeting each other's parents. However, I think what we have is much more meaningful than a human/pony relationship... We have... a sort of an existential connection... One that spans across inconceivable cosmic boundaries. One that defies most conventional explanation. One that, no matter how we look at it, is astronomically astounding in countless ways... simply for the fact that we're so involved with one another that we can, despite all the odds and the obstacles and even the presumably-cosmic physical distance between our worlds, love each other..."

"Wow... you sure do have a way with words, Twi..." I commended. "I agree with you wholeheartedly. But... I still feel like there are things, even with our level of connection, that might serve to drive us apart..."

"Like what?"

"General life, simply put... I mean, with you being Princess Celestia's protégé, bein' a natural leader, bein' one of the most powerful unicorns-- if not THE most powerful-- on the planet, not to mention the bearer of one of the Elements of Harmony... I'd bet it's only a matter o' time before you wind up sproutin' wings, bein' given a crown an' kingdom, an' possibly becomin' nigh-immortal like the Princesses... an' because of all o' that... our connection would fade into nothingness as we eventually separate so that you're able t' fulfill your life's greatest accomplishments. You're well on your way t' doin' great things... whether I'm here or not. I'm no stranger t' that realization."

"Ty..."

"On my end, I'm not sure how long we could keep up this before it gets tedious... with you payin' visits t' me an' bringin' me to an' from here on an occasional, limited basis... with me havin' t' come up with excuses an' reasons t' people for my complete disappearance from my world when nobody at home knows I'm here... Then there's the fact that I might wind up havin' t' do things in my world that might serve the same purpose of driving us apart... Maybe I'll move from my house t' somewhere far away for some reason... Maybe I'll become so busy that comin' here stops bein' an option anymore... It's even possible that either one of us might wind up findin' somebody in our respective worlds t' become close to due to the lack of frequency in how often we see each other... The paths I may possibly take won't be anywhere NEAR as great or glamorous as yours, seein' as I'm not of royal blood like you are, nor am I anywhere close to any of my world's leaders, but... my general point is... how much longer do you think we'll... last?"

"You raise some really good points, Ty... you really do..." Twilight replied, pondering my inquiry. "To be honest, I can't answer those concerns for certain. They've crossed my mind as well and I haven't come up with any answers either of us would be satisfied with... But if there's one thing I do know, it's this: Whether or not I REALLY wind up becoming a princess myself or the hooves of fate whisk us away to our lives' greatest aspirations... Whether or not you and I eventually separate for some reason or another or in some bizarre twist of events, you wind up being trapped here forever or I wind up getting stuck in your world... I merely say only time will tell. But no matter what happens... you'll always have a place in my heart..." she informed as she snuggled into me; an embrace I happily welcomed. She went a step further by giving me another small kiss.

"I agree in full. Whether or not we separate... there's a place in my heart that no one could ever fill but you... but then that brings me to this: How do we handle things now that Ponyville knows I'm neither a pony, nor a native of this world?"

"I'm well aware that simply alerting Ponyville to your existence in itself was but a minor step in the progression of our relationship... or in the possible prospect of human-to-pony interactions in general. There IS the fact that it's possible for ponies to get to your world and that two ponies-- Comet Gazer and myself-- have managed to do so. There's no telling who else might wind up crossing that boundary, though the odds are fairly low... I feel as though that's something you could talk to Celestia about."

"I suppose I should... I feel like we been keepin' this on the D.L. too long... Gillian an' I are the only humans t' see this world, though he pretty much made it impossible for him t' go back, as he chose t' live out the rest of his life as a pony... I still have access t' my world thanks t' you, but I have no idea where t' even begin if we were t' decide t' reveal the actual existence of ponies in my world. There's no scenario I could think of that wouldn't end in a huge mess..."

"I understand... If you were to go as far as becoming an ambassador of humankind, you'd have a lot of work on your hands. But, your pioneering of the prospect would serve to educate humans and ponies alike on an entirely new realm of studies and research. It's even possible that negotiations to enable some easier, much more convenient form of intergalactic travel would take place should your world's leaders ever possibly come into contact with the Princesses or any of the other world leaders here in that scenario... The possibilities are endless. But we'd have to start slow. I wouldn't worry too much about it right now, as something as big as that takes a lot of time and deep thought to even consider. Again, I'd have to refer you to Princess Celestia."

"I'll... keep that in mind..." I answered, at this point being given a new idea to consider in my impending conversation with the Sun Princess. "In the meantime, is there somethin' you wanted t' say or ask me?" I asked, wondering if there was some issue she wanted to bring to the table.

"Hmm... Sorry if this sounds a bit lewd, but... when we were... um..." she began to blush as she tried to find her words. "When we were... engaging in..."

"Intimate activity?"

"Yes, that... When we were doing that... you seemed to really know what you were doing, despite that being our first time... how?" Her question almost made me laugh, but I knew she was serious.

"Well... I won't pretend like I knew everything I was doin'... Most of it was impulse. I figured that, even though you're a pony, you're still a girl, with feminine desires and needs... The rest was through communication... whether verbal or bodily."

"Oh... I see. And the oral stimulation...?"

"Hm. I take it you... liked that...?" I couldn't help but smirk at her as she scratched her mane, unsure of how to answer me.

"M-maybe..." she admitted with a cute little flustered smile as she got warmer.

"Heh heh... Well, I jus' thought it'd be somethin' you'd go for... Evidently, I was right. It was a huge gamble, considerin' I actually know next t' nothin' about how ponies get intimate..."

"I honestly don't think any amount of pony knowledge would've changed how well you satisfied me... Simply doing what you did with your mouth... Not to mention those hands of yours... And the different ways we... m-made love..." she trailed off with a slight quiver of presumable excitement at the thought.

"All the better t' please ya with, m'lady... But generally, i'ss a matter of explorin' one another when it comes t' this sort o' thing. Tha'ss the fun part about it. Tha'ss why I was askin' you what you'd have liked me t' do based on what you did for yaself. When you told me you don't please yourself, I could only figure out what you liked by pleasin' you myself... which is why, beside the reason of relievin' your heat, I focused much more on you than myself."

"Ooooh... I remember you saying we were conducting an experiment while we were doing it, but I thought it was merely you being figurative... So it was essentially you conducting actual experiments on me to find out what... how do I say, 'turned me on'?" she asked in wonder, though her diction surprised me.

"In a sense..." I shrugged, though she giggled in amusement.

"Looks like the tables turned for once in terms of whom was experimenting on whom... Though... Would you be okay if I spent some time... experimenting on you the next time we do it?" At that, my eyebrows raised like the roof of a nightclub during a fantastic party.

"Ain't got a problem with that!"

"Be my guest... I'd actually like t' see what you could do..." I permitted with a sly wink. It was then that Twilight got warmer under my arm and I began to detect a certain aroma filling the air.

"With what you did for me last time... I'd be sure to repay you tenfold..." she lustfully matched my quip with another, surprising me in the best way possible.

"That a fact? Oooh, I can't wait..." I replied, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering intensely as I anticipated our next encounter. Though, we weren't done talking just yet, so I had to curb my urges in the wake of clarifying our relationship status. "*AHEM* but before we tackle that again... there's just ONE more thing I think we should clarify..."

"Hm?"

"Do... you think I'd still need the ability to transform into a pony?"

"Good question. I don't think you'd generally need to, but I'm sure you've been able to find out for yourself what advantages and disadvantages came along between each of your forms. Although, only Ponyville has seen you in your human form. Outside of Ponyville, only Celestia has seen you. You might still need it if you were going anywhere in public outside of Ponyville, but other than that, you should be good."

"True, true... Is there anything else you wanted t' talk about or did you wanna go... conduct some more experiments...?" I asked, my tone becoming lascivious.

"Oh my, Ty..." she blushed again, smiling coyly as she turned away slightly while batting her eyes at me. "Um... I think we've covered all the most important topics for now... Anything else can wait at this point..." she answered as her scent became stronger as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck and climbed onto my lap. "For now... we consummate our relationship... again..." The forwardness of the mare was alarming, yet serendipitous. I had no complaints at all as I leaned in to kiss her once more... Though something caught my attention from my peripheral vision JUST before our lips met... and when I turned to catch a full view of what my eyes detected, I froze in terror.

"Ah! Uh-oh..." Twilight heard this and was snapped out of her romantic stupor. Befuddled, she turned to look at what I was looking at, only to be just as flustered as I was...

"How long have you been standing there!?" she screamed as she leapt off of me, appalled at the presence of our unwelcome guest.

"Long enough..." admitted the peeping tom from the balcony door: A small, nosy amethyst-colored lizard who'd been wearing a grin wide enough to make a hyena jealous.

"Oh, you gon' learn today, boy...!"

"Spike...!" she growled, her cheeks redder than tomatoes as she angrily approached him. "How long...!?"

"Uh, s-since you two got done talking about Fluttershy... I-I swear I'll keep this all a secret!" he begged, his triumphant demeanor already gone and replaced with sheer horror at Twilight's justifiable anger. She was right up in his face as he cowered in understandable fear.

"And how much did you hear?"

"Um... j-just about everything..." he conceded in shame. I mentally groaned as I threw my head back and released enough hot air through a deep sigh that I might have been able to make a tea kettle boil. Considering what Twi and I were just talking about...

"Aww man... Looks like somebody might need t' hear the 'Birds and the Bees' talk pretty soon..."

"Why was you jus' standin' there listenin' in on us for that long?" I dared to question as I got up and walked over to him, kneeling down once I was close enough. I was pretty upset myself, of course.

"I was curious... I mean, you two seemed to have a lot to talk about and from the sound of it, I thought you guys might've been talking about what this 'Heat' thing was. I needed to find out one way or another."

"I... I assume you did, then...?" I asked, afraid of the answer I was going to get from the inquisitive little dragon.

"Yeah... a-and then some..."

"Of COURSE you did... Dammit...!"

"Well then..." Twilight began. "It seems you and I have a talk of our own to look forward to. You are a growing dragon and I suppose it's only necessary for me to eventually talk to you about these sorts of things. I just didn't expect it to be so soon... One word of this to ANYPONY, Spike...! And I'll cut your allowance by three fourths, make you do all of Owloysius's chores on top of your own for a year, and make sure you never see even one STRAND of Rarity's mane so long as I live...!"

"Jeez, Twilight, lighten up!" he complained. "I wasn't going to say anything! I promise! You don't have to be so cruel about it!"

"Considering how long you stood there and eavesdropped on us, Spike, I think it's only necessary. But, just so I can really take your word for it... Pinkie Promise."

"Aw come on! Is it THAT serious? I REALLY won't tell anypony!"

"Not even Rarity...?" I asked, knowing that he'd most likely slip something to her if left unchecked. I also knew that Rarity, indulgent as she tends to be in the business of other ponies, would likely get one unprovoked clue from Spike, then get him to sing like a caged canary with as little as a seductive wink in his direction.

"Well... MAYBE Rarity..." he foolishly admitted with a nervous smirk.

"Pinkie Promise. Now." Twilight commanded, convinced that he'd go back on his word otherwise.

"Fine, fine, jeez... Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye..." he halfheartedly performed the legendary ritual, thus sealing the deal (and his loose lips).

"Good," Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she calmed herself. "Now I'll be right back. I have to take Ty home now. Say your goodbyes." Spike and I obeyed the mare, shaking hand with claw and flashing each other peace signs. Though, I wasn't planning on leaving so abruptly. I was about to ask Twilight why she was taking me back to my world so soon, seeing as the sky was still illuminated with the final waning rays of sunlight... but then I got the idea, considering her natural musk was still resonating off of her.

"Catch ya on the flipside, Spike..." I bade, just as worried for him as I was mad at him for being a fly on the wall.

"Y-yeah... See ya later, dude..." he somberly replied as he stepped back into Twilight's room.

Twilight charged her horn, touched a hoof to my back and with a *POOF*, sent us back to my world.

Author's Notes:

Not a lot of action here, but it was necessary in drawing this story closer to its long-awaited close. Still, hope it was enjoyable!

...and if you think that ending was some sort of open transition to a possible second chapter of a certain story having to do with lowering temperatures, then you're wrong... L-like dead wrong... and stuff. Oh, and there TOTALLY isn't a link hidden somewhere in this chapter...

Reconciliation...

The Following Week...

It had been a few long, moderately painful days since my last visit to Ponyville. Over the course of that time, I'd had an industrial-sized mop bucket of issues to mull over regarding how I'd survive the coming weeks in this town. With everything that went on in the past weekend and how I'd come VERY close to dying, as well as how I'd fare with everyone in town knowing I was basically an alien trespassing upon their territory, getting into trouble with their inhabitants, and courting their (equine) women like the conquistador I'd unwillingly become, I was swirling through a mental cyclone of emotions on how I'd cope with it all. At the forefront of the aforementioned tasks ahead, however, was how I was going to face Princess Celestia AND the two criminals she helped us apprehend.

Twilight had come for me the minute I was ready, so as to allow me to jump straight into my bucket list of errands. With a letter to the Princess notifying her of my return and her subsequent instruction for us to wait for her, Twilight and I casually conversed outside the library as we anticipated Celestia's arrival...

"So I really gotta do this, huh?" I lamented as we stood just outside the Golden Oaks library, with me being in the form of a pony once more. It goes without saying that I was disguised again because, to my knowledge, just about no one outside of Ponyville had any knowledge of me or my native species.

"You did promise the Princess you'd talk to them, did you not?" rebutted Twilight.

"Yea... I suppose there ain't no gettin' around it... Say, how have things been here since we last met?"

"Not too bad, surprisingly. I went about my normal tasks almost entirely unhindered. There were a couple of less-than-pleasurable encounters here and there regarding us as a couple and how dangerous it was for me to bring an unidentified lifeform into the town's midst without being absolutely sure it wouldn't endanger anyone, but most ponies have treated me as they always have."

"Good, good..." I sighed in relief. "I just hope they'll treat me the same. I'm still not even sure whether or not I should ditch this transformation shtick once I'm done in Canterlot or if i'ss still necessary..." I pondered.

"I'm fairly certain you can come and go as you please, though I do understand your concern with continuing to masquerade as a pony when everyone in Ponyville knows you're not. Generally speaking, I feel as though you'd be safer if you had access to both forms in case anything goes wrong or if you might need to transform for some reason... at least, for now. Suffice it to say, I feel there's a level of utility in your situation."

"Heh, leave it t' Twi t' turn a social dilemma into a cause for excitement over what I could do with access to a transformation," I mused, humored by my companion's analysis.

"Hey now, practicality is just as important as assimilation into life in Ponyville," she smilingly countered. "I've thought about your situation myself and I have to say, you're in a unique position. If you want my honest opinion, sweetheart, then I say it doesn't matter what form you're in while you're here; you're the same on the inside. Simply altering your appearance won't change that. However, you can't deny that, given all you've learned in terms of being able to almost freely change between human and equine forms, it provides a definitive edge, so to speak, in what you could do. Consider the vast assortment of possibilities."

"Good point..."

"Indeed. Speaking of, have you thought about it at all since our last chat? Y'know, what practical advantages and disadvantages come between forms?"

"Hmm..." I briefly pondered. "The only things I can tell you off the top o' my head are that I think I'm faster as a pony, but somewhat weaker-- at least, by Earth pony standards-- because I don't have the full range o' motion I'm used t' havin' as a human... bizarre as that might sound. Plus, some things strangely feel heavier when you can't just pick 'em up with hands, instead relyin' on hooves or a mouth. As a human, I think I'm at top strength, but slower because I don't have as many legs t' run on. Plus, I sometimes get the strangest feelin' I'm a lot heavier as a human than as a pony. You think that might have somethin' t' do with conservation o' mass or somethin' havin' t' do with alterations to my molecular makeup?" I queried, knowing it would pique Twilight's scientific intrigue.

"You know, now that you mention it... I'm not certain. The law of conservation of mass states that mass does not change due to it measuring how much space an object occupies. You can't destroy or create matter, so your mass should be consistent between forms... However, it isn't the same case with weight. Plus, now that I think of it, we're not even sure these laws apply the same way in your universe that they do here."

"Huh... I dunno either. I'm inclined t' believe that law stays consistent between worlds but I can't conjure up a reasonable explanation for the weight changes."

"Are you certain that's the case?"

"Yea. Wrestlin' with Rainbow as a pony, she usually has little t' no trouble liftin' me off the ground. But when she rescued me as a human last week, she complained about how heavy I was... That had me thinkin' about how much heavier I might've been at the time. At first, I figured it was because of how she was liftin' me, but if I was a pony at the time, I'm certain she wouldn't have had nearly as much trouble."

"We may have some experiments to conduct on you in regard to this anomaly," the mare concluded in wonder. "However, it'll be awhile before that happens. As it stands, we're both going to have our schedules tied up for the next few weeks."

"You can say that again..." I concurred before being cued into remembering an equally-controversial topic at hand... or hoof. "That reminds me... Have you talked to you-know-who since last week?"

"You mean Fluttershy?" Twilight expertly deduced, her face suddenly reading an expression of mild discomfort.

"Er, yea..."

"...Yeah, I have... What about her?" she stated rather curtly, seeming not to want to talk about her. The calm, breezy atmosphere suddenly became a little hot as we fell silent for a bit. I knew better than to push the envelope further with Twilight, considering what happened up to this point regarding the benevolent pegasus mare. However, dealing with Fluttershy was of utmost importance and simply skirting over the issue wouldn't be acceptable.

"Uh... I... are you... still upset with her?" I so eloquently, yet fearfully inquired. "About all that's happened up until last Sunday?"

"No, I'm not mad..."

"It sure don't sound like it..." At that, the mare sighed.

"Okay, yeah, I am still just a little perturbed she would do something like kiss you without my knowledge or consent; in my own home, no less. I'm also a bit frustrated that we still haven't gotten our thoughts into line about what to do with her... but all things considered, what else could we expect, right?"

"I... I guess so, but I still ain't certain... there's so much t' think about..."

"If it means anything, she said she didn't mean to go so far with such a bold gesture; she was, as she put it, 'caught up in the moment.'"

"Yea, that helps a ton... not."

"Caught up in the moment, hm?" I echoed, uncertain of how to comprehend the statement. "She ain't mention nothin' about certain... physiological issues or what that might do in terms of causin' trouble on our little excursion tomorrow?"

"We dabbled in that topic of discussion, yes," Twilight candidly answered, her mood seeming to become slightly sour.

"...And? Anything you wanna clue me in on? Am I gonna hafta lay down the law if she gets 'bold' again? Did you talk t' her at all about this whole... 'temporary threesome' idea? Did you say anything about what we're supposed t' do if her heat cycle starts t' get in the way? Am... am I gonna wind up... I dunno, havin' to... 'help' her if she falls into one o' those heat-related crampin' spells?" My last prod into Twilight's thoughts made her cringe slightly as she momentarily looked away from me.

"Well, you've got your date with her tomorrow and from there, you two can clarify what you think should happen," she rebuffed as she looked at me once more.

"Right, but... what did you talk to 'er about, if ya don't mind me askin'? I don't wanna go int' this scenario blind."

"A few things... but I feel you'd be better off figuring it out for yourself talking to her. If I told you everything here and now, that might spoil your day with her. Plus, I'm... not in much of a mood to mull over everything she and I discussed right now. It's pretty grating to think about, given how personal it was..."

"Understood... I guess. Sorry for the discomfort."

"Wow, what an unnervin' cliffhanger t' leave me on... I got almost no insight at all. Not even answers t' those VERY IMPORTANT questions."

"It's okay... I'm sorry for being so short about it. It's just... the perfectly wrong time for any of this scenario to be carrying out. Plus, I don't want to make the same mistake I made before when I preemptively blurted out Fluttershy's affections, nor do I want to risk exacerbating any of the complications this ordeal already presents to us as a couple."

"I understand completely, boo. I'm sure that it'll all work out for the best."

"I hope..."

"Good. So... pardon me for changing the topic, but how do you think your discussions with Celestia and the other two ponies will go?" Twilight asked (presumably in order to ease her emotional tension, but doing nothing to ease mine).

"If I might speak forthright: Celestia, I'm just a TEENSY bit nervous about an' Comet should be fine, but... havin' t' even share the same breathin' room as... HIM again? I'd rather eat every splinter of wood from that vegetable stand I crashed into... with no water t' wash it down."

"Yikes... You REALLY don't want anything to do with him, do you?"

"What gave it away?" I rhetorically and disdainfully shot back.

"I only hope you don't have to spend too much time talking to him in that case. Since we're on the topic, have you considered writing that letter yet? Spike is inside if you want to get started."

"Hm... Nah. I'd rather give her the entire monologue in person. I'm thinkin' maybe it'd be easier t' do so AFTER I had my talks with Comet and the degenerate," I replied, refusing to acknowledge that disreputable terrorist by name.

"The degenerate? Harsh words, Ty," the unicorn humorously mused, though I found no amusement in the subject matter.

"A testament t' how much I dislike him."

"Don't you think you should lighten up a bit, hon? I know he's done some-- no, MANY reprehensible things to us in his time here, but don't let it get to you so deeply that you'll wind up hating him for the rest of your life."

"Considerin' what he did to us, hatin' him for the rest o' my life sounds like an understatement."

"I understand, but if there's something I'd like you to know before you go, it's that I actually hope you come out of this not feeling so bitter. Holding such vindictive grudges will only make you miserable. It's kind of a stretch to say this, but... living well is the greatest 'revenge' you can have." Hearing her quote both made me realize her point and amused me.

"Haaa, somepony's been keepin' up on her human-world quotes," I teased as I playfully nudged her with a hoof, lightening my mood a little.

"I try," the mare answered back as she smilingly winked at me.

"Still... you're not angry or upset with them over what they did to us?" I asked, genuinely amazed at her magnanimity. "You're quite saintly."

"Are you kidding!? I'm flipping furious at them!" she boisterously answered, thus completely refuting my previous sentiment.

"Whelp, nevermind that!"

"Those troublemakers tormented us and our friends, messed up my big reveal of you to the town, cost me a LOT of valuable studying time, and almost killed you... TWICE! And that isn't even close to all the damage they caused in a matter of two days! Just THINKING about it gets me fuming from the horn! Buuuut... I press on knowing I won't hold it against them; even if it WILL take me a long time to truly get over the entire ordeal."

"Sooo... Moral o' the story is that it's okay t' be so mad at them that even thinkin' about 'em makes me wanna choke 'em, but instead, keep on keepin' on until it EVENTUALLY doesn't or...?" I jokingly asked, pretending not to get her point. "Cuz y'know, this message o' yours seems kinda contradictory..." I added, throwing in a dopey-sounding tone in my voice.

"Hardy har har, Ty," my bemused lavender love partner remarked, though she smirked with amusement. "You know exactly what I mean, with that word-analyzing brain of yours. You're a real comedian sometimes; y'know that?"

"Borrowin' your words, sweetums: I try," I slyly retorted, shooting her a humored smirk. "Hey, speakin' of fury... you'll go easy on Spike for eavesdroppin' on us, right? Upsettin' as it was that he spied on us, he was jus' curious. Don't you think makin' him do all of his and that owl's chores for the next three months, puttin' a strict limit on how many jewels he can have per week, and makin' him write 'I will not spy on Twilight' over and over until his claw cramped just a LIIIIITLE... harsh?"

"Nope. He's gotta learn one way or another that actions have consequences. Plus, he reacted much worse to the 'birds and bees' talk than he did any of the admonishments or punishments."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I spared him the vast majority of the details, though. Suffice it to say, he's still got some time ahead of him before he's able to fully comprehend what I taught him."

"Well then. I sure hope his curiosity was worth it." At that moment, a silhouette of another pony eclipsed the afternoon sun, drawing closer until it revealed itself as a royal white alicorn that softly landed in front of us.

"Good tidings, my little ponies," the Princess of the Sun happily greetings.

"Good afternoon, Princess!" Twilight happily greeted back.

"Hey..." I nervously and shakily replied, her presence sending a chill up my spine.

"What's the matter, Ty? Feeling a little nervous about our date?" she mused, seeming to be in rather high spirits. Although, her comment about our meeting being a 'date' made my jaw drop just a little. Twilight got a healthy laugh out of it.

"Eh-heh, just a lil' bit..." I stammered, trying to play along. "It uh... it ain't every day a princess agrees t' spend quality time with me..."

"Too bad this 'quality time' is gonna consist of her pickin' my brain... AFTER she forces me t' bend to her will."

"I suppose you should be honored," quipped Twilight, though she understood my pulse-pounding concern. "I just hope you get to enjoy yourself in the long haul..."

"Fret not, Twilight. I will see to it that our extraterrestrial friend has an enthralling time," she assured Twilight before turning to me. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as spaghetti..."

"...made of burnt confetti..." With that, Celestia approached me and touched a royal hoof to my trembling back as she powered up her horn. I turned to Twilight, who'd moved to give me a short, sweet kiss to calm me down.

"For good luck?" I questioned with a rather weak smile.

"As always, dear. See you tonight," she bade as she backed up and waved at me. I waved back to her and with a *POOF*, the Princess and I were on our way...

Once we arrived at her palace, Celestia and I perambulated through a series of halls and corridors that led down to a particularly grim-looking hallway that looked pretty much EXACTLY like a medieval dungeon if it was at least somewhat well-kept and brimming with guards at each cell. Never did I think I'd see a prison of all things in this world... The sight was as encapsulating as it was intimidating; though, my fear of this dank cavern paled in comparison to my fear of the leader of Equestria at this moment. Compounding my fear was my bitter vitriol towards one of the two ponies I'd have to interact with in this dungeon.

"You haven't spoken a single word to me since we arrived, Ty," Celestia pointed out, seeming to be a little hurt by my strong silence. "Am I that frightening to you? I sincerely apologize if that is the case."

"Oh, it's not you..."

"Not entirely..."

"I jus'... I wanna get these talks over with before I get an aneurysm from the stress..."

"Oh, my... I understand your predicament. I do hope your time with me will be worthwhile at least. I know my request may have sounded stern when I made it to you last week, but I assure you, I merely want to speak to you in earnest. I haven't been granted with an opportunity as of yet. You aren't in trouble if that's what you're implying..." the regal glitter-maned mare reasoned as we stopped in front of one of the cells. With a nod from Celestia to the armored unicorn stallions standing in front of it, they opened the bars. "You may speak to the first of our... 'acquaintances' now. You may leave as soon as you are finished." With that, I stepped into the cell, the bars slamming shut behind me as Celestia trotted off. As I turned to face my talking partner, I was relieved to see it was a teal-coated mare with a royal violet mane, shackles on her hooves and what I could guess was some sort of inhibitor ring adorned on her horn.

"Comet...?"

"Oh... Hello, Ty... Glad to see you are well..." Comet greeted, looking and sounding incredibly forlorn.

"I don't suppose I could complain... How've you been since we last met...? Better, I hope?"

"Hmph. If you consider THIS better... well, you'd be right," she answered, though I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or serious. I analyzed her face to see she'd been crying profusely... her eyes were red and irritated, her eyelids puffy and discolored, her cheeks heavily stained with her sorrow... it was a pitiful sight to behold. "Oh, and good job on nearly frying Gillian to a crisp," she added, though her downtrodden tone masked the statement's true meaning.

"...Are you bein' serious?" I asked just to make sure.

"Yes I am. I saw him after the incident. You did quite a number on him." I stared blankly at the mare, discombobulated by her words and her sincerity in them.

"Jeez, I haven't seen or heard about him SINCE then... Did I really cause THAT much damage?"

"Judging by your gaze, I take it you haven't seen him since you two had your last confrontation?" she deduced.

"You guessed it. Was it that bad?"

"I'd say so. He was practically a mummy when he was discharged from the hospital; wrapped from head to hoof in bandages, barely able to move on his own, and hardly able to talk."

"...Are you upset that I did that t' him?"

"No. Not at all. In fact, I'm glad you did it," she confessed, much to my astonishment. "The heartless manipulator reaped what he sowed. Although, you could say I'm also disappointed that you stooped to his level. I was certain you had a bit more tact than that, but given the circumstances, your action was not entirely unreasonable."

"I... I didn't wanna do it, but all that anger... All the pain..."

"You need not explain yourself to me," the unicorn mare interjected. "As I said, I understand the situation for what it was and, to be honest, I'd likely have done the same thing if I were in your position. If you're looking for my forgiveness, then you already have it."

"Gee, thanks, but you know I don't feel good about doin' it. But, so long as I don't have his blood on my hooves, and you don't hate me for it, then I suppose that makes dealin' with the memories of it a lil' bit less mortifyin'. Enough about me, though. I came here t' talk about you."

"What do you have to say?" she asked candidly.

"I'm... very sorry it had t' come t' this. You don't deserve t' be locked up like this." I consoled, saddened to see her in such a bad state.

"Yes I do..." she responded with a sullen sigh, her mood falling significantly as she lowered her head, her eyes wavering with a mix of regret and pity. "It's what I get for allowing myself to be fooled into the malicious, delusional farce I dared to call my relationship with that... that despicable, unfaithful traitor..."

"Unfaithful? I guess that means she knows what he tried t' do t' Twilight in the forest... Shit, I was hopin' she'd AT LEAST be spared the knowledge of that horrific event..."

"It's what I get for thinking anyone could ever truly love me... It's... it's what I get for giving up my life for something-- or someONE I should've known would wind up ruining it. I've been such a mindless, irrational harlot of a mare all this time... thinking so stupidly and blindly that trusting a criminal would EVER make me happy, failing to realize it'd land me in captivity alongside him when the illusion steadily crumbled and deteriorated into THIS... I barely even recognize myself anymore," she carried on, her eyes building up a fresh wave of tears. She seemed keen on beating herself up, but I didn't want her to continue her self-deprecating tirade... it hurt just to listen to. I could only imagine what it was like to be the one castigating oneself so harshly.

"Comet, no. Please, listen to me. You aren't at fault for the majority of the things you've done. It ain't even your fault that you're locked up like this. It's--!"

"Spare me your pity, human!!" she angrily shouted, understandably wanting to hear none of my words of comfort. "You have no idea what I've been through! All the mortifying experiences I've had! All the heinous crimes I've committed! The harm I've caused! The harm I've been dealt!"

"I understand," I calmly replied, wanting the atmosphere to remain tranquil and devoid of hostility. "I understand and I know where you're comin' from. But tell me somethin'... why do you blame yourself so harshly?"

"That much should be obvious," she spat. "You in particular got a definitive taste of my transgressions. I'm a rotten mare who's justly gotten her rotten punishment. And it's all because I dared to go where no mare had gone before... only to have it blow up in my face in so many ways..."

"I get that the circumstances have been... less than favorable t' you. But would you have really committed all these acts if you knew Gillian was usin' you the way he was?"

"...No."

"An' do you think you'd be in this position if you'd met him?"

"What's your point?" she impatiently asked.

"My point is that I say this isn't your fault; it's his. Obvious as that might sound, i'ss the truth. Trust me, no amount of harm you caused coulda been entirely of your own volition."

"You say that as if you know us. What would you know about the nature of our crimes? Of our relationship? Do you seriously think you've got Gillian and me figured out?"

"A lot more than you give me credit for, Comet... I know yours an' Gillian's situation in an' out." Hearing this seemed to pique the mare's interest; even if only slightly.

"Elaborate," she flatly demanded.

"From the moment you an' I began talkin' when you held me hostage, I suspected it, but after what happened when I found you in the woods, I figured it out..."

"And your grand deduction is...?"

"He's a sociopath. A remorseless, manipulative, malevolent, schemin' sociopath. More specifically, I think he's antisocial. As for you, you were his ace in the hole when it came to him gettin' his way."

"Me being his 'ace in the hole' is obvious enough but... him, a sociopath? Antisocial?" she questioned in wonder, though her skepticism was evident. "Don't you think that's a bit extreme? He's clearly been able to show emotion... and he hasn't ever been one to recede from others. Plus, he hasn't killed anyone... though he DID try to kill you... He can't be either of those. It doesn't add up, given how he's treated me up until our break-up."

"Don't believe me? Fine. I'mma ask you a series of questions an' the first one you answer 'no' to, we'll stop."

"I'm not in much of a mood for games, but I'll play along this time... You have me intrigued."

"Okay. When you first got t' know him, was he... charismatic? As in, he told you everything you wanted t' hear, right when you wanted t' hear it? Was he able t' convince you t' do just about anything he wanted you t' do just by sweet-talkin' you int' doin' it? Did he have such a way with his words an' actions that you found yourself unable t' say no t' him, even when it cost you somethin'?"

"...Yes...?" the mare uncertainly answered, seeming to hold on to her skepticism.

"Whenever he didn't get his way or whenever somethin' hindered him... did he wind up losin' control of his emotions?"

"I told you already that he has an explosive temper. That is irrelevant."

"Don't shoot me down yet. I'm talkin' even with small-scale stuff... like say, if you didn't do somethin' he wanted you t' do or maybe when somebody even slightly offended him?"

"...Yes, actually. He DID have... rather frequent moments where he'd lose his cool for seemingly no reason... He'd be so close to fighting other ponies for the most insipid reasons before I stopped him. In addition, whenever we'd get into arguments, he was always unnecessarily cruel with his words... but then he was always so apologetic and endearing to me later. He'd buy me gifts to cheer me up and shower me with affection as though he were deathly afraid of losing me... You're not saying that even those gestures...?"

"Were a means t' manipulate you int' stayin' with him? Sorry t' say, but... yes. They may very well have also been a means t' soothe his own diminutive conscience... more so than they were a means t' keep you in his good graces."

"..." Comet went silent in thought, though her gaze never left my eyes.

"How about this?: Whenever he did somethin' wrong himself, was he immediately regretful of it or did it take some time before he realized it?"

"It usually... it usually took an extensive amount of time before he came around... and even then, now that I think of it, his apologies never were genuine... he'd be right back to a negative behavior almost immediately after he apologized for it... It was almost as it he never really felt guilty for anything he'd done... as if he'd either never committed the act or as if he thought the act was someone else's fault..."

"I see..." I merely replied, getting into the swing of Psychology mode. "Now answer me this: Has he ever shown himself t' be impulsive, irresponsible, dishonest, extremely self-absorbed, and/or uncaring toward the safety of you or himself?"

"I... Y-yes...! He's consistently been exhibiting all of those signs since I met him... Even with this most recent plot of his... How... How could you know all of this?"

"I might not look it or give the impression, but I'm a sort of a psychology buff," I admitted to the mare's surprise. "It jus' seemed clearer an' clearer with each of our interactions that there was somethin'... off about him. Well, more-so than his most recent schemes. I didn't really get clued in on it 'til that mock trial at Twilight's library. Suffice it t' say, dude's got a personality disorder."

"I... I see. Does that mean I have one as well? I mean, all things considered, I've done some rather... unsound deeds and have my fair share of unfavorable personality traits... Plus, you did say you knew my personality type in and out. Are you going to analyze me next and tell me what's wrong with me?"

"Not necessarily. I'm fairly certain nothin's wrong with you. You are merely a mare with honest motives who was led astray. That doesn't go t' say you're not at least partly responsible for your actions, but you were devoted to another pony's cause under the pretense that he would give you the love you were lookin' for."

"Then why are you spelling all of this out for me now? What is the point of this discussion?"

"To get you t' see that this whole smorgasbord of bad situations you got in with him... they are not your doin'; they're his. I do this in hopes of makin' you realize that, while you've made some bad decisions-- whether by your own will or not-- it ain't too late for you. I won't say your path from here will be smooth or without its hitches an' crossroads, but I implore you, Comet; don't resign yourself t' this. You're not the criminal you're paintin' yourself out t' be. Stop kickin' yaself while you're down. I firmly believe you can change for the better."

"What about Gillian? Do you see a bright future for him, too? Even with the personality disorder you so expertly diagnosed him as suffering from?"

"I'll find that out when I talk to him once you an' I are done here. My main concern is you, though. I can't speak for Gillian in terms of his aptitude for change, but no hardened criminal would go outta their way t' help and relate to a hostage in the situation we were in. Nor would she actually take a stand against the stallion tryin' t' get her t' do wrong once she saw the error in her ways; even when it cost her a relationship in the process." With that bold statement, the cell fell eerily quiet as Comet and I stared at one another.

"...Why?" she managed to ask in a mixture of frustration and bewilderment, the emotions evident in her wavering sea-foam green eyes.

"Why what?"

"Why do you care so much about what happens to me? After all I've done to you... After all I've done to your friends... Don't you hate me? Don't you feel even the slightest bit of resentment toward me? I don't understand..."

"I think... I'm jus' seein' the bigger picture of it all, t' be honest. As such, I know that, maybe if we met under different circumstances, we coulda been... dare I say, friends. Hell, I don't doubt that we could be friends in this scenario. I can't speak for my girlfriend or any o' my other friends aside from Fluttershy, but generally, I still see some redeemin' qualities in you, Comet."

"I... I appreciate your sentiments greatly, but I'm sorry to say I don't outright agree with your view of my situation."

"You don't have to. Jus' keep ya head up while you're servin' this sentence... an' don't let your past rule your future." With that, Comet and I fell silent, with me staring intently at her as she mulled over our discussion. Figuring we were done here, I turned to leave before...

"...Before you go, Ty... I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Wha'ss that?" I asked back as I approached her again.

"Do... do you think it'd... be possible for me to get my life back on track? As in, resume my career? Possibly move someplace where no one has heard of me or this dreadful string of crimes that has effectively dragged my name into an abyss of shame, manipulation, and debauchery? Maybe even... to find love again?"

"Good question... I'm not sure..."

"I... can't really answer that definitively for you, given that I don't even know what sort o' sentence you'll be delivered... however, I believe that you have more control over this situation than you think. At the very least, you're 100% free from Gillian. Far as I hear, you're stayin' in Equestria t' serve your time while he gets sent back t' Saddle Arabia."

"True."

"All I can say is... that it's not impossible for you t' truly break free o' this situation, find a new place t' live, an' find yourself a stallion with whom t' settle down. Keep your hope strong. I definitely will," I confessed as I brought a hoof to her shoulder and looked her directly in the eye.

"...Thank you..." she responded as she moved to lay her head on my shoulder. Though the action surprised me, I didn't hesitate to bring a hoof to her reasonably-frazzled mane as I embraced her. Not long afterward, I felt my shoulder getting wet as I heard muffled sniffling coming from the mare in my grasp.

"It'll be okay, Comet..." I consoled, though frozen in place. "It'll be okay..." I didn't know what else to say or do as the mare's weeping progressed into a bout of sobbing.

"I just want to be happy again, Ty... I feel like so much of my life was robbed from me by this horrible situation," she confessed as she held me tight, her tears pouring like waterfalls of despair. "I'm so scared of what's going to happen to me and I don't know what to expect once they deliver their sentence. I'm so upset that everything I thought I knew turned out to be such an egregious lie that once the ugly truth was revealed, it was like barreling headfirst into another world..." Hearing her plight made me embrace the mare just a bit tighter. "...I'm so angry at everyone and everything, myself included and I have no permissible means to let it out other than by sobbing my pathetic eyes out on the shoulder of a pony I personally tortured... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry," she apologized through her tears.

"Comet, it's fine. I forgive you for everything that happened. I have no qualms against you. But I sincerely hope you do get t' see a brighter side t' this ordeal. You're a good mare, though you don't think it right now. You CAN be happy again. As they say, i'ss always darkest before the dawn. As such, I want you t' promise me that whatever happens t' you, you will hold onto your faith that things will get better from here on out. The more you tear yaself down, the more likely you are t' be stuck in prison; whether physically or psychologically. Will you promise that you'll look ahead an' not behind?"

"...I... I promise," the somber mare agreed as her crying came to a steady halt. We embraced one another tighter as the cell fell silent once again.

"Is everything alright in there?" asked Princess Celestia as she peered in, seeming to have overheard the noise.

"Yea... yea, I think so..." I solemnly answered as Comet and I broke our hug, though she seemed rather reluctant to let go. "I... I have t' go now, Comet. Please, remember what we talked about," I advised as I turned to leave the cell and rejoin Celestia's side, though my eyes were fixed on the poor, distraught unicorn mare. "I hope we can meet again sometime... as friends."

"I... I do, too... Farewell, Ty..." Comet bid her melancholy goodbye. Soon after, the cell gates shut once I was out.

"I trust you've gained some insight on the mare you've been vying to save?" Celestia questioned as soon as we were out of Comet's earshot.

"Yea... yea I did. What will happen to her?" I worriedly asked.

"While I won't divulge to you the full details of her punishment at this time for legal reasons, I assure you it won't be something she couldn't handle."

"Hmph. Such an ambiguous answer... well, here's t' hopin' that punishment is lenient enough for her..."

"I see. Will... will she be okay?"

"I assure you, she will be properly dealt with. With that in mind, I trust you'll be able to face the other acquaintance without needing to be restrained yourself?" That question instantly made me very angry... not at Celestia, but at the very pony she was referring to.

"I'll... I'll try not to lose it," I assured her with a heavy exhale of breath hot enough to melt pile of ice cubes in under a minute. With that, we reached the other cell. Celestia permitted the guards to open the gate to allow me in, though I was much slower in stepping into this cell. Each step I took, my anger grew... the air grew thin, dry, and hotter than a furnace doused in gasoline. I'd begun trembling with rage to the point where it almost felt like I couldn't walk... then the cell gate boomed shut and there I was... standing in front of the stallion I hated with the intensity of ten fierce nuclear explosions.

"Well then... Aren't YOU a sight for sore myopic eyes?" he greeted, his position much the same as Comet's. I took note of the bandages wrapped across various sections of his body. I also saw that other spots on the parts of his coat the bandages failed to cover... were singed and an alarming shade of ash gray.

"Evidently, I messed him up PRETTY bad..."

"Judging by how you're gawking at me, you're taking note of how badly you injured me with that brutish magic blast."

"Hmph. You could say that," I contemptuously shot back. "Didn't feel so good, did it?"

"You should know. You oh-so nobly took one from me in order to save your other girlfriend, Fluttershy. Remember?" I momentarily flashed back to the nefarious trick he pulled to get a free shot in at me... Shooting a highly-concentrated beam of magic DIRECTLY at Fluttershy, knowing I'd desperately push her out of the way, thus having no time to avoid it myself... and the thought made me so infuriated that I'd glared vindictively at the stallion. "So you do remember."

"...Yea... yea I do remember," I replied after a heavy breath, though I said nothing else immediately after. I was too consumed by pent-up rancor toward Gillian to think, much less speak or do anything other than stare hot death at him as memories of everything he'd done to me... to Twilight... to Rainbow Dash... to Spike... to Rarity... to Applejack... to Lyra, Zecora, Pinkie, and even to Comet all surfaced. Every transgression he perpetrated raced through my mind as my vicious hatred of this despicable reprobate of a stallion came to a boiling point. He did the same. For what felt like a wrathful eternity, he and I were locked in an optic warzone, each of us trading unspoken, unacted upon thoughts of how much we'd like to have our revenge against one another... but in that heated moment, I managed to flash back to what Twilight said to me earlier about the best method of revenge. So, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed a good deal of the frustration away to show that he wasn't going to get the better of me again. I relaxed my facial expression, though there were still trace signs of enmity in it. Nonetheless, the injured unicorn was thrown off.

"What, you finally get your knickers out of that twist?" he sarcastically remarked, though I ignored it entirely.

"Look... it's pretty clear that neither of us is gonna come even remotely close to likin' the other; not in this or any lifetime. But what I came here t' do is clear the air between us so we can get on with our lives."

"What am I to infer from that? That you're just going to forgive me for my actions? That by showing me that you're 'the bigger man' that you've won once and for all? Because as you might have already surmised, I'm not sorry for anything that's happened... aside from me being stuck back in shackles and left to rot in a repugnant excuse for an adult daycare center."

"Oh I know you ain't sorry for anything," I simply replied. "I didn't come here expectin' an apology. I don't even expect you t' admit that anything was your fault. If it were up t' me, you an' I wouldn't even be in the same breathin' space, much less talkin' to one another."

"Then what's your point, huh? You are honestly the LAST pony I wanted to receive a conjugal visit from."

"As if it brings me any sort of pleasure t' see a cretin like you after everything you did...! In any case, I guess I'mma try t' understand things from your perspective. So... why? Why did you go through with all this?"

"Oh, so now you're trying to pick my brain like your psychologist girlfriend Twilight tried to?"

"In a way... though I ain't doin' this in hopes of makin' you change for the better or make us friends. We both know there's not a snowflake's chance on the sun that THAT'S gon' happen. I just wanna know what your real intentions were."

"And why would I ever bother sharing that with you? What makes you think I'd just open up to yet another mind-numbingly dull counseling session?"

"You don't have to. I won't lose an ounce o' sleep either way, nor will it make your fate any better or worse. If anything, maybe you can vent out some o' that poisonous aggression you're latchin' onto."

"Poisonous aggression? Coming from the guy who nearly barbecued me over a broken flask filled with poison?"

"It wasn't poison, first of all. Second, you did a whole lot more t' me than break that potion container that made me attack you like that."

"Whatever... I don't need another 'doctor' to try and figure out the enigmatic puzzle that is my apparently-diseased mind. So do yourself a favor, pal, and beat it. I don't have any interest in talking to you," the bitter unicorn stallion angrily rebuffed. "You've already gotten your glory by seeing me battered, bruised, burnt, and chained to these dungeon walls."

"Why do you assume I'm takin' pleasure in seein' you in such a pathetic scenario?" I dared to question rather than follow his nastily-delivered order.

"Is that a serious question? Come on, dude: I KNOW you hate me. I know all your friends hate me. I know just about everyone I come across hates me. You malicious bastards practically get off on seeing me in pain or being tortured. It's as disgusting as it is sad that you enjoy haranguing me while I'm down. Why else would you be here?"

"Wow, he REALLY believes I'm here t' rub salt in his wounds..."

"...and what if I told you that it DOESN'T bring me pleasure t' see you here? That I find it just as unfortunate for you as I did for Comet? That it's actually somewhat... disappointing to see you here like this?"

"Then I'd call you a fucking liar," he spat as he continued to glare at me. "It's simple: I did something to mess up your life, you get your 'righteous' revenge on me, then you drag your haughty ass in here-- back in the form of a pony, no less-- to gloat. It's just the way the world works. It's the way the world ALWAYS works... Laugh at the poor mentally-deficient clown who wound up in prison for just trying to do himself some justice."

"Hmph. Tha'ss a pretty grim view of things," I observed, though his sharp tongue was irritating to listen to. "But it ain't the only way either of our worlds works; especially not the one we're standin' in right now. What's interestin', though is that you think that all the shit you pulled counts as 'doing yourself justice.' What justice could POSSIBLY be attained through treachery, deception, manipulation, kidnapping, coercion, attempted murder, and constant defiance of the law?" I queried, taking note of some of the crimes he committed in just the two days we spent squabbling with each other.

"Depends on who's asking the question and who's answering it. Justice is a subjective term and that much is demonstrated by your lack of understanding of me as a person."

"Then get me to understand. Why? Why would you think ANY o' this is okay when you know you're hurtin' everybody around you? What is the point in pursuin' this justice when you KNOW nobody else around you sees it the way you do? How could you even fathom actin' the way you did an' be so inconsiderate to the wellbeing of others?" I asked, urgently pushing him to spill some sort of insight on his thoughts and behaviors. I could tell he was getting agitated because each question seemed to rip into him like arrows as his face grew angrier and angrier. "Why is that the kind of 'justice' you're lookin' t' attain for yourself?"

"BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY JUSTICE I SEE FIT, ALRIGHT!!??" The stallion bellowed, alarming me as his rage echoed through the hallway.

"I wonder if we'll get somewhere with this..."

"Do you have any idea what it's like to live a life like mine? Where, from an early age, you're used and abused to such a despicable degree that it becomes the most effective way you know how to interact with others? Where you're primed practically from birth to see other people and ponies as potential stepping stones to your own endeavors? Where you're beaten, harassed, and tormented into being skeptical of anyone who approaches you with a shit-eating grin on their face and a hand or hoof reaching toward you? Do you have ANY idea what it's like knowing the world for the sadistic, rabid, carnivorous beast it truly, irrevocably is?" I fell silent as I listened to his vitriolic, nihilistic monologue. I was rather surprised at his outburst but the content in it... it was sickening. "Because quite frankly, I don't think you do!"

"Unbelievable... so is THIS what it's like in the mindset of a sociopath?"

"Let me fill you in on something, Mr. Analytical: With my kind of lifestyle before and even after being transported here by pure chance, you tend to want to get ahead of the game before it screws you over. No matter what, you have to play to win; even if you have to step on a few toes to do so. Satisfied now?" At that point, I'd heard enough.

"You do realize you're saying this to a person you almost murdered... to a person you kidnapped and tortured... to a person whose life you made a livin' Hell... to a person whose friends you also tormented an' mistreated... to a person whose significant other you sexually ASSAULTED... don't you?" I dared to ask, my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach in anxious, nerve-wracking fear of his reply.

"...Your point?" he deflected as he rolled his eyes. That cold reply sent one of the most hideous chills I'd ever experienced rocking through my body. I almost felt like I'd momentarily lost touch with reality, I was filled with such unprecedented anger.

"Suddenly, I don't feel so bad for almost endin' his life myself...!" It took EVERY LAST fiber of my being not to lose it and erupt on the now-defenseless stallion with such justifiably-monstrous hate-fueled rage that I'd have likely gotten myself locked up in this dungeon. Instead, though I trembled with boiling rage, I took another deep breath before I replied.

"All of this... was just a 'game' t' you? You seriously don't see the wrong you've done?"

"Of COURSE I see the 'wrong,' moron; at least, what you and the rest of these moralistic peons define as 'wrong.' I prefer not to have anything hold me back from my pursuit of the elusive, possibly imaginary concept of 'happiness,' however. Over time, I realized more and more that the generally-accepted definition of happiness is all just a façade to bend society to the will of a convoluted series of short-sighted, contradictory norms everyone is expected to follow without question, lest they end up in oppressive shackles, trapped in what they erroneously dub a 'correctional facility.'"

"Hm... Well, I beg t' differ. Obviously, I don't think the same way you do, so I never acted the same way you did... I won't say my own life was perfect or that it has been up t' this point; after all, I've gotten the grossly mortifying dishonor of meetin' you. I won't even deny that you're right in that society has its fair share of imperfections. But, however negatively you view life or how often you get kicked while you're down, you always have a chance t' make it better for yourself."

"As is what I've been trying to do."

"No... What YOU'VE been tryin' t' do... is not anywhere close t' pursuin' happiness," I rebuffed.

"Oh? And how is that? Just because my modus operandi just so happened to infringe upon the ideals of others? Big whoop... So I hurt a few ponies. That's supposed to be enough to make me reconsider my views? It isn't like I killed anyone or anything. They're all still alive and well to complain about how much they don't like me because I know what I want out of life and how that fact and my demonstration of such made them unhappy; you being a prime example, 'Mr. Memoir,'" he mockingly spat, much to my chagrin.

"My god... does he HEAR himself? I'ss almost like his idea of happiness includes makin' everybody else miserable... makin' everybody else... miserable..." With that thought, I'd hit a chilling epiphany.

"What you've been tryin' t' do... was the opposite. You've been tryin' t' make everybody you interacted with more miserable than you, so as t' make yourself the least miserable pony you know." I deduced in realization.

"Oh, get out of here. You--"

"Let me finish. Do you not get it? The life you've lived, the things you've experienced, the way you've been built up as a sentient being... all the way down t' things you've done... they're all based around misery, resentment, an' bitterness. People an' ponies alike have all sorts o' hardships come their way. Some worse than others. But when you let those hardships embed themselves in your mind, the memories fester an' grow an' evolve like a malevolent parasite that drains its host as it takes complete control of it. Soon enough, you start to feel like happiness is impossible to attain... like the only way to go up is t' bring others down... whether you lie t' them, cheat them, string 'em along on some year-long romantic farce as a means t' control them, or otherwise..."

"Uh-huh..." was all he had to say, as he finally seemed to be listening intently.

"It all falls back on the premise that misery loves company. You might believe the world is out t' get you an' that the best way t' cope with that is t' preemptively lash out at everyone before they get a chance t' do it t' you, but... le'ss face it: The world generally ain't that cruel. You paint the world t' be that cruel in your eyes so as t' justify the reprehensible things you've done."

"Well, look who's got it all figured out now," Gillian bitterly and sarcastically remarked. "Want yourself a prize, detective?"

"Your sarcasm won't weaken my point," I confidently deflected. "I know how you think now. How you feel. Why you've done these sorts of heinous misdeeds."

"And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because I used to think the almost same way you did when I was younger..." I confessed, alluding to what Twilight had me share with her back when she and I first started dating. He seemed taken aback by my confession as his eyes widened with intrigue, though he looked at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"What? Now that, I demand you elaborate on."

"I won't go int' too much detail, but I had my reasons t' be miserable back then. Harassment, abuse, learning the wrong lessons about life... I've experienced it. Granted, I don't think I ever thought so to the extreme that you accepted as your cold, brutal, lonely reality. I eventually figured out that I didn't have t' become a product o' my surroundings or a slave t' the negative influences of others. But just a few short years ago, I might have related to you..."

"Oh? So you're saying we're essentially two peas in a pod, separated only by which of us is greener than the other?"

"Kinda..."

"Comparin' myself t' you is sickening enough as it is, but that is where I'm goin' with this..."

"What I'm sayin' is that we both stared into the abyss of self-pity, shame, loneliness, an' hatred at some point. The difference between us is that you blinked before you saw what fallin' in entailed," I reasoned before the cell fell eerily silent for a few tense moments.

"That's... actually a pretty interesting, if not familiar analogy you crafted there," he admitted. The first thing he's said to me that wasn't laced with impudence or disdain. "It actually pains me to concede that you might be onto something."

"So you do understand. Then maybe there's hope for you yet."

"Hope in what? That I'll change? That I'll suddenly become a 'good guy' because you pointed out the error in my ways?"

"That, at the very least, you'll finally see things through the eyes of all the honest, good-natured people an' ponies you crossed. An' maybe that you at least THINK about more productive ways t' make your life better... even if you might spend the majority of your future days in a place like this. There's always hope."

"Hmm... nah, I don't think so," he denied after considering it for a moment, though I wasn't in the least bit surprised. "It's far too late for me to do anything to make my poor excuse of an existence any more tolerable at this point."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you a joke I once heard that, now that I think of it, perfectly clarifies our situation," he said before clearing his throat to prepare.

"I guess I could hear it," I warily permitted.

"So it goes like this: These two guys are deep inside a dark, foreboding cave, both of them highly mentally unstable. They've been stranded there for so long, they've completely forgotten what the outside even looked like. One day, they decide they don't want to be stuck in the cave anymore. They want to see what it's like outside; what they've been missing out on all this time. So after some planning, they venture through a series of pathways and tunnels until they reach a long, dark stretch with a dim light at the other end of it. However, there's an issue; there's a deep, wide, perilous trench below that would swallow them whole if they fell in. On the other hand, freedom is literally gleaming for them on the other side. The first guy's approach is to leap across the chasm, paying little heed to what fate would befall him if he made a single misstep. Surprisingly enough, he makes it across with relative ease."

"Where is he goin' with this?"

"The other guy has no intention on jumping for fear of falling, and thus, is unwilling to proceed. The first guy tries to encourage him to move along, but the second guy won't have it. So the first guy gets an idea. He pulls out a flashlight. Then he says to the second guy, 'I have this flashlight! Why don't I just shine it over the gap so you can walk across the beam and join me?' And get this," the stallion said with a slight, though forlorn chuckle. "Second guy shakes his head and goes, 'What do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off before I even got close!'" He broke into a hearty laugh after he finished his joke, though it took me a bit to register it. Eventually, I understood it and... though I NEVER thought I'd have seen the day... I laughed with him.

"Ahhahaha, I get it... That's quite the killin' joke you made there," I admitted, though I was actually slightly disheartened by the joke's ulterior meaning in context to this situation.

"Heh, isn't it?" he agreed. "It's a classic..."

"But... do you really see this scenario as that hopelessly grim?" I had to ask.

"Yeah, man... yeah I do," the stallion plainly replied, his laughter gone. "I've come a long way in my life, and nothing I've done has landed me anywhere but in serious trouble. I've been operating in a certain way for so long that sometimes, I feel it's the only way I CAN operate. Who's to say that, if granted another chance at freedom, I wouldn't screw it up because I was still unhappy? Y'know, just trying to understand what it means to be content with yourself and your situation... The way I see it, if I haven't found my answer by now, even after being transported to a world full of magic talking candy-colored horses that incessantly preach friendship, tolerance, love, and acceptance, there isn't very much hope I have for finding it anytime soon. You understand that, do you not?"

"...I... I guess I do see your side o' things..." I hesitantly replied, though I wished I could've found a reason to disagree with him. "But, one last thing before I go..."

"What's that?"

"What WOULD you do if you were set free just one last time?"

"Hmm... I dunno at this point. Chances are, it probably wouldn't involve living here as you have; all content and 'normal' and such. I'd probably be going about my usual way of pursuing happiness... or, as you put it, 'making everyone around me miserable.' Then I'd end up here again."

"Damn..." I sullenly muttered as I studied his mannerisms... We locked eyes, but his expression was blank. His body was motionless like a tarnished doll propped up to sit on its own. I could read nothing from him at this point. No anger, no sadness, no penitence, no hope... nothing. It felt like I was peering into the soul of a man whose life either lost its purpose... or never found one in the first place. It was a depressing vibe, but considering Gillian's own personal issues and mental instability, as well as the troubles he's perpetrated, I understood his standpoint. "Well, I guess I won't waste more of your time with idle chatter," I managed to utter to the stallion as I turned to see Princess Celestia staring in at us with an expression I could only read as total surprise. "If there's one thing I suppose I should say before I go, though, Gillian..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry it had t' come t' this. An' also... I... I forgive you... for everything," I said, though I struggled with the words. As much as I'd have REALLY wanted to hold onto my hatred of him or see him get what he deserved for what he did to me and my friends, I realized through my discussion with him that there'd be no point. So many others had already held bitter vendettas against him for the various misdeeds he carried out in his lifetime and he's demonstrated that he didn't care because that's what he was used to. Those he'd crossed would either attempt to harm him in some way as an act of revenge (like me) or they'd try to play the 'savior' role and 'cure' him of his anguish and ailments (like Comet Gazer). But I wondered how many of them simply let go of the grudges they held for the things he'd done (no matter how reprehensible) and let him know that straight up. Out of curiosity, I looked over my shoulder to see his reaction; astonishment, from what I could tell as his eyes grew wide, though his position was stationary.

"Ready to go, Ty?" the Sun Princess asked as I stepped out of the cell and heard the gate's voluminous metallic crash.

"Yea... You an' I still have that 'date,' do we not?" I remarked as I gazed up at her rich violet eyes, mustering a half-smirk. The alicorn merely smiled back, seeming relieved that my previous tension had (ostensibly) passed.

"Let us proceed, then," she replied as she took the lead. I wordlessly nodded as we headed out of the dungeon, though thoughts of my discussions with Comet and Gillian weighed heavily upon my mind. It was like a hefty burden was lifted off my back, though I still felt some tinge of concern for them. However, I did learn a valuable lesson talking to them, and I was certain it'd be a lesson Celestia of all ponies would greatly appreciate hearing about...