“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...